Comments on: Good tips on buying an used car//price/mileage/car mark/year?

By: ~ Floridian``

~ Floridian`` — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:04:49 +0000

What do you like? Check out the used car lots of several reputible dealers, ask about guarantees and service records, accident reports, etc., the negotiate your best deal…one you can afford.

By: esmerelda v

esmerelda v — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:00:45 +0000

My advice to avoid problems is get the car checked out by a mechanic. This way you end up walking away from cars with problems.

By: Eve S

Eve S — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:48:07 +0000

Age means nothing, mileage also, It comes down to build quality and maintenance. Every car company has there cars there proud of and there are those that they wish they never built. I look at rear wheel drive. Insurance rates and rate of depression. A Mercedes only loses 10% in the first two years of ownership, a Toyota a little more but there are cars that may lose as much as 40% in the first 12 months. You might think that a car like that is easy on the pocket but may cost u more in the long run.

By: peterthegreat

peterthegreat — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:31:26 +0000

Wow. That’s a lot of questions. Here’s a web site that might help:
http://www.firstcarguide.com

By: chucksright

chucksright — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:32:33 +0000

for $4,000

98 Acura CL, 98 Ford Mustang V6, 98 Honda Accord or Civic, 98 Nissan Frontier or Pathfinder, 98 Subaru Impreza or Legacy, 98 -00 Toyota Corolla or Echo 00

By: Ovlovian

Ovlovian — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:42:21 +0000

1986-1993 Volvo 240

Not the coolest looking or fastest car on the road.
Use the money you saved to get a nicer stereo and enjoy not having a car payment.

As a first time driver, you’re going to want something to protect you from everyone out there.

They can be had for extremely little money.
Look for ones that have been very well cared for and have tons of documentation throughout their lives.

The engine in them is robust and lasts well past 300k miles if maintained and given the BARE MINIMUM of attention. Just keep oil, water and gas in them and they run for years.
My ’88 gets 27mpg with more than 300k miles and it was my first car.
Replacement parts are a junkyard away.

If you just can’t possibly drive a Volvo, consider any of a number of early/mid 90′s Hondas or Acuras.
Be wary with those that have been modified in any way, as it may hamper your ability to smog or might indicate abuse (regardless of what the seller might say). The engines in most of these are very reliable as long as they haven’t experienced overheating (true of any car but especially ones with all aluminum engines)
Timing belt replacement is especially important on these.

Because they are lighter, they’ll usually get better millage (also due to great engine design). These also typically have a very high life expectancy when treated right.

Consider things like tires, brakes, timing belt, oil changes, type of transmission (Automatic or Manual), catalytic converter, records and millage.

Start the car from a cold start. Listen for surging, rough idle or other indications of something amiss. Look for pools or oil stains.
Open the oil cap and if it looks like milk or anything milky/white be very concerned about a blown head-gasket. Usually it’ll be on the actual inside of the cap.

Also check the coolant fluid level.

I also find a mechanic I can trust and I have the potential car seller bring it to them for a look.
Paying your mechanic for his or her time can pay huge in the future.