3 ms·

My recommendation for that budget of less than $5000: 1. Go to your local craigslist site 2. Find a car sold directly by a person (not dealers or shops). I wou

My recommendation for that budget of less than $5000: 1. Go to your local craigslist site 2. Find a car sold directly by a person (not dealers or shops). I would recommend going for a Honda Civic (best value for that amount and most reliable) 3. Go see the car for yourself in person 4. Get a local mechanic to check the car. pay them for it and then deduct that amount from the sale price if seller agrees. 5. Make sure seller has a clean title in THEIR name. If they cannot show you the title, walk away before the sale. Title should have NO LIENS (i.e. no loan remaining if financed). 6. Create a quick contract for your local state (get a template online) if both parties are ready for the sale. 7. Seller should accept a "Cashier's Check". Some may want cash but most will want a guaranteed way to get paid. 8. In most US states, you give them the check. Make sure the seller signs the title in YOUR name. 9. Go to local DMV and register immediately. Why Honda Civic ? For less than 5k, you don't have a lot of options. Don't go for luxury brands. At that price, you will get really run down cars and will be very costly to maintain. You could possibly get a used Hyundai as well but Civics are just solid. I would get a Civic that is preferably less than 10 years old but don't shy away if they are even older. If the car was taken care of well, Hondas can easily go 200-400K miles with maintenance and updates.

34343434n 8y ago
good advice. I own a 10 year old civic that is going strong, previously owned 2 other civics that I sold after 150k miles but only because I wanted a newer car. I would add, do vin check and a recall check http://vinfreecheck.com/ http://vinfreecheck.com/
potta_coffee 8y ago
I agree with everything you said but I'd look for a Toyota Camry instead. Personal preference maybe but I've had lots of Toyotas and Hondas and Toyota wins in my book. More reliable, easier to work on and maintain, and hold value better.
beatgammit 8y ago
I just brought the seller to the DMV with me and signed at the counter. It was a little easier for me because the person at the counter could confirm that the title transfer worked properly. However, some sellers don't want to spend a half hour waiting, so having both parties sign is usually just as good (provided you can spot a fake title).

34343434n 8y ago

good advice. I own a 10 year old civic that is going strong, previously owned 2 other civics that I sold after 150k miles but only because I wanted a newer car. I would add, do vin check and a recall check http://vinfreecheck.com/ http://vinfreecheck.com/

potta_coffee 8y ago

I agree with everything you said but I'd look for a Toyota Camry instead. Personal preference maybe but I've had lots of Toyotas and Hondas and Toyota wins in my book. More reliable, easier to work on and maintain, and hold value better.

beatgammit 8y ago

I just brought the seller to the DMV with me and signed at the counter. It was a little easier for me because the person at the counter could confirm that the title transfer worked properly. However, some sellers don't want to spend a half hour waiting, so having both parties sign is usually just as good (provided you can spot a fake title).