Help: Looking to buy a car

[sterlingice]

For those of you just joining us, the beef of the story can be found in this thread, particularly this post. Basically, the Cliff's Notes version is I got in an accident Monday (on the way to a job interveiw no less) and my car has been declared a loss by State Farm as {GrandAm.costToFix(3 wheels, 3 rims, major suspension) > GrandAm.bookValue(1998, 80K miles, good condition)} or something like that. So, I get to go looking for a replacement car.

Not only am I looking for a car, but I've never done this before so I'm looking for *how* to buy a car, particularly the research part. I've started in on cars.com and edmunds as these were suggested in previous car threads. Also, as this is a decent consideration at this point, fueleconomy.gov.

I'm not looking at all at a new car but if you want to try and change my mind, I'm open to it. It's just that they are pretty much out of my price range- I'm looking in the low 10's and certified pre-owned seems the way to go with that.

As for specific wants, if anyone has some suggestions that fit many or all of these qualifications, I'd greatly appreciate it. Right off the top, I don't want a Van, Minivan, SUV, truck, station wagon, or those ugmo inbetween vehicles like the Element or whatever. I'm looking at some sort of sedan. As an aside, the Texan in me wants a truck at some point, but I want it to be a nice one and I don't have the funds for that. Plus, it's not really that practical right now.

I'm 6'2" 195- so I need something for a bit taller guy. So that means the Volkswagen Golf is out but I also am not looking at a Lincoln Towncar or anything. I fit just fine in my Grand Am or my wife's PT Cruiser or her sister's Civic. I'm looking at long commutes so fuel efficiency is a big deal, too. Those are pretty much qualities 1 and 1A and I know they are somewhat opposing forces but not entirely.

As with anyone buying a car, I'm also looking for both reliability and resale value but the former more than the latter. I want something that won't die if I have to drive it 100 miles every day. The Grand Am may have done me a little of a favor in that I'm getting a lot more than I would in trade and I was a little worried about that car heading for serious transmission or engine damage as it was getting to that mileage range. Also, in light of recent events, having good handling and good breaks is a plus. For little quirky items, I don't really care that much about the stereo but I really want some quick heating/cooling heat/AC, if possible.

So, in short: help with how to look for car, some that fit my qualifications, or both. Thanks in advance for any advice.

SI

[RPI-Fan]

Given your reliability concerns, I'd say just get a cookie-cutter Japanese car (Corolla, Civic, even a Mazda). Probably would have to be at least 50k miles to get into the low 10's with any kind of features, but that's still not a big deal for foreign cars like that.

[JeeberD]

Three years ago I got a '97 Corolla with just over 50K on it for just over eight grand. It was listed around 10.5k, but managed to talk them down (with the help of my bro-in-law). The car has done great and has had no major issues so far (knock on wood) as it creeps towards 100k miles. I'm expecting it to last me another four or five years at least...Toyotas run forever.

[Raven]

Nissan Maxima.

Not sure what you could get for 10 grand, but anything '95 or later are very nice.

[Buzzbee]

SI -

Here is a link to a website that has a LOT of good consumer information. You can find tips, tricks and hints on all sorts of useful stuff.

http://clarkhoward.com

Clark Howard has a national radio show and offers consumer advice on just about anything you can think of. Here in the A-T-L it isn't uncommon to hear someone say "Well, Clark says...."

There are links under Clark Smarts for Cars and also for Insurance. They have some very useful information, and links to edmunds and kbb. Also, he mentions flood damaged cars from Katrina. I doubt they would have made their way to your neck of the woods, but you never know.

Good luck!!

[streetballer22]

If you wanted to think about a new car, I leased a brand new 2005 Suzuki Forenza for $160 a month for four years. I put just $1000 down and still managed to have to very affordable monthly payment. The car rides very smoothly and you can get ABS as an option. Power windows, locks, heated mirrors, radio-control on steering wheel and more are standard.

[primelord]

My new GTO is fun. You should get one.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by streetballer22

If you wanted to think about a new car, I leased a brand new 2005 Suzuki Forenza for $160 a month for four years. I put just $1000 grand down and still managed to have to very affordable monthly payment. The car rides very smoothly and you can get ABS as an option. Power windows, locks, heated mirrors, radio-control on steering wheel and more are standard.

You put a million dollars down?

[st.cronin]

The way to buy a car is, decide what type of car you want and how much mileage you are willing to take on, and then shop value. Almost all make/models are equally as reliable - the differences are trivial.

Although, when buying a used car, always always always have a 3rd party mechanic inspect it.

[sterlingice]

Does anyone have any comparisons of other cars they were looking at? I know we get attached to our cars, particularly if they do well for us. However, just saying "buy this car because I did" doesn't really carry much weight when we're talking about this kind of money. What are the pluses and the minuses? What were some other cars you were looking to buy and why didn't you go with it? That kind of stuff.

SI

[digamma]

Check www.carbuyingtips.com

The guy is a pompous arse, but his site is very helpful.

[streetballer22]

Originally Posted by stevew

You put a million dollars down?

Not quite...fixed

[flere-imsaho]

They're boring, but time and time again when you're talking reliability & resale value you're talking Camry/Accord or Corolla/Civic. Nothing else comes close.

If you're also looking at mileage issues, make sure to stick to 4cyl versions of the Camry or Accord, as the 6 cylinders only get low 20s.

Oh, and there's like 2 billion for sale & carmax.

[Vince]

I can't emphasize enough how great the Camry/Accord, Corolla/Civic is. I've had each (an Accord and a Corolla), and put 180,000 miles on the Corolla and currently have over 140,000 on my Accord. Neither has given me ANY major problems. They run fantastically, and last I heard, the Corolla that I sold is still running fine with 220,000 miles on it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Ditto Vince's comments on the Corolla. My old one, last I knew, is still running & would have to be at least to 250k miles or more by now.

[the_meanstrosity]

I'll second, third, whatever the Honda Civic. I've owned the older Nissan Sentra ('96) and I wasn't too keen on it with regards to the reliability and comfort factor (just not a very comfortable ride). I have a few friends who have owned the Ford Focus and although they started out well, they have since had numerous issues so the reliability on a pre-owned car is probably low. I've owned a couple of Civics ('98 and '99) and they've been very reliable.

If you're looking under $10,000 you should be able to find a 2000-2002 maybe in the Civic line. Solid gas mileage and pretty reliable IMHO.

[cougarfreak]

I'm looking far in advance (probably buying next summer). I think I'm going to go through the renter Enterprise. They sell their cars once there are 30-50k miles on them for very reasonable prices.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

I'm looking far in advance (probably buying next summer). I think I'm going to go through the renter Enterprise. They sell their cars once there are 30-50k miles on them for very reasonable prices.

I'd think twice and do a lot of research before buying a rental car. In general, people treat rentals like hell--so there's usually a reason for the price break.