Carsy10

So we finally arrived in Indiana on Monday, I have a car with my job but I need to buy one for my wife pretty quickly. Because we are only here for 12-18 months, leasing, finance and long term rental are all extortionate so we are looking to buy something in the region of $10-$12k. I've seen a previous post about used prices being high and this is also true for this area from what I've seen so far. I have a few questions -
Are there any of the US makes/models that I should avoid ?
Is it normal practice to haggle over the price as in the UK ?
How does the registration process work, ie is there a UK log book type thing ?
Is there anything like our MOT's/road tax ?
Do I have any buyer rights if I buy from a dealer if things go wrong ?

Sorry for all the questions ! Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

markonline1

I'm not sure of any US models to avoid (although there are plenty I wouldn't buy). Definitely haggle. Each state is different, but you will get some sort of certificate of ownership issued by your state's DMV which is sort of like a log book I guess. California has the lemon law which is supposed to protect buyers against buying heaps (how well that works in practice though, I don't know), but again, you'd have to check within your state to see what kind of protections there are. Again, California has no MOT, but does have a smog test. I'm lead to believe California is stricter that the other states, so again, you need to check within your state. Google Indiana DMV and you should find all the answers you want.

Guindalf

Lemon laws usually only apply to the buyer of a new car, so that's out. There is NO consumer protection like the UK, so caveat emptor. You may find a dealer that offers some kind of warranty (Carmax offers three days or 1000 miles I think), but most often, it's the remainder of the manufacturer's warranty if applicable.

Get any vehicle thoroughly checked before you buy,whether it's from an ad in the paper or a main dealer!

Definitely haggle. Remember that the price offered will not include tax, tag and title and many dealers can add as much as $800 in 'doc fees'. You can try to negotiate that, too.

There will almost certainly be an annual renewal consisting of a tag fee and maybe an Ad Valorum tax depending on the state. Here in Georgia, the latter no longer applies as long as you paid tax when you bought the vehicle (at the price the tax commissioner says you should have paid or you'll owe the difference!).

As far as what to buy, only you know what you want. Personally, I would avoid anything from the Chrysler group (Dodge, Jeep, Fiat, etc.) and I'm not a fan of Chevrolet, especially the smaller vehicles. For solid reliability, Honda and Toyota are hard to beat with Nissan coming a distant third.

Pulaski

I can't fault Guindalf's advice today, though personally I like Fords, and their mechanical reliability is very good (they have taken a hit in "overall reliability" because of issues with their entertainment system, often explain by the customer not reading the instructions ). I have two Fords with 45,000 and 86,000 miles on them and have been very pleased with them.

That said I also have a Honda Accord with 295,000 (yes, two hundred and ninety five, thousand miles ) on it, and I can't say much bad about it. We have owned it from new and have kept it serviced regularly. It has need very few repairs and is still on its original clutch, exhaust system (except the cat), starter motor, springs and shocks, and most other parts people commonly replace. It is still going strong, racking up over 2,000 miles a month.

I recommend you stay clear of the Korean brands Hyundai and Kia, they depreciate like a rock, and a used Kia can be tough to trade for a fair price, never mind sell used.

audio

I would not agree about Hyundai. I have an Elantra Touring and I am very pleased with it. As for depreciation, I would think it would be about average.

If you buy from a dealer, ask for an 'out the door price' to avoid any 'little hidden extras'.

Guindalf

You would think wrong! Despite a huge improvement in looks, used Kias and Hyundais are like Reichsmarks. I was talking to a dealer a little while ago and he told me of a customer who brought in a three month old one-of-the-two and he couldn't help her because she was $24,000 in the hole! (Disclaimer: I don't know the full circumstances, just what I've written).

Korean cars are not wanted by dealers unless they can sell them cheap and/or make a huge profit on them. A big tell-tale sign is that you rarely see good lease offers on them as a lease is based on paying the depreciation portion of the ownership costs and it's just too high to look attractive in the ads!

excpomea

Try looking on your local craigslist.com
There can be some good deals.
But, Insist on an independent inspection.
Will cost you about $100.
Also make sure they have the 'Title' available to sign over.
Do not buy a car with out one. Don't fall for the "will get it in the mail to you"
No title, walk away.

If buying for a dealership / used car lot you should be ok on this front.
For $10K you should be able to pick up a decent car.

As mentioned, avoid the Korean models. Nothing about reliability or cars themselves but since your selling in a few years best not take the loss.,

Ford or one of the German manufactures would be my choice.

petitefrancaise

2nd hand cars are relatively expensive. I bought a 2 yr old Honda Fit when we got here for $12.5K from craigslist and from what I've seen I should now get $11k 2 yrs later.

Had you considered buying a new car and selling it at 2 yrs old? I don't see much depreciation going on in the cars I've been looking at (Honda Pilot, Toyota 4runner, Ford Explorer). The benefits of buying new - v cheap financing and good deals/reductions from the dealership, warranty, breakdown cover, free servicing.

ddsrph

You might also look at the major car rental companies to buy one coming off the rental line. Avis and Hertz do this and I had a relative who always bought his used cars this way. Craig's list as previously mentioned and also local shopper type newspapers that usually come out weekly. What part of Indiana are you living in? I lived in Southern Indiana for many years along the Ohio River. It's a very scenic area as opposed to central and northern which is as you have probably noticed mostly Corn Fields.

ddsrph

I took my own advice and googled hertz and Avis used car sales. I was very surprised by the no haggle prices on Toyotas which my wife and I prefer. Low mileage and good selection. Check it Out. These companies have to sell thousands of two to three year old used cars every year and have outlets in most major U.S. Cities.

JM

username.exe

My only concern with these cars is rentals normally get absolutely thrashed. Did you get a chance to drive them?

Pulaski

Rental cars always go faster.

ddsrph

We are going to look into this option when we buy another car. They do get regular maintenance and have return/guarantee policies. There may also be some risk of buying junk from all other used car scources. I just took a brief look at the Hertz site before I made the above post. Most of the Toyotas that we would have been interested in were 2013 and 2014 with mid thirty thousand miles.
JM

rbackhouse

I wouldn't call a 2013 or 2014 with mid 30k miles low mileage.

ddsrph

Let us call it average mileage. I am a dentist and pharmacist not a used car salesman. I simply offered a place to check out if looking for a used car. The Hertz website had photos, mileage and price listed of all their cars and the prices quoted for the cars that interested us seemed good enough for us to look further into when it is time to shop for a car.

Thanks
JM