I'm in the proccess of buying a car, but it's from a small car lot... is that safe? Would you do it?

Question

I'm 20, first car, and I'm going to be paying a car note on it for the next 2 years. I'm nervous b/c this will be my first real responsibility beside paying my cell phone bill... I just don't want to my money to go down the drain... I would love your opinon on what I should do... :o)

Answer 1

Take someone knowledgeable about cars shopping with you. If you are going to have the dealer at the small lot finance your car, you can bet, your interest rates will be extremely high. You may want to consider a loan, prior to car shopping. Preapproval of a loan, makes shopping less stressful. You know up front, how much you can spend, and what your payments will be, opposed to going to the lot, full of excitement about car ownership, decide to not read the long worded contract, and select a car that looks real sporty and hot, but has mechanical problems that you are overlooking, in your excitement. Your interest rates will be extremely high, 20-30% is not unusual, when it's dealer financing. Figure your insurance costs into your payment, it's part of the deal also. Your insurance rates will be higher, because you are a first time customer, once you renew a time or two, your rates will drop some. If you are a male, your rates will be sky high, until you turn 25, shop around for rates, companies vary quite a bit. Another thing about buying, ask the dealer if the title is branded/salvage/rebuilt. He knows, and can show you the title, if you doubt, what is being said. You don't want one of these cars, and many small lot dealers, purchase their inventory at auto auctions, where cars that have been insurance destroyed/totalled, damaged cars from across the U.S. that may have been in floods, or had other severe damage, high mileage, repo's, drug seizured vehicles. The drug seizure cars are likely your best bet, for value. The others, will be problems for you. That's why you should take someone with you who knows cars. Look under the carpet, under the seats, if you see rust, it's been under water. Mold/mildew smell when you open the trunk/car door, another bad clue. Brand new interior, on a car, several years old, would raise a flag for me, only because I would wonder why the rest of the car is in average condition, but the interior is flawless. I too, got stuck with a salvage, by not investigating that matter, and it was an expensive lesson. I prefer Honda's or Toyota's, I find them far more dependable than others, good gas mileage, hold a good resale value. Shop smart!

Answer 2

I own a 2005 Honda Accord EX V6 coupe. It has driver and passenger airbags, side curtain airbags in front and back, and regular side airbags (8 in all!!). It also has traction control, ABS and other safety features. Besides Honda's and Toyota's, I would say that an even safer car would be a Subaru. If you look at the ratings, Subaru prides themselves on getting a 5 star rating in each and every safety category. I had a 2000 Impreza 2.5RS and I was upset that the rear seats didnt fold down, but I later found out it was becuase Subaru could not get a 5 star crash rating with a fold down seat, until a few years later. I was also a little dissapointed with the overall weight of my car for it's size, then I found out that there was a steel roll cage welded to the frame of my car for added safety! Subaru's all come with AWD and great, great safety ratings. I would highly suggest this brand. GOod Luck a 2008 Impreza would have AWD, a sporty image and reasonable gas mileage for aan AWD vehicle. The Legacy 2.5GT is a full size luxury sedan with a turbocharged 250hp engine!!

Answer 3

I finance cars for a living. There are two things you need to know.
1. Get a carfax report of the car you're buying. If the dealership won't give you one for free, they're not worth a s***. Look it over, make sure the VIN# on the car matches the one on the report. And obviously make sure there have been no prior accidents.
2. Ask the dealer what the "black book" value of the car is. Every dealer should have a black book in house. Don't ever pay over extra clean black book for a car.
Good Luck

Answer 4

The first thing you should do go onto Kelly Blue Book and see if they are charging you a fair price. Second have a local mechanic take a look at it to see if it is safe and in good comdition. Also ask the car lot to provide you with a Car Fax report, if they refuse to do it, get it yourself. It is only $19.99 but it will tell you the history of the car. If it has been in a mjor accident, flood etc, do not purchase it.

Answer 5

first thing you should do is get a CARFAX report....make sure you look under the carpet for signs of flood damage and check out the frame to make sure it has not been bent and replaced.....simply because cutting the frame and replacing it will cause it to weaken. Also check w/ the BBB and see if they have any bad reports and check the condition of the oil & trans fluid as well they should be relatively smooth and not smell burnt or be very thick...when in doubt, get a mechanic to look because if thet don't want someone to look at it then they know something is wrong

Answer 6

As others may have mentioned, take the car to a mechanic and have it thoroughly checked out before you buy, not after. You should be OK then. Good luck with the car.

Answer 7

Get the car checked out by a automotive tech not affiliated with the car lot. They will probably charge you, but at least they can tell if it has been wrecked or if it has other mechanical issues.

Answer 8

you don't indicate what kind of car, but i assume it is used. if you want to hedge your bets, take it to an independent shop and pay them to inspect the vehicle and note any concerns that they find. It should cost less than 100.00 and it could save you thousands in needed repairs that you don't know how to spot. If the dealer won't let you take the vehicle...DO NOT BUY IT.