Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
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Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
Hello all,
We are moving to Monterey, CA from abroad and will need to buy a car. Neither of us have ever spent more than $4,000 on a car so this is pretty intimidating. We don't know anything about the process. I've read up on here about tracking down dealers and then having them bid against each other over email. But first, we need to know what we'd like to buy....and we have no idea. Our time line is really short and since I know most people on here have done their research, I would love to know why you bought your car and how it's working out. Advice is REALLY appreciated.
We move to Monterey Sept 12, need a car before Oct 2. Only primary looking at used cars.
Our family: two adults, with a 2 yr old. Planning on #2 in the next year, (maybe #3 after but no idea). Looking for: safety, mileage, reliability, ability to take on road trips. Prefer hatchback or wagon, not really looking at sedans. Have read that Volvos are very safe. Read on here about Volvo V40 and Subaru Outback.
Thank you in advance!
We are moving to Monterey, CA from abroad and will need to buy a car. Neither of us have ever spent more than $4,000 on a car so this is pretty intimidating. We don't know anything about the process. I've read up on here about tracking down dealers and then having them bid against each other over email. But first, we need to know what we'd like to buy....and we have no idea. Our time line is really short and since I know most people on here have done their research, I would love to know why you bought your car and how it's working out. Advice is REALLY appreciated.
We move to Monterey Sept 12, need a car before Oct 2. Only primary looking at used cars.
Our family: two adults, with a 2 yr old. Planning on #2 in the next year, (maybe #3 after but no idea). Looking for: safety, mileage, reliability, ability to take on road trips. Prefer hatchback or wagon, not really looking at sedans. Have read that Volvos are very safe. Read on here about Volvo V40 and Subaru Outback.
Thank you in advance!
Last edited by Sophia1884 on Mon Aug 07, 2017 3:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Civic hatchback.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Get a copy of the last Consumer Reports auto guide (April 2017) and read it - - they offer recommendations on various price points for used cars and reliability info. If you are shopping for a used car, it's a way different ball game than pitting dealers against each other for a new car (painful, and they are still remarkably snarky to deal with).
Salvia Clevelandii "Winifred Gilman" my favorite. YMMV; not a professional advisor.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
I assume you mean used at that price. A Toyota RAV4 with reasonably low miles, maybe 50,000 could fit your criteria.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
I have a Subaru Outback that's one year old and am delighted with it. Chances are you'll be happy with a used one that fits your budget.
As far as the actual buying process, one approach is to visit the car dealers in the Monterey area after you arrive and see what's available in their lots. I've been told that the used car market is pretty hot, so you probably won't be able to negotiate price much. I've never used carmax.com but I understand that works for people.
Remember that you'll pay California and local sales tax on the purchase price---ranging from 7.5% to 10% I understand. And registration and title fees (not very large) as well.
As far as the actual buying process, one approach is to visit the car dealers in the Monterey area after you arrive and see what's available in their lots. I've been told that the used car market is pretty hot, so you probably won't be able to negotiate price much. I've never used carmax.com but I understand that works for people.
Remember that you'll pay California and local sales tax on the purchase price---ranging from 7.5% to 10% I understand. And registration and title fees (not very large) as well.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
You can get a used Chevrolet Volt for this price or less, 2015 or older models . It's a hatchback . It seats 4, not 5 . Great for road trips.
And you can plug it in to drive about 38 miles on electricity, which typically means no gas for daily commute, and 300 miles on gas when the battery runs out. I would recommend it mainly if you have the ability to charge it at home - ie. you will have a home will have a garage, not an apartment with a carport. You didn't say what kind of dwelling you will have. If you can't charge at home then you should skip it.
And you can plug it in to drive about 38 miles on electricity, which typically means no gas for daily commute, and 300 miles on gas when the battery runs out. I would recommend it mainly if you have the ability to charge it at home - ie. you will have a home will have a garage, not an apartment with a carport. You didn't say what kind of dwelling you will have. If you can't charge at home then you should skip it.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
I've had a great experience with my Hyundai Elantra, almost a decade of driving it and no problems.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
+1 A very nice hatchback that should fit the price range if bought lightly used.Toadandfriends wrote:I've had a great experience with my Hyundai Elantra, almost a decade of driving it and no problems.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Suggest a used one owner low mile 3-4 year old Honda Accord or CRV or a Toyota Camry or RAV4.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Yes - in addition the latest issue of CR (September 2017) has reports and evaluations of makes and model as used cars, as well as average maint and repait of the makes and models over time.CAsage wrote:Get a copy of the last Consumer Reports auto guide (April 2017) and read it - - they offer recommendations on various price points for used cars and reliability info. If you are shopping for a used car, it's a way different ball game than pitting dealers against each other for a new car (painful, and they are still remarkably snarky to deal with).
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Jeep Cherokee. We love ours. Lots of room for four. One of the best 4WD systems. Dependable, safe.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Do not ignore the classic minivan either.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Also! Given your time frame you might want to consider buying from a rental agency- google Enterprise etc for rental cars for sale and you will find many cars in your price range. There was a lengthy thread on that topic recently.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
They don't make them anymore, but I have a Mazda 5. Highly recommended if you have kids. Seats 6, but the two rear seats would be uncomfortable and you'd have no trunk space. I usually drive it with those seats down and it's great.
Sliding doors are awesome with kids and car seats. Super reliable, have only done oil changes, brake pads and tires in the past 5 years.
You can get a nice one in your price range used. I bought mine new for 18k a few years ago.
Sliding doors are awesome with kids and car seats. Super reliable, have only done oil changes, brake pads and tires in the past 5 years.
You can get a nice one in your price range used. I bought mine new for 18k a few years ago.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
A used Honda Element. Especially if you will become a frequent 'beach-going family'.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Toyota Corrolla
Stocks-80% || Bonds-20% || Taxable-VTI/VXUS || IRA-VT/BNDW
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
We have had great luck with Hyundai also. The Elantra is an excellent car.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
CR-V or RAV-4.
Cheap to buy, own, insure, repair
More reliable, economical
Last longer, better resale value
Cheap to buy, own, insure, repair
More reliable, economical
Last longer, better resale value
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
I have a toyota Avalon.
You can get a 2 to 3 yr old with 50 to 80 K miles at your price point.
Also consider 2 yr old Impala from Hertz rental agency.
These are big cars with trunk space comparable to hatchbacks.
Considering that you want the space of a hatchback I would avoid Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla etc. (They are very reliable but small)
As somebody upthread suggested a Mazda minivan would be excellent choice at your price point.
You can get a 2 to 3 yr old with 50 to 80 K miles at your price point.
Also consider 2 yr old Impala from Hertz rental agency.
These are big cars with trunk space comparable to hatchbacks.
Considering that you want the space of a hatchback I would avoid Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla etc. (They are very reliable but small)
As somebody upthread suggested a Mazda minivan would be excellent choice at your price point.
Ram
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
For your situation, with small kid(s) in carseats, a preference for hatchbacks, and little/no experience buying new cars, I'd recommend a gently used crossover SUV purchased from an outfit like Carmax (where the price is not rock-bottom low but is fair and where there is no haggling to be done): a Toyota Rav4, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport or Tucson, Kia Sportage, Ford Escape, Nissan Rogue, etc. You're not going to find anything new other than a small to very small car for under 16K. There's no Carmax in Monterey. Closest, I think, is in San Jose.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Since you mentioned safety, be sure to check out this site: http://www.informedforlife.org
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
You need at a minimum a CRV or Rav4, but realistically with another child on the horizon (potentially 2 more) you should go ahead and buy a minivan. If you buy a sedan you will be sorry when Thing #2 arrives. Yes you can squeeze everyone into a Camry, but that double stroller, cooler, groceries, pack n play, toys, etc. ain't happening. Buy the minivan and avoid doing something you'll regret 12 months from now.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Used Toyota Prius -- remarkable amount of cargo space. Also the prius-c is the hatchback version and the prius-v is the wagon version.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Thank you for all the responses.
Smurf wrote:You need at a minimum a CRV or Rav4, but realistically with another child on the horizon (potentially 2 more) you should go ahead and buy a minivan. If you buy a sedan you will be sorry when Thing #2 arrives. Yes you can squeeze everyone into a Camry, but that double stroller, cooler, groceries, pack n play, toys, etc. ain't happening. Buy the minivan and avoid doing something you'll regret 12 months from now.
Found a 2014 Mazda 5 Sport on Carmax for $13,000, single owner, 46 k miles- it looks great...but man...committing to a minivan already is a bit of a heart achet60 wrote: » Sun Aug 06, 2017 10:37 am
They don't make them anymore, but I have a Mazda 5. Highly recommended if you have kids. Seats 6, but the two rear seats would be uncomfortable and you'd have no trunk space. I usually drive it with those seats down and it's great.
A great idea...I'm a fan of fair, particularly when things are straight forward. Finding several of the recommended cars at the San Jose site.Rupert wrote: For your situation, with small kid(s) in carseats, a preference for hatchbacks, and little/no experience buying new cars, I'd recommend a gently used crossover SUV purchased from an outfit like Carmax .
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
The Mazda 5 is quite a bit smaller than a true minivan, I call it a mini minivan . It's built on a car chassis and drives and handles much more like a car, while being slightly higher up (but not as high as an SUV). The sliding doors really do make getting in and out much more convenient than an SUV, both because of the door and not having to climb up to buckle your child. Ours has treated us well with three kids, and I highly recommend it. One caution is that it really is a smaller vehicle, so it might not be comfortable for tall drivers. Lastly, the use of space is extremely efficient and it had much more room for hauling stuff with the back row down compared to the Honda CRV I drove years back (though overall the CRV was a nice vehicle too).Sophia1884 wrote:
Found a 2014 Mazda 5 Sport on Carmax for $13,000, single owner, 46 k miles- it looks great...but man...committing to a minivan already is a bit of a heart ache
Good luck
Submit to the relentless rules of humble arithmetic and avoid the tyranny of compounding costs.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
I find cars.com and autotrader.com very useful for seeing what is available and the price points are. It is invaluable when it gets time to negotiate price. If you decide what new car you want see where it is locally available and start negotiating prices of local dealers against each other. Used is a little trickier and a bit harder to get a lot off of their online prices. You may find one particular car you like and that decreases your leverage.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Is there a quick/easy way to look at what cars are available locally? Is there a way to see what cars are available in the near by states? Someone mentioned the California state tax of 7.5-10%....maybe I can avoid that if I decide on the car and then look at neighboring states?JBTX wrote:I find cars.com and autotrader.com very useful for seeing what is available and the price points are. It is invaluable when it gets time to negotiate price. If you decide what new car you want see where it is locally available and start negotiating prices of local dealers against each other. Used is a little trickier and a bit harder to get a lot off of their online prices. You may find one particular car you like and that decreases your leverage.
Also, what makes carmax and autotrader more reliable than, say, rental/used car dealers? Many people are recommending finding a car using Carmax particularly. I'm looking at the website and seems...well..maybe too easy?
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Autotrader is a great website to show cars available locally as well as dealer websites and Carmax. Personally, I think Carmax is great for getting an approximate price since they don't negotiate. The price you see is what you pay (plus admin fee). Prices on dealers websites are usually much higher than what will pay with some negotiation (especially new vehicles).Is there a quick/easy way to look at what cars are available locally? Is there a way to see what cars are available in the near by states? Someone mentioned the California state tax of 7.5-10%....maybe I can avoid that if I decide on the car and then look at neighboring states?
You can't pay less sales tax by buying in another state. You will have to pay the tax in the state you're registering the car and you cannot register the car in any state other than where you live.
Go to Carmax's website and click on "Why Carmax?" They won't sell cars that have known issues or have been wrecked, but that doesn't mean the car is perfect. I would find the car you want to buy and then search for the best car for the price. If you start driving around to dealers without knowing what type of car you want it's going to be a long process. However, Carmax will have most variety of cars and let you drive anything. It's a great place to start to narrow down your options. Then you can decide if you like the one at Carmax or want to go look at a dealer.Also, what makes carmax and autotrader more reliable than, say, rental/used car dealers? Many people are recommending finding a car using Carmax particularly. I'm looking at the website and seems...well..maybe too easy?
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
+1srouen wrote:Used Toyota Prius -- remarkable amount of cargo space. Also the prius-c is the hatchback version and the prius-v is the wagon version.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
1) I don't know CA laws in particular, but I doubt you can easily avoid sales tax by buying across the state line. It's conceivable, but don't get your hopes up.
2) $16K is close to the line of new/used, if you're looking for something pretty small. At that price, you could probably get one of the smallest sized sub-compacts from various brands (Nissan Versa, Chevy Sonic maybe, etc.) For a little bit more ($18-19K) you could probably move up to a somewhat roomier, more popular brand like a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic.
3) Buying new is fairly straightforward - there are lots of threads on this forum describing strategies. Truecar is a good baseline for buying new. I suspect you can get a better price, with mild negotiation, than Truecar's, but it's at least a fairly easy fallback, I think.
4) Buying used is trickier of course. A problem is that very late model (1-2 year old) used cars are either hard to find, or priced at what, in my opinion, is not a significant enough price break versus the comparable new car.
5) For used, some options include:
a) Craigslist
b) Autotrader.com and similar sites
c) CarMax
d) Rental car places (i.e. Hertz, Enterprise, etc sell off a chunk of their fleet. I think this is generally done at non-negotiable prices that are fairly transparent)
e) CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) - I think these are often, though perhaps not always, sold by dealers who sell the same brand new
2) $16K is close to the line of new/used, if you're looking for something pretty small. At that price, you could probably get one of the smallest sized sub-compacts from various brands (Nissan Versa, Chevy Sonic maybe, etc.) For a little bit more ($18-19K) you could probably move up to a somewhat roomier, more popular brand like a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic.
3) Buying new is fairly straightforward - there are lots of threads on this forum describing strategies. Truecar is a good baseline for buying new. I suspect you can get a better price, with mild negotiation, than Truecar's, but it's at least a fairly easy fallback, I think.
4) Buying used is trickier of course. A problem is that very late model (1-2 year old) used cars are either hard to find, or priced at what, in my opinion, is not a significant enough price break versus the comparable new car.
5) For used, some options include:
a) Craigslist
b) Autotrader.com and similar sites
c) CarMax
d) Rental car places (i.e. Hertz, Enterprise, etc sell off a chunk of their fleet. I think this is generally done at non-negotiable prices that are fairly transparent)
e) CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) - I think these are often, though perhaps not always, sold by dealers who sell the same brand new
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
find a 10 year old lexus with less than 80k miles on it and no more than 1 owner. the people who buy and hold lexus vehicles for 10 years are the type of people who can spend a lot of money on a car, and they generally treat their cars with great care. ie older, gentler drivers; wealthier, able to pay for repairs as needed.
you can spend anywhere between 5k and 15k depending on the model and mileage. my 97 es300 cost me 5k plus another couple hundred to change the timing belt and other small things.
look for an AutoNation dealer. they sell all of their cars with a 3month/3000mile warranty which you can and should use to make up for any troubles your mechanic finds.
you can spend anywhere between 5k and 15k depending on the model and mileage. my 97 es300 cost me 5k plus another couple hundred to change the timing belt and other small things.
look for an AutoNation dealer. they sell all of their cars with a 3month/3000mile warranty which you can and should use to make up for any troubles your mechanic finds.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
We bought a '17 VW jetta in February. We test drove pretty much every compact sedan and hatch, and nothing within $4k was even close (thanks dieselgate). We got ours for quite a bit under $16k OTD, the only other vehicles with a similar cost were Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage, which simply are a totally different class of vehicle. It has a lot of space for a compact car and we love the 1.4t engine - plenty of low/mid-range torque and it is remarkably efficient. Just got home yesterday from a 9-day trip to California; along with having plenty of space for our family (wife and I, 5 and 2yr olds) and 9 days worth of stuff, we averaged 53mpg on the 600+ mile highway drive there and similar back. That is not a typo, and this was with a fully stuffed car and averaging 70-75mph. We do have reliability concerns (this is our first German car), but with how much cheaper it was than comparable vehicles, we figured it would be a wash financially even if it was a maintenance nightmare.
I am definitely in the camp that you don't need a minivan for a family with 1, or even 2 children. FWIW, for part of this trip we actually had 3 car seats in the back and 9-days worth of stuff for 5 people (we had to transport our niece for a day). While it wasn't something I'd want to do often, it wasn't that tight of a squeeze.
I am definitely in the camp that you don't need a minivan for a family with 1, or even 2 children. FWIW, for part of this trip we actually had 3 car seats in the back and 9-days worth of stuff for 5 people (we had to transport our niece for a day). While it wasn't something I'd want to do often, it wasn't that tight of a squeeze.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Carvana is a great place to start shopping for a car. It can be totally done online: https://www.carvana.com/
Prior to purchasing any used vehicle, at the very least, get the free car fax on it. You may want to pay for the full information.
I like the CR-V and RAV-4.
Your time frame is not that short. Most people go looking for a car and wind up driving one home that day. Even with careful shopping and starting for not knowing what to buy, we went from looking to owners in 4 days.
We purchased a Ford Edge which we really like and our adult children like better than a CR-V.
Prior to purchasing any used vehicle, at the very least, get the free car fax on it. You may want to pay for the full information.
I like the CR-V and RAV-4.
Your time frame is not that short. Most people go looking for a car and wind up driving one home that day. Even with careful shopping and starting for not knowing what to buy, we went from looking to owners in 4 days.
We purchased a Ford Edge which we really like and our adult children like better than a CR-V.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
You can filter based upon mileage from your base zip code. I usually set it at 50 miles to see what is available but expand it to several hundred or even a couple of thousand to see how that compares nationwide. Most car dealers put all their cars in cars.com both new and used. Indivivudual private sellers Do also. Same with auto trader except it seems like it may be more geared to individual private sellersSophia1884 wrote:Is there a quick/easy way to look at what cars are available locally? Is there a way to see what cars are available in the near by states? Someone mentioned the California state tax of 7.5-10%....maybe I can avoid that if I decide on the car and then look at neighboring states?JBTX wrote:I find cars.com and autotrader.com very useful for seeing what is available and the price points are. It is invaluable when it gets time to negotiate price. If you decide what new car you want see where it is locally available and start negotiating prices of local dealers against each other. Used is a little trickier and a bit harder to get a lot off of their online prices. You may find one particular car you like and that decreases your leverage.
Also, what makes carmax and autotrader more reliable than, say, rental/used car dealers? Many people are recommending finding a car using Carmax particularly. I'm looking at the website and seems...well..maybe too easy?
I don't know CA but I am pretty sure if you buy out of state and bring it into CA you will owe sales tax (technically called a "use" tax). You will likely have to pay it when you register the car.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Nope the minute you try to register it you will need to provide information on the sale price and either pay or give a receipt that you did pay for the sales tax. Believe me in Cook Co, IL with 10% sales tax I looked into it and will be driving my current vehicle until the engine falls out.psteinx wrote:1) I don't know CA laws in particular, but I doubt you can easily avoid sales tax by buying across the state line. It's conceivable, but don't get your hopes up.
Back to the topic I like my Honda Fit. Reliable car, lots of room for people or cargo, great gas millage. A good car.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
I love my Mazda 5. Seats our family of 4 comfortably and doesn't drive like a van at all. Heck, it corners better than my Honda Civic.
It's been a great car for our family. My wife was hesitant about a van but I'm so glad we didn't go with a gas guzzling suv.
It's been a great car for our family. My wife was hesitant about a van but I'm so glad we didn't go with a gas guzzling suv.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
I found an article stating the Mazda 5 minivan is coming back for 2018.
http://www.populartechcars.com/2018-mazda-5-minivan/
http://www.populartechcars.com/2018-mazda-5-minivan/
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
This. 16k should get you a pretty nice one.srouen wrote:Used Toyota Prius -- remarkable amount of cargo space. Also the prius-c is the hatchback version and the prius-v is the wagon version.
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
Hello Sophia1884Sophia1884 wrote:Hello all,
We are moving to Monterey, CA from abroad and will need to buy a car. Neither of us have ever spent more than $4,000 on a car so this is pretty intimidating. We don't know anything about the process. I've read up on here about tracking down dealers and then having them bid against each other over email. But first, we need to know what we'd like to buy....and we have no idea. Our time line is really short and since I know most people on here have done their research, I would love to know why you bought your car and how it's working out. Advice is REALLY appreciated.
We move to Monterey Sept 12, need a car before Oct 2. Only primary looking at used cars.
Our family: two adults, with a 2 yr old. Planning on #2 in the next year, (maybe #3 after but no idea). Looking for: safety, mileage, reliability, ability to take on road trips. Prefer hatchback or wagon, not really looking at sedans. Have read that Volvos are very safe. Read on here about Volvo V40 and Subaru Outback.
Thank you in advance!
2.5 weeks is plenty of time to settle in and get a car. You can do most of your research online and purchase a car within a day or two once you've narrowed down your options.
Tip: don't make the ability to take on road trips a factor when choosing a car. It is relatively cheap to rent a car for road trips. That's what we always do as it works out cheaper than using our own car, plus you skip the hassle of cleaning the car after the trip (think mud stained exterior and sandy carpets).
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
I have been looking at new cars lately. Will likely keep my current car and forgo the purchase of a new one. Having said that, I found that the local Kia dealership has 2016 Optimas (yes, 2016) with no miles and 0% financing for $17,500. I haven't owned a Kia before but from my research, they seem good and have the best warranty out there. You'll get all kinds of opinions but for $16k with no knowledge of how to work on a car or local mechanics, I don't think you can go wrong with a new car for that price. Just an option!
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
Quick update, really appreciated all the advice.
The move was successful and following the suggestions here, we used Carmax to buy a Honda CRV, under 10 years, under 50,000 miles for $15,000. We used Lightstream to finance, had low rates and incredibly easy to work with. If buying a car from Carmax, you have 5 days to return it....so I would advise to take it to a mechanic for a check.
Hope everyone is having a good week!
The move was successful and following the suggestions here, we used Carmax to buy a Honda CRV, under 10 years, under 50,000 miles for $15,000. We used Lightstream to finance, had low rates and incredibly easy to work with. If buying a car from Carmax, you have 5 days to return it....so I would advise to take it to a mechanic for a check.
Hope everyone is having a good week!
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
Only the Trailhawk model's 4wd system is even above average. All of the other models are not even full-time, but an on-demand awd system with no axle locks and no low range. The underpinnings are the fwd transaxle from the Dodge Dart, with an optional clutch-driven prop shaft to the open diff in the rear.Iliketoridemybike wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2017 8:03 am Jeep Cherokee. We love ours. Lots of room for four. One of the best 4WD systems. Dependable, safe.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
Congrats!Sophia1884 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:59 am Quick update, really appreciated all the advice.
The move was successful and following the suggestions here, we used Carmax to buy a Honda CRV, under 10 years, under 50,000 miles for $15,000. We used Lightstream to finance, had low rates and incredibly easy to work with. If buying a car from Carmax, you have 5 days to return it....so I would advise to take it to a mechanic for a check.
Hope everyone is having a good week!
Carmax and Honda CRV, you can't really go wrong with that combo
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
I bought a 2017 Prius brand new for 20k including an 8 year warranty.
I assume that will be under 16k to get a 3 year old one.
I love it.
I assume that will be under 16k to get a 3 year old one.
I love it.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000? Please share!
For everyday city driving, we’ve found it incredibly dependable and predictable in snowy conditions. There is a low range option for the transmission for ice and sand conditions. We never use it though.lazydavid wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:29 amOnly the Trailhawk model's 4wd system is even above average. All of the other models are not even full-time, but an on-demand awd system with no axle locks and no low range. The underpinnings are the fwd transaxle from the Dodge Dart, with an optional clutch-driven prop shaft to the open diff in the rear.Iliketoridemybike wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2017 8:03 am Jeep Cherokee. We love ours. Lots of room for four. One of the best 4WD systems. Dependable, safe.
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Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
I don't agree that Volvos are safer than other modern cars, but you can find some nice ones used.
https://www.carmax.com/car/15492818
https://www.carmax.com/car/15492818
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
Used new-generation Nissan Maxima. Great, reliable, comfortable, quiet, great handling/riding car. (oops, this is a sedan, but it's nice)
Example.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Ni ... =192144803
Example.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Ni ... =192144803
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
Everyone's used car buying experience is going to be different.
In our case, we are on our second used car buy.
First was for our son as his first college car. Tried Carmax and had a terrible experience. You must buy the car first in order to drive it off the lot to take to your mechanic. The Carmax report was all roses so we went for it. Got it to our mechanic and he found that the brake pads were under 10%, the rear struts were completely shot and caused the rear tires to cup and be a danger to driving.
Back at Carmax, their service department refused to fix any of these things. So we got a full refund.
Second used car buy was for us as our next road trip car. Decided on a Certified Pre-owned Honda CRV. Found one that looked good; 2015 CRV EX. Again, the Honda service sheet made it look all roses. Took it to our mechanic who agreed it was in good shape except for the rear engine seal/gasket was beginning to seep oil.
Back at Honda, their service dept refused to fix the seal since it wasn't really 'leaking'. No deal.
Found a different CRV, 2014 LX low miles, certified pre owned that did check out wonderfully with our mechanic. Plus he said you dodged the CVT transmission with the other Honda - doesn't have a good rep.
We went with the 2014 LX and it is a great SUV car. Cost was 16,700 + tax
ymmv (bad pun intended)
In our case, we are on our second used car buy.
First was for our son as his first college car. Tried Carmax and had a terrible experience. You must buy the car first in order to drive it off the lot to take to your mechanic. The Carmax report was all roses so we went for it. Got it to our mechanic and he found that the brake pads were under 10%, the rear struts were completely shot and caused the rear tires to cup and be a danger to driving.
Back at Carmax, their service department refused to fix any of these things. So we got a full refund.
Second used car buy was for us as our next road trip car. Decided on a Certified Pre-owned Honda CRV. Found one that looked good; 2015 CRV EX. Again, the Honda service sheet made it look all roses. Took it to our mechanic who agreed it was in good shape except for the rear engine seal/gasket was beginning to seep oil.
Back at Honda, their service dept refused to fix the seal since it wasn't really 'leaking'. No deal.
Found a different CRV, 2014 LX low miles, certified pre owned that did check out wonderfully with our mechanic. Plus he said you dodged the CVT transmission with the other Honda - doesn't have a good rep.
We went with the 2014 LX and it is a great SUV car. Cost was 16,700 + tax
ymmv (bad pun intended)
Re: Love your family car? Under $16,000 Used? Please share!
A Camry all the way for me !
We have had 4 Camry's in our family, easy to care for, easy to insure, very reliable, a good resale value, enough space & easy ingress for one or even two Car Seats, big trunk space, what is not to like. Sedans are safer to drive, have a lower center of gravity than SUVs.
Nothing fancy but rock solid cars. You won't impress your neighbors, but your car will spend minimum time at Mechanic's.
We have been lucky with Toyota & Lexus Cars. Most keep on running & running, you will get bored driving the same car for ten years & may choose to change cars only if you want to.
Good Luck
We have had 4 Camry's in our family, easy to care for, easy to insure, very reliable, a good resale value, enough space & easy ingress for one or even two Car Seats, big trunk space, what is not to like. Sedans are safer to drive, have a lower center of gravity than SUVs.
Nothing fancy but rock solid cars. You won't impress your neighbors, but your car will spend minimum time at Mechanic's.
We have been lucky with Toyota & Lexus Cars. Most keep on running & running, you will get bored driving the same car for ten years & may choose to change cars only if you want to.
Good Luck