Used cars around or under 4k?

[FromGermany]

I'm shopping for a used car to make good use for my college, day job and maybe even trips. I've been reading that Japanese cars are awesome, but I want to read some first hand experience. Do you have used car experience? What are your tips, suggestions for someone looking to get one?

[Giovanna_Deiderich]

I have a used car. It was given to me for christmas and it was primarily used for college. Traveling from college to home on the weekends. My car, at that time and before the discount was added, was 13,000. We didn't even look at anything that was 4k or below. A lot of cars like that were in disrepair and sucked. My car is a chevy, I keep it maintained really well, and it drives really well. Also, my car didn't have that many miles on it...only 30k.

I guess, when it comes to looking for a used car...Try looking at dealerships that sell used cars, like Toyota, Chevy, Honda, etc. I say that because they usually keep their cars in tip top shape and do thorough inspections to be ultra sure that nothing is out of place. Some WILL have cars that cheap and going there is a LOT better than buying a car out of someone's yard. That and the people at the dealership are people who actually know what they're doing. Also pay attention to mileage, the closer to 100k in miles....the more you probably want to avoid it. Also make sure you know what the car has been through. Salvaged cars, from what I have read/heard, are a no-no....My car has been in a minor fender bender. The bumper in the back has been dinged but the Chevy place fixed it. That's another upside to going to a dealership for used cars...they can give you the Carfax, which will tell you what the car's been through, if it's been salvaged, or anything major has been replaced. Even though a car is something to get you from point A to point B...you want to be safe.

My family has gotten a few used cars in the past and they turned out to be duds...same with my Other Half, he went through a few used cars because they either were lemons or they were totaled not too long after he got them. His dad picked out a few lemons until he got his 2000 Toyota Corolla. His Corolla cost about...$8,000-$9,000 and it didn't have that many miles on it. He didn't get a butt load of miles on it until he got his hands on it. He told me that his car had 36k in miles when he first got it. Either way, they're really good on gas...he has one of the older models though and that car has been through A LOT! And it's still going strong. So there's a car to look at.

[AraTeran]

Used Toyota cars are not cheap. My old car was a 16 year old Toyota Camry with 200k miles on it. I got hit by a big rig and totaled it last year. My insurance still gave me $4.5k for it, based on several other similar cars that sold in the area in the last few months. However, that car was in excellent shape and I'm sure I could have gone past 300k miles with no problem. You might be able to find a Camry at 4k with over 200k miles depending on the prices in your area.

You might be able to get a used Corolla for 4-5k with high mileage. Don't be turned off completely by a lot of miles if the car was properly maintained. Those things can last just as long as Camrys and they are smaller so they tend to get slightly better gas mileage.

My replacement car was a 2012 Camry with 30k miles on it. I think it cost around $18k.

[kelsey-chan]

My first car was a used camery from 2001 that my dad got for me when I turned 16. I believe he got it for 7K. It's a great car. Got good mileage, good breaks, comfortable, that car took care of me cause I'm a wild driver. I think camery's are great cars in general. I don't drive it anymore but he does.

[Vardoger]

Dealerships are better because they at least have the limited warranty.

Buying from owner at that cheap is like a lottery. Sometimes you'll get a decent car. Other times it's going to end up costing more than what it's worth.

I've only ever bought cars under 5k. Here's what you should expect:

- They work good for about a year. If you get it to work for longer, consider yourself lucky.

- The more you know about cars, the better you will be when buying a car. This is any car, but 100x more helpful when buying used cheap cars

- ACTUALLY DO the preventative maintenance. Many people will skip out on oil changes and stuff because money. Learn how to do it yourself and do it when you should. This will help keep costs down, help you learn about the car, and help keep your car running better for longer.

- Get a Haynes manual for your car. It's got a breakdown of everything and walks you through a lot of the maintenance so you can do it yourself.

- BEFORE YOU BUY THE CAR, GET IT INSPECTED. If the person selling the car refuses to allow you to have it inspected, don't buy the car. The inspection is going to cost money. But it's better to spend $~100 (I think my last inspection was like $70) and find out the car's going to s**t on you in 6 months then spend $~4k expecting it to last a year when it only lasts half that.

- A good rule of thumb for inexperienced car buyers/users is to not buy a car more than 10 years old. But personally, I just set the cutoff at 1999. If it's made before then, don't buy it, unless you absolutely 100% trust the seller (or you're a mechanic).

- Toyota camrys last a longass time even when you treat them like s**t. So in this they are good, reliable cars to have. But you also have to keep in mind that the previous owner of a camry is more than likely to have treated it like s**t.

- Police auto auctions and rental car company sales should not be ignored. You can get some great deals at these. But you may not be able to get it inspected. I've personally never bought from these because I couldn't find them in my areas. But I plan to buy from them in the future and I've heard good things.

EDIT:
------------------

My car history.

My first car was $700 to buy from the owner + $400 in repairs to make it drivable. It was an 88 Chevy Celebrity and it was honestly a death machine. It constantly overheated, it was s**t, tons of leaks, almost killed me from carbon monoxide poisoning once. Never again. BUT, good first car experience I suppose. It set the bar for what to expect.

My second car was a 1999 Plymouth Breeze. Bought it from a dealer for $4000 after all taxes and everything. Good deal. Except about 3 months in, the wiring started acting funny. Now, I was doing some stuff to the inside of the car so I'm not sure if it's my fault or if the place actually sold me a lemon. But within 6 months, the entire dashboard was nonfunctional. I moved overseas at that point and somehow managed to sell it for $3000 - I think they pitied me - and I heard it cost $1000 to fix the electrical issues. Outside the dashboard, that was an amazing car. Wish I still had it. Major problem though was that they don't make Plymouths anymore, so finding replacement parts down the line was probably going to be not worth it.

My third and current car is a 1997 Toyota Camry that was $4500. I overpaid for that but there were two factors at work here: 1, I needed the car like right then and 2, I was on Hawaii, so everything is overpriced there anyway. On the mainland, I'd expect this car to sell at most $3000.

I've had the car for a little over a year now. There are some MINOR issues, but nothing too terrible. The alternator gave out at about the 6 month mark. It cost $~300 to replace. Overall, this car has lasted longer (in terms of reliable driveability) then any of my other cars and while I'm not totally pleased with it, it was a pretty good purchase and meets my needs.

I'm pretty sure this car has been in a flood though, and while the last guy did a decent job of repairing it (he bought it salvaged), it's still pretty ******** up and to be honest I'm really surprised it runs as well as it does. If I really care to, I could probably fix all the problems with it. But since I'm planning on moving out of Hawaii in about a year, just keeping it running for another year is my main goal here. I'll sell it to someone else or for scrap when I leave the island.


Also, I don't know much about cars... Couldn't even change my own oil until last year. The Haynes manual and some friends have REALLY helped me out. I'm a lot more knowledgeable now than before.

I've always bought cheap cars because I move a lot, and it's easier for me to buy/sell than to buy a good car and bring it with me places. In fact, I'd actually lose money if I did that. I also like actually owning my car and being debt free. The idea of a car payment just seems silly to me. I buy all my cars in cash.

[Little Dead Soldier]

Ive only have had either a Honda or Hyundai vechiles, and out of the two, Hyundai is just awful. They tend to have a lot of electric issues and break constantly. I woudld avoid them at all costs because that brand of vechile just cant get right.
Buying used cars is tricky because usually the seller is withholding something important about the car. If you buy from someone's yard, have the car inspected. If you can, buy a used car from a dealership, they do keep their cars in better condition and I would suggest going there as your first choice. I bought my current car at Carmax and have had it for over a year now with no issues, it also came with a 1-year warranty which was also super nice. Also before buying a car, consider your enviroment before purchasing. It snows heavy around winter time for me, so I needed a car that could handle icy roads, rough and uneven roads, and everything else that comes with winter.

[Jin_of_the_thunder]

best car ever for young people, get an old beetle. petrol is cheap, parts are cheap, if anything goes wrong with it its super easy to fix, as long as you take care of it you'll never lose money on it, and can even gain money on it. you can buy one now for £2000 and sell it in 5 years time for for £2000 or more.

anyway, i'd stay away from a lot of japanese cars, toyota's are good cars but they require a lot of work and I mean a lot, they are a money pit, investment car. most other japanese cars are cheaper to run but finding parts for them could be a problem, the cars are very finicky due to the high amount of different models and thus parts can be expensive.

[Cloud_Cookie]

Older Toyotas, Jeeps and Hondas are the best because they are easier to repair. It depends what year you are looking for. I'm used to owning older vehicles, especially because the newer ones tend to be more computerized, and more expensive to fix. But, it's whatever you like, really. For 4K, you can get a pretty decent car used. I'd either look on Craigslist, or around your neighborhood. Even going to the local mechanic, and asking him/her if they have any suggestions would be good.

The best thing to do is bring a mechanic with you when you go to look at the car you are interested in. More than likely, the owner will not tell you all of what is wrong with it, or maybe they don't even know. So either ask if you can take it to a mechanic, or take a mechanic with you.

My ex had decided that he wanted to buy a used car, and found a Jeep that was selling on craigslist. I told him not to look at it, because he was only a week in to looking for a car, and the Jeep cost 3,500. He was particularly in love with all of the customization on the Jeep that the owner did, but paid no attention to how many miles were already on it, or what kind of problems it had. After driving it around once and not having a mechanic look at it, he had to get a new transmission because it had over 300,000 miles on it. That is just ridiculous. People run into the most problems when they try to hurry to find one instead of looking at all of their choices. My sister also did it when she bought her motorcycle. Just take your time, and you will find the right one. But yea, the top three are the ones I have listed above in my opinion.

P.S. Some people are saying to go to a dealership. Don't do it. They only care about making a profit, and ripping you off. It amazes me how much they charge for absolutely anything. A cracked gasket shouldn't cost $8,000 for a used car. talk2hand

[kingdom_aerith]

FromGermany

I'm shopping for a used car to make good use for my college, day job and maybe even trips. I've been reading that Japanese cars are awesome, but I want to read some first hand experience. Do you have used car experience? What are your tips, suggestions for someone looking to get one?

I got a delightful Saturn Vue for 2250 I believe. I went on craigslist. I'd say don't bother with dealerships.

[xChibi Cannibalx]

My boyfriend got his car for about 3.5k. Its a 2000something mercury. Reason he got it so low, is because the guy selling it wanted no more than retail price. My boyfriends dad is a mechanic, and thats how he found the guy selling the car in the first place. Its in really awesome condition. Only a few things need work, but its not a hunk of junk by any means

[Vardoger]

Cloud_Cookie

P.S. Some people are saying to go to a dealership. Don't do it. They only care about making a profit, and ripping you off. It amazes me how much they charge for absolutely anything. A cracked gasket shouldn't cost $8,000 for a used car. talk2hand

If he's looking for a car at 4k and under, then he clearly wouldn't buy a car that's 8k.

The real reason to go to a dealership for this sort of car is the warranty. If it's still under warranty when it fails, the repair is free.

[Mari Kyomo]

My current car is a 1995 Geo prizm and it was $900. It was my first car, and I'm still currently using it, but I don't really drive it out of the town in fear of it falling apart. It's practically being held together by duct tape. It's lasted about 2 years so far, though, without breaking down, but it's got other problems often, like leaks or the blinker falling out.

Lesson: Don't buy a car under $1,000, lol.

[FromGermany]

kingdom_aerith

FromGermany

I'm shopping for a used car to make good use for my college, day job and maybe even trips. I've been reading that Japanese cars are awesome, but I want to read some first hand experience. Do you have used car experience? What are your tips, suggestions for someone looking to get one?

I got a delightful Saturn Vue for 2250 I believe. I went on craigslist. I'd say don't bother with dealerships.

where do you reside? things might be diff. in other locations

[FromGermany]

Bornes

Dealerships are better because they at least have the limited warranty.

Buying from owner at that cheap is like a lottery. Sometimes you'll get a decent car. Other times it's going to end up costing more than what it's worth.

I've only ever bought cars under 5k. Here's what you should expect:

- They work good for about a year. If you get it to work for longer, consider yourself lucky.

- The more you know about cars, the better you will be when buying a car. This is any car, but 100x more helpful when buying used cheap cars

- ACTUALLY DO the preventative maintenance. Many people will skip out on oil changes and stuff because money. Learn how to do it yourself and do it when you should. This will help keep costs down, help you learn about the car, and help keep your car running better for longer.

- Get a Haynes manual for your car. It's got a breakdown of everything and walks you through a lot of the maintenance so you can do it yourself.

- BEFORE YOU BUY THE CAR, GET IT INSPECTED. If the person selling the car refuses to allow you to have it inspected, don't buy the car. The inspection is going to cost money. But it's better to spend $~100 (I think my last inspection was like $70) and find out the car's going to s**t on you in 6 months then spend $~4k expecting it to last a year when it only lasts half that.

- A good rule of thumb for inexperienced car buyers/users is to not buy a car more than 10 years old. But personally, I just set the cutoff at 1999. If it's made before then, don't buy it, unless you absolutely 100% trust the seller (or you're a mechanic).

- Toyota camrys last a longass time even when you treat them like s**t. So in this they are good, reliable cars to have. But you also have to keep in mind that the previous owner of a camry is more than likely to have treated it like s**t.

- Police auto auctions and rental car company sales should not be ignored. You can get some great deals at these. But you may not be able to get it inspected. I've personally never bought from these because I couldn't find them in my areas. But I plan to buy from them in the future and I've heard good things.

EDIT:
------------------

My car history.

My first car was $700 to buy from the owner + $400 in repairs to make it drivable. It was an 88 Chevy Celebrity and it was honestly a death machine. It constantly overheated, it was s**t, tons of leaks, almost killed me from carbon monoxide poisoning once. Never again. BUT, good first car experience I suppose. It set the bar for what to expect.

My second car was a 1999 Plymouth Breeze. Bought it from a dealer for $4000 after all taxes and everything. Good deal. Except about 3 months in, the wiring started acting funny. Now, I was doing some stuff to the inside of the car so I'm not sure if it's my fault or if the place actually sold me a lemon. But within 6 months, the entire dashboard was nonfunctional. I moved overseas at that point and somehow managed to sell it for $3000 - I think they pitied me - and I heard it cost $1000 to fix the electrical issues. Outside the dashboard, that was an amazing car. Wish I still had it. Major problem though was that they don't make Plymouths anymore, so finding replacement parts down the line was probably going to be not worth it.

My third and current car is a 1997 Toyota Camry that was $4500. I overpaid for that but there were two factors at work here: 1, I needed the car like right then and 2, I was on Hawaii, so everything is overpriced there anyway. On the mainland, I'd expect this car to sell at most $3000.

I've had the car for a little over a year now. There are some MINOR issues, but nothing too terrible. The alternator gave out at about the 6 month mark. It cost $~300 to replace. Overall, this car has lasted longer (in terms of reliable driveability) then any of my other cars and while I'm not totally pleased with it, it was a pretty good purchase and meets my needs.

I'm pretty sure this car has been in a flood though, and while the last guy did a decent job of repairing it (he bought it salvaged), it's still pretty ******** up and to be honest I'm really surprised it runs as well as it does. If I really care to, I could probably fix all the problems with it. But since I'm planning on moving out of Hawaii in about a year, just keeping it running for another year is my main goal here. I'll sell it to someone else or for scrap when I leave the island.


Also, I don't know much about cars... Couldn't even change my own oil until last year. The Haynes manual and some friends have REALLY helped me out. I'm a lot more knowledgeable now than before.

I've always bought cheap cars because I move a lot, and it's easier for me to buy/sell than to buy a good car and bring it with me places. In fact, I'd actually lose money if I did that. I also like actually owning my car and being debt free. The idea of a car payment just seems silly to me. I buy all my cars in cash.

Awesome post. I'm looking into Toyota/Honda cars as well. Japanese cars are reputably reliable. I'll look into your suggestion about the Camry, though I liked Honda as it was one of my first driven cars.

Leaving Hawaii because it's expensive? Damn.