I want to buy a manual transmission, low mileage, fairly late-model small car. I’m thinking maybe a Ford Fiesta or Honda Fit, but I’m not set on either of these.
But there are about a zillion used car places in town, and it seems hard to contact each one individually to explain what I want and ask if they have it. Is there a way to tell them all what I want?
Any tips? I’ve bought several cars before, both used and new, so I’m not new to this. But good advice never hurt!
Why manual transmission? Modern automatics are within a small percentage of the same fuel efficiency (some models actually have better auto mileage than manual) and are a huge convenience day in and day out. The days of grandma-mobiles with sloppy slushboxes killing the mileage are long gone.
That said, I’d pick the car you want and then go find it rather than wander out into used car lots with a vague idea. Kitten, superhighway, lots of fast evil drivers… you get the idea. This is one place where doing your homework, lots of it, and then finding and test-driving a sample of each of your final contenders, and then finding the best deal you can on that specific model will pay off. If you know to the dime what the book value etc. is of a model, you can strike a much better deal with less hassle, and detect when you’re being overtly ripped off.
Oh, and walk onto the lot ready, prepared, and able to walk away, at any point, for any reason including gut hunches and not liking the salesman’s tie, right up until the moment you sign the contract. It’s the most powerful leverage you have.
Nowadays, many car dealers list their stock online (e.g. on sites like cars.com), so you can at least get a good idea about what’s available in your area, at what price.
I’m going to be using this car to teach my son to drive. And it’s always been my theory that kids should learn on a manual, because it’s really easy to switch to an automatic once you know a manual, but not vice versa.
Honda Civic.
Even ten years ago I might have agreed with you. But, for one thing, coping with a clutch and stick is one more distraction for a new driver. Pulling a number out of my… hat, I’d say that it takes two or three years of driving experience before being able to automatically select a gear, clutch, etc. no longer requires conscious, distracting attention, especially in urgent or emergency situations.
Driving a stick is a useful skill, but so are many other aspects of owning a car and driving. I’d put it much further down the list than it used to be.
I’d start with anything in the Honda range as well. Just incredible cars at moderate prices.
Trust me on this, just find a Carmax not too far off. Generally painless transaction if you know what you’re looking for.
Testimonial: I recently purchased a used car. I called a guy I know who sells cars at the largest dealership in town. Now, this is a guy I KNOW, get me? And he gave me the runaround, tried to convince me to buy new, tried to steer more towards more expensive cars, delayed calling me back, had a sales manager call me, and so forth.
I got irritated and called the Carmax place 2 miles up the road from his dealership. The set me up in a few hours because I told them what I wanted and what I wanted to pay. They even took my old subcompact for what I thought was a reasonable price. I don’t regret it.
Most big dealerships list their inventory on cars.com. Most small mom-and-pop places list their inventory on autotrader.com. The majority cross-post their entire inventory across both websites.
Here’s a search I whipped up for manual transmission hatchbacks and sedans, 2010 or newer, with fewer than 40k miles and under 16 grand. Just plug in your zip code and see what’s near you.
The car I learned to drive with and my first car were sticks (and used) . . . I couldn’t agree more.
(And just when I was really starting to get the hang of proper shifting, the clutch started to go :smack:!)
CMC
Why shop at a dealer? The markup is huge.
Agree about the Japanese cars (Ive always driven them into the ground, the engines can go forever with only routine maintenance) but not the manual transmission. Its hard enough learning the basics w/o imposing the damn stick shift on the poor kid. Plus, he’ll burn it out in no time and you’ll be replacing it. Just my 2¢.
I’d throw out that with so few manual cars in the US, knowing how to drive one is not a needed skill anymore unless you want to be on the Amazing Race or work as an auto mechanic or something. I tried to teach my sister how to drive on a stick and wasn’t able to, so my mom taught her on her automatic, she hasn’t had the need to use a stick in over 10 years of driving.
Agree. Craigslist or the newspaper is a better bet. Just make sure you have a mechanic look at it before you buy, as private sellers will lie to you as much as a salesman. Also agree on the Civic, or possible a well-loved vintage Accord/Corolla.
I’d agree that Craiglist is the best bet, but any time you’re searching for a niche product, it’s going to be a crapshoot. And any time you combine the words “late model” with “manual transmission,” you’re instantly looking for a niche product.
eta: Since everyone in this thread is recommending used Hondas and Toyotas, that should give you an indication of the sort of price premium they carry on the used market. I much prefer late model domestics, as they’re a better value. The Cruze is a nice car, for instance.
Reported.
Surely that can’t be spam, this isn’t even a zombie thread! 
[Spam post deleted — Ellen]
But, while we’re here…
I need a new car, and coincidentally I decided this morning that I’m just going to Carmax.
I know Craigslist is hypothetically the ‘cheapest’ way to go about it, but I don’t have the time or patience to mess with it.
And I’m probably going to pay for whatever their bumper-bumper warranty is, to boot. If it’s not outrageously expensive.
Wow- two or three years? It took me a few hours to get comfy with a manual transmission. It was a Pinto wagon. Of course, I understood the concept of what a clutch was and what happens when one uses it. I believe knowing that really helps one to quickly learn how to use a clutch and shift properly. Learning on a manual also discourages dangerous two-foot driving when driving an automatic.
In addition to cars.com and autotrader.com, there may be a more local website to search. There is one around here that is run by the local TV station.
Reported for advertising.
I once placed a “wanted to buy X” ad. Private people who had an X would say, “Oh, I have one of them”, and call. Worked out great because these people hadn’t advertised, so I wasn’t competing with other buyers. Had time to look at them all and return for the best X.