Advice on buying a used car? (miles on engine question too)?

Question

This'll be the first time buying a car on my own. As such, i have no idea what to look for or how to judge what car is worth what. I'm looking for something relatively cheap in the $5,000-6 price range that will last me at least 5-7 yrs.

I've been eyeing a used year 2000 volkswagon jetta i saw for $5,000. The downside that i can see so far is that it has 150,000 miles on it. I don't drive more than alot of people. Pretty much to work, daycare for my kid and back. How much could i expect to get out of the engine? more than 200,000 miles? I drive maybe 1,000 miles a month

What other tips can you give me about buying used?

Answer 1

Someone put 150K on it in 8 years. That's 18,750 every year. He drives a lot. Probably thrashed it up a bit. You may get another four or five years out of it, but you'll spend a lot on repairs.

150,000 is when every service (every 3 months) costs a lot  -- because there is always something else to fix.

have an independent VW mechanic inspect it. Probably cost you $60 or $75, and it would be worth it. Remember, you have no idea what to look for.

Answer 2

For starters....VW's of any kind are not widely known for High milage dependability other than the old-school beetle...whereas a Car like the pre-02 Honda Accord / Civic / Camry are known to have in excess of 200k Miles and still run strong.

I still have the very first Honda I ever bought.. a 94 Accord EX Coupe Auto and it has 213k Miles on it and runs great and gets better MPG than most vehicles on the road to date.

Use sites like KBB / Autotrader / Cars.com / Craigslist to look for vehilces in your area and price range...then Carfax your top 3 Picks to see what their histories are.

From there...take your top pick to someone who you trust that can give you an UNBIASED opinion of how well the vehicle is made and the mechanical condition it is in....then get those keys and title and enjoy your new ride.

Just try to stay away from Domestics and some European cars....not that I am totally against them....its just probably best for your situation and what you are looking for in a Vehicle.

PS:  A simple Diagnostic will tell you nothing if no engine lights or codes are on....you actually have to have a MECHANICAL CHECK done to the car...to make sure the car is in order.

Good Luck!

C.Bond

Answer 3

A lot of times you can get a free diagnostic on a car and if you are buying from a private party then they should be willing to let you do that before buying. if they don't then RED FLAG get away from that car. Diagnostic will at least tell you how the car is holding up.

Answer 4

My advice is don't get a jetta. My friends had too and had problems with both of them. Look for a Honda. You should get a pretty good one for the money you want to spend. Always test drive before buying. Ask a friend(with some experience on buying cars) to go with you or ask the owner of the car if you can take it to be inspected by a mechanic. It might be some extra money but that way you will know if what you are buying is going to last you a while.

Answer 5

I guess you should also check insurance quotes for the car before buying one, for example here: http://carinsurance.yoll.net

Young drivers usually have much higher rates than others. And it depends from car.