Best Place to Buy a Used Car

[capjak]

Buying new or newer used models makes sense from a safety aspect. Please check to see that it has a good safety record.

It only has to save your life one time to be worth it.

[mamadogmamacat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by athena53 DH and I bought our last two cars from Enterprise Rental. Very happy with them and since I hate the BS of car buying (and DH is in that Great Used Car Lot in the Sky), will probably use them again. No-haggle pricing, free to have your mechanic check it out, and we did get a discount on one for issues the mechanic found.

+1 I've always bought new, at least for the past 30 yrs anyway, and then driven them into the ground for at least 10 yrs each, with one exception, and it was also bought from Enterprise car sales, a boring OLDS sedan. Low mileage, very good condition, kept it for eight yrs until someone totaled it by running a red light (older gentleman working long hours who fell asleep at the wheel, so it was a rather high speed collision that broke my car's axle and totaled it). i have no idea if Enterprise would today have a used car i would be interested in (I bought the OLDS back in 1994), but would certainly consider them unless I go new again (my current car is almost 15 yrs old but running well)

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum The other point is that a few thousand dollars once in 20 years is a lot less than a few thousand dollars if you buy new every 5 years. 3-4 thousand is small compared to 15-20K.

Exactly. Prorated over 20 years of ownership, 3k is very small per year. Buy a car every few years and the savings per year is more significant.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo +1 Plus, you can get a nice new Camry for not a lot of money - as cars go.

And the new cars have nice safety feature for us as we age, like lane keeping and automatic braking. I think both are standard on Toyotas, now.

[DrRoy]

I do not think there is a "best" place. We have had trouble with them all. Autotrader is not bad for shopping, but skip dealers and have the car inspected. We have for years been buying new and keeping them for ~10 years and/or close to 180K miles. We like the new features you can get and the first several years of no repairs.

[Rianne]

I don't like all the electronics in a new car. They're more expensive to fix and more complicated to drive with. I like electric windows, radio/stereo. I don't like remote keys or the screen that shows you backing up. Too much is too confusing. Every little electronic thing that breaks costs more money and hassle down the road. Can I get a new car that's totally simple?

[38Chevy454]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rianne Can I get a new car that's totally simple?

Unfortunately, many of the kind of items you listed are required by gov't. So your option is find a used car that is around 5 years old or just accept the new car electronics. Even 5 year old cars have a lot of electronics, but will have a real key to start (most likely) and won't have the back-up screen.

[OldShooter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rianne I don't like all the electronics in a new car. They're more expensive to fix and more complicated to drive with. I like electric windows, radio/stereo. I don't like remote keys or the screen that shows you backing up. Too much is too confusing. Every little electronic thing that breaks costs more money and hassle down the road. Can I get a new car that's totally simple?

I have been in that camp and largely still am. The backup screen, in particular, looked like another idiot government requirement with limited value.

Now, having bought a car that came with the screen, I am sold on it. Quite astonished to be sold, but sold nevertheless. Backing in parking lots it is especially valuable because I can see well before running into a car that might be trying to sneak by behind me. I still don't think it is the government's business to require something that probably has minimal cost-effectiveness but I am also still happy to have that particular gadget.

GPS, fancy self-driving features, internet spying on me, ... not so much.

[samclem]

The electronic safety equipment (esp airbags, but also traction control, etc) adds considerably to the cost of ownership. They seldom break and don't add a lot to the price of new car, but they can add a >lot< to the cost of a routine fender-bender. As a result, they also significantly increase the some types of insurance coverage.
I wouldn't want to do without some of these, but they do add to the cost of operating a vehicle. They surely reduce other costs (medical, lost wages, disabilities, etc)

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rianne I don't like all the electronics in a new car. They're more expensive to fix and more complicated to drive with. I like electric windows, radio/stereo. I don't like remote keys or the screen that shows you backing up. Too much is too confusing. Every little electronic thing that breaks costs more money and hassle down the road. Can I get a new car that's totally simple?

Don't forget the "black box" that's now hidden in cars. I HATE that idea even though I suppose it could be used in my defense in the case of a serious accident. It's not optional and was quietly built into cars whether the buyers wanted it or not.

All those fancy electronic features have become major income streams for the manufacturers- compare the cost of duplicating a simple metal key at your local hardware store to replacing a remote key.

[IMATERP]

My strategy is to wait until the end of the model year and purchase the previous year vehicle in mid November to mid December. The 3k to 4K that is saved can bring a car price closer to a one year old certified vehicle.

I currently drive a 2008 Honda Accord with $136,000 miles so my vehicle may be around for a while.

[Winemaker]

Cars used to be machines that you could buy, service, maintain and get 2 decades of use. Newer cars are getting more and more technology, chips, microprocessors, sensors, and the jury is still out on their reliability.

I was bringing home 2 6 gallon carboys of new wine in my extended cab Colorado a few years back, when 1 carboy decided to crack and spill it's contents on the floor. While I was laughing/crying trying to get home while leaving a trail of merlot from the bottom of the door. I barely got home when the computer under the drivers seat got drunk/piflicated/ soaked and quit. It was an insurable loss.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rianne Can I get a new car that's totally simple?

Probably not, unless you go the antique (i.e., over 25 years old) route. My retirement present was a brand new 2003 GMC 4WD pickup truck and when I got it I also bought the service manuals. The service manuals I remembered from the 1950's-60's were one very thick volume. The manual for the then-new pickup truck was FIVE volumes! One entire volume was just on the electronics for the engine, this for a truck that is now 15 years old. Somehow, I rather doubt they are any simpler now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by athena53 Don't forget the "black box" that's now hidden in cars. I HATE that idea even though I suppose it could be used in my defense in the case of a serious accident.

Don't sell that short. While much publicity has been given to those cases in which the "black box" served to convict someone, if you're the one using crutches or a wheelchair because of that person's negligence then you'll be glad the evidence was there. Conversely, if the box independently corroborates your story that you were in fact going the speed limit or less, then you'll be happy it was there in that case too.

BTW, the "black boxes" were first installed as a research aide to the automakers when airbags were first installed in cars. The data from real-world crashes enabled them to make those airbags much better than the early versions. They were never intended or designed to "spy" on drivers, but accident investigators were quick (and rightfully so) to grab on to an "independent witness" source of information to resolve the "he said, she said" issues in traffic accident investigations.

[jazz4cash]

Backup cameras not mandatory before 2018 model year. I see so many drivers that don't look while backing (some don't use the mirrors at all). Older drivers seem to be the worst. Everybody is on their phone. I'm glad cameras are being installed.

[brucethebroker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldShooter Off topic: For both certified and last-model-year, we are quite happy to search within a couple of hundred miles of home. We saved a few bucks on my wife's prior-model-year Mini Countryman because we had one spotted a couple of hours away and would have been quite happy to buy that one if the local dealer had not caved on his price.

I suggest not stopping at a "couple of hundred miles from home". I have flown 500 miles and 1200 (two different times) to get a good deal. Airfares are very cheap. Sure, driving home takes gas money and some time, but long fly in/drive backs saved me about $3000 each. Take DW and do a little sight seeing on the trip home!

Find the car on cars.com, contact the dealership (their online sales dept.) and buy your ticket. Make sure the dealer has more than one car that you are interested in.

[braumeister]

I find the backup camera to be fantastic when parallel parking. Also, there is a place I visit occasionally where you have to back into a 45 degree angle space, and the camera makes it trivial to do. This is one government mandate I can get solidly behind.

[Dawg52]

I can't imagine keeping a car for 20 years. Perhaps in a 2 car family and only driving it around town. But in my case being a single guy, I travel out of town at least once a month and want something I have confidence in. Six to seven years is about as far out as I go with one. I have a 2013 model now and it runs well. Just bought new tires on Friday so good to go for a couple of more years. May buy a year end model next year or wait for a 2020 model. I have purchased used and had good luck with them, but only new from here on. Not many purchases left in me anyway so might as well have what I want.

[cyber888]

I’m also a believer in used cars. I think I just got a great deal a few days ago. Got a 2015 bimmer that is certified unlimited mileage warranty for 2 years. The car only had 20.3 K miles. Original sticker price was around $46K which the dealer still had in hand, and I got it for $25K. The initial CPO price was $31K, which they brought down to $25.9k a day before I came in and I further negotiated to $25k. The car has 4 brand new tires. Options worth $10k .. navigation, M sports trim and suspension, heated steering wheels and seats, lighting package w Xenon, harmon speakers, saddle brown leather, etc. I saw there were paint imperfections on the hood, and they could not remove it, so the General manger offered to repaint the entire hood. Took 3 days, and now it literally looks brand new.

[Rianne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyber888 I’m also a believer in used cars. I think I just got a great deal a few days ago. Got a 2015 bimmer that is certified unlimited mileage warranty for 2 years. The car only had 20.3 K miles. Original sticker price was around $46K which the dealer still had in hand, and I got it for $25K. The initial CPO price was $31K, which they brought down to $25.9k a day before I came in and I further negotiated to $25k. The car has 4 brand new tires. Options worth $10k .. navigation, M sports trim and suspension, heated steering wheels and seats, lighting package w Xenon, harmon speakers, saddle brown leather, etc. I saw there were paint imperfections on the hood, and they could not remove it, so the General manger offered to repaint the entire hood. Took 3 days, and now it literally looks brand new.

This purchase through a dealer, right? That is awesome. Wonder why only 20.3K miles. It makes me think they turned the miles back, I'm suspicious of deals that are too good. But the 2 year warranty works. Buying used takes time. Buying new is so simple once you decide on the car you want. Our neighbor is obsessed about car engines. Maybe he'll help.

[ShokWaveRider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rianne This purchase through a dealer, right? That is awesome. Wonder why only 20.3K miles. It makes me think they turned the miles back, I'm suspicious of deals that are too good. But the 2 year warranty works. Buying used takes time. Buying new is so simple once you decide on the car you want. Our neighbor is obsessed about car engines. Maybe he'll help.

No it was probably a X lease car. I probably do only 20k on a 3 year lease MAX. My last was 17k. At the end of this year I will be looking to buy a 2016 Mercedes diesel E Class. I will be looking for 20k or below cars. There are a few 2015s available now. But 2016 was the last year and I want as new as possible. Remember ALWAYS check the Carfax on used cars. You want a completely clean vehicle history or resale price decreases exponentially.