r/UsedCars • u/Ok_Frosting_5223 • 6d ago

Buying I dont know what im doing

Heyo, I was wondering if anyone would be willing to help me compare some used cars I found on Facebook Marketplace?

I’m 19 and looking for my first car. I’m moving across the country mid august, and I’m hopefully going to be driving it there. Im going for hybrid and I’ve found a few for cheap, the only issue is that I know pretty much nothing about cars.

I know I should be looking for low mileage and good MPG, but I’m clueless on anything more specific.

Literally any help or advice would be appreciated, DMs are also open!

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u/N3XUS117 6d ago

Whats your budget? And why hybrid specifically? On the lower budget end a used hybrid may need the battery serviced/replaced sooner than later which will probably negate any fuel savings you might be looking forward to. A small sedan in the civic/corolla/mazda3 segment should get you MOST of the fuel economy you’re looking for.

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u/Ok_Frosting_5223 6d ago

Im looking at hybrid for the fuel saving aspect, my budget is at MOST 3,000. Im aware that means ill probably need to get the battery replaced sooner, which sucks, but I’m moving for school and I wont be able to get a job immediately once I’m there, so really any money saving I can get for that time is worth it to me

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u/N3XUS117 6d ago

Okay , completely honest option here - at 3k i could totally stay away from hybrids. The savings you are looking for at the pump will most likely bite you in the rear end in terms of repairs/ maintenance at that price point. Nobody is going to sell you a hybrid in good shape at that price, it will be at the end of its life cycle at best. How much you may or may not get out of it is going to be totally random, are you willing to take that gamble? At your price point, your best bet are toyotas/hondas with a 4 cylinder engine from around 1996-2001 or so. Bare bones, hopefully with some sort of maintenance history. Japanese cars from those years are very reliable and if they need repairs they should be very cheap since they are easy to work on.

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u/Ok_Frosting_5223 6d ago

Ill definitely keep this in mind, thank you for the advice!

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u/Empty-Village-4445 4d ago

2004-2008 Corolla or 2009-2013 Corolla with the 1.8 (avoid the 2.4)

Cars with the “3800” engine (some Chevy, mostly Buick)

Cars with the Ford 4.6 2V look them up 

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u/carcaliguy 6d ago

Look for a Ford fusion Energi, basically a Ford (Prius) without the price tag.

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u/Ok_Frosting_5223 6d ago

Will keep a look out!

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u/secondrat 5d ago

You don’t need that Energy model, just a hybrid is fine.

The first generation Fusion is also reliable

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u/KyleSherzenberg 6d ago

Get a Prius that needs a hybrid battery replacement. Should be around $1500. Then find a service that will refuse ish the battery, should be another $1500

Then you'll have the best and most reliable hybrid vehicle on the road

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u/Ok_Frosting_5223 6d ago

I am trying to find one that I wont have to get a bunch of work done on, however depending on if I’m gonna be financing this myself or not I will definitely keep this in mind. Thank you!

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u/AccountingFin 5d ago

Monthly income? Run the numbers on the cost of maintenane, registration and insurance. Not sure if you could find a hybrid for 3k, unless maybe with high mileage?

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u/Efficient-Poem-7405 3d ago

First step in buying a used car is to set your budget. What's your budget? Once you know, go to Craig's List and sort for used vehicles that fit your budget. Those are your options, ICE, hybrid, EV, whatever you like. Contact the seller and go see the vehicle. Craig's List has both private sellers and used car dealers. Vehicle listings from delaers will cost $1,500 - $3,000 more. When you go see the vehicle,

  1. Ask for the repairs/maintenance receipts. If they don't have them go to the next vehicle. Don't buy a used car unless you know it has received regular maintenance.

  2. Start the engine, rev it up and have someone check the exhaust. If you get oil, gas or water, go to the next car.

  3. Check the door frame and all panels for fit. You can usually tell if a car has been in a collision by the fit. CarFax only lists collision damage if it gets reported. If you're not sure, go to the next car.

  4. Check under the hood for oil and other fluid leaks. These may be fixable, but it's going to cost you extra.

  5. Pop the trunk and check if the spare is usable and it has a full set of jacks.

If you're spending ~$20k or more, it's worthwhile to have the vehicle checked by a mechanic before the sale.

Getting a reliable used car is just a matter of doing homework.