Buying a car

[Bob Loblaw]

Share your experiences, tips, and things you've learned from buying cars throughout the years.
New vs used?
Buy vs lease?

[GS77]

I buy used. Pick a bunch of cars you like at various dealerships within a 50 mile radius and watch these cars. Wait until the price drops (end of month) and then pounce.

Look for cars coming off lease. They have low mileage and are in good condition. Check the car fax.

My current car (2009 VW Jetta) I purchased in 2012 for $11.8K. It was listed for $15K but didn’t move and I bought it in its second month on the dealership.

Car sales people make more money off used cars than new and that means they have more room to negotiate. Have fun.

[EdLawndale]

I used to have an old man who sold me cars hold my hand through the process each time. But he passed away so I am on my own now. This will be interesting.

[addie pray]

cop a used honda, end of thread

[TheLurper]

cop a used honda, end of thread

I love my used Honda. Not the best for sleeping in but so far a great little car.

Also, last time I bought a car, I paid a mechanic friend of my a few hundred to find a car for me. It gives him some cash and saves me a lot of hassles. It was worth every penny.

[pugmaster]

https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=106244.msg3848861#msg3848861

Here is a thread with some good tips as well.

[pool coping]

if your budget is under 10k hondas and toyotas from the early 2000s are usually a safe bet, especially if you can find em with low miles.

a clean interior is usually a sign of a well maintained car.

auto transmissions in used cars are a ticking time bomb and i only buy cars with standard transmissions. auto transmissions are such a scam that they will tell you if they have over 100k miles on em to not change the transmission fluid because it might make it worse.

if you are buying a car that won't start you should assume the worst, never believe it 'just needs a new battery'.

don't buy cars that won't start

[TastyBurrito]

Buy used.

And if you buy used, make sure it's at least three years old as most of the car's depreciation happens in the first three years.

If you go to a dealership, go at the end of the month on a Tuesday or Wednesday as those are slow days and most dealers are trying to fulfill their quota, so they're more likely willing to really negotiate pricing.

Know EXACTLY what you want to pay in the end. If they ask, say, "my total budget is $xx,000 out the door." If you said "my budget is $xx00 a month" they'll get you that monthly price, but on a longer loan time (72 months vs 48 months) which will mean you'll end up paying like $10k more in the end.

If you're going to finance your car, go to your bank FIRST and get pre-approved for an amount you're willing to pay, that way your credit score will take the smallest hit possible (hard inquires will always have an affect your score). Dealerships will say they'll get you the best deal then run your credit through a bunch of different lenders which will drop your score by 50-60 points, which will affect your credit approval anywhere else, therefore effectively locking you into their dealership and pricing. And then you can kiss any deal goodbye.

You're not on the hook for the car until you sign that contract. Even if they get you into the back office to negotiate, if you haven't signed anything, you can just walk out. Don't feel bad about wasting their time because in the end, it's YOUR money.

If you need something dependable, Toyota and Honda. American cars (other than those huge ass trucks) are trash. They're usually the top 8 of 10 of worst cars as they'll constantly need maintenance and the such.

[green]

Buy used, with cash if at all possible. Paying interest on a depreciating asset is a waste of money 100% of the time. No monthly car payment = better quality of life.

This might mean buying an older car. Find out what you like in your price range – dig deep, research on youtube and forums. Pick your top 3, then scour the internet for the cleanest examples in your area. Don't be afraid of facebook marketplace.

When you go test drive a car, ask to see the maintenance records. Anything worth buying will have a stack of service paperwork included. Check the fluids/brake pads/tire tread depth, and make sure they're evenly worn. If anything feels off during the test drive, if you hear weird noises, brakes feel mushy, any warning lights etc, skip it.

The ideal used car is one that was owned by a mechanic/service technician – hard to come by but they're out there. Probably a good idea to stick to Japanese brands. And if you don't plan to do any work yourself, find a good independent shop near you. Avoid anything overly complex like hybrids, electronic/air suspension, W8 engines, Audis

My gf and I lucked out on a 1997 Mercedes E280T 4matic owned by a retired service tech, and aside from regular wear items/maintenance it's been bulletproof for the two years we've owned it. $2000 can go a long way. Good luck

[easymoneysniper]

bought my car used with cash back in 2021 when the used car market was in shambles, not sure if it's gotten any better. saved some $$ using cash, though. the dealer said that they'd do the deal for less if we paid in cash cuz less paperwork or something, i'm not entirely sure.

the man was straight out of a cartoon, spoke very little and had a cig in his mouth the entire time. shorter than 5 feet tall but his presence was that of a 7 footer. he was great. didn't know what bluetooth was when i asked about the car's compatibility. an absolute beauty. no bullshit like most dealers.

[Willie]

A lot of the general advice people used to give doesn’t reflect the current market. The whole “car depreciates $2000 when you drive it off the lot” holds less water presently. Whether that will change remains to be seen.

Right now a 3 year old Honda Accord costs somewhere around $4000 less than MSRP on a brand new one. If you could buy new then sell in 3 years that’s like a $111 a month payment.

Shit, I bought a new Hybrid RAV4 in 2019 for $29k all in and my father bought a used 2019 RAV4 Hybrid in 2022 for $30k.

I used some website called Car Buying Strategies(?) to determine actual dealer costs and holdback, etc. If you have a handle on what the dealer is actually paying for their inventory then you can get a good idea on what is a realistic asking price - on a car with average demand maybe somewhere between $500-1000 over their full costs.

Speaking of demand, be willing to buy something with less demand. When I bought my last car, Nissans were routinely going for $5000 less than MSRP so I bought a Nissan.

[Plan9Customs]

cop a used honda, end of thread

He’s right. Cheap for parts, fairly easy to work on yourself, if slightly maintained they’ll go forever. Had an 87 accord I sold in 2008 that was still going strong with over 220k. Sold my 96 accord recently with over 100k and had about 50 emails within the first 20 minutes. Just make sure you check ball joints, and all the fluids. If they’re blown out or fluids are old it probably was just a gas and go person so look for another.

[L33Tg33k]

Go to the dealership. Tell them you don’t know what you want, you’re susceptible to high pressure sales techniques, you want all the bells and whistles you can get, and a limitless budget. They’ll drop everything to make sure you’re treated right. If there was ever anyone you could trust implicitly, it’s a car salesman. PM for more advice.

[Rusty Shackleford]

fwiw I love my 2005 forester. it came from an old lady in calabasas who hardly drove it and was meticulous with care. bought it cash in 2019 with 49k and shes been solid.
the market is different now, but deals are out there. craigslist got me to the dealership and it all worked out

[steezenking]

Screw reliability, buy something cool bro

[ungzilla]

fuck good point

[mrselfdestruct]

old buick thread over