[mommyof1expecting1more]

Help! I would like to purchase a vehicle ...possibly a SUV as I have 2 boys!
I don't know anything about cars..credit is also bad and would rather pay upfront for the car and not deal with monthly payments. I can't seem to find a low mileage SUV for under $10,000. I have $5,000.......my question is what do I NOT say when I go to the dealership..My credit is not good either, but I dont want to go in there not knowing anything about what to expect.
Help! Any tips, suggestions, opinions are Appreciated!

[savingmamaof4]

Why not buy from an individual instead of a dealer. Dealers get used cars, clean them up and double the price an individual would sell it for. We have learned our lesson about buying new and only buy used from individuals now. Check the classifieds in your local paper. We have a credit union that sells repossessed cars just for what is owed on them. There are a lot of options for buying used. You can always check them out through carfax for around $20.

[nowpoints]

My Mother was a Widow, and knew she is so honest that she would often blurt out the wrong thing and get taken for anything...
She paid a man to haggle for her.

She paid $400 to haggle for a new car, but they did used as well, can't remember the name of the service. After he got the price, she can right after him with the cash.
She heard about it on Clark Howard Christian Financial website.
To pay someone else to haggle though, you need all of the Specs--Brand, Model, Cylinders, Color, 2-door, 4 door, EVERYTHING all picked out. HTH a litte.

[AtlantaCouponChic]

@SavingMamaof4 I too am Georgia which credit union are you referring too? I am in desperate need of a new vehicle. Right now I am lugging around this huge SUV and the cost of gas is a small fortune. I have 3 kids so not too many options of going to small. Interested in hearing the advice for this thread.

I've been watching a ton of Clark Howard lately just to get some tips! So far best thing I heard was to go into a dealer with you loan in hand. Best place to get a car loan right now is from your credit union.

[gumballma]

When I went to look at cars I did exactly what had worked for my parents for years. I went in and when someone approached me I'd say 'I'm looking for a (suv, car, truck) with low miles. I'm looking to spend about x dollars a month and have x dollars to put down today. Do you have anything that fits that description?' It shows how knowledgeable their people are and that you are ready to buy and they should know about their vehicles. If they try to show you something out of budget go 'this is the cheapest you have...? Well thanks anyways' and be prepared to leave. Don't be afraid to walk away. They will almost always work with you because as soon as you leave, they know you may never come back.

[savingmamaof4]

Originally Posted by AtlantaCouponChic

@SavingMamaof4 I too am Georgia which credit union are you referring too? I am in desperate need of a new vehicle. Right now I am lugging around this huge SUV and the cost of gas is a small fortune. I have 3 kids so not too many options of going to small. Interested in hearing the advice for this thread.

I've been watching a ton of Clark Howard lately just to get some tips! So far best thing I heard was to go into a dealer with you loan in hand. Best place to get a car loan right now is from your credit union.

The credit union I am referring to is in Warner Robins. They have a website with all of their vehicles listed. HTH

[joshmamabear]

AtlantaCC made a good point about (most)SUVs as gas guzzlers. I've been hearing of some areas having gas prices @ $5, while I was griping @ 3.44 that I just paid . With this mentioned, you might want to look into mini-vans. However, I don't know if you can find one with low mileage for $5K cash @ the dealership; there are some small car dealers with a few vehicles in their lots that have some good ones. But if you're one of those who don't know anything about vehicles, I'd suggest you ask the help of someone you know who does, ask seller if you can have it checked/inspected by a mechanic you trust before you finalize payment.

One other important thing is to ran a carfax vehicle history on one you're interested in. Or you can go to National Motor Vehicle Title Information System to know about the vehicle's condition and history; this is important because sometimes it reveals if a vehicle has been reported stolen. Make sure to find someone you know who know a lot about vehicles that can help you decide before you part with your money.

Good luck!

[qrazy]

We researched cars through Consumer Reports (pay to join) and narrowed down what we wanted. Then looked on CarMax and found the car we wanted. We also had our trusted car mechanic check out cars we were thinking of buying. We also joined CarFax to check out the VIN numbers to make sure they weren't from a flood zone, or hadn't been in an accident, etc. We bought my husband a Mercury Grand Marquis. He loves it.

When I wrecked my van and wanted to downsize, we found a Toyota Corolla in someone's yard. She had kept it in pristine condition, not a spot or crumb on it. All highway miles, etc. We took our insurance check and a little cash and paid for it. I never thought I would purposely buy a stick shift but Toyota Corollas are highly rated and we have had great luck with it.
Diana

[bmichelle0220]

Originally Posted by mommyof1expecting1more

Help! I would like to purchase a vehicle ...possibly a SUV as I have 2 boys!
I don't know anything about cars..credit is also bad and would rather pay upfront for the car and not deal with monthly payments. I can't seem to find a low mileage SUV for under $10,000. I have $5,000.......my question is what do I NOT say when I go to the dealership..My credit is not good either, but I dont want to go in there not knowing anything about what to expect.
Help! Any tips, suggestions, opinions are Appreciated!

Don't buy now if you don't have too. everything from cars to computers have jacked up prices due to everyone getting their income tax refund. Research your prices and the different vehicles that fit what you need and then go.

[shelleyf]

I am good about haggling for vehicles. My husband always sends me to buy them, I learned it from my Mom. She is good at haggling too. I pray you are able to get the right vehicle for you. Don't pay the sticker price no matter what. Alot of people do pay it but I have never paid it. I have to buy used vehicles and say it they want $5000 for it I wouldn't give more than $3000 for it. I have never had any problems getting them to go down to my price. What I do is pray, then I also tell them the price I pay also includes the taxes if not then I will go elsewhere. Put on a pretty smile too, it really works every time.

[shelleyf]

Originally Posted by qrazy

We researched cars through Consumer Reports (pay to join) and narrowed down what we wanted. Then looked on CarMax and found the car we wanted. We also had our trusted car mechanic check out cars we were thinking of buying. We also joined CarFax to check out the VIN numbers to make sure they weren't from a flood zone, or hadn't been in an accident, etc. We bought my husband a Mercury Grand Marquis. He loves it.

When I wrecked my van and wanted to downsize, we found a Toyota Corolla in someone's yard. She had kept it in pristine condition, not a spot or crumb on it. All highway miles, etc. We took our insurance check and a little cash and paid for it. I never thought I would purposely buy a stick shift but Toyota Corollas are highly rated and we have had great luck with it.
Diana

I am glad you were able to get a nice car from a personal seller I can't do that however because I have been burned in the past. I bought a washer/dryer set and it worked for ONE day. They refused to take it back and it was too expensive to repair. I did that with a refrigerator before too and it broke within 3 days. I wish more people would be honest like the lady you bought from Great advice for the OP though

[bluegoddess]

The best advice I've heard is to be willing to walk away. A friend once spent hours haggling over a car, and they just wouldn't give her what she wanted. So she left. The salesman called the next morning and did everything she asked, because he realized he lost a ton of commission after not making a deal after all that time. So it takes a long time, and it's stressful and frustrating, but you can do it!

Honey and I also tag team haggle. He'll do the work and I'm there looking at the big picture making sure we aren't getting screwed somewhere else or losing sight of what really matters.

[shelleyf]

Originally Posted by mommyof1expecting1more

Help! I would like to purchase a vehicle ...possibly a SUV as I have 2 boys!
I don't know anything about cars..credit is also bad and would rather pay upfront for the car and not deal with monthly payments. I can't seem to find a low mileage SUV for under $10,000. I have $5,000.......my question is what do I NOT say when I go to the dealership..My credit is not good either, but I dont want to go in there not knowing anything about what to expect.
Help! Any tips, suggestions, opinions are Appreciated!

If you get a SUV you will LOVE it! I just got one with my income tax. I had to because my car blew the engine a few months ago. You should be able to get a good deal on them because they do burn more gas than a car and some people are trying to get rid of them because of that. I needed a good vehicle and I can't afford the gas prices but I can afford it more than fixing my car every month like I was doing! Which was eating every dime I had until the engine blew and that took the cake! My mechanic checked it out and the dealer told me to feel free to drive it as much as I wanted and to bring to my mechanic if I wanted to so I did. I was going to anyway, My mechanic does not like mini vans as that was what I was going to get in the first place. Mini vans do burn a little less gas but are not good in bad in snow. We don't get much snow but SUV are great in it my mechanic said and also good for towing things if you need to. They look so much similar on the inside too so it is close to a mini van. I got a great deal on mine and it is in excellent shape and runs like a dream.

[Goddessoflubbock]

One thing I don't believe in is low miles. It's code for over-priced . There are mechanics who will check out a car for you for a nominal fee. Our local Firestone even does it. If you don't know about cars it can save you a ton of money and aggravation.

[SLance68]

Go get a copy of the local Auto Trader and start looking there. Do not go to a dealership unless you absolutely cannot find a SUV you like. The markup on used cars is typically 45%. So yeah dealers want to negotiate with you and will give you a "deal" because they are still making a ton of money. You can also look on sites like Official Kelley Blue Book Values You Can Trust From kbb.com - Kelley Blue Book (Kelly Blue Book) and get an idea of what a car should cost. If there is a Carmax in your area that is probably the best bet for a used vehicle and their sales people only get a small commission on your sale and there is no haggling over the price. The price you see on their website is the price of the car.

[mommyof1expecting1more]

everyone-THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR ALL THIS ADVICE!!

[nwfrugalista]

I agree with the PP who cautioned about the poor gas mileage of SUVs--I have a 2003 Ford Explorer (which was bought new) and I am ready to cry everytime I go to fill it up Just put $70 in it day before yesterday (and that was AFTER using a 20c per gallon discount at Kroger!! Most SUVs are lucky to get 20 MPG around town, and as a Mom that is most of my driving (kids back and forth to school, activities, errands, etc.)I hope to buy a car next year, and my criteria is no less than 30 MPG around town (perhaps a small wagon like a Jetta, to accomodate kids' stuff) If you can drive a stick shift, that will also get better mileage and if you treat it right, save on transmission repairs in the long run.

Gas prices are forecasted to be heading north to $5/gallon by summer, if I were you I might track my mileage for a few weeks, note in town miles versus highway, and from that you could estimate your gas costs, make sure it won't be a budget buster. Also, if your state assesses personal property tax, some SUVs are actually counted as 'luxury' cars and assessed a higher rate, and my state even charges more for registration on SUVs All stuff that you might want to consider for your bottom line.

I also agree with the PP that cautioned about buying a car during tax rebate season, as being the WORST time of the year to buy a car--car salesmen count on people feeling 'rich' with rebate checks and will try to take advantage of that. The best time to buy is at the end of the year, when dealers are DESPERATE to get cars off their lots (cars that are there Jan 1st are taxable to them in the next year).

Hope that helps and good luck--hope you can find the right car for your family

[tcsmom]

My husband sells used vehicles and he ALWAYS says that if you buy a vehicle that's close to having 100,000 miles, then you are most likely going to have some mechanical issues that will need to be addressed in the near future. My husband says 80,000 - 120,000 miles are the prime times when vehicles have problems. Plus, if a vehicle has under 100,000, it's going to cost twice as much as one that has over 100,000.

It's hard to say what is the best answer for you. Some car dealers are only out to get your money and will sell you a piece of junk and will just patch it up enough to get it out the door. Before you purchase a vehicle, take it to a mechanic to have him inspect it for you (and not one recommended by the seller). You can have a carfax ran on the car which will tell you if its ever been wrecked, etc. You can check with the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed. You can check with the Secretary of State to see if the company is registered to do business or if their license has been revoked.

Sometimes individuals can be great to purchase from. My grandpa sold his 15 year old car (with 30,000 miles), so his buyer essentially got a "new" car (mechanical wise) for a few thousand dollars.

There are auto auctions that sometimes are open to the public -- I would steer clear of those!

[brook6]

go to cars.com and research what vehicles are available that meet your needs

you will get a good idea of what they are going for and you can also research the reliability of the particular make/model you choose

...best of all...free!

once you decide on what ballpark you want to be in, you can then start searching in your local area for a good deal

[rachelhale]

What ever you do, do not get the financing through the dealership. That is how that make their money, so there is no incentive for them to find you the best loan. My advice would be to do is get your own loan through a credit union or another bank. Especially with half down, I'm sure you can get approval somewhere. You can get pre-approved and then go car shopping.

[joshmamabear]

I forgot to mention, if you have a vehicle to trade,

DO NOT MENTION it until they give you price especially if you're going to a dealership; if you tell them outright you are trading your vehicle, they will jack up the price of the one you're interested in so that after they subtract the price of trade in, they'll make it look like you're getting top price for your vehicle (when in fact, you may just be giving it to them for FREE). in reality, the net price after trade in is what they're really asking for. Its one of the sneaky maneuvers you have to watch out for.

[jojogrub]

I don't really have any advice on how to buy a car, but I do have an SUV and love it. I have an 07 Honda Pilot that I bought brand new. Idk about other SUVs and what kind of mileage they get, but mine is great! I think its 27 mpg. Hondas are great cars in general, they are pretty much all I've ever owned. They are usually a bit higher than most cars used, because they have such a high resale value, but they are absolutely worth every penny. Good luck on your hunt!!