Buying a used car next week!

Well im buying a used car next week and my budget is 8,500!

Can anyone give me tips and advice for shopping for Used Cars on sites like Autotrader?

Personal experiences maybe if youve used Autotrader before??

Should i get a mechanic to look at the car if its at a Used car Dealership?

Is Autotrader 100% reliable?

 

No used car lot/site is 100% reliable. Everyone, no matter who they are, has something to hide concerning their used car. Whether it's something as small as a broken stereo, or as bad as a rebuilt title. People will hide the smallest things in order to stop you from haggling down their prices. When you're looking at the car you want to buy, YOU CAN NEVER SPEND ENOUGH TIME looking for flaws. Never. If the salesman gets impatient, obviously there's something he doesn't want you to find. Never take generalized wear-and-tear assessments at face value, always give it a look-over yourself.

Check air conditioner and heater. If they're broken, it's often signs of impending mechanical failure.

Make sure the miles they advertise are "original miles". Sometimes people will drop newer engines in an old car, which resets the mileage, but that doesn't mean the transmission or anything else in the car is in the same condition as the engine.

Check all latches, hinges etc. It's a small worry, but trust me. You'll absolutely lose your shit a few months into car ownership if it turns out the cupholder is broken, or the glovebox doesn't open etc. My last car had a broken cup holder, and I didn't learn so until I pulled out the holder, put my drink in it, and watched the entire thing fall out of the center console under it's own weight and spill everywhere.

Check the radio/cd player to make sure it works right. That shit can cost a lot to replace or repair.

Check tire tread.

Check for cigarette burns. The car might smell nice now, but if it was owned by a smoker, the deodorizers they soaked the car in will wear off eventually and you'll be stuck with a nasty ass smelling car.

Most importantly, check for loose or broken body parts. I didn't do this when I bought my last car, and I realized later that it must have been in some sort of unreported collision because the entire drivers side was subtly fucked up. The mirror didn't move because it was glued in place; the front bumper was hanging ever so slightly, and gradually got worse as I rode it; the front quarter panel and the grill was off center, obviously having been removed or replaced at one point.

 

Buy a mini-van, pull all the bitches.

 

Thank you so much, very detailed post!!
I definitely will inspect every little bit of the car, can i ask, when you bought your car was it from a dealership? Did you use a website to find it such as Autotrader? I dont want to use Craigslist cause that seems too sketchy when im dropping 8500 :/

 

I bought it from my sister's sort-of friend who owns a used car lot in my hometown. Also, refresh and reread my post, I added a bit I forgot about broken body parts


I would stick with professional car lots or high-rep websites when spending upwards of 8-9 grand. Craigslist is full of highballing offers in the 5-10,000 price range, it's too hard to find a vehicle that's actually WORTH what they're asking in that range, not to mention some people are just too sketchy to deal with from there.

 

• get a carfax, it'll tell you the last recorded miles to help you identify whether the odometer has been reset, as well it will tell you whether the car has been in any serious accidents, and what kind of title the car has. AVOID CARS THAT HAVE BEEN IN ACCIDENTS OR HAVE SALVAGE TITLES LIKE THE PLAGUE, they could have all sorts of shit wrong with them, and for salvage titles you'll have to get the car absolutely perfect then pay for an inspection
• bring either someone you know who is mechanically experienced with cars, or an actual mechanic with you when you go to look at a car you're interested in. ask them if you can get the car inspected, if they are hesitant about it then it's probably bad news.
• take the car for a test drive. listen for any odd sounds and make sure the transmission shifts gears fine, and has no troubles going into reverse.
• check the tread on the tires, a new set of tires will run ya a couple hundred dollars, so buying a vehicle with already good rubber is a good idea and will save ya money
• if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is

and in my experience craigslist is actually a good place to find vehicles, but you have to be patient and don't just buy the first vehicle you see that has a nice color paint job and an okay price, search everyday, keep a keen eye out for well taken car of vehicles for decent prices, when you find one go look at it and refer to what that ex global mod and i have said. keep in mind, people selling vehicles on craigslist are a lot more lenient on their price and almost always will be willing to haggle with you. most people will list their vehicle at around a grand or two higher than what they'll actually settle for. I bought my truck for $10000 off of craigslist, and the guy initially had it listed at $12500, which was still $4000 off dealer wholesale price.

good luck dude

 

I got mine from carmax, and was very satisfied. They have locations all around the US, so if you find one you like online, they will transport it to the location nearest you

 

what type of car are you looking to buy?

 

The car i really am interest is a Scion Tc, for some reason i just love those cars, really cool looking comes with a sunroof and hatchback as well!

 

If you're on Craigslist/Kijiji bring a friend who is completely opinionated to look at the car. A lot of times while buying a vehicle for yourself you can get caught in the moment and only look at the positives as opposed to looking to the negatives.

 

well im going with my dad and he has an opinion for everything, i remember i was looking at a hyundai elantra and he said infront of the seller "Are you trying to go for the Family man kind of car? Because this looks like a family car
i bet moms will love you when you take their daughters in this"

lol

 

Always also good to do your research if you're on Kijiji/Craigslist. Bring a mechanically inclined friend. Also look up things like "2004 Hyundai Accent Common Problems", recalls, etc. If you know the car is prone to head gasket problems you could check the coolant/oil check for white smoke, etc. If it is known for bad strut mounts you could specifically look at them to see what kind of condition they're in.

 

well im planning on getting a scion tc! thats the car im most interested in

 

^ make sure to get the 5 speed manual if you get a tc

 

just make sure it is dumped to the ground, has illegal tints, atleast 20 inch black rims, has a fat cannon, blacked out head/tail lights, and for good measures, engine swap it with a ZR1.


how much are you spending on the car out of your budget?

 

What do you mean, like out of my budget how much money will i have left over?

 

What are you saying dude?

 

rofl, how much out your 8,500 budget are you spending?

 

im spending 7,500 ! the car i want is 8,500 but im trying to negotiate it to my price!

 

just tell the guy alll i got is $7500 take it or leave it