Overhaulin'

where can i buy a good used car? police auction or dealer or private whats better?

in california

Public Comments

1. all police auctions those cars are beat
2. try Craigslist.org of course you need to be sure to have any car that you purchase looked over by a mechanic before you purchase it.
3. Here at the police auctions they label the car as either an "arrest vehicle" or a "towed vehicle." If you bid and buy the arrest cars then at least you know they were running when impounded. If it is towed then the odds are very high it was abandoned along the road which means it won't run. You can get a great buy on the arrest vehicles. BTW, if you buy an arrest car I recommend you get new plates with a different number as the person arrested might not like getting his car sold out from under him and come looking for it.
4. I don't think there is a "best" place to buy used cars. You simply have to look everywhere and find the best deal. Here's a list of places to look: http://www.used-car-advisor.com/cheap-used-cars.htm .
5. If you dont know what you are doing, you can get burned anywhere you buy. You need to be able to compare deals and buy the best one for you. Generally, I would give the slight edge to an indivdual because they arent in the business of selling cars. But, dealers can save you time in that they may have a number of cars in your price range than you can compare without driving all over town.
6. Try http://www.auctionalfie.com/best-auction-websites.html