car mechanic in Memphis? (Bartlett: sales, college, upkeep)

[Klost]

My car broke down. I ended up junking it. I am in need of a used car. I either need to be able to take someone who knows a lot about cars with me to look at used cars or I need to be able to drive the used car to a mechanic to get it checked out. I don't have a ton of money so I need to make sure I get a reliable car that isn't going to fall apart. Does anyone know of anyone who is a really good car mechanic? Or anyone that might tag along with me? I live in the midtown area. Also my husband needs a couple new tires on his car, where is the best place to go for tires in Memphis?

[tigerphan]

I'm sorry to hear that. I can understand your frustration.

I recently bought two new vehicles and I'd be happy to give advice on that if you would be willing to provide information on your budget or vehicle preferences. Most of the local shops will check out a new vehicle for a small fee (Firestone charges $40 I think).

For the used market, the make/model doesn't matter nearly as much as the maintenance philosphy of the previous owner. I can't stress enough how important that is.

I was a part time fleet manager for a retail company for a couple of years of college for extra money. They had a fleet of intermediate sized cars and full sized vans. It was our job to equip the cold storage devices to the freezer trucks, install the fleet manager software on the big rigs, and keep track of their upkeep. We knew to the month how long the brake pads would last and when the battery would need replacement. We had incredible luck with Chevrolet Impalas and Toyota Corollas for the ease of maintanence and reliabilty. They were driven by sales people and would rack up the mileage very quickly. We'd get rid of the cars after about 150,000 miles (which would take less than 4 years to accumulate). The company would offer them used to the employees before they'd list them. I bought a tan Impala from them that I kept for another 220,000 miles before trading it in this year.

If you are on a budget, check out the old work fleets. They usually keep good maintenace records. Most of them are pickup trucks, but occasionally you'll find an good used intermediate sized car.

[mallen14298]

If it's a Honda or Accura mallory automotive in Bartlett; it's the only place I take my cars. Been going there for over 3 years.