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13 years ago, me mum was able to buy a cheap, but reliable Nissan, for a bit under 3k. There were plenty of cars for around the same price. I've been browsing around, and cheap cars for 3k today in my area always have some expensive problems that need fixing. Further more a friend of mine bought a 2k car which turned out to be a lemon.
The point I am trying to make is that you were able to get an older car that was taken care of for a low price. Cars don't seem to be taken care of at that price point anymore.
The point I am trying to make is that you were able to get an older car that was taken care of for a low price. Cars don't seem to be taken care of at that price point anymore.
You are correct. But the price of new cars has risen taking the price of used cars (helped by Cash For Clunkers) with them.
In 2014 $3900 has the same value as $3000 did in 2001. So, and this is a rough estimate, look at $4000 cars.
People are keeping their cars longer (I still have two 1995 Taurus' sitting out front, a 2001 Frontier and a 2003 F150. Not to mention the 2010 Forester and 2014 F150. Until recently the fleet contained a 1991 Lumina.).
The point I am trying to make is that you were able to get an older car that was taken care of for a low price. Cars don't seem to be taken care of at that price point anymore.
$3k is only going to get you an old car with...a LOT...of miles on the odometer.
Whether said car will be reliable or not is mostly a function of how well it was maintained.
So...rather than concentrating on specific makes and models, you would be well-advised to look for private sales of cars that come with FULL maintenance records that you can compare to the mfr's maintenance schedule.
A $3k car that hasn't been maintained AT LEAST AS WELL as its mfr specifies will almost surely be a money pit.
That being said, no matter what $3k car you might buy, you really need to have about $2k in your repair budget for the inevitable repairs that will arise.
The point I am trying to make is that you were able to get an older car that was taken care of for a low price. Cars don't seem to be taken care of at that price point anymore.
Yes, but you have to be willing to get the car inspected before you buy to do your due diligence.
$3k is only going to get you an old car with...a LOT...of miles on the odometer.
Whether said car will be reliable or not is mostly a function of how well it was maintained.
So...rather than concentrating on specific makes and models, you would be well-advised to look for private sales of cars that come with FULL maintenance records that you can compare to the mfr's maintenance schedule.
A $3k car that hasn't been maintained AT LEAST AS WELL as its mfr specifies will almost surely be a money pit.
That being said, no matter what $3k car you might buy, you really need to have about $2k in your repair budget for the inevitable repairs that will arise.
That's the bit of trouble I am having. Maintenance records don't seem to exist these days.
That's the bit of trouble I am having. Maintenance records don't seem to exist these days.
Then you are looking at cars being sold by the wrong people.
Not only do my cars come with every maintenance invoice and every parts receipt, but I also provide the chart that I constructed in order to be able to see at a glance what maintenance procedures were done, and when they were done.
I guess that this is why there was a waiting line of prospective buyers at my old place of employment whenever I got rid of one of my old cars.
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