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My only advice to you is that if you buy used, which is not a bad option at all, always, always, ALWAYS have an independent mechanic look at it BEFORE you buy it, even if a dealership is selling it. If they refuse to let you do that, then don't buy it.
my niece bought a toyota yaris a couple of years ago, it was a 2014 model year, and it has been a solid and reliable vehicle for her to date. she got it from a dealer here and got a pretty good deal on it.
understand a few things however,
1: there are unscrupulous people working in the auto industry, in both sales and service, that are just out to make a buck any way they can. so be careful where you go, and always double check their claims with another shop.
2: most problems that come up dont need immediate attention, so you can take the time to get a second opinion.
3: tire shops that also do service work are notorious for "finding" problems, and making them seem like if you dont fix them now, your car will explode or something stupid like that.
finding a mechanic that will treat you right is hard to do, and a little education on your part makes that easier. take some night courses in automotive technology. you dont have to take a full degree program, but a few courses here and there will give you a better understanding of how your car works, and allow you to understand what your mechanic is telling you, and whether they are giving you a line of bravo sierra or not.
It doesn't sound like you really need 4x4 nor AWD. They can be nice, but they cost more initially, cost more to operate (reduced fuel mileage), cost more to maintain, etc. With what you've stated, you simply don't need the extra cost. Good winter tires are always better than 4x4/AWD anyway, so just plan on a set Blizzaks for your winters. That's what I have on my FWD car, and it's a rare winter day when I can't get around just fine on them in Wyoming. I think there was one morning last winter when I stayed home due to roads, and most of my neighbors did too. There were a few days when I couldn't get to the next town, but that's because the roads were closed. In that case it doesn't matter even if you have chains on your car, the roads are closed to all traffic.
Neither do I think you need another used car. Your price point of $15,000 is close enough that you can probably just add a couple grand without it costing you much of anything. Loans are cheaper for new cars, and new ones often come with some "free" oil changes, etc. My Toyota came with 2 years or 24,000 miles of free service, just as all Toyotas do. When you figure that new will last longer than even the best used car, they're often simply a smarter purchase than buying used -- not always, but in your case probably. Even if not always a smarter purchase, new is at least a safer purchase.
I'm not familiar with many of the new cars, but a Toyota Corolla or Yaris would be tough to beat. I currently drive a 2015 Toyota Prius with 116,000 miles on it. I bought it new in late 2014. I chose the Prius because I drive so much that fuel economy really makes a big difference. (I average ~43 mpg at speeds of 70-80 mph. My average mpg was better before the state raised its speed limits a few years ago.)
Even at my car's high mileage, I've yet to spend a dime on unscheduled maintenance/repairs other than wiper blades, tires and crashes. (Hit a deer a few years ago.) Scheduled maintenance on a Toyota is generally pretty inexpensive. For my Prius, oil changes are every 10,000 miles, and halfway between them are tire rotations and a check of fluid levels, brakes, etc. My dealer often doesn't even charge me for that inspection.
I'm not too clear on your statement that you're "going to Iowa or Idaho." If you mean you're moving to one of those states, check before buying a car and be sure you'll have a dealer near your new home. Especially in Idaho, dealerships can be scarce for some car brands. Where I live in Wyoming I have to drive 100 miles to the closest Toyota dealer. Most other "foreign" makes are 150 miles, 250 miles or 350 miles away. Idaho isn't much different. Just check if you'll be moving. Even if you buy used, it's nice to have a dealership for your car nearby.
Also, keep in mind what your purchase will be worth in a few years should you want to sell or trade it. Some brands, such as Toyota and Honda, retain their values pretty well. Some others don't.
Mitsubishi Mirage can be bought brand new for less than $10K.
It's a tin can, but it's a cheap tin can and has a long (5 year/60K bumper to bumper, 10 year/100K powertrain) warranty.
That's a lot of worry free driving if you're on a tight budget.
My only advice to you is that if you buy used, which is not a bad option at all, always, always, ALWAYS have an independent mechanic look at it BEFORE you buy it, even if a dealership is selling it. If they refuse to let you do that, then don't buy it.
+100 ...doing conscientious due diligence doesn't *guarantee* smooth sailing, but you improve your odds of avoiding trouble greatly if you have a solid condition inspection done and check the car's VIN against CarFax for accidents.
Hi guys. I am going to describe my situation and i hope to get some meaningful advices.
So i recently have sold my old Toyota Corolla 2004, which i bought in 2014 for $5500, and after that invested additional $6000 in it - for tires, to replace water pomp, and any other minor repairs that mechanics were founding in it. The problem is that it was my first car and i didn't know anything about car (and still don't know). So i was very naive to go to the places like Firestone and was asking them to check my car if it has any problems. I was very scared to get my car broken in the middle of the road... So taking in account my broken English and my very obvious lack of knowledge about the cars i was very desirable customer for them...
Anyway, it was my first and bad experience. Now i need another affordable vehicle in $15k frame - something like Yaris, Elantra or Rio. So what would be better option for me taking in account that i am short in money but also i am not ready to deal with malfunctions or learn how to fix them by myself?
I can either purchase brand new car from dealer with warranty or i can buy 2-3 years old car from dealer with warranty too. In both cases i am going to purchase from dealer because i am expecting to get some warranty and i do not want to deal with private owners who are always lying. I realize that dealers are lying too but at least they should provide some warranty on their vehicles.
What would you recommend? And in case with new car how much downpayment would you do for such cars?
When it comes to the cars themselves i don't care how they look or what manufacturer. For me they all look nice. The only thing that i didn't like was Nissan Versa because i was renting this car and it felt very bulky and inconvenient for me. But if Versa is better option for me - no problem, i will take it and tolerate the inconvenience.
Thank you.
PS I forgot to mention that i will need car that is capable to drive in winter time as well. I am going to Iowa or Idaho state and i know they have snow in winter.
A Corolla is a damned fine car. The guys at work that have had them have loved them. They last with a minimum of maintenance. Get another used one with lower mileage.
I’d get a Corolla or Civic with about 30k miles. That way you have a bit of the bumper to bumper warranty left. Check autotrader. Simply enter the makes and models you are interested in and other limitations such as mileage and year. Internet pricing is quite frequently lower than the price listed on the car at the dealership. Buy from a dealer who also sells new vehicles and has a reputation to maintain.
My only advice to you is that if you buy used, which is not a bad option at all, always, always, ALWAYS have an independent mechanic look at it BEFORE you buy it, even if a dealership is selling it. If they refuse to let you do that, then don't buy it.
I would not do this for any vehicle purchased from a reputable dealer that is still under a bumper to bumper warranty.
Just a reminder that a lot of the new-car manufacturer warrantees are not transferrable (or partially transferable) on used vehicles. This includes Kia 100,000 mile / 10 year warranty.
On a budget, Corolla, Yaris, Fit and Civic are hard to beat on the used market. I generally buy used as the depreciation on new vehicles is hard to accept.
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