Tips for buying my first car? ?

Question

I'd like a used car, cheaper than $6,000. I want something that is fuel efficient and safe. I know I might be asking for too much but I'd like to know what are some good cars out there for that price. Also, what should I know when I buy my car? I want a small 4/5 person car since I'll be using it for my personal use (traveling to work, shopping, camping, etc).

Answer 1

My first car is a 1998 jetta!! its a great little car that is very reliable and fuel efficient. If not try honda or toyota. Now if you'd like to have a little luxury, look for maybe a volvo, SAFEST car in the world! Theres a lot of cars out there, try craigslist, or autotrader.com or cars.com

Answer 2

nissan sentra, mitsu lancer and mazda protege are in that category and can be had for a nice price with decent miles.  there's one in the paper here right now.  98 protege, 52K 3100.

Answer 3

Log onto CarMax. You can look up cars by price range, MPG, size, color, make or model. That way you can see what is out there for what you are willing to pay....and you'll get a better understanding of what to look for when you get ready to drive away.

http://www.carmax.com/

Answer 4

The most important thing when buying a used car is to see proof that it was maintained properly.  A car that was babied but was neglected in maintenance will have more problems than a car that wad driven hard my some kid but maintained on schedule.

Answer 5

Use websites like cars.com, autotrader.com to find out what is available in your price range.  

Remember that car dealers make more money off used cars then new cars.  With the recent gas crisis and adjustments in resale values, getting accurate values for cars is difficult.  I like to use Edmunds to research cars and ask quesitons.  They also have articles on how to buy cars: http://www.edmunds.com/caradvice.html.  I would suggest reading these articles to prepare yourself.

Alos here is a link to a forum where experts can tell you the TRUE value of the car you are interested in buying.  the folks on that forum are car salemen who buy used cars for their dealership.  Follow the information they ask for near the bottom of the page:  http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.e...

Good luck