“As Is” be damned, isn’t there a bare minimum condition a car has to be in before a used car lot can sell it to a vict… I mean, customer?
We had a couple of “grinders” at the RV dealership where I worked for a bit. They never seemed to understand that their desperation came through to customers like a stinky armpit. I never showed a customer something that they were not in the market for, unless they were just looky-loos (a sales person’s nightmare), and was pretty successful in my sales efforts.
Laws vary by state. In Washington, buyers have no protection. Hence my story earlier, I was clearly sold a lemon even though I had it professionally inspected before I bought it (paying for the service of course). I guess professionals don’t check transmission fluids.
(That’s what I get for taking it to the guy my mom recommended, like she knows anything. But hey, I was 20, I didn’t know any better.)
I haven’t bought a used car in over 25 years, I don’t plan to ever do so again.
Carmax minimum price seems to be $10000, unfortunately.
We tried Craigslist yesterday, and she found a 2014 Mazda CX-5 for only $4500 from a private seller. She test drove it today and loved it.
Well, that’s okay! Because, that $5,000 car you’re looking at on Craigslist? The same/equivalent car is $10,000+ on Carmax or Carvana.
The cars there do seem more reliable, but damn, you do pay a lot for that piece of mind.
I’m way too cheap for that, so it’s Craigslist for me. I’ve had nothing but great experiences, thanks to our neighborhood Car Guy. He’s checked out many cars for me before I buy them, and will say “I know you love this, and it’s a decent price… as long as you understand it’ll need $2-3000 in repairs in the next two months.”
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PS: Craigslist and F’book Marketplace are pretty slim right now. Anyone have other sites they’d recommend?
The last used car I bought was a 2016 Ford Escape, that I bought in 2017 with 40K miles on it. I figured it must have been a rental. I sold it to a friend when I bought my Bronco. It was absolutely the most reliable car I had ever owned up to that point. In the 5 years I owned it I never had to do anything but replace the battery, and get a set of tires. My friend just told me how much they like the car - it’s been rock-solid for them in the year they’ve owned it.
When we bought my wife’s last car, I saw it on ebay, advertised by a local Mercedes dealer. I told them what out maximum out-the-door price was, and they agreed to it. We went down the next day, signed some papers, and left with the car. The whole process took 15 minutes. It was the best car-buying experience I’ve ever had. She still has it, even though I keep trying to get her to let me buy her a newer vehicle (it’s a 2008 Jetta).