[Tim in real life]

As of this writing, I have been earning US$2K for a used car.

Since I am new to this, the only tool I have at my disposal is CarFax.

What procedures beside smog testing I need to pass?

I appreciate the help I can get.

Thanks.

[General Stalin]

Going to need a lot more info than this. Is this your first car? What country/state are you located?

[samsamsam]

paging el mechanico.

I do think there is knowledge here but there are probably better car specific forums that can really help you make a good decision. As much as I love this forum, sometimes there are better sources elsewhere.

Maybe this will help.

https://www.reddit.com/r/askcarsales/com...feel_free/

[SlickyBoy]

(04-21-2016 11:13 AM)Tim in real life Wrote:  

As of this writing, I have been earning US$2K for a used car.

Since I am new to this, the only tool I have at my disposal is CarFax.

What procedures beside smog testing I need to pass?

I appreciate the help I can get.

Thanks.

All depends what you are after. I've bought cars for less than that, but I know how to fix them or at least know when the shop may be trying to rip me off. Do you? If not you will go broke fast with a car that cheap in most cases.

A few rules you should keep in mind for cheap cars:

1) The lower the mileage, the better. This will be tough - everything that cheap will have tons of miles, but it is an important consideration.

2) Think Japanese - particularly Toyota. When going this cheap, keep the parts cheap too - tons of corollas, Camrys, etc. out there. Honda isn't bad either but tends to be a bit more expensive. Try to find one with not much more than 100k miles (will be tough at $2K price point though)

3) Try to find a car from the original owner. Tons of miles is one thing, but tons of miles spread over ten owners who don't give a shit is a disaster (sound familiar? It's kind of the same way with girls, isn't it?)

4) Body damage - this can be tough to spot if repaired well, or not obvious. A car with reasonable miles might still have some past repairs you may not notice. The untrained eye could easily miss things like bent frames, stress fractures, doors and hoods that just don't close the way they should. Carfax isn't perfect here but it's better than nothing - use it.

5) Depending where you live, smog testing can be easy or a pain in the ass. Some exemptions might exist if the car is old enough but I would find out what your state requires. If you get a $2000 car then need a grand more for a catalytic converter it won't be a good day.

6) No, that used BMW at this price is not a good deal. See rule number 2

7) Try to buy from an older seller who is anal about their cars - you can quiz them a bit about repairs, and they are more likely than a dealer to be truthful about defects.

8) Avoid auctions at this price, and the low end dealers who shop there. Lots of junk moves through auctions and you're adding a layer of mystery you really don't need. Then again it's only $2k so maybe it's worth a gamble. I would prefer not to get stranded somewhere though in the event of a breakdown.

9) Avoid anything with a pretense of having been abused by a Fast and Furious wannabe. That cheap Accura with the neon underneath and the cool wheels? Yeah, the previous owner has probably been doing front wheel drive burnouts its whole life and is one trip to the grocery store away from the front axles and CV joints falling apart in the parking lot. Avoid.

10) Think boring, but good. A plain-Jane 4 door versus a slightly jazzier coupe won't sell for as much, even at the lower price ranges. No, this does not include Volvos or Saabs of any description. See rule number 2.

[kmhour]

Slickyboy's post is good, but $2k is next to nothing looking for a used car. You won't have the luxury of being that picky.

My advice at that price point is to find something Japanese that runs and make sure you have a decent set of tools.

[Tim in real life]

(04-21-2016 11:18 AM)General Stalin Wrote:  

Going to need a lot more info than this. Is this your first car? What country/state are you located?

Califoria/L.A. metro

(04-21-2016 11:27 AM)samsamsam Wrote:  

paging el mechanico.

I do think there is knowledge here but there are probably better car specific forums that can really help you make a good decision. As much as I love this forum, sometimes there are better sources elsewhere.

Maybe this will help.

https://www.reddit.com/r/askcarsales/com...feel_free/

thanks.

(04-21-2016 11:37 AM)SlickyBoy Wrote:  

(04-21-2016 11:13 AM)Tim in real life Wrote:  

As of this writing, I have been earning US$2K for a used car.

Since I am new to this, the only tool I have at my disposal is CarFax.

What procedures beside smog testing I need to pass?

I appreciate the help I can get.

Thanks.

All depends what you are after. I've bought cars for less than that, but I know how to fix them or at least know when the shop may be trying to rip me off. Do you? If not you will go broke fast with a car that cheap in most cases.

A few rules you should keep in mind for cheap cars:

1) The lower the mileage, the better. This will be tough - everything that cheap will have tons of miles, but it is an important consideration.

2) Think Japanese - particularly Toyota. When going this cheap, keep the parts cheap too - tons of corollas, Camrys, etc. out there. Honda isn't bad either but tends to be a bit more expensive. Try to find one with not much more than 100k miles (will be tough at $2K price point though)

3) Try to find a car from the original owner. Tons of miles is one thing, but tons of miles spread over ten owners who don't give a shit is a disaster (sound familiar? It's kind of the same way with girls, isn't it?)

4) Body damage - this can be tough to spot if repaired well, or not obvious. A car with reasonable miles might still have some past repairs you may not notice. The untrained eye could easily miss things like bent frames, stress fractures, doors and hoods that just don't close the way they should. Carfax isn't perfect here but it's better than nothing - use it.

5) Depending where you live, smog testing can be easy or a pain in the ass. Some exemptions might exist if the car is old enough but I would find out what your state requires. If you get a $2000 car then need a grand more for a catalytic converter it won't be a good day.

6) No, that used BMW at this price is not a good deal. See rule number 2

7) Try to buy from an older seller who is anal about their cars - you can quiz them a bit about repairs, and they are more likely than a dealer to be truthful about defects.

8) Avoid auctions at this price, and the low end dealers who shop there. Lots of junk moves through auctions and you're adding a layer of mystery you really don't need. Then again it's only $2k so maybe it's worth a gamble. I would prefer not to get stranded somewhere though in the event of a breakdown.

9) Avoid anything with a pretense of having been abused by a Fast and Furious wannabe. That cheap Accura with the neon underneath and the cool wheels? Yeah, the previous owner has probably been doing front wheel drive burnouts its whole life and is one trip to the grocery store away from the front axles and CV joints falling apart in the parking lot. Avoid.

10) Think boring, but good. A plain-Jane 4 door versus a slightly jazzier coupe won't sell for as much, even at the lower price ranges. No, this does not include Volvos or Saabs of any description. See rule number 2.

1. Is 100k-125k realistic?

2. Nothing domestic, and yet, used Toyotas and Hondas (emphases on Camry/Corolla and Accord/Civic as major grand theft auto baits) are musts. With that said, I remember my former stepdad, telling me "Nissans are like Japanese BMWs". Is there truth to that?

3. LOL at the final part. Good game nugget.

4. Might as well bring a grease monkey to help me out.

5. I appreciate this nugget.

6. Parts issue. I did see an offer for 2001 3-series coupe for US$2K, prior to this thread.

7. I appreciate this nugget.

8. Might as well dismiss eBay for bids.

9. This. I just saw a listing for a Prelude, 200K miles, asking for US$2K, complete with bumper damage.

10. US domestics too?

[spokepoker]

Try craigslist.
I saw an old mid 90's corolla on there for $700.

[Grodin]

I've always bought used cars and my advice is probably going to run counter to most other peoples.

If $2k is your price range, domestic is probably your better bet. They depreciate faster which in this case is a good thing, you'll get more bang for your buck. Resale value is not a real consideration when you're only paying $2k or I'd say less than $5k. Ford and GM have bad reputations compared to Toyota, etc. but a lot depends on the model as well. Some models are full of problems while others are reliable. Generally the models that don't have problems, the later years of that "generation" have even less problems as all the kinks were worked out. You can easily find which models have what problems with a google search. Check out sites like Consumer Reports as well.

You can also easily find guides online on how to check out the car yourself. What to look for visually as well as how to test drive it. Basics is that a clean car is a good sign, including the engine compartment. Check the fluids, dirty fluids is a bad sign that they aren't maintaining it. Look around the parking space for signs of a leak. Test drive it and run it through all the normal scenarios (stopping, accelerating, shifting gears, turning, going over bumps, etc). Pay attention and listen. Transmission is a big one for me, those suckers are expensive. Beware of any signs of transmission issues like delays in shifting, hard shifting sounds, etc. You can pay a mechanic to check it out as well, it doesn't cost too much, but with your price range maybe this isn't your best bet.

Ask how long the person has owned the car. You can tell by the carfax as well. The less owners / longer time they've owned it is better. Also ask why their selling it. Ask them if there are any problems. Most normal people who are just trying to get rid of a car will be honest, provided they know of the problem. People who sell cars for a living might be less honest.

Take your time. It's a buyers market.

Nowdays I like to buy used rental cars that are low mileage and still relatively new, but I can afford that. I've found lots of nice rides for less than $2k and they served me well until... they didn't. Final piece of advice, have a backup plan. Older cars can break down (or require major maintenance) at any moment - I don't care what make and model.

[dicknixon72]

The individual 'what to check out on a car when you buy a car' advice given here so far is solid. For $2000, I suggest...

'00-'07 Taurus/Sable w/3.0l 'Vulcan' V6
'97-03 Malibu/Cutlass w/Ecotec 4-cyl or 3100 V6 - '04-'05, this car was available as the 'Classic' for fleets.
'97-'05 Buick LeSabre ('97-'99 was a refresh of the H-body, but more importantly had the 3800 Series II V6 - dead-reliable motor; '00+ is a new bodystyle)
'97-'05 Pontiac Bonneville (Same as above)
'98.5-'04 Buick Regal (3800 V6 across the line)
'97.5-'05 Buick Century (3100 V6)

Stay away from Chryslers of any sort, stay away from compacts as they tend to get beaten and abused by 'kids.' You're not going to find a presentable Japanese 'big 3' (Toyota/Honda/Nissan) - much less a CamCord - for that money versus one of those cars mentoned above*.

Run from European. Period. If you don't, I don't feel bad for you.

These aren't flashy, but they will provide you with surprisingly economical and very dependable transportation. Yes, these are 'old man' cars, but that's exactly what you want - a car someone like 60+ owned and drove because they do not abuse cars (Grandpa doesn't hole-shot a Park Avenue) and are usually quite concientious when it comes to service.

*I will P.S. that a '92-97 or '98-01 Altima is a good bet in that budget. These are built well and usually have all the necessities - Pwr W/L/M, cruise, A/C - and unlike a similar-age Corolla or Civic are not downright embarassing to be seen in. The 2.4l 4-Cyls also have timing chains, not belts. Stay away from belt-driven cars of this era.

$2000 is a very difficult price point. I do this for a living and any trade I have in that I can offer in that price range and feel comfortable selling mechanically is either well-worn with super high-mileage or wholly undesirable (like a Chrysler New Yorker or something).

And as always, best of luck!

[SlickyBoy]

1. Is 100k-125k realistic?

- Possibly

2. Nothing domestic, and yet, used Toyotas and Hondas (emphases on Camry/Corolla and Accord/Civic as major grand theft auto baits) are musts. With that said, I remember my former stepdad, telling me "Nissans are like Japanese BMWs". Is there truth to that?

- If that is mean to mean Toyota beats Nissan in terms of quality, then mostly yes. But Nissan has improved. At your price point I would stick with Toyota

3. LOL at the final part. Good game nugget.

4. Might as well bring a grease monkey to help me out.
- Find a good one. Being an older guy relative is not an automatic qualifier.

5. I appreciate this nugget.

6. Parts issue. I did see an offer for 2001 3-series coupe for US$2K, prior to this thread.

7. I appreciate this nugget.

8. Might as well dismiss eBay for bids.

- That's not what I meant by auctions, I'm talking large wholesale auctions the public usually doesn't (or can't) go to. Low end dealers buy cheap crap from there, slap a coat of wax on it then up the price by $2K and put it on the lot. Ebay is ok but the same rules apply - and see the car in person before deposit.

9. This. I just saw a listing for a Prelude, 200K miles, asking for US$2K, complete with bumper damage.

10. US domestics too?

- Sure, but read reviews on the model - it's hit or miss with a lot of them. Japanese quality control is hard to beat at that price. Avoid Chrysler too - risky as hell down in that price range. European cars - already told you about cheap BMWs... move along.

[Perfect Stranger]

Look for a 4 cylinder Chevy Cavalier. They are cheap to purchase, maintain, run, and fix when they break.

[Sidney Crosby]

Don't even worry about buying a pussy magnet, for $2k you will have to settle for a beta mobile. As uncool as they are just get a used Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Cavalier etc.

Buy something unmodified, you don't want something that some Mexican is selling that's lowered and with a bunch of knockoff parts and a shitty wheel alignment, bent wheels from running over curbs.

If it has some shitty aftermarket exhaust.... don't buy it.

[Tim in real life]

(04-21-2016 06:21 PM)Sidney Crosby Wrote:  

Don't even worry about buying a pussy magnet, for $2k you will have to settle for a beta mobile. As uncool as they are just get a used Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Cavalier etc.

Buy something unmodified, you don't want something that some Mexican is selling that's lowered and with a bunch of knockoff parts and a shitty wheel alignment, bent wheels from running over curbs.

If it has some shitty aftermarket exhaust.... don't buy it.

I even treat beta mobiles as incognito cars: subtle enough to not attract attention.

That is all.

[CodyB]

Firstly, my approach is coming from an Australia / New Zealand perspective. If you live in the West, you will probably have a similar market place, but perhaps not.

There's a few approaches

Above all else, trust your intuition. If you feel the person or yard selling you the car is dirty or crooked, there's a million other entities out there trying to sell their cars. It's a buyers market, so you can next them and pretty easily find someone who offers the same value.

Know what car you want. Know what you need from it and understand the price points. Be sure to research the car you're looking at. Common faults, e.g. fanbelt, electrical issues, paint etc. Know how durable the engines are,


Approach A - Buying privately

Understand the person you will buy from. If they're a piece of shit, they won't tell you about major issues. But they also will generally settle for a much lower cash price than advertised because their hard of for cash. Wealthier people on the other hand may settle on a lower price because they just want the car out of their driveway/garage.

Come to a pre-agreement on a price. I find this to be the most efficient way and it's kind of time effective for both parties. If the negotiation is anything but civil, next the seller and find something else.

Don't expect after-sales help at all. There is generally no warranty on these transactions and the price should absolutely reflect that. If you see the same car in a car yard as you do privately listed, I'd say go for the car yard vehicles unless you can shave at least 30% of the private listing.

Cars, especially second cars, that belonged to wealthy and/or old people are generally well looked after, low mileage and the price point is generally low to start with.

Approach B - Buying in a car yard

Not a bad option if you have strong consumer law in your jurisdiction.

Make sure you have least 6 months of after-sales warranty. Make sure that the forms you fill out when you purchase outlines any major damage as the dealers will have an onus by law to report these and if it turns out there car was previously in an accident and they haven't told you, they can get penalized quite heavily. In Australia it keeps them accountable, certainly.

It's also good if you're looking at multiple cars. Get to know the salesman, let him know what you're looking for, make sure you are confident and he will find cars for you. While he will take a decent commission, he will know not to bullshit you if you are confident and know cars. Don't be afraid to ask for 20% off.


In bullets
* Understand your fundamentals re cars and the car you're buying
* Don't bother dealing with shitty people as there is almost an unlimited supply of people selling their cars
* A privately sold car should be much cheaper than through a dealership because there is no consumer support after transaction
* Pre-agree to a price pending inspection
* Buy from rich people because they don't need the money and they look after cars
* Buy from douchebags because they need the money and they don't look after their - they will take lowball offers (better know your shit though)
* Make friends with car salesmen as they won't rip you off if you are confident about your product knowledge

[The Black Knight]

What dicknixon72 said and the specific cars he listed are your target cars. Old late 90s/early 2000s boring American cars of very specific types that have decent track records.

Good luck finding an old Civic for 2k from those years that isn't broken or about to be broken. It truly is amazing how much value a 150k+ miles 15-20 year old civic can still sell for today (3-6k).

Another option is leasing a smart car.

Now, let me break this down before people flip the fuck out (whether because I suggest leasing, getting a smart car, or both):

1. A decent used car is going to cost probably 4-6k at a minimum realistically. A 2k budget is gamble zone territory; especially for someone not mechanically inclined.

2. If you can't do any repairs, you are looking at probably 1k/year in maintenance cost. Mufflers, struts, an alternator, timing belt replacement, window motor dies, a wiring issue, axle, and other mild wear and tear stuff is bound to come up constantly throughout the life of a high mileage old car. Then there is the catastrophic expensive stuff like a head gasket blowing/killing the engine or a transmission fuckin up and your car is pretty much done.

So just assuming basic maintenance stuff (1k/year) and you own the car for 3 years: you are looking at 7-9k in total cost for a car that has virtually zero resale value, is old, and you had to waste time and energy maintaining and taking to the shop. You also have to deal with the anxiety that the thing can die or blow up on you any day and you will have to come up with more money quickly to replace your wheels. If you get into an accident, you will get almost nothing from the insurance company.

Over 36 months, 7-9k is: $194/$250 month.

Now, if you go lease a smart car for 36 months:

1. Its $1599 upfront.
2. $139/month x 36 months = $5004
3. Plus a few misc fees.

Total cost at end of 36 months = $6,898 or $191/month.

Now, you will have to drive a smart car (which I know will offend some people here; I know someone will say you can't put a price on the shame of driving a smart car haha) but you get the following:

1. Modern amenities/technology. The 2016 model was a significant redesign for the better by the way.

2. Very low chance of major maintenance issues.

3. Maintenance issues should be covered by warranty/lease agreement and you will likely get a rental if work needs to be done at no charge.

4. Peace of mind that you have reliable transportation for 3 years and won't waste time with repair work, having to come up with a few grand if your beater dies, or worry about whether that one repair you have been putting off is gonna be the one that does the car in for good.

5. You have a largely fixed cost for transportation. With the beater, you have no idea what your actual costs could be beyond basic wear and tear items. That's a big X factor to worry about if you are low on money.

6. A straight forward, time-efficient buying/selling process (when your lease ends). No need to worry about getting hustled by some guy who forgot to mention a major repair that needs to done in the next 2,000 miles. Also, you can negotiate leases by the way. It's been a while since I looked up the intel but if I recall: you negotiate the car like you are going to buy and THEN say you want to lease after they give you a price. You don't have to do this but if you want to maybe save some money, you potentially could.

That all said: This comparison is being made with some broad assumptions and you need to account for that. I look at transportation largely as an A to B exercise and find spending excess money on cars to be a waste of money since it's a depreciating asset. A 2k car does the same thing as a 60k car. I like nice looking and fun to drive cars but a $20,000 premium isn't worth it to me (unless it's a self-driving car; that actually justifies spending the extra money). But to each and their own.

Purely from an operating cost stand point and due to ridiculous inflation in a decent used car these days, I do believe there is a solid argument to be made for leasing a smart car depending on your conditions, how long you plan to own, and what you value ultimately. I like fixed cost and not wasting time in shops, I don't drive a whole lot, and I don't need to carry a lot of crap. You might have a different set of conditions.

Anyway, just something to consider.

[stefpdt]

I agree with TBK. Sign a lease, make the down payment + $150/mo, and drive a modern car without worrying about shit breaking. I don't think you necessarily need to lease a smart car though, since normal leases are in the same price range. I'd take a cheap 2016 Kia lease over a $2k whip purely for peace of mind.

[Fast Eddie]

I've been seeing a fair amount of 2003-2007 Honda Accord V6s on Craigslist in the 4-8k price range with under 150k miles. Does this sound reasonable, or are they liable to be traps? I've driven a 2007 Accord V6 before and performance wise it packs a decent punch so getting a good one within that price range would be a pretty sweet deal.

[The Black Knight]

(04-22-2016 01:31 AM)stefpdt Wrote:  

I agree with TBK. Sign a lease, make the down payment + $150/mo, and drive a modern car without worrying about shit breaking. I don't think you necessarily need to lease a smart car though, since normal leases are in the same price range. I'd take a cheap 2016 Kia lease over a $2k whip purely for peace of mind.

Just looked at a 2016 Kia Forte LX for 36 months at a local dealership:

Monthly: $139/month
Down payment: $699
Lease Acquisition Fee: $595

So yeah...that's another possible option for sure or anything else that is similar. I was running on auto-pilot with the Smart Car mention because at the time when I was looking a year ago, you could find $99/month leases and I almost pulled the trigger on that. That said, it might even be possible to get that deal with the 2016 model later in the year. But I much rather drive a Kia/normal car vs a smart car even if the KIA is a bit more extra.

[Leonard D Neubache]

I've hear it never rains in Los Angeles.

On that basis if you have 2k to spend then there's really only one responsible choice.

[evilhei]

(04-22-2016 04:16 AM)The Black Knight Wrote:  

(04-22-2016 01:31 AM)stefpdt Wrote:  

I agree with TBK. Sign a lease, make the down payment + $150/mo, and drive a modern car without worrying about shit breaking. I don't think you necessarily need to lease a smart car though, since normal leases are in the same price range. I'd take a cheap 2016 Kia lease over a $2k whip purely for peace of mind.

Just looked at a 2016 Kia Forte LX for 36 months at a local dealership:

Monthly: $139/month
Down payment: $699
Lease Acquisition Fee: $595

So yeah...that's another possible option for sure or anything else that is similar. I was running on auto-pilot with the Smart Car mention because at the time when I was looking a year ago, you could find $99/month leases and I almost pulled the trigger on that. That said, it might even be possible to get that deal with the 2016 model later in the year. But I much rather drive a Kia/normal car vs a smart car even if the KIA is a bit more extra.

How can this be so cheap? I think Kia Forte must be in Europe Kia Ceed. This car in Europe is 16000 EUR. it seems that in US the same car is 699 + 139 x 36 + 595 = 6298 ? Or i'm missing something and the car lease works differently in US?

[Tim in real life]

Hmm, thanks for the insight, The Black Knight.

[ms224]

Buy a set of cheap tools, you'll need a wrench set (metric to 19mm if you buy a japanese car) and a 3/8 socket set and some screwdrivers, pliers jack and similar. $100 on CL if you are really good.

If you have a car problem, google it and look on the car specific forums. Before google went all globalNSAcucks you used to be able to search forums but its a bit harder now. You tube has a lot of stuff too

Most of the mechanical issues are pretty well diagnosed and don't be scared to try to repair your own car. Its mostly just screwed together into a spot welded frame. if you are careful you probably wont screw it up and if you do it won't be so bad as not to be fixable on the second.

[wi30]

My car died two weeks ago and I just had to get a new one. I'm assuming you have $2K in cash to spend on a car.

I was driving an 07' Taurus that was falling apart. I used to be an American car guy but I gave up after this car. My 04' Neon fell apart and my Taurus followed suit. Both fell apart around 140K.

Luckily my parents just bought a new car and had an extra one on the market when my car died. It gave me a couple weeks to shop around without being car-less. I drive a lot and my criteria was a car under 100K and priced under $10K.

I bought a 2010 Mazda6 for $9500 with 90K miles with 1K down. I was pre-approved by my credit union for 10K. I loved the car during the test drive but the front bumper had a crack across the bottom. I said I'd sign if they fixed it. They said they'd fix it if I financed through them. I ended up getting a full percentage point lower than my bank through negotiation. My bank called me back and I'm going to have them buy out the loan and save another percentage point. That brings me down to 2.5%. They are essentially giving away the loan at that rate. And my monthly payment is under $180. I'll probably pay it off early but it's a small enough payment to not have a dent in my monthly budget.

I recommend finding a reliable car with a reasonable monthly payment. Don't buy a junker.

[GlobalMan]

^What model Mazda 6 is it?

That seems quite high, especially for ~100k miles.

[wi30]

Mazda 6 i sport.

In near great condition. A few minor dents/scratches.

KBB put it at 9,200-10,000 for fair market value. I got a pretty good deal.

It seemed near impossible to find a legitimate car under 100K in this market. Cars are overpriced relative to miles in my market anyways.

Edit: Deny everything the slimy finance guys offer. After saying no to everything, you'll get better terms on things you actually want.