Buying a Car. HELP

[Jester]

check the tail pipe - swipe the inside of it (before you even put key to ignition) with your finger - it should be dry/fine/powdery, and kinda grayish
if its black, thick, sticky, or wet.... move on - this is a sign that the engine burns oil - you will have issues with your car if that's the case.

Keep in mind that you want to get a little bit INside the tailpipe if it has rained recently, the ground near the pipe is wet, or you live in a wet area. Rainwater is one thing, but it should not be able to get very far inside the pipe at all. Correct me if I'm wrong on this one, Treasure....you clearly know more about the inner workings of cars than I do!

I actually bought a car with a couple of notable mechanical issues. Then again, I also got a $5000 car for $3000, and then spent $800 on repairs for those and another completely unrelated issue. That Volvo was one of the best cars I ever had.

Keep in mind (and this is for the OP and everyone else), that some mechanical issues are okay, if you know what is involved with fixing them, you are going to be okay with that added expense, and it is not something that is going to adversely affect the car between the time of purchase and the time of repair. Andara's example is a good one, as a deal was had, and both the buyer and seller were happy, and the car price plus the price of needed repairs was well within the budget, AND Andara knew about the needed repairs BEFORE the actual purchase. That is important. Some sellers (though usually not dealerships) will sell you a vehicle with X, Y, or Z wrong, but will tell you about it, either when you look at it or sometimes even beforehand in the ad or on the phone. "It needs this new hose; it needs that new belt; it could use some new tires; the defroster on the rear window doesn't work." Etc.

I used to have a friend whose sister would research cars before she stepped foot into the dealership.

I did something somewhat similar when I was looking for a new truck 5 years ago. I did not know EXACTLY which vehicle I wanted, but I knew the basics. Since we only have a few dealerships down here in Key West, and I didn't want to go up to the Miami area if I didn't have to, I called a couple dealerships here and a couple there and told them the basics of what I was looking for: "I have a blue 2 door 1989 Chevy Blazer, and I want something similar but newer. An SUV on a truck platform, reliable and durable, no Dodges, no red vehicles, no clunkers, must have AC and a radio, don't care if it's 2 or 4 doors."

Sometimes they had something along those lines on the lot. Sometimes they called me with something. I checked a few out, and either they weren't right for me or the price wasn't right for me, whatever. Then one fateful day, one of the local Key West dealers called me and said, "You won't believe what we just got in here. A blue, 2 door, 2000 Chevy Blazer." JUST like my truck only newer!

Four days later it was mine. Still is.

[Seshat]

Make sure the car is structurally, electrically and mechanically sound. Any good mechanic can make sure of that.

Well, okay. A secondhand car WILL have problems. Make sure that the problems are ones you can afford to fix, or afford to live with.

As for how it is cosmetically and comfort-wise - make sure you can live with the problems there, too. And there will be problems.

[fireheart]

Make sure the car is structurally, electrically and mechanically sound. Any good mechanic can make sure of that.

Well, okay. A secondhand car WILL have problems. Make sure that the problems are ones you can afford to fix, or afford to live with.

As for how it is cosmetically and comfort-wise - make sure you can live with the problems there, too. And there will be problems.

Seconded.

Also Apollo, search for Redbook.com, for an idea of what the car is like in terms of fuel economy and such. My boyfriend uses it for when he's buying his new car (and has been going through mine relentlessly....)

[ApolloSZ]

Annnnnnnnnnnd now it looks like a moot point :|

Looks like I'll be buying a car off my Great Aunt/Uncle, 1996 Mitsi Magna. I know it will have been looked after, had all its services etc, and for a first car its better than buying the 8k one that won't be used everyday.

On the upside, it means building the gaming rig I want to is even more plausible.

So anyway, thank you everyone for the tips, I'll be remembering this thread next time I am buying a car.

[Jester]

Sounds like total upside to me. Good car, well-maintained by people you know and trust, good price, and you get to keep more of your money. Bonus to you!

[ApolloSZ]

That is an upside by all means. Just meant you guys giving me this awesome help, then it being not needed :|

But this is why I love CS!


Now... to find a place that will install rocket packs....

[dalesys]

Now... to find a place that will install rocket packs....

Better budget for some serious upgrades to your brakes!




...as the JATO Impala urban legend attests...

[Solumina]

Something I want to point out, I know it no longer really matters for you but I figure I'd mention it anyways: a larger car doesn't always fit a larger driver. Hubby is 6'6" and he drives an Aveo, admittedly he isn't the biggest fan of the car but he fits just fine and that isn't the case with quite a few sedans.

[Jester]

Fit in a car varies not just from car to car but from person to person as well. Not just because of different heights and body types, but because different people drive differently. I am a perfect example: while I am only 5'8", I tend to drive with my seat further away from the steering wheel. I have actually had some people taller than me pull the driver's seat forward after I have driven that vehicle. It's just what is comfortable to me.

Which is why you should always see how YOU feel in each car, to know if you will be comfortable in it. There are small cars with roomy interiors and large cars with cramped quarters, and everyone drives and adjusts their seats in different ways. It's like gloves--I won't buy them if I can't try them on, because a small is not always a small, and a medium is not always a medium.

(Another example of this that relates, but not directly because it doesn't involve cars, is my bike. Whenever I have shopped for a new bike, when I walk in the store and ask the staff to show me something, they find a model that is designed for someone of my height. But to me, such bikes make me feel like I'm riding a toy. I hate them. I need to ride taller, as they say. My current bike, which is awesome, was designed for someone 6' tall--a height I have only ever attained while wearing roller blades. Which, I should point out, are not the best footwear when riding a bike!)

[Barefootgirl]

My 6'2" husband currently owns both a Citroen C6 (enormous) and a Smart car (tiny). He is quite comfortable in both of them. Admittedly, when he gave his 6'4" friend a lift to the rugby in the Smart car, people stared, and when they both climbed out, people took photos

[draftermatt]

4) The mileage might be LOW, but dont go with a former rental. They get beat up. Poor jeep.

This can be hit or miss. Both my wife's and my truck were rentals. Hers took almost 50k miles (bought it with 45k now has 92k) before it showed any issue.

And so far on mine aside from some scratches and dings hasn't had any issue aside from a mouse chewing through an emissions hose.

You and your father need to have the attitude that you can walk off the lot any time, and that you don't really need the car.

This is great advice. A car typically has thousands made just like it, you can always find another.

It can be hard not to get excited, but do your best not to.

Carfax is a great thing, but I'd personally recommend doing it yourself and ponying up the $45 if you have the time to go home and check on it. Heck, do it on the test drive if the salesman doesn't come with you.

I just don't trust dealers to do it correctly for some reason.

Good luck and have fun!

[Jester]

When my niece was looking for a car, she actually did just that, paid for her own subscription to Carfax, and ran the cars herself. I thought that was pretty damn brilliant for a 19-year-old!