TheLaughingStock
Member
Get one of the Corollas or a used rental car from a reputable brand.
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What kind of used car should I buy?
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lem0n
Member
That '16 is great value. A Versa is a disposable car, they're made to be run and run and then traded in, but they do a great job at getting you places. I see them everywhere.
When you say they're meant to be traded in, does that mean it will likely start to become trouble around 100-125K miles?
For what it's worth the Carfax page on the 2014 model claims it's being sold as Certified Pre-Owned with a warranty through 7 years/100K miles. Not sure exactly how much warranty would be left on the 2016 model.
I like the 2016 version most out of those two. You get a bunch of nice included option. and the dark interior is nice from a cleaning point of view as well. same miles and no rear end collision damage ( I always get nervous what else can be damaged)
This. I'd never buy a used car without a inspection by someone else. I just did that when I bought my 2011 Honda CRV.
Doominated
Member
That's if you literally don't drive the car or only take it on the occasional monthly short drive. That 02 sonata is in no way in danger of that from the sounds of it.
Test drive a versa before you start thinking about one. Really, really garbage car imo. I rented one for a trip from NJ to NH a while back and it was the most unpleasant drive I've ever been through. I've driven mid 90s civics with 200k+ miles that drive better.
But if you test it and don't hate it they're one of the cheapest things out there that aren't guaranteed to fall apart on you randomly.
The Faceless Master
Member
get the civic if it passes the inspection of your independent mechanic.
djplaeskool
Member
Either of the Corollas
UpUpDownDown
Member
Maxima
Exactly what indicators should I be looking for to spot a "seedy" dealer? The only time I've ever felt seedy was when I went to one of those roadside "We Finance Anyone!" dealers and they drew me up a loan agreement at like 20% APR.
I appreciate you taking the time to look up deals around my area, and I thank you for finding me what appears to be a great deal. I am definitely going to investigate it and get back to you. Here's what is setting off red flags for me -- you tell me if I'm just being paranoid.
--Dealer has no discernable address. Craigslist ad says they are on St. Augustine Road, their Facebook page says Barker Street, the Google listing said Fairmont St. Google Street View only shows a car dealership at the Fairmont location.....but who knows how much has changed since Google took the pictures.
--Dealer has no web presence beyond Craigslist ads, a Facebook page, and a brief listing on CarDaddy. This combined with the address shenanigans indicates some kind of weird fly-by-night company.
--Car is being sold $3000 below market value
--Car is nearly 9 years old and only has 16,0000 miles. How is this even possible? That's less than 2K miles per year. Everyone has already told me to be concerned about cars that haven't been driven enough and I'm wondering if the same here.
--No VIN number listed. Obviously they don't want me to run a CarFax.....at least not before they get me on the lot. Though this may be a common tactic with used auto dealers.
--Almost no reviews on Facebook since 2015. The reviews that are there have no comments whatsoever, just a bunch of 5 star reviews. Though it looks like they are from legit accounts.
--The 2009 Sonata was first listed at least at the end of the December. It seems weird to me that nobody would have scooped it up by now, but perhaps it's just a slow time of year for car dealerships.
D
Deleted member 12837
Unconfirmed Member
Sorry to sort of hijack this thread, but I have a question along similar lines:
What's the best way to go about vetting and purchasing a used car these days?
I've only owned 1 car up until now, and it's what my parents provided for me when I first got my license (that was 12 years ago). I've been driving a '98 Camry with ~150k miles since then, but I recently damaged it enough to total it (didn't take much since it's so old, and luckily covered by insurance) so I'm in the market for another car. I don't need anything flashy; I don't take any pleasure in driving, it really just is a Point A to Point B machine for me. Thinking of a used Camry or Corola (seems to follow many suggestions in this thread).
Should I just buy from the Toyota dealership that's been servicing my car up to this point? Would searching online be better? How do I go about haggling on price, and what should I be looking/asking for when evaluating available options?
What's the best way to go about vetting and purchasing a used car these days?
I've only owned 1 car up until now, and it's what my parents provided for me when I first got my license (that was 12 years ago). I've been driving a '98 Camry with ~150k miles since then, but I recently damaged it enough to total it (didn't take much since it's so old, and luckily covered by insurance) so I'm in the market for another car. I don't need anything flashy; I don't take any pleasure in driving, it really just is a Point A to Point B machine for me. Thinking of a used Camry or Corola (seems to follow many suggestions in this thread).
Should I just buy from the Toyota dealership that's been servicing my car up to this point? Would searching online be better? How do I go about haggling on price, and what should I be looking/asking for when evaluating available options?
Here's how I managed two car searches this year:
- Narrow down my selection to four or five vehicle types
- Use a search aggregator like Cars.com to find vehicles in my price range with my selected miles
- Only consider vehicles with free Carfax or Autocheck reports
- Find a car
My first search I lucked out and found something perfect right away. After that car got totaled I had a little more time. I test drove a Mazda 6, Toyota Camry, and a Honda Accord. I chose the Accord. The Mazda was the most fun to drive, but my partner is very tall and it wasn't as roomy as the Camry or Accord. The Camry just felt like it floated down the road which I didn't like. I got a 2013 Accord with 32k miles for $15k.
Be careful with the Honda. I have a 2008 Civic from new. Had to replace all the wheel bearings. The power steering pump. And the damn things are silly expensive to repair.
Had a corolla before that. Get a Corolla. Bloody things are bomb proof.
The Merc will be expensive to service. The Hyundai is way too old.
Had a corolla before that. Get a Corolla. Bloody things are bomb proof.
The Merc will be expensive to service. The Hyundai is way too old.
True Savior
Member
What's the motor of the clk? The W208 Kompressor is reliable as fuck.
The story on the Honda Civic is that it had only just been traded in, and probably not cleaned out or inspected. It still had quite a bit of a mess from the previous owner, in the trunk and main passenger compartment. After we started driving it became immediately apparent that the air conditioning wasn't working - it was just blowing hot air despite being cranked to the max. Kind of embarassing for the salesman, but I guess that's the risk you take when you want to give people a ride in cars that were only just traded in.
Salesman said the AC probably just needed a recharge, and that we could make repair of the AC a contingent part of the sale. I said I wasn't buying until the AC was fixed, and I could have a Carfax. He picked the $2500 number not really out of thin air, but because I said I wouldn't be buying anything today unless I considered it as good as the deal I got on my last car (a $2500 10 year old Corolla with 130K miles that was probably worth 5K at the time).
I'm not sure why he was so adamant about getting the Civic out the door. It hadn't been on the lot long enough to really present itself as a difficult car to sell, so it's not like they knew it was a piece of junk. The make/model is popular enough that you don't have to slash the price so deep.
PandaShake
Member
If those are my only options I would choose the corrolla. Least likely to have issues out the options. If it's affordable, I would like to have one less thing to worry about. I just got a certified used car as well and it runs excellent.
If you want something cheap to get your from A to B, then look at the Nissan Versa S (manual). You can get a new 2016 or 2017 model for under $10,000. It's a sedan but it is very roomy. The car is pretty much bare, such as no power windows, no power locks, etc but you can add those as options.
Or you can look into certified used Japanese cars like Honda, Nissan, Toyota.
The Lamonster
Member
I'd go with the Civic, out of those choices.
D
Deleted member 12837
Unconfirmed Member
This is super helpful, thanks!
I can't drive stick shift, so that would be a deal-breaker for me. I'll look into certified used, though.
NoblesseOblige
Banned
A Civic.
Reliable and cheap to repair from my experience.
Reliable and cheap to repair from my experience.
That 08 civic seems to good to be true. My guess is it's a salvage title (generally avoid like the plague). Will have no resale value.
If it is a rear end collision maybe a salvage title will be ok, if it drives alright, and the discount here is huge.
A salvage on a rear end means it got fucking crunched though, so you will probably not want to get rear ended again, as the crunch zones / overall safety of the car is compromised.
If it is a rear end collision maybe a salvage title will be ok, if it drives alright, and the discount here is huge.
A salvage on a rear end means it got fucking crunched though, so you will probably not want to get rear ended again, as the crunch zones / overall safety of the car is compromised.
Usually this happens when the AC isn't used, which occurs in two ways:
1. Car sits unused for long periods of time.
2. Location where the car was previously used was very cold, so the driver hardly turned on the AC.
Band-aid fix is to refill the refrigerant, but that's not always the case. Sometimes the car will only blow cold air until all the refrigerant leaks out again. Sometimes the compressor won't engage. In both cases, car needs replacement ($200+ part).
How do Elantras compare to Sonatas?
Today I have a line on a 2008 Elantra with 9K miles, advertised at $8000. Should I be wary of a car that only racked up 9K miles in nine years? Service records look ok, though it's weird to see only 1 oil change on the entire Carfax report.
Is there any decent, cheaper, reliable alternative to Carfax? I may start going to independent lots or looking for private sellers, but you can run up a tab pretty quickly if you get a report on anything that looks interesting. Only the big dealers seem to provide free reports.
Today I have a line on a 2008 Elantra with 9K miles, advertised at $8000. Should I be wary of a car that only racked up 9K miles in nine years? Service records look ok, though it's weird to see only 1 oil change on the entire Carfax report.
Is there any decent, cheaper, reliable alternative to Carfax? I may start going to independent lots or looking for private sellers, but you can run up a tab pretty quickly if you get a report on anything that looks interesting. Only the big dealers seem to provide free reports.
LordOfChaos
Member
An acura what?
I'd probably say the mystery Acura or the Civic, Mercedes repair costs are high and that era was not known for its reliability. That Civic probably hasn't even hit its half life on the other hand.
Maintenance on Acuras isn't bad, similar to Hondas as they're nearly the same apart from niceties.
I'd probably say the mystery Acura or the Civic, Mercedes repair costs are high and that era was not known for its reliability. That Civic probably hasn't even hit its half life on the other hand.
Maintenance on Acuras isn't bad, similar to Hondas as they're nearly the same apart from niceties.
A car that old with that few miles isn't good. Cars, like people, need to move. Mechanical parts seize and corrode. Personally, I wouldn't touch any Hyundais.
To the OP, the civic is the deal.
gutter_trash
Banned
I would stay away from old Hyundais that are older than 2005, the older gen Hyundai were prone to rust and wear.
I owned two Accents, a 1996 and a 2003.
The front wheel of 1996 almost sheered off on the highway, got rusty as fuck.
the 2003 wasn't as bad but the fuel injection wouldn't stop pooping out and then the suspension repairs got more expensive than the value of the car
what he said
I owned two Accents, a 1996 and a 2003.
The front wheel of 1996 almost sheered off on the highway, got rusty as fuck.
the 2003 wasn't as bad but the fuel injection wouldn't stop pooping out and then the suspension repairs got more expensive than the value of the car
The other car I'm looking at today is a 2005 Sonata, ~80K miles, $3300. Is that cutting it a little too close to the bad older models?
I'd recommend you search online for forums dedicated to each particular model. I drive a Honda Pilot and Toyota Yaris and have found fourms dedicated to both with a ton of useful information about known issues, repairs, etc.
I'd also recommend the Civic based on my experiences with Hondas.
I'd also recommend the Civic based on my experiences with Hondas.
Both are quality cars. I believe the Sonata is somewhat larger and is a step up in price.
That's really low millage for an 08. I've heard the expression "machines like to be used" to describe the potential problems of mechanical components sitting unused for too long. Even with synthetic oil you want it to be changed yearly but it's possible the previous owner changed their own.
stump sock
Member
this. I had an 02 civic that made it to about 275,000 miles before falling apart (which more or less happened all at once). you want cheap, durable, and reasonably well appointed? done.
The civic is far and away the answer if you can ensure it is clean and mechanically sound. Under $5k is a huge red flag....it's almost surely salvage or best case should have been and was fixed outside normal channels. Civics are absurd appliance level cars...I've had 2 going 90k with zero issues on a new one....and I had a used one I bought with 90k and drove 80k with nothing done but maintenance.
LordOfChaos
Member
For a 2008 at 80somethingK miles 5K doesn't sound like a red flag to me. It's what I see around here, and that's in Canada in a not big city, the bigger the city the faster prices probably plummet.
That said, 5K is 5K and absolutely get a pre-purchase inspection.
Without inspection, car probably needs a few basic non-regular maintenance items replaced in 10K-20K miles:
1. Power Steering Fluid (Turkey baster siphon and refill).
2. Brake Fluid (Turkey baster siphon from master cylinder at least. Bleed and refill fluid at each wheel.)
3. Serpentine/Accessory Belt. (Replace. Vehicle uses a timing chain, so its replacement process is very similar to Toyota's Corolla.)
4. Antifreeze (Drain + refill with Silicate + Borate free fluid. Cheapest is Valvoline's Zerex blue color [for Honda]. You can use pink color, too, although that's consistent with Toyotas. Some people only use OEM fluid.)
5. Transmission Fluid. (Drain + refill. Some people replace fluid three times for an economical transmission flush.)
6. Water pump. (Replace with AISIN preferably.)
7. Spark plugs. (Usually can last to at least 120K miles if Iridium. Replace with either Denso or NGK Iridium plugs.)
That's ~ $300+ in parts. Depends on where you're buying.
If the AC compressor is bad, add at least another $200.
If you can do it yourself, that's great.
Also check tread life left on tires. See if there are any spiderweb cracks forming in the center or sides. Prepare to spend $400-$600 on wheels.
Hopefully OP gets a clearer picture of car's current condition. Can score a deal if there aren't any red flags.
SomewhatGroovy
Banned
Guys,
There is a car I'm thinking about buying. Car has been well damn maintained and looked after but I'm still hung up on fact that it has 180K miles on it
Seen Here
...thoughts?
Buying used is so stressful. Anyway, looking to buy something that will get me to and from work with the occasional family outing.
There is a car I'm thinking about buying. Car has been well damn maintained and looked after but I'm still hung up on fact that it has 180K miles on it
Seen Here
...thoughts?
Buying used is so stressful. Anyway, looking to buy something that will get me to and from work with the occasional family outing.
Bring it to a independent mechanic and have it checked out. Any Merlin worth their salt can do a good check out it for 60 bucks.
immortald3ath
Member
That's too many miles. 120k is the highest I would go for a used car. If you're planning to buy a car with that many miles, I would look at honda or toyota only.
SomewhatGroovy
Banned
Thanks, guys. My budget for a used car is $6,000 max. I'll check out the civics, I guess. My 16 yr old civic died last April after transmission went out so I want to be sure I can get a few years out of whatever it is I buy next.
thesoapster
Member
Agreed. If you can actually get it for anywhere near that low, I'd say it's a no brainer.
SomewhatGroovy
Banned
Found a 2011 Civic. My trusted mechanic took a look at it and said it was mechanically "damn good".
Price with everything tallied runs just over $9000. 75K miles. Think the price is too high? https://austin.craigslist.org/ctd/5978412250.html
My only other concern is no warranty.
Alternatively, a popular used inventory dealership in town offers Lifetime Warranty on anything under 8 years old and under 80K miles. Problem is its hard to find a Honda that fits those qualifiers in their lineup\
Price with everything tallied runs just over $9000. 75K miles. Think the price is too high? https://austin.craigslist.org/ctd/5978412250.html
My only other concern is no warranty.
Alternatively, a popular used inventory dealership in town offers Lifetime Warranty on anything under 8 years old and under 80K miles. Problem is its hard to find a Honda that fits those qualifiers in their lineup\
I think I have got it narrowed down. Any thoughts on a 2011 Hyundai Elantra versus a 2014 KIA Forte? They are both loaded with options -- push start, satellite radio, partial or full leather interiors. They are both around 70K miles, and both would be about $10.2K out the door. The only significant difference is that the KIA has full leather seats and a backup camera...I like that feature a lot but I'm not sure if it is worth getting a KIA over a Hyundai.
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