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Here is a link to the carfax report-
http://www.carfax.com/viewEmailReport.do?a=9dlB6p0nl9UMWcGpT05Nl2f%2BPetkWXPiMy2- szk3gjWLX88srkHtli9bDgDaCTSi3
The guy said that he got the timing belt and brake pads replaced, but he has the receipts at his parents house, so can't get them.
I test drove it (DISCLAIMER: Very inexperienced driver). It seemed fine, just a little "stiff" I guess is the best word to describe it. I don't know if that means anything to anyone :-) I took it on the highway, up to about 70 and it seemed to run fine - no knocking or rattling. However, there were a few problems -
- The car seemed to get slightly (almost imperceptablely) wobbly when I braked. He told me about that before I test drove it; he said the mechanic said the rotors needed to be aligned (or something like that).
- I swerved from side to side while driving slowly (on the advice of a friend) and whenever I reached the extreme of a swerve, there was a soft "click", like the sound of the turn indicator.
Other than that it seemed OK. I revved the engine when idle, and it seemed to rev smoothly. The tires didn't seem too worn.
He agreed to take it to a mechanic with me, and even said he'd pay for it.
What do you guys think? Anything else I should ask him?
There is this service here in Austin, TX called Auto P.I. I was wondering if they would be better than a mechanic. Any thoughts? (http://www.lemonbusters.org/)
Thanks so much for your time!
Metro, i do have a garaged parking and alarm too. I dont think it has Lo-Jack.
I would want to see the timing belt receipt. Either the parents could mail it to him or, if the service was done at a Honda store, they should be able to pull up the history. Honda brake rotors warp - no big deal if they can be turned but you're into some money if they have to be replaced. Hard to say what the "click" you heard might be - point it out to the mechanic when you have it looked at. It's fine if he wants to pay for the inspection as long as you pick the place.
-juice
I used to have a 2000 Civic. It was a good car... absolutely trouble free for 34k.
-juice
Scenario: if I send a fax or email to a dealer saying I want X-car with option z for $15K O.T.D., what does the dealer understand?
It would be reasonable to assume that if the dealer says "yes, I have that car and I will offer it to you at that price, come on down," I could make out a check for $15K, bring it down to the dealer, hand it to him and he would be happy to have me sign the dotted line and give me the keys and show me the door. Reason, however, has it limits.
My gut tells me O.T.D. doesn't really mean I'm leaving the dealer - rather it is the starting point for the negotiation of addition expenses. I'm afraid that when I get down to the dealer and present him the check for $15K, he is going to say, "Wait a second, you forgot the Destination charge of $600, the Toyota advertising charge, the documentation charge, etc.....you owe me $1000."
Now, I imagine there are some corrupt salesmen who will say whatever. I'm not talking about them. I'm asking if I can expect O.T.D. to mean something to the average normal salesmen and, if so, what is that something?
never negotiate "OTD" without defining with the salesperson what that means.
If you want to fax or email such an offer, I strongly suggest writing out something like, "including all dealer fees, destination charges, tax, title, license, or any other charges required for me to drive away with this car TODAY."
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
We went there, took the car for a test drive, gave them a check for $17400, and drove the new car home.
They understood perfectly what OTD meant. Other dealers may not.
To me OTD includes every single charge, including tax and tags. Any thing else and I would walk, period.
Moral of the story? Best to define what is included in "OTD."
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Very good advice. It makes sure that everybody on the same page and more importantly helps keep them there because it is in writing.
it's the principle of honoring the deal they promised you.
I agree. Even if it is an honest misunderstanding, I hate being told one thing only to find out later they meant something else. If it can be easily avoided - and defining the terms in writing ahead of time is easy - then I would be a fool to do otherwise. Thanks guys
I am in this business and terms I hate are
Out the door
Stroke a check
How much down stroke
Give me a ball park figure. It does not have to be exact.
You'll probably want to narrow your "requirements" at least a little bit! You CAN get a used car for a few hundred dollars though its reliability, or lack thereof, will be disappoining in the extreme. I think the threshold for getting into reliable vehicles will be well above $2,000 to $3,000. Even then, your options are wide open, e.g. very old, high mileage, high-end versus relatively new, moderate mileage low-end cars.
I suggest giving some more thought to what you want out of the car. Consider looking through the classified in your local newspaper and driving by used car lots to get an idea of what's available and what typical prices are. Don't hesitate to ask owners in our Forums about their vehicles.
Here are some considerations that can help define what is right for you:
Does performance matter?
Is gas mileage important?
Do you need space to transport stuff/people?
Will you drive off road?
Do you have a long commute?
How important is reliability?
Will you do your own maintenance?
How long do you want to own this car?
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Do you know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle?
Do you have a commute which involves a good deal of stop and go driving / high traffic (some people hate to drive a manual under these circumstances)?
I haven't bought a used car since 1973 and even then I paid way too much for it, so I don't know a thing about buying used cars.
My guess is that it takes patience, perserverance, and a good deal of knowledge and skill to get a really good used car. That's why a lot of us would rather get a new car and keep it for a long time, like 10 years or so.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I've heard good thing about Ford Crown Victoria's and Mercury Grand Marquees'. But gas mileage seems like a problem on those large cruisers. Corolla's and civic's at that price range have pretty much the same milage and year as volvo sedans and every other car out there. I do intend on learning some auto repair next year, so I can fix up my car. Any advice? Thanks .
For the previous poster looking to spend $8000, a Maxima could prove to be a spacious imported car that is reliable and a little economical. The insurance could be high however.
Buicks! Better on gas mileage than the large cruisers, cheaper than imports. I am a Honda and Toyota fan generally, but for used you will be able to get a newer Buick often with less miles. They are extremely reliable. Either a Regal or LeSabre will get nearly 30 mpg highway. Other than the Pontiac Vibe, which would be too pricey for either of you, they are one of the few GM cars I would consider.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
One other question. How is the Chevy/(Geo?) Prizm? Is this the same car as the toyota corolla? They seem to sell for WAY cheaper then the corolla's.
You may be able to find a car for $4k that will last you 3-4 years without a lot of problems. Ten years is very doubtful. Components fail as much due to age as mileage. A $4k car will be about 7-8 years old.
You have to decide what is really important - gas mileage, reliability, longevity and focus on that. The Crown Vic will last a long time but the mileage is not great but they are cheap to fix. Smaller cars will probably not last as long but will get better mileage.
As for learning auto mechanics, my brother was a mechanic 15 years ago and has all the tools. He takes his cars into shops as he lacks all of the diagnosis equipment. Modern cars require a lot more than the beasts of the past.
Not necessarily, especially if you drive less than 7000 miles per year. If you get a used car in pretty good shape it could indeed last, maybe not 10 years, but surely 7 or 8. My son drove the wheels off a '90 Mazda -- like over 15,000 miles a year as a full time college student--for 5 years and it was still running when we sold it. My other son has a '98 Le Sabre with only 68,000 miles (bought used in 2001 with only 30,000 miles on it!) that should last him several more years. Like the above poster, he doesn't take as many long road trips.
Yes, Chevy Prism is a good choice, as is also the Mazda Protege.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
They have different body panels, and perhaps batteries and stereos, but are identical otherwise. Bulletproof cars, mostly, and extremely economical gas-wise. Stay away from the 3-speed automatic if at all possible, unless you never go over 60 mph.
call your insurance company. which would be the cheaper to insure?
have you seen, driven both vehicles? what is their relative condition based on visual inspection? any idea of the state of the brakes / tires? was regular maintenance performed?
are all the civic's VIN stickers on all the doors, trunk, hood, front and rear-end present and match?
question to consider, what is the recommended maint on the timing belt for the civic? is it 90K or 100K? has it been done? that's a good chunk of change.
if buying something used private party, or from a dealer, no matter the vehicle, i'd personally demand you have the ability to bring it to an independant shop to have it looked over as a pre-condition of the sale. and i'd pay the $50, $75, $100 (not sure) it might cost to have it checked out.
i'd also pay the $25 to run a carfax on each. it's not foolproof, but you don't need to purchase a vehicle that has been reported to be in an accident or been flood damaged.
think of it this way, at 30 miles per day, you'll get over 2 years of driving out of the Infiniti before it even reaches the starting miles on that Civic.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
It is pretty fuel efficient and will be much more fun than the Civic. It's rated high as a reliable used car. Definitely get them both checked out by an independent mechanic.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
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I am a first time car buyer. Now I am driving Civic 2000. And planning to sell and get MINI instead. I know that MINI limitation is about rear seat is very tiny. I would have consider MINI for 2 seats instead of 4 seats.
I really would like to know for those who experience MINI or encounter any problem of MINI maintainance and fuel economy. I have read many review from MINI owners, tester from many websites. All they focused was about fun driving. But hardly mentioned about maintainance or any problem that generally occur. I also want to know about how it gonna be if driving when it snows. I never seen anybody talk about driving MINI when it snows. I think I am able to effort MINI but not maintainance oftenly. Some owner mentioned about keep going to dealer to get minor fixed, or some thing broke, did not work properly. I wonder how BMW can let these happen with the high price car especially under BMW.
I would be appreciated for those who have any idea about this issues I just asked above. All I would like suggestion to ensure my confidence that I make the right decision to get MINI for my own first car.
Thank you you all
Paul
However, among fun cars, it's not bad at all. It's still fuel efficient and depreciation is actually very low.
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I am considering purchasing an '03 or '04 model (max. purchase price is 20K) of the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Pathfinder, or 4Runner (also thinking Volvo XC90) models. If my primary concerns are reliability in regards to repairs (since the models are 3-4 years old) and mileage because I am moving to Los Angeles, what do you advise me on?
Also, how important would it be to buy from a dealer versus private party and should I spend the extra money to get a lower mileage vehicle still under manufacturer warranty?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
What is missing from your request for information is how you will be using the vehicle. I am assuming you will commute to work/business, since you have graduated. How long the commute? Streets or freeway? (though I understand in LA a lot of freeway traffic is stop-and-go)
Basically, you should articulate why you want a used SUV vs. a new sedan/wagon for the same price. Towing needs?
If I were you, I'd get a new Accord/Mazda[3,5,6]/Altima, or a new RAV4/CRV if you must have a higher seating and more cargo room.
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