Buying a car?

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Well, I am almost ready to do it. I have been saving money and almost have enough for a down payment. I want to buy a car.

What kinds of things should I be looking for, is anyone better than another, I need all the advice I can get.

I will be taking along a guy to look at the mechanical stuff but would like to know what I am getting myself into. Thanks.

-- Melinda (speciallady104@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002

Answers

TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA

I have a Previa van. Just under 300,000 miles and NO major problems EVER.

I love it.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.


I have a 97 ford with the tritan v8 , excellant motor 188,000 no poblems.Also have 2 toyotas with 250,000 plus .Look in door jams , inside bottoms of door , wheel wells for rust .Look for leaks or recent repairs .Ask for details.Whine and tell them a sad story if neceasary to get the truth.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Honda, unless you're looking for a truck, then Toyota.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), May 02, 2002.

Melinda,

I am very fond of General Motors products. Their quality is just fine, despite the other posts here. I have had great success with GM cars...and parts, if ever needed are

If you are buying new GM or Ford, let me offer this to you: Bob Poynter in Seymour. You will NOT beat their price on new cars. The Indy metro dealers Hate Bob Pynter GM and Ford because they sell for so much less. And yes, when you stop in, ask for Bob Poynter, the owner, and he himself will make the deal on your car. They have a 1-800 #; if you want it, email me.

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), May 02, 2002.


Melinda,

I am very fond of General Motors products. Their quality is just fine, despite the other posts here. I have had great success with GM cars...and parts, if ever needed are EASY AND CHEAP.

If you are buying new GM or Ford, let me offer this to you: Bob Poynter in Seymour. You will NOT beat their price on new cars. The Indy metro dealers Hate Bob Pynter GM and Ford because they sell for so much less. And yes, when you stop in, ask for Bob Poynter, the owner, and he himself will make the deal on your car. They have a 1-800 #; if you want it, email me.

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), May 02, 2002.



We have always had great success with a Buick... motors last a long time, and no troubles.

Are you buying new or used?? Don't be afraid to walk out if you are not getting a good deal... Often they will call you back to change their offer. Look up bluebook prices on the internet, gives you some bargaining room.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), May 02, 2002.


Just a used car. I am getting a $2200.00 loan from an organization and all I have to come up with is a $500.00 down payment. I need something reliable that isn't going to breakdown constantly. I know a guy who works on cars that can help me out a little.

-- Melinda (speciallady104@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

I haven't seen it mentioned here, but we had a Nissan stanza (first car we bought after we got married - for some reason Lance thought my 15 year old Monte Carlo wasn't reliable enough!). Anyway, I loved it. It drove well, and it still is - we sold it to one of the other firefighters, and it has over 200,000 miles on it now and still going pretty good, from what I hear.

If you find one that has been taken care of, things like oil changed regularly and such, you should be doing pretty good. I would look through the classifieds for an individual selling first if you can - they are usually less expensive, and that way you can meet the owner of the car. Sometimes just meeting the owner goes a long way to knowing whether or not you want the car!

Good luck, let us know what you get!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), May 02, 2002.


Buy American made!!!!!!!!!

-- DW (djwallace@sotc.net), May 02, 2002.

Melinda, the best money we have ever spent was having a used vehicle looked over by a mechanic. For $ 100.00 this mechanic looks over a vehicle and then gives you a booklet approx. 30 pages of what he has found wrong or right with the vehicle, he even takes pictures of the hard to see areas to help describe what he is showing us! His report helped us not to buy one vehicle that had a major problem that was covered up! The vehicle that we did buy he was impressed with the condition for the money, and was ready to purchase it if we didn't! A $ 100.00 is alot but is has been well spent for us. Just an idea as we have never bought any vehicle new, and we wear them out! Denise

-- Denise K. (Rabbitmom2@webbworks.com), May 03, 2002.


American made doesn't mean alot nowadays. Quite a few japanese cars are built in the US now. Many American model also use japanese engines, etc. It's been that way for a long time. Even in the 70s alot of American car parts came from Mexico or Canada.

A prime example is that there is no difference between a Chevy S-10, GMC Sonoma and Isuzu Pickup but the name plate and a few small cosmetics.

GM has used japanese engines in several of their cars for years.

I've always had American models mostly because I like rear-wheel drive F-body cars(camaro/transam) and the styling of GM trucks. It's not easy or typical to get 150,000 miles out of an American model without eventually putting more money in the vehicle than what it's really worth.

I've only owned 1 japanese vehicle, an Isuzu Amigo. It now has 172,000 miles, only problem was a new fuel pump at 165k. It doesn't leak a drop of oil out of the crank seals. It still idles at 75lbs oil pressure. I've never had an American engine last that long that good. The interior still looks very good, no fading, no dash cracks. Most american models use poor plastics in their interiors, though they've improved over the last decade.

Newer GM and Fords require special tools for many things where they really shouldn't and where japanese drivetrains don't.

It's very typical to get 200,000 out of a Toyota, Honda, Subaru or Izusu and still have a solid vehicle. You can do that with a Chevy or Ford but it's not common. Most American vehicles I've had start nickle and diming you to death after 100k. I've lost count of how many GM auto transmissions I've replaced, same with crank seals.

If I only had a few thousand to spend on a used vehicle for daily driving, it'd most likely be a japanese model.

Melinda, if you're using a creative financing department of a dealer, be very careful what you end up with. Many times that's where the poor quality cars get sold because they know people are in a bind and will just be happy to have a car. Dealers make quite a bit more markup percentage-wise on used cars than they do on new one. Salespeople many times get better commission on used than new also, so take your time and have your friend look over the vehicle carefully.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), May 03, 2002.


Ford is the most horrable car in the world right next to chevy and dodge. lets start with ford first. 2001 ford focus 1 week of owning it it needs a new radiator, its and automatic, but 1 month later it needs a new transmission. then it needs a new oil pump. so i just sold the car. it only had 8000 miles on it. next we explore the horrors of chevy.my friends 1999 cavalier brought brand new , after 1 month the motor blew, it ended in 4 new motor being installed, wasn't worth it. 2001 neon 2 blown motors,1985 dodge omni 8 new starters, 2 new motors,muffler keeps falling off for some reason. the only thing america knows how to build are v8's and even the break down all the time. my bosses 97 camaro has needed 2 alternators and its using the factory stereo,it always overheats,and leaks,the water hose breaks for some odd reason. my advice to you is dont buy an american car. if you want a long lasting car that has little to no problems get a toyota or honda, if you want a high performance car id go for a toyota supra, it has a stock 320hp its a 6cylinder car that produces more power than the new v8 mustang gt. mines has lasted over 250,000miles and it still runs. i just brought a used 96supra ive tuned the engine and it has 800hp.

-- ask me (importedrice@aol.com), September 04, 2002.

BUY TOYOTA,BUY TOYOTA,BUY TOYOTA,BUY TOYOTA Best cars ever. BUY TOYOTA,BUY TOYOTA,BUY TOYOTA,BUY TOYOTA No car can compete with it when it comes to reliability except honda/acura cars.

-- cant tell u (foo@bar.com), September 04, 2002.

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