I need to buy a used car. Any advice?

[Joanne98]

Are there any internet sites worth using

[JVS]

1. Cop cars!

[Joanne98]

2. What does that mean?

[JVS]

3. Get a used cop car!

[Joanne98]

4. How do I do that?

[JVS]

5. Look up police auctions

[MadHound]

21. Don't get a cop car, whatever you do

First of all, these are big cars, with big engines, that drink a large amount of gas. In addition, these cars do indeed go through hell. They are regularly sent past their limits in regards to the wear and tear that they take, and frankly, the reason that you don't see more used cop cars on the road is because the vast majority of them literally can't go anymore. In addtion, a lot of the cars that cops are getting rid of right now are Crown Vics, which are infamous for blowing up in rear end collisions. Stay away.

Instead, I would recommend a used Honda or Toyota. Find yourself one that has been driven and owned by a little old lady(or some other such caring person) for the first 100,000 miles of its life, and you can pick up a car that will, with a bit of TLC, last you another 100,000 miles for a pretty low price. In fact your best bet might be to hit estate auctions. Most of these are from the estates of older people, and the price is generally pretty low.

[rocktivity]

26. If you DO get a cop car, get it painted IMMEDIATELY

On the MTV show Pimp My Ride, a skateboarder bought a cop car at an auction, but he didn't have the extra money to give it a new paint job. So he would get pulled over by cops who thought he might have stolen it--and even worse, the other skateboarders would shun him because they thought he was a cop!

:rofl:
rocknation

[femmocrat]

6. Don't know about internet sites.... but I recommend Hondas.

They hold up really well even with a lot of miles on them. We have always had great luck with Hondas.

[Rosco T.]

8. I'll second that... love My Element.

[Bzzzz]

20. I agree...

we bought Honda's for our kids and they have held up great. I've had great luck with my 1995 Mercedes C class. It has 200+ miles on it and still looks like new and drives great. Really good gas mileage, too. We've always had the maintenance kept up and the oil changed like clock work. We'll drive her till she drops. We just recently bought a 2004 BMW 330XI and love it. The handling of this car is unbelievable.

[Connonym]

25. another agreement on Hondas

My Toyota Camery lasted 10 years 150,000+ miles and I still got a surprisingly large trade in value on it. Sorry to say but I've had shitty luck with American cars and nothing but good luck with Japanese.

[billyskank]

7. Don't buy it off anyone who wears a sheepskin jacket

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. Check out this site--Edmunds

http://www.edmunds.com

[Nickster]

15. Second that idea. Edmunds is great, print out the details from the cars that you

want and take it with you when you shop so you can compare onsite.

[jakefrep]

10. Befriend a mechanic...

...seriously, no matter what you buy, have a mechanic you trust check out whatever vehicle you choose before you buy.

[Fuzz]

11. Where do you live?

What state?

[LeftyMom]

12. Make a list of the features you want and need, then get a used car buying guide

(Consumer Reports makes one) and investigate what will meet your needs. Talk to your mechanic and see if he likes some models better than others and if the model you want has anything you should be on the lookout for that's potentially problematic. Then go look. If you don't know cars bring somebody who does, but who will help you make the decision rather than trying to make it for you, along to test drive. Get anything you are interested in inspected first. If your mechanic doesn't do it or you don't trust his judgement, AAA does inspections for about $70. Use anything that comes up in the inspection to decide on the car and to negotiate the price down if it's minor.

Hope that helps. :)

[Hissyspit]

13. Program car auction. n/t

[bertha katzenengel]

14. Hmm... Certified Used Toyotas are fantastic. As to internet sites

I don't know.

Good luck!

[Joanne98]

16. thanx

[leftofthedial]

17. THOUSAND DOLLAR CAR

Thousand dollar car it ain't worth nothin'
Thousand dollar car it ain't worth shit.
Might as well take your $1000,
and set fire to it.
$1000 car ain't worth a dime,
You lose your $1000 every time.
Oh why did I ever buy, a $1000 car.

$1000 car is gonna let you down,
More than it's ever gonna get you around.
Replace your gaskets and paint over your rust,
You'll still end up with something that you'll never trust.
$1000 car's life was through,
'bought 50,000 miles 'fore it got to you.
Oh why did I ever buy a $1000 car.

A $1000 car ain't even gonna roll,
til you throw at least another thousand in the hole.
Sink your money in it, and there you are
the owner of a 2,000 dollar 1,000 dollar car.

If you've only got a $1000
You ought to just buy a good guitar
Learn how to play it it'll take you farther
than any old $1000 car.
If a $1000 car was truly worth a damn
then why would anybody ever spend ten grand
Oh why did I ever buy, a thousand dollar car
a thousand dollar car

[Jade Fox]

18. See if there is a car-buying service in your area.....

For my last two car purchases (used) I have worked with a car-buying service connected with my credit union. For a fee of $300.00 the service did all the leg work and checking out of cars I might be interested in purchasing. I considered it money well spent. I have neither the time nor knowledge to make a good car purchasing decision, while the service knows the car business, knows how to assess a car's condition and price. Had I wanted to I could have also looked for cars on my own, and had the service check them out. I did this for at least one car that I saw in my neighborhood. They called the owner, and determined whether it was worth pursuing.

Good luck!

[yellowdogintexas]

19. I agree w/program car, or retired lease cars/rental cars

they rotate them out at around 20 thousand miles. Still under warranty, and well maintained.

[ooga booga]

22. Consumer Reports

I'd consult Consumer Reports. They have a website, but you have to subscribe ($24/yr) to get the info. A cheaper alternative is to find the most recent April issue of CR in your local library. April is always the car issue. It'll have a page of good reliable used cars and another page of cars to avoid.

When you've found a car you're interested in you might invest some bucks into getting an independent mechanic to look the car over. I think $75-80 is about the normal charge for that type of exam. It may sound like a lot, but it'd be money well spent if it keeps you out of a lemon.

My last thought is based on my own personal experience and, therefore, my own personal bias. A good Toyota or Volvo with reasonable mileage would usually be a good bet. I've had very good luck with both brands.

[rocktivity]

23. Go to a new car dealer instead of a used car lot

The new car dealers get the "cream of the crop" as far as buying used cars. They'll check it out mechanically and you can get financing.

:headbang:
rocknation

[NMDemDist2]

24. what's your budget and what do you need? gonna finance or pay cash?

got a boatload of kids and dogs or do you just commute 10 miles to work a day?

so many options.......


we needed a second car, I picked up a 15 year old Buick at an estate auction for $1200 it goes back and forth the 12 mile round trip to work for $5 a week

works for me :shrug: