Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Buying A Car AKA Throwing Money Away



Hubs and I hashed out the "getting another car or two" issue last week and I am happy to report that he sees it my way.
So we will be buying 1 used car, not 2. 8-)

So now the issue becomes, how much to spend and what to buy?

I am leaning toward a vehicle with.....

A-low miles
B-but a low price
C-high gas mileage
D-not expensive to repair/purchase replacement parts
E-a safe car
F-lower insurance quote

And yes, I KNOW I can't have it all....lol
It's all a balancing act really, isn't it?

A newer car will be pricier and the insurance will probably be more but will be safer, have better fuel efficiency and lower miles on it.
While an older car will be less expensive to purchase, have lower insurance rates and easier to repair/afford parts.

So dear readers, if you were having to purchase a used car for your 19 and 16 year old teens to drive, keeping all these points in mind, what specific car would you look for?

How much would you spend?  Remember, we are paying cash for this.
Do you have a particular make/model you would consider?
Does gas mileage and/or mileage on the vehicle concern you?
Any other point you see that I am not considering?

I am so dreading shopping for this.
But I want to get it done before the Daughter comes home from college.
Because if she goes with her dad to car shop, she'll be pressing him to buy some cool sports car thing with a big sticker price.

Sluggy

14 comments:

  1. Would you like to buy a 2004 Jeep Liberty with 100,000 miles for $7K? I'll talk Fred into selling. He loves it but it's not really great for hauling around 4 kids plus their bikes, skateboards, dog... You get the picture.
    m.

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  2. My soon to be 15 year-old will be getting my '95 Camary when he turns 17. Good dependable car, decent mileage, easy on insurance, but won't make him feel too hot driving it. It will be 9 years old then but that's still good for a Toyota. Oh and I get an upgrade then- yeah! Good luck! Angela

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  3. When I was 16 I bought myself a '89 Toyota Camry. I'm now 22 and that bad boy is still on the road! I paid $1800 and probably put that much or less in work into over the years, it was a GREAT investment. It's low insurance, relatively easy to repair, and I get better gas mileage (27mpg) then many newer cars. Not to mention, as far as safety, I'm driving around in the equivalent of an iron tank, while everyone else is driving around in plastic things. My mother felt very safe with me in this car at that age. In this economy, gas mileage is a major concern. My boyfriends father bought him a '93 Jeep Cherokee, that got 8 mpg, he ended up taking the bus everywhere and selling that car within a year. So in my opinion gas mileage is a major concern.

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    Replies
    1. Shane and I both had Ford Rangers at one time, mine a '97 and his an '01. I think we'll be encouraging Kat to go with a small pick-up when she turns 16.

      They are economical, they can carry a few things in back if needed, they can ONLY carry 2 friends and really only 1 friend comfortably, they are reasonably priced and reasonable to insure, and we neither had any serious mechanical problems with them. Clay's was t-boned in an accident, but I know who bought mine and it is still on the road daily. The only reason we got rid of mine was because we needed room for Kat's baby seat. I love my mini-van, but I do miss that little truck.

      The drawbacks, though, are that you would need sandbags or other weight in the back during snowy/icy weather, and to get the best snow-driving control (and mileage), you really need it to have a manual transmission. That was never a problem for us, but some people don't like them.

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  4. If I were still married to my exhusband, my stepson would be getting my 2005 Nissan Sentra. It's cheap to insure, great on gas, dependable, and the parts to do regular maintenance are reasonable. It's got 136,000 miles, but I've been assured that with regular maintenance that it will last a another 100,000 miles. Since we divorced, I guess I'll keep it myself and save the money I would have used to purchase a new car for myself.

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  5. Angela--If I could find an old Toyota I would so buy it! Our car that was totaled last May by a new 16 yr. old driver was a '90 Corolla. It had been owned by various family members since purchase and had about 90K miles on it when it was smashed. The mileage was good, it was a good hunk of metal and the insurance was low. Best car I ever paid money for!lol

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  6. Mark--I'll have to pass on that one. Can't have the kids riding around in a car better than mine!lol

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  7. Simmer Sammie--Thanks for coming to read me today! Another "Ancient" Toyota fan....lol
    I guess I am not alone in my thoughts about buying one of these again. Thanks for the confirmation and that's awesome about your Camry still being on the road. How many miles do you have on it now?

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    Replies
    1. I'm having blogger probs again. Will have to hang out under you for a while.
      There is nothing that I can do to make this easier for you. SO I pray that you find a car from a little old lady.

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  8. We are approaching the age of getting our daughter a car it the next few years. My husband does builders and we have always had luck with Grand Ams, Grand Prixs, and Ford Focus. Cheap cars that take a licking and keep on ticking. They are very economical, cheap to fix, and easy on insurance(I sell insurance). They all three do great in the winter with decent tires on them. Good luck:) Tebble

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  9. I have to sing the praises of my '96 Honda Accord! Still going strong. Will be kid #2's car next year. She purrs like a kitten, doesn't use much gas and will keep the kid humble. Zero for repairs in the last 4 years. Hubby's Pontiac(s) which were both bought new spent 10 times the time behind a tow truck (mine never has) and up on a hoist in a garage than mine has in 17 years!
    Our new to us SUV is a Honda. I would have went Toyota as well, just couldn't find a great deal.

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  10. Geeze my middle-age brain- my car is a 2005 not a '95. Guess I need to come into this century. Guess you thought I had some wacky math? Angela

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  11. Looks like the Toyota's have it! Found the comments interesting as my daughter will soon be in the market for a car. I figured I'd pass on my Chev Cobalt to her when I retired but that's not for another 2.5 years and I don't think she can wait that long.

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  12. I have to agree with your requirements in selecting a good car. Well, cars are bought mainly for their functionality and not their sticker price and nice decals. People usually think practically when they opt to purchase used cars rather than new ones.

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