I've been on the prowl for a used car for the last little while but haven't had much luck at all. I've been reading the 'For Sale' ads in the local paper everyday and walking around local dealerships to see what they have. Anyway, I'm frightened to death of buying a lemon. I'll be driving halfway across the country this September, and I'd be totally screwed if I broke down halfway or something. The whole process sucks. I hate the fact that every single used car salesman is looking to rip me off. I can't trust anyone. I also get frustrated at the little psychological games you have to play (is he telling the truth or isn't he? Can I get him to knock off a few hundred or not? etc..) but I don't want to get ripped off either. I can't afford to buy new. Some of the local lease ads look really tempting, but I'm sure that if I go in there, they'll tack on a bunch of extra fees which will raise the monthly payment by a significant amount. Plus, I'll be putting some big mileage on this auto and don't want to risk exceeding the 20,000 km/year limit. To make matters worse, my Carfax unlimited account expired yesterday and they won't let you sign up for another one for 6 months; what a stupid policy. Just wanted to vent some frustration. The sleazy used car buying subculture is starting to get to me.
Is it reasonable to look into a rental for your trip in September? In that case, you don't have to factor that into your current car buying decision.
I've known folks who have had good luck going through rental companies... ________________ Dear Tom and Ray: My wife and I are looking at a used car (a Mazda 626) from a rental company. The advantages we see are a lower price than buying from a dealer, good selection and accurate maintenance records -- not to mention a no-haggle price policy. The disadvantages we see are higher mileage and potential abuse by renters. Do you have any opinions on this? -- Mike Tom: Yeah. My opinion is "go for it," Mike. Rental-car agencies are very good sources of late-model used cars. Ray: And you've laid out the advantages pretty well. They have a lot of cars to choose from, they're all pretty new, and they have all the maintenance records. Tom: More importantly, most rental car companies actually DO the maintenance. And that's not always the case with individual owners. In my experience, people who drive leased cars (which is mostly what the dealer sells in his used-car lot) don't take very good care of their vehicles. Since the owner knows he's giving back the car after 24 or 36 months, he's loath to put a dollar more into the car than he absolutely has to. Ray: Right. When I tell a customer with a leased car that he needs an oil change, he'll ask me: "Can you just change one or two of the quarts? That's cheaper, isn't it?" Tom: The disadvantage of a rental car is that it might have higher mileage than an off-lease car of similar age. Especially if you buy it from a place that rents cars with "unlimited mileage." Ray: But abusive rental-car drivers shouldn't worry you that much. It's certainly possible to have a few jerks who are hard on a rental car, but most people who rent cars just drive them normally. After all, they're used for business travel or family vacations. And that's especially true for run-of-the-mill sedans like a Mazda 626. If you were buying a rental Porsche, I'd be much more concerned. Tom: So I think it's a good idea, Mike. But like any used car, be sure to have it thoroughly inspected by your own mechanic before agreeing to buy it. Buying a used car from a rental company is a good idea in theory. To make it a good idea in practice, you have to be sure the EXACT car you're buying is a good one. http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/2001/February/06.html
