Hello, I'm planning on buying my first car used. I don't know much about cars and I'm having a very hard time figuring out what type of car I should get other than the fact that it looks nice or it comes with this or that. In truth I'm a little overwhelmed. My budget is about 12,000 dollars and was looking at maybe something certified.
Hello, I'm planning on buying my first car used. I don't know much about cars and I'm having a very hard time figuring out what type of car I should get other than the fact that it looks nice or it comes with this or that. In truth I'm a little overwhelmed. My budget is about 12,000 dollars and was looking at maybe something certified.
Wow man, good luck to you. I would start off by checking out Edmunds [http://www.edmunds.com/cars/] for the inside scoop, car reviews, and advice. Edmunds is excellent. They even have an article about what it's like to work as a car salesman [http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/confessions-of-a-car-salesman-updated-for-2009.html]. It wasn't pretty.
You have to bring someone else along who understands not only math but car salesman math. I guarantee they will ask you what you can afford to pay each month. That's not what matters. What matters is THE TOTAL COST OF THE CAR.
That being said, there is one thing that I've noticed over the past few years that I swear, nobody agrees with. It's like a damn conspiracy! Okay, so look at smaller cars that are driving by. Take a good look at the gap in the wheel well between the top of the tire and the body of the car.
Now compare the gap in the front versus the gap in the rear tires. I've noticed over the years that the rear end of the car is lower in about half the cars I see. I really believe it's because the struts or springs are all going bad. A lot of small cars tend to get overpacked with people and stuff so you have to be careful when buying used. In my first car (used) I always thought the rear was low and when I drove some kids to an airport the damn back end would 'bottom out'. And these were skinny people lol. It was that bad. There's a lot of things to avoid when buying used, and suspension is just one of them. Thankfully, you can check for a bad suspension [http://www.ehow.com/list_6930694_signs-bad-shocks.html].
My first car's suspension was so bad I changed the tires at least every year. Oh yeah, a bad suspension will not only limit how much you can carry in your car, it can cost you money on a regular basis. Without the proper shock absorption my tires had to take up the slack. You have to watch out for that.
[/spoiler]
I will also say that Hyundai has really improved over the years. I leased a Honda, but the Hyundai Elantra (with sport package) is a phenomenal car. I recently drove my friend's new Elantra for periods in excess of 12 hours (West coast of Florida to Tallahassee is about 6.5 hours). Later I drove to Jacksonville and back, about 5.5 hours each way. I felt better after driving the Elantra for six hours than I do driving my own car for 30 minutes. Granted, I have a lower-end Civic LX, but what a difference the Hyundai made.
Hello, I'm planning on buying my first car used. I don't know much about cars and I'm having a very hard time figuring out what type of car I should get other than the fact that it looks nice or it comes with this or that. In truth I'm a little overwhelmed. My budget is about 12,000 dollars and was looking at maybe something certified.
Wow man, good luck to you. I would start off by checking out Edmunds [http://www.edmunds.com/cars/] for the inside scoop, car reviews, and advice. Edmunds is excellent. They even have an article about what it's like to work as a car salesman [http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/confessions-of-a-car-salesman-updated-for-2009.html]. It wasn't pretty.
You have to bring someone else along who understands not only math but car salesman math. I guarantee they will ask you what you can afford to pay each month. That's not what matters. What matters is THE TOTAL COST OF THE CAR.
That being said, there is one thing that I've noticed over the past few years that I swear, nobody agrees with. It's like a damn conspiracy! Okay, so look at smaller cars that are driving by. Take a good look at the gap in the wheel well between the top of the tire and the body of the car.
Now compare the gap in the front versus the gap in the rear tires. I've noticed over the years that the rear end of the car is lower in about half the cars I see. I really believe it's because the struts or springs are all going bad. A lot of small cars tend to get overpacked with people and stuff so you have to be careful when buying used. In my first car (used) I always thought the rear was low and when I drove some kids to an airport the damn back end would 'bottom out'. And these were skinny people lol. It was that bad. There's a lot of things to avoid when buying used, and suspension is just one of them. Thankfully, you can check for a bad suspension [http://www.ehow.com/list_6930694_signs-bad-shocks.html].
My first car's suspension was so bad I changed the tires at least every year. Oh yeah, a bad suspension will not only limit how much you can carry in your car, it can cost you money on a regular basis. Without the proper shock absorption my tires had to take up the slack. You have to watch out for that.
[/spoiler]
I will also say that Hyundai has really improved over the years. I leased a Honda, but the Hyundai Elantra (with sport package) is a phenomenal car. I recently drove my friend's new Elantra for periods in excess of 12 hours (West coast of Florida to Tallahassee is about 6.5 hours). Later I drove to Jacksonville and back, about 5.5 hours each way. I felt better after driving the Elantra for six hours than I do driving my own car for 30 minutes. Granted, I have a lower-end Civic LX, but what a difference the Hyundai made.[/quote]
Thank you very much for your recommendation! I will go back and look at the Hyundai's because I had bypassed them because of the previews poor reviews that they had. At the moment I;m looking into hiring a mechanic to come look at a car with me because my mother is ingraining in me that you can't trust the carfax like I previously way! Thank again so much for the reply.
I actually happen to own a Hyundai Elantra, it's a pretty good car. Mine is a 2011. Good gas mileage. My mom has a Sonata, I don't know how we ended up with two Hyundai's, it just happened...
Anyway, when you look used NEVER BUY ON THE FIRST DAY. Make sure you look until you can't look anymore, even if they offer you a deal that seems amazing, in retrospect it probably isn't. If you find something you like, go home, do research on it to make sure what you're getting actually is a good deal. Don't be afraid to walk out of the dealership.
there used to be a joke for hyundais:
why do hyuandais have heated back windows?
to keep your hands warm when pushing them
these days basically any new car besides a few of the newer cheap chinese and indian brands are perfectly fine. if you want the most reliable out there stick with nissan, toyota and to a lesser extend mazda
when buying a car don't get sucked into sales tactics. the sales guy is gonna push hard for you to buy right then and there so just walk away if you are not 100% happy with the deal
Basically the understanding is get something Japanese, which is a good choice either way. From personal experience, I'd go with Subaru, but DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO IT!!!! By modifying it in any way you strip away any mileage advantage found previously. Keep it stock and take good care of it and she'll be good to you.
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