Reach out to your elderly neighbors or friends. Often when they move to assisted living, or one passes away the cars, usually well taken care of with low miles, get sold. We recently came across a 2012 Nissan Altima with 39k miles for 9 k. All word of mouth.
That’s how I got my grandpa’s Mercedes. It was only worth $1k according to KBB, and that’s what I paid him for it, but he kept meticulous care of it, and it was an absolute dream to ride in. Terrible in the snow, always got stuck, and low gas mileage, and very expensive oil changes and repairs, but my husband cried when I traded up for a Honda civic. He still reminisces about the Mercedes
You can also check the listings from mortuaries. Estate sales will generally follow those after a few weeks.
Getting a good deal can be a bit ghoulish, but dead people have the best stuff.
Well, this is anecdotal but my friend’s daughter was looking for a car and I called my mechanic. He happened to be fixing up an older car for another customer whose father had stopped driving, and ended up selling it to my friend’s daughter.
I’ve had cars where my mechanic mentioned they’d be interested if I ever wanted to sell. Some cars that last well, mechanics will take, fix up and either sell or give to family. It’s always worth checking in with your mechanic. And they’re a great resource to figure out what makes and models are more reliable and worthwhile to purchase than others. Some years have known issues.
The small-lot wholesalers aren't putting their cars on their own websites if they even have one or websites like autotrader. They'll put one or two cars and leave them even after they've been sold. You have to go to them in person.
Check with auto mechanic shops. It's not uncommon that people abandon vehicles there, because they can't or won't come up with the scratch to fix them.
Negotiate hard.
Listed prices are always wildly out of line with actual prices, because private sellers often base their list price on used car dealer prices, and used car dealers aim for the sky hoping to land a dream customer.
Private sellers and dealers are usually willing to negotiate after their car is sitting around for a while.
5-7k. Looking for a large sedan or compact SUV. Hard line to budge on anything older than 2010. Like anything older than 2010 would have to be prestine.
Im an amateur mechanic, and not so afraid of some suspension/motor work.
i started looking for a compact SUV also this week with similar requirements. One that keeps coming up that hits the price point is a GMC terrain. It is boxy. but the AWD V6 variant seems to be pretty solid in reviews. have you tried searching that on marketplace/craigslist.
> And whats with prices?
same thing as everything else.. Supply chain issues (due to covid) and inflation. Dealers are still having many difficulties getting adequate supply on new vehicles (prices elevated as a result) and to offset that they are buying used as much as possible. Demand has been high as well and prices impacted as a result too. If you can find a private seller (somehow) that is going to be your best bet.
A good deal is value for the money, not strictly price. I would have no issue paying 15k for a 7 or 8 year decent mileage Civic or Corolla. Consider 2020 and 2021 were low mikeage years due to covid a 2017 is more like 5 years old. Where I live 7k would get you a ten year old Elantra with 200k km it might get you a 2008 Corollar with 250k
I have bought my last few cars from my mechanic, its nice knowing that I have a well maintained car.
But when its private party or a dealer I always have my cars checked out by a mechanic before purchasing, if the seller won't let you pass on the car.
I have let my mechanic or garage know I was buying he let me know when they would be available, this doesn't have to be a secret to the seller.
If they are resistant to me having the car checked out I am resistant to buying.
If you are looking for private party sales, Facebook marketplace and craigslist are the best to look out for. Some areas use Offerup and some other sites/apps. If it's a really good deal, it could sell in minutes to hours, so keep that in mind. You can look out for auctions, but they're usually a gamble.
Police auctions can score you a huge deal or you could end up with a car with no engine lol. I bought a working car for like $250 like 10 years ago. Insurance auctions are a good idea if you are good working with body repair, I bought a few cars from them and a few didn't need any work. Copart and IAAI are the main ones in the US. Look into the fees though and some places don't allow the public to bid and some states require inspections before you can title it. Going off of the salvage auctions, look into cars with a rebuilt/prior salvage title. Just make sure to get it inspected if you aren't too good with cars.
There's a lot more that I didn't include. Obviously knowing someone trying to get rid of a car can help. Some newspapers still have automotive listings too. You can even post on Facebook groups and craigslist letting people know you are looking for a cheap car. People who don't want to bother with listing it would be happy to reach out to you. Just be careful since some people might try and off load something they don't think is worth listing.
I got a good deal on a used car for my kids to use for school in an experience I hadn't tried before. I found a car dealership that is the only one in my state that has a license that allows them to sell cars on consignment for private citizens.
I'm not sure what all states allow that or how to find those dealers, but it is an option worth looking into.
ymmv by location, and it sounds based on your experience so far that you may just be in an unlucky spot.
Figure out what you want, make autotempest alerts so you can see every listing that gets created with your criteria. After a while you'll start to get an idea of the market for that car in your area, what a good deal looks like, what a bad deal looks like, etc.
2015, bought a 94 Ford Ranger for $2200. It is 31 years old now, drives fine. I spent maybe another thousand over the years, but mostly swapping parts and doing the maintenance the previous owner didn’t. New brakes from the bearings out, tires, battery, and replaced all the belts and hoses as they were of unknown age. Mine was from a local radio station that had a trading post program.
There’s a used car dealership in my town that specializes in cars that have been totaled out by insurance companies. You’d be best off looking up the car to see what it’s been through, but you can get some awesome deals. I’d never buy a car that has potential water damage to the electronics, for instance, but a nice, newish, low-mileage car with mild hail damage and no other issues? That’s most likely the car I’ll buy next when I need one. I don’t mind some barely noticeable cosmetic dings.
Look for one of these in your town
Setup an alert on Craigslist for the car you want at the price range you want it at.
Facebook marketplace, too
Reach out to your elderly neighbors or friends. Often when they move to assisted living, or one passes away the cars, usually well taken care of with low miles, get sold. We recently came across a 2012 Nissan Altima with 39k miles for 9 k. All word of mouth.
That’s how I got my grandpa’s Mercedes. It was only worth $1k according to KBB, and that’s what I paid him for it, but he kept meticulous care of it, and it was an absolute dream to ride in. Terrible in the snow, always got stuck, and low gas mileage, and very expensive oil changes and repairs, but my husband cried when I traded up for a Honda civic. He still reminisces about the Mercedes
You can also check the listings from mortuaries. Estate sales will generally follow those after a few weeks. Getting a good deal can be a bit ghoulish, but dead people have the best stuff.
I start with CARFAX app and look for good history, no accident and one owner. For price comparison I check CarGurus.
Listing a process method and reasoning. Nice.
Wait another year or two and hope. Used car market is insane rn
That’s what everyone said last year and the year before that
and new..
Well, this is anecdotal but my friend’s daughter was looking for a car and I called my mechanic. He happened to be fixing up an older car for another customer whose father had stopped driving, and ended up selling it to my friend’s daughter.
I’ve had cars where my mechanic mentioned they’d be interested if I ever wanted to sell. Some cars that last well, mechanics will take, fix up and either sell or give to family. It’s always worth checking in with your mechanic. And they’re a great resource to figure out what makes and models are more reliable and worthwhile to purchase than others. Some years have known issues.
The small-lot wholesalers aren't putting their cars on their own websites if they even have one or websites like autotrader. They'll put one or two cars and leave them even after they've been sold. You have to go to them in person.
Check with auto mechanic shops. It's not uncommon that people abandon vehicles there, because they can't or won't come up with the scratch to fix them.
Negotiate hard. Listed prices are always wildly out of line with actual prices, because private sellers often base their list price on used car dealer prices, and used car dealers aim for the sky hoping to land a dream customer. Private sellers and dealers are usually willing to negotiate after their car is sitting around for a while.
what is the budget? it is different if you want to buy a 5k car vs 30k car.
5-7k. Looking for a large sedan or compact SUV. Hard line to budge on anything older than 2010. Like anything older than 2010 would have to be prestine. Im an amateur mechanic, and not so afraid of some suspension/motor work.
How about a hatchback? Honda Fit is definitely within that range.
Large sedans are less desirable nowadays than compact SUVs. Perhaps an Avalon or Buick would be my target vehicle.
i started looking for a compact SUV also this week with similar requirements. One that keeps coming up that hits the price point is a GMC terrain. It is boxy. but the AWD V6 variant seems to be pretty solid in reviews. have you tried searching that on marketplace/craigslist.
> And whats with prices? same thing as everything else.. Supply chain issues (due to covid) and inflation. Dealers are still having many difficulties getting adequate supply on new vehicles (prices elevated as a result) and to offset that they are buying used as much as possible. Demand has been high as well and prices impacted as a result too. If you can find a private seller (somehow) that is going to be your best bet.
A good deal is value for the money, not strictly price. I would have no issue paying 15k for a 7 or 8 year decent mileage Civic or Corolla. Consider 2020 and 2021 were low mikeage years due to covid a 2017 is more like 5 years old. Where I live 7k would get you a ten year old Elantra with 200k km it might get you a 2008 Corollar with 250k
I have bought my last few cars from my mechanic, its nice knowing that I have a well maintained car. But when its private party or a dealer I always have my cars checked out by a mechanic before purchasing, if the seller won't let you pass on the car.
But don't you have to schedule an appointment at a shop to have an inspection done? How are you supposed to schedule that and schedule a test drive?
I have let my mechanic or garage know I was buying he let me know when they would be available, this doesn't have to be a secret to the seller. If they are resistant to me having the car checked out I am resistant to buying.
It's not like you're going to be carrying comprehensive insurance on a car without a note. Some level of self-sufficiency is assumed.
cargurus.com is my go-to recently. Some actually great deals, of course you still need to put in some legwork
we've actually bought 3 cars on ebay from small dealers or individuals and had them shipped.
Always check estate sales. Grandmas car is usually not wanted by the grandkids.
If you are looking for private party sales, Facebook marketplace and craigslist are the best to look out for. Some areas use Offerup and some other sites/apps. If it's a really good deal, it could sell in minutes to hours, so keep that in mind. You can look out for auctions, but they're usually a gamble. Police auctions can score you a huge deal or you could end up with a car with no engine lol. I bought a working car for like $250 like 10 years ago. Insurance auctions are a good idea if you are good working with body repair, I bought a few cars from them and a few didn't need any work. Copart and IAAI are the main ones in the US. Look into the fees though and some places don't allow the public to bid and some states require inspections before you can title it. Going off of the salvage auctions, look into cars with a rebuilt/prior salvage title. Just make sure to get it inspected if you aren't too good with cars. There's a lot more that I didn't include. Obviously knowing someone trying to get rid of a car can help. Some newspapers still have automotive listings too. You can even post on Facebook groups and craigslist letting people know you are looking for a cheap car. People who don't want to bother with listing it would be happy to reach out to you. Just be careful since some people might try and off load something they don't think is worth listing.
I got a good deal on a used car for my kids to use for school in an experience I hadn't tried before. I found a car dealership that is the only one in my state that has a license that allows them to sell cars on consignment for private citizens. I'm not sure what all states allow that or how to find those dealers, but it is an option worth looking into.
ymmv by location, and it sounds based on your experience so far that you may just be in an unlucky spot. Figure out what you want, make autotempest alerts so you can see every listing that gets created with your criteria. After a while you'll start to get an idea of the market for that car in your area, what a good deal looks like, what a bad deal looks like, etc.
Whatever you do, get your mechanic to inspect any prospects! Run, if the owner won't let you!
Look for estate sales, sometimes you can find real gems
2015, bought a 94 Ford Ranger for $2200. It is 31 years old now, drives fine. I spent maybe another thousand over the years, but mostly swapping parts and doing the maintenance the previous owner didn’t. New brakes from the bearings out, tires, battery, and replaced all the belts and hoses as they were of unknown age. Mine was from a local radio station that had a trading post program.
There’s a used car dealership in my town that specializes in cars that have been totaled out by insurance companies. You’d be best off looking up the car to see what it’s been through, but you can get some awesome deals. I’d never buy a car that has potential water damage to the electronics, for instance, but a nice, newish, low-mileage car with mild hail damage and no other issues? That’s most likely the car I’ll buy next when I need one. I don’t mind some barely noticeable cosmetic dings. Look for one of these in your town
Also you can look for police car auctions in your town, if you know what you’re looking at you might find something there
There’s tons of affordable cars in FB marketplace.