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First car and the buying thereof
happyshark
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm 20, and go to college in Columbus. I've never owned a car before but I do have my license....the only way I will be able to get a good paying job (at Fedex, pay starts at 10/hr for a 5 hr shift M-F) would be to have a car. Since my last final was yesterday and I did really well this quarter, my mom said she would help me out financially with getting one. If I DON'T get one, I will be stuck in high $6/middle $7 range like i was last summer and that would suck hard.
She said her limit was around $3k but I'd like to get something cheaper than that. I figure I would have to use some of my own money for payments and insurance. I dont have a credit card, only a debit.
It has to be automatic. I don't know much about cars... What should I be looking for? Should I go to a lot or a private owner? I'd like to get something soon too.
thanks all 8-)
She said her limit was around $3k but I'd like to get something cheaper than that. I figure I would have to use some of my own money for payments and insurance. I dont have a credit card, only a debit.
It has to be automatic. I don't know much about cars... What should I be looking for? Should I go to a lot or a private owner? I'd like to get something soon too.
thanks all 8-)
happyshark on
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I'm not going to chime in with "woo Honda is the best" or "get a Toyota" or anything like that. Find something that is reasonable and in your range. Go look at it, and if the seller is any kind of seller he'll agree to let you take it to a reputable mechanic of your choice to give the car the once over. Just because it's an import doesn't make it the most reliable vehicle in the world, and just because it may be a domestic doesn't mean it's going to rust out and go kaput within a year. Things that you'll probably find in your price range would be:
Toyota Corollas and Camrys
Honda Civics and Accords
Chevy Cavaliers and Luminas
Most Buicks pre-1997
Most Ford cars pre-1998
Etcetera.
Just keep in mind that even $3000 isn't much to spend on a car. For that price you're most likely going to find something with high miles that has been maintained (hopefully) properly, or something with lower miles, maybe a little newer, that has been shat on repeatedly.
edit: Oh yeah, I'd honestly recommend looking at used Buicks. Yeah they're not flashy or cool or young-type cars in the least bit, but for years and years they were the most reliable vehicles on the road (until Lexus ousted them in 2001). Mainly owned by older people and used to get to the store and back; you'll probably find some good Buicks out there with low miles for cheap.
I agree with all the rest, except the buick thing. Buicks blow unless you hate having paint on your car and enjoy replacing major parts every few weeks.
Don't leave out trucks. 4cylinder import trucks are usually easy to find and cheap to work on. Same with older jeep Cherokees. Also, if you only have $3k, you might as well buy a $2k car and hold that other $1k for repairs. You will need them.
Also the engine used in the later model Cavalier/Sunfire (2.2 Ecotec) is one of the most reliable factory 4-cylinder engines available. Keep in mind those engines have been used without modification in the Ariel Atom and other speedsters, and with slight modification (factory internals, modified head) have won numerous IHRA drag events. The engines are solid and proven. The transmissions in them are either SAAB (automatic) or Opel (Getrag 5MT). They may not be the most beautiful cars, but they are the cheapest to insure (have been for years) and if maintained even somewhat decently will last a good long time.
I also disagree with your Buick statement. Bad paint jobs wasn't just a Buick thing. That was a whole GM company wide thing, from 1989 till about 1995. Also where are you getting your data about replacing major parts often? If this was actually true, they wouldn't have been awarded most reliable passenger vehicles on the road (JD Power) many many years in a row.
Also my list was for vehicles that will probably be in his price range (without going too old or too unreliable). Not stating that these are the cars of choice. You'll actually notice that I stated I am not making a list of cars of choice.
I will however agree with you on the trucks. Ford Rangers are decent, can take a beating and sell for pretty cheap. Also early Toyota Tacomas or pickups (pre 95 Tacomas had no name) are some of the toughest little trucks on the market. Nissan Hardbodys are good, but the engines tend to require a good bit of top end maintenance. Stay away from S-10s, pre 1994 (4.3L serious problems)
Since you won't be covered under any form of "certified used" warranty on a car this cheap, it is really important to make sure you are taking upkeep into consideration if you are on a tight budget. Especially if your job depends on having reliable transportation.
I second the recommendation to check out a used Honda Civic. You can find a late 90's model with 150k miles on it and still have some money set aside for maintenance.
For what you should check about the vehicle's condition: check this guide.
My guess is, that based on your price point, you're going to have to buy privately. Just make sure you test drive the car on the freeway and see what noises it makes when you first turn it on and let it idle for a bit. If it makes a lot of different sounding noises, and not just a steady whir/purr/roar (whatever), then don't get that car.
Also, make sure you check for oil leaks.
I'd also recommend a 90's VW, if you can find one in your price range.
I don't know about stickers, but, you can pay for a CarFax vehicle report. Well, you pay $30 and get as many reports as you want for a period of 30 days. Definitely do this if you are used car shopping.
Ex: I purchased a 1992 4-Runner that had a clean CarFax record. After performing a thorough checkup, I found enough damage to show that the vehicle had in fact been rolled and repaired. Although it was repaired very well, the damage had been done and not reported.
Seriously, look around and find a good reputable mechanic to give vehicles you're very interested in a thorough once over. They will probably charge $50 or so, but the information they give you can be priceless when deciding on the car.
If the only reason you want this car is for a job that is a $3 raise for only 25 hours of work per week - you might wanna do some math. How far away is this job? Will the amount of money you'll be spending on money negated the extra dollars earned? Those are two that immediately pop into my head. Basically I'm saying, do your math, because you might actually be losing money here.
PARKER, YOU'RE FIRED! <-- My comic book podcast! Satan look here!
Besides, his mom is paying for it. At least 3k of it.
Also look at something with under 1.8L on engine size if you are doing courier work. The increased cost of petrol will kill you.
Personally for small cars I'd jump up and down at the corollas then look excitedly at the swifts.
Satans..... hints.....
Volvos as the jokes go are damm safe and fairly reliable, I've never known anyone to have a problem with theirs. But keep in mind if they are older they are more prone to break down and the repairs will cost more.
Satans..... hints.....
Volvos are also generally bought with the idea of keeping it for the long haul, so if it is being unloaded by someone, it is usually for a reason. Make sure to have them looked over.
Volvos will also run into the fucking ground, and parents love em cause they are safe and slow as fuck
Now, 4 years later, I've found a 1979 Trans Am for 2200.00, and am quite happy with 23 mpg on a reliable motor that I can fix myself. Granted one door is a different color than the rest, and one quarter panel will need to be patched (not bondo'd), but a little sandpaper and primer can go a long way with looks.
Anyway, there are plenty of decent cars in that price range you can get if you look for the right ones and aren't horribly concerned about cosmetics. New cars tend to just crush on impact, and one good wreck will do them in. The older cars though can handle some serious beatdowns and just keep on running, and are much easier to work on yourself, saving a lot of money on future repairs. I humbly suggest you look around, pick up a late 2nd or early 3rd generation Camaro or Firebird, with a small block Chevy or V8 Pontiac motor, and have some fun. For roughly 2000.00 you can find an immaculate 3rd generation or a very acceptible 2nd, and for another 300.00 you can get a SBC used with low miles that will last hundreds of thousands of miles with proper care. At least until you need a minivan to haul the young ones around. Then you've got around 700.00 left over to do whatever with.
What you lose in gas money, you make up for in never having to take it to a shop. And it's a hell of a lot more fun.
I'm going to be honest, my next car is going to be something old, impractical and it's going to have 8 cylinders. But if he's going to be running as a courier he'll be chewing through more petrol money than he's earning. Parts unless you have a good place to source them second hand will cost more as well.
Satans..... hints.....
But yeah, I guess running as a courier could do some harm to a pony car. Maybe you should go for the gas mileage dude. But save up and get a badass car before you're too old to fully enjoy it.
cavaliers hold their value worse than any other car made. Nuff said. my buick "data" is that I owned one and knew someone that owned one. buddies roadmaster had nothing but electrical problems, my buick (94 lesaber) had suspension problems, motor mount problems, climate control problems, paint problems...
After that monstrosity I got a Mitsubishi diamante and that's a VERY well built car. nice change of pace.
But OP, if you're going to be doing courier work, definitely check the Geo Metro/Suzuki Swift (same vehicles). They're great on gas, easy to maintain (as long as you don't try to do the timing belt yourself) and run almost forever.
Also, I've been driving a Subaru myself - it's generally a reliable little thing, but I've had some problems with it recently. The spark plug exploded itself out of the engine block, which then had to be re-tapped.
You know of another car that loses 45% of resale value in the first year? I'd love to know about it to point and laugh.
As to some practical advice, I'm going to have to advise jumping on the "bad decision financially but fun to drive" car. When you're working year round, I say go for it. Until then, though, you don't want the bad gas mileage, more frequent tire replacement (not caused by the car but by what one does when owning such cars), etc. Also, almost any muscle car/sports car in that price range is old and has been driven hard. You've already said you don't know much about cars and it's probably going to need some work.
Ford Focus - 14.4%!
Dodge Neon - 25%
Ford Ranger/Mazda B-Series trucks - 29%
Kia Rio - 30%
Ford Freestar - 31%
Dodge Caravan - 31%
Kia Optima - 32%
Jaguar X-Type - 32%
Dodge Ram 1500 - 33%
Dodge Durango - 33%
...
Chevy Cavalier - 39%
Pontiac Sunfire - 39%
And that's just a sample. Like I said, I could rattle off names for hours on end. It's my job to know these things.
On average, a regular consumer vehicle will only be worth between 35 and 50% of its original value after the initial purchase. The best resale value on a vehicle MY 2006 is only 68%, and that's a Mini Cooper. Hell, only one Toyota (Tacoma) and not a SINGLE Honda has made it to the top 10% in quite some time. Resale value is not tied to reliability or longevity; it's percieved value.
Im not going to be a mail courier, but would be lifting incoming packages off trucks at the fedex warehouse....and if that job is too tough I would do some painting probably with Collegepro (?) for the same starting rate of 10/hr.
i talked with my mom yesterday she said that if I bought from a private owner I'd have to get new plates and go through a long process....she reccomended looking at a used car lot where they would guarantee the purchase if anything major broke down for like 6 months or a year or whatever....the place where she bought her car was like that, or so she says.......?
So im going to look up some used lots around here on google and look around there later today.
The guarantee/warranty on the car from a dealer is something to consider. I don't foresee many cars in the $3k and less range having much, if any, of a guarantee, though. It doesn't hurt to have a look and ask, but I'd bet in most cases you're looking at a 1 month/1000 mile guarantee on the car at best.
In other words, check both dealers and private sellers, and buy what seems to be the best deal overall from both selections.
I've had some excellent luck with a 93' dodge spirit. 1400 with 63k miles on it. The only major issue I've ran into so far is having the brake line spring a leak. Had the thing for a few years now.