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Forum -> Household Management -> Finances
Help me buy a car...any suggestions welcome!



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amother
Babyblue


 

Post Thu, Jun 02 2016, 10:04 am
I need a second car to commute to work. It has to hold up well and be able to travel long distances (70 miles/day) so it needs to have low mileage and not be too many years old. New cars are way out of my budget so I'm looking at used cars. A 4-door sedan-type car is good, nothing too big. No minivan, SUV, etc. Another important factor is that it doesn't use up gas so fast. Commuting costs a fortune and I feel like my present car guzzles a ton of gas. I was told that buying a car that was a rental car is not a good idea because rental cars take a lot of abuse. Do you know if that's true?
I checked out AutoLenders and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience buying from them. Their radio ads are great and their inventory is huge.
On the other hand, do I want to buy from a dealer (Honda, Toyota, etc.) that sells pre-owned? Or are they more expensive because they are direct dealers?
When is the best time to buy a car? I'm not in a rush, I can wait a few months if necessary.

Please suggest types of cars and maybe places you were happy buying from.

TIA!
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amother
Babyblue


 

Post Sat, Jun 04 2016, 7:02 pm
Bump
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m+m




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jun 04 2016, 9:05 pm
Can you lease? Leasing companies have great deals on small cars.

The good thing about leasing is that you give it back before its old and starts causing problems. When you buy a 4 year old car at some point things begin to break and require costly maintenance.

I agree buying a used rental is a bad idea. Rental cars take a ton of abuse.
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ruchelbuckle




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 05 2016, 5:39 am
Leased cars usually have mileage restrictions-- I don't see that as a realistic option for someone who has such a long commute

If you have a few months then I would just keep your eyes out for good deals on small commuter cars: Toyota Corolla is very popular, Nissan Versa, Ford Focus, etc... I see a lot of Hyundais around here as well-- the smaller sedan is very popular.

I don't know where your are getting your information that rental cars take a lot of abuse. That's probably a huge generalization. Rental cars are are pretty well inspected between each customer AND retired from fleet with fairly low mileage. Unless you have statistics or other hard proof to back up the claim, I wouldn't worry about it too much and would include those in your search.
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amother
Blue


 

Post Sun, Jun 05 2016, 6:47 am
People with Toyotas seem to be happy with their choice as a long term commuter car. Depending on your size and stamina, you may be better off with a camry which has a more comfortable drive than a corolla/versa type car which isn't as comfortable for long drives.

As far as rental cars, it depends. Most of what dealers are selling 2-3 yr old cars, are off-lease. People who lease do not take care of their cars any better than renters.

If you have time to wait, ask a trusted dealer to look for a really low mileage fleet car for you, I know people who have gotten 3 year old cars with 10k miles on it that way. Big savings in the long run that way, especially for a commuter.
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amother
Blue


 

Post Sun, Jun 05 2016, 6:48 am
People with Toyotas seem to be happy with their choice as a long term commuter car. Depending on your size and stamina, you may be better off with a camry which has a more comfortable drive than a corolla/versa type car which isn't as comfortable for long drives.

As far as rental cars, it depends. Most of what dealers are selling 2-3 yr old cars, are off-lease. People who lease do not take care of their cars any better than renters.

If you have time to wait, ask a trusted dealer to look for a really low mileage fleet car for you, I know people who have gotten 3 year old cars with 10k miles on it that way. Big savings in the long run that way, especially for a commuter.
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amother
Salmon


 

Post Sun, Jun 05 2016, 6:53 am
Dh was in this situation a few years ago. We went with a 4 door toyita yaris. Low on milage. Sturdy. Great drive and small but big enoigh if he needs to give someone a ride or kids...fits 2 kids in back. Drives nicer than Honda fit.
We financed a 5 year finance. It was brand new. Payment is 250 a month about. I put down a little but as well I think.
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amother
Royalblue


 

Post Sun, Jun 05 2016, 9:14 am
We bought a rental van because rental companies maintain their fleet very well. The van lasted us over 10 years with very heavy usage and went over 220k miles (last couple of years we had a lot of repairs and finally decided it wasnt worth repairing anymore)
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