Used cars...need some help

[whatevergirl]

*My dh and I were looking at some websites last night for a used car, for our son. Our son plans to get a job once he gets a car, and we offered to pay for half of the car. That said, I want to avoid a car payment if we can. Are those that you pay cash for…like we saw ones for under $1000…with 80,000+ miles on it…reliable do you think? He would only be using the car for back and forth to school, and work…and if he goes out with friends, but no highway driving or anything. Just curious if you have ever bought a car like that, and how did it hold up?

Thanks in advance for your replies. We’ve decided against the motorcycle…once he’s been driving a while, he can buy that one, himself. *

 

[whm]

*My dh and I were looking at some websites last night for a used car, for our son. Our son plans to get a job once he gets a car, and we offered to pay for half of the car. That said, I want to avoid a car payment if we can. Are those that you pay cash for…like we saw ones for under $1000…with 80,000+ miles on it…reliable do you think? He would only be using the car for back and forth to school, and work…and if he goes out with friends, but no highway driving or anything. Just curious if you have ever bought a car like that, and how did it hold up?

Thanks in advance for your replies. We’ve decided against the motorcycle…once he’s been driving a while, he can buy that one, himself. *

In that price range, I would be inclined to go with a early 90’s Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. Both cars are quite common and the parts are no longer too expensive. My nephew bought a 90 civic base hatchback with a couple of dents etc. and has had very little trouble with it. What ever you do, take the vehicle to a mechanic and pay them $50 to check it out.

If you want to stay with an American vehicle, perhaps a full-size Ford truck. Other than eating brakes (and gas) they tend to be cheap to repair and reasonably reliable. I would stay away from non fullsize as they do not have as robust parts ( car transmissions in vehicles closer in weight to full size trucks for example)

Good hunting!

 

[whatevergirl]

In that price range, I would be inclined to go with a early 90’s Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. Both cars are quite common and the parts are no longer too expensive. My nephew bought a 90 civic base hatchback with a couple of dents etc. and has had very little trouble with it. What ever you do, take the vehicle to a mechanic and pay them $50 to check it out.

If you want to stay with an American vehicle, perhaps a full-size Ford truck. Other than eating brakes (and gas) they tend to be cheap to repair and reasonably reliable. I would stay away from non fullsize as they do not have as robust parts ( car transmissions in vehicles closer in weight to full size trucks for example)

Good hunting!

*Yes, we are thinking of a honda or toyota…not american. We have had bad luck with american cars, so done with those. Thanks for this advice!

Do you think it’s risky to buy a car off of someone out of the paper? Or should we stick with a used car ‘‘lot?’’*

 

[whm]

*Yes, we are thinking of a honda or toyota…not american. We have had bad luck with american cars, so done with those. Thanks for this advice!

Do you think it’s risky to buy a car off of someone out of the paper? Or should we stick with a used car ‘‘lot?’’*

From an individual seller. A car lot would be looking to make profit off both ends of the deal (the person who traded it in and you). One exception might be if you can buy a car that just got traded in to say a Honda dealership, before it is resold to an independent used car lot (a car like that get moved from new dealers within a day or 2).

 

[BillP]

An individual seller is fine, but it is absolutely essential that you get a car with a verifiable service history. Ask to see the receipts from oil changes, timing belt changes, and transmission fluid changes etc. If the owner can’t provide them, walk away. There are too many used Civics and Corollas out there that do have service histories to mess with one that doesn’t.

That being said, mileage really isn’t terribly important. A well maintained, late model Japanese car will easily go 200,000 miles.

 

[whatevergirl]

An individual seller is fine, but it is absolutely essential that you get a car with a verifiable service history. Ask to see the receipts from oil changes, timing belt changes, and transmission fluid changes etc. If the owner can’t provide them, walk away. There are too many used Civics and Corollas out there that do have service histories to mess with one that doesn’t.

That being said, mileage really isn’t terribly important. A well maintained, late model Japanese car will easily go 200,000 miles.

*Really? Ok…sounds reasonable. My husband and I were looking at the websites last night clueless of how to proceed. We normally have bought cars from dealers…and buying a cheaper car for our son, one in which he can reasonably pay 1/2 for, takes a little more legwork…

Thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut.

Agree with you about the Japanese makes. We have an older honda civic, and we bought our accord new back in 07…and we just love these cars. Amazing how dependable they are.*

 

[Em_in_FL]

Just a couple ideas:

Shop online for used comparisons…
Get a used pricing guide from Consumer Reports - they have some really good tips on buying used cars on their site… maybe worth the fee to be an “online member”…
Check out places like Carmax or “Certified Used” through the dealers… print out their prices and use for bargaining with other sellers.
Use Carfax to research the vehicle repair history…

Good luck!!!

 

[manualman]

I’m going to take a contrary position, for what it’s worth. A high mileage Japanese car IS likely to be more reliable than a similar American car. BUT, that is no secret anymore, is it? In fact, that has become conventional wisdom these days, so market prices reflect that. There once was a time when Americans wanted to be loyal and “Buy American” so the market prices of each were affected and Japanese cars were a steal. Those days are long gone and prices show it, ESPECIALLY used prices. Around here (Chicagoland), a 100,000 mile 2002 Civic will easily go for TWICE the price of a 100,000 mile 2002 Saturn SL1. If your husband is remotely handy (can change brakes, EGR valves, etc), the Saturn is a steal versus the Civic and will ALSO go 200k miles (presuming you check the oil and keep it topped up).

This past summer I cashed out my newer car and bought a 2002 Saturn SL1 for $2,700 with 98,000 miles on it. A comparable Civic would have easily been $5,500 or more. I’ve replaced all the fluids, belts and filters for a couple hundred bucks and am now enjoying 38mpg in my commute instead of the 24 I used to get in my former company car Cadillac CTS (vestige of the ‘old economy!’) Unlike an early 90’s Civic, it has modern 2 stage front airbags and side head curtain airbags (they were an option - check!) for vastly improved safety over any comparably priced Civic or Corolla. Not a small concern for a teenage boy driver! Also a plus is that the thing has a measly 100hp, so even a teenage boy can’t cause too much trouble with it.

If you can’t do simple maintenance and repair work yourself, you may still be better with the Civic. But you’ll pay a LOT more up front and/or get an older model with less safety features for your money. If you live in a climate with winter and road salt, this all becomes even MORE true. There ARE no native early 90’s Civics left around here (Chicagoland). Their engines may still be in top shape, but the whole car is in the junkyard due to rust! At the very least, the rear bumpers have all fallen off due to rust at the connection points.

Food for thought.

Domestic models I think are a bargain / underrated:
Saturn SL series (often they use some oil, but the cause is harmless if you keep it topped up, fatal if you don’t)
Ford Escort, Saturn Ion, Saturn L Series (2002 or newer only), Ford Focus (2002 or newer only), Buick Regal (ask mechanic to check for signs of past intake manifold gasket leak though), Chevy Impala (3.8 V6 only, 3.4 is more trouble), Oldsmobile Alero (4 cylinder), Ford Ranger pickup.

 

[whatevergirl]

I’m going to take a contrary position, for what it’s worth. A high mileage Japanese car IS likely to be more reliable than a similar American car. BUT, that is no secret anymore, is it? In fact, that has become conventional wisdom these days, so market prices reflect that. There once was a time when Americans wanted to be loyal and “Buy American” so the market prices of each were affected and Japanese cars were a steal. Those days are long gone and prices show it, ESPECIALLY used prices. Around here (Chicagoland), a 100,000 mile 2002 Civic will easily go for TWICE the price of a 100,000 mile 2002 Saturn SL1. If your husband is remotely handy (can change brakes, EGR valves, etc), the Saturn is a steal versus the Civic and will ALSO go 200k miles (presuming you check the oil and keep it topped up).

This past summer I cashed out my newer car and bought a 2002 Saturn SL1 for $2,700 with 98,000 miles on it. A comparable Civic would have easily been $5,500 or more. I’ve replaced all the fluids, belts and filters for a couple hundred bucks and am now enjoying 38mpg in my commute instead of the 24 I used to get in my former company car Cadillac CTS (vestige of the ‘old economy!’) Unlike an early 90’s Civic, it has modern 2 stage front airbags and side head curtain airbags (they were an option - check!) for vastly improved safety over any comparably priced Civic or Corolla. Not a small concern for a teenage boy driver! Also a plus is that the thing has a measly 100hp, so even a teenage boy can’t cause too much trouble with it.

If you can’t do simple maintenance and repair work yourself, you may still be better with the Civic. But you’ll pay a LOT more up front and/or get an older model with less safety features for your money. If you live in a climate with winter and road salt, this all becomes even MORE true. There ARE no native early 90’s Civics left around here (Chicagoland). Their engines may still be in top shape, but the whole car is in the junkyard due to rust! At the very least, the rear bumpers have all fallen off due to rust at the connection points.

Food for thought.

Domestic models I think are a bargain / underrated:
Saturn SL series (often they use some oil, but the cause is harmless if you keep it topped up, fatal if you don’t)
Ford Escort, Saturn Ion, Saturn L Series (2002 or newer only), Ford Focus (2002 or newer only), Buick Regal (ask mechanic to check for signs of past intake manifold gasket leak though), Chevy Impala (3.8 V6 only, 3.4 is more trouble), Oldsmobile Alero (4 cylinder), Ford Ranger pickup.

*oh my gosh, thank you for this! You didn’t have to do all this…I appreciate you taking the time to provide such insight, and details. DH and I needed something like this…my husband is doing the legwork, but we grew stumped last night with all the choices…and again, not wishing to do a car payment, we want to make the best choice. Thanks again…

Thank you also EM for your (name removed by moderator)ut. *

 

[manualman]

No sweat, I’m a car geek. I already did all that looking and checking for my own shopping last summer. Might as well share. I DO mean it about keeping up maintenance and being handy though. Assess yourself honestly. If you are the type that can’t think about taking care of a car other than remembering an oil change twice a year, splurge for the Civic -they are more negligence resistant.

Another plug for the Saturn S cars: Saturnfans.com has a forum like this one incredibly helpful with tips on dealing with issues that do arise as well as links to Youtube videos showing how to cheaply resolve the most common (and usually amazingly easy to fix) problems that arise. Also handy to have is the Haynes repair manual available for about $10 for a lot of common cars. (library or auto parts stores)

 

[whatevergirl]

No sweat, I’m a car geek. I already did all that looking and checking for my own shopping last summer. Might as well share. I DO mean it about keeping up maintenance and being handy though. Assess yourself honestly. If you are the type that can’t think about taking care of a car other than remembering an oil change twice a year, splurge for the Civic -they are more negligence resistant.

*That is the kind of family we are. haha Which is why we do love hondas. Thanks again…we actually thought of buying a nicer newer car for my husband, and giving our son our older civic that my husband drives…my son said he would pay for ‘rims’ and a high spoiler in the back. :ehh: Watched Fast & the Furious one too many times, I think. :hypno:

lol

Thank you for the advice again…I’ll keep you posted. We’re buying it soon.*

 

[Em_in_FL]

Another plug for the Saturn S cars: Saturnfans.com has a forum like this one incredibly helpful with tips on dealing with issues that do arise as well as links to Youtube videos showing how to cheaply resolve the most common (and usually amazingly easy to fix) problems that arise. Also handy to have is the Haynes repair manual available for about $10 for a lot of common cars. (library or auto parts stores)

YEAH… my first car was a manual Saturn SL… LOVED it!

 

[MtnDwellar]

Buying a used car is always a roll of the dice. Some people win and others lose. Many people are selling cars because they believe that something is wrong which is not worth fixing. It is always better to buy from someone who you know and trust. Check with friends and family first.

Can you get a good deal from a car lot? - Yes. Can you also get screwed? -Yes. Most everyone thinks that he is a good judge of character. The problem is that there are also people who are experts at not revealing their character. We call these people salesmen…LOL

Good luck with the car hunt.

 

[manualman]

…my son said he would pay for ‘rims’ and a high spoiler in the back. :ehh: Watched Fast & the Furious one too many times, I think. :hypno:

Clearly he needs more frequent beatings…

 

[kage_ar]

Call your Parish and ask if you have a used car dealer registered. Ask if you can put up a notice on the Parish bulletin board, as well as the bulletin boards where you both work “decent used car wanted - good dependable car affordable for a teen”. To buy from someone you KNOW is way better than picking a random stranger in the paper.

 

[whatevergirl]

Call your Parish and ask if you have a used car dealer registered. Ask if you can put up a notice on the Parish bulletin board, as well as the bulletin boards where you both work “decent used car wanted - good dependable car affordable for a teen”. To buy from someone you KNOW is way better than picking a random stranger in the paper.

*I agree, there is something about buying a car out of the paper, that scares me a bit.

This is an EXCELLENT idea, kage…never would have thought of this. I am going to ask the parish office mgr this weekend, after mass if we can put a request in the bulletin…thank you! (really, this is quite genius) *

 

[whatevergirl]

Clearly he needs more frequent beatings…

LOL, right. It’s really the ‘‘look’’ amongst teen boys down here in Florida…smaller cars, painted bright colors, with big spoilers and a blue light shining underneath the car. What do I know? I said, I personally wouldn’t waste my money on this, but when you have a job…you can waste your money all you want. Kids are funny like that…when they are buying something, suddenly the thing they wanted to buy doesn’t look so appealing.

 

[Lutheranteach]

One of the tough things with cars in that range is that there are very few of them right now. Most folks who have a car with that kind of age or mileage are just hanging onto it as the trade in is almost zero and with the economy the way it is, it actually makes more sense to drive those cars into the ground and then donate them to charity or have them hauled as scrap. Go to the library and get the Consumer Reports Guide to Used Cars and find out what you want to avoid is a good place to start. That book will also have a lot of advice on what to look for and what to steer clear from.

 

[whatevergirl]

One of the tough things with cars in that range is that there are very few of them right now. Most folks who have a car with that kind of age or mileage are just hanging onto it as the trade in is almost zero and with the economy the way it is, it actually makes more sense to drive those cars into the ground and then donate them to charity or have them hauled as scrap. Go to the library and get the Consumer Reports Guide to Used Cars and find out what you want to avoid is a good place to start. That book will also have a lot of advice on what to look for and what to steer clear from.

You’re right, that’s a good point. I’ll have to see what happens with the parish bulletin. Only thing with my parish is it’s very small right now, we have only been established for two years…but worth a try. I will tell hubby what you suggest too…he is looking at various websites online, and has found some steal of a deals, but I’m skeptical to buy from a person who has an ad in the paper…so we’ll see. Thanks for the advice! *

 

[whm]

You’re right, that’s a good point. I’ll have to see what happens with the parish bulletin. Only thing with my parish is it’s very small right now, we have only been established for two years…but worth a try. I will tell hubby what you suggest too…he is looking at various websites online, and has found some steal of a deals, but I’m skeptical to buy from a person who has an ad in the paper…so we’ll see. Thanks for the advice! *

I kind of like your earlier idea of letting him drive dh’s civic and getting dh a new or newer car. (Being a husband my advice is obviously biased) Instead of having you son pay for half of the car, have him pay for your increased insurance (which on an annual basis exceed the price range in you original post). You could then title the car to him after graduation from HS or college. Note I remember being that age, and there is a lot of power in pointing out who owns the car!

Btw the “rims” he likely wants will also require new low profile (ie expensive tires) and likely exceed if not double the cost of the cars you are looking at. I had a '91 civic LX for many years, all 92 horsepower…handled good but hardly a hot-rod worthy of $1,xxx worth of tires/rims.