When shopping for a used car you can take two very different routes. In my younger years with much less cash I always bought used from a private party. But you can also find some pretty good deals at the dealer as well.
When shopping for a used car you could start with your newspaper, or better yet try something like Craigslist. Don’t limit yourself to your immediate area if you...
Sound advice. I was always afraid of buying a used car because of what I perceived would be major reliability issues. I was prepared to take out a loan and purchase a Honda Accord or Civic in the $10k range (which actually doesn’t get you a very new Honda, I learned, so that plan wasn’t really going to work) when a friend of a friend decided to sell her almost 20-year-old Civic. I bought it for $1,000 and have found it to be very reliable. Even though I’ve spent about $2,000 repairing it over the course of two years, having an older vehicle has saved me a ton in insurance costs and I don’t have to deal with a car payment, so I’ve still come out ahead.
I keep telling people, but they don’t listen: the best used car you can ever buy is an ’81-’85 Mercedes-Benz 300D / 300SD, especially if you’re willing to get your hands dirty once in a while (change oil, adjust valves, etc). I bought mine for $4k nearly 3 years ago off eBay, and drove the hell out of it (including cross-country), and it’s just getting broken in (140K miles). Besides, with gas prices pushing $4/gal this summer, you can always fill this trusty diesel with used peanut oil.
In my city, i never bought a new car, because its very impossible to buy unused ones, but used ones are cheap, i work in a auto industry and its easy to fix the issues with my car.
Excellent article Teri! I too was always afraid of used cars. I thought I would get the best features and options on new cars, but I agree that you get alot more information about the reliability of a used car than a new one, even of the same model.
At this time of my life, I’m just interested in other things than new gadgets in my vehicle or a flashy ride. I want utility for a reasonable price.
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