Overhaulin'

Buy a new or used car? college student?

I'm a college student and I would like to buy a car. I know nothing about cars because my parents don't drive... I am convincing my mom to buy a used car (low mileage) cuz its cheaper and insurance will be cheaper as well. But she's saying that used cars are not that reliable. and why do people sell their cars??? So, if I test drive a car at a dealership, do I need to get a temporary insurance? And, do I need to take the used car to a mechanic if i buy it from a dealer, i know you do if you buy it from a private party. What is the process of buying a car and how long does it take you to shop around? You go car shopping, get insurance, pay for the car, and then drive it home, right? Also, which insurance company is the cheapest in SF, CA. I've had my license for two years. I know its a lot of questions, but I don't know much about cars. Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Used Because you will Eventually need the extra money that you spent for the new one on loans
2. I bought my used car from a dealership, it was 4 years old then only had 30,000 miles and virtually nothing wrong with it ever. Here we are 5 years later and the car is still in next to perfect condition. I've kept up with the oil changes, even learned to do it myself, I rotate my tires, had my engine rebuild at 87,000 miles, changed my plugs a year ago and just recently replaced the intake manifold. Sooo, don't knock a used car. The only reason mine was for sale to begin with, was because the old lady who owned it first died!
3. Always buy a used car for your first car...I got a car off of craigslist.com (not recommended) I need a starter for mine so be careful. Go affordable. Buy a car that is used and paid off NO TICKETS, PASSED SMOG CHECK and LOW REGISTRATION FEE. Stay away from Red cars as your insurance will raise.shop around find the car that fits you. Don't let someone trap you in a deal you don't really want. If you get it off the street make a deal with him or her to test drive for a week. If not make sure its right for you and everything is checked out. Take it to a shop (some mechanics are not trust worthy, they just want to get paid). You will find one just take your time, be careful and good luck bro..... this is my car I bought from craigslist.com (not recommended) file:///J:/Cecily/1999%20Mitsubishi%20Galant%203.jpeg file:///J:/Cecily/1999%20Mitsubishi%20Galant%202.jpeg
4. When you buy a new car, the minute you drive it off the lot, the value just dropped drastically. It is then considered a used car. A used car is definitely the way to go. The key to finding a reliable used car is- 1) Shop around and compare prices, find out how long it's been on their lot. If it's been there more than a month then it''s either overpriced or not a good vehicle, nobody else wants it. 2) Don't buy a disposable car; alot of cheaper cars are considered not worth the money you will need to put into them later on. 3) Be sure to buy one with low mileage. 4) Definitely take the car to a trusted mechanic during the test drive! 5) Be sure to ask for the carfax report for that vehicle and READ IT. NEVER offer them their asking price! They always allow plenty of negotiating room when setting the price. Start with an offer of just over 1/2 of the asking price. If you have the cash, it's a good idea to buy from a private seller instead of a dealer. Then you won't be paying their overhead-the dealers rent, phone bill, PG&E, salesman's salary, etc. and get a much better deal. You do not need insurance yourself to test drive, the dealer has this covered. The best insurance for you is Geico. You are welcome to email me, I'm outside of S.F. and will be happy to give more advice.
5. I think its better to get a used car because you save a lot of money, your going to need that money since you are in college. Usually if your buying from a dealership you can trust that the care will be reliable. They may even give you a warranty on it. You do not need to get a temporary insurance for test driving the car. Going to a mechanic is always a good way to make sure the car is reliable but going to the dealership if it runs good during the test drive you should be okay. If you can pay the money for the car upfront then the process is quick and easy you just have to pay, sign and drive. If you cant pay upfront then you will have to pay monthly payments on it, but in order to do so you have to have good credit, if you don't have good credit then you need to get a cosigner with good credit. If you cant get a cosigner then you can pay half of the price of the car upfront and pay the rest off with monthly payments. The more money you put down the more trust they have in you to make the monthly payments so you don't need to have good credit. Also, when your looking for insurance you should make sure that you are approval for the car, then you can get insurance, pay off the car, and drive it home. Sorry i don't live in California so I cant answer which insurance company to use
6. Your mom shouldn't be lecturing you about used cars if she has never owned one (even though she's paying for it). People sell cars for all sorts of reasons. Some have too many cars in their driveway. Some need a different car for a new job. Some need to pay rent & buy food. Some just want something different. To test drive you need a drivers license. Don't think you need insurance yourself; the dealer probably has insurance policies setup for this kind of thing. Any used car should be inspected by a mechanic (regardless if its dealer or private party). If they won't allow an inspection, you should not be buying a car from them. Period. When shopping for a car, consider what you need the car to do (travel through snow, transport 4 or more people, haul cargo, be fuel efficient, complete the 1/4 mile in 13 seconds, just some examples of what some people may want out of a vehicle). Insure & register the car ASAP. Does not necessarily have to be before you actually buy the car. Don't ask us about insurance. Its your job to shop around & get quotes. Besides, insurance premiums are determined by several factors that we don't know or have access to.
7. Always buy used. The money you save on the price will more than cover any mechanical repairs that you may need. You do not need insurance to test drive a car. The car is covered by the dealers insurance. Always have the car inspected by a trusted independent mechanic.
8. It depends on your price, if you can get a decent new car do that, if not than get a late model used one.
9. Definitely buy used. Dealerships are a ripoff and will lie to you about the work that has been done to the car. Either way I would also check the vehicle history first. CARFAX is a ripoff. I always use CHEAPVINSEARCH.COM. They are a relatively new site so not too many people know about them, but I think they are just a reseller of autocheck. But it only costs 9.99 and if you are spending a couple thousand on a car its def worth it. You might to get the car checked out by a mechanic for 200 dollars this could save you a lot of money in the future.