First time car shopper/buyer questions.

burusub

I recently got my learner's permit (at the ripe young age of 22; yay) and I've been looking into buying a car on a small budget. I've read multiple used car buying guides, including Edmund's, but I'm still stuck on some things.  My budget is $2500, with only $2000 going to the car and the rest paying for taxes/registration/mechanic inspection; I really just need a simple daily driver that's easy to handle, not horrible with gas mileage, and very reliable, especially with harsh winter in Indiana coming up.

My questions/concerns:

-I've found a couple cars that I think look decent; I wanted some feedback to see if my extincts are on the right track.

http://www.carfax.com/vehicles/1G1JC52F837124449-used-2003-chevrolet-cavalier-base--avon

http://www.carfax.com/vehicles/2G1WW12E659165970-used-2005-chevrolet-monte-carlo-ls--avon

-At my price point, does make/model really make a difference? I've read for instance that Toyotas are easier to repair and therefore cheaper to maintain, but I don't know how well that applies at my level.

-I plan on only buying from a dealership; is there still room to negotiate pn prices at my level? Would cash on hand make a difference? (After test driving and inspection of course)


Any advice/suggestions welcomed, thanks!

Mr_Shiftright

You can't be very fussy at this price point, so yeah, I'd stick to something American because you can get it repaired more cheaply and parts are generally easy to find at chain stores, etc. Take it for a 1/2 hour drive, and on the freeway. If it doesn't leak, smoke, slip, buck, flash warning lights or lose its brakes, it's probably going to be ok. If it does ANYTHING bad on the test drive, accept no excuses or promises----try another car. Remember, a $2000 car that needs tires or a muffler or a new heater motor isn't a $2000 car.

isellhondas

I seriously doubt you'll find a 2000.00 car at any dealership unless it's a "pot lot" that the big stores wholesale the cars they don't want. These can be decent cars or not.

Highly unlikely you'll find a decent Honda or Toyota for that kind of money. Some of the domestics can be pretty good cars. I would avoid anything European. Take some who KNOWS what they are doing along with you. Check Craigslist and ask a lot of questions starting with "How long have you owned the car"

Most shops that you take it to will nitpick the car and likely scare you off so ask them..." Is anything major wrong and do you think it is safe in it's present condition.

Good Luck!

burusub

Thanks for the tips! I wanted to go with a dealer for paperwork convenience sake and because I can't travel around very much to check out private sellers as I have to get a ride anywhere beyond 5 miles. I'll just keep checking inventories and try and ride with someone with a bit of car knowledge come buying time.

burusub

Mr_Shiftright said:

You can't be very fussy at this price point, so yeah, I'd stick to something American because you can get it repaired more cheaply and parts are generally easy to find at chain stores, etc. Take it for a 1/2 hour drive, and on the freeway. If it doesn't leak, smoke, slip, buck, flash warning lights or lose its brakes, it's probably going to be ok. If it does ANYTHING bad on the test drive, accept no excuses or promises----try another car. Remember, a $2000 car that needs tires or a muffler or a new heater motor isn't a $2000 car.

Solid points! Yeah I have no particular devotion to any one car so I don't mind walking away from anything that seems like it'll cost several hundred, even thousands, more sunk into it.