Used car buying advice

panerd · 04-25-2017, 07:08 PM

So the wife and I have generally had enough disposable income that we never felt like dealing with potential "lemons" and always drove new cars. As we get older and wiser we now know that is probably not the best financial decision we could have made. So now this time around we are looking at used cars. Will likely use a dealer as they will accept a trade and for some reason just seem more trustworthy. Is there really anything particular to look for when buying a 3-4 year old car with like 30-40K miles on it? My big worry is it was some leadfoot teenagers car or something before us.

panerd · 04-25-2017, 07:11 PM

I guess here is the first question that comes to mind. The website carguru seems to do a really good job with the data and with telling which cars are marked under market value. The flip side is some of the really good dealshave been sitting a while. I worry I am missing why they are sitting so long at a great price and great interior and exterior.

CrescentMoonie · 04-25-2017, 07:27 PM

I'm going to suggest buying from Hertz. My last car, which I only ended up needing for 6 months, was a 2014 Nissan Versa SV that I got from them for $9k with under 28k miles. Sold it 6 months later, when I decided to leave Honolulu, for nearly $8k.

panerd · 04-25-2017, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

I'm going to suggest buying from Hertz. My last car, which I only ended up needing for 6 months, was a 2014 Nissan Versa SV that I got from them for $9k with under 28k miles. Sold it 6 months later, when I decided to leave Honolulu, for nearly $8k.

We have considered fleet cars as they are substantially cheaper. But I don't even consider myself an asshole and I drive them rougher than my own. Didn't know how much damage 100's of drivers could do even if only driving 10-15000 miles.

rowech · 04-25-2017, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

I'm going to suggest buying from Hertz. My last car, which I only ended up needing for 6 months, was a 2014 Nissan Versa SV that I got from them for $9k with under 28k miles. Sold it 6 months later, when I decided to leave Honolulu, for nearly $8k.

Be very careful doing this -- many rental places do not do maintenance like oil changes, etc.

panerd · 04-25-2017, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowech

Be very careful doing this -- many rental places do not do maintenance like oil changes, etc.

The major ones would though wouldn't they? I guess the majority of two and three year old cars are going to be ones people leased right? So it is kind of the same worry right? They could be a great owner or eyeing the two year mark six months out.

dawgfan · 04-25-2017, 08:05 PM

When you say buying from a dealer, are you talking about dealers for that make of car? I'm not sure I'd trust a Honda dealer selling me a Ford (just as a random example). They have no skin in whatever experience you get with another make that they got on a trade-in, whereas if it's their make, they have a lot more incentive for you to have a good experience with it so you'll hopefully come back down the road and consider a new car from them.

If it's a dealer selling a used version of their own make, you might consider going for one that is "factory-certified" if that means the car comes with some additional warranty. Obviously you'd want to check the pricing difference by doing that and see whether you think the extra cost is worth whatever extended protection you're buying.

If it's a certified deal and it comes with warranty coverage, you can consider foregoing getting an independent mechanic to look at it since any major issues should be covered by that warranty. But otherwise I'd insist on getting a mechanic you trust to look at it.

It's also a helpful exercise to sit down and map out the amount you spend on a new car in terms of payments vs. what you'll spend on a used one and how much that difference buys you in terms of repairs and maintenance.

I'd read as much as you can from KBB and any other review sites you trust to try to get a feel for reliability of the model(s) you're looking at.

pbot · 04-25-2017, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawgfan

If it's a dealer selling a used version of their own make, you might consider going for one that is "factory-certified" if that means the car comes with some additional warranty. Obviously you'd want to check the pricing difference by doing that and see whether you think the extra cost is worth whatever extended protection you're buying.

My wife and I have made our last three vehicle purchases factory certified vehicles. Not likely to buy a brand new car ever again.

CrescentMoonie · 04-25-2017, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panerd

We have considered fleet cars as they are substantially cheaper. But I don't even consider myself an asshole and I drive them rougher than my own. Didn't know how much damage 100's of drivers could do even if only driving 10-15000 miles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowech

Be very careful doing this -- many rental places do not do maintenance like oil changes, etc.

They do a full check with factory warranty. I walked out with full coverage on the car for 2 years, and the option to buy for 5 more, for no extra cost. Had a problem with the AC on mine and it was fixed for free in less than an hour at their suggested Nissan dealer.

stevew · 04-25-2017, 08:45 PM

Got one from Carmax last time. Pretty good chance you can get exactly what you want, even if it has to be shipped. Something to look at, anyways

JPhillips · 04-25-2017, 09:51 PM

My last purchase was a lease return VW. We bought a few months after the diesel story broke, so even on a gas engine we got a good deal. You can find a lot of good cars at decent prices if you research and are willing to wait for what you want.

Vince, Pt. II · 04-26-2017, 09:23 AM

My dad has been in the business for 35 years, and is currently the general manager of used car sales for a local Honda dealership. He has worked for almost every automaker at this point.

The best (and honestly, only) bet is to bring it to a mechanic you trust before making a purchase decision. There is very little (read: pretty much none) 'skin in the game' with regard to the make of car and dealership you got the car from when it comes to buying used off a dealer. They care about the bottom line and that is literally all. A Honda dealer is much more likely to KNOW what is actually going on mechanically with a used Honda on their lot...But they are equally likely to CARE about it as they are a Toyota, Hyundai, or Jeep. They fulfill the absolute minimum for what is necessary safety/inspection wise, and that is all. The used car game is about turning a profit - how cheaply can we acquire the car, and how much can we get for it.

The thing is, though, that most dealerships aren't going to gouge you just go gouge you - as long as you do your homework, it's fairly easy to find out whether or not you are getting a good price, and there are a TON of tools that the consumer has now to check on that sort of thing. That being said they will be MORE than happy to take the shirt off your back if you are naive.

Almost every dealership will go out of their way to avoid acquiring cars with mechanical defects. As much as they don't care about anything beyond that minimum requirement, they DO understand reputation, and will go way out of their way to avoid a headache. Most dealerships have arrangements with salvage yards, and if they are taking in a terrible car on trade, they send it directly there rather than put it on the lot.

Personally, having seen the business inside and out (and having bought a new car in the past), I spend about $2,000 max on a car these days - though it really helps to have a dealer on my side as I basically pay at cost. A good 80-120k mile Honda or Toyota with no major mechanical defects will get me 7 years and all the way to 200,000 miles without question, and that kind of value makes it extraordinarily difficult to justify the cost difference otherwise.

panerd · 04-26-2017, 09:41 AM

Lot of good advice. Thanks guys! Several of you have mentioned the mechanic and I actually have a real honest mechanic that I have developed a decent relationship with the past 10 years or so. How exactly does that work? They let me take an overnight test drive to have to looked at by a mechanic? If it has been "reamed" on or not taken care of but only has 20,000 miles or so would my mechanic even be able to tell?

Vince, Pt. II · 04-26-2017, 10:29 AM

Depends upon the dealer, but typically they will let you just drive the car to your mechanic.

04-25-2017, 07:11 PM	#2
panerd Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: St. Louis	I guess here is the first question that comes to mind. The website carguru seems to do a really good job with the data and with telling which cars are marked under market value. The flip side is some of the really good dealshave been sitting a while. I worry I am missing why they are sitting so long at a great price and great interior and exterior. Last edited by panerd : 04-25-2017 at 07:12 PM.

04-25-2017, 09:51 PM	#11
JPhillips Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Newburgh, NY	My last purchase was a lease return VW. We bought a few months after the diesel story broke, so even on a gas engine we got a good deal. You can find a lot of good cars at decent prices if you research and are willing to wait for what you want. __________________ To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers

04-26-2017, 09:23 AM	#12
Vince, Pt. II Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Somewhere More Familiar	My dad has been in the business for 35 years, and is currently the general manager of used car sales for a local Honda dealership. He has worked for almost every automaker at this point. The best (and honestly, only) bet is to bring it to a mechanic you trust before making a purchase decision. There is very little (read: pretty much none) 'skin in the game' with regard to the make of car and dealership you got the car from when it comes to buying used off a dealer. They care about the bottom line and that is literally all. A Honda dealer is much more likely to KNOW what is actually going on mechanically with a used Honda on their lot...But they are equally likely to CARE about it as they are a Toyota, Hyundai, or Jeep. They fulfill the absolute minimum for what is necessary safety/inspection wise, and that is all. The used car game is about turning a profit - how cheaply can we acquire the car, and how much can we get for it. The thing is, though, that most dealerships aren't going to gouge you just go gouge you - as long as you do your homework, it's fairly easy to find out whether or not you are getting a good price, and there are a TON of tools that the consumer has now to check on that sort of thing. That being said they will be MORE than happy to take the shirt off your back if you are naive. Almost every dealership will go out of their way to avoid acquiring cars with mechanical defects. As much as they don't care about anything beyond that minimum requirement, they DO understand reputation, and will go way out of their way to avoid a headache. Most dealerships have arrangements with salvage yards, and if they are taking in a terrible car on trade, they send it directly there rather than put it on the lot. Personally, having seen the business inside and out (and having bought a new car in the past), I spend about $2,000 max on a car these days - though it really helps to have a dealer on my side as I basically pay at cost. A good 80-120k mile Honda or Toyota with no major mechanical defects will get me 7 years and all the way to 200,000 miles without question, and that kind of value makes it extraordinarily difficult to justify the cost difference otherwise. Last edited by Vince, Pt. II : 04-26-2017 at 09:27 AM.

04-25-2017, 07:27 PM	#3
CrescentMoonie College Starter Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Earth, the semi-final frontier.	I'm going to suggest buying from Hertz. My last car, which I only ended up needing for 6 months, was a 2014 Nissan Versa SV that I got from them for $9k with under 28k miles. Sold it 6 months later, when I decided to leave Honolulu, for nearly $8k.

04-25-2017, 08:05 PM	#7
dawgfan Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Seattle	When you say buying from a dealer, are you talking about dealers for that make of car? I'm not sure I'd trust a Honda dealer selling me a Ford (just as a random example). They have no skin in whatever experience you get with another make that they got on a trade-in, whereas if it's their make, they have a lot more incentive for you to have a good experience with it so you'll hopefully come back down the road and consider a new car from them. If it's a dealer selling a used version of their own make, you might consider going for one that is "factory-certified" if that means the car comes with some additional warranty. Obviously you'd want to check the pricing difference by doing that and see whether you think the extra cost is worth whatever extended protection you're buying. If it's a certified deal and it comes with warranty coverage, you can consider foregoing getting an independent mechanic to look at it since any major issues should be covered by that warranty. But otherwise I'd insist on getting a mechanic you trust to look at it. It's also a helpful exercise to sit down and map out the amount you spend on a new car in terms of payments vs. what you'll spend on a used one and how much that difference buys you in terms of repairs and maintenance. I'd read as much as you can from KBB and any other review sites you trust to try to get a feel for reliability of the model(s) you're looking at.

04-25-2017, 08:45 PM	#10
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	Got one from Carmax last time. Pretty good chance you can get exactly what you want, even if it has to be shipped. Something to look at, anyways

04-26-2017, 09:41 AM	#13
panerd Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: St. Louis	Lot of good advice. Thanks guys! Several of you have mentioned the mechanic and I actually have a real honest mechanic that I have developed a decent relationship with the past 10 years or so. How exactly does that work? They let me take an overnight test drive to have to looked at by a mechanic? If it has been "reamed" on or not taken care of but only has 20,000 miles or so would my mechanic even be able to tell?

04-26-2017, 10:29 AM	#14
Vince, Pt. II Pro Starter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Somewhere More Familiar	Depends upon the dealer, but typically they will let you just drive the car to your mechanic.

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