Buying Small Car in America?

[de_sjiem 0]

My husband just had to purchase a car and we had limited finances because he isn't working yet and has no credit history... while he was hoping to pay for the car outright, we didn't have enough money to do that. So we were able to get a small loan from a relative and found a really nice 1990 Honda Civic EX for about $7000. It is in beautiful condition, so we are both happy with it. I know that Honda Civics run forever and have great gas mileage as I have had two... one I drove for 13 yrs and my current one that I bought new in 1999 and have driven the wheels off of it. I have had one maintenance issue with it that was outside of the regular upkeep of a car.

If you are looking for dependable transportation, look for Honda or Toyota. If you are looking for something short term and cheap, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Chrysler... I don't consider them dependable transportation though.

Good luck with the car shopping... but I would honestly not expect to find anything decent under $6000.

I really hope that is a typo somehow... $7000 is too much unless its been completely rebuilt....

[athena_ny 1]

My husband just had to purchase a car and we had limited finances because he isn't working yet and has no credit history... while he was hoping to pay for the car outright, we didn't have enough money to do that. So we were able to get a small loan from a relative and found a really nice 1990 Honda Civic EX for about $7000. It is in beautiful condition, so we are both happy with it. I know that Honda Civics run forever and have great gas mileage as I have had two... one I drove for 13 yrs and my current one that I bought new in 1999 and have driven the wheels off of it. I have had one maintenance issue with it that was outside of the regular upkeep of a car.

If you are looking for dependable transportation, look for Honda or Toyota. If you are looking for something short term and cheap, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Chrysler... I don't consider them dependable transportation though.

Good luck with the car shopping... but I would honestly not expect to find anything decent under $6000.

I really hope that is a typo somehow... $7000 is too much unless its been completely rebuilt....

Yeah, I hope so too.

My husband just had to purchase a car and we had limited finances because he isn't working yet and has no credit history... while he was hoping to pay for the car outright, we didn't have enough money to do that. So we were able to get a small loan from a relative and found a really nice 1990 Honda Civic EX for about $7000. It is in beautiful condition, so we are both happy with it. I know that Honda Civics run forever and have great gas mileage as I have had two... one I drove for 13 yrs and my current one that I bought new in 1999 and have driven the wheels off of it. I have had one maintenance issue with it that was outside of the regular upkeep of a car.

If you are looking for dependable transportation, look for Honda or Toyota. If you are looking for something short term and cheap, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Chrysler... I don't consider them dependable transportation though.

Good luck with the car shopping... but I would honestly not expect to find anything decent under $6000.

Old Hyundais are not dependable. They revamped their line a few years back though, and my Hyundai is one of the most reliable cars I've had.

[Rubycon 0]

I have a couple of different thoughts on the used car issue..

For a start, yes there is no contest that older Toyotas, Hondas, and Nissans cannot be killed by conventional methods - low maintenance, relatively good fuel economy.. however, given current gas prices, lots of people are looking for these vehicles, so you'll have to look hard to find a reasonably priced one.

I remain to be convinced about the newer, Korean cars, but to be honest I've never driven one (apart from when I recently hired a Chevy Kalos in England - the gearbox felt like it was made of Lego, no - in fact I wouldn't have been so afraid of it coming off in my hand if it had been made of Lego). I hear Hyundais are pretty good.

However, please do not write off used American/Canadian made vehicles!

In my experience they are extremely reliable and cheap to maintain. My wife has had a succession of Oldsmobiles and currently has a Chrysler LHS - they never fail to start, even in the middle of punishing Illinois winters. They are also cheap for parts, and will keep on going and going if you maintain them well. Of course you are not going to get as good gas mileage as some smaller cars, but don't be decieved simply by fuel economy figures - gas mileage has a lot to do with other factors such as driving style, too. Why not consider something like an older Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable - excellent cars and very common used?

When the time comes for me to find myself some wheels I will be setting myself a starting budget of about $3000. You're not going to get a lot for under that amount (in contrast to England, where you can find plenty of excellent bargains for under £1000). I will be looking for Fords, Mercurys, Chryslers, Oldsmobiles (who knows, I even saw a gorgeous 94 Caddy a few days ago for $3800 with only 90,000 miles..).

Remember also that the internet is not the only method for searching for used cars - some of the best bargains (vehicles belonging to elderly owners, for example) will appear in local papers and other publications.

Make sure that you at least know what potential problems you're looking for in a used car if you go to view any, that way, the seller will hopefully not leave you saddled with a turkey!

Look for (among other things):

- Above average mileage for its age (figure on 12-15k per year as a rough average)

- Check around windows and suchlike for overspray - evidence that the vehicle has been resprayed

- Check all around for rust

- Check body panel alignement for evidence of crash damage

- Look under the vehicle for evidence of leaks

- Check the tire pressures and tread wear

- Press down on the vehicle to test the shocks

- Check that the condition of the interior matches that of the exterior

- Check under the hood - look at the belts, are they worn?

- Is the air filter very dirty (evidence of lack of maintainance)?

- Is the oil level normal (if not, the engine may leak or burn oil)

Hope this helps!!

[athena_ny 1]

I have a couple of different thoughts on the used car issue..

For a start, yes there is no contest that older Toyotas, Hondas, and Nissans cannot be killed by conventional methods - low maintenance, relatively good fuel economy.. however, given current gas prices, lots of people are looking for these vehicles, so you'll have to look hard to find a reasonably priced one.

I remain to be convinced about the newer, Korean cars, but to be honest I've never driven one (apart from when I recently hired a Chevy Kalos in England - the gearbox felt like it was made of Lego, no - in fact I wouldn't have been so afraid of it coming off in my hand if it had been made of Lego). I hear Hyundais are pretty good.

However, please do not write off used American/Canadian made vehicles!

In my experience they are extremely reliable and cheap to maintain. My wife has had a succession of Oldsmobiles and currently has a Chrysler LHS - they never fail to start, even in the middle of punishing Illinois winters. They are also cheap for parts, and will keep on going and going if you maintain them well. Of course you are not going to get as good gas mileage as some smaller cars, but don't be decieved simply by fuel economy figures - gas mileage has a lot to do with other factors such as driving style, too. Why not consider something like an older Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable - excellent cars and very common used?

When the time comes for me to find myself some wheels I will be setting myself a starting budget of about $3000. You're not going to get a lot for under that amount (in contrast to England, where you can find plenty of excellent bargains for under £1000). I will be looking for Fords, Mercurys, Chryslers, Oldsmobiles (who knows, I even saw a gorgeous 94 Caddy a few days ago for $3800 with only 90,000 miles..).

Remember also that the internet is not the only method for searching for used cars - some of the best bargains (vehicles belonging to elderly owners, for example) will appear in local papers and other publications.

Make sure that you at least know what potential problems you're looking for in a used car if you go to view any, that way, the seller will hopefully not leave you saddled with a turkey!

Look for (among other things):

- Above average mileage for its age (figure on 12-15k per year as a rough average)

- Check around windows and suchlike for overspray - evidence that the vehicle has been resprayed

- Check all around for rust

- Check body panel alignement for evidence of crash damage

- Look under the vehicle for evidence of leaks

- Check the tire pressures and tread wear

- Press down on the vehicle to test the shocks

- Check that the condition of the interior matches that of the exterior

- Check under the hood - look at the belts, are they worn?

- Is the air filter very dirty (evidence of lack of maintainance)?

- Is the oil level normal (if not, the engine may leak or burn oil)

Hope this helps!!

Maybe it's just bad luck, but I want nothing to do with Dodge or Chrysler - every single one of them my family has owned has cost us more than it was really worth, and even when we rented a car and got a Dodge - we had to return it within an hour to to tire and transmission issues, and then the Chrysler they gave us kept shutting off randomly in the middle of downtown Miami. And that was just a two day rental...

other American cars like Ford and Mercury I do trust, but I just can't trust Dodge or Chrysler (but YMMV and it's just my two cents )

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Old Hyundais are not dependable. They revamped their line a few years back though, and my Hyundai is one of the most reliable cars I've had.

I do remember owning a 1986 Hyundai Pony (sold in Canada but not in US 1984-1987) when I lived in Calgary (bought new for C$7,500 and sold to a neighbour in 1994 for C$1,000).

Due to ultra-simple design, this model actually proved to be highly reliable.

(admittedly, I never took it south of the border; my neighbour has however--to Idaho. But I can safely say it has NOT been anywhere with common over-90^oF temps, so I have no idea how the engine would have fared under those conditions; also admittedly, it would have been decidedly uncomfy under such temps due to having no A/C).

[athena_ny 1]

Old Hyundais are not dependable. They revamped their line a few years back though, and my Hyundai is one of the most reliable cars I've had.

I do remember owning a 1986 Hyundai Pony (sold in Canada but not in US 1984-1987) when I lived in Calgary (bought new for C$7,500 and sold to a neighbour in 1994 for C$1,000).

Due to ultra-simple design, this model actually proved to be highly reliable.

(admittedly, I never took it south of the border; my neighbour has however--to Idaho. But I can safely say it has NOT been anywhere with common over-90^oF temps, so I have no idea how the engine would have fared under those conditions; also admittedly, it would have been decidedly uncomfy under such temps due to having no A/C).

Oh wow. I'd only heard bad things about the older models (and my husband is convinced that because the accent he had in 2000 totaled when he got into an accident, they're ####### - I told him that's what happens with a small car when you're going 90 miles an hour...) - but I know mine is sturdy as hell. A few people I know with Elantras have had issues with weak struts, but I got into an accident and they thought I might have a strut issue, but they were fine even after having a Bronco hit right where it could have damaged them...

And my Elantra drives well in the snow - v. important when I lived up north

[Lisa and Spence 0]

My husband just had to purchase a car and we had limited finances because he isn't working yet and has no credit history... while he was hoping to pay for the car outright, we didn't have enough money to do that. So we were able to get a small loan from a relative and found a really nice 1990 Honda Civic EX for about $7000. It is in beautiful condition, so we are both happy with it. I know that Honda Civics run forever and have great gas mileage as I have had two... one I drove for 13 yrs and my current one that I bought new in 1999 and have driven the wheels off of it. I have had one maintenance issue with it that was outside of the regular upkeep of a car.

If you are looking for dependable transportation, look for Honda or Toyota. If you are looking for something short term and cheap, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Chrysler... I don't consider them dependable transportation though.

Good luck with the car shopping... but I would honestly not expect to find anything decent under $6000.

I really hope that is a typo somehow... $7000 is too much unless its been completely rebuilt....

Whoops! That is a typo... his car is a 2000. I just looked it up on the Kelly Blue Book site and it is priced at $6720, so we got it at pretty much the actual cost. And while I kind of think that is expensive for a 7 yr old used car... I know that Hondas keep their value and hold up for a loooooong time, which is why I bought mine new.

But check out www.kbb.com they will tell you the value of the car you have or are looking at. It is a great tool to use when shopping for a car!

[Jigi 0]

hey

helllo guys...thanks for jotting down your views, expereinces an do's and dont's personally this has been very much helpful for me and i will be keeping all of the stuff in mind.. Just pray to god i get my visa soon and a job then soon ... to get myself my car

And I am sure any one reading this complete thread will get lot of Info.

Jigi

[MargotDarko 0]

My husband just had to purchase a car and we had limited finances because he isn't working yet and has no credit history... while he was hoping to pay for the car outright, we didn't have enough money to do that. So we were able to get a small loan from a relative and found a really nice 1990 Honda Civic EX for about $7000. It is in beautiful condition, so we are both happy with it. I know that Honda Civics run forever and have great gas mileage as I have had two... one I drove for 13 yrs and my current one that I bought new in 1999 and have driven the wheels off of it. I have had one maintenance issue with it that was outside of the regular upkeep of a car.

If you are looking for dependable transportation, look for Honda or Toyota. If you are looking for something short term and cheap, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Chrysler... I don't consider them dependable transportation though.

Good luck with the car shopping... but I would honestly not expect to find anything decent under $6000.

I really hope that is a typo somehow... $7000 is too much unless its been completely rebuilt....

Whoops! That is a typo... his car is a 2000. I just looked it up on the Kelly Blue Book site and it is priced at $6720, so we got it at pretty much the actual cost. And while I kind of think that is expensive for a 7 yr old used car... I know that Hondas keep their value and hold up for a loooooong time, which is why I bought mine new.

But check out www.kbb.com they will tell you the value of the car you have or are looking at. It is a great tool to use when shopping for a car!

Maybe I'm silly, but I'm really glad you replied and cleared this up! I hate to think about people getting really ripped off! For a 2000 in great condition, that sounds totally fine!

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I told him that's what happens with a small car when you're going 90 miles an hour...) - but I know mine is sturdy as hell. A few people I know with Elantras have had issues with weak struts, but I got into an accident and they thought I might have a strut issue, but they were fine even after having a Bronco hit right where it could have damaged them...

And my Elantra drives well in the snow - v. important when I lived up north

Won't even an 18-wheeler be totalled in a 90 mph accident? Edited October 13, 2007 by CherryXS

[athena_ny 1]

I told him that's what happens with a small car when you're going 90 miles an hour...) - but I know mine is sturdy as hell. A few people I know with Elantras have had issues with weak struts, but I got into an accident and they thought I might have a strut issue, but they were fine even after having a Bronco hit right where it could have damaged them...

And my Elantra drives well in the snow - v. important when I lived up north

Won't even an 18-wheeler be totalled in a 90 mph accident?

Yeah, that's what I told him. Sometimes....

[classic 0]

1 year ago, we got a 1993 Honda Accord coupe (2dr) manual transmission with 120K miles on it for $500 from a family friend (a single lesbian). It passed the DMV inspection, and is still driving well. On our last oil change, the mechanic says the car is still ok. We bought it as a second car to use within the township.

Edited October 18, 2007 by classic

[Flames9_RN 358]

1 year ago, we got a 1993 Honda Accord coupe (2dr) manual transmission with 120K miles on it for $500 from a family friend (a single lesbian). It passed the DMV inspection, and is still driving well. On our last oil change, the mechanic says the car is still ok. We bought it as a second car to use within the township.

So I guess the moral of the story------ is to look for single lesbians!!

[classic 0]

single: has enough money for regular car maintenance

lesbian: a compromise- not to hard on the car, but with enough mechanical instinct

good seller profile = good bet that the car that was sold will last!

[Jigi 0]

Hey guys,

Any help from other members here to help my query. The place where i will be moving will also have snow in winter. Help me out

Jigi