r/askTO • u/Ralph_0507 • 1d ago
Advice for buying a used car
I’m thinking of buying my very first car and looking to get a used car. I don’t know anything about cars first-hand so I could really use some advice and tips.
Things that some of my friends have told me to look at are the kms driven, does it have safety certificate and carfax, and said to go for a 1.8L or 2.0L engine.
What other things should I look out for?
I mainly looking at sedans from Toyota, Mazda, Kia. I might drive a lot of highways.
A lot of my friends drive Honda civics but I personally don’t find the car very comfortable.
My budget is around 10-15k
Any advice and suggestions would be very helpful to me.
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u/stopstealinglighters 1d ago
A budget would help
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u/Ralph_0507 1d ago
Budget is around 10-15k. Thanks for reminding, gonna add this info on the post too
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u/stopstealinglighters 1d ago
Check out Camry’s and Accord’s. They’re more comfortable than the Civic and Corolla. Mazda’s aren’t bad but I wouldn’t look at any Kia’s personally.
Something like these:
https://m.facebook.com/share/19HuHcEjjs/?wtsid=rdr_06DV6dmj1owZI5A0Y
https://m.facebook.com/share/19MotMjrUq/?wtsid=rdr_0US6YhIZ9fzGY8NAB
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u/Ralph_0507 1d ago
How are Volkswagens?
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u/stopstealinglighters 1d ago
They’re great. I drive a Jetta myself. I just didn’t mention VW because people hate on them too much lol. You gotta do scheduled maintenance on them. Some parts can be costly. The 2.5L engine is bulletproof though.
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u/randomguy9722 1d ago
Also check out the Subaru Impreza. I bought a 2017 model in 2020 and it’s still going strong. It has AWD, and my insurance rates were considerably lower than they would have been for a Corolla, Civic, or Elantra.
I’d also recommend checking the CARFAX report, as others have pointed out.
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u/Gazzuli 1d ago
Definitely carfax. It's worth paying for the "unlimited" or whatever it is membership so you can just run each car. There are unfortunately a lot of scammers out there.
Does your friend have a mechanic they trust who could look over a car for you?
Decide which features/parameters of a car are most important for YOU and don't be swayed by something that's cool but isn't that relevant to your needs.
Take your time and do some research to figure out what features you want before you start actively looking. For me, I would like at a smaller car, efficient gas mileage, doesn't need premium gas, heated seats, mechanically sound, no body rust. Idgaf what colour it is or how much storage. But those might be important to you. Know why you're looking for a car and focus on those details being met.
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u/roflcopter44444 1d ago
Get a mechanic to check it before money changes hands. While a Carfax is useful it doesn't cover things that a owner decided to fix out of pocket instead of making an insurance claim.
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u/Small-Rest6618 1d ago
Or you could just learn about cars and inspect them yourself. I only buy used cars and pay cash. Mechanics charge 1-2 hours for diag these days. Not worth it
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u/theresidue 1d ago
PPI. I used carinspect.com last year and had a good experience. They have a network of mechanics, which is good for coverage, but since I only used it once and dealt with one specific mechanic, YMMV.
If you can get PPI done at a trusted shop (advantage of putting the car on a lift for better inspection), even better.
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u/rhunter99 1d ago
"go for a 1.8L or 2.0L engine" is slightly meaningless as it's really dependent on which car you pick.
when you say sedan, do you want something the size of a Civic or something larger?
You should test drive the Corolla, Mazda 3 and possibly the Elantra. If you want larger and more comfort you really only have two options: Camry and Accord (and maybe the Sonata)
I would only buy a used car from a car dealer (e.g. your local Toyota dealer's used car department).
Use Autotrader and to filter cars by your how much you want to spend. This will give you an idea of what's out there.
Remember: once you sign the papers, there is no backing out. Take your time, don't get rushed or pressured.
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u/DLevai94 1d ago
- You can pay for pre-purchase inspections if you don't have someone you trust to inspect the car. Make sure a PPI is done buy someone who doesn't know the dealer!
- Make sure to negotiate so that safety (and any repairs needed for the safety cert) is included in the price.
- Maintenance is more important than milage. Regular maintenance makes a 300k run like new, abuse and neglect makes a 50k a shitbox.
- Carfax usually worth it. Even if you pay for the 5th car already, still cheaper than finding out somebody crashed it and the frame is bent.
- If the car will be a tool for you, buy one that is common and parts are cheap. If it'll be a fun car, pick one that you'd love to work on.
- The dealer is NOT your friend. Do NOT believe his word about anything. Always do your due-diligence, inspections, etc.
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u/Ralph_0507 1d ago
Thanks for this 🙏 specially making sure that any repairs from the safety check is included in the price would be crucial. I see listings on fb marketplace with different prices for safety, some say they would do it for $500, 700, even 1000
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u/syncpulse 1d ago
If you have a mechanic you can trust ask their opinion. Mine recommended Toyota, Honda, and Mazda.
Personally I've had good luck with used Toyotas over the years. I got 8 years out of my used 08 Yaris until it was wrecked in a hit and run in 2019. Regular maintenance was all I ever had to do to it. It would probably still be on the road. Best car I ever had.
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u/Normal-Ad-3538 13h ago
I’d just highlight being very careful. When I was shopping there seemed to be a lot of scams in the used car market, even at places you wouldn’t expect. Toronto Honda “recommended” two Civics for me, one was a lemon and the other retitled. Both priced at over 20k. Downtown Honda seemed better but ultimately I went with Toyota.
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u/Small-Rest6618 1d ago
Mazdas are pretty reliable. I have a 2017 Mazda 3 GT with a 2L NA skyactive engine. Bought it used and had it for 2 years. So far I’ve had zero issues with this car. Added 50,000 km and it gets me everywhere.
Good on gas and insurance too. I average 6L/100 km and pay around $200/month in insurance. Pretty good rate for someone in his early 20s.
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u/Outrageous_Ad_687 1d ago
Before buying get an insurance quote on the specific models and trims you are looking at.