When buying a car...

[S O F I]

What are some things you need to ask for and inspect?

For example, service records, carfax report, etc.

 

[gaylord]

carfax is for used cars, right? it just tells you what all's happened to the car i think....

 

[S O F I]

Yeah, used car that is.

 

[DeeezNuuuts83]

Carfax and service records (oil change and maintenance receipts in particular) are a must. See how recently the last service was completed. Check the tire tread life, since a set of tires can add more to your overhead, especially as the tire sizes go up. Make sure all of the tires are of the same make and model. Make sure the wheels aren't curbed. Compare the mileage to the model year of the car, so if the car is a 2005 and has 50k miles, then it's been driven a ton and will have more wear and tear on it. (Don't believe that crap about how it's "all highway mileage," miles are miles no matter where you are.) Check the condition of the interior, since cloth tends to wear out, and leather can begin to crack. Cloth can also absorb unpleasant odors over time. Make sure the owners manuals are in the glovebox and the tire changing tools are all there.

When taking it for a spin, make sure all the windows work properly and the A/C runs. Press the brake pedal, and if the pedal goes pretty far in, it may need new brake pads. Same thing with the E-brake, if you pull it and it goes pretty far up, the rear brake pads may need to be changed.

 

[S O F I]

now, that's the shit I need to hear. Thanks

more is appreciated.

 

[DeeezNuuuts83]

What kind of used car are you looking into? And were you planning on purchasing from a dealership or a private seller?

 

[gaylord]

which is better?? private or dealer?

 

[C.R.Y.]

nah highway miles are good. trust me, my father had a 1999.5 audi a4 2.8 quattro with 145,000 miles and the thing runs smooth like a new car, and the leather looked brand new. then it got stolen like 3 weeks ago, it was a little crashed but when we got it back it still ran smooth. just find the right car and test drive it. as long as the car runs smooth and has good power the mileage shouldnt matter. because theyre cars that can have 40000 miles and run like complete shit because it was neglected. then theres cars like that one that had 140000 miles and ran as smooth as my moms corolla which has 50000 miles. the engine doesnt have to work as hard decelerating and accelerating and oil pressure is high so the parts are best lubricated and temperatures are better, not to mention brakes wont be used as often and the transmission wont have to shift as often. but like deeznutz said check maintenance and most importantly check when and if the timing belt/chain was replaced.

 

[S O F I]

What kind of used car are you looking into? And were you planning on purchasing from a dealership or a private seller?

I'm looking into a private at the moment. I'm planning to buy private because I can get a better deal, although it is riskier I'd say.

 

[DeeezNuuuts83]

which is better?? private or dealer?

Private tends to be a better deal, but dealer tends to be more reliable.

because theyre cars that can have 40000 miles and run like complete shit because it was neglected. then theres cars like that one that had 140000 miles and ran as smooth as my moms corolla which has 50000 miles.

That's a maintenance issue, not a mileage issue. Mileage has nothing to do with scenarios like that. But regardless, miles are miles. 50k is 50k, whether city or highway. Bluebook doesn't discriminate between the two, and neither should buyers since you can't always prove that all the miles were "freeway."

but like deeznutz said check maintenance and most importantly check when and if the timing belt/chain was replaced.

Timing belt/chain would only be changed on high-mileage cars, which I wouldn't recommend buying anyway.

I'm looking into a private at the moment. I'm planning to buy private because I can get a better deal, although it is riskier I'd say.

Risk depends on the vehicle and mileage. If you're buying a used 2005 Nissan with 20k miles, then it's still under factory warranty. But if you're buying a 1999 Dodge, then it won't be, and you should be extra cautious when buying from a private seller.

 

[C.R.Y.]

Private tends to be a better deal, but dealer tends to be more reliable.

That's a maintenance issue, not a mileage issue. Mileage has nothing to do with scenarios like that. But regardless, miles are miles. 50k is 50k, whether city or highway. Bluebook doesn't discriminate between the two, and neither should buyers since you can't always prove that all the miles were "freeway."

u can tell by driving the car. if it runs smooth for the mileage than it most likely has highway miles. of course bluebook cant tell the difference. bluebook isnt always right. they cant test drive each car and check every little detail to tell u what its worth. like you said maintenance can change things, but so can how the car was driven, where it was driven, etc. which is where highway miles comes into play. id rather have a 70k mile car with highway miles that runs smoother than one with 50k mixed miles that runs decent. theres really no way to tell what type of mileage it is unless you drive it.

Timing belt/chain would only be changed on high-mileage cars, which I wouldn't recommend buying anyway.

not necessarily. some cars require them at 60k and 120k miles like the dodge stealth. but some could go high mileage like my accord which is every 90k

 

[DeeezNuuuts83]

u can tell by driving the car. if it runs smooth for the mileage than it most likely has highway miles. of course bluebook cant tell the difference. bluebook isnt always right. they cant test drive each car and check every little detail to tell u what its worth. like you said maintenance can change things, but so can how the car was driven, where it was driven, etc. which is where highway miles comes into play. id rather have a 70k mile car with highway miles that runs smoother than one with 50k mixed miles that runs decent. theres really no way to tell what type of mileage it is unless you drive it.

You're missing the point. Maintenance can be proven with receipts from dealerships, auto shops or even AutoZone, if you do stuff yourself and buy the necessary parts for services. Yes, I'd rather pick up a used car with 20k in highway miles vs. 20k in city miles, but the problem is that you can't prove or disprove highway miles since it's pretty much whatever the previous owner or dealership salesman says. And smart ones will ALWAYS say the mileage was "mostly" highway. There is no perfect way to determine the value of used cars, so while KBB is flawed, so is everything else. But when it comes down to trading in your car or getting one appraised, it's not something that you can use in your favor. Say what you want, and I agree that freeway miles are better, but from someone who worked in auto sales, miles are miles, and you can't prove or disprove how the car was driven over those miles. And you can't tell just by driving it, give me a break. There are owners of sports cars who beat their cars up and take them to the tracks regularly, but they do all the necessary maintenance with higher quality fluids and parts, and you won't just notice the wear and tear if properly maintained when you drive it. There are a lot of cars out in the wild like that. There are guys on some Evo boards I post at who are just shy of 100k miles and still running strong, yet they take their cars to various drag strips and autocross tracks. And at the same time, there are people who probably commute 50 miles each way to work, but do the bare minimum for maintenance and use shit oil and buy the cheapest replacement parts. See what I mean?

So unless you personally know the person selling you their used car and you personally know that the car was driven pretty much always on the highway, then take that "all highway miles" bullshit with a grain of salt. It's a sales tactic.

 

[S O F I]

Anybody know of any reliable government/police auction websites?

 

[DeeezNuuuts83]

Anybody know of any reliable government/police auction websites?

There's nothing reliable about the government or the police

 

[ARon]

^That gave me a good chuckle.

 

[Rahim]

My personal advice to you, as long as their aren't any dry white seamen marks on the staring wheel, you know S O F I hasn't touched the car, so it is safe to drive my brother.


P.S. - check the door handles for daubery just in case home fry.

 

[DeeezNuuuts83]

^That gave me a good chuckle.

Well, it's true man. When I first got out of college, I applied for two police departments... one of them is overrun with overpaid idiots, the other is overrun with stereotyping racists. Needless to say, I'm not a police officer after interviewing with both departments, despite me passing the written and physical tests with flying colors.