Joined Nov 2015
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Forum Thread
Car buying advice
September 10, 2024 at
08:24 AM
I have a family car and we need another one just to go back and forth to work.
Nothing luxury. Totally fine with a used car. I'm having trouble finding a 'deal' for used--looked at fb marketplace and craigslist- any other ideas?
Ideally a small SUV or sedan.
Being told Toyota and Honda best way to go if I want used and want to have it for a long time, but I'm not convinced. I don't mind used but they are all priced pretty much the same 15k for 2016, 119k miles.. etc... I don't want that! I want a better price or better specs. Another friend told me to do the EV deal and lease for 3 years for about 7500 over the three years and no gas. Looking for any feedback for what is the most cost effective frugal fantasy car.
Again mostly local driving, needs to fit 3 kids in the back sometimes.
Nothing luxury. Totally fine with a used car. I'm having trouble finding a 'deal' for used--looked at fb marketplace and craigslist- any other ideas?
Ideally a small SUV or sedan.
Being told Toyota and Honda best way to go if I want used and want to have it for a long time, but I'm not convinced. I don't mind used but they are all priced pretty much the same 15k for 2016, 119k miles.. etc... I don't want that! I want a better price or better specs. Another friend told me to do the EV deal and lease for 3 years for about 7500 over the three years and no gas. Looking for any feedback for what is the most cost effective frugal fantasy car.
Again mostly local driving, needs to fit 3 kids in the back sometimes.
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Once you are serious about a purchase, take the car to a real mechanic and pay for an inspection of the condition before you buy it.
Don't buy salvage titles or cars someone is selling after a short ownership.
Autolist, CarGurus, Cars.com (lot of free carfaxes), Carfax, and AutoTempest = (check entire state for Craigslist)
1) Cars.com had the MOST Free CARFAXES.
I often found cars on one site and cross-referenced to Cars.com for the Free Carfax.
2) Autolist had some free carfaxes too (though not as many), and some good INFO
like how long the car has been on the market, etc.
3) CarGurus has some pretty GOOD proprietary software, but little to NO Carfaxes.
4) AutoTrader had a few cars that aren't on ANY of the other 4 sites.
5) Carfax.com is a good enough site to check used cars, and offers
some Free Carfaxes along w/ additional INFO.
If I recall correctly, their inventory is limited.
Just learned Edmunds discloses more options for used cars than anyone else. Unsure of their inventory.
They have an AutoCheck Summary for Every Vehicle. Possible to cross reference cars from other sites.
Bluetooth
Size of bed
USB inputs
Stability Control
Back-up camera
Towing Capacity
Aux Audio Inputs
Upgraded Stereo
Fold Flat Rear Seats
Corporate fleet vehicle
Tire Pressure Warning
Junk vehicle reported
Insurance loss reported
Frame damage reported.
Date it was listed.
I expect that prices will bottom out within another 6-12 months, with manufacturer incentives stacking with dealer discounts to reflect 30-40% off sticker prices. The longer you can wait, the better prices likely will be. We are 4+ years into this pricing bubble, and it can't last much longer.
Nothing luxury. Totally fine with a used car. I'm having trouble finding a 'deal' for used--looked at fb marketplace and craigslist- any other ideas?
Ideally a small SUV or sedan.
Being told Toyota and Honda best way to go if I want used and want to have it for a long time, but I'm not convinced. I don't mind used but they are all priced pretty much the same 15k for 2016, 119k miles.. etc... I don't want that! I want a better price or better specs. Another friend told me to do the EV deal and lease for 3 years for about 7500 over the three years and no gas. Looking for any feedback for what is the most cost effective frugal fantasy car.
Again mostly local driving, needs to fit 3 kids in the back sometimes.