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I think I may have blown another transmission,and mostly likely the repairs would probably be more than the car is worth at this point. It's happened before,so I may be looking again. What are my lowest cost options? I must add that I don't have much savings,and not sure how my credit is but I was thinking maybe a used car dealer. At least it'd be more reliable than craigslist or something where I'd never see the seller again...
No. I had HUGE success with rebuilt cars from craigslist. Except that I know cars and can tell what I am buying. Find a buddy mechanic and buy rebuilt from craigslist.
Used car dealer will sell you worse crap and for much much more.
Buy a used Toyota or Nissan type vehicle from a private seller. You should get the best price. Drive it around, listen to it, check to see if the heater/or a/c works. Know you can probably get 300K miles out if it, and it will rarely need to go to the shop.
Those are worth fixing, even if/when the cost to fix them is the same price as the vehicle, because then it will probably go another couple hundred miles.
At least, that's what I do. Unless the battery goes dead, you can rely on them to start every time.
Anyway, if you want cheap and reliable, go with old Toyotas or Nissans. Or Hondas.
I now have a 93 Nissan pickup. Love my little truck! And it's just as good as an old Toyota truck, but with a cheaper price tag, because they don't have the "cool" factor that Toyotas have.
Used-car dealers buy their inventory from auto auctions. "Low cost" means cheap, meaning the dealers who buy and sell these cars are handing the ones that nobody else will buy. If you see a car broken down along the highway, with letters and numbers written on the windows, that is a car that was just purchased at an auto auction and it didn't even make it back to the used-car lot. The ones that don't break down get detailed and maybe get a set of the cheapest tires available.
I recommend Craigslist, buying from a private owner who preferably has complete maintenance and repair records and receipts. Prepare to pay cash, and have the amount available that you are prepared to spend. The really good deals, the good cars being offered for surprisingly low prices, do not last long -- maybe just a couple hours, and the guy who shows up first with cash gets them. If the ad has been up for a few weeks, then it's likely that others have looked at the car and determined that there was something wrong with it.
Buy a used Toyota or Nissan type vehicle from a private seller. You should get the best price. Drive it around, listen to it, check to see if the heater/or a/c works. Know you can probably get 300K miles out if it, and it will rarely need to go to the shop.
Those are worth fixing, even if/when the cost to fix them is the same price as the vehicle, because then it will probably go another couple hundred miles.
At least, that's what I do. Unless the battery goes dead, you can rely on them to start every time.
Anyway, if you want cheap and reliable, go with old Toyotas or Nissans. Or Hondas.
I now have a 93 Nissan pickup. Love my little truck! And it's just as good as an old Toyota truck, but with a cheaper price tag, because they don't have the "cool" factor that Toyotas have.
Woops, I meant to say it will go another couple hundred thousand miles lol.
Got a buddy with one, paid very little. Thing is a beast, and everybody is on their best behavior when you come strolling around.
If not, look at used Nissan, Honda, or Toyota cars and get a good look at them. Some of the cars these three build are worth keeping if you just need a set of wheels.
If not, look at used Nissan, Honda, or Toyota cars and get a good look at them. Some of the cars these three build are worth keeping if you just need a set of wheels.
You can't go wrong with these.
I always say, I'd rather have a Toyota with 200K miles, than a Chevy with 50K. You just can't kill some of those older Toyotas and Hondas.
If you find a car you want to buy, spend the money to have a reputable mechanic look at it first. If the seller won't let you do that, then don't buy the car.
I always say, I'd rather have a Toyota with 200K miles, than a Chevy with 50K. You just can't kill some of those older Toyotas and Hondas.
This is total B.S. You can't make a blanket statement like this. My in-laws are die hard Honda fans. They will never purchase any other type of car, period. My mother in-laws last vehicle, a Honda Odyssey with the 3.5 L V-6, lasted 118,000 miles before the transmission went. She got a remanufactured transmission from the Honda dealer, and got another 60,000 miles before it started shifting hard from 1st to 2nd. She finally traded it in for a brand new CRV, and has replaced the alternator at 37,000 miles, and just recently the fuel pump.
My father in law in on his 3rd Honda Civic. The first got to 180,000 when a short in the wiring harness caused a fire and burnt it up. His second Civic went through 2 head gaskets between 150,000 to 180,000. His new Civic has been great the first 60,000 miles.
They always purchase new, and take it to the dealer for all required maintenance. They do drive about 40,000 miles a year each though.
Modern manufacturing and parts suppliers do an excellent job, and most vehicles built today, with the exception of supercars, have very good build quality. It all boils down to the styling you prefer, and features you want.
This doesn't count for vehicles manufactured decades ago.
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