Cars, used vs new, etc?

[Xeogred]

I'm alive and well, got into my new place... and bam, head gasket on my car blew. Unless I can find a spare $2,600 laying around, I guess it's time for a new vehicle.

Thinking of getting a bank loan and then going through carmax to get something relatively newer and reliable. Didn't exactly want a car payment right now, but I can probably handle one if I can get it cheap. But I wonder if I should maybe outright buy something older/used that wouldn't have a payment, but might need some maintenance... which I am pretty sick of after my last car.

Think I'd love to go with a Honda, but might consider Kia since they're cheaper and I still hear good things.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

You can get a great working vehicle for as little as $3k if you know what to look for. As with most things, being an educated buyer is by far your best weapon.

We just bought a 98 Nissan Sentra with 120k miles for $2500 for my Uncle who's less fortunate than us. All we had to do was put in a new clutch, check the lines, and it's working as good as it ever has. Passed Nissan's inspection with flying colours. Was in pretty fantastic condition too. Not exactly a fancy vehicle, but, it is solid transportation.

Honda's tend to hold a higher resale value so I'd frankly avoid them unless you're really set on them. Their reliability is good yes, but, it's largely overstated by most people.

[hashiriya1]

If you want to save money, stay away from Hondas and Toyotas. People take advantage of their popularity and sell them way over their value. A great alternative are older Nissans and Mazdas. They are cheap and reliable. Stay away from European cars as well. Not a fan of Korean cars, but the new ones are nice. Older Kias are to be avoided.

If you don't want to deal with monthly payments PM me your budget and I can help you out.

We just bought a 98 Nissan Sentra with 120k miles for $2500

That's a little steep for a B14 Sentra, especially for one that needed minor work. But those are great cars. I have a lot of experience with B14s, both coupe and sedan. They last forever if taken care of properly.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

We just bought a 98 Nissan Sentra with 120k miles for $2500

That's a little steep for a B14 Sentra, especially for one that needed minor work. But those are great cars. I have a lot of experience with B14s, both coupe and sedan. They last forever if taken care of properly.

Colorado car prices are pretty high compared to California FWIW.

[Xeogred]

Yeah I've been doing a little searching and it's honestly sounding like Hyundai would be a good option.

[Hobie-wan]

Yeah I've been doing a little searching and it's honestly sounding like Hyundai would be a good option.

As long as it is a recent good one. If you look at an Excel I will come over there and beat you.

[Xeogred]

Leaning towards the Sonata/Elantra specifically, haha.

[ice445]

I'd personally only buy a new car if I actually planned on making every payment, and then keeping it afterwards until the wheels fall right the f*** off (metaphorically speaking, basically that point where yearly maintenance is getting excessive). Otherwise, used is the way to go.

[Jmustang1968]

I'd personally only buy a new car if I actually planned on making every payment, and then keeping it afterwards until the wheels fall right the f*** off (metaphorically speaking, basically that point where yearly maintenance is getting excessive). Otherwise, used is the way to go.

Not necessarily. Used prices are way up right now. If you hit the dealer sales, you can oftentimes get a new car cheaper than a used. We recently got my wife's new Ford Flex for cheaper than a used model with very similar specs and 18k miles...

Not to mention, you have factory warranty, cheaper interest rates, and discounted insurance (new car discount, obviously if you get a very old and cheap car, then the insurance will be cheap as well)

[Forlorn Drifter]

Well, since you are open to imports, that makes it so much easier. I personally only drive American/German. I also prefer pre '95 cars, so I really have trouble finding one that doesn't need work.

I'd say to get a used one for no other reason than to avoid having to deal with loans and the like. Like Ryan said, $3000 will pretty much buy what you want. Might need some work, but I'm personally a bit of a gearhead, so I like that type of stuff.