Need to purchase a car (Update: Car Purchased!)

[Zero Satori]

additionally, these days a lot of people like to convert these particular Mercedes into bio fuel vehicles & the conversion costs about $2,000.

I think that even mentioning this is just asking for trouble...

 

[Dolphin]

If you can at all avoid buying one, do so. They're nothing but a headache. I'd like to see mine spontaneously combust about now.

 

[lordnikon]

I just got back from buying the car. Thanks everyone for your advice.

I purchased a 1996 Toyota Corolla with 97,000 miles on it. The car was purchased from a dealer rather than from a wholesaler so its less likely to have problems. It gets 35 miles per gallon highway, which is mostly what I will be using it for. When everything was all said and done, meaning tax, state fees etc etc, the final total was $5152.00.

I feel I came out with exactly what I was looking to buy. Which was a reliable automobile with good gas mileage.

 

[channelmaniac]

Congrats!

I dunno why some people have a thing against Mazda.... My wife's Mazda 3 and all of the Miata's I've had over the years have been bulletproof and took everything I could dish out.

Be happy you didn't buy a Civic or Neon. Both are cars that are thrashed by young drivers so you'd have higher insurance rates with them.

RJ

 

[lithy]

Get a Toyota Corolla S.

Buy privately and just get the car checked out by a reputable mechanic first.

What do I win?

 

[Neo Alec]

Good choice. I was going to mention my 04 Corolla has been a good purchase.

 

[Xian Xi]

I just got back from buying the car. Thanks everyone for your advice.

I purchased a 1996 Toyota Corolla with 97,000 miles on it. The car was purchased from a dealer rather than from a wholesaler so its less likely to have problems. It gets 35 miles per gallon highway, which is mostly what I will be using it for. When everything was all said and done, meaning tax, state fees etc etc, the final total was $5152.00.

I feel I came out with exactly what I was looking to buy. Which was a reliable automobile with good gas mileage.

The car you purchase is on the cusp of the 100k mark which means you have a lot of maintenance ahead of you almost instantly.

At the 100k mark is when A LOT of cars start dying like mad.

Was all the following changed? (* is more common)

*Timing Belt
*Water Pump
*Distributor Cap & Rotor
Ignitor
*Spark Plugs
*Spark Plug Wires
CV Boots with joints regreased
Radiator Upper and Lower Hoses
Coolant Temp Sensor
*Radiator Flushed
*Brake Pads, Rotors and Drums
*Also at 100k you should check the valve clearance (should be performed every 50k)

If there was some warranty offered you might want to ask them to check those things.

The mileage is good as it's lower than what it should be, I just hope that it doesn't have hard miles on it meaning some young kid was trying to race it.

 

[lordnikon]

What do I win?

I have chocolate covered raisens. I can try and morph into the HULK and hurl one your way

The car you purchase is on the cusp of the 100k mark which means you have a lot of maintenance ahead of you almost instantly.

Actually I am sort of protected with regards to this. I went to a dealer. Dealers don't sell cars that are going to fall apart right off the lot. It is bad for business. They try to only sell cars that are going to be pretty stable. They have their mechanics check out the cars to determine if that are junky or not, and then they send those off to wholesalers. This is why I went with a dealer. Also, a friend of the family had purchased over 6 used automobiles from this specific dealer over many years for herself and her kids. All of the cars were in good condition and ended up being very reliable.

We checked out the engine, and it had a new battery, new distributor cap, lots of new wiring. So the car was well maintained.

The mileage is good as it's lower than what it should be, I just hope that it doesn't have hard miles on it meaning some young kid was trying to race it.

The car only had 1 previous owner, and it was an older lady. The carfax report showed it had regular oil changes done as well.

 

[Xian Xi]

Actually I am sort of protected with regards to this. I went to a dealer. Dealers don't sell cars that are going to fall apart right off the lot. It is bad for business.

Uh no. Dealers are the worst at it. Like I said I've owned 3 but I have repaired a lot of cars. Did they offer a warranty for at least 90 days or none whatsoever? Once you sign the papers they don't give a shit about your "feelings".

 

[NeoSneth]

AS i said with asian, you will overpay.

97k miles people...
Those could all be highway, and you would still have some nice wear on parts.


It should last ya tho. Grats.

 

[galfordo]

This wasn't surface rust, there were areas on the frame where I could push a finger through and crumble it away like doritos.

if it was a cool ranch tacoma then it's not all bad

 

[lithy]

Am I the only one here that thinks 97k is a low mileage car?

This isn't the 60s anymore, cars will last easily until 200k if not more without any major problems.

 

[not sonic]

Am I the only one here that thinks 97k is a low mileage car?

This isn't the 60s anymore, cars will last easily until 200k if not more without any major problems.

i have yet to own (drive?) a car with under 100k on it.

that said, i wouldnt have spent 5k on a 96 corolla.

 

[Neo Alec]

Most cars manufactured today are made to last for 100K. Any decent use beyond that is a combination of good care and luck.

 

[OrochiEddie]

50 miles out of chicago is hardly cornfields.
I'd say get a diesel

 

[lordnikon]

I went to a variety of dealers. I checked out a ton of cars online as well. Most cars were in the ranges of 130 to 150+ thousand miles. They were all priced within the 5,550 to 6,000 range. The other car I was looking at was a Camry, that had a lot of engine work done on it, a 2002 model, that had 186,000 miles on it. That car cost $6,000. Plus it only drove 25mpg highway, where as the one I bought drives 35mpg highway. This is a huge difference.

The more money I would have spent, the newer the model, but also the higher the mileage. This car stood out to me and had the best mileage to price ratio on the lot. Sure it is a 1996, but based on the history with the previous owner, and that I bought from a dealer, it should be solid.

Also, its obviously possible to drive off of a dealer lot with a busted car. However, odds are in general you are going to get a decent car. Like I said they get rid of shitty automobiles, and ship them to wholesalers instead. Places like "Joe Schmoes Motor World" and stuff like that.

I live locally near the dealer. Tossing in a mention or two that I live in the area and know a lot of people in the community helps. They don't want to sell a crappy car to someone that is going to tell 15 other people around the area that they are a shitty business.

I should also point out I needed the car for tomorrow. So, I really needed to get this car under a limited time table. I didn't have time to shop and shop and shop until the perfect deal fell into my lap. Plus, I don't really think spending another 2,000 dollars on a newer model car with more gas mileage would have been any different than what I purchased. Having an extra 2G's in my pocket really eases the financial crunch for me over the next few months.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

I went to a variety of dealers. I checked out a ton of cars online as well. Most cars were in the ranges of 130 to 150+ thousand miles. They were all priced within the 5,550 to 6,000 range. The other car I was looking at was a Camry, that had a lot of engine work done on it, a 2002 model, that had 186,000 miles on it. That car cost $6,000. Plus it only drove 25mpg highway, where as the one I bought drives 35mpg highway. This is a huge difference.

The more money I would have spent, the newer the model, but also the higher the mileage. This car stood out to me and had the best mileage to price ratio on the lot. Sure it is a 1996, but based on the history with the previous owner, and that I bought from a dealer, it should be solid.

Also, its obviously possible to drive off of a dealer lot with a busted car. However, odds are in general you are going to get a decent car. Like I said they get rid of shitty automobiles, and ship them to wholesalers instead. Places like "Joe Schmoes Motor World" and stuff like that.

I live locally near the dealer. Tossing in a mention or two that I live in the area and know a lot of people in the community helps. They don't want to sell a crappy car to someone that is going to tell 15 other people around the area that they are a shitty business.

I should also point out I needed the car for tomorrow. So, I really needed to get this car under a limited time table. I didn't have time to shop and shop and shop until the perfect deal fell into my lap. Plus, I don't really think spending another 2,000 dollars on a newer model car with more gas mileage would have been any different than what I purchased. Having an extra 2G's in my pocket really eases the financial crunch for me over the next few months.

Xian Xi makes a good point, but I don't think you could have done much better than that for the price. Good used cars are pretty hard to come by these days.

I've owned 6 or 7 used cars myself (most of them worthless beaters that cost $500, mind), and I don't think you got fleeced or anything.

Keep an eye on it though. If you take care of it, it ought to last for a while yet I'd imagine.

And for my two cents... I think you're better off buying privately and having a mechanic check it rather than buying a used car from a dealer. I only bought a car from a dealer once (when I was 17, I bought a '89 Mazda 323 and foolishly paid like $4000 for it), and I regretted it. At least it lasted 3 years... But still.

 

[ki_atsushi]

Uh no. Dealers are the worst at it. Like I said I've owned 3 but I have repaired a lot of cars. Did they offer a warranty for at least 90 days or none whatsoever? Once you sign the papers they don't give a shit about your "feelings".

Agreed. My last used car had a bad water pump and rotten gaskets from the start. I fI hadn't bought an extended warranty I would have had to pay about $1000 to fix all that garbage. My warranty had a $100 deductible, but I made the dealership pay that too.

Fuck buying used if you can help it.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

Agreed. My last used car had a bad water pump and rotten gaskets from the start. I fI hadn't bought an extended warranty I would have had to pay about $1000 to fix all that garbage. My warranty had a $100 deductible, but I made the dealership pay that too.

Fuck buying used if you can help it.

I look at it like this: if the cost of repairing a used car over the years that you're going to have it is going to exceed the cost of a new car, obviously it's a bad bet. Hell, if it's even gonna be close, buy new if you can.

But if buying used isn't gonna cost you all that much in repairs, why not go for it? That way, you can buy a nicer car that's a little older. Personally, if I had the cash, I'd buy a 10 or 15 year old BMW that was in good shape and baby it. Those mid-nineties M3s... damn.

My mom sold off her turbo diesel Golf a while back because she was gonna retire, and that kind of car isn't meant for short trips. She bought a new Corolla to replace it. Here's the thing: I think she paid damn near 10Gs for the Corolla, after the trade in value.

It's a worse car than the Golf, by any measure. And how much would it cost to repair the turbo when it eventually got fucked up? A couple thousand, max.

So basically my mom paid more money for a worse car in my book. Buying new isn't always the way to go.

 

[norton9478]

97k isn't bad... If it is the right make and model... And the right car...

That being said.... I don't think I'd pay Five grand for a used Toyota sedan with that many miles on it.... I think Used Foyotas are overpriced.... Never mind that I just bought a 06 Toyota Tacoma....

I think that If you have 5 G's sitting in your wallet, you are best off sitting on craigslist, waiting for somebody to come along and sell something just to get rid of it.... Of course you could be waiting for a while. But in this economy 5 grand gets you pretty far.

My girlfriend's last two cars were fucking nice deals.... In both instances, it was by first owners who just bought new cars and didn't want to do the whole "Trade In Thing"... Both very well to do people who didn't want to turn their love over to the dealer so easily. Both cars were even still registered and plated... Take it for a spin! First person to show up with Cash, wins....

 

[ki_atsushi]

I look at it like this: if the cost of repairing a used car over the years that you're going to have it is going to exceed the cost of a new car, obviously it's a bad bet. Hell, if it's even gonna be close, buy new if you can.

But if buying used isn't gonna cost you all that much in repairs, why not go for it? That way, you can buy a nicer car that's a little older. Personally, if I had the cash, I'd buy a 10 or 15 year old BMW that was in good shape and baby it. Those mid-nineties M3s... damn.

My mom sold off her turbo diesel Golf a while back because she was gonna retire, and that kind of car isn't meant for short trips. She bought a new Corolla to replace it. Here's the thing: I think she paid damn near 10Gs for the Corolla, after the trade in value.

It's a worse car than the Golf, by any measure. And how much would it cost to repair the turbo when it eventually got fucked up? A couple thousand, max.

So basically my mom paid more money for a worse car in my book. Buying new isn't always the way to go.

New = Warranty

So even if you get shitty luck with the new car a little down the line, you have 5 years/50,000 miles or thereabouts and your repairs are covered. The powertrain warranty is even longer than that usually. A lot of people trade cars in before the warranty is even up.

Good luck with used... it could already be a piece of shit when you buy it and then you're screwed. You could buy a warranty for used cars too, but it's usually for no more than a year.

 

[norton9478]

New = Warranty

So even if you get shitty luck with the new car a little down the line, you have 5 years/50,000 miles or thereabouts and your repairs are covered. The powertrain warranty is even longer than that usually. A lot of people trade cars in before the warranty is even up.

Good luck with used... it could already be a piece of shit when you buy it and then you're screwed. You could buy a warranty for used cars too, but it's usually for no more than a year.

What about used certified? They usually come with warranties... That are as good as factory warranties... And the cars devalue a little slower.. Of course, you can't get one on a 5g car.

 

[K_K]

i hate these threads. i always hate the opinions on cars from everyone else on this site save for a few people. but everyone else is a fucking moron when it comes to cars.

 

[lithy]

i hate these threads. i always hate the opinions on cars from everyone else on this site save for a few people. but everyone else is a fucking moron when it comes to cars.

Nice av.

 

[ki_atsushi]

What about used certified? They usually come with warranties... That are as good as factory warranties... And the cars devalue a little slower.. Of course, you can't get one on a 5g car.

Yeah, I'd probably go for used certified. A warranty is important to me.