# Tips on buying a used car



## saucy05 (Aug 23, 2015)

So I'm in the market for a used car after my fusion gave out on me. This time I want to buy something reliable and wouldn't mind paying extra for a peace of mind. Because I can not afford to be stuck with a lemon again.

I'm currently looking into a Prius, speciafcally Prius C. They are great on mpg and reliable cars but also nimble which can come in handy for parking (I also do food delivery).

I have been checking out a couple cars near me like these http://www.occhiefauto.com/compare-...ck_numbers[]=567261&stock_numbers[]=KZ-063318 They are offering them at around $10k for a 2014 Prius C around 40k miles. I looked at the blue book and they should be worth 12k. Are these too good to be true? Why would they offer them below the bb value?

Also, what percentage discount should I expect? Is it reasonable to offer 9k and buy it around $9500?

Overall I just want advice from people who have experience buying used cars. Like how long I should test drive it, what to look out for during signing the financing papers, etc..

Thanks


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## RynoHawk (Mar 15, 2017)

Narrow your choices down to a few favorites (2 or 3 maybe). If they don't provide one for free, purchase CarFax reports on the cars you chose. It will give you a history of the car, how many owners, where it was owned (for taking climate into consideration, etc.), accidents, maintenance done among other things. Pay close attention to what kind of title it has. Clean is good. Rebuilt or salvage is bad if you want to use for ride share. For Priuses, you want to take into consideration how old the battery is. 40K miles is still young for a Prius. $2k below Blue Book may be nothing to worry about if the seller wants to move it fast. I would take it for a test drive though to see how it drives, no check engine light or "red triangle of death", smells good, no bad exterior or interior damage, etc.

Also Google the make/model/year of customer and professional reviews of the cars you are looking at to see what other people think about it.


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## Skorpio (Oct 17, 2017)

Why dont you buy the standard Prius? Avoid Prius V, they are not good in MPG.
Prius C, too small and cargo space non-existant.

Also try to aim for about 100k miles, you will get a better price. The car can go up to 400k miles and beyond.. because you will drive mostly on electric.


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## saucy05 (Aug 23, 2015)

Skorpio said:


> Why dont you buy the standard Prius? Avoid Prius V, they are not good in MPG.
> Prius C, too small and cargo space non-existant.
> 
> Also try to aim for about 100k miles, you will get a better price. The car can go up to 400k miles and beyond.. because you will drive mostly on electric.


I've heard how fun it is driving the C compared to the regular Prius and it seems cheaper with better MPG. But like you said the cargo and back seat seem rather small for Ubering. Even though I have seen them zipping around my city with the uber logo on their windshield.

Is it worth paying 3k more for more room? Also at what point would 30k mile car be the more economically viable option compared to a 100k mile car? For example 2013 Prius with 100k miles at $11k vs 2013 Prius with 40k miles at $13.5K


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## RynoHawk (Mar 15, 2017)

saucy05 said:


> I've heard how fun it is driving the C compared to the regular Prius and it seems cheaper with better MPG. But like you said the cargo and back seat seem rather small for Ubering. Even though I have seen them zipping around my city with the uber logo on their windshield.
> 
> Is it worth paying 3k more for more room? Also at what point would 30k mile car be the more economically viable option compared to a 100k mile car? For example 2013 Prius with 100k miles at $11k vs 2013 Prius with 40k miles at $13.5K


I believe the warranty on the hybrid battery for Toyota is only good for 150k miles, so on one you are covered for another 110k miles while on the other only 50k which probably factors into the price as well as the general mileage depreciation. That being said, these cars have been known to hit 300k on the original batteries, esp. the gen2 and above.


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## sidemouse (Apr 2, 2017)

You want reliability... Fortunately vehicles have come a long ways in the past 40 years so when I hear about lemons I think about the fact that these are machines. As such mechanical devices go breakdowns and routine scheduled maintenance are part of the deal. Most often the cost can be calculated either by the hour or by the mile or a little of both but generally speaking you will have to spend money and time on these factors if you wish for the machine to stay operational in the long run.

The first step in buying a car is always seeing how much you can afford to pay, preferably in terms of cash upfront. Certainly it doesn't hurt to look at prices to see what you might be looking at, but if you're 'shopping' before doing a financial assessment that's likely putting the cart in front of the horse. I would suggest checking into how you're going to pay for it, because 10 thousand seems like an awful lot of money... You get into making payments, first they'll require full coverage insurance but also a steady income and last but not least your credit rating has to support it (and if it doesn't they'll either slap you with a higher interest rate or just deny you all together)...

Now I'll get into blue book real quick, if those cars are in fact a super deal then it is not likely they will give much if any kind of a discount, but again there's little in ways of this discussion if we don't cover the financial aspect first. Let me put it another way, once you can afford to pay for the car's full asking price then we can talk about discounts, don't do this the other way around please.


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## saucy05 (Aug 23, 2015)

Unfortunately what ever little saving I had I lost it during my last car buying adventure. But I don't mind paying for something I will eventually own. I was paying $800+ a month renting a car before I decided to get my own.

My credit is decent (in the 700+ last time I checked) but my only income is through uber which can be an issue with some dealers and banks who out right denied me when I told them what I planned on using it for.

Paying for some 100k miles corolla for $5k would probably be the most profitable route but I can't take a chance of being stuck with a lemon again. I'm willing to pay extra for a peace of mind and security.


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## sidemouse (Apr 2, 2017)

I do want to clarify I'm not trying to talk you out of it...

I used to have credit about like yours...
Long story short I want to help you make a sound choice, so you don't end up deeper in the hole.

What concerns me is your statement about the great fuel mileage. I am uncertain as to whether you have fully realized the expenses of running a hybrid. Perhaps you might talk to some Prius owners and see what they have to say, then you'll have a better idea of what you might be getting yourself into.


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## saucy05 (Aug 23, 2015)

sidemouse said:


> I do want to clarify I'm not trying to talk you out of it...
> 
> I used to have credit about like yours...
> Long story short I want to help you make a sound choice, so you don't end up deeper in the hole.
> ...


The car I rented for almost 2 years was a Prius so I have first hand experience of how reliable and good they can be on gas mileage. Even if the battery dies I know it won't cost more than 1k to replace it.

By the way thanks for the thorough advice.


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## cratter (Sep 16, 2017)

saucy05 said:


> They are offering them at around $10k for a 2014 Prius C around 40k miles. I looked at the blue book and they should be worth 12k. Are these too good to be true?


 For $5,000 more (base model. 3k off sticker with Hyundai instant rebates) you can buy a brand new 2018 Hyundai Elantra with a 10 year 100,000 mile (5 year 60,000 mile bumper to bumper) powertrain warranty that gets good gas mileage and no battery to ever worry about. I get about 40 mpg in eco mode combined city and highway. (Atkinson cycle engine is the same as hybrids without the battery).

That's more peace of mind to me than the used prius. A lot of factory warranties are massively reduced for the second owners.

If youre financing you'll likely get a lower APR on the new car too.


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## Snowblind (Apr 14, 2017)

All good advice, and I may chip in.
Do your Home work. Compare Websites, like:

www.cargurus.com
www.Autotrader.com
www.cars.com
www.truecar.com
www.carvana.com
www.craigslist.com
(I sold 4 Cars on craigslist.com and two on Ebay)

Narrow it down to 2-4 Vehicles. Absolutely invest in a Car Fax Report.
Most Dealers will send you the Report for free.
Great Credit (750 and higher) gets you a better financing deal, and more angle on negotiating a better price.
And, if it doesn't work out with a deal, don't be afraid to walk away from it. Some better deal might just be around the corner.
The best time to buy a car is around May according to TrueCar data.
YMMV.

One more thing: NEVER buy a brand new Car.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

2 grand under blue book is nothing... heck, its pretty much a given

Also, please recall that it's 2018 for purposes of model year already.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

Skorpio said:


> Why dont you buy the standard Prius? Avoid Prius V, they are not good in MPG.
> Prius C, too small and cargo space non-existant.
> 
> Also try to aim for about 100k miles, you will get a better price. The car can go up to 400k miles and beyond.. because you will drive mostly on electric.


I would take a shot at any Prius over 100k miles, they are almost invincible lol

ALso check your local cities, counties etc, often you can get them dirt cheap with 200-300k+ miles and they have been maintained and you can probably get them for 1500-2k, if anything major breaks down, just buy another one.



sidemouse said:


> You want reliability... Fortunately vehicles have come a long ways in the past 40 years so when I hear about lemons I think about the fact that these are machines. As such mechanical devices go breakdowns and routine scheduled maintenance are part of the deal. Most often the cost can be calculated either by the hour or by the mile or a little of both but generally speaking you will have to spend money and time on these factors if you wish for the machine to stay operational in the long run.
> 
> .


If you have a lemon you will find out within the first year

Also I run my fingers through every gap of the car and if it is smooth, its the original paint, if it has some bumps and it is rough it has been repainted. Some repairs don't show up on Carfax.



saucy05 said:


> Unfortunately what ever little saving I had I lost it during my last car buying adventure. But I don't mind paying for something I will eventually own. I was paying $800+ a month renting a car before I decided to get my own.
> 
> My credit is decent (in the 700+ last time I checked) but my only income is through uber which can be an issue with some dealers and banks who out right denied me when I told them what I planned on using it for.
> 
> Paying for some 100k miles corolla for $5k would probably be the most profitable route but I can't take a chance of being stuck with a lemon again. I'm willing to pay extra for a peace of mind and security.


If your credit is that good, and you are putting a nice deposit down, or have a trade in(sounds like you don't) NEVER EVER EVER tell them anything about Uber even if it is part time. Just put down Self employed or put your last employer info and whatever income it is, at least 35k in your price range. They are not going to call them anyway


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Kodyhead said:


> I would take a shot at any Prius over 100k miles, they are almost invincible lol
> 
> ALso check your local cities, counties etc, often you can get them dirt cheap with 200-300k+ miles and they have been maintained and you can probably get them for 1500-2k, if anything major breaks down, just buy another one.
> 
> ...


Its hardly great credit but aint particularly red-flaggy either, probably yeah call yourself self employed tell em musician or writer or something if they ask....


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

Adieu said:


> Its hardly great credit but aint particularly red-flaggy either, probably yeah call yourself self employed tell em musician or writer or something if they ask....


The key is the deposit it would be tough for many dealer to turn down


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

2011 acura mdx
Good for 2 years for Uber Select, Lyft Premier, UberXL, Lyft Plus


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## PHXTE (Jun 23, 2015)

saucy05 said:


> I've heard how fun it is driving the C compared to the regular Prius and it seems cheaper with better MPG. But like you said the cargo and back seat seem rather small for Ubering. Even though I have seen them zipping around my city with the uber logo on their windshield.


Fun and Prius C don't belong in the same sentence together. Prius C does 0-60 in 10.5 seconds which means you are quite literally the slowest thing on the road.

You'd be better off buying a regular Prius. You'll make the money back on the backend with the superior resale, it'll perform much better, and your passengers won't hate you.


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