Buying a used car ...
 

I am thinking of buying a "stick shift" car - I really miss having the extra control not found in automatics. Also, third gear is helpful on hills!

Any ideas where I can look on-line for a stick shift car ... cheers.

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

Cars.com

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

autotrader?

http://www.edmunds.com/

http://www.autobytel.com/

http://autos.msn.com/

and http://www.aaa.com/ ask them for local dealers...they might be able to help? 1-800-AAA-HELP for the phone number.

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

Cheers everyone.

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER buy from Budget Auto Sales..

NEVER.

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

I bought a used car with "stick shift" from carmax a couple of years ago.
www.carmax.com, had a good experience with them.

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

I went to a couple of local dealers and asked if they had any manual cars - some only had one and I assume the demand wasn't too high for manual, and they'd probably got it for cheap, and they wanted to get rid of it for the space, as they let me have it for almost half the Kelley Blue Book price (I paid cash).

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

I just picked up a manual Jeep at Carmax - look on line there searches are great and its a really easy way to buy second hand without hassle - not sure if you have a local one though.

I think it depends on the type of car you go for - you get a lot of Mustangs for example in manual - but i noticed more than you would think when i was trawling recently.

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

Why?

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

I'll try that too ... seems like a good way to get a good deal, the dealer wants the space and not a huge demand for cars with manual transmission.

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

I just had our local beemer dealship contact us about a 3 series convertible for the wife (she like a stick!) by the time I had emailed him back (2 hours) the car had been sold

i suppose it just depends on what you want.

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

I will go for any make or model of manual shift/stick car ... so long as my mum can climb into it (with a foot-stool, if necessary) and belt up with little difficulty. :D My personal preference is for a 600cc Citroen 2CV (standard models only come with manual shift) ... but given the state of bad driving around the DC metro area ... :rolleyes:

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

One thing that y'all (I can say that, right?) should know that you need to be cautious when using Kelley Blue Book information.

Firstly, there are TWO seperate Kelley Blue Books available. The one at your local bookstore or available on the internet is marketed toward consumers, whereas the somewhat more realistic version used by dealers is not available for purchase by the general public. However, you can invariably find the dealer's version at the reference desk of your local library, so you can still get the data.

Secondly, bear this in mind:

-Each guide features a "retail" price. This price is generally well overinflated, you should never pay anywhere near this price to buy a car. Keep in mind, Kelley is an industry publication, and the retail price is really there just so that the dealer can convince you that his overpriced car is a good value because it is "under Blue Book." Don't fall for it.

-Each guide also feaures a "wholesale" price, i.e. what dealers allegedly pay for these cars. Don't believe that, either -- dealers generally pay significantly less than what is listed as wholesale. Again, it seems that this number is also used primarily to help the used car dealer support high sales prices when pitching his consumers -- "I can't sell it to you for that, that's below wholesale!"

As a general rule, you can expect that the dealer paid nothing near the wholesale price, and the retail price is well above what you should pay for any car. I would make an effort to pay little more than the wholesale price as listed in the dealer's version of the Blue Book (the version at the library, not the bookstore).

Also, be very careful of buying used cars these days, in the wake of Katrina. These flood cars are showing up all over the US, as dealers will title these cars in various states before bringing the cars to market, in order to conceal their origins. Do a thorough search of the chain of title, and be suspicious of cars that have crossed state lines.

As for finding a manual, best of luck, as there aren't many Amercans who care for them. Generally speaking, certain models of performance cars will be easier to find with manual transmissions, while your typical American sedan will almost certainly have an automatic. You might have to go through a good deal of effort to find a car if getting a manual is a priority.

I would generally suggest avoiding the purchase of a used rental car, they are only maintained at minimum schedules, are not broken in properly and are often abused. (As a university student, I worked for a rental agency for a time, and I pitied anyone who bought anything that we got our hands on.) And in any case, virtually every rental car in the US is an automatic, so you won't find any manuals, anyway.

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

What about certified cars?

Re: Buying a used car ...
 

"Certified" is defined by the dealer or manufacturer, and it may mean nothing but marketing hype. If it includes an extended warranty that would not otherwise be available, then you will have to determine the value of that warranty, and perhaps pay a premium because it has a warranty. In any case, you should remember that you are buying a used car, and you should get your own independent inspection, regardless of the alleged "certification" if you want to reduce the likelihood of ending up with a bad car.

One thing about Kelley Blue Book data is that the pricing is based upon the car being in "excellent" condition, a definition that excludes virtually every car on the road. (I believe that only 5% of cars are considered to be "excellent.") By definition, a car that has been reconditioned (any paint or body work) is NOT "excellent", and you should deduct value for any reconditioning. I don't know your car buying traditions in the UK, but here in the US, negotiating aggressively is perfectly reasonable, just be sure that you learn about our (slippery) system works before going into combat...