Advice on used cars (1 Viewer)

[Eclipse008]

I want to buy a car once I finish the HSC. I'd have about 5K to spend.

What should I look for?
How many kilometres before a car starts to become run down?
Which is better a small or big car?

Oh, and a chick by the way, so I could live with a small car.

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't mean to pay out guys who drive small cars. Of course there is nothing wrong with it. But some of my male friends are a little funny when it comes to certain small cars.

 

[Graney]

What should I look for?

Something japanese, the latest model with the lowest K's you can find, make sure it has rego and no money owing, or factor the cost of these things in.

How many kilometres before a car starts to become run down?

How long is a piece of string? Look at what is for sale in your price range, and go check out the ones with low k's.

Learn to perform a basic inspection yourself (it's not hard), and then when you've found a car you like, take it to a mechanic to get checked out.

Which is better a small or big car?

The one that meets your needs. Save fuel, buy the smallest car that is practical for you to own.

Oh, and a chick by the way, so I could live with a small car.

There's nothing wrong with a guy driving a small car.

 

[F2001]

look out for major services - goes with the mileage. Most will try to sell just before that stage as it can cost up to a few grand for major service...

 

[SipSip]

http://www.carsales.com.au/used-cars/private/TOYOTA/STARLET/details.aspx?Cr=11&__No=20&__Ns=pCar_Price_Decimal|1||pCar_PrivateSpecialFlag_Int32|1||pCar_ImageCount_Int32|1&__Nne=20&State=New%20South%20Wales&distance=25&silo=1003&seot=0&PriceMax=5000&trecs=1605&__N=80%20834%20285%20257%20442%201216&__sid=11CD2D9B9F48&state_id=80&R=6063894&sort_type=3

http://www.carsales.com.au/used-cars/private/DAIHATSU/CUORE/details.aspx?Cr=2&__No=40&__Ns=pCar_Odometer_Single|0||pCar_PrivateSpecialFlag_Int32|1||pCar_ImageCount_Int32|1&__Nne=20&State=New%20South%20Wales&distance=25&silo=1003&seot=0&PriceMax=5000&trecs=1605&__N=80%20834%20285%20257%20442%201216&__sid=11CD2D9B9F48&state_id=80&R=5410937&sort_type=8

http://www.carsales.com.au/used-cars/private/TOYOTA/COROLLA/details.aspx?Cr=15&__No=60&__Ns=pCar_Odometer_Single|0||pCar_PrivateSpecialFlag_Int32|1||pCar_ImageCount_Int32|1&__Nne=20&State=New%20South%20Wales&distance=25&silo=1003&seot=0&PriceMax=5000&trecs=1605&__N=80%20834%20285%20257%20442%201216&__sid=11CD2D9B9F48&state_id=80&R=6222354&sort_type=8

http://www.carsales.com.au/used-cars/private/MITSUBISHI/LANCER/details.aspx?Cr=0&__No=80&__Ns=pCar_Odometer_Single|0||pCar_PrivateSpecialFlag_Int32|1||pCar_ImageCount_Int32|1&__Nne=20&State=New%20South%20Wales&distance=25&silo=1003&seot=0&PriceMax=5000&trecs=1605&__N=80%20834%20285%20257%20442%201216&__sid=11CD2D9B9F48&state_id=80&R=6329267&sort_type=8


My suggestion is that you leave a bit of money for any niggles you might have to fix...

Happy hunting

 

[Buttigieg]

What should I look for?
How many kilometres before a car starts to become run down?

The automatic transmissions in most small cars will fail between 100,000-160,000km at a cost of $2000-3500. Some are not designed to be repaired at all. A clutch replacement for a small manual transmission vehicle will rarely exceed $700 and manual fuel savings compared to an old technology automatic transmission are quite significant.

Also, if your buying privately, make sure you get the car checked out with NRMA and or REVS (please correct me if i got the acronym wrong).

http://www.nrmacarwise.com.au/pdf/NRM_7792_CarWise_Checklist_v5.pdf

Hope that helps

 

[Eclipse008]

The automatic transmissions in most small cars will fail between 100,000-160,000km at a cost of $2000-3500. Some are not designed to be repaired at all. A clutch replacement for a small manual transmission vehicle will rarely exceed $700 and manual fuel savings compared to an old technology automatic transmission are quite significant.

Also, if your buying privately, make sure you get the car checked out with NRMA and or REVS (please correct me if i got the acronym wrong).

http://www.nrmacarwise.com.au/pdf/NRM_7792_CarWise_Checklist_v5.pdf

Hope that helps

So pretty much, I'd be wanting something under 100,000kms?
I don't know that I could afford $2000 - 3500 replacing parts. (especially when that would be nearly the cost of the car)

A friend of mine recently bought a car for $900. It worked ok for about 6months, but it recently just 'died'. The repair bill will exceed the price of the car.

 

[Buttigieg]

So pretty much, I'd be wanting something under 100,000kms?

Yep, thats right. and being under 100,000kms, it should be a fairly recent model...

 

[Eclipse008]

Nice name change little miss "I was made to delete my account"


alll liesssssssssssssssssss

huh?

 

[_dhj_]

Try fleet auctions.

 

[Buttigieg]

Try fleet auctions.

mmm, too risky. i wouldnt recomend it. Go with a dealer, even though it may be a bit more expensive, and if you do go private, make sure everything is credible....oh dont buy ex-goverment vehicles or fleet (company) cars cause ppl jst thrash them...

 

[chriskoss]

mmm, too risky. i wouldnt recomend it. Go with a dealer, even though it may be a bit more expensive, and if you do go private, make sure everything is credible....oh dont buy ex-goverment vehicles or fleet (company) cars cause ppl jst thrash them...

My advice would be, go PRIVATE sale.

Yes.. dealer cars have to come with rego and what not, but most of them are all reject stock cars that cannot be sold elsewhere.. and they are thrashed..

There 'warranty' terms are fucking rediculous and end up costing more than the car itself.. so to the untrained eye it looks sweet getting warranty with your shit, run down 3-4th hand or more car for 4 grand.. but its not good.

Find a few models of cars you like in your budget.. and Lowest KM's doesent automatically mean the best car.. a car that has 200,000 km's thats serviced regularly (by a pedantic old retired owner) is MUCH better than a car with half the km's thats not serviced regularly.

A few questions to ask on the phone when you call up from the car adds would be :

1. LOG BOOKS - Do you have them with the car and are they up to date (important)
2. Any known problems - just ask, if they stutter could be suss
3. Reason for sale - most old ppl would be selling them for a newer model so thats a green light
4. Any known damage or accident history

Now if you have your liscence, or if u dont bring along a parent.. go check out the car(s).. test drive it.. use the brakes alot and steering.. if the steering wheel vibrates and shakes, it suggests wheel alignment is out (no good) or shotty steering arms (needs replacing)

Vibrations of brake pedals means worn brake pads or bad discs which need replacing.

 

[Eclipse008]

Thanks!

you know heaps about cars. Knew nothing about that alignment stuff.

I just want somehting that goes. (airconditioning would be nice!) and lasts me a few years!

 

[nick3157]

dont go to an auction. u wont have a chance to test it and check it out properly.
dont be put off by an older car with 150000 plus ks - i bought my car with 150k on it and it is still perfect (it literally was owned by the little old lady who drove it to the shops and back for 15 years).
dont worry about auto vs manual either because one isnt more durable than the other. while you're looking, dont limit yourself to manuals or autos (unless you cant drive manuals) because its silly to overlook a really good car just because ud prefer one transmission over another. i hated autos (still kinda do) and when i found my car (which is auto) i didnt really want it but my parents pretty much made me buy it cos its great in every other way. ull get used to it.
i know large cars (like commodores and falcons) are cheap to buy but they are more expensive to run than something a bit smaller like a camry.
look at the condition of the interior. if the upholstry if torn and dirty etc then it probably means that somewhere along the way the owner didnt give a shit and the car probably wasnt as well looked after.
just accept that there will probably be something slightly wrong with the car and trust the advice of your mechanic as to how serious/expensive it is to fix.
ps. if its just a wheel alignment ull fix that for 50 bucks.

 

[staticsiscool]

dont buy ex-council or telstra etc we flog the fuck out of the cars. we currently have a bf falcon ute with 18000km on the clock and its on its last legs lol will be sold at auction soon.