I'll take used cars for $6,000, Alex
December 28, 2022 8:37 AM Subscribe
I am in the market for a used car for around $6,000 or less. This will be for city or suburban driving, about once or twice a week. I realize that isn't much, but there isn't enough mass transit here to do otherwise, and it's not a good area to bike in.
My needs are modest. I am looking for something reliable that will last a while and have good energy efficiency. I am on the fence about electric vehicles, but I have the idea they aren't even in my price range. This is in New Mexico, USA.
So, I am looking for suggestions about specific cars to buy or avoid or any car-buying tips, especially geared to the current age of inflation.
My needs are modest. I am looking for something reliable that will last a while and have good energy efficiency. I am on the fence about electric vehicles, but I have the idea they aren't even in my price range. This is in New Mexico, USA.
So, I am looking for suggestions about specific cars to buy or avoid or any car-buying tips, especially geared to the current age of inflation.
If this is for short and infrequent trips, then energy efficiency may not be the smartest thing to prioritize. Regardless of whether you’re thinking of fuel costs or the health of the planet, better mileage only matters to the extent that you’re putting on miles.
posted by jon1270 at 9:09 AM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by jon1270 at 9:09 AM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
What kind of range do you need? Some older first-gen Nissan Leafs get sold cheap because the range has decreased to about 60 miles, but they still work great within that range. The best part is that there's pretty much no maintenance: no oil changes, no catalytic converter to be stolen, no spark plug adjustments, etc.
posted by dum spiro spero at 9:10 AM on December 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by dum spiro spero at 9:10 AM on December 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
I've been looking in the same range lately and have seen a few early/mid 00s Honda Civics (generally 2003-2008) with around 150k miles on them that I'm considering. My family has had a lot of success with Hondas, especially Civics, and if you keep them maintained there's no reason they can't easily hit 200k+ miles.
posted by jabes at 9:11 AM on December 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by jabes at 9:11 AM on December 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: In that price range, you're better off shopping for an honest owner/seller and a documented repair/maintenance history than you are for a particular make or model.
That said, don't buy anything European. There's no such thing as a cheap German used car. If you're shopping for something that needs an expensive repair at a particular interval (along the lines of a timing belt or head gasket replacement, or battery packs in an old Prius), make sure that happened.
Also, there's a price premium for used Toyotas and Hondas because of their (entirely deserved) reputation for reliability. But don't entirely rule out Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Ford, (post-bailout) GM, or (post-2005 or so) Hyundai/Kia. If you can handle a sedan or hatchback, you'll get more for your used-car dollar than you would looking for CUV/SUVs.
This thing, or this one, if you talk to the seller and feel like they're not trying to run some kind of scam, would probably be a decent, if not very exciting, choice.
posted by box at 9:17 AM on December 28, 2022 [7 favorites]
That said, don't buy anything European. There's no such thing as a cheap German used car. If you're shopping for something that needs an expensive repair at a particular interval (along the lines of a timing belt or head gasket replacement, or battery packs in an old Prius), make sure that happened.
Also, there's a price premium for used Toyotas and Hondas because of their (entirely deserved) reputation for reliability. But don't entirely rule out Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Ford, (post-bailout) GM, or (post-2005 or so) Hyundai/Kia. If you can handle a sedan or hatchback, you'll get more for your used-car dollar than you would looking for CUV/SUVs.
This thing, or this one, if you talk to the seller and feel like they're not trying to run some kind of scam, would probably be a decent, if not very exciting, choice.
posted by box at 9:17 AM on December 28, 2022 [7 favorites]
Used car prices are actually declining, albeit from nosebleed heights. Any salesperson who tells you otherwise is lying to you (about that, and probably everything else).
Financing is getting nasty, so if you have cash to do the purchase, you'll get some edge. This is very much a change from the traditional used car lot, where they were much more eager to deal with financing buyers than cash buyers.
I can't imagine an electric car at $6,000 that you would want to own. Likely would have severe mechanical issues and battery under 50% of factory capacity.
Ask me - your sweet spot is probably an 2011ish Hyundai or Kia with modest mileage and some cosmetic defects, better than Hondas and Toyotas where you're looking at cars nearly 20 years old or well over 150k miles ... which is dicey at any price.
posted by MattD at 9:19 AM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Financing is getting nasty, so if you have cash to do the purchase, you'll get some edge. This is very much a change from the traditional used car lot, where they were much more eager to deal with financing buyers than cash buyers.
I can't imagine an electric car at $6,000 that you would want to own. Likely would have severe mechanical issues and battery under 50% of factory capacity.
Ask me - your sweet spot is probably an 2011ish Hyundai or Kia with modest mileage and some cosmetic defects, better than Hondas and Toyotas where you're looking at cars nearly 20 years old or well over 150k miles ... which is dicey at any price.
posted by MattD at 9:19 AM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Some Hyundai and Kia models are being stolen at very high rates due to an ignition problem in the models without push button starts. This might make them cheaper but just know what you are getting into. There are some prevention methods listed at the end of that article.
posted by soelo at 9:24 AM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by soelo at 9:24 AM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: dum spiro spero -- My longest trip would probably be about 40 miles.
jabes -- In July, I sold a 2009 Honda Civic with 76,000 miles for 6,000 miles. In retrospect, I should have either sold it much earlier or kept it. Now our circumstances have changed and we need the second car.
posted by NotLost at 1:29 PM on December 28, 2022
jabes -- In July, I sold a 2009 Honda Civic with 76,000 miles for 6,000 miles. In retrospect, I should have either sold it much earlier or kept it. Now our circumstances have changed and we need the second car.
posted by NotLost at 1:29 PM on December 28, 2022
We recently bought a 2005 Toyota Highlander for 5k. It’s over 200k in miles, but was well maintained. In my price range I looked at Toyota, Honda, and Mazda. I’d recommend avoiding Kia or Hyundai though, as they have been on the most stolen list for awhile to the extent that I heard some insurance companies might stop insuring them.
posted by cabingirl at 6:07 PM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by cabingirl at 6:07 PM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If you can afford to wait; all used car prices are trending down from multi-year highs, and new cars are starting to see discounts and under-msrp sales. I think you'll see considerable savings if you can buy closer to March/April, and perhaps even into mid-year.
When you are looking at an older car, maintenance (both seen through documentation, and unseen) becomes key. Even though it's a less expensive car (in the grand scheme of things), I would highly recommend a detailed inspection from a trusted mechanic as an investment.
I'll echo others -- Honda's (Civic/Accord) and Toyota's (Corolla/Camry/Prius) would be my starting list. Sometimes you can find deals on minivans. Dents/dings that arent from serious accidents are nice ways to drop the value if that's your thing.
For city driving, the highest gas mileage/efficiency will be from the lightest cars, or EV's (Civic EV, Prius). My second car was a 1994, 170k mile Toyota Camry that was exceedingly well maintained that I drove for 3 years and put another 60k miles on.
posted by SirStan at 9:10 PM on December 28, 2022
When you are looking at an older car, maintenance (both seen through documentation, and unseen) becomes key. Even though it's a less expensive car (in the grand scheme of things), I would highly recommend a detailed inspection from a trusted mechanic as an investment.
I'll echo others -- Honda's (Civic/Accord) and Toyota's (Corolla/Camry/Prius) would be my starting list. Sometimes you can find deals on minivans. Dents/dings that arent from serious accidents are nice ways to drop the value if that's your thing.
For city driving, the highest gas mileage/efficiency will be from the lightest cars, or EV's (Civic EV, Prius). My second car was a 1994, 170k mile Toyota Camry that was exceedingly well maintained that I drove for 3 years and put another 60k miles on.
posted by SirStan at 9:10 PM on December 28, 2022
Best answer: Just weighing in on the $6000 electric car ... It's not that much of a unicorn. A quick look at cars.com showed a couple units at $6500 and then a lot of them at around $8000. Now, a decade-old Nissan Leaf will absolutely have far shorter range than what it had when new, like 50 miles, less if you are in freezing weather. But if your drive is 40 miles or less, then I think an EV (electric vehicle) is something you should look at more seriously. Especially if you have a driveway or carport that you can park it in, because then you can leave it plugged in (to a wall outlet! yes, that's all!) and it'll be ready to go anytime you are.
(Note: only Nissan Leafs have severe battery degradation. That car is so affordable because they used cheaper battery technology that wasn't going to age well, literally. But every other EV on the market uses fancier tech that does age well. So, other readers here, don't let any Leaf horror stories scare you off EVs in general.)
posted by intermod at 9:14 PM on December 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
(Note: only Nissan Leafs have severe battery degradation. That car is so affordable because they used cheaper battery technology that wasn't going to age well, literally. But every other EV on the market uses fancier tech that does age well. So, other readers here, don't let any Leaf horror stories scare you off EVs in general.)
posted by intermod at 9:14 PM on December 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: In July, I sold a 2009 Honda Civic with 76,000 miles for 6,000 miles.
(Assuming you meant “76,000 miles for $6,000”) Ouch. That’s a fantastic bargain for whomever you sold it to. 76,000 miles is barely broken-in for a Honda. Which makes me wonder if, like several MeFites, you think cars are “done” by the time they hit 100,000 miles?
Don’t discount any recent-ish vintage Japanese car with 100,000 miles or more on it, especially Toyotas and Hondas. I’d include Nissan in that group (based on my experience with turn-of-the-century Maximas) but I haven’t any knowledge as to how well their more recent cars hold up.
You might be able to score a Chevy Bolt for around $6,000. They’re small, but capable electric cars. The owners I’ve spoken with seem to love them. And, due to a recent recall that required the replacement of the batteries of every one made, any Bolt you come across will either have a new battery pack in it, or can get a new battery pack after you buy it, at no cost to you.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:31 AM on December 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
(Assuming you meant “76,000 miles for $6,000”) Ouch. That’s a fantastic bargain for whomever you sold it to. 76,000 miles is barely broken-in for a Honda. Which makes me wonder if, like several MeFites, you think cars are “done” by the time they hit 100,000 miles?
Don’t discount any recent-ish vintage Japanese car with 100,000 miles or more on it, especially Toyotas and Hondas. I’d include Nissan in that group (based on my experience with turn-of-the-century Maximas) but I haven’t any knowledge as to how well their more recent cars hold up.
You might be able to score a Chevy Bolt for around $6,000. They’re small, but capable electric cars. The owners I’ve spoken with seem to love them. And, due to a recent recall that required the replacement of the batteries of every one made, any Bolt you come across will either have a new battery pack in it, or can get a new battery pack after you buy it, at no cost to you.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:31 AM on December 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
Based on my 2004 Pontiac Vibe still running fine, I'll suggest that. And also note that it's basically a Toyota Matrix, mechanically speaking, w/ GM/Pontiac styling.
posted by Bron at 8:54 AM on December 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Bron at 8:54 AM on December 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for all the tips. Now I am wondering whether we can delay this purchase a few months.
Which makes me wonder if, like several MeFites, you think cars are “done” by the time they hit 100,000 miles?
No. After two years of working at home, we thought we thought we needed only one car. But now my wife must go back to the office full time, and we have other changes that call for a second car again.
posted by NotLost at 6:52 PM on December 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Which makes me wonder if, like several MeFites, you think cars are “done” by the time they hit 100,000 miles?
No. After two years of working at home, we thought we thought we needed only one car. But now my wife must go back to the office full time, and we have other changes that call for a second car again.
posted by NotLost at 6:52 PM on December 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Avoid cars with an interference engine using a timing belt, like a 2004 Civic. If it breaks the engine can be destroyed. In anycase, replacing the belt is expensive.
posted by Sophont at 6:22 PM on December 30, 2022
posted by Sophont at 6:22 PM on December 30, 2022
OMG, starting with the New Year there is a $4000 tax credit for used electric vehicles!
It might take a year for you to get that check from the IRS, but knock $4000 off that price!
posted by intermod at 6:47 PM on January 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
It might take a year for you to get that check from the IRS, but knock $4000 off that price!
posted by intermod at 6:47 PM on January 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
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