Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi, I am moving from Ohio to Colorado, and have been looking for used cars. The prices seem cheaper here than there, but there is a greater chance of it having more rust here (which might be the exact reason for the price discrepancy).
If I buy the car before moving, I'll be able to transport it, since I have a car-hauler trailer, but it should add around $600 for fuel and the four days (round trip) to make the extra journey.
It's not just the price difference. There seems to be a lot more for sale here, and close too. It would be easier to buy here, because I have friends that could give me a ride, which simplifies the buying part of it. I wouldn't know anyone once I get there, but I guess I could pick it up with my car-hauler trailer there . . . I'm planning on buying from a private party, and it makes me a bit more nervous to carry cash to the deal without a friend for security/back-up.
Lastly, the used cars seem to have higher miles down there in Colorado. Any advice appreciated, thanks.
I'm planning on buying from a private party, and it makes me a bit more nervous to carry cash to the deal without a friend for security/back-up.
For that reason alone, I would buy it in Ohio.
Otherwise, I would go somewhere like CarMax in CO (if there is one in your new town). Their prices aren't bad, and there wouldn't be the same security problem as buying from a private seller.
OP, ask a lot of questions and check the car out carefully. There are a lot of cars on the used market that were flooded during the bad storms over the past year. Not all will show up in an online check, especially if from a private seller. There are several scams where criminals will buy those cars and keep the paper trail to a minimum.
I'm at a point where I (personally) would only buy from from someone I knew and knew the history of the vehicle!
I'm not trying to scare you! But both of my younger cousins ended up with cars like that. They both ran fine for several days, but as soon as it rained, major problems started happening.
1. The registration fees are more akin to a personal property tax and are based on the value of your vehicle. Don't know what fees are like in your current state. The higher the value, the higher the fee. New cars often run many hundreds of dollars per year. Each year it goes down, though. If the car you are going to be purchasing is older and low in value, this won't be much of a concern for you.
2. CO requires regular emissions testing (though no state "inspection" per se) and for residents bringing in a car from other states, a VIN certification as well. Make sure if you are purchasing a car in your current state, it will likely pass the emissions test.
1. The registration fees are more akin to a personal property tax and are based on the value of your vehicle. Don't know what fees are like in your current state. The higher the value, the higher the fee. New cars often run many hundreds of dollars per year. Each year it goes down, though. If the car you are going to be purchasing is older and low in value, this won't be much of a concern for you.
2. CO requires regular emissions testing (though no state "inspection" per se) and for residents bringing in a car from other states, a VIN certification as well. Make sure if you are purchasing a car in your current state, it will likely pass the emissions test.
Where I'm at now it only cost me $70 to register my brand new truck. I'm not looking forward to paying $1000 per year in Colorado for the same thing, but oh well. I just don't want to fall into a "double sales tax trap" that I keep hearing about, since I paid sales tax here when I bought it last month.
Luckily, the county I'm going to doesn't require emission testing for gasoline vehicles, so that part will be alright. Unluckily, they do test diesel vehicles, which is what my new truck is, so I'm dreading that. If I stayed here, I could do certain things to my truck to make it run better and get better MPG, and enjoy it fully for dirt-cheap. That's the only regretful aspect that I've unveiled thus far.
With the information you've provided, I will definitely wait until I'm there to buy my compact daily driver used car. I might even park my new truck and let it rot, until I can afford its drastic registration fees, and then probably end up paying even more for "late fees", urgh. Thanks.
I'm just telling you the realities so you can be prepared. My husband and I have 3 daily drivers, 2 of the 3 were relatively new and high in value, and yes, the cost on those 2 the first couple of years was close to $1,000 each. The registration fees are there presumably to fund roads and other infrastructure, and you will never be able to convince me that value should factor into that. However, threads about this come up from time to time, and as many people accurately point out, you don't have to buy a new, expensive car, so it's easy to avoid this tax if you really want to. Plus, the state has a very reasonable flat income tax rate of 4.63%, sales taxes similar to other states where I have lived, so at the end of the day, the overall tax burden in the state is fair, IMO.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
