Buying a used car

[ConfidenceMan]

Originally Posted by Call me J

Also look into Mazda 6. Another bigger four door then your current accord.

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I won't drive a minivan or SUV. Hauling keyboards around means a station wagon. Two years ago I picked up a '05 Mazda 6 station wagon with 62k for $8.5k. It has not been issue free, but my favorite Toyota/Honda mechanic is fine working on it.

[Winhamness]

Well I just sold my old car.

I have gatehred data on all the pertenant available cars that I can find.

Nissan Altimas, Maximas, Honda Accords and Odysseys.

Now I just gotta make a decision and act!

[Montecristo]

Your budget is 15.000?

Add 1.000 and Get a NEW Corolla, you get 5 years of warranty, no need to worry bout anything mechanic, almost zero expenses with repair. Those babies have been know to get pass the 300.000 miles and keep going.

http://www.toyota.com/corolla/trims-prices.html

It's roomy for your kids and powerful, fun to drive. After a few years it will be very easy to sell, however if you buy a 2001 BMW or any other used car it will be pretty difficult to get rid of afterwards.

You have to think about resale value, mechanical headaches and safety.

[Winhamness]

I dont believe a corolla is big enough for me.

I'm finding myself paralized by choices, none of which being exactly what I want.

I'm finding Altima's are everywhere...but I like things that are a little unique so I'm starting to sour on them. They don't really seem very large either.

I'm seeing some Subaru Legacy's but those are stretching my budget.

A couple of good BMW options but they are high miles.

Finding it difficult to move from data gathering to action.

Keep waiting for that 2007 BMW 530xi with 60k miles to show up...

[Winhamness]

Alright so I feel like I have 3 options now

06 Altima, 26000 miles, $14,000 (might be negotiable)

05 Odyssey, 68,000, miles $14,000 (might be negotiable)

10/11 Subaru Legacy, 23000 - 44000 miles, $17,000

I drove a Legacy last night (there are several options out there) and loved it.

The cost of the Legacy is a serious issue. It'd be from a dealership so tax/title/license on top of the listed cost.

The Altima seems like the best deal but I don't like the car very much, to be honest. My wife even threw out that she'd drive this one and let me drive our current minivan.

[Winhamness]

So on a whim over the weekend I lowballed some dude on a 2006 maxima with a salvage title and 70k miles.

Few days later he got back with a slightly higher counteroffer. Out of the blue. When I had basically settled on that 06 Altima for 14k.

So I gamed on him a while (pretending I wasn't really interested, taking control of the conversation, etc), and got him to agree to a few hundred bucks LESS than my lowball offer!

The catch is its in a city 2 hours from me. So right now I'm riding on a bus to go pick it up (pending a test drive).

pretty happy with the deal - 6750 for a Maxima SL with all the options.

[BubbaHeat]

Good Luck

[bootstrapped]

If it's not too late...can you get full coverage insurance with a salvage title? Might want to check that.

Don't get the 05 Odyssey. Honda has had V6 trans issues from '98, until a few years ago. If you want a van, get a Sienna.

Altima's drive nice, but the 2.5L has had a number of issues as well.

I'd stick with 2003+ Accords in your price range.

[LouisianaMan]

Winhamess,

I am looking at 05 and 06 Nissan Maximas right now. I want to spend about $10K. I went last week and checked out a 2004 Volvo for my grandson. It was about half or so what you would expect at list and I figured it was a "bait" car they were using to lure customers on the lot. The tires were worn out and the car was not really cleaaned up. I talked my son-in-law, a master mechanic, and he called them up and asked to take it to a mechanic shop to check it out. The car dealer refused! So guess what? I did not call them back!

I would tell you to get a carfax search done and tell the dude you are going to set up a visit to a mechanic to get it checked! His answer should be interesting! The price you are being offered is really too low. See above what I want to spend! One other thing. My sister was married once to a guy that bought a suburban from his brother. She was pulled over in Houston with a female friend and they told my sister the car was stolen and then they searched the vehicle! They found some interesting pharmaceuticals and paraphenaria onboard. Strangely enough, neither claimed to have seen the drugs before! My Brother-in-law refused to rat out his Brother and spent about a year and a half in the local County slam. When he got out he found my sister had just given birth to a brand new baby Boy! He even had his last name. Note to nurses, after you give drugs to a mother giving birth, ask what the child's father's name is, not what the mother's last name is!

LouisianaMan

[Winhamness]

Accords are a great choice but unfortunately (for me) they hold their retail value way too well to be in my price range.

Well i bought it.

I had carfaxed it. Everything the guy told me about it matched the carfax. It runs really smooth and looks better than I'd have guessed. The achilles heel on these seems to be the transmission and this one shifted smooth as butter.

The city I bought it from, I believe, has more insurance agencies (sp??) headquarted in it than anywhere else in the country. It was put in a ditch in Louisiana and ended up here at an insurance auction.

I caught the seller at a time when he needed the cash (and was therefore able to control the negotiations).

At less than half of what my budget was, I am willing to take the risk. I could put 5k into this car and still come out ahead!!

[bootstrapped]

Win - congrats. Sounds like with your great deal, you'll still be way ahead if you have to make a few repairs.

[Xavier]

Congratulations on your car, Winhamness! I'm starting to research possible options for used cars, since it seems likely that I'll have to pick a new place to live in no later than two weeks from now. I haven't bought a car before, so I need to do my research and look into what will serve me for the time being, and your chronicles will certainly help me out on this regard.

Again, congratulations on your deal!

[Winhamness]

Well the advice I would give you is this:

There are millions of choices. Pick a handfull of cars you like, that fit your needs. Stick with those, it eliminates having to make A LOT of choices. You can easily be paralized by the sheer number of options.

Pick a budget. Have the money ready or the loan preapproved. When you see the car you want at the price you want, you'll know when it happens, ACT with all your might and do not second guess. Go all in.

Walk through open doors. If you see the car you want but the price is too high, ask for a lower price. If you see a vague description that might be right, go check it out. Tell people you are looking for a car, you never know when a friend of a friend is selling their grandpa's car real cheap.

Basically, like all of life, detach from the outcome and be ready to go all in when you see what you want.

[dude]

Kind of related post. I saw a black 95 Mazda Miata convertible the other day that my wife wants me to explore purchasing. The seller wants 3K for it but it blue books for $2,300.
I don't need the car but it is fun to drive. Seems like the guys posting on this thread know a little about cars. So Any thoughts on the Miata?? I have done a little reading on them and they seem to be an ok car. I need another car like I need a hole in the head.

[kofcydonia]

Congrats on the new (to you) car! I'm not too big on foreign brands, but I would consider buying a Nissan. Those Maximas are solid cars.

In Feb. I decided I wanted a new (to me) vehicle as well. My price range was similar to yours. I've always liked Jeeps, as they fit my lifestyle and location (gotta love Wisconsin winters...). I found a '05 Grand Cherokee, loaded, with only 34k miles on it. I am in love with the engine in it too: a nice sounding 4.7L V8 with plenty of torque...and I generally get between 19-21 mpg on the highway. Not bad for a V8. Not quite the 5.7 Hemi that's offered, but it's got some ooomph.

Up to 48k miles, absolutely no issues with it. Solid truck.