Buying (used or new) cars.

[SamePendo]

Well, i want to buy my new car.

I've got to go... I'll post my particular situation in which I need advice... but these are basic questions:

What to look for in new/used cars?
Is a new car really worth it?
General pros and cons about both.
In how much months do you recomend paying? (12, 15, 24, 36 months?) Why?
Well, I'm sure no one will recommend be to buy with those small but lenghty payments with sky high interests, or will you?
And tips in general.


(This could go on Financial Forum, you know?)

 

[Eternal]

Originally posted by SamePendo
Well, i want to buy my new car.

I've got to go... I'll post my particular situation in which I need advice... but these are basic questions:

What to look for in new/used cars?
Is a new car really worth it?
General pros and cons about both.
In how much months do you recomend paying? (12, 15, 24, 36 months?) Why?
Well, I'm sure no one will recommend be to buy with those small but lenghty payments with sky high interests, or will you?
And tips in general.


(This could go on Financial Forum, you know?)

- (What to look for) Depends on what your purpose is. Do you need a car that can just get you back and forth to work or do you want one that can handle some long trips?

- (Is a new car worth it) Again, depends on your purpose. If you just need to get to work, really any car can do. If you need something more relaible, sometimes a new car is good.

- (Pros and cons)

New: Never used before; Shouldn't be anything wrong with it; Could cost more though

Used: Don't know how the previous owner treated/used the car; Can cost less than most new cars and actually be very good; Could be useful if you just need a car for a short time (like a year or less)

- (How many months to pay) Depends on your financial situation. Find out what the best option for you might be and go for it.

I don't know about the next one, so I'll just give you some tips:

- If you get a new car, look for good ones with small depriciation values. Those can come back to help you later on.

- If you go used, look at reliable ones and see if you can test drive it. Be wary of cars that are cheap but have killer bodies...The engine might be completly fvcked up.

 

[Abbott]

How long would you plan on keeping it?

If 20 years (yes, that can happen), then get either a new or nearly new (within one year) if you can. Then it's not likely anything will be wrong with it. No risk that the previous owner somehow abused it.

Load capacity

Do you need to haul around a lot of things, or move a lot (like many college students do)?

If so, then get either an extended or crew cab pickup, station wagon, or van.

Driving Distance

Do you need to travel long distances? If so a luxury car would probably be good because those have a smoother ride and they're usually the first to get advanced features, some of which that are safety related.

People capacity

If you need to carry a lot of people stay away from coupes and pickups.

That's just my $.02,

Ben

 

[KillingTime]

I would NEVER buy a new car, it just seems like such a financially stupid idea to me.
As soon as you drive the thing off the lot, there goes a huge chunk of the value.
There are so many incredible used deals out there, and most aren't lemons.
I got my car (02 mustang GT) two years ago used for less than half the price of a new one. It only had 10k miles, all maintenance records, mint condition and came with a TON of aftermarket parts already (chrome rims, new lowered suspension etc.)... the guy even gave me the original rims which I sold for a good chunk of change.
For about the price of a new Kia or some other p.o.s I have a show-car quality vehicle. If you look, there are always deals like this you just have to act fast.

I know about cars so getting a lemon wasn't an issue, if you don't just take someone who does to look at it for ya.

As far as payments goes, again I would go cash or nothing. Nothing f*cks up the enjoyment of a new car worse than constantly having to make payments on it.... after a few months the new car is no longer that exciting and your still paying every month, no fun.

 

[Wubbman]

I'm gonna go with Killingtime. Look around for a used car. You'll never believe what you can find. 1.5 years ago I was in the market and found a used Lexus ES300 ('95) with just over 100k miles. Despite its age, the car is fantastic and shines up incredibly. You just have to look around. I recommend looking on www.autotrader.com to see what used cars are available in your area. Good luck.

 

[SamePendo]

Thanks, Im in Mexico though.

I suppose then, I'd have to look for maintenance records?

What's a lemon? (Besides the fruit ) .

 

[Abbott]

Originally posted by SamePendo
Thanks, Im in Mexico though.

I suppose then, I'd have to look for maintenance records?

What's a lemon? (Besides the fruit ) .

A lemon is basically any automobile that is in bad condition, but it has problems that you can't see.

Oftentimes a person may try to sell a lemon and rip someone off, so you need to watch out for it. Get a Carfax report (http://www.carfax.com) at the very least, if you can't get a friend, who's knowledgable about automobiles, to come with you.

Plus...if you can get all the maintnence records, then do. Though that gets hard to do if the automobile is old enough.

Ben