I'm in the process of buying a used car. I'd like to hear some success stories and also some not so success stories.

Roko

Bought a 84 Cavalier with 140,000+ miles on it for 200 bucks. 40,000 miles later, I sold it for 500 bucks..lol

That's pretty good, assuming there wasn't a lot of expenses in between.

I bought a 91 Honda Accord with 156,000 on it at an auction for 225.00 still runs awesome with 216,000 miles on it now 30 miles per gallon !

jeez, i'd like to get a reliable car for a few hundred bucks...but all that i'm encountering are flippers on craigslist that are selling @ inflated prices..

roco

Take advantage of the GM and Chyrsler fiasco and buy new at les than dealer cost !

do not

and i repeat

do not buy a cavalier

if you buy a used car get something foreign

thats my advice....story wise:

i owned 5 used cavaliers...in 3 years...there ya go

IMO, "steer" (get it) clear of the new model Volkswagen Beetle..Those things are a POS. Daughter has one we bought used from a dealer in AZ. Good grief, we've replaced the water pump and the now the compressor doesn't work..

Be really careful of the Craiglist deals, I have heard of people cleaning up vehicles that have been caught in the flooding, etc., and posting them as really good deals on Craigslist, etc., and people who buy end up with huge headaches. I think you should go through a dealer if you can, then you have someone to go after if it gives you problems. Some people fall into really good deals at a cheap price, but they are pretty rare. Good luck.

damn dude! you didn't learn your lesson after the 2nd or 3rd cavalier?

Take a friend with u, preferable a very good mechanic friend

Thanks for everyone's input. I will take everyone's comment into consideration. Thanks again.

Roko

I have a 94 Cavalier I bought from a Christian dealership, haven't had a problem with yet. I bought maybe five monthes ago.

Before that I had a 93 Olds Cutlass, it had a gas leak and would have cost more to fix thand the car was worth

Before that I had a 94 Dodge Shadow with the same problem.

Before that I had a 94 Buick Century, my first car. I got it for sale by owner. It ran great no problems for about four years, then the transmission started to slip. I ended up totaling the car.

got a friend who does their own car work? take them along to help check it out. get a single owner with high mileage from an owner who kept service records. check to see that major stuff like the timing belt, exhaust, brake rotors, and water pump have been done as well as regular oil and radiator.

get the carfax report. steer clear of salvaged vehicles.

are they honest about any fender bender the car has had? did they have a recent accident in it? you or your friend may be able to see the signs. test drive and try everything.

i'd generally go for something with about 70,000 to 100,000 mi., a good service history and a model with good reliability as reported by consumers reports etc. often mid to higher end vehicles depreciate the most and represent the best value.

i have purchased or helped my friends purchase good used vehicles at very reasonable prices. if you get one which has been regularly serviced and you continue it then it is likely to be good for another 10-15 years and another 150,000 mi.

on the other hand, with all the problems that carmakers are having now it is likely to be one of the best times in recent memory to buy a new car pretty soon.

I have had a few dodges never had any luck with em.

I have had a few buicks,and olds I had good luck with them.



had a few fords never had any luck with them.


had some chevys,I love chevys so thats what I stick with.


but it truly depends on the person and who likes what.

one more thing,if they wont let ya test drive it,leave it behind,and if possible if u aint a mechanic or dont know what to listen for,look for.

bring someone who does.


I aint no mechanic but I do know enough to get me around most areas.

but have been screwed times before,which is why I now bring someone who knows a bit more then I do.

I got this car 6 years ago & all it needed was front brake pads, other than that change the oil & put gas in it!

If you can't bring a mechanic friend with you, ask if you can drive the car to a shop and have them look it over if you're serious about the car. They'll usually do it for free or next to nothing. (At least when I did that...) I always have pretty good luck with car purchases. (All my vehicles are foreign.)

kind of like women...huh

Be careful buying the Chevy Impala, this one has been a complete money pit. One thing after another. Its a strong running car, great gas mileage and roomy but they have problems.