Car Buying advice

[Solarjetman]

Well guys, I have been looking to buy a used car recently and have pretty much narrowed it down.

My major dilemma is this. I have found two nearly identical cars. The only real difference is the mileage. One has 49k miles (78800 km) and the other has 30k miles (48200 km). The one with fewer miles is $1000 more. I may be able to get it for only $700 more, but not sure.

So, what do you think. Are the fewer miles worth the extra money?

[galactica]

speaking from experience, lower miles doesnt necessarly mean the car is better.

go with what you like the most. overall both cars are low mileage as far as it goes for used cars.

what are they in particular? makes - models - years

[Solarjetman]

They are both Toyota Corollas and both are 2001. They both run about the same (though I plan on having it checked by a mechanic before buying as I would with any car). I like the interior of the lower millage a bit better, but the exterior of the higher.

EDIT: also, after running background checks, I found the higher miles was a private vehicle, and the lower was a lease.

[galactica]

toyota's are great cars. My dad has one thats got more than 200k miles on it and its still running.

honestly, the difference between miles on these cars is not very much. So again, id go with which ever has the better engine according to the mechanic.

remember, though its nice to have a nice interior/exterior, its not good to have that and only have your mechanic be the one seeing the interior/exterior because its in the shop all the time

[Devanshu]

If the car runs good, I recommend the 49k miles one. Its cheaper and just because it has more miles doesnt make it better.

[sterno]

$1000 difference is probably about right for that difference in mileage, all else being equal. 49k miles is actually pretty high for a 2001, but if the engine is in good shape I wouldn't worry too much - these days even the cheap shitty cars go over 100k if you change the oil. You should check on the length of the factory warranty, that's nice to have because you can take it to any Toyota dealership anywhere you go and get warranty work done.

Lease vs. private ownership doesn't make a difference in retail value. Even rental/fleet cars go for about the same price.

[tenders]

a private owner is more likely to take care of their vehicle

[g_shocker182]

a private owner is more likely to take care of their vehicle

This is true once you think about it....

[sterno]

a private owner is more likely to take care of their vehicle

No, the private owners you personally know are more likely to take care of their vehicles.

Some people take care of their cars, some don't. Some rental offices take care of their cars, some don't. Some companies take care of their fleet vehicles, some don't. You just have to look at the individual car to find out if it had the good or the bad kind.

I've worked on a car lot, so I'm not just talking out of my ass here. Spending a little time with a dealership will change the way you see used cars.

[g_shocker182]

THink of the mindset of someone who is leasing a car...they might not just care about that scratch/ dent they just made or an interior problem.

[gmatov]

Think of the mindset of a guy leasing a vehicle.
Every scratch on that vehicle goes against him when he turns it in.
It costs HIM money.

And if you are able to have whatever the warranty on that vehicle transferred to you, the fewer miles the better.

If it's 3 year, 36000 mile, forget it. If it's 7-70 and money is tight enough you can't afford a big repair bill if something does break, you might be better off with the lower miles, 20000 miles better off.

[g_shocker182]

Think of the mindset of a guy leasing a vehicle.
Every scratch on that vehicle goes against him when he turns it in.
It costs HIM money.

Not little ones.

[pacmania_2001]

I'd agree with sterno, whilst in general most people believe that a private owner is better than say a leased vehicle it really comes down to the individual.

I'm not sure how much of an issue it is over in the states but here its not uncommon to find the odometer wound back (more so on private sales) so you might want to check for things like that. On newer cars (not sure about the Corolla) they are normally harder to wind back (without detection by a trained eye) because of things like digital odometers and also the inclusion of a second (separate) odometer reading that most people miss.

[mrtristan]

If you can find out how much city versus highway each car was run, that would be a good bonus. Stop and go abuses the hell out of engines, and brakes, etc., a lot more than highway driving.

Anyway, toyotas will run forever, if you let them. I wouldn't be too concerned about the mileage, if the owner(s) took decent care of the vehicle(s). Of course, that is part of the gamble of buying a used car.

[Solarjetman]

Well, I made my decision. I bought neither. I decided to keep looking and it turned out for the better. I found a third car that had about the same number of miles (31K) and was less expensive then either as well. Plus it is a newer year model. It was a win-win-win scenario. Since it was a Honda dealer, they just wanted to get their competitor's car off their lot.

Its a 2002 Corolla. And the only down-side was this one does not have cruise control. But I rarely use that anyway.

There is a big tip for anyone. If you are searching for a used car, try to buy one at a competitor’s lot (like a Toyota on a Honda lot, Ford on a Chevy lot, etc..) You can find great deals that way.

[mrtristan]

So how much did you end up paying?