The Thinking of Purchasing A Used Car Thread
 

I figured I’d create this thread rather than hunting down one of the old ones that are specific to a certain make/model.

My wife is looking at getting a used SUV; she’s primarily (at this point) looking at Grand Cherokees and Xterras.
We saw one on a lot, when the dealer was closed, that was a 2008 Grand Cherokee with 99kk miles for $14.4k.
Tires looked like there were nearly need, tons of tread left on them.
I didn’t get to see the inside, besides looking into the window. The body was fine, only a few scratches – but, hell it’s got 99k miles.

Overall – should I be worried about buying a car/suv with this high of mileage? It’s the first time I’ve ever bought a car with this many miles on it.
Aside from the usual, is there anything concerning in terms of power/drive train?

On this particular Grand Cherokee, I felt the rotors, and they had a slight wave to them so I’m sure brakes and rotors would be an initial replacement; and probably a radiator flush and oil change.

Haven't driven it yet (or any for that matter), but just wanted overall thoughts on high mileage cars.


What is the opinion of high mileage cars/SUVs from the CP Braintrust?

Show me the car fax

Stay away from jeep products.

Does your wife need a real SUV with all that power? She might be better off with a compact SUV which can be had for brand new for around 20K.

This X 10.

Yeah; I'm trying to get her to consider a RAV 4; or possibly an Explorer. not much bigger than that.
Not sure why she's dead set on an SUV, but whatever.

:hmmm:

Turning over my Honda CRV to my daughters in a couple of days. Signing paperwork on a 2012 Ford Fusion tonight. Decent deal in Leavenworth, 33k miles, appointments I was looking for, $14.5k. Will most likely give it to the oldest daughter (now 16) when she heads off to college, then snag another just like it for the younger daughter (turning 15 tomorrow).

I'll get a break for a couple of years, the boy just turned 12.

You can find 2007 Acura MDX's for 18-20. 100K on those is perfectly fine.

I've been telling her to go the Rav 4 route; Pilot (though, probably a bit $ for now), or Escape.

Her car is paid off, so I'd like to just buy another (ie no trade).
Dunno yet.

Jeep has a terrible reliability record on the whole.

Just a thought, if you are looking for a bargain. The Dodge Nitro was discontinued after 2011 model year, and they are a jeep Liberty in slightly different skin. So you can find them pretty down and dirty.

The Mrs. has a 2007, that I think was a return and had a lot of problems at first. But now, it is trouble free once we worked through those warranty issues.

man. I had no idea about the Jeep reliability. Shows you how much I know.

I'm thinking she should stick with Toyota/Honda/Nissan/Ford.

Yeah; I noticed those you can get pretty much loaded for darn near dirt cheap.
I like those as well. They're 'growing' on her.

I'd have a real hard time paying $14,000 for something with almost 100K miles on it, no matter what it is. A couple of years ago, I bought a '09 Forester with 14,500 miles on it for about that much. :eek:

Toyota or Honda

Yep, we bought ours when the 2nd year came out, 2008. We bought a very early production first year 2007 made 8-6-2006, and it was a "program" car. I think the program was lemon!
But it was totally loaded, with sunroof, running boards, entertainment system for kids in the back etc. Listed for 33k, and we paid 25. love the size of it. My wife wouldn't trade it for anything, she loves it.

Now you can do much better than that. There is a board full of Nitro lovers here. Pretty interesting reading, and it has helped me a lot.

I'd totally be down for a Forester.
the wife.....not so much.

I'm going to do a hard sell on the Rav 4 I think.
They have stellar reviews from what I've read.


at least I've finally convinced her not to get a Compass. Good god; we test drove one about 4 years ago and it was a complete dog on power. inside was cheap etc.

Got the wife a 2010 Rav4 with 23k miles a couple months back, and she's very happy with it. I had to sell her on it as she was having a hard time for whatever reason with the idea of it. She has said on a few occasions that she's not sure why she didn't want it, but is glad now we went that way.

Have her drive a Forester XT (turbo model) and she may change her mind.

She would still have to put up with lesbian jokes, though.

Small sample size, but the 2 or 3 people I have known with Grand Cherokees have all had problems with them. I owned a Wrangler that gave me no issues. I bought another Wrangler about a year and a half ago and returned it the next day because the electrical system went completely apeshit literally as I was driving the thing home.

I currently own an Xterra. It wasn't my first choice, but when I returned the Jeep it was sitting there and I could afford to pay cash for it. It's got about 80k and runs great. In fact it's the best car ever made. Wanna buy it? :titus:

By the way, my wife's sister-in-law insisted on going the huge SUV route a couple of years ago and bought a Ford Expedition for a decent price. I didn't really understand the reasoning (they only had one kid at the time) but have to admit that it's a really nice rig. They get 18 mpg (about as good as you can expect on any large SUV) and have had zero problems with it despite SIL's lead foot. The thing is loaded, too, with air-conditioned seats and all of the entertainment packages.

We recently did a lot of research on compact SUVs and came to the conclusion that the RAV4 was the best compact SUV available, especially the 2013 model that was redesigned. We will be purchasing one towards the end of the year in hopes of getting a slightly better deal. I know that the CRV is a huge hit but it doesn't quite have the styling nor is the interior load capacity as large.

My wife's car is a '06 CR-V that we bought new. It's been a good rig for us, is comfortable and has better load capacity than my Forester.

However, it is so loud that I hate driving it any distance. If you want to hear music, you have to crank it so loud that you can't talk plus it sort of drills into your skull over time. I hope the newer CR-V's are better about this but Honda kind of has a rep for skimping on the sound deadening.

I put about 7000 miles on a RAV4 rental about 6 months ago. I couldn't get over how cheap it felt and that the gas mileage was much lower than I thought it would be.

I looked up the MSRP out of curiosity and I thought they must be crazy to charge that much for that car. The 2013 must be ALOT better.

Uh, this. The 2002 Grand Cherokee I just bought only has 50k more than that on it, and it was $9,000 cheaper.

Oh, and screw that idiot who said stay away from Jeep products.

I've got a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 60,000 on it (wife's vehicle) and have never had a single issue with it. Well, it squeals like crazy backing out of the driveway when it's cold, but that's it.

Absolutely. Jeep does make some crap but there is absolutely nothing wrong with cherokees. There is a reason there's six billion of them on the road.

I don't know of all the mechanical differences, but isn't it possible a rental car gets a little bit of a different level of abuse? I have no idea how rental car companies work but I would guess they don't hesitate to utilize vehicles that have had it pretty rough prior to them.

If you're not buying a Wrangler, I agree with this sentiment.

I'd stay the **** away from Explorer's as well. I've never known ANYONE that had good experiences with them.

If you're looking for a decent chick car, look into a Mustang.

**** you.

Just buy a ****ing Honda. Most reliable cars on the planet.

And if you don't believe me, ask a mechanic. Typically they'll tell you the cars they see in the shop the least are Hondas.

I have been in this business my whole adult life. But, for once, I think I will stay out. I have explained the car game SO many times, I am just too tired tonight.

I will offer you use of my car fax though, and if you like I also have access to every book known to man, including dealer side books, and dont mind helping on specific units. If you need carfax or blackbook, PM me with specific vehicles.

I am driving a 240k mile Civic as my daily right now, that you couldn't buy from me for any realistic amount.

Reading through this thread, I have to also echo the sentiment that Grand Cherokees are POS's.

Chrysler products in general are total junk, with a few exceptions, such as the Cummins built diesel motors, and the straight 6 Jeep wranglers of the late 90s/early 2000s.

OK seriously. I am done here!

I would stay away. I got a jeep patriot that is awesome in the worst snow, but I admit you can get far better value.

When you decide or want some help finding your exact car give a shout out to Burt. He's been in the biz 20+ years.

The wife and I almost bit on a Honda Pilot for her on eBay this weekend. I hesitated because I've never done the eBay thing for a car. It was through a dealer, but still just seems odd to me. I also wonder how they get these cars with 12k miles on them. Doesn't make much sense.

I've got a dealer I do businesses with that has gotten cars with as low as 300 miles on them...
Posted via Mobile Device

People trade in cars all the time, for lots of reasons. years ago when I worked for Ford, I had a lady buy a Buick at a different dealership, drive it home, then to Ford where she traded it in with 100 miles on it. Why> Because she felt ripped off by the other dealership and decided to cut ties with it, instead of living with her mistake.

We just sold a 12 Pilot today with 14k miles on it. It was a salesperson who had traded it in, becuase well, she just likes to trade.

Don't be scared of low mileage pre-owned units. It happens every day.

My dad is a car dealer, and he thinks that high-mileage cars aren't really a problem. The old rule was that 100,000 miles is the limit, but he says that better roads and better vehicle construction invalidate that rule for new cars.

Also, tell your wife to buy a BMW Z3 or Z4. A Z3 like mine can be bought for around $10,000 now (apricot may cost extra), and it's going to be more fun to drive, more flashy, and more reliable than most SUVs. If you need to haul something big, just give phobia a call and ask him to bring his truck.

Aren't those usually lease returns?

Two weeks ago we traded my wife's 2010 Murano in with just under 11,000 miles on it. Nothing wrong with it, never had any problems, it was a really a nice SUV and it was loaded. I found a nice F-150 and the wife had the choice to keep her Murano or take what I was driving which is a late model low mileage sedan. Either way one was going because we need a truck right now for some projects at the homestead. It was a need deal and either way someone was getting a nice low mileage used car and we basically turned her Murano into something we needed.

I like the look of those Muranos.

You will be pleased, as was I, that she picked the BMW over the Murano. But I still left the decision in her hands of what she wanted to drive.

Didn't read all the responses but

Buy a Subaru

Get an outback or a forester

Subaru

Do not pay 14.5 for a jeep with 100k unless you want to regret your purchase

This thread made me look up the kbb value of our 2010 Outback with 63,000 miles on it - $16,300 in good "condition." It's been an excellent car so far, but it was brand new and we take care of our vehicles and Subarus hold their value well.

We love it, it does everything in the snow you ask it to, we have averaged 29 MPG over the life of the car. It has a lot of room to haul stuff, with a good smooth ride.

It is a little loud on the highway, but there are a lot of positive factors that way outweigh that aspect. I think a new one has to be one of the best values out there on the market. We got the 2nd trim level and got out of there for under $25K brand new.

Let me tell you about the POS money pit Accord we had...

If you search hard enough you can find anecdotal evidence of problems with any make/model.

Looking for a 2000+ Ford Ranger, 4cyl, rwd, automatic in good shape as a daily driver for work.

Who has one for me...?



-Did I do that right?-

4 banger with an auto? Why?

Im lazy.

If I am getting a stick, it better be a sports car. I just need something that will get me to work and allow me to drink my coffee on the way while getting 25+ mpg.

Or do the 4.0L get better MPG than the 4 cylinders? Haven't really researched them THAT much. Just been kind keepin an eye open for a good deal...

No doubt, I've been abusing rentals almost on a daily basis for about 7 years now. But that's not what I'm referring to. The car itself just seemed like a cheap piece of crap. The only reason I didn't return it for something else was the convenience of the being able to haul toolboxes and crap in the back. I think it had like 120 miles on it when I rented it and I gave it back with almost 7000.

I also got upgraded to an Explorer a couple months ago. Man that thing was nice, definitely not the pieces of crap they made ten years ago. I'm guessing it cost alot more money though.

Buddy of mine has two Outbacks. Great cars.

We have been looking for something with decent size, but my wife doesn't want to drive a tank. Needs to be able to house my two German Shepherds outside of the main sitting area. I told her to just buy an Arcadia, but she continues to look. I'm afraid she's going to buy a Honda Odyssey... I'm sure its nice and all, but we don't have any kids.

Cadillac CTS

Well as long as your commute doesn't involve pesky little things like merging on the freeway you should be fine.

Do the 'crossover thing' SUVs are far more expensive in taxes and insurance. DC is making damn sure of that. Better gas mileage anyhow.:thumb:

I've been thinking about picking up a used one on the cheap. They depreciate pretty fast it seems.

Pluses/minuses?

I had a 2004 GC and while it was usually running, it was notorious for needing small repairs every week it seemed like. The only thing that was quality on those trucks was the engine. The rest of the vehicle rotted away around it... eventually it developed electrical problems so I bailed on it.

RWD, depending on where you live.

The 2 year old Forester I bought with 14.5K miles on it was a lease return. As mentioned, there are a lot of reasons people trade in low mileage cars.

I will also say that low miles isn't always a good thing. My sister-in-law has a five year old Civic with barely 28K miles on it. However, 100% of those miles have been hard-driven city miles. She sold her last Civic with the same kind of miles to someone I knew and they had a ton of problems with that thing later on. I wouldn't touch her car, despite being a Honda and having low miles.

For Dayze, I would definitely consider the Outback. You get the looks of a SUV but the feel of a car. Subarus seem to require more maintenance than other cars (you have a major service every 30K miles, for example) but if you do it, they seem to last forever.

Would I lose MPG by going up to the v6?

For the 2011 Rangers with manual transmissions (couldn't find official ratings for autos)

Here's a short thread on Edmunds talking about Ranger mpg

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f155b32/0

It looks like most people with the 4.0L V6 get 2ub-20's mpg.

Also, my wife's parents have an extended cab Colorado 2wd pickup with the 5 cylinder engine and auto tranny and get mid to upper 20's. It has been a trouble free rig for them so you might look that direction, too.

I have an old 1997 Acura Integra. That thing had all the orginal belts, cables, etc. until about two years ago. Those Honda engines are definitely reliable.

So I guess I should ask...

What small pickup out there gets the best MPG?

Again, looking for small pickup, rwd, automatic. Not looking to spend a lot...just want something to get me to and from work...and sometimes haul the trash in the back.

Ranger...s10...sonoma...? Who has the best MPG?

If MPG is your biggest concern, a truck probably isn't the way to go.

Also, http://lmgtfy.com/?q=best+mpg+in+a+small+pickup+truck

Sorry you wasted your time.

That isn't what I'm looking for.

:hmmm:
we were going to look at one tonight, as a matter of fact. about the same mileage etc.

LOL, don't ask this mechanic. Because the Accord, Pilot and Odyssey keep me employed.

LMAO

so much awesome in this post.

tons of good info in here. I'd like her to go the Subie or Rav4 route, personally.

or, like I told her, if you're going to get something with shitty gas mileage, just get a full size truck.

It depends how old you want to go. The older S10s 4-cyl pickups got great mileage but they are going to be pretty old by now.

For newer small pickups, the Colorado and Ranger pickups with the 4 banger and automatic are both rated 25 hwy. That's about the best you can do these days. The Toyota and Nissan pickups are bigger and heavier and get mileage comparable to full size pickups.

You can look it up here:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymake/bymanuNF.shtml

An off the wall idea is the Subaru Baja. It's basically an Outback with a small pickup bed. if you are only hauling trash, it would be big enough. You can get in the upper 20's with a Baja.

Another idea is to get a small SUV like a RAV4, CR-V or a Forester and get a small trailer for trash days.

THAT'S what I was looking for. Thanks!