How long will this car last?

Question

So I'm trying to buy my first car, and I found a Chevy Beretta.

The problem is it has 200,4xx miles on it.

Now, how many more miles would you say it'll last? Is it worth $750?

Answer 1

It depends on how well it's been maintained, but it probably won't last very long.  Maybe a couple of years.  My first car (an 87 Mazda 323) had right at 200k on it when I got it.  It lasted for 3 years and 50,000 miles but I had a lot of trouble out of it.  My current car was bought with 160k and now has 224.  It was fine until I got to about 200k, then the problems began.  Most experts will say that cars can last forever if properly maintained, but that you should also consider every mile you get after 200k as "free miles" because that thing's already made it past its expected lifetime.

Check underneath it for rust, and make sure all the big stuff (including A/C) works.  Check under the hood for funky smells, leaks, grime, broken hoses, worn belts, loose wires, etc.  Have somebody watch the tailpipe while the car's running to see if any black or white smoke comes out.  With 200k, I would definitely take that thing to a trusted independent mechanic and have them inspect it for $40 or so and tell you what's wrong with it before I buy  It's well worth it if it saves you from getting a piece of junk.  My first car was rusted so badly it was literally crumbling on me the whole time I had it.  At one point, the gearshift even fell through the floor, and a brake line rusted through and nearly got me killed!

That said, $750 doesn't sound like such a bad price if the car has no major mechanical problems and you just need something to learn to drive on and get a part time job to save for something better.  Look it up over on www.kbb.com and see what the blue book value is.  Just don't count on it to last you forever.

Good luck.  Congratulations on the first car!

Answer 2

It's pretty well killed, and it's pretty well free.  So, to ask us if it's "worth it" is kind of splitting hairs.   The risk of buying this car is very, very ,very low.  That's all anybody can really say.

The scrap value (to be crushed) is $500.  So if you promise not to fix anything, the most you can lose on it is $250.

P.S. I typed this before I saw McCoy's answer.  What on earth is the risk?   Ooooh, what a huge risk!  I spent $750!  This could be terrible!

Answer 3

Wow. It has lasted about 75,000 more miles than any other Beretta I've ever known. I hardly ever see them on the road any longer.

Berettas were not known for being reliable, solid vehicles. They rattled like crazy, overheated often, and were underpowered.

$750? Possibly. But only if the current owner can prove it has been maintained properly. I wouldn't expect maybe more than another year or two of life out of it.  

Answer 4

maybe .. and you never know but it is close to its end

Answer 5

you never know how long it will last

i would ask the owner for service records to see if it is well taken care of.  it has high miles so you might want a mechanic to look at it.  

Answer 6

Even at only $750 you are taking a huge risk buying a Chevy Baretta with over 200k miles on it.

These were not good cars when they wre brand new.  They were unreliable and build quality was really poor.

You won't go 3 months without needing your first major repair.