I need advice on buying a vehicle.

Rachmaninoff

Observer
The time for me to buy a vehicle is eminent, but not quite here.

So, I want some tips on purchasing a vehicle to get a good deal, buying from private parties without getting screwed over and all of that good stuff.

I'm a newbie at all of this -- so there are a lot of considerations I'm probably missing (i.e. things to look at like mileage). For stuff like modification -- I'm not looking for much. Also, learning to cheaply maintain a vehicle is something I could use a bit of advice on.

I did create a thread already aiming for a sub-$5k vehicle with not-horrible mileage (18+ highway, city I don't care, I'll be riding my bike mostly or doing super short commutes) and got a lot of great responses -- I'll just link that here.
 

hove102

Adventurer
1. Don't get emotionally invested in the first vehicle you look at.

2. When you look at a vehicle, keep an eye out for things that need doing/fixing that you will have to do as a potential purchaser. Keep a mental list, and factor in dollar amounts for what each one may cost you. That way, if you're serious about buying the vehicle, when you make your offer you have reasons as to why you're offering $2500 for a car that the seller is listing as $3500, and you can use them as bargaining chips to get the seller to lower their price a bit and make a vehicle that's at the upper cap of your price range suddenly fall into your price range! :wings:

2a. Deal in cash if at all possible. We all love the prospect of holding thousands of dollars of cash in our hands at that exact moment, and many deals are had by telling the seller (say, offering a vehicle for $3500) that you've got $3000 cash in your pocket and you're willing to plunk it all down today. Sure, a check is nice, but cash money is always better, and people are willing to haggle with you a bit more if you make their lives easier by saving them a trip to the bank.

3. BRING ANOTHER PERSON. I can't overstate this one enough. I've gone with my dad (and he's come with me) to look at many vehicles, and it is such a huge help to have another set of eyes, ears, and hands to poke and prod and listen to the vehicle while you're looking at it. They'll often hear things you won't on the test drive, and they'll be able to keep the seller occupied while you crawl under the vehicle and wiggle things around so you don't have someone talking at you while you're trying to pay attention to details. I know that's a bit harsh, but it's true more often than not, and many sellers will use conversation as a means of distraction to keep you from noticing things.

4. If you can, get the vehicle inspected. Offer to have the seller come with you to a local shop if it's convenient (if you have one you prefer/knows the brand you're considering), and pay for the inspection by a professional. Most of us average guys only see to 85-90%, and an expert will see that extra 10% that you miss. I'm seriously considering doing this one with my next vehicle purchase.

5. Look at what OEM/aftermarket replacement parts cost on the internet, their availability, and how many shops in your area work on your chosen brand or at least carry the parts. Sure, that super rare (insert vehicle here) is awesome, but when you're trying to find the ****** sensor that keeps the entire vehicle from working and it's $1500 shipped from Japan, the purchase suddenly doesn't seem so smart. ;) That's just a worst-case scenario, and not one you'll find with the vehicles common to this forum, but one you should at least consider since it sounds like you're planning on doing work yourself.

6. Make a pro/con list and figure out what you NEED versus what you WANT. Often times the two are more disparate than you realize and making a list may cause you to make the more practical choice over the more fun, but less responsible one. Or, in some cases, the practical choice is also the fun one! :D Some people want to be "different" with their vehicle choice, but there's no denying that a Jeep or a Toyota is going to a lot easier to mod and gain support for than an Isuzu Trooper or Montero (not knocking those groups, because those were trucks I was seriously considering :bowdown: ).

Anyway, I'm sure I've run my mouth (fingers?) enough for one post, but hopefully these tips I've gained from my personal experience and my observations will help in some small way. And I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have, as are most of the other people on the forum! Oh, and I forgot a tip...

7.HAVE FUN!!! Enjoy the search; it won't always be easy, but don't get frustrated or desperate or discouraged. It can be super rewarding and the diamond is almost always out there in the rough. Good luck!
 
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nasko

Adventurer
One thing I can add is that I have had good luck when I bought a vehicle from a person that I enjoyed communicating with. On the opposite, if the seller gave me bad vibes the vehicle purchased showed surprises afterwards. Buying from the first owner has been good to me. Buying a used car has an element of luck involved, but as pointed above an inspection by professionals decreases the risks.
 

rcintx

Adventurer
1. Find a friend who has an older car you like, and has taken good care of it.
2. Talk that friend into buying a new vehicle.
3. Buy their old vehicle knowing it was relatively well taken care of.

That's at least how I got my last truck. My buddy just had to have a new truck. I purchased his old truck for what he was offered in trade in and we both were very happy with the deal. I was able to pay cash for a nice F150 4x4 with less than 80k miles on the odometer.

:victory:
 

hove102

Adventurer
One thing I can add is that I have had good luck when I bought a vehicle from a person that I enjoyed communicating with. On the opposite, if the seller gave me bad vibes the vehicle purchased showed surprises afterwards. Buying from the first owner has been good to me. Buying a used car has an element of luck involved, but as pointed above an inspection by professionals decreases the risks.

x2 to this! Nothing is worse than dealing with a seller who either doesn't care, seems disinterested, or makes you feel like you're wasting their time by looking at their car. The best person to deal with is someone who knows at least the basics about their vehicle, knows how it's been taken care of, and is open and honest about the vehicle itself and why they're selling it. Also, if a seller makes it very hard to communicate with them, or never responds to my interest in the vehicle, I usually write off the vehicle because I know it probably wouldn't be worth my time to try and see it.
 

FordGuy1

Adventurer
When it comes to price its simple. Know what it properly books for, and don't include a credit for low mileage because nobody cares, used cars are at a all time high in value, and my motto, buy what you want, pay what you need to, and that way , you will cry only once(paying for it) not every-time you look at what you bought and wished you spent the money for what you really wanted.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
Determine ahead of time what your needs / wants / red flags are. Determine ahead of time whether or not cosmetic stuff matters to you. Come prepared to get on the ground and look under the vehicle for damage, scrapes, leaks etc. Tarp, bright flashlight etc. Demand a road test, preferably with you yourself at the wheel. No road test, no purchase.

Learn what things to look out for mechanically, sights, sounds, smells. What different tread wear patterns mean. What failing bearings and brakes sound like. The various problem noises of an internal combustion engine. Take a good look at the steering and suspension linkages and lubrication points, do they look like they've been serviced properly? Smell the oil, the trans fluid, look into the radiator. Look at the condition of the belt(s). These are all strong indicators of how things have been maintained. If everything else BUT these things looks like crap, be suspicious that potential problems have been masked by a freshening up.

I looked for a used Suburban for most of last year. After reviewing several I got a feel for the fair price range brackets and what to expect in each year range in terms of wear, condition etc. I also did a good bit of research on the recalls and known foibles within the class of vehicles I was looking at, then shaped my target range to suit those issues and my limited budget.

Then I got serious about looking and paid for one of the carfax package deals so I could run several vehicles, and started driving to hell and gone to look at 4wd Subs that fit my criteria.
Found a nice 2004 that fit all my needs and wants but they wanted max blue book plus. And wouldn't negotiate at all. So much for that one. Eventually I found a good deal on my 2002 and struck a good deal on the price. I bought it in November but it took over five months to finally pry all the legal transfer documents and title out of them. Try to avoid used car dealers if you can.
 

Rachmaninoff

Observer
Yeah, dealers seem to just want to suck every dime that they can out of you.

Which pisses me off. Hence, I'm going to save a lot more money by being patient and starting to look NOW and learning about what to look for from a private party.

It is driving me a bit nuts that used vehicles do seem to be high right now.

Also... Maintenance is kind of a big deal. I'll need to know, of course, that I'm not going to have major bills right away, and secondly that I can manage to fix a good portion of things myself.
 

FordGuy1

Adventurer
Being that I work at a dealer, yes, we are going to make as much as we can just like every other market, the one difference is every used car is different and can bring different amounts of profit based on its value to a person, and people will pay top dollar for what they want. With that being said, don't try and buy a used car that has just hit the market or front line of a dealer, we are going to want to make gross when a car is fresh, once it hit 60days, most dealers will be ready to sell it close to what they are in it.
 

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