How do you buy a car?

amother

Mon, Oct 27 2008, 4:20 pm

We need to get another car. I wasn't expecting to, but we won't fit in our current car (we only have 1) in a few months. So we need a minivan, just to get around since I'll have 3 little kids under school age.

Up until now we've inherited cars, so thetrade in value of our current one is virtually non-existant. How do I research cars, what do I look for and how do things work in the car market? I don't even know where to begin. I really need a step by step run through how to go about this.

Here are some ?'s:

1) new vs used

2) how do afford a new car

3) how do I even know what I want or nee in a car?

4) any other advice you can give???

Leah254

Mon, Oct 27 2008, 4:30 pm

We just bought a car about 5 months ago. My husband did most of the work and research it was a pain in the neck but worth it in the end. We got a 2003 Tayota Camry from a Honda Dealer for 10,000 which was a great deal. you need to ask yourself some questions
1. How much can you put as a down payment?
2. To pay the rest you can take a loan, but you need to figure out how much you can afford to spend per month. Make sure the interest isnt too high either.
In general
- japanese cars are better than american (Honda, Toyota, Nissan)
- Make sure if it's used that you know where it was before and how much wear and tear it had. Also it depends where it was, if it's a car in NY they get used and worn a lot more.
- you can ALWAYS bargain down car dealers, they try to drive you nuts but in the end they really want to make a deal so you have the upper hand.
- if its used have the car checked out by a mechanic to be sure that it's in good condition

that's all I can think of for now, you can PM me if you have more questions

sky

Mon, Oct 27 2008, 5:32 pm

It depends what your needs are.

My car was bought from a government auction over 5 years ago (cars used by the American army). It was a '99 and was bought with 40,000 miles. I paid 4000 for it and it runs great. The thing with auctions is that you can't check out the cars before hand and they are most likely American cars but with a government auction you at least know that the car was taken care of. I figured even if the car needed a new transmission I was still coming out ahead. If you are interested in such a thing you can look for an auction near you.

I know people who have bought cars on craigslist (I sold a car on there but never bought). Just be sure you have the car checked by a mechanic you trust.

If you are going to be using the car for a lot of driving then you would want something very trustworthy like a Toyota (my husband puts about 40,000 miles on his a year. We just sold his last one with 275,000 miles and it was still going strong)

I personally would not buy a new car because the resale value falls tremendously when you drive it off the lot. But if the status of a new car is important to you then it may be worth it. Just shop around. My brother wanted to buy a new car and sent an e-mail to a bunch of Toyota dealers in the area that he wanted a Camry for $x and that he already had financing from his bank for x% interest. He asked if anybody could match it. One dealer came back with a lower price and a better finance deal so he went with that.

Also, if you are buying a car from a frum used car dealer call a rav, or someone on the bais din in town. They can advice you if somebody is not honest in their dealings and if they see him a lot because of disagreements. We did that and got very good advice about who to deal with and we were never sorry. It is an easy phone call and can save you a lot of time.

Good Luck.

greenfire

Mon, Oct 27 2008, 5:44 pm

in looking at a minivan the middle seats can be one bench or 2 captains seats - get the 2 it will save you the aggravation of kids arguing over space ...

you can stretch payments over 5 years to make lower monthly payments ...

make sure a reliable mechanic you know and trust looks over the car ...

and don't be afraid to ask how much they'll deduct for your current car as a "trade in" - they get monies off junk vehicles for parts ...

OldYoung

Tue, Oct 28 2008, 9:44 am

Buying on craigslist can be a hassle and take a little bit of time, but definitely worth it in the end because you could end up with a good deal. I would say that it's worth it to browse first, just to see how much cars are going for in general. Just some tips that I've heard from dh which sounded good to me, at least-

If you're buying a used car from a dealer, keep in mind that the price that the dealer is asking for may be more than you would pay from a private individual. The dealer wants to make a profit on the car, the individual will ask for the value of the car, but not necessarily profit.

If you don't know a whole lot about cars, make sure to have anything that's used checked out by a good mechanic before you buy it.

Speak to a mechanic first to find out if there are any particular cars he would recommend buying and any that he'd recommend staying away from- that will help narrow down your search.

When buying used, check out the history of the car by going to carfacts.com.

Hashem_Yaazor

Tue, Oct 28 2008, 11:06 am

Are you keeping your current car or not?
My opinion is that if you'll have 2 cars, you can get an American car for cheaper...even if it needs to be in the shop every once in a while, you do have a backup car. If you're not, it might be worth it to get a Japanese car (Toyota or Honda are said to have the best engines) since you really need to rely on it.
As far as affording it, get a used. If you have any question of how to pay, it's not worth it to get a new one. Cars depreciate in value as soon as they're driven off the lot.
Auctions are good, but they don't tend to have as many minivans.
Regarding seating: personally, we chose to get an 8 seater so it will last us longer. Our Toyota Sienna's middle seat is 3 full seats so there is no fighting over space, and you can also remove it if you want some walking space until you need it.
Dodge Caravans and Chevy Ventures (though those are no longer made -- not sure about the Uplander which replaced the Venture) you can switch to 8 seaters later on, but not the Japanese models.
If you don't plan on keeping your current car, find out how much it's worth...see if you can trade it in to get some value.
Right now actually happens to be exactly the right time to get a used Toyota because the new season's stuff has been brought out, so dealers are getting last year's old stuff from rentals, etc. Before Sukkos last year we were looking at a van that was $17,500 and we didn't think it was worth it. At the beginning of November, it went down to $16,900 and we bought it. (unless it was 17,9 and 16,5 -- but I think that is too large a jump; I don't recall)
Also, you're at the advantage of not needing it right now due to not having transportation. Use time to your advantage to research cars, deals, and negotiation.

Hatzlacha!

BennysMommy

Tue, Oct 28 2008, 11:25 am

If you buy used, check the carfax report. www.carfax.com It will tell you how many owners the car has had and how many accidents it's been in. (obviously a minor accident that wasn't reported won't be there)

I suggest buying used from a private owner, not a dealer. You can get a much better deal.

The owner must let your mechanic check out the car before you buy it! My brother brought a car to our mechanic and was told it's great, just the paint was touched up in the back...meaning the car was once bumped in the rear. He said it was no big deal.

I would only buy a car if it had one owner and was not in any major accidents. You have to also check that the mileage is low compared to the year of the car. If it's suspiciously low ask the owner why. It may have been only used by his 70 year old grandma to go to the bank and supermarket once a week. That would be ideal:) Buying a car from out of the city is also a better idea since there is usually much less wear and tear. Also, if the car was used mainly for travel and less in the city it's better. Highway miles don't do as much damage to the car.

You may also want to consider if it gets good gas mileage and also how expensive the parts are when you may need to replace them.

I bought my first car on craigslist and was very very happy with it!

Hashem_Yaazor

Tue, Oct 28 2008, 12:13 pm

Just wanted to add to the carfax thing -- don't rely on it too much. I saw one car with a clear carfax history, with a bashed in fender. Who knows how many things are unreported?!
SO:
Check it out on carfax: if clear
THEN
Check it out with the mechanic.
You have to do both!

(BennysMom, it's worth it to go to a dealer if 1)you need monthly financing 2)you can trade in your car)