Buying First Car: Used Any Tips?

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  Logical on 03/07/2015 - 23:05

  +1

  $10K for an 8yr old car or perhaps a new car like a Hyundai i20 Auto for around $14-$15K? my first car was new, had it for around 8yrs, didn't need any repairs in that time, was reliable every day, trade it in with a good resale, was best move I made. If you are unlucky and get a lemon used car, you could be up for a few grand for transmission or other mechanical issues etc over a few years you may spend up big. On the other hand, you could be lucky and score a good used one…. but how lucky do you feel?

  • 

    Unorthodox on 03/07/2015 - 23:22

    Only issue is that it's small and I'm planning on using this car for at least a while!

    • 

      Logical on 03/07/2015 - 23:30

      yes, it would be a trade off. if you can get the corolla for say $8-$9K than you may have some $ spare for repairs perhaps. Say you get a used 8yr old car… new brake pads and rotors would be around $800 or so, then the servicing could cost more as may replace coolant, trans oil, timing chain etc, etc. I would consider what max budget you have and if you can't stretch for new car then make sure to have the used one inspected by pro mechanic.

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  ammark19xx on 03/07/2015 - 23:08

  +4

  Not much to fret about. Toyota Corollas are very reliable cars. If you're not paying a mechanic to inspect the car for you, then you can't do much to judge it, at best this is what I've done before:

  Open up the logbook and check if the servicings have been stamped at regular intervals. Open up the hood, take out the dipsticks (2 f them, one for Engline Oil, and the other for Transmission fluid) and take a swipe of the drop at the end to see if it's clear or not.

  If tranny fluid (cherry red fluid) leaves a grey residue, then you'll know that the transmission is giving off metal shavings from wear and tear. As general practice I flush and replace the transmission fluid and filter every 60,000 km… but that's just me. Their recommended changes are at 100,000 I think.

  Open the brake fluid cap and look at the fluid colour. As long as it's not muddy, it should be ok.

  Start the engine, ride on it when idling and drive it around. If there are squeaks and rattles on the drive, then they are signs of an ageing car. As long as the electrics work and the drive is smooth and comfortable, it's generally fine.

  If the engine pings, knocks or vibrates badly (unlikely for a 2007 corolla) then there are problems with the engine. You cant tell from 30 minutes whether the car burns oil or not without doing burnouts and checking for exhaust smoke. If there's white wispy steam when idling then again, head gasket and engine trouble (unlikely for a looked after 8 year old Corolla).

  All in all though, it's unlikely a 2007 Corolla will show any problems if its been serviced regularly and been driven like a grocery getter in its past life.

  • 

    Unorthodox on 03/07/2015 - 23:19

    Cheers mate! :)

    • 

      spackbace on 04/07/2015 - 10:13

      As above, plus just double check the a/c and heater. Something like that, sellers hope buyers dont notice (private sale), but could be an expensive PITA if it doesn't work.

      Also, I'm going to say the H word to a Toyota buyer… consider a Hyundai Elantra. Should have better spec than the Corolla (things like Bluetooth and USB will be very handy), similar power/economy, balance of the 5yr warranty. If you can find 1 newer than 2010, you'll still have some factory warranty on it which will make a huge difference.

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  enzioFirenze on 03/07/2015 - 23:41

  I'd agree with ammark19xx as well. Go for a Corolla with less than 100,000kms if possible. If the car was maintained regularly and if it's under 100k, it'll most probably be a great buy.

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  Kawaii69 on 04/07/2015 - 02:46

  I'd get a more fuel efficient car, and I'm sure you can find a better car at 10K, my sibling purchased a honda accord 2011 for 13k with about 130XXX kms, the car has great fuel economy and drives like a dream. Don't rush into it, make sure you look around.

  • 

    ammark19xx on 05/07/2015 - 02:10

    +1

    A Toyota Corolla is more fuel efficient than an Accord. It's a 1.8 Litre 4-cyl VVTI engine vs a 2.4 L in the accord. It's less powerful, but more fuel efficient

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 05/07/2015 - 15:35

      And it's much more reliable. Honda's are for the rubbish unless your buying a vtec but they fetch a lot, and still not worth it in my eyes.

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  DarkOz on 04/07/2015 - 06:21

  +1

  My tip is save up a few more K and buy a brand new car. Buying second hand cars is like playing Russian Roulette especially for someone inexperience like you.

  I have plenty of family friends finding out major defects after the purchase and then spending a few thousand dollars repairing it before reselling. You don't want to go through that!

  If you must buy a second hand car I suppose paying for a certified inspection from a trusted source would be a must.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 05/07/2015 - 09:19

    I have bought quite a few second have cars, over a dozen. Varying prices, from $1500 to $40k. The expensive ones have had warranty, but out of a dozen or so have only had one car that required significant work that I didn't know about when purchasing and it was covered under warranty. Sure the cheapo cars had minor issues and one needed a $1k routine service (accounted for in the price), but for the depreciation difference there is no way I'd buy new. I'm in front buying second hand, by a long way.

    • 

      DarkOz on 05/07/2015 - 11:38

      Sounded like your experience helped. The guy is 20 and he is buying his first second hand car. I have no problem with buying second hand cars but just hope the guy doesn't get caught out.

      • 

        Euphemistic on 05/07/2015 - 20:05

        My point was that there are thousands of second hand cars out there that don't blow up as soon as you drive them off. If you don't know about cars get a mechanic to check it out or one with a good warranty. New cars can have troubles too and second hand saves a lot of money.

      • 

        DarkOz on 06/07/2015 - 08:59

        @Euphemistic:
        Haven't I already mentioned to pay for a certified inspection in my original post?

        Of course new cars can have troubles too but that's the beauty of buying a new car. You pay more for the new car warranty and the peace of mind.

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  Scorpiogirl on 04/07/2015 - 14:30

  Personally, i wouldn't pay $10000 for a 2007 model car. Of course there are a few exceptions with more expensive models but the average second hand car and my first car purchase no. If this is your first car purchase, be very careful as others have suggested. It's a lot of money if you get a lemon.

  If i was going to spend $10000 i would look for modern features, a warranty, resell value and is it going to fit your needs down the track? You said you wanted to keep it a while. For $10000 you can get a car with a usb, bluetooth etc as mentioned. These can make your driving experience more enjoyable and fun at your age and also will be features others will look for when you do sell the car maybe down the track.

  I don't know much about Toyotas so i can't give my opinion on them. They don't interest me and i have had bad experiences with them. When a car turns out to be a lemon it can do that to you. Any car can be a lemon. My advice is to make sure you think ahead. Will you have money available for rego, insurance and emergency funds if something does go wrong with the car.

  You can get some good advice here. Maybe you can let us all know what you are looking for in a car. What is important to you? Do you have a few different models in mind. Go and test drive a few. Best way to get an idea. You may end up liking one over all of them or hating them all. Then when you have a model in mind you can look for a good deal. Has to be a good deal. It is Ozbargain afterall :) Just an idea. Happy hunting.

  • 

    Unorthodox on 04/07/2015 - 22:02

    Something easy in terms of maintenance, and cheap to run.

    Preferably a sedan.

    Must be automatic!

    • 

      ammark19xx on 05/07/2015 - 02:23

      You're on the right track with a Toyota Corolla. My first car that I bought was a 1997 Honda Civic that I bought for $4500 in 2011 that had done 170,000 km. I didn't have the budget for Sth newer. But the car was cheap on petrol, cheap to maintain and gave me no trouble at all.

      It's really to each his own, some people wouldn't trust used cars, while for me I trust Toyotas and Hondas. Before I came to Aus, I've grown up driving 3 different year models of Toyota Corollas overseas. They're very good all around cars. The 2007 has electric power steering, ABS and an economical 1.8L VVT-i engine. Just don't expect it to give you the power to keep up with the Falcon V6 off the line.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 05/07/2015 - 15:38

      Don't worry about all the comments on getting this or getting that.

      Stick to the Toyota's, reliable, hold their value and cheap to run.

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  Unorthodox on 04/07/2015 - 22:24

  +1

  Mainly based on a previous ozbargain thread where a young male with 10k was suggested the Toyota Corolla by the majority!

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  idonteven on 05/07/2015 - 11:16

  Get a dc5.

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  [Deactivated] on 05/07/2015 - 15:45

  Do you mind driving something older that's reliable and cheap to run that has reasonable power.

  If so look into a n15 sss, it was the best daily I had with power and never let me down. You can find a clean one with lower k's for about 4k, cost about $60 to fill up and gets around 550 a tank. Don't forget it's got a fast 2.0L in it (same motor as the s15 non turbo)

  • 

    scotty on 06/07/2015 - 21:04

    +1

    Had a Pulsar N15 but 1.6l — great drive. However N15 would be more than 15 years old by now — definitely not what OP was asking for.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 07/07/2015 - 01:36

      The last of the 15's are 2k model so 15 years.

      I know his not looking for something that old.

      I am just suggesting another alternative, reason I think he wants to spend 10k or it be 2007+. He thinks that's how much he needs to spend for reliability.

      This is not that case. Which is why I made the suggestion, and this is ozb. Why spend 10 when you can get better with less. Also 10k is a lot to spend on a first car. I don't care how good you think you are at driving you will scratch it up very quick

      Personally I would never go the pulsar 1.6 as it's a snail for me, but yes they are bulletproof.