Overhaulin'

I am wanting to get a new car (used), does anyone have any reccomendations?

I was wanting a Chevy Malibu or Impala but I was on KBB last night reading reviews from consumers and they were horrible. I want a fairly cheap car that has four doors and will run well with good mpg. I want a 2003 or newer just so its not so old, can anyone help me and suggest a few "GOOD" cars to look at? Thank U!

Public Comments

1. All you need to know and remember is to get anything other than a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury product. If you thought the reviews on the Chevy's were horrible- Ford's reviews are even worse! Ford's quality is non- existant. Just stay away from Fords, you will be fine.
2. There is no simple answer to your question because no matter how good the manufacturer is, everything becomes suspect once it is used. If a vehicle has been neglected, damaged by accident or flood, or worse, rebuilt, it does not matter if it was once the greatest on Earth. When shopping used, try to find the real deal, not a detailed, cleaned up, former mess. Serious shopping is work, but it saves real money. Spend some time on dealer lots & ask friends about their cars, in order to get ideas. Have a shop or used car inspection service check out the vehicle before purchase. When inspecting a used car always check the OIL for level, smell & feel, ATF- color/feel/smell [if it's burnt, so is the trans] COOLANT look for contamination [if ATF in coolant, walk away], BRAKE FLUID-if its black it is overdue for flush, look down the sides for sanding marks, waves or color changes indicating repair, look in trunk for water marks. Run a Carfax if you can, it is a cheap safety. I used to work for a company, in Texas, that inspected Used Cars for the buyer, at their expense. We once worked with a local TV station, investigating classified ads for cars. The disappointing result was that 90% of the ads were run by resellers. Many posing as if they had owned the car for years. This is now called, "curbstoning." So first off be a serious shopper, don't get excited about appearances. I told people that when they called, or if you email, about an advertised vehicle, ask if the car is titled in the sellers state, in the sellers name & will they show you their ID & the title? If you get ANY answer but yes say T-Y & hang up, don't believe the BS stories about selling for a friend etc. Now as to car choice, watch for over-looked cars. For example, Mitsubishi, Suzuki & Subaru build solid dependable cars for a reasonable price, they are cheap used, because everyone thinks of the big players. In fact domestics can be a real bargain, if the mileage isn’t over 100k. But actually, $7k will nearly buy a new Kia, with a 10yr/100k warranty, according to ads here. Some folks argue that it is better to by a “loaded” used car, rather than a stripper new car. This is false logic in that the vehicle has more to go wrong, yet less, or no, warranty to protect it; in addition to all of the other used car risks. Don't buy any car, new or used w/o reading up here: http://www.usedcartips.org/ As to "certified" I've seen, 1st hand, where that was nothing more than a piece of paper w/check marks. Not true of all dealerships, but some. Extended warranties are only good if they are from the manufacturer, still read it closely. All of the others have too many fine print exclusions, they're a complete waste of money.
3. Please don't base you decision on what others think of a certain make, it isn't always true. Remember that what ever car you decide to buy there are certain things you have to be checking to maintain the vehicle's performance in good condition. I have a 2005 dodge neon and everyone said that they don't Last long but mine has 68,000 miles on it and it is still ruining like new. try researching for your self on http://www.cars.com or http://www.autotrader.com hope you find what you are looking for!
4. I would stay away from any domestic. You should look at the Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic and the Hyundai Accent. Of the four mentioned, The Hyundai Accent is the only one with the 5 year/60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and the 10 year/100,000 mile engine warranty. Nissan & Toyota will give you a slight discount. Honda usually doesn't give a discount and the Hyundai will give you the most discount of them all. If you wanted to go for a used car, you need to get something that is certified used. All four have cars that are Certified by the company. Good luck