Well.....ye Ole camery has died (RIP). Now im stuck a) riding the bus, b) getting a ~$1000 beater, c) taking my crappy credit to buy used from a dealer and get rapped by interest, or d) begging parents to co-sign for a private loan and then buying from a dealer. What do you suggest and why? If I wanted to buy a car for, lets say, $4k-8k where would be a good place to go?

12/18/2010 11:22:12 AM

I would try the Honda dealership in Cary. They tend to have cheaper used cars in the 4k-8k range. I used to work at a different dealership in the cary auto mall and most dealerships won't sell used cars that cheap. usually only vehicles that will go for 9k and up.
Otherwise you'll have to find a small individual used car lot. Hwy 70 going east (business) has quite a few.

12/18/2010 11:37:03 AM

thanks for the suggestion. Went to cary honda autopark and nothing for under 10,000 though

12/18/2010 11:42:08 AM

ah. that was a few years ago so maybe they've changed things.
my bad

12/18/2010 11:47:55 AM

Under $10K? Should be able to find plenty of reliable vehicles, but mileage will be high.

Honestly the internet is your best bet and then finding something that fits your budget. Most places will probably be able to work with you on a loan even if your credit sucks because the car value will be low. These dealers need the business especially at this time of year.

Just make sure you get an independent mechanic to check it out after buying especially for a car that will have some age on it. It will be better than just hoping that the used car place is reputable. I know that $200 or so for the inspection might seem like a lot, but it could be well worth the investment and peace of mind.






[Edited on December 18, 2010 at 11:55 AM. Reason : i]

12/18/2010 11:53:21 AM

talk to this cat. Tell him $5,000 or bust.

message_topic.aspx?topic=606146

12/18/2010 12:11:57 PM

the thing is i already have a specific model car picked out that I was planning on buying. If im going to get a loan and spend more then ~$1000 then thats what im getting. Otherwise im just getting the beater

12/18/2010 12:15:36 PM

get the beater. auto loans are stupid.

12/18/2010 12:32:48 PM

Can you drive a stick?

12/18/2010 12:41:35 PM

^^^ Just get the beater then if you are inflexible on what you want. At your price point, I do not know how you can be inflexible. Car loans do suck, but fuck transportation is essential and you do not want some unreliable piece of shit that you worry about each time you crank it up.




[Edited on December 18, 2010 at 1:33 PM. Reason : sd]

12/18/2010 1:32:42 PM

after going all over the place a few years ago this place was by far the best http://www.elite-auto-sales.com/default.aspx, and where i ended up getting my car, but they used to be at this location http://www.accautosalesinc.com/, which is still a used car place but called something different, so i'm not sure if someone got bought out or there was a partnership split, but they were not pushy at all very helpful,

[Edited on December 18, 2010 at 2:22 PM. Reason : $$$]

12/18/2010 2:11:00 PM

I've been keeping an eye on this site lately:

http://www.auctiondirectusa.com/

There's not a great deal in your 4-8k range, but from what I've seen their prices are pretty consistently below KBB (for what's that worth) and they're a legit dealer. Your warranty won't be much, but at least you'll have one. You also won't get fucked by going to some sketchy place that sells really messed up vehicles.

As an example of a place to stay away from:

http://www.capitolauto.net/

Dad bought my first car from here for a decent amount of money. It had clearly been in at least one accident and had the damage "corrected" fairly poorly (one door wouldn't close correctly, all bumper caps were trashed and repaired with some sort of silver epoxy and paint, clear problems with the gap between different body panels, mismatched tires, dealer tried to keep the original name-brand jeep floor mats that went with the car, vehicle had malfunctioning ABS, etc). Car started running like shit not too long after I started to drive it on my own and had all kinds of issues with the vacuum lines that we couldn't fix (not sure what all the gremlins were to this day, I can't remember what my brother did with it after it was passed on to him).

Dad bought a play car here for yet another decent amount of money. Interior had numerous issues that I could see, car had transmission issues that weren't readily apparent to somebody who was unfamiliar with the vehicle, there was really obvious overspray in the wheel wells which I pointed out to my dad at the dealership (i.e. piece of shit was ragged out and the maaco $100 paint job was just to cover up some damage I spotted which indicated this had also been in a wreck). Electronics didn't quite work right, and car appeared to leak some fluids.

Both of those vehicles were right in your price range, so I must suggest you avoid anywhere that looks the least bit sketchy.

12/19/2010 1:00:16 AM

don't buy from stealerships. Private owners is the way to go.

12/19/2010 8:28:44 AM

The best option is for a used car is going to a dealership and finding a car that has came off a lease. These cars will generally still have low miles, have an engine and transmission warranty, and dealerships will give you a great deal on a trade in even if it is a piece of crap you are trying to get rid of. Buying from a private owner is a risky gamble because you don't know if it has been taken care of properly. As far as a loan if you are in with a good credit union like SECU you can get an extremely low interest rate.

12/19/2010 9:14:41 AM

Is Carmax any good?

12/19/2010 9:15:18 AM

^ I've found they tend to have good quality cars, but are a little expensive. At least for folks who don't mind negotiating. Their prices are competitive (sometimes even lower) than dealerships sticker prices. However if you don't mind playing the dealership game, then you can get the same car for $1,000-$1,500 cheaper somewhere else.

12/19/2010 8:23:54 PM

I bought a car today from Auction Direct. It was a good experience. The other benefit with them is that if you find a car you want at any of their other locations they'll ship it here for only a $300 deposit that then goes toward your first payment.

I don't see how anyone can recommend private owners unless you find an old lady who has the exact car you want, is dumb, and happens to take excellent care of their car.

12/20/2010 12:19:30 AM

I will never deal with carmax again. The one in Charlotte on Independence really tried fucking me over, and I've had a sour taste left in my mouth ever since

12/20/2010 12:28:08 AM

I would likely stay away from a beater. It can be a solid temporary solution if you find the right car, but if the car is selling for $1,000 it more than likely will have some issues that will have to be addressed. It can very quickly turn into a money pit.

I would take your time and buy privately. Dealerships have a significant amount of overhead they have to deal with. You can buy more car for less money privately. Just be aware that there are no damage disclosure laws when buying private.

Take a experienced mechanic or car salesman to look at any car. I would actually recommend a sales person first as the experience ones are familier with car appraisal processes and know where to look for issues. I also say this because i have seen a lot of technicians miss items that a sales person wouldn't. Sales guys likely can't fix the issues, but they can normally spot most things and know when something is out of whack. Pretty much can just make sure everything passes the smell test before wasting more time paying a mechanic. Buying private will be time consuming and you will likely have to go see a lot of different cars.

I would recommend trying to obtain financing. Even though you might end up paying a very high rate, it is better to pay it on $5,000 than never establishing a good credit history and have to pay more later when you want a home mortgage or larger auto loan. Coastal is a great place to go with a co-signer. If your credit is really rough you can try home credit or latino federal credit union. If you have access then try SECU. I know Truliant Credit Union doesn't have too many hoops to jump through to join either and have some fairly good rates although I have never worked with them.

Deal with carmax and auction direct at your own risk. They have some nice cars, but they also have a lot of POS cars that were traded for a reason. Remember that if a car has ever been through a dealer auction there is a reason the past owner was willing to sell it there and take a lower price for it. I have heard a lot of horror stories and seen some trades from carmax that were junk.

Just my $.02 from my experience in the auto industry (2 yrs sales / 1 yr finance manager). Good luck, hope the info helps.

12/20/2010 8:07:44 AM

Quote :

"I don't see how anyone can recommend private owners unless you find an old lady who has the exact car you want, is dumb, and happens to take excellent care of their car."

I respectfully disagree. The first two cars I purchased were from private owners and both served me well. In fact I still have one of them and at 282,000 miles it doesn't burn any oil and has never had any engine or transmission work. I definitely plan on buying from private sellers again in the future.

12/20/2010 9:13:06 AM

The only reason NOT to buy from a private owner is convenience (well, unless you need assraping interest rates on a loan because your credit is so shitty; by the way, I fall into this category).

I have bought TWO cars out of the bajillion that I've owned from dealers. I paid cash for both. I just happened to luck out and find a couple of stupendously good deals. Everything else I've owned has come from a private individual.

My recommendation is to go online and scour the dealerships in outlying areas. My Accord came from Leith Ford out in Wendell. They took it on trade and couldn't get rid of it...I mean, who the hell would think to go out there for a Honda?

What I want to know is...how the hell did you kill a Camry? I know it can be done, but damn, it takes some work.

Quote :

"I don't see how anyone can recommend private owners unless you find an old lady who has the exact car you want, is dumb, and happens to take excellent care of their car."

Damn...I mean DAMN. Where the fuck do you think that the used cars at Carmax and Auction Direct come from? I can give you a huge hint: people who wanted to get rid of them quick. I HATE buying at a dealer because of the excellent coverup work they do to get you to buy the damn thing. If I see glosscoat shit in the engine compartment, sirens start blaring in my head.


[Edited on December 20, 2010 at 9:25 AM. Reason : DAMN!]

12/20/2010 9:19:55 AM

Haha, yeah my parents have a '92 Camry with almost 400k miles...Still runs great except it burns a little oil. Dad just tore it down this week to replace some seals.

12/20/2010 9:53:31 AM

Quote :

"I don't see how anyone can recommend private owners unless you find an old lady who has the exact car you want, is dumb, and happens to take excellent care of their car."

hahahahahahahahhaah


auction direct used cars grow on trees? this must have been a troll attempt.

12/20/2010 11:25:25 AM

all I can do is speak to what I've experienced.

I've bought used cars from private owners and been burned, and bought cars from dealers and been very happy.

Obviously in the Carfax era it's a lot harder to get burned by anyone.

I'd much rather have the security and warranty that a dealer provides, but I also bought a car for more than what the OP was looking for. If you're sliding someone $5k under the table, have at it.

Quote :

"Damn...I mean DAMN. Where the fuck do you think that the used cars at Carmax and Auction Direct come from? I can give you a huge hint: people who wanted to get rid of them quick. I HATE buying at a dealer because of the excellent coverup work they do to get you to buy the damn thing. If I see glosscoat shit in the engine compartment, sirens start blaring in my head. "

is this true in isolated circumstances? sure. saying this is true for every car they sell is ridiculous. i agree with you on the outlying dealer idea, but I checked them first. They're far seedier. had a guy show me "his best deal right now" that was $2k above KBB and had visible rust damage. no thanks,


[Edited on December 20, 2010 at 3:26 PM. Reason : .]

12/20/2010 3:24:05 PM

I too bought my car from Elite Auto on S. Saunders. I paid $3700 for my Subaru. $900 upfront and the rest was covered with a car loan from SECU. Considering my past two cars I paid $800 and $1500 for, I'm in the lap of luxury right now

12/20/2010 3:28:20 PM

craigslist

12/20/2010 5:48:58 PM

get a beater

save some more money you would be paying payments with

sell it and get a better beater

rinse and repeat

you will be more than pleased if you can do this without a car payment

12/20/2010 6:00:40 PM

cbs quality cars. they have 6 locations and they will sell their soul to make a deal

12/20/2010 6:24:29 PM

^^Been there, done that, it works but it's a pain in the ass, especially if you don't enjoy car shopping. I kind of do and still got sick of it, and financed a car that was (at least compared to what I was used to) legitimately nice.

With dealers I'd just keep my options open; you never know where you're going to find a good deal. Just look over everything with a very critical eye and, if you're unsure, take it to a mechanic for an inspection before signing on the dotted line. If they won't let you do that, walk away. I would recommend having your financing in hand and ready to go before you even get started in earnest, as you'll get a much better rate from a credit union or even a bank 95% of the time. That can also be a bargaining chip, i.e. "I have financing at 5%, can you beat that?" If a place feels shady, then leave.

12/20/2010 9:13:17 PM

Quote :

"is this true in isolated circumstances? sure. saying this is true for every car they sell is ridiculous. i agree with you on the outlying dealer idea, but I checked them first. They're far seedier. had a guy show me "his best deal right now" that was $2k above KBB and had visible rust damage. no thanks,"

Hey, I spent a huge chunk of my life in car parts/repair business, and have had MANY dealers, both big and small, new and used, for customers. I also have several friends in the used car business. I've got a lot of empirical data to suggest that this is very true across the board for places like Carmax or Auction Direct. And I also know a LOT about what rolls down the auction lanes and what measures are taken to get them to move.

I don't advocate dealing with dealerships at all unless you just have no choice...and if you do decide to or you must...then go well armed. And like richthofen says, you get a bad feeling, get out. You don't owe them anything at all. You can test drive everything on the lot, but that doesn't create any obligation for you to buy either.

None of those hucksters gets anything past me. They flat out give up, and I run that show. I laugh in their faces and tell them to try again.

[Edited on December 21, 2010 at 2:27 AM. Reason : blah blah.]

12/21/2010 2:26:13 AM

Or just do what i do; talk to people, find a friend that can get you into a Manheim auction

...

profit

12/21/2010 8:02:05 AM

Typically, you will find it difficult to get a reasonable loan below $8000 for a vehicle. It gets even harder if you are buying from a private individual, or if you can't make some kind of down-payment. Even if you do find a loan, given those circumstances, you'll probably get an awful rate.

+1 to Truliant Credit Union (if you cant get SECU). They'll give you a good fixed rate relative to your financial circumstances. You only need to deposit $5 when you open an account. They're also very flexible and won't screw you over if you have problems making your payments.

Example: I took out a $9000 loan from them for a 6yo used vehicle, and my fixed rate was 3.75%. Most regular banks were quoting me 8.xx% for the same vehicle.

12/22/2010 2:52:52 PM

The going rate for a car loan at SECU a couple months ago when I got my car was 4% for those thinking the SECU route.

12/22/2010 2:57:47 PM

I had a pretty good experience at Auction Direct on Glennwood. They have computeres set up everywhere so you can check comparable prices are the car you are looking at.

12/22/2010 3:20:40 PM