what kind of used car should I get?

I'll be getting a big chunk of change from uncle sam this year and I can afford about $2500 to replace my ole trusty neon that is about to die on me any minute now. also I am planning on selling the neon but don't expect to get much for it...I'm thinking about trading it in and getting somthing certified from a dealer, but I have pretty crappy credit so I don't know if that will work. I'll probably just craigslist it. I'm thinking about some kind of toyota? I want something sedan-y that gets good mileage.

If you're going to go toyota go camry. Reliable cars that can run into the hundreds of thousands of miles and the body is primarily plastic.

Just make sure it's got the Red Vines dispenser.

I second the Toyota. My first car was one, over 20 years old and still ran like a charm.

Another +1 to the Camry. I drive a Geo Prism, which is just a Camry with a Chevy brand name on it. It's got 180K+ miles on it, and runs as smooth as it did off the showroom floor 12 years ago.

If your budget is $2500...I'd suggest buying private instead of a dealer. $2500 isn't going to get you much from a dealer & it almost certainly isn't going to get you anything with a warranty...much less certified.

Do yourself a favor though...have the car checked out by an independent mechanic...wherever you end up buying from. It will be well worth the money in the long run.

toyota, definitely. corollas are a little more compact than camrys, they all have 4-cylinder engines, and will tend to get significantly better gas mileage.

Camry: City Mileage: 22-24 mpg Hwy Mileage: 31-33 mpg

Corolla: City Mileage: 30 mpg Hwy Mileage: 38 mpg

Even with crappy credit you will still be able to get a car from a dealer...we have numerous times, the only issue will be that you will have a high interest rate and higher payments...

and that happens to be the biggest issue(s).


there are tons of opinions on new vs. used. if you are looking for a certified dealer used car, try the guide at AutoTrader.

smart choice in buying toyota or honda.

If you don't mind a monthly payment, i would do what Bean said. You'll get a car that's going to be a bit more quality.

If you only want to spend the $2500 and that's it, find something private. A friend just bought her son a car, it was a Toyota Camry, she paid i think $1700 for it. The trim was peeling a bit in the interior, there was some other minor problems, but the damn thing ran like a champ, you couldn't beat it. It shifted well, and still had pick up without a problem, i was suprised to see the odometer was about to turn 150k, it ran and drove like it was almost new.

You can really find some deals out there now, you just need to take your time and exert mucho patience, don't buy just because you want it, look into it first. I don't ever buy new cars. I always buy used from a private seller, people sell cars with a lot of life left in them. I hate dealerships, and am capable of doing most repairs myself.

i sorry to say this but you'll probably have to get a foreign car.

I'm going to agree with the Toyota Camry crowd. I have a Lexus ES300, which is basically a Camry with leather seats. It's got over 200,000 miles on it, and except for basic maintenance and a small oil leak, I have no problems. I'll probably trade it in for a Camry in the next few years.

Find an old beater in some used car rags. Fix it up.

Make sure it's old.

Like rockabilly old.

Toyota or Honda, mos def.

Toyota or Honda. Good choices for compacts that get good mileage and are very reliable include:

Civic
Corolla
Chevy Prism (100% toyota corolla exept for badging)
Pontiac Vibe (100% toyota Matrix wagon exept for badging)

get a Camry or Accord if you really need more room.

Run a Carfax report on every car you're even considering - unlimited reports for 30 days run around $40 last time I checked. If it passes carfax, get the car checked out by your mechanic, even if it costs you $60/car. Spending a few bucks to avoid a lemon or a money pit is just as valuable as finding a good car.

Also, never ever buy a car that you can't test drive on the highway. Cars without tags and/or inspection are a big red flag.

one that tells everyone how big/small yr penis is.

Can't go wrong with a Kia.

Toyota or Honda.

honda or toyota for sure, but if you only want to spend 2500, youre looking at a car with a ton of miles thats likely to need pricey repairs in the future. the problem with those nice efficient asian cars is that they dont devalue very quickly, so by the time theyre affordable, theyve been around the world a dozen times.

Never trade-in. Always sell your used car separately unless you enjoy an unwelcome financial assfucking.

Toyotas or Hondas are the most reliable. Subarus aren't bad either. I'd say go with an Accord, but like Cash said, have it checked out before you buy it. There is a mobile service that will do it for a reasonable amount- I think it's called carcheckers. One important thing you can do when you have it checked out is to find out what sort of things usually need to be replaced in the near future of when you buy it (i.e. an Accord will need a new timing belt (and water pump while they're in there) at about 7 years so if the owner hasn't done it, you'll need to be prepared to do it before it breaks and wrecks the entire engine.

It breaks my heart to hear you pushing foreign cars. I know that you know better than I do..and you know that you , and my dad are the only people I'd trust to work on my GMC....but it still hurts.

WOOT! I have one of these, nearly 200000 miles and it's doing pretty damn well. A 1991, at that. I've driven it half-way across the country and it's going back to the west coast, no problem.

Still, +1 for honda civic and toyota corolla. My sister's driving a corolla now, and loves it, and I drove my GFs civic from Utah to Seattle, and at one point was getting around 40 mpg, and it's a 1998, I believe. Just don't talk to me about the three flat tires. That has nothing to do with it being a Civic, it just sucked.

My philosophy in most major purchases is to either go shit-cheap or of such quality that you'll not need a new one, hopefully ever. Since most new car models are untested and devalue quickly, I would never consider buying new (not that I have any money). Thus, I wouldn't spend more than your $2500 for a car. I feel like buying an $8000 car is a lot of money for a relatively high number of miles. I'd rather KNOW I'm going to spend a little and then spend some more to fix some things than spend a relatively large amount and STILL maybe need to fix some stuff.