Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

Hi all.

I will finally be buying a car next year, and here are methods I will be using to hopefully secure a good buy.

1) I will be buying a Nissan Altima (Probably between year 2010-2012, I've also noticed that these are covered under Nissans own Manufacturer Warranty program or something like that)

2) I will be buying Certified Pre Owned from a Dealer

3) I will be OK paying as high as 12k-13k, but in general around the 10k range sounds comfortable

4) I will be buying only a car that has a viewable CARFAX with only 1 owner

5) Under 100k miles, preferably 50k or less

6) I am not too sure about financing from a dealer, what APR percentages are normal and common? 2%? I guess I should run away if the dealer starts mentioning 5%+? Not too sure about this. I would like to make most of the car payment as a down payment and finance like around 2k - 3k that is leftover on the car price

7) Should I ask again for the CARFAX from the dealer when I visit them? And then match the VIN # to the VIN etchings in the car?

8.) Ask them for a 10 - 15 minute test drive? But only if its a car I am really interested in so it doesn't end up as a waste of time for everyone involved just in case I may not want it anymore

Anyway that is most I can think of.

I am new to all of this, and I do not have any car-savvy peeps who can come with me to help check out the car, so this will all be done by me and my father and he doesn't know anything about cars anyway, lol.

The insurance is a bitch though, Geico alone is killing me with 280 per month liability and that's with me having done a defensive driving course...ugh...but I guess I gotta suck it up...

I would like anyone to comment on anything? If you suggest a better car model? If I should just buy cheaper, like 8k for example? etc.

Re: Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

If you got the flow for a monthly note, then go for it.

Re: Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

I mean if it's a decent warranty coverage I wouldn't worry much about the cars condition.
You could always pay a mechanic to look it over but should be fairly pointless for a car that new.

Re: Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

I am a salesperson at a high end dealership, the best autogroup in the tri-state area. Let me fill you in on a few things.


GO TO A REPUTABLE DEALERSHIP!!! Do not look for the cheapest vehicle in the market.. My dealership has competitive prices but not the best in the market. But that's because our cars are as solid as a horse. We sell new cars but we do have pre-owned. They're all certified preowned and go through a VERY strict multipoint inspection (over 150) and have everything that is not up to standard replaced.

Standard procedure is EVERYONE gets a test drive.. Most dealerships have the same rules as well.

I know the common misconception is dealerships and salesman are bad and they'll screw you over every second they get but BELIEVE ME that's not the case. Markup on cars are 4-8% half the cars we sell we throw them at invoice (you pay what we pay) when dealerships say you're getting it at cost or below cost, they're really not bull shitting you, it's 100% truthful.. Reason being is because if they get rid of the car in a certain time frame, corporate will kick them back a check or it might be the car that gets them to hit their X amount of car per month bonus which could trigger maybe a $50,000 bonus.. They'd rather take a $500 hit and bonus than to make a profit and not bonus

Unless you're going to a shady used car lot, please don't bring your uncle to kick tires and eyeball the windshield.. You're going to embarrass yourself and just piss the salesperson off...

Financing is going to depend on the tier you get approved at.. If you go to a nissan dealership, you will be dealing with NFS (Nissan Financial Services) they'll hit you at 3-6% which is a fair number.

When I sit down with clients for a Certified-preowned I take out the carfax, inspection book and work order showing them all the work we did to it..

Good luck with your car, please don't waste a salespersons time and don't play games.. Salespeople at dealerships work minimum 50 hours a week and don't get paid unless they make a sale.. If you're not interested in the price just move the hell on, don't lead a salesperson on.

Re: Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

Oh yeah I forgot to mention.
If you lease a car with nissan, you can't do a complete lease takeover. You can have someone take over your lease, but your name will still be there like a co signer. So you'll still be responsible.
Just mentioning it since you're looking at nissan.

Manimhappy, care to tell some prices on the models you have ?

Re: Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

Our pre-owned are 21-55K

New are 40-90

Re: Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

So the dealer can provide a brand new warranty, but only where the dealer fixes things?

Not looking to lease, just straight out buy. Down payment to clear out most of the car payment and then financing the balance. I just want a nice car to last me a couple of years, as I never drove before, I am getting older, and I want to have a nice car for the experience and utility...and even though I don't know much about cars and don't care much for them, deep down I really want to be able to drive any time I want...lol...

Re: Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

I am not looking for the cheapest, but I am looking for good 10k-13k below 100k mile cars that are fairly modern (not older than 2010). Now I am not sure if that is asking too much as I don't know much about cars or car price comparisons, or standards in the used car market.

Also, how the heck do you find a reputable dealership, everytime I google something like "dealership reviews" etc., it takes me to many random review or ad sites sometimes with a relevant review here and there, and sometimes just random car sites.

Also, is autotrader.com a good go to site? I have been using it to just browse car sales in my area in general just to get a feel for things, and it seems to work OK. I can find certified pre owned cars of a specific make, and it shows what the dealer name is. It even has CARFAX reports that I can pull up

Nice, good to know. Do you know how long we get to drive around for?

Alright, thanks for the info.

Lol, ok this is also good to know...I will just be content if I know most actual dealerships will be an OK pick at worse...I am not looking to hit up some corner dealership behind a dark alley. I am just hoping I can generally look up cars and be pointed to good dealerships, without having to do extensive research on every dealership that pops up (Although I would do this if it is recommended)

OK, thanks for the info. Also do you know how much I will be allowed to down pay? Am I allowed to pay as much as I want to down pay and finance the rest? Or will they stick me with like a low down payment or they kick me off the lot?

OK, so in general if a dealership is reluctant to sit down with me and give me the CARFAX or inspection reports then I should just avoid them

Oh definitely, I actually want the transaction to be near instant, I just hope I don't get totally owned from inexperience and get stuck with a lemon of a car

Also, do you know the chances of me getting stuck with a car that was flooded? Are they easy to sneak through inspection reports?

Also, is it OK to look at the CARFAX and inspection reports and then ask them that I want to match the VIN# to the actual VIN printed on the car, just to make sure?

Re: Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

Also, does anyone think it is stupid to buy a 10k car, but put it under liability insurance?

If it is strongly recommended that a car be under premium insurance at that price point of a car, then I may just opt out for a crappy inexpensive car and just use that.

But I would really like a modernish affordable car, but not have to pay high insurance. My premium would be over $500, and that's depressing...lol...

Can I just drive around like a grandpa and hope nothing happens...lol...

Re: Finally buying a car, need tips.
 

My advice is to get a hooptie.
Reasons:
Cheap insurance
Chances are you'll get into an accident, nobody wants to mess up a nice car.
Very decent resale value.
Already past the major depreciation period.

Insurance on newer cars after 6 months can suck as a new driver.
6 months at $500 is 3k. 3k can net you a car.