Cheerful Frugality Buys Used Cars
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Ten years ago, my husband vowed that he'd never make a car payment again. True to his word, we've driven a series of used cars bought with cash--some better than others.
Our 17-year-old Volvo wagon is getting creaky, so we've been on the hunt for its replacement. I am reminded again that finding the RIGHT used car is practically a part-time job.
(Take heart, cheerful frugalites: it's a part time job that pays quite well when you make the right buy!)
There are plenty of cars to be had, at plenty of price points, but to get the one you want, you have to be quick AND prepared. Here's our plan for finding the perfect used car:
1. Bookmark Craigslist.org, Autotrader.com, Cars.com, and Ebay Motors. You'll be checking these daily with your favorite search terms.
2. Decide how much you can spend, and stick to it. Check with your bank about cashier's checks and/or auto loans. Remember, ALL used car deals that involve wiring money and money orders are scams.
3. Locate a garage which can check out a used car before you purchase. If you don't have a trusted mechanic, a franchise like Firestone can perform a diagnostic check-up for about $59. Likewise, if the seller doesn't offer a Carfax.com report, create an account so you can check the VIN yourself.
4. Let friends and family know you are in the market. You may be able to buy a car which would have been traded in to save the hassle. Consider placing a free ad for the make/model you prefer: "Wanted: 2007 Honda Odyssey, 50,000 miles or less."
5. Remember that speed is of the essence, but don't feel pressured. The best cars go quickly. If you've done your homework, you'll know if this deal is "the one."
Have any other tips you'd like to share? We're all ears!
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10 Responses to “Cheerful Frugality Buys Used Cars”
June 8th, 2009 at 6:24 am
Great timing – we’re watching for a minivan. Thanks for the tips!
June 8th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Hubby and I sold our Camry and small truck for two larger vehicles last winter. With 4 little ones and #5 on the way, we really just ran out of options:) I was thrilled with the deals that hubby found. He knows his way around cars so that saved us the cost of taking it to a mechanic first, but he also did a lot of reseacrch on the models we were considering so he knew what to be on the lookout for. And one thing that saved us a good bit was buying from a private seller. Also, since we were buying big vehicles, it didn’t hurt that we started looking when gas prices were so high – all the sellers we talked to wanted to downsize just when we needed to upsize:)
About the same time we bought our “new” vehicles, friends of ours went out and bought two really new cars. I’m positive that we are just as happy with our purchase as they are with theirs and ours are paid for…by the time they pay their new cars off, we’ll have paid about $30,000 less per car! I think I grinned all day after I figured that out:)
June 8th, 2009 at 9:57 am
I wonder if buying a new car from a dealer who is being closed wouldn’t be almost as economical in the long run as buying used. We have only bought three new cars in our lifetime. In spring of 1990 we bought a new ‘89 Volvo for a great price. The dealer even offered free lifetime oil changes and free weekly car washes. We just recently gave this car to our granddaughter as her first car. It is still a good car. We really did well with that purchase!
June 8th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I’ve said and I have done the same thing too! I will NEVER make payments on another car. I rather drive used. As the author suggest, getting your mechanic or a shop you trust to check out the car is great advice. I’d also HIGHLY suggest to do some research online too, to see if the car you are interested in has had any major recalls or major problems. I learned my lesson first hand with a car I owned that was on a recall list for a mechanical problem. My car never made it to the mechanic to repair the defective part and I lost my job due to the break down.
June 8th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I almost cried when I read this post. I will be very sad the day we have to say goodbye to our 20+ year old, 300,000+ miles volvo. Tear…
I definitely believe what you’ve said here about setting your price and checking and rechecking. Someday we would like to have a more reliable car.
June 8th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
We looked at the new option, too, but at least in my area, the closing dealerships aren’t even CLOSE to dropping prices much yet. We were kind of surprised how little the discounts looked, but our car-savvy father-in-law confirmed that prices in his area are at least 6 months away from rock-bottom.
June 8th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Good post, Craigslist can be a GOLD MINE for used cars if you live in or close to a large metro area. My last two vehicles have been from there, and if you take all the obvious precautions (stay away from the shady guys and the too-good-to-be-true deals) you should end up just fine.
June 8th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Great advice! I’d add to your advice to research thoroughly to also keep an open mind, specifically — don’t automatically dismiss the dealerships for a used car deal. Sometimes dealerships, especially in small towns where dealers and buyers often have relationships beyond the carlot, can have great deals on vehicles.
We have always bought used cars in my family; we buy cars that are generally between 5-10 years old. Often, the dealerships have good deals on these vehicles because they just don’t move as fast. Most of the time, we buy cars from independent sellers, but the last few we’ve purchased have been from a great dealership for prices less than we’ve seen in owner-seller ads.
My second biggest tip — marry a man with an ability to fix things!
My husband can fix anything and has saved us and our extended families THOUSANDS in car repair. So if anyone is single and looking, I’d put that trait on the list! 
June 10th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
My Dad recommends asking questions when you’re looking to buy from a private seller. The answers you want to hear indicate that the car is a cream puff and has been treated like a member of the family.
- they have all the records of maintenance done on the car according to the schedule in the owner’s manual
- they park it in a garage, or under a carport
- it’s been driven mostly highway miles
- it’s been driven by a woman (sorry, guys!)
- no accidents
- body work to repair minor dings and scratches
If the seller gets frustrated at answering these questions on the phone, that means he’s tired of lying to you, and just wants to get rid of the dang car. If he’s excited to answer these questions, then he thinks you might qualify to be an owner of his baby. Go test drive and pay cash.
August 5th, 2009 at 11:02 am
I love this information! I have always bought used cars for cash from a private seller for below “blue book” value. I have steered clear of makes and models that have known breakdown issues and major recalls and try to buy ones with manual transmissions (better milage and last much longer than automatics). Then I drive them until they drop from oil consumption…
This runs in our family. Buy a high quality car that won’t have ANY major repairs (hopefuly) and be able to put high miles on them. My uncle has a Buick Century with 420K but he did put a tranny at 300K. My Dad has a Geo Prism that he just parked with 460K – the engine was taking oil. I have a 1997 Mitz Eclipse with only 217K but haven’t had any major repairs other than both front wheel bearings (gas, oil, brakes I do myself and a water pump at 120K). Our 2004 Camry has baby miles on it – only 70K. We’re hoping for 300K because it should be able to that easily.
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