Buying from a used car dealership

1sh0t1b33r said:
Used car lots are the worst. A lot of those cars are salvage repairs. I would go for maybe a Corolla/Camry from one because they run forever and if it’s major you’d be able to tell, but I’d sure as hell stay away from used car lot sports cars and German cars. Or bring a friend that can really tell when a car has been repaired via frame pulling, etc.
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not that carfax and autocheck have everything, but i've pulled them - seems like spending $100 to support the search for spending $$$$ is well spent.
interesting to see how long a dealer will hold a car.

I can usually spot when a car doesn't track correctly, and i'm usually drive my cars to their death, so
not worried about resale.
 
But this is such a baller look

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Carson said:
I can't wait until you list the Geo for $19.99. I'll buy it, drive it, and never yield going into the Flemington circle again.

Top down = I have the right of way and zero fucks will be given.
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car is so small, i've been run off the circles many times....those curbs are high for the 12" low profile tires....(not z rated :D)
good news is the car can be picked up by three people.

next time gas goes over $5/gal, it is going to auction.....still gets 45 mpg.
Assuming it doesn't bend in half by then. Gotta weld the doors shut. I think it used standing seams for support.
 
The CLK430 is a nice car, but buying one of these is sort of like buying a Ferrari: If you can't afford a new one, you can't afford a used one.

That said, if you have some wrenching ability, DIY service can be done. But parts will still be pricey and it'll take awhile, so make sure it's not your only car.

To date, I've only bought one car from a used car dealer. I financed it through my bank. The engine blew up a year or so after I bought it.
 
Anyone bother getting a mechanic to look at a car before buying? It's a GTI for my older kid. It's from a VW dealership and has a clear Carfax. My wife insists on me doing so, but I'm not sold it's necessary. It has low mileage, so the salesman said it might qualify for certified, but will of course cost more.

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qclabrat said:
Anyone bother getting a mechanic to look at a car before buying? It's a GTI for my older kid. It's from a VW dealership and has a clear Carfax. My wife insists on me doing so, but I'm not sold it's necessary. It has low mileage, so the salesman said it might qualify for certified, but will of course cost more.

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I've gone for people a dozen times. Paid off once when I found someone cleverly hiding a bad head gasket on a Camry.
 
i have a 'bluedriver' OBD2 reader with advanced diagnostics. got it on amazon. magical little thing really.
can tell you the last time all the fault codes were cleared. doesn't know what they are tho.
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my w1f3 dropped a bomb shell on me while buying my truck last week. The kid will be driving a new car.
it will be a basic, low-end car, but it will be new, so we don't have to deal with someone else's problem.
i haven't really thought about the value-statement yet. got a few years.

what does a base, mustang convertible go for :D
 
qclabrat said:
Anyone bother getting a mechanic to look at a car before buying? It's a GTI for my older kid. It's from a VW dealership and has a clear Carfax. My wife insists on me doing so, but I'm not sold it's necessary. It has low mileage, so the salesman said it might qualify for certified, but will of course cost more.

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Walt, why fool around? Just get a certified vehicle with a full warranty. That's what we did last year for my son. Who knows what a mechanic might miss, and he can't predict the future.
 
rick81721 said:
Walt, why fool around? Just get a certified vehicle with a full warranty. That's what we did last year for my son. Who knows what a mechanic might miss, and he can't predict the future.
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Certified GTIs are expensive, guess too many get wrecked or high miles. I've been looking.... Hoping this one is good enough to be one
 
fidodie said:
i have a 'bluedriver' OBD2 reader with advanced diagnostics. got it on amazon. magical little thing really.
can tell you the last time all the fault codes were cleared. doesn't know what they are tho.
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my w1f3 dropped a bomb shell on me while buying my truck last week. The kid will be driving a new car.
it will be a basic, low-end car, but it will be new, so we don't have to deal with someone else's problem.
i haven't really thought about the value-statement yet. got a few years.

what does a base, mustang convertible go for :D
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What happened to a Mini Cooper? Those cars have a crazy resale when he's ready to part with it
 
Your boy's too big for a mini anyways. Countryman is nice but loses the gocart feel. Test drove most of the Mini models and found them all underwhelming.
 
qclabrat said:
Certified GTIs are expensive, guess too many get wrecked or high miles. I've been looking.... Hoping this one is good enough to be one
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Uncertified GTI’s will become expensive. Nobody buys a GTI to drive it like a nun in a Corolla.
 
qclabrat said:
Your boy's too big for a mini anyways. Countryman is nice but loses the gocart feel. Test drove most of the Mini models and found them all underwhelming.
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i'm not sure kids actually care how things drive! he seems very utilitarian about the whole decision. Of course he has never been in a real sports car (80s trans-am doesn't count) - i don't think.
we've been mostly suv/pick-up/metro his whole life. i'm a terrible parent :D

i rode with Les Dunham one night in his corvette. I think i might have been 13. wasn't anything modified to his standards yet, but it was awesome!
My Dad was getting me out of the house for a bit. cause there was a card game going on. We were on a beer and pizza run. hooked.
 
Do yourself a favor and buy an OBDeleven tool if you plan to buy a VW. It’ll read all the fault codes to your smartphone (as well as let you do software mods) although I’d assume the dealer would have cleared all the bad stuff they wanted to hide.

DSG or manual?
 
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