buying a car possibly secondhand, where to look and how to negotiate please.

[jane1111]

Sometime i have to replace my old car and possibly hope to find a bargain in a second hand toyota as they are low maintenance and reliable cars.

Does anyone know please
1where i can look
2and how i can negotiate ( whether for a new one or a second hand one ).

3Are there previous similar threads on negotiating for a car?

Old cars start to need expensive repairs, locks, engines, transmissions.
I do wonder though
4 if it they are still worth keeping my old car that has been fairly reliable so far but is starting so show signs of wear as above, for a relative who cant afford anything so the repairs may still be worth it for them, as it will still be cheaper for them than buying a new or second hand car both of which they totally cant afford.

Thanks

Jane1111

 

[lizzie]

i find mine via www.carsales.com.au

negotiate is the same as negotiating for anything - your power lies in what the demand for the product is.

 

[nww]

I think your first priority in purchasing should be the safety aspect.
Current level is 5 star so you should be looking at something which
is only a few years old.
I would then be looking at Diesel, again a safer alternative to highly flammable ULP in a serious crash and also as its more fuel efficient in a modern diesel.
Been a number of fires at service stations due to static electricity with ULP.

Read somewhere the other day the current Camry still does not have 5 star safety so Toyota may have reliability but still needs to work on its safety.

 

[RumpledElf]

Are you Francine?

Depends on your budget too. Do your research, find out exactly what you want and are willing to pay for it, and off you go.

When I bought my car I had a list of models, and a price range of $10-15k. The one I bought was tagged at $18,000. It was a 2yo ex-fleet car. Sales guy wanted to know why we didn't look at it. Too expensive, only got $15,000. Hey, we can give it to you for $17,500! Too expensive, only got $15,000. *Mumble* I'll go ask the boss.

The person I had with me said he'd never seen anyone get the price of a car down just by being stubborn

Of course the car is probably barely worth $4000 now but whatever. Its still a good car.

 

[willair]

Sometime i have to replace my old car and possibly hope to find a bargain in a second hand toyota as they are low maintenance and reliable cars.

Does anyone know please
1where i can look
2and how i can negotiate ( whether for a new one or a second hand one ).

First of all work out what you can spend,i know several people that work within the car sales game,and they all tell me the same thing the only ways are private sales and know the model and current value,and screw the price down but you have to make sure the car has clear title,the other way is go to the high volume car dealers and ask about their tradeins,you can sometimes buy well through those places,the auctions are very hard and anything below 3 k will have problems after all most car dealers send their problem cars to the auctions then stand down the back and bid on their own cars..willair..

 

[csc2]

What sort of vehicle are you chasing?

I have two for sale coming up shortly, dont need them, not being used.

2005 C3 Citroen, fully appointed, 4 door, sunroof, leather interior, air con, etc etc just 60k on the clock, give it away for $10500

or a toyota camry 2005 model with 62k on the clock, you can have that for $10k as well.

send pics anytime, always garaged, serviced and kept in perfect condition.

Good cars just not needed, both not encumbered.

 

[WinstonWolfe]

or a toyota camry 2005 model with 62k on the clock, you can have that for $10k as well.

a camry like this one?

Jane, no need to look anywhere else apart from www.carsales.com.au

Here's some lateral thinking.
Firstly, decide whether you really really need a car.
If money is tight, you will save a lot by not having one.
You could even treat it as a challenge not to have one for 6-12 mths, and take the time to get familiar with public transport and bicycle or scooter, or borrowing a relies' car when absolutely required.

If that's not on, then

- decide on a budget. work on the basis car value diminishes to zero by the time it is 10 years old. This is based on the market being swamped with cars this old, and it is easy to get a younger car for a small differential.

- check new car prices first. you get a lot of car for less these days, and a 3yr warranty.

- have you got a garage to put it in? if not, don't spend so much.

- narrow down to one model via newspaper article reviews of used cars and talking to 3 or more reputable local mechanics. have a read of this.
Almost as good as new
Golden oldies


- search Australia, then within 100km of Melbourne to get a feel for prices.

- restrict to private seller to exclude dealers.

- depending on budget, prioritize under 60,000km. Diesels last longer and newer models are more efficient so might be worth paying a bit more for them.

- prioritize a car that has been garaged, had an older owner/driver, preferably a female from a better suburb, full service history with authorized dealers in offical log books, immaculate inside and out, no crashes.

- take note of rego left and tyre tread, and haggle hard if these are compromised. Most sellers are more motivated when rego is running low.

- check the car out thoroughly, cleanliness underneath, take the spare tyre out and inspect. (the spare on a car I once bought was stuffed. it looked almost new sitting in its bay, but underneath it was shredded from a blowout).

- don't buy a car that has been modified or sported up in any way. It's a sign the owner is a hard driver.

- check paint work carefully for stone chips esp the front fender, bonnet, and behind the wheel arches.

- take a checklist of everything you want to check and tick each one off. from cig lighter, hazard lights, hand brake on slope, sun visors, literally everything.

- Definitely pay a mechanic or RACV to inspect after you have done your thorough inspection. But be pretty sure the car is good otherwise you'll end up paying for multiple RACV inspections.

- realize that once you buy it, the novelty wears off quickly. Buy for ultilitarian purposes, and get your status kicks from education and being a savvier investor.

 

[Pelican3]

Hi csc2

Would your cars be auto? am in the market for a 2ndh car too..
send you a pm too..

 

[jane1111]

I am very grateful for so much good advice.

Thats a big help!

Jane1111

 

[RumpledElf]

Mmmm this thread is making me want to go blow $10k I don't have on a new car

Don't need one yet though. Last time I bought a car carsales.com.au either didn't exist or was too new to know about lol ... damn I'm getting old. And so is the car ...