Vehicle Advice

[Victoria Columbari]

I am looking at purchasing a used chevy malibu, nissan altima or toyota camry. Anyone know which is best and what year. Used i'm looking at the past two years, no older. Opinions or anyone know where to look for best information on these vehicles and which year would be best to get?

Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

[Billy_Saul]

Since the new model (2015) year is upon us why not just buy a heavily discounted new 2014 model. The price isn't going to be all that much different from used, financing should be favorable, and incentives from manufacturer and dealer will be available. The Altima's are pretty cool and I have been hearing of some good sales (17ish) on the radio for them. Whatever you decide on, shop for dealer Internet specials and catch a loss leader promo.

[endgame]

This is the third time I'm writing this - my effing smart phone (or browser) isn't posting the reply. Sheesh.

If you are'nt already doing so, I would consider these sources.

1) KBB.com (Kelley Blue Book) and NADAguides.com. You can check typical used car prices by model, year, location, condition, seller, etc.. They also have reviews, ratings, etc..

2) Consumer reports gives you reviews, reliability and other ratings, etc.. You can get a one month membership for around $7.

3) You may also want to check out Carmax, for info and purchase. Although you would pay a little more to purchase from them than you would to purchase directly from an individual seller, they offer warranties, etc. and take some of the risk out of a used car purchase.

:-)

[pyramider]

If you do the NADA or Kelly Blue Book be sure to look at the wholesale one. That is the edition the auto dealers use to buy a car from an individual. You can then see what they would have paid for a car and be able to get them to come down from their retail price.

[Room Service]

camry, hands down.

[RandB fan]

Isn't there a Oh I Forgot car dealers don't rent pussy but I would say someone might help you find an inside track. I would never buy a car unless I had such a situation.

[Guest110715-3]

I'm a chevy guy and I would not recommend a Malibu. If it's cheap and reliable you require, look at Kia, Toyota, Mazda, and all the rest of the South East Asia / Japan imports.
If it's a hatchback, VW, Ford and Chevy.
Consumer Reports for average reviews. KBB for prices.
Find a car guy (like me) and spend a few hours online to narrow down your choices. Then a few hours each day at 3 or 5 local dealerships and Craigslist.

[BADBOYFU]

Hey Sexy,
I would suggest Honda Civic, I have one, great car. If you maintain it (regular maintenance)
it would last forever. Craigslist, eBay motors, sometime the dealers has better price and car. End of the month or end of the year is the best time. If buying from individual get checked from a certified mechanic who can stand behind his certification. Wish you best.

[cowboyfan2745]

Everyone has given great advice and hope it helps in your search however I don't see a need to go a dealership and spend a couple of hours there once you've narrowed your search to a couple of vehicles. Dealerships generally have their entire inventory (new/used) online already. You can make an inquiry about a particular vehicle through their website before you ever walk through the door. That alone should cut down the time you spend driving from one dealership to another. Good luck in your search.

[Guest110715-3]

Dealership online search to narrow down the choices still needs a test drive. If a dealership had 4 or 5 cars that spikes their interest, you need time for test drives. New cars, not so much time needed since the same year, make and model will drive the same. Used cars need individual attention.

[RovingGeek]

I'd recommend based on experience -

I own a 9 year old Honda, has been amazing
I own a 7 year old Toyota, works equally as well
Subaru's also have excellent track records and are generally very plentiful in the metro area.

[ab1500]

Any of those w/ 30k or less miles should provide years of service so factor in your personal preference and price. However, of the three, Toyota generally will provide the best resale later and tends to have the best "fit and finish". Stick w/ the 4cyl. Swap and pop w/ a car dealer to take you to an auction and let you buy one of these out of the Avis or Hertz sales lines and save a couple grand.

[Victoria Columbari]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I will def. look into. Still a couple months away from purchasing one but wanted to start looking now. I do want one of those 3. So shall see.

[ck1942]

imo,

-- Get your financing lined up first

-- Research the car models, and, if you can, even a month or two before you intend to make a purchasing decision, TEST DRIVE several of your intended target vehicles.

--Good advice above on the bluebooks and carmaxes, but I would also add after you get past that to double check pricing in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston -- most of which you can do on line, of course.

One other thing, color of the vehicle and the top add ons like all leather or moon roofs, etc., should not matter as much as service history, reliability, and ease/comfort in driving.

Steer clear of any of the off-brand (not a national representative) car lots. CarMax is very reliable and may even be very competitive price wise with the auto dealers.

[cckid2006]

Originally Posted by Victoria Columbari

I am looking at purchasing a used chevy malibu, nissan altima or toyota camry. Anyone know which is best and what year. Used i'm looking at the past two years, no older. Opinions or anyone know where to look for best information on these vehicles and which year would be best to get?

Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

The best advice I can give you is to have a mechanic check out any vehicle you are thinking about buying. It is worth the investment. Got a great car from an individual I worked with. His wife was bitching at him because it would nut run. So he announced at work he would sell it for $500. Took it to my mechanic - he changed clutch and motor mounts ~ $1k in repairs and I gat a $3000 vehicle for $500 + $1000.