Ask Dethroner: Good Used Cars?
Published by Joel December 19th, 2006 in Ask Dethroner, Cars. Share ThisMike writes:
It’s off topic for the week, but my wife and I are in the market for a new car. I’ve been driving the same Chevy Cavalier for about 9 years, and recently it’s begun to show its age. Since I’m in school and working part time we can’t afford a new car. We’re looking to spend about $7,000-$9,000 on a used car to last us a couple of years until I’m out of school and we’re both employed.Like I said, I’ve been driving this car for 9 years. I know Honda’s are supposed to be solid used car bets, but outside of that, I’m not sure of which makes or models to look for.
I’m not much for brand loyalty, but you can’t go wrong with a Honda. Consider any recent Civic or Accord—there are hybrids available, although I doubt their yet in your price range. It’s not uncommon for a Honda to go upwards for 250k miles without any major problems. Just be sure that the maintenance and service records are complete and up to date. (That may include a moderately expensive timing belt change at around 90k miles; I’m not totally up on my Honda service schedule.)
Really, though, you can’t go wrong with most Japanese cars—Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Subaru all make fine, long-lived vehicles. (Even the Korean cars are getting better.) American cars are pretty much garbage; even if they keep running, they tend to be covered in extraneous plastic bits, have crap interiors, and handle with all the finesse of an avalanche.
Need proof? Go test drive a new entry-level Chevy or Ford. Then go test drive a Civic or Fit. Even brand new, you’ll be able to tell a difference in fit and finish.
I’ve been incredibly impressed with Honda’s in general. I’m currently driving a 1989 Accord with 150K miles and it still runs like a champ. It looks like hell, dented up, paint chipping, etc…. but it starts every morning and i get on average about 26 mpg.
Toyotas also make very long last cars, and Nissans to a lesser degree. Like Joel said, the entry level American cars are basically disposable pieces of garbage that barely make it to 100K, while the low level Japanese cars do tend to age much better.
When you get to mid-level cars, American cars do tend to keep up with the Japanese/European makes better, but for less then 10K I would generally stick to Japanese unless you get a great deal somewhere.
The biggest factor is how the car will be used (city/country, warm weather/cold weather, etc.). I’m trying to convince my father to buy a 2000 something Subaru Forrester as it snows here a couple times of year so it’s great for Long Island. I wouldn’t recommend the same car to my sister in San Diego.
Not sure if that helps at all, but it’s a start.
I’m driving a 1995 Acura Integra with 175,000 miles. I plan on making a roadtrip from Virginia to Colorado in a week in this car.
My dad’s car? 1997 Acura CL. 225,000 miles. Yeah, he drives a _lot_.
buy: anything Japanese
avoid: anything (anything) American or German
A problem Mike may find when searching for the used import you’ve suggested is his price range. He’ll be hard pressed to find an import in his $7,000-$9,000 range that doesn’t already have more than 125,000 miles on it.
Sure, these cars typically last for a few hundred thousand miles, but all of them don’t, and I would humbly suggest that how they have been driven and serviced are the biggest factors in getting them to the 200k mark.
That said, proper care of *any* car–even the domestics–can get you multiple hundreds of thousands of miles. Just find something in your price range, with service records intact, that will get you back and forth to work and school. In a couple of years, when school is finished, buy whatever import your heart desires! IMHO
Oh, and I drive an 06 Civic… a sweet car indeed!
Quick response:
Toyota (I’m at 260,000 miles on my Corolla with no plans to replace it)
proof at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rharlow/163603861/in/set-72157594357920758/
Less quick response:
Do The Math! It’s quite simple…
a) Take the new invoice price of the car, say $20,000.
b) Divide by the number of miles you expect the car could live, say 200,000 miles. This gives you $.10 per mile.
c) Subtract the miles on the car you are considering buying, say 110,000 miles. That leave 90,000 of expected life for the used car.
d) Multiply 90,000 by $.10 = $9,000.
e) Adjust the price by 10% (arbitrary number) for the less valuable miles (the miles when the car doesn’t smell new and isn’t under warranty), and you get $8,100.
I would not pay a penny more that $8,100 for this sample used car. Period!
You will find that ALL used car dealer prices are well above the price you get using this simple formula. Find a private seller and good luck.
My real life example - Last month I got a 2002 minivan with 99,000 miles with an original invoice price of $33,000. I paid $6,800 for it.
I too would recommend nothing but a Honda. I’m on my second right now. The first, a 91 EX sedan I bought with full service record, in great condition for $4500 and drove it until about 265,000 miles, then traded it in on a 2005 Civic, which I expect to drive for pretty much ever. I never had a serious problem with that old car… just had to replace the fuel pump at one point, and that was all. Rock solid.
On the other hand, my dad bought a 2004 Toyota Corolla and has had nothing but problems (his previous car was a 91 Accord EX wagon that went to 302,000 before it kicked it). He has had nothing but problems.. I mean serious, life-threatening problems like the car deciding not to go above 40 on an interstate entrance ramp on a whim. He’s getting rid of it and getting another Honda. He’s learned his lesson.
Like you I’m married, in school full time and working part time. Gotta go with a honda. I had a 1991 Acura Integra (made by honda) that I purchased with 98,000 miles on it for a few grand. I buried it in a ditch last December with 295,000 miles on it. Never needed a single major repair. There were the typical upkeep things - for instance the CV joints on that particular car (second generation integra) were known to go and I replaced them 2 or 3 times. I also replaced the exhaust system every two years without fail. That car sat low to the ground though and I live in western ny.
Since I totalled the integra I’ve purchased a 2000 Honda Civic. Again I’ve had it about a year and haven’t had a single issue. The Integra, while smaller, felt more solid to me, but I haven’t found any reason to complain about the Civic.
we’ve got an ‘03 Neon ES that we bought in ‘05 and has served us well thus far. We paid $6500 back then. It’s got like 80k+ miles on it.
I’ve had my American made Jeep for nearly 10 years. Zero problems. My American made 04 Subaru has already been in for a bad clutch at 15,000 miles. So… Abnormal maintainence on a 10 year old car, $0. Abnormal maintainence on a 2 year old car $0, but would have been $1,500 if out of warranty. While a dozen replies here are hardly an good sample size, the Asian ‘imports’ seem to come out on top when it comes to quality.
When I shop for a used car (as I’m doing now) I’m concerned about value. Jimmy’s cheap Neon is a perfect example. Newish design/engineering at a super affordable price. I’d strongly consider that Neon right along with the 10 year old Hondas with over 100k on the clock.
Also, I take note about the aesthetics of a used car. If the interior and exterior have been taken care of, the drivetrain has likely been cared for as well. Check out the driver’s seat. Is it excessively worn for it’s age? Could be a heavyset person, or it could be that the car was used more for stop and go city driving, which takes more life out of a car than driving highway miles.
i’m driving an ‘02 mazda protege 5. it’s a pretty sweet ride, and cost me 9000 a year and a half ago. it’s fun to drive, fits a lot since it’s a 5 door hatchback, and runs great.
also, hyundai’s a GREAT. they are very reliable now, and they are still way cheap.
I have a 97 jeep grand cherokee and it has given me nothing but problems since I’ve bought it. it’s at 137k miles right now and I am only keeping it at this point so that the winter can beat the crap out of it instead of my pride and joy car. I bought a 99 BMW M3 as my next car but I do all the maintenance myself, so that’s a little bit of a different story. If you want a beater and something that isn’t a labor of love, get a used honda or acura
I’d agree with all the other recommendations to buy Japanese (less so with Nissan, but not much less, and more so with Honda), with a few stipulations. First: new cars are just plain safer than old cars. A newer used Civic will be safer than an older used Accord. With a wife (and maybe kids on the way) in the car, safety should be a priority. Do some research.
Second, do buy from a private party instead of a dealer - you’ll get a better price and more of a sense of how the car was used. And if you’re Honda shopping, you’ll get to find out how nice Honda owners are (see: everybody above). This will also help you avoid having a dealer sell you a third-party warranty. Word to the wise: worst way to spend 3 grand ever. Those companies never pay out.
Third, consider leasing a new car. You said that the car was intended for a couple years, and a three year lease will be almost as cheap as a used car. I know that leases can be tricky financially, but leasing a Honda (which will hold its value better than any other make) should be pretty affordable. Talk to somebody with experience leasing and read the lease agreement carefully.
There was a post about the Volvo 240 on Cool Tools a while back that made the car sound like the best thing ever if you don’t mind working on it. Personally, I don’t have a place to do that since I’m in an apartment, so I tend toward the advice already given here: go Japanese.
Stay away from anything from VW. I bought a 1995 Jetta in 2002. While I do love driving it, it’s been a hassle. I don’t know how much money I’ve put into it. The original price paid was a great deal, but not any more.
You do get a better deal from a private owner but there is a benefit to buying from most dealers. A warranty of some sort. Especially if you’re buying a certified used car.
Well, if you are buying used, you are not going to get as good of an interest rate as a new car so the payments are going to come out higher for a cheaper car. According to Bankrate.com, 36-month used car loans are currently averaging 7.59%. So, doing the math, a $9000 loans is going to run you $280.33. Stretch that to a 5 year loan and the monthly bill comes out to around $180. You can lease a new Sonata for $199/month. If you want to buy, find some special financing offers on 2006 models that dealers are trying to get rid of.