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MysteryMeat1
United States3292 Posts
Anyway I am looking to TL to find out more about buying a used car in the states (Washington) to be more specific. The budget is 5k and a smaller car. Can anyone recommend me good websites to check out besides craigslist. And is carfax pretty much a necessity? Thanks! I can update with more information if necessary but as im kind of lost on what im supposed to do i need all the help i can get!   | ||
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DarkPlasmaBall
United States45099 Posts
Also, in general, make sure you find out why the previous owners got rid of the car. Was it because they just wanted a new one, or was there an inherent problem with the car? Whenever I see a car that's switched owners frequently over a short amount of time, that usually brings up a red flag for me. Oh, and any previous damage to the hood or front of the car is usually a bad sign too in terms of possible future repairs (who knows what's been rattled near that engine, even from a fender bender). Good luck, and don't settle  | ||
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MysteryMeat1
United States3292 Posts
On July 02 2013 02:37 DarkPlasmaBall wrote: Kelly Blue Book that shit ( http://www.kbb.com/ ). Also, in general, make sure you find out why the previous owners got rid of the car. Was it because they just wanted a new one, or was there an inherent problem with the car? Whenever I see a car that's switched owners frequently over a short amount of time, that usually brings up a red flag for me. Oh, and any previous damage to the hood or front of the car is usually a bad sign too in terms of possible future repairs (who knows what's been rattled near that engine, even from a fender bender). Good luck, and don't settle Ya i figure buying a car is something that you patiently wait for. Also if it has a salvaged title it means a no go | ||
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FuDDx
United States5008 Posts
Some good info for cheaper cars ! | ||
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Aerisky
United States12129 Posts
Tell him I sent you and ignore him when he calls me a lil bitch :D | ||
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ziggurat
Canada847 Posts
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QuanticHawk
United States32091 Posts
as far as what you should be looking at, that price range is always the cheap and durable japanese cars: civics, accords, the like. unless you need a truck or something for work. but those will get you the best bang for your buck in the low end used market On July 02 2013 05:06 ziggurat wrote: Check out ebay motors, an absolutely huge number of cars are sold on ebay. There are some gigantic dealerships in the states that sell cars at pretty nice prices. Even if you don't buy the car through ebay, looking there will give you a really good sense of the true market values of the kinds of vehicles that you are looking at. eh, edmunds or bluebook is better for getting a sense of value where you are. prices can vary a lot depending on where in the country you are | ||
micronesia
United States24743 Posts
I can not speak to how good it is when you actually want to buy the car though as I haven't used it for that. | ||
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Dosey
United States4505 Posts
NADA (this is what most dealers use to price cars) KBB Edmunds Are your three top sites for getting a general value of the car you are looking at. With a $5000 budget you wont be getting much. You're looking at 07 or older with 100k+ miles in that range. I'd just simply suggest not buying the first car you see, shop around, do your research, don't pay sticker price, and make sure you get a car history report (carfax/autocheck). Be smart and you'll get a good reliable car for a fair price. | ||
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ziggurat
Canada847 Posts
On July 02 2013 05:12 QuanticHawk wrote: edmunds.com is a good place to get an idea of value as far as what you should be looking at, that price range is always the cheap and durable japanese cars: civics, accords, the like. unless you need a truck or something for work. but those will get you the best bang for your buck in the low end used market eh, edmunds or bluebook is better for getting a sense of value where you are. prices can vary a lot depending on where in the country you are If there is a big variation in price between states then why not go to the cheaper state to buy? I live in Canada and I was extremely close to flying down to Texas to buy my current car. | ||
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UniversalSnip
9871 Posts
Find an empty street. Drive the car very fast in a straight line and then brake very suddenly. If the wheel shakes, the car has a problem. Also, drive at a normal speed and release the wheel for a little bit and see if it pulls to one side. If it does you will need to realign. Squat down and shake the tires. As in, you put your hands behind them and pull one side toward you, then the other - just give it a shake. If you hear a weird sound, there is a problem with the ball bearings. Take a few sharp turns to see how that feels. If there is a bumpy road nearby, this is good, take the car down it and see if you notice anything odd. Look at the engine and see if anything has fluids on it that shouldn't be there. Look for worn or loose belts. Don't dismiss cosmetic flaws, some are fine but if there are a lot this is a strong sign the car has not been cared for which is not good. Never feel pressured, if you don't like a car or a deal just walk away. "sunburnt" or damaged paint hurts the resale value of a car significantly down the road. | ||
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QuanticHawk
United States32091 Posts
On July 02 2013 07:46 ziggurat wrote: If there is a big variation in price between states then why not go to the cheaper state to buy? I live in Canada and I was extremely close to flying down to Texas to buy my current car. it's probably not much more than a few hundred bucks give or take. most likely, whateve you're saving would be mitigated by either driving it back yourself, or shipping it. neither are cheap. universal's tips are good. i would add that if you have a mechanic you use frequently, i would see if he would mine doing a quick inspection for you. toss him a few bucks if necessary. this is also a really quick way to weed out bs people. if the prospective seller wont go there when you're paying for it, just tell them to piss off right away | ||
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Ettick
United States2434 Posts
+ Show Spoiler [kinda fucking massive] + ![[image loading]](http://images.4chan.org/o/src/1363155145334.jpg) | ||
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sundersoft
91 Posts
I recommend inspecting the car as much as possible by yourself and then paying a mechanic to also look at it. To find price data you can use Ebay and search closed auctions only; you can also search within a certain radius of where you live. I would recommend also searching on Ebay and any websites that have classified ads for your area; some of the news websites for where I live also have a classified ad section on their website which lists used cars. On Craigslist you can exclude results from dealers which can get you better deals but you also have to be more careful. I didn't buy my car from a dealer so I don't have any advice about them. I don't recommend Carfax because they only let you do 5 lookups by VIN; there should be some other services which have unlimited VIN lookups but I haven't looked in to it. Buying a used car can get pretty time consuming so ideally you'd have a month or so during which you can look at cars. It could take a few hours per car to drive to where it is, inspect the car, do a test drive, and drive home. Taking it to a mechanic also takes time. You're spending a lot of money so don't rush anything and don't buy anything if you aren't absolutely sure that it's what you want. | ||
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QuanticHawk
United States32091 Posts
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