Hoping I can get some wise advice on buying a used car as I know absolutely nothing about cars. I currently have a 2003 VW beetle which I bought used with about 70K miles on it. It was not a good buy for me because I live on the east coast with snow and discovered that it just does not work for me.
This year, I really need a practical SUV to get work and back. My budget is about 10K, as I hope to buy the car outright and not have a car payment. I was thinking a Honda CRV because I've heard those are fairly reliable, but in doing my research the average price they are going for in my area: for a 2006-2008 with 100,000 miles is about 9-10K.
Is that reasonable? Should I take out a car payment and get something newer? I really didn't want to finance a car obviously but I want to make a smart decision. I'm on my own this year, so keep the VW beetle is just not an option, as I won't have a second car to get around in in the snow.
I have a 6 month emergency fund, and I'm funding my 401K, and the only debt I have is 7000 left on my student loan. Thoughts? Would welcome other car suggestions too from the folks that dwell in the snow
That's rhetorical - of course they don't. Lots of people get by just fine with plain old cars. I would strongly suggest you consider getting a good pair of snow tires for your Beetle (instead of just relying on the "No Season" tires), and I think you'll find it more than adequate for your transportation needs. Besides, there are really only 2-3 days per winter when traction is actually an issue (i.e., in the midst of a snow storm). The rest of the time, the roads are relatively clear. During those storm days, you could either work from home, carpool, take public transit, or if you must, drive into work, being extra-careful (but with the added benefit of snow tires).
I would at least try that for a winter, before going through the hassle and expense of switching vehicles, particularly to one that's going to cost more to own/repair/operate/fuel/insure, and with at best marginally increased utility.
I tried the Beetle last winter and it did not work. On days when there was marginal snow with good tires, the beetle still got stuck, and one time spun out of control. Getting a car better suited for winter is a must. I was stuck for 3 weeks last winter because the car is very low to the ground, and even when there is not very much snow, if the side roads aren't clear there is no moving.
newb wrote:need a practical SUV to get work and back. My budget is about 10K, as I hope to buy the car outright and not have a car payment. I was thinking a Honda CRV because I've heard those are fairly reliable, but in doing my research the average price they are going for in my area: for a 2006-2008 with 100,000 miles is about 9-10K.....
I have a 6 month emergency fund, and I'm funding my 401K, and the only debt I have is 7000 left on my student loan. Thoughts? Would welcome other car suggestions too from the folks that dwell in the snow
I used USAA.com's car buying service when I shopped around for a car. The best time to buy I believe is October because the new 2017 models will hit the market. Look past your area and start using online searches. The best way to find the car you want is to narrow it down to exact model you want.
The reason for wanting a SUV however is overstated. Everyone currently wants a SUV which makes their price higher. There are a ton of other options besides that. For one I bought a 2012 VW Passat in Feb 2014 for $12.5k and under 40k miles. During snow it immediately starts traction control and warns me of ice on the roads. The resell value on my Passat is still around 10k and it is half-way paid off. I am now around 65k miles without any major issues.
An SUV or car with 100k miles on it is asking for trouble. Any major issue with the engine, transmission, suspension, etc will set you back very quickly. Also if you need to fix the vehicle and cannot afford it... dont expect to be able to sell it.
newb wrote:I tried the Beetle last winter and it did not work. On days when there was marginal snow with good tires, the beetle still got stuck
Good "all season" tires, or good snow tires? I said snow tires. Specifically for winter. November comes around, you swap off your "all season" tires and put on winter tires. It makes a real difference.
Why would your Beetle be any lower to the ground than any other car? Have you modified the suspension? That will affect it's trade-in value.
Since you have responded that you tried the VW Beetle in the snow and had issues and are pretty much done with it, I won't argue with you to keep the Beetle even though I drove a VW Dasher for four years in Buffalo winters on days when four wheel drive trucks were littering the ditches, because I also realize some cars just stink in the snow. So, the point is why an SUV? Part of the problem is when you look at an SUV, you will pay extra for all wheel or four wheel drive, extra for gas, extra for insurance, extra because it is an "in-demand" vehicle for the area, etc. and it's likely bigger than you actually need. Just the tires are going to be "extra" on a number of SUVs as compared to many smaller vehicles so be aware of that. Also, please don't think four wheel drive or an SUV is some sort of license to drive as if the weather doesn't matter or that it allows you to go anywhere at anytime or that you can't get stuck, that's what got most of those folks in ditches back in Buffalo, it wasn't the vehicle's fault most of the time IMHO. So if you don't need such a large vehicle, you may want to consider smaller with more clearance such as a number of the cross-overs. I've heard good things about Subaru's with all wheel drives, as another vehicle option that is pretty good in the snow as an alternative.
Other than that I've found that often when "used" car shopping, it helps to let people around you know you are in the market for a used, decent car, of the type you want. This could also expand your options if you aren't hung up on a specific model, you can just put the word out you are looking for a reliable SUV or all wheel drive vehicle on the smaller side. I've gotten some of my best buys on vehicles I hadn't thought about via that method because many folks don't want to deal with the "public" or the dealer if they can get near to what they want with someone with cash to buy (e.g. I once paid a few hundred over what the dealer offered someone on trade-in, they made more than they planned, I paid way below blue book, and all were happy). Still, always remember it's a money transaction and your money so you should always have the car checked out by a mechanic you trust (generally that will cost you $100-200) and I do recommend carfax (something like $30-45 a month) because even the nicest people may be selling their cousin's car from Louisiana that got caught in the flooding (I found one like that that appeared to be a good deal but really wasn't) or that pulling to the left you are feeling when test driving it is because the car was totaled and has a reclaimed title on it after they "fixed" it (you may still decide to buy it, but forewarned is forearmed). Finally, I always figure you will drop one to two thousand in the first year on something with the car, after all, it is used and they are selling it for a reason. So I include that consideration when buying.
With respect to what will work and what is reasonable for you, I would ask how many miles a year you normally put on a vehicle or expect to put on the vehicle. It makes a difference if you are driving city traffic or highway, etc. For example, I currently live near to where I work, I'm more suburban/country and highway driving and I put low mileage on vehicles, so I don't have an issue buying a car with 100K miles because I figure I'll get a minimum of five years out of it and generally get way more than that. However when I had a longer commute and was more in a city environment I wanted a newer used vehicle and would be looking for something with no more than 40K miles on it and preferably less, which generally drives the price up. You're comfort zone may vary, but you have to make that decision. Best of luck.
An HRV is a decent compromise to a full size SUV. I would say an HR-V would be an even better fit as a small crossover with decent gas mileage, but seeing as how they are new this year and you want a used car...
I was thinking a Subaru as well, but you wouldn't be saving any money if you got a Subaru crossover vs a Honda crossover and the gas mileage of the used models are almost identical, so it would just come down to your personal preference.
I agree with a previous comment in that I wouldn't want to buy used anything with 100k miles on it, unless I really couldn't afford anything else. You could easily spend the first couple years of ownership with thousands of dollars in maintenance costs, unless you can verify thorough a mechanic that they have already been done.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I do think you are right that buying a car with 100,000 miles is asking for trouble - even though I don't really drive that far. A friend gave me a suggestion of buying from enterprise or hertz - and I'm considering getting something other than an SUV that would just work better in the snow with snow tires.
I appreciate the advice. If anyone has any good car recommendations I'll take those too as I'm pretty clueless when it comes to vehicles. I just know that the VW beetle does not work for me.
i've driven a grand am in the rocky mountains for the last 15 years and never been in the ditch.
my sister had a subaru legacy and they got rid of it because their elantra drove better in the snow.
I also have 2 land cruisers, but often take the grand am up to the mountains.
You most likely don't need a new car. I get that you don't want to adapt, but don't take out a loan. what about a corolla, get some steel rims and studded snow tires?
avoid rental cars like the plague - people drive them differently than if they were their own, spill and fill oil changes etc. 100k is just getting started these days....I wouldn't be too worried about it....
Bichon Frise
"If you only have 1 year to live, move to Penn...as it will seem like an eternity."
avocado wrote:
Good to see you back, I was starting to miss your incisive commentary!
Thought I'd post an update since everyone was so helpful. I ended up getting a 2009 Honda CRV with 57000 miles for 12,500. And, I did not take out a car loan. I budgeted like crazy and also dipped into my emergency fund. But I'll be working to build that back up now - and will be cutting any extra spending.
The car is in great condition, and should last me a while because I plan on taking good care of it. I know I didn't 100% listen to advice of everyone but I do appreciate your perspectives, and I did not take out a car payment
Congratulations. Hopefully it will effortlessly give you another 100k miles. I'm still waffling back and forth between an HRV and Toyota Rav4 (CRV's too big for me, but everyone I've known that's owned one, raves about it).
Trade it in on the new one, or private sale and used that cash to buy the new one?
I plan on selling it privately.
LMoot wrote:Congratulations. Hopefully it will effortlessly give you another 100k miles. I'm still waffling back and forth between an HRV and Toyota Rav4 (CRV's too big for me, but everyone I've known that's owned one, raves about it).
Thank you! I really like it so far, it drives effortlessly, and with proper care and maintenance I plan to drive it for a long time. I had a hard time deciding between the CRV and the RAV-4. Ultimately went with what I thought looked better lol. Haven't heard much about the HRV but the RAV-4 gets good reviews also.
Funny but my first car was a VW bug; although it was rear wheel drive it went very well in the snow as the motor is over the rear wheels. I own a CRV and it is true they do better in the snow.
Not sure I'd trade a 70k car for a 100k car...
When CRVs need repairs it can be very expensive...
RayinPenn
“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.”
― Mark Twain
RayinPenn wrote:Funny but my first car was a VW bug; although it was rear wheel drive it went very well in the snow as the motor is over the rear wheels. I own a CRV and it is true they do better in the snow.
Not sure I'd trade a 70k car for a 100k car...
When CRVs need repairs it can be very expensive...
Perhaps it was just my VW Bettle? The ex bought it for me as a salvage and had it reconstructed so it was not really driving in tip top shape, and had two pretty major scares. One where it did a 360 in the rain (and I'm no speeder)...
In either case got a CRV with 56K miles - went a couple years older (2009) than what I was originally looking at to get lower miles. I'm having it inspected by a mechanic this weekend, before my 3 month warranty is up. I found a real good place, where the guy will sit me down and walk me through what my warranty means, and do a thorough inspection for 25$.
