Buying a car
Ok I'm a sexist: I'm posting this because as men you are more qualified to do this than I.
Everytime I see someone looking at a used car they do a list of impressive looking things...they push down on bumpers and kick tires and ask questions about things I don't understand...
So any suggestions for what to look for and what to do in a car lot? Any suggestions for makes and models?
I'm sitting 60% in the small gas efficient car range
40% in the pretentious SUV range...EFF YOU RAINFOREST!
Everytime I see someone looking at a used car they do a list of impressive looking things...they push down on bumpers and kick tires and ask questions about things I don't understand...
So any suggestions for what to look for and what to do in a car lot? Any suggestions for makes and models?
I'm sitting 60% in the small gas efficient car range
40% in the pretentious SUV range...EFF YOU RAINFOREST!
Comments
I am in the biz. You can bounce anything off of me if you like, Cept for tittay's of course.
But seriously, I will give some insider info.
I'm a terrible car owner and I will do everything wrong...late for oil changes, drive it hard and a lot. Are there makes that you should stay away from? Eg. are Kia's ok? I'm not picky, I used to drive a minivan so anything but a pt cruiser or a smart car is a step up.
Get a carfax for anything your considering. Lots of good deals are really shitty wrecks or rentals.
If you know nothing, take someone who knows something, ie what to look for under the hood/body etc.
When you find the car you want, ask the seller to get an independent mechanic to give you an opinion at the dealer's cost. Say your willing to cover it if you don't buy the car, but your unwilling to buy it without that.
Oh and buy a 4banger save the trees and be a leader.
Cash only haggling definitely works at a dealership, not sure about just a classified seller though.
...hmmmmm this is pretty http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.aspx?vlotid=6669&adid=6693950
That is pretty... but it does scream soccer mom.
hrm...thats kinda hot.
yah, I dont mind helping you out. I love stringing along car sales guys.
While they make money when you finance, you can still make a deal if you pay it all in cash. Friend was able to save $3K on a new Mazda by paying cash only. YMMV on a used vehicle?
You can spend like $5000 these days and get a pretty decent car.
Don't buy a wreck or a rebuilt car.
If you buy a Kia or Hyundai plan on driving it forever because re-sale is total shit.
It is a buyers market so if you can get yourself a good deal for sure. I can coach you through a negotiation if you want. Just remember this - Be likeable when negotiating and you will get a good deal. Being ignorant to sales people does not work for getting a deal. They will just blow you off and move on to the next person.
lol...but my minivan ....now that just SCREAMED 'swf seeks orgy'?
Let's face it anything is a step up.
Like 10k max, taxes and all. Cash, no lease. How do you feel about Kia's...they seem so cheap, are they terrible cars?
One of two things:
1. That is what they told him because that is what he wanted to hear.
2. There is a manufacturer rebate for paying cash over taking the bought down finance rate. Realize this:
If you finance a $20,000 car at the bank you pay a little more than $6000 in interest over a 5 year term at 9.5% (current bank rate). So an advertised interest rate of 1.9% has a monetary value of almost $5 Grand. So your cash rebate on this vehicle would need to be in excess of 5K to be +EV.
Everyone makes a good car anymore, no one can get away with selling trash. Although the authors of all these car guides don't want to admit this. It would be self defeating.
Kia's seem to be okay I guess. I have appraised many. They are cheapish and tinny feeling but they get you from A to B and if you buy a used one you can get a hell of a price. The cheapest car on my lot right now is a Kia.
Here
Edit: Not me in the pic
Ask first for the vehicle information package. They MUST provide this. The car can not be sold without one. If they don't have it and tell you it is your responsibility - walk away. Check the owners. Owners that are actual people are ok. Original owners that are companies, usually means it was a fleet car or rental. Successive owners that are companies means it has been auctioned and resold. Not a good sign. Any car that was owned in Quebec and then sold to a company is a really bad sign. 90% sure it was totalled, written off by insurance and auctioned for scrap and repaired instead.
Look at it from all directions. The paint should match exactly. If a body panel doesn't match exactly, it's been repainted. Open the doors and the hood. Again check the paint on the insides to see that it matches. Check the door hinges, make sure they don't squeak or bind or sag in any way.
Check the body panel fit. If it's N.A model, this part is useless because their quality control sucks. Any Jap car, the seams should match exactly. ie. look at the hood, the gap between the hood and body panel should be consistently the same from the windshield to the bumper. Any alignment problems on a Jap car and it's been in an accident.
Step on the bumpers. There should be no squeaking or clunking. The suspension should be firm, travel down, bounce up at most once and return. Check the wheel wells, the gap between the wheels and the body should be the same on all sides. I don't mean stick your head in the well but stand back 6-8 feet so you can compare them against each other.
Check the oil and the driveway. Run the oil between your fingers. Should feel clean, ie not gritty and not smell burnt - of course on a bad car they may change the oil just before they sell it. There should be no signs of drips under the car where it is normally parked. Hint, shady curbsiders will not meet you at their house.
Check the air bag covers on the steering wheel and passenger side. They should be fitting well and match exactly. Any tint changes in the plastic, misfitting panels etc and the bags have been fired and replaced.
Start the car. Go outside with the hood open and listen. There should be no squealing or whining. Step on the gas a few times and test it out. It helps to have someone with you to check the tail exhaust at the same time to make sure it is not burning oil at this time.
Ok drive the car. Go to a empty parking lot. Travel in a full circle one way and then the other at the full limit of the steering. There should be again no clunking or binding.
Speed up, hit the brakes hard enough to engage the antilocks and make sure they are functioning properly. Snow or wet days are great. Car should stop in a straight line and not pull to any side. Brake pedal should remain firm and not sink to the floor. Brake moderately 3 times in quick succession. The brakes should remain firm and not become excessively hard or sink to the floor or become spongy. They should firm up somewhat from successive braking but not so hard that it becomes difficult to apply the brakes.
Take it out on the highway and make sure the car feels stable, the engine sounds fine, listen for any bad wind noise and that there are no strange vibrations or shaking. Note: if you are buying a Smart car, all these things are normal.
Turn on the heat and the A/C and check that it is heating/cooling properly.
Ask to see all the repair and maintenance records. Make sure they kept records showing regular maintenance and oil changes.
98% of the people buying a car don't do any of these things. They are stupid. Cars are a lot of money and can be a massive headache if you get a bad one.
If everything is ok then insist on taking the car to a mechanic.
Note: you save the GST if you buy from a person instead of a lot.
or TKU - true kilometes unknown. This is a bad thing.
I really appreciate the info Caddy, Tyson et al...I'd have been hopelessly lost.
this is true... pretty much all cars on the lot get an 'odometer service'
I would stay away from the Vue. I used to sell them. If you want to spend time in the service department though.....