Car shopping

[icepixie]

So, seeing as I'm going to be moving to Knoxville in less than four months, I need to get a car sharpish. (Yes, there's public transportation, but I've done the relying-on-a-bus-to-get-groceries thing, and unless you're somewhere like NYC or Chicago, IT DON'T WORK. Plus, driving home for vacations, etc., and, depending on my luck with finding nearby housing, to campus...yeah.)

I...would pretty much be okay if all we had was the modern equivalent of the Model T. No, seriously. This sucks. I have no idea what to buy, I have a relatively small budget, and seriously, all I want is four wheels, an engine that won't break down all the time, and enough steel around me to keep me from being crushed in an accident. All the different brands and models have such minute and arcane differences that do incomprehensible things to the price, and I can't even begin to wrap my mind around it. The only reason I'm not giving up and investing in a bicycle is because my dad is helping me shop, and at this point has probably done more looking than I have. (Also, biking back to Nashville would be a bit difficult.)

I'm looking solely at used cars, because my budget would allow me to get, um...a new tricycle, I think. (Well, okay, if I plunked down the entirety of my savings account, I could actually get something rather nice, but I also, you know, want to eat next year.)

Anyone have any tips? Brands you like? Bad experiences? I'm leaning towards something from Honda or Toyota because the idea of being stranded on the roadside periodically does not appeal (nor does shopping for another car for AT LEAST ten years), but of course that increased reliability and longevity comes with a corresponding increase in price. Sigh.

Comments

[nickless.livejournal.com]

Ah, I just went through this whole process with my parents. And with my father, it is DEFINITELY a "process."

As far as good experiences - we just bid a sad farewell to my dad's Pontiac Bonneville. It had over 300,000 miles on it and was still in really good shape, even after having been sideswiped by a deer. I highly recommend them, and since they stopped making them in 2005 (they're coming out with a redesigned version that looks like crap), "used" will definitely be your option. We only got rid of it because the junkyard would give us $2,000 for it, and after you hit 300,000 miles in five years, you're kind of expecting to stop at a light and have all the doors to fall off 'cause it's just freakin' TIRED.

In fact, we liked the car so much, Dad bought another one the last year they were made so he'd have another one after the first one died. Which obviously took a lot longer than we ever expected. (And as I'm assuming you wouldn't be driving 60,000 miles a year, a car like that would last a whole lot longer.)

Seriously, a big factor in whether or not a car's going to last a long time and be reliable is how well it's taken care of. Find someone who's taken damn good care of their car and it won't really matter if it's a few years older or has a few thousand more miles on it. I have more faith in the car we just took to the junkyard than some of my friend's relatively-brand-new cars. And, lots of highway miles generally means a used car with less overall wear and tear than one with not-so-many miles that are predominately in-town.

Might want to check out fleet cars or something owned by someone who traveled for work, 'cause again, higher chance of the miles being primarily highway and previous owners making sure it's been properly maintained.

And even though it can be as boring as hell, try out a bunch of different things. Make sure you find something that's comfortable for YOU to drive, 'cause a nice cheap car isn't worth snot if the steering wheel won't adjust to a comfortable level or the way you sit in it means you have a blind spot big enough to hide a semi (both things that have killed otherwise great car possibilities for us in this latest search).

Good luck!

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Er... I have totally not been imaginary-car-shopping myself over the past few months... sigh...

I've heard good things about carmax.com. It gives you an idea of used price ranges, anyway, and lets you browse. I've been looking at Hondas, too, since reliability is a big issue. If you're planning on a long-term investment, it'll be worth it to spend a little extra now to get a quality car, instead of buying a cheap junkheap that'll die on you in a year. And if you buy from a dealership, you can pay over time instead of having to fork the whole price over at once, so that might help financially. Miles/gallon is important, of course, what with the gas situation. Again, Honda's pretty good at that, no? My online research has been pointing me toward an old-ish Civic: generic, but hey, there's a reason there are so many of them on the road.

Test-drives are indeed important. I remember when Mom went car shopping (ten years ago), she dismissed several models before even starting the engine because the seats were uncomfortable.

I wish I had some hands-on advice to offer, but I've never actually driven a sedan for any appreciable distance before. Stationwagons, minivans, and 12-passenger beasts, yes, but a real car, no.

I'll probably be doing some car shopping myself next year, so I'm excited to hear what you decide on...

[rensong.livejournal.com]

Honda and Toyota are both good choices when it comes to reliability. I also like Chevys - they also tend to last a little bit longer, though if you get one thats more than 10 years old - or, well, any car more than 10 years old - there's a good chance that you might have to make a few expensive repairs to some of the basic systems like breaks and transmissions and what not.

Also, I hear Suberu (only spelled right) is a pretty reliable car, but if you get one with an automatic transmission you are going to have issues after about 140 thousand miles.

[vbrooksutk.livejournal.com]

Hey, sorry to not get back to you before now. I'm doing the full time thing while teaching and going to bartending school 20 hours a week, so I'm a bit crosseyed.

Sterling University heights was an awesome, awesome place to live. You never know who you're going to end up with neighbors, though, and that's something to keep in mind. The pool area (near the office) can get a bit loud during the summertime. I lived in the building next to the pool and hardly ever heard noise, though. The parking lot can get loud if people are out there blasting music and drinking, but this is an activity that is usually reserved for football games.

Something to keep in mind is that UT is, in fact, a party school. The campus itself has improved on the noise level, but off-campus housing can be hit or miss. I have a friend living at University Heights - actually, we lived together in the apartment and he's still there 4 years later - if you'd like to get in touch with him. I'd be glad to give you his contact info.

That, and you asked about the campus a little while ago. The bus from Sterling drops you off very close to McClung and Humanities, where you would probably be "living." The possible downside? If you were TAing for a freshman English class, then you could end up in the nuclear engineering building. Seriously - when they run out of room, there is no telling where a class will end up. I had mathematical economics in the nuclear engineering building... Latin American history in the social work area... marketing in the chemistry building... but traditionally, your classes should all be very close to one another.

Did you have any other questions that you can remember? I'm at work right now and seriously *off* mentally. My phone number is on Facebook if you want to send me any texts (or phone calls :) and also, Catie Stewart is still in Knoxvegas - she's starting her M.S.? in teaching. My ex-boyfriend who is still a great friend... he's still there as well.

Sorry for the rambling, but I didn't want you to think I was avoiding you or didn't want to recommend the area - I absolutely loved my time in Knoxville, and think it made me a much better person than I was beforehand.

I could also possibly hook you up with a job or two if you needed something.

And on the used car note, I'm on my second Ford Focus. Super easy to drive, you can get a used one for under $6000 that runs perfectly well, and the car insurance is very cheap. You'll want something that you can park in ANY sized-spot if you are parking anywhere at the campus, and my focus was able to turn on a dime into just about any spot. Nothing like pissing off some SUVs that can't fit into a spot, and then whipping in behind them. Booya!! The 2000 and 2001 (first two model years) had many recalls, but the recalls slowed considerably after then.

There is a Kroger, super wal-mart, and walgreens on Chapman Highway (within sneezing distance of both Sterling and NorthWood - and you totally avoid the highway traffic). And the west town mall rocks. And there are great health food stores. I'm going to stop now.

Cheers!!!

oops

[vbrooksutk.livejournal.com]

wrong paste - this is the wagon

and the zx3!

[vbrooksutk.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize I was hitting the Function key. Lame!

[valkyrieks.livejournal.com]

When I was researching the buying of my car, what most sites agreed on is that while Hondas and Toyotas are both great and last for a very long time, the brand name on them shoves the price up by several thousand dollars. There are other brands, like Nissan and Chrysler, that are so close that it makes little difference, and there is often a dramatic price difference. I ended up with a Nissan that I love. That's my input. Good luck!

[asinpterodactyl.livejournal.com]

I was in the same situation last year. I did mountains and mountains of research, and wound up limiting myself to Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas. (Yes, other brands may be cheaper, but you wind up paying more over time with all the repairs they need.)

My number one piece of advice: Do NOT buy any used car until you've checked it on CARFAX (carfax.com), which is a service that offers vehicle history reports. Given a car's VIN, you can see how many owners it's had, where it's lived, and (most importantly) what accidents it's been in. Buy one of CARFAX's one-month passes for $30, and you can check an unlimited number of reports for no extra charge.

Why does this matter? Well, I almost bought a white Corolla, which the seller swore had never been in any serious accident, but when I looked it up on CARFAX, the darned thing had been totaled and rebuilt. If I'd bought it, I'd now be helplessly watching the car fall apart in my driveway.

Lesson: Trust CARFAX. Don't trust sellers.

[asinpterodactyl.livejournal.com]

Oh, one more thing -- Hondas and Toyotas do command higher prices, but there's a way around that: get a Chevy Prizm. It's actually a Toyota model with a Chevy nameplate. Ergo, you get Toyota quality without having to pay for the name.

Wikipedia says this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Prizm):

Although Prizms were virtually identical to Toyota Corollas (aside from small cosmetic differences, a GM Delco radio, and the lack of a rear stabilizer bar), the market never showed them the same respect. In 2006, NADA put the value of a 2002 Prizm at US$7,300 compared to US$9,150 for a nearly identical Toyota. However, this does make it a good value for an astute Corolla buyer who appreciates the discount that comes with the Geo / Chevy badge.

[nickless.livejournal.com]

Okay, new suggestions from Dad, El Guru of Car Shopping. :)

He suggested the Pontiac Grand Prix. A little smaller than our Bonneville, but the same drive train (ie, will likely last as long as the Bonnevilles). Lots of used ones being sold right now, especially as former rentals. Would be able to get a newer Grand Prix with fewer miles on it for less money than you'd pay for a Civic or Accord that was older with more miles.

Whatever you go with - he advised that you make sure to get something that still has the *factory* warranty on it. Not the "rinky-dink crap the dealership will try to push on you." That means it'd have to be less than 3 years old with less than 10,000 miles on it.

Also, in terms of the Carfax thing - if you're working with a dealer, ask them to pull up that info for you. They'll get the thorough records and it'll be free. (Plus then if you have problems they didn't tell you about, you have a valid argument that hello, they knew about it.)