Buying a car

March 15, 2005 11:04 AM

I am looking to buy a car for around $5-6000 dollars. What's the best way of finding a car online? Also, I know nothing about cars. What suggestions do you folks have for brands, features, etc. I should look for?
posted by xammerboy to shopping (19 comments total)

try here, or here.

There is a lot of info out there.

Avoid 80's model domestics.
Hondas and Toyotas last a good long time....

googlefu
posted by edgeways at 11:19 AM on March 15, 2005

Autotrader and Craigs List are good places to find used cars. Read up on those links edgeways posted.

My personal experience is that it's best to avoid used car dealers, try to buy from private sellers whenever possible. Trust your judgement about the people selling the car, if it seems weird, don't do it. Take the car to your mechanic to have him check it out before you buy it.

For your price range, I recommend the Nissan Altima. Hondas and Toyotas are great, but they are priced higher because of their well-known reliability. Nissans are just as good, and the Altima is usually cheaper than an Accord or Camry. You should be able to get a 1998 or 1999 Altima for that much, with 70,000 or less miles, if you shop around.
posted by knave at 11:35 AM on March 15, 2005

I'm looking for a used car too, I'll be interested to hear people's answers. Thus far I've been finding the information on Edmunds to be pretty good. I've been looking at AutoTrader, too.
posted by Mark Doner at 11:38 AM on March 15, 2005

I've had very good luck with my CarMax Accord. I'm sure I didn't get the best price, but CarMax has more accountability than some guy in a newspaper, IMHO. When I went, every car on the lot was on the Consumer Reports recommended used car list, and within (though at the top) of the suggested price range. They'll also handle the title transfer, plates, and registration (OK, so I had to call them a couple of times about the registration, but it did go through). I'll very likely get my next car there.
posted by MrMoonPie at 11:49 AM on March 15, 2005

Get yourself a Lemon-Aid guide for the years that fit in your price range. Don't consult it at a dealer, but get a paper copy so you can read up right before or right after you're looking around.

As to what to look for, the best way to find out is to develop tastes. Shop around a lot, test drive a lot of different cars. Sit in a cafe window and go "I like that" and "I don't like that" to every car that passes, regardless of price range. Look at details when you shop around and test drive, see what makes this car different from the last one, and if it's an improvement or not.

Decide what your needs are. Basic commute transportation? Carrying a lot of stuff around? Long trips? See if the cars you're looking at are designed for the use you need. Consider practicality vs. fun-to-drive and initial price vs. maintenance cost tradeoffs.

Slightly underbuying rather than slightly overbuying will help prevent the "it's not perfect" regret which always hits.

Most of all, though, I think once you get the lemons out of the way and start getting a feel for the things you like and don't like and want and don't want, you'll find a car that just feels right, and it'll be obvious that it's the one you want to buy.
posted by mendel at 12:00 PM on March 15, 2005

Hard to go wrong with a used Accord or Civic.
Personally, I've been aching for a late-'80s Vanagon lately; might be able to get one of those.
posted by willpie at 12:08 PM on March 15, 2005

You should pick up a copy of the Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide. It contains a lot of helpful tips on what to look for as well as suggestions for dependable cars according to price range. I was in the market for a car in the same price range last year, and I ended up getting a Chevy Prizm (which is basically a Toyota Corolla clone that is cheaper since it's domestic) after doing a good amount of research.
posted by ldfu at 12:17 PM on March 15, 2005

My method: Shop around till you find an older car with very low miles. I got a then-six-year-old Saturn with 35K miles on it for less than $8000 (more than you want to spend, but you get the point). This is more easily accomplished if you don't care much about cosmetics (my car was essentially fine, except for some dings, a window scratch and a dented hubcap) or foofie accouterments such as sunroofs. It has been 100% reliable ever since, and, I am delighted to report, handles *extremely* well in snow and handles quite well in general. Who knew!?

Random advices: Don't buy a very old car without power steering if you'll be doing a lot of parallel parking. Don't buy anything too exotic if it "only needs a few parts." Don't buy an SUV or a full-size pickup if you'll be putting a lot of miles on it, the gas prices will kill you. Don't buy a 2-door if you'll be transporting more than one other adult (even occasionally). Don't buy a car with light colored upholstery if you have a dog or kids. Read Consumer Reports at the library to get a feel for reliability. Check the Better Business Bureau file before you get excited about a used-car dealer's display ad in the paper.

Happy motoring!
posted by scratch at 12:23 PM on March 15, 2005

I second the Toyota recommendation. We typically buy used Toyotas with about 50k miles on them and drive them for another 150k. I have a 99 Rav 4 that I bought for $8k last year and I love it.

Whatever model you buy, I like to go to the MSN Auto site and look up the reviews written by people who own that model of car. You will typically find upwards of 50 reviews. Then sort by lowest rated reviews first. Watch for common problems--if multiple people said the transmission went out, have your mechanic check that carefully before you buy.
posted by LarryC at 12:31 PM on March 15, 2005

I second the four-door recommendation. I would also say avoid Dodge Neons- they are cute, and I got one against the advice of my mechanic and friends, and boy did I live to regret it. That car gave me nothing but trouble.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:54 PM on March 15, 2005 [1 favorite]

I'd start by narrowing down your requirements. Ask your self these questions: Do I have to haul stuff? If yes how big and how often? Do I have a need for 4wd? AWD? How many passengers do I haul? Are those passengers adults or children? How many miles do you anticipate driving? How long do I hope to drive this car? Is mileage, style, safety, power, price a concern? Which is most important? Do I need a car with good highway manners? Do I need something that is easy to park? Do I need something that will fit in underground parking? Are there any must have convience features like power window or locks? Can I drive a standard and is a standard OK or a wanted feature?

IMHO the best general purpose vehicle you can buy for around six Gs is a late 90's Caravan/Voyager. They are cheap, common and plentiful. The post '94 3L 3 speed auto is the best general purpose powetrain you can get in a minivan. Chrysler owns the minivan market and that's not an accident. They have a huge research investment in this platform. I bought a '96 last year for C$1800 with ~180K kms on it; did the big scheduled maintence for around ~800 and have had no troubles.

Take Consumer reports data with a grain of salt. They've been known to massage their data to match their preconceptions. Two examples: when they first came out the GM rebadged version of a Toyota Corolla got a 20% lower reliablity score one year (they group these clone cars together now to hide avoid this). Sometimes the only functional difference between a GMC SUV and the Chevy version is the GMC comes standard with a trailer tow package. One of CR's metrics is damage caused by reversing into a pole. The Chevy model had hundreds of dollars in damage while the GMC's trailer hitch prevent everything but some minor dint/scratches. CR felt that this was representive and so published the Chevy numbers even though the GMC in actual testing sustained little damage.

Also be warned that happy people who aren't enthusists rarely post their expereinces to web boards. The majority of user driven car sites are by fan boys or axe grinders what ever the make.
posted by Mitheral at 1:14 PM on March 15, 2005

A third on the Toyota. In my experience, Toyota's will go forever.
posted by Quartermass at 1:15 PM on March 15, 2005

I love my '95 Honda Accord. I paid $5,000 for it last year. It is rock solid. My mother just bought a comparable Toyota and there is no comparison. Hers is loud inside and everything rattles. The engine is sound mechanically, the car is just not well-designed and built. It's got a million little rattles.

Also, be sure that you run a check on any car you are seriously considering at Carfax. It costs $20.00 for a single search or unlimited searches for $25.00. Go for the $25.00 deal. It will tell you the history of any car sold in North America - point of original sale, all subsequent sales and any accidents it's been in. Carfax is indespensible. Many dealers will include a carfax report. I was amazed to find that my Honda that I purchased here in FL was originally sold in Hawaii.
posted by wsg at 1:31 PM on March 15, 2005

The April 05 issue of Consumer Reports is their annual auto issue. On your newsstand now. /pepsigreen
posted by grateful at 1:39 PM on March 15, 2005

Fourth on the Toyota. Excellent engines. They're highly desireable because of their reliability, however note that also makes it a SELLER's market. Mine just got totalled thanks to a moron driver, and it's turning out to be very difficult to find a replacement model. Dealers keep saying "yeah, we get them in but they're usually turned around the same day. Everyone else wants your car too. try Craigslist." Do your research on domestic clones, because that Toyota reputation comes with dollar signs attached.

It will tell you the history of any car sold in North America - point of original sale, all subsequent sales and any accidents it's been in.

Definitely run the CarFax, but don't rely on it to be complete. It only knows about accidents reported to insurers and the state, and the other info can be surprisingly sketchy. Having just seen my car's report, it was impressive how crappily incomplete those records were: dealer delivery date but not date of sale, only about half of the smog certs and registration changes (it knew that I'd added a second owner for a while, but didn't catch the change back to sole ownership). If you get the "unlimited" subscription, start by running reports on your car and a couple others where the full history is known. The reality check will give you a sense of what a CarFax can do for you and where it could be missing relevant details.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 1:52 PM on March 15, 2005

Hence my recommendation of Nissan. Equal or almost equal to Honda and Toyota, but significantly more affordable (in the used market).
posted by knave at 2:14 PM on March 15, 2005

I am not at all offering this as a snark - the topic has been discussed here a couple of times (I've been involved in a few). I recall a lot of interesting tips coming in previous discussions, so searching for those could add to whatever results from this conversation. Good luck!
posted by Slothrop at 2:40 PM on March 15, 2005

Thanks everyone! These suggestions are really useful. Please keep them coming!
posted by xammerboy at 2:56 PM on March 15, 2005

I happen to be in the same situation as you. My lease ends in April and now I'm looking for a used car in the same $5 - 6K range. I'm sticking with Honda Accords. I've owned Hondas in the past, as well as Nissans, Toyotas, VWs, Fords and Chryslers to name a few. Honda is by far the best. I currently own a Toyota Rav4 and I despise it. For sure do the Carfax thing.
posted by Juicylicious at 3:20 PM on March 15, 2005