Want to buy CAR. Advice pls :)

[fruittropics]

Okay I must say and self claim to be a real idiot. I know nothing much about houses but I'm buying one. And now that I may potentially move to somewhere far from my work place. (for the luxury of a bigger house) I need to buy a car. That and also I may want to drive around Ontario from time to time for good deals .

 

I know and hear there are all sorts of scams so this I really must ask all of you.

Tell me what you know.

I want to get a 2nd hand used car and I have a teeny tiny budget.

I don't want to get scammed for buying a perfectly normal looking car that maybe was in an accident and a crooked chassis (is that how you spell it) or cars that have had their mileages rewounded/reset.  And the dealers here are rip offs.

 

 

 

 

[Bama]

Use CarFax.com. It costs a bit, but it has lots of good info on any car you are potentially going to buy. If you are buying from a dealer, they should provide the carfax free of charge. If from an individual, you can get the car VIN number and run it through carfax. CarFax will generally tell you if there have been accidents, thefts, odometer rollbacks, etc.. associated with the vehicle. It is a great source of information.

 

I like to stick with Toyota and Honda. I have a yard full of Toyota cars and trucks, and the dang things seem to run forever. The Corolla is a good small car with good gas mileage. It looks like a box, and rides like a go-cart (not really THAT bad) but it is very inexpensive and very very reliable. If your goal is no-frills driving from point A to point B as cheap and efficiently as you can, you can't go wrong with the Corolla. If you want to step it up a notch and look and ride a little nicer, and stick with good gas mileage, then the Honda Civic is a good choice. It probably runs longer and has even less problems (if that is possible) than the Corolla. It has a better suspension and is a better overall ride. It usually has a few more frills as well. You will pay more for the Honda, but you get what you pay for.

 

Use KellyBlueBook and Edmunds to get an idea of what a car you are looking at is 'worth'. I usually shoot for 'person to person' price on anything I buy, but it's great to get it at 'trade in' value. DON'T get caught up in the car buying deathtrap of 'I gotta buy this before it's gone' or 'this is the greatest deal in the world'. The deal of a lifetime comes around about once every seven days. Check it out, test drive it, and do your homework before you commit to anything.

 

Good Luck and happy hunting!!!

[WANTED]

fruittropics - Want to buy CAR. Advice pls!

Okay I must say and self claim to be a real idiot. I know nothing much about houses but I'm buying one. And now that I may potentially move to somewhere far from my work place. (for the luxury of a bigger house) I need to buy a car. That and also I may want to drive around Ontario from time to time for good deals .

 

I know and hear there are all sorts of scams so this I really must ask all of you.

Tell me what you know.

I want to get a 2nd hand used car and I have a teeny tiny budget.

I don't want to get scammed for buying a perfectly normal looking car that maybe was in an accident and a crooked chassis (is that how you spell it) or cars that have had their mileages rewounded/reset.  And the dealers here are rip offs.

 

 

If your driving far back and forth from work buy a Volkswagon, Toyota or Honda.  these cars engines will outlast the body, so if you do alot of travel you can rack up alot of KM's on these babies.   Yes there a little  more expensive ( except ) the Jeta, there doing a big promo and can get them dirt cheap but you get what you pay for

 

[The Buttman]

Hi Fruittropics. I sell cars over here in the UK. If your looking for a car and your not sure then a Japanese car by Honda, Nissan or Toyota is probably a good bet. They are built much better than other manufacturers cars including German cars. Make sure you drive the car you want to buy. If it does not stay in straight line or it makes any unusual noises then walk away. Low Mileage is not always as good as a full stamped service history (give the servicing dealer a call to check the stamps are genuine.) 

When looking at the paintwork look for overspray or an orange peel finish that points towards the car being damaged repaired (not always bad news and good for getting the price down)

I find the best cars to buy price wise are cars advertised with a tag line like Company Car Forces Sale or Emigrating. These are being sold because the seller needs to sell and if your waving cash then they are more likely to take a lower price.

Other than listening to the engine and making sure it starts ok, you can check the inside of the oil cap for a milky substance. If its Milky walk away as the chances are the cylinder head gasket is on its way out (very common for people to try and sell there car with this problem).

As a woman you should always take someone with you to view a car that is being sold privately. Having someone with you will make you braver at bidding a lower price and in some cases make the buyer a little more intimidated.

 

Hope this helps and let me know how you went on.

 

Regards Buttman

 

I have a Suzuki Vitara as a Second Vehicle (suzuki sidekick?) its been great and always starts first time and is good in the snow. I get 37 mpg on a run in 2wd (4wd is snow and sand only) 

[WeednFeed]

Hey Fruittropics, weed here I live in New Brunswick Canada. My wife drives a 1998 honda civic I bought it new for her it has been a great car. As stated buy the others Honda, Toyota, Nissan and mazda's all Japanese cars are great cars that last a long time. I myself have owned ford, dodge, toyota and Nissan. I now am driving my second Nissan truck. I have had my best luck with Japanese vehicles.

My daughter and her husband drive a Mazda. Take someone with you before you buy. Do not buy on the spur of the moment or out of frustration, think about it first. Try a reputable dealer although they may not have a lower priced vehicle in your $$.

Good luck.

Weed

[RogueKill]

Hey Fruit, everyone will have a different opinion according to their history. Carfax is good, also "whatever" your choice of car is,when you are serious about buying - take it to a reputable shop and have it checked out, alot of times they won't even charge you cause they are hoping to get your future business.

They will always come up with something (after all it is a used car)so don't freik out just have them tell you how serious and how much it is to fix----you can weigh the repair costs with the KBB to determine if it's a fair deal and also use it to negotiate the price down on the car! If the sellar doesn't want to let you have it checked out RUN FROM IT LIKE FORREST GUMP!

[Bazza]

ALSO my luv, try showing them you "assets". might befuddle them into doing an honest to god fair trade. unheard of so far, but maybe worth a try

[Unexist]

Volvo for life!!

[Unchileno]

Wow these are dangerous waters..Saw a report on CityTV..about this buyers beware..I know you could ask for the history of the car..They have to give it to you..Saw 1 car that was in 2 accidents..and they never said anything..They spected the car and guess what..is was 2 cars in 1..lol...they added 2 cars together and welded it in the midle..they went back and confronted the guy..he refuse to talk and ask the camara crew to leave..My advice get your self a good mechanic..that can expect car inside out..look under car for rust..allways a good sign..as for the housing...I know we have great deals now in Toronto..rates are great..but they are sure to go up..so becareful..shop wisely...what you can affort..and Good luck to you..

[Belle]

My advice Fruit,

Make sure you know what the vehicle is worth.    Offer less then they are asking.   Have them throw in some goodies like a thorough cleaning, oil change, tuneup (depends on the vehicle).  If they won't do it, walk away and go somewhere else.   Good luck

 

[SexPanther]

make sure you check out kelley blue book's website for the estimated value of the car you are interested in buying.