Nick can ignore this--EVERYONE ELSE, I HAVE A USED CAR ????

[paragraphs]

So, I put this one twitter too...

I have 4k (plus TTL), I have an 18-year-old son. I need to buy him a car with said 4k, and I'd prefer to get a good 4-5 years out of it...

Suggestions? And...know anyone who has a good used car they want to sell for cash outright?

Yo! Let me know!

In other news...I am a very happy person today! Just because! I am! Smile.

Comments

[la-localfreak.livejournal.com]

I advise against Ka's. Because mine is curse. It was my birthday/test-passing present last September and it has had: two punctures, four new tyres, one crash, a whole new back end, a scratch across said new back end, a damaged window electrics x2, a new indoor handle and now serious work to the 'sills' which I believe are somewhere underneath.

I love my Betty, but boy does she make me work for it!

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Dang... that's alot of pain and suffering for a new vehicle. LOL. Okay no Kias! They weren't seriously on the list, really. :)

[la-localfreak.livejournal.com]

:P - it's a Ka not a Kia.

In fairness to my Betty, she was second hand (naturally- with the cost of my insurance anythin newer might actually kill me!) lol. But yes. CURSED car! Or maybe it's just me :P

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

LOL oh we don't have Ka's here, so I am definitely safe!!!

[wildeagain.livejournal.com]

My sister and my brother in law's sister both had good luck with used Nissan Altimas over long term. A well taken care of older Toyota Corrolla is also a solid choice.

Best of luck.

[blue-fjords.livejournal.com]

Hey, you happy girl! M has a Toyota Corolla and we've had no problems, and the first car we bought (for $450, ha) was also a Toyota Corolla and it was about 16 years old when we got rid of it (not for problems, but b/c we had money to get a new car).

[shane-mayhem.livejournal.com]

Subaru Legacy. They will live forEVER. Just make sure, of course, that there's nothing major wrong with it when buying, particularly with the computer and sensors, because that stuff can get annoying. Mine is 20 years old and just in the last year has it started getting problematic.

[candesgirl.livejournal.com]

I love my Toyota Camry, got almost 200k miles on it now...e

[caninepawprints.livejournal.com]

Check out local dealerships. My brother got a really nice Ford Thunderbird on their back lot (those are the "beaters" people traded in that the dealership won't resell up front) for $600. It didn't have brakes, so they towed it to the house. They spent $1,500 on the brake system and now it's literally like new. He loves his car!

I'd be very hesitant about buying a used vehicle from someone that's not a dealer because they don't have to tell you everything that's wrong with the car. Even if they don't have you sign an "as is" form, it's still being bought "as is." Dealers are required by law to tell you everything they know is wrong with a vehicle before they sell it to you, so you'll KNOW what you're getting into. And every dealer has a back lot, so if they say they don't have one or they won't show you the cars there, then go somewhere else. They'll change their minds quick in order to make a sale, even if it's only a few hundred.

[caninepawprints.livejournal.com]

Oh, and a funny story that may or may not help you out:

When my mom arranged to buy the T-Bird from Wheelway in Fifield, WI, she originally made the deal with one of the guys she likes. When they went back the second time to take another look at it, it was a different guy helping her and he was kind of a jerk. At first, he said they couldn't sell her any of the vehicles back there. When she said they'd already made a deal, the guy tried to say it was a terrible vehicle and was only good for parts. My mom told him, "Well, then that means you guys can come down on the price." The guy stuttered and said, "Well, it IS a Ford Thunderbird..." She wound up buying it that day for $100 less than the original agreement. XD

[duikermeisie.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, how far is he driving regularly?

5 miles? 10? 20?

If he's going less than 10 miles to/from work and whatever, you can buy a brand spankin' new scooter. More than that and he'll probably want a car for the ability to go on highways. I'm considering doing just that to replace poor little Mighty Whitie.

Ford Focus is a good cheap little car.