Monday, October 24, 2011

First Time Buying a Car help plz??!!?

Okay so I am buying my first car pretty soon and I need some advice and guidance (I'm only 17 and a college girl...I have no clue as to what to do under the hood lol I just figured out what %26quot;changing the oil%26quot; means) Any who, I am thinking about buying an older model car like a 97 Chevy Cavalier ( but I'm stl looking in the classifieds) and I just want to know a few things like...



What are some things to look for when buying a car?



What are monthly maintenance things that I am going to have to have done to the car? Where to go? How much will it cost? And what are the best places to go for people with a strict budget? (Maintenance stf like oil change, tune ups tires brakes and ...etc)



FYI- I live 6hrs away from all friends and fam so I have to do it on my own (checking stf out and taking the car to get fixed) also I am paying for everything by myself so I will have a tight budget (no more than 200 a month for maintenance stf)





= ] thanks for your help its greatly needed and greatly appreciatedFirst Time Buying a Car help plz??!!?You are going to want a Honda or Toyota!!! I am a HUGE car enthusiast and can honestly say they are two of the most reliable brands on the road.... especially because im asuming youre gonna buy a car with high mileage on it. The gas is great with 30 mpg easily in a camry, corolla, civic, accord....etc. They are nice and sporty, have high quality engines, and the parts and repair costs are minimal. Insurance will be cheap on a car like this, you cant find a cheaper car to insure.



Ok so you find your car, take it to a mechanic and have him inspect the entire thing... if he clears it buy it. DONT BUY A CAR WITHOUT DRIVING IT OR TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC!!!!! if the seller refuses to have a mechanic look at it, theres usually something wrong with it. change your oil every 3 months and never forget to do that!! flush out coolant system every 18 month, and when your current tires are worn, change. any more questions email me... id love to help you pick a car!First Time Buying a Car help plz??!!?First off you want to buy a Japanese car they prove to be the most reliable I learned this the hard way buying a 1998 Audi A4 I ended up paying over $1000 in repairs in under a year. Secondly mileage is key the lower the mileage the younger the car is regardless of the year because that just means the car was driven less you should aim for a car with probably around 60,000 to 70,000 miles for a used car but the lower the better. Thirdly oil changes are around $40-$50 at the mechanic and you should change the oil about every 3,000 miles as for brakes they last for a pretty long time not sure the miles but it really depends on how hard you brake but the brake pads cost around $120 for the average car however im not sure how much it'll be at the mechanic. And lastly a great place to look for cars is on craigslist.orgFirst Time Buying a Car help plz??!!?At Google, search for %26quot;How to buy a used car%26quot; and you will find tons of advice.



Consumer Reports magazine does an extensive survey of readers and publishes a list of the most reliable used cars. Find it at your public or college library. The used car report is in the April issue. You can access this online for a reasonable charge, $30, I think.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index



Before you go shopping, make arrangements with a trustworthy garage to check out the car before you buy it. They will know what to check and they'll charge you $50 or so.



Before you finalize the deal, make arrangements for what obligation the buyer will have if something major goes wrong soon. The arrangement might be anything from %26quot;I won't do anything. Caveat emptor.%26quot; Or they might agree to something like drivetrain repairs or who knows what. Just be sure you discuss this BEFORE the deal is finalized, BEFORE any money changes hands.First Time Buying a Car help plz??!!?First off, find a mechanic that is willing to do a check on your potential car. Then stick with it, if you can't have it inspected, then don't get it from that person. If you go to a dealer, you should know that they will push you until you're nauseous. So try to get an auto-trader magazine. Make phone calls and get mileages and vin numbers if something interests you. It's easy enough to get a car's history of owners on-line nowadays. So make sure to do that too. If you see a car repeatedly being sold every couple of years, then chances are it's a HUGE lemon. Don't buy any used cars that were registered in Louisiana or Texas in the last couple of years. They're probably salvage from Katrina.



And last of all, if you do find a car from a personal source, do NOT go alone to check it out. Take a friend, preferably a male. I have a 1994 Volvo wagon I bought for 3500.00 3 years ago with only two previous owners. It is great and gives me about 35 mpg on the highway. I had it narrowed down to that one and a Saab. But the Saab had like 10 different owners. And my Volvo had been leased once and then with one family after that. So, look for safety and economy, not sporty and you'll do great with getting your car!!!First Time Buying a Car help plz??!!?Consider a lightly used Chevrolet Malibu or Cobalt if you can't find a low mileage Cavalier. They are all good cars and are relatively inexpensive to repair if you need to. Lots of dealers and mechanics around that can work on them competently and parts are reasonable. Get a Carfax from the seller if possible, look under the hood for obvious signs of wrecks or repairs, mis matched paint, overspray, bent braces, etc. Take it to a local mechanic to have it put on a lift if at all possible. IF it is a dealer, they often offer a free thirty or ninety day warranty, at least where they will pay for either parts or labor. Ask if it has ever been wrecked or in water, and make sure the title is clear and clean, no rebuilt or water damage titles. Good luck.First Time Buying a Car help plz??!!?You also should compare car insurance quotes for different cars before buying one, for example here - carinsurance.enacre.net