where do you guys buy your cars?!!?

[Cheesypuff]

I'm in the market to buy a used car. I'm narrowing down my search to only a honda civic or a toyota corolla. But My question is, where do you guys get cars that are not too expensive? my budget is around $10k give or take $1,500. and I also want 2003 or above. Yeah, very hard to do! BUT YES...lo and behold, my gotapex peeps know where all the cheap cars are! *don't say ebay...already checked there...thx all!!

[InfiniteNothing]

Personally I'm more into the 2000/1 Corrolla than the 2003/4

[attgig]

craigslist?

[civicdidex]

just got mine on autotrader

[DarkFury]

Honestly, in my opinion... used cars SUCK... unless you know the full history of the vehicle.

And from my experience, even a dealer will "cover bad schitt up" in order to palm a bad one off on you... which will hold together long enough for the ink to dry on the contract and/or the residual of the factory warranty to expire.

[guiseppewv]

Honestly, in my opinion... used cars SUCK... unless you know the full history of the vehicle.


This is key....know the history of the used car. I would buy cars from people that I know and people that I know take care of their cars.

Some people I know wanted to buy my last car b/c they know I take meticulous care of my cars. I would not sell it to them b/c it was having electrical system "issues".

[brainsmile]

My neighbor is VP of toyota. I get things at dealer cost plus $50 commissions

[Cheesypuff]

hey...thx for that autotrader website...good website! Also, I like the toyota 03+ body type more than the 02's. Sporty look


Honestly, in my opinion... used cars SUCK... unless you know the full history of the vehicle.

And from my experience, even a dealer will "cover bad schitt up" in order to palm a bad one off on you... which will hold together long enough for the ink to dry on the contract and/or the residual of the factory warranty to expire.

yeah...bad cars do suck. But PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong. Doesn't the lemon law protect me from stuff like this?

[MikeD]

AutoTrader, I like CraigsList too. You could try CarMax, though folks either love 'em or hate 'em...

Good luck! I'd prefer the Civic, but don't think you'll go wrong with either.

:)

[Cheesypuff]

I've tried carmax also. EXPENSIVE!!! some of the 03 models of cars with the SAME stuff ie. cd, A/C, CC, power everything are MORE expensive on carmax then NEW cars with the exact same stuff. Don't know why that happens...but yeah...it does.

[johnnymk]

Federal and State Auctions. I love them. The last 4 vehicles I owned have come from those sources.

I refuse to buy new. I am willing to take the chance of buying used. Let everyone else buy new to pay for dealer's markup, advertising, everyone's pensions and health care benefits. And then lose thousands of dollars in value within a few years. Thanks but no thanks.

[DarkFury]

yeah...bad cars do suck. But PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong. Doesn't the lemon law protect me from stuff like this?
NOPE!!!!

Most "lemon laws" only apply to "new" vehicles.... That is why dealers can get away with selling used cars "as is" with their own version of a warranty if you so desire to want to buy that.

[Cheesypuff]

Federal and State Auctions. I love them. The last 4 vehicles I owned have come from those sources.

I refuse to buy new. I am willing to take the chance of buying used. Let everyone else buy new to pay for dealer's markup, advertising, everyone's pensions and health care benefits. And then lose thousands of dollars in value within a few years. Thanks but no thanks.


ahhh....I've also considered doing the federal and state auctions. Can you tell me how they work? any fee for getting into the bidding room? how do you bid. stuff like that.

[g222leav]

http://www.carbuyingtips.com

get internet quotes, and use them to your advantage....you can negotiate a whole bunch without ever having to step into a dealership

when i just bought my rsx, i did everything via email and phone...i didn't go in until i went to sign the papers...

[brainsmile]

Federal and State Auctions. I love them. The last 4 vehicles I owned have come from those sources.

I refuse to buy new. I am willing to take the chance of buying used. Let everyone else buy new to pay for dealer's markup, advertising, everyone's pensions and health care benefits. And then lose thousands of dollars in value within a few years. Thanks but no thanks.how does that work?

[DarkFury]

Federal and State Auctions. I love them. The last 4 vehicles I owned have come from those sources.

I refuse to buy new. I am willing to take the chance of buying used. Let everyone else buy new to pay for dealer's markup, advertising, everyone's pensions and health care benefits. And then lose thousands of dollars in value within a few years. Thanks but no thanks.
As long as you are getting your cars for "pennies on the dollar", then that is "acceptable risk"...

However, playing Blue book value for a car where you don't know the history potentially can lead you into some VERY costly situations.

How many times has someone paid $15 - $20K for a car that originally retailed for close to $30K... and then have to turn around and put in $1500 - $5000 more for stuff that was "undetected" when the vehicle was purchased.

In my case... I found out eight months after I had bought my used Dakota that the engine had been "warranty voided" by DC corporate... Now I don't know what the previous owner did to make that happen, but it sure as hell didn't come up from the dealer when I was buying it. Also, it had some serious paint issues that were covered up when I was buying but came exposed about a year after the purchase.

Of course, I ended up having those issues fixed... and then traded the vehicle. But honestly, it was a bunch of hassle that I just wasn't prepared for and has soured my opinion on buying "used cars" (unless there is a special circumstance where the car you are buying is a REALLY good deal ... i.e. way under Blue Book Value or you personally know what has happened with the vehicle from the previous owner.)

[Cheesypuff]

word that....

if I can get a salvage car from the federal and state auctions for 5000 I'll take it...

[brain]

NOPE!!!!

Most "lemon laws" only apply to "new" vehicles.... That is why dealers can get away with selling used cars "as is" with their own version of a warranty if you so desire to want to buy that.

Not true. It depends on the state you are in. In California, used car buyers do have protection against the manufacturer assuming certain conditions are met.

[mechmike0034]

The last four cars I bought:

- One was brand new, but at a significant discount (supplier pricing)...
- One was a used car from eBay, it was nearby and I drove/inspected it personally prior to bidding...
- One was a used car from a new car dealer - high mileage back-of-the-lot vehicle that was destined for the auction...
- One was a used car from a relative.

OTOH, I don't get dead set on a specific year/make/model vehicle when I am buying - I look for a deal on something that will fit the need.

[DarkFury]

Not true. It depends on the state you are in. In California, used car buyers do have protection against the manufacturer assuming certain conditions are met.
Must be nice to be in Cali... :hmm: But then again, Cali has stronger laws on most automotive issues in general.

But here... lemonade is all you get when you buy a used lemon car.

BTW.. in my post, I did say "Most" (Maybe I shoulda said "Some"), however I recognize that some states are different. Your mileage may vary...


The last four cars I bought:

One brand new, but at a significant discount (supplier pricing)...
One used from eBay - it was nearby and I drove/inspected it personally prior to bidding...
One used from a new car dealer - high mileage vehicle that was destined for the auction...
One from a relative.
Heh.. you are a mechanic. So many rules don't really apply to you... cause you probably can fix them yourself. :D

[mechmike0034]

Heh.. you are a mechanic. So many rules don't really apply to you... cause you probably can fix them yourself. :D

Let's just say that my definition of "acceptable risk" regarding auto purchases is probably different than that of most people.

I care about condition, but my main question is "Am I buying this thing cheap enough to either:

A) warrant spending a little time and money on it should I need to?

- OR -

B) easily dump it (and not take a financial bath in the process) in the event that I find out later that it is a real POS?

This line of reasoning has worked very well for me over the last 25 years and 20 (+/-) cars.

[johnnymk]

Here's the site for Federal Gov't auctions:

http://www.autoauctions.gsa.gov

There is a FAQ section .

The good thing about Federal auctions is that the cars in their fleet are used daily and must be available for the pool of drivers, much like a rental agency. Plus they have a section for cars which need repair. The deals there are amazing.

You have to register on the day of the auction. Payment is required within a few hours of successful bidding which eliminates a lot of people. And you must arrange how you will get the vehicle home within a 5-7 day period.

I paid $3500 2 years ago for a 4 year olld Plymouth Breeze with 53,000 miles on it. I have paid almost $500 in repairs since then. I could probably sell it for what I have invested in it.

Contact your State's Purchase Bureau to find where your auctions are. It may take a little digging to find it.

[fisherman]

the gov auction site looks like it's just for gov vehicles. just american cars: buick, dodge, ford and other gov vehicles. does anyone know any auctions in OC? online or on location gov or weekend places? i need an import.