Recommendations on used cars?

[CLT65]

$4000 don't buy $hit these days as far as a decent car. Also, if it were my kid, I'm putting her in a something that's safe, has 2nd gen airbags, including side and head, and has some mass to it. Perhaps small SUV from Hyunday/Kia/Honda at least, or a full size sedan like Camry/Accord.

As to buying from a Russian/Chinese/Indian/ (plug in your stereotype here). Americans are naïve. Don't be. Buy the car, not the story. Pre purchase inspection exist for a reason.

It's easy to say buy a $20k car when you can afford to. The reality is that the money simply isn't there for us to buy a "decent" car. For us, a $4k car is a lot better than a $2k car. I know a lot of people look down their nose at the "poors" driving old cars, but it just is what it is for us.

We haven't had car payments in 20 years and there's absolutely no room in the budget to add them. I'm raising four kids on a single blue-collar income, and paying off a decade's worth of medical bills for my wife. 4-5k on a teenager's car is a financial sacrifice for us, so if that makes us bad parents then I guess we are.

 

[Alexx1401]

It's easy to say buy a $20k car when you can afford to. The reality is that the money simply isn't there for us to buy a "decent" car. For us, a $4k car is a lot better than a $2k car. I know a lot of people look down their nose at the "poors" driving old cars, but it just is what it is for us.

We haven't had car payments in 20 years and there's absolutely no room in the budget to add them. I'm raising four kids on a single blue-collar income, and paying off a decade's worth of medical bills for my wife. 4-5k on a teenager's car is a financial sacrifice for us, so if that makes us bad parents then I guess we are.

We go through this a LOT with other things. Guns? Gun safe? How many here love to bash brand xyz. One brand that has become famous to hate comes to mind. They are bottom of the line price and looks. Oddly enough you could spend hours watching video of people who buy some to make fun of them and can't seem to make them stop working though. So when someone has no gun, many tell them not to buy one of these "junk guns". I do not own one BUT, if it was a choice between no gun and one of these junk guns? I would buy the junk gun. Can always buy better later. One thing you have going for you is the used car market is starting to correct. It went nuts for a while but, like all bubbles it is going to burst and has started too. So yes, for 4 K you can find a very serviceable and safe vehicle. NOTHING used is without risk but one HUGE advantage we have now is everyone can have a computer in their pocket while they shop. To look up the vehicles you are shopping and tell you what to look for and what to avoid.

 

[CLT65]

Thank you. I apologize if my last post came across as irritable or snarky. I didn't mean it to. Well maybe a little, sorry.

Some years ago a good friend of mine visited from a ways away and saw my house for the first time. He lives out of town in a nice house on some acreage, and asked me why in the world I chose to live in town. Why would I raise my kids in town instead of out in the country with room to roam like we both did?

It irritated me, though he meant well. We have different financial situations and he couldn't comprehend not affording whatever he wanted. I would LOVE to live out of town, but it was a choice between a comfortable house in town, and an old single wide on a couple acres, with a 45 minute commute. We chose town.

There are all different kinds on a forum like this, from young guys starting out, retirees living month to month in an apartment or trailer part, to guys approaching retirement with fat investment portfolios and a dozen rent houses. I expect most are somewhere in the middle like myself. Sometimes it's hard to understand another person's situation in life. I'd like to think we all do the best we can with what we have.

 

[teflon6string]

I've never spent more than 20-30 minutes running down my list (#19 last page), sometimes aborting halfway through when I run into an obvious lemon. I just hate throwing good money after bad (or however that expression goes). If I were a better shade-tree mechanic, I'd be willing to accept some flaws if I could fix them simply/economically myself.

 

[Member 5605]

My advice from the auto repair field:

Get a used vehicle inspection by a shop of your choose. One that's going the be honest, fair and unbiased. Trust me. We have had many cars come in that were 'just bought' and need thousands in repairs.

$150 can save you a lot.

Funny thing is I have access to 20 years of repair histories and can tell you what vehicle types are seen in the shop with the most expensive repairs. Now that's quantifiable data. …. And what ones aren't.

No speculation there just real data.

 

[parallax]

I've never spent more than 20-30 minutes running down my list (#19 last page), sometimes aborting halfway through when I run into an obvious lemon. I just hate throwing good money after bad (or however that expression goes). If I were a better shade-tree mechanic, I'd be willing to accept some flaws if I could fix them simply/economically myself.

Thinking out loud What if you ran an ad for the stated parameters of what you are looking for and distance from where you live ,,, on Craigslist Or Facebook ? Make sure they know you are going to have it inspected But then again you will have to weed out all the shysters/ shenanigans/ sleazy used car dealers ….

 

[Member 5605]

Thinking out loud What if you ran an ad for the stated parameters of what you are looking for and distance from where you live ,,, on Craigslist Or Facebook ? Make sure they know you are going to have it inspected But then again you will have to weed out all the shysters/ shenanigans/ sleazy used car dealers ….

Doesn't work. Weeding people out that is.

We were blamed at our shop for turning in a check engine light and making a car leak oil. Apparently it's our fault the vehicle had multiple misfires, had a transmission that shifted like bubblegum and 4 bald tires.

We are unbiased and will write up everything that's damaged, broken or in need of servicing.

Still our fault though because their tags were expired.

 

[HiFi Magnetics]

Get ready for summer is just around the corner..