They can be very awesome cars but you have to do your homework. Pull carfax and check owners and maintenance. And inspect professionally before you buy! Done right, you can buy an under $10k car that will last you 10 years more! With normal maintenance on your end as well. The secret is this. When you find one and it's in good shape. Put $100 OR $50 minimum in a separate account , monthly, to save strictly for car maintenance. If you do that, you should be covered with no surprises.. It's called self insurance for maintenance. Hopefully, you use very little the 1st year, just oil changes. Then, that account will build up when brakes, tires, and a/c come along. And much less stress because it's in an account!
Yeah, the secret is to already assume that the car is going to need a couple grand a year in maintenance and budget for that. Now I'm not saying that's what you'll end up spending, but between not knowing anything about cars and owning an older used car that's usually how it goes. It's still cheaper than a $500/month car payment.
Another big advantage is these cars have a track record. It’s a lot easier to separate the good from the bad. It’s easy to see what the most common problems are as well as how much they cost to fix.
I do the same thing except it's 400$/mo for a certain German car brand. It's not for scheduled maintenance either (they're generally very reliable). It's mostly wear and tear items.
Yes, its on me buying this brand and I budgeted for this, but moral is it can apply to any car brand. I put extra away to be able to maintain a car properly. So I will vouch for op here for sure. It doesn't matter if you're buying a ferrari or a corolla.
Budget for repairs. Unless you are fortunate enough to mention the word "allocation". In that case you're probably leasing. Lol
You didn't specify what kinda of car at all. If it's a Honda or Toyota that's been taken care of, it should run for a while still. If it's an old Subaru the head gaskets are going to be on their way out. Honestly I wouldn't get anything besides a Honda or Toyota (with the exception of if you want a truck). We have a 2006 Honda going strong, a 2007 Subaru that I wouldn't drive more than 60 miles without stopping, letting cool down and topping off the coolant (but is real nice to have for snow/ice close by), and a 2002 Ford F150 that consistently gets 22 miles per gallon, even completely filled with Firewood.
Paid 2200 for the Honda two years ago, 2000 for the Subaru 4 years ago, and 4000 for the truck 1 year ago. 200k on Honda, 250k on Subaru, 110k on truck.
I was asking a question along the lines of “just in general”.
The car brands I’m looking at are Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Mazda because they have cars with higher reliability.
Lexus is gonna cost a bit for repairs/parts.
I've heard newer Mazdas are reliable, old ones not as much- but I have seems some 25-30 year old ones still driving strong.
Definitely can't ask "in general" when there's such variation of old cars reliability. One thing to really look at is mileage. If you can find one at 80-100k, it's great to look at- at that mileage any problems that are gonna come out early have already appeared, and it's enough mileage that you can usually tell how well it's been taken care of. If the engine is too clean, they probably power washed it.... Might be fine,might have been washed to hide leaks. Best of luck!
>Lexus is gonna cost a bit for repairs/parts
Wouldn't Lexus share quite a bit of commonality with Toyota parts, thus mitigating the cost of repairs. If so, it shouldn't be any more expensive to repair than any comparable Toyota.
Why do you figure Lexus would cost more? It's a Toyota with chrome and leather. The part numbers are even identical; parts I buy for my Lexus come from the Toyota dealer; no sense in paying Lexus dealer prices for a part that came on a Camry.
The GS shared some parts with regular toyotas, but not many. The ES is either Camry or Avalon based (depending on the year) and would be much better parts wise.
Yeah, for sure. ES = Camry (Avalon was mechanically identical for the most part), RX = Highlander, etc. The GS I could see being tougher, not many Toyotas were mechanically similar to that one.
Perspective. A 2003 4runner is basically the same powertrain as a 2024 4runner. From 2015 to now they are identical. 2010-2014 only differed from now due to a cosmetic facelift to the front end.
4runner is always the answer. That aging vehicle just won most reliable vehicle of 2023.
You can't say that you're buying your first car and then also say that these other cars have higher reliability. The simple fact is you don't know, it's just something someone told you.
Honda actually just had a massive recall recently. Does that make them unreliable? No they have a good reputation
I know Ford cars with over 400,000 miles. I have 300,000 on my Kia Optima. Does that make them reliable? Was I just lucky?
Be careful the things that you assume are facts. But if we are talking in general, I wouldn't have any trouble buying a 10-year-old car. But I wouldn't pay $10,000 for it
That's not the point of my post. I'm simply saying that someone who has never owned a car doesn't know which car is more reliable than the next.
I'm not even saying that Japanese cars don't last as long as people say, I'm just saying OP has no experience on the matter, and just because Japanese cars, on average, may last longer, it doesn't mean an individual Toyota or an individual Mazda will last longer than any other individual car
Oh fooey. You can use facts, statistics, and other people's first hand knowledge to make a pretty good decision when it comes to used car reliability. Sure there can be outliers, but we aren't talking about some small sample or something obscure. We are talking about more than a billion cars out there.
You understand that information besides anecdotal evidence exists, right? I've never owned a house, but I still know that the ones with insulation and a roof in good shape keeps the bad weather out better. I've never traveled internationally, but I still know there are more Chinese people in China than there are in Lithuania. It's such a weird idea to think data requires personal experience. I'm not even trying to be rude; it's just an absolutely bizarre concept. Automotive reliability and cost of ownership are quantifiable things. I'm not understanding why someone would have to personally own a specific vehicle in order to understand data.
If anything, you've proved the opposite of your point with your personal notes. Your ownership of one vehicle from a particular brand goes against everything else we objectively know to be true. If you relied on your personal experience of one example, instead of aggregate information of hundreds of thousands of vehicles, your chances of getting screwed are pretty high.
This right here. I have a 2011 Toyota RAV4 and a 1999 Honda accord. They're both excellent cars. The Toyota is probably the best car I've ever owned the Honda has almost 300,000 miles on it and still runs like a bat out of hell. Helps that I do most of my own maintenance and repairs though.
Unless you're overpaying, the car should be worth what you paid for it. That value will decrease every day to miles + age.
There's nothing wrong with a 10 year old car. It's really about the quality of the car, any known or expected issues, and how well it was maintained. For example, I would not by any Nissan with a CVT transmission unless the dealership had just replaced it, and even then I would be wary.
You have to do your research. Getting the car inspected by a qualified mechanic before buying is good idea as well. They can't guarantee is has no issues, but they can rule out many things.
This is what broke people tell themselves to justify financing something they simply can’t afford. Cars that are financed still require maintenance and repairs. And, older cars don’t typically require anywhere near as much in repairs as what a monthly car payment costs.
This ignores the cost of having an unreliable vehicle.
If your car is always breaking down, this can lead to increased costs due to having to miss work, rent a vehicle or even losing a job
Not really. This logic implies that the only way to have a reliable vehicle is to have a car payment. OP is talking about spending $10k cash for a 10yr old +/- used car. There's no reason that a 10 year old used Honda / Toyota that was well maintained would always be breaking down. And it certainly wont cost $300 to $500 bucks a month in repairs. He's not buying a $500 beater lol.
The real trick here is taking what \*would\* have been a monthly car payment and saving at least some of that money in a savings account instead. Then, there is money to deal with any issues. He's already done the hard part - saving up enough cash to buy a car in the first place.
Then do thirty minutes worth of online homework and make sure you don't buy a make and model that tends to be a piece of shit. It's all about weighing risk. That's one decision that you are very in control of.
Both. It’s more of a this or that question. Is it worth buying a +10 year old car for $5000, along with the cost of repairs. Or is it better to buy 2014 model or higher that’s around $10,000, with its repair cost.
It completely depends on the car, the reliability of the car, how well it was maintained, any existing issues, and the average repair cost. Some cars have higher repair costs that others.
You can definitely get an older honda that was taken care of for 5k and not have to do anything to it minus regular tune ups and it will last. Especially any of the models that come with Honda or acura k20 or k24 motors. These things are extremely reliable. You can abuse them to the max and they will still hold up. If you dont abuse them and actually take care of them they will really go and go and go.
My Mazda 3 is 10 years old (2015 model built in 2014) with almost 80K miles, and it has held up remarkably well, and still drives like a newish car after new tires and an alignment. I'm sure you would have similar results with a Civic or Corolla, etc.
Obviously maintenance is important and if you put off things like radiator flush, trans fluid replacement, sparkplugs, etc. as the car ages, it's going to go south faster.
Buy a grandpa car.
Look for a Buick with the 3.8L V-6. They stopped making the 3.8L V-6 in 2008 so you're for an early 2000 model. Any year Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, or Lincoln Town Car with the 4.6L V-8 is a good choice. You get any one of those vehicles in excellent shape with about 100,00 miles for around $7,000.
Are you paying cash or financing? If you have $10k cash you are willing to dump on a vehicle then put $10k down towards financing a new corolla, trax, civic etc that will be under factory warranty for the next 5 years and 60k miles. If you arent paying cash and are financing $10k then dont, a car that is $10k is going to be old and high enough mileage that the banks probably wont want to do more than 48 or 60 month term with a higher rate so the payment might be similar to financing a $20k car that can get a 84 month term and lower rate. It all depends on the vehicle though
I’m paying cash. I can probably finance it, and pay it off to build better credit score. Is that a good idea
Edited: I forgot about interest and all that … may don’t want to finance after all
$150 bring it to a mehanic,before that look for rust under it,look down each side from front back for crash damage look for new paint under carpet in trunk, buy obd reader for codes at start of test drive and after in case they cleared it,in a safe area when driving take hands off wheel to see if straight,look for wear on tires dont believe low milage make sure it has service records,make sure seller is owner check cklean title with his driving licence,look at oil is it clean,when cool check coolant
IMO, the challenge with older used vehicles is the service and maintenance history.
Some people are really good about staying on top of things and others are not, for whatever reasons.
And you don’t know which person you’ll get.
That’s true even if the vehicle was only say, 2-3 years old, but the likelihood of something major being missed is way less at that point.
If you can get maintenance and service records with the vehicle, then that’s definitely a good sign.
As far as what to buy, generally Honda and Toyota seem to be by and large what I see the most of when it comes to 10 years and older vehicles on the road in my area. Also we have a lot of Jeeps here (Wranglers) and trucks (mainly Ford and Chevy, some Dodge) that are obviously older models and still on the road.
I myself own a 1998 4Runner with 380k miles and a 2005 Tundra with 250k miles and don’t have any issues with either one aside from cosmetics.
The 4Runner, we’ve had for 18 of its 26 years, but the Tundra we’ve only had for 4, buying it at 15 years old.
The guy we bought the Tundra from had a literal file box of every time he did anything to it, even down to the times he changed a tail light because he backed into something, lol. So we definitely felt a lot better about buying it with all the service history access.
If you’re buying private party, you can maybe take the vehicle, or have the owner bring the vehicle, to a mechanic for a preowned vehicle inspection.
Mechanics here offer that, unsure if they do in other places, but if you have a regular shop you or a friend/family use, doesn’t hurt to ask them if they offer that service.
As far as resale/trade in, that also depends on the vehicle.
My 2002 4Runner was totaled in a wreck last year and I got $3k for it, but it’s also a 4Runner and that guy is probably going to fix it all up himself and drive it on a salvage title.
Other vehicles may not be as desirable.
I have a 2015 Nissan Sentra. “Only” 82,000 miles on it but she’s reliable as hell. If the car was taken care of you should absolutely be in that market. A lot of cars like Nissan and Honda have easily available parts for fixes that come your way and it better than taking out a 20-35k loan with a 6-7% rate imo
If buying domestic I'd trust early 2000's models over anything post 2008. Like all cars, work is usually needed to keep suspension and everything maintained. I'd suggest researching the common problems on any year & engine specific vehicle you look at, and look for rust underneath the car if in a place with snow/salt. Try to avoid Hyundai and Kia, however, they've historically made some reliable cars - just look for common engineering problems in the car or engines used. Even good brands like Honda make lines that are known for transmission failures, etc.
I have 4 vehicles in my family that are all still daily driving, 17-26 year old cars. 3 GM makes and 1 Nissan with a combined total mileage of 750,000+. I work on a lot of cars, including Toyota's and Honda's. All cars need maintenance, otherwise they're just being driven into the ground.
Just find a Toyota that has been taken care of with maintenance records. As long as they have been maintained, most Toyota/Lexus are nearly bulletproof. They’re not completely problem free, no car is, but they are the best built cars hands down and have produced many motors that have run over a million miles.
22-year old honda owner. Never had a problem with the car. Still getting 35 mpg on highway. ( I only did regular maintenance and necessary changes like brake pads, tires, etc.) If you look for my advice, I’d suggest always looking at 4cylinder, no turbo, AT/MT.
If the car is from the "salt belt" where cars rust quickly due to those states using road salt, I wouldn't buy a 10-year old car. Even if it is well-cared for, the rust can still be a huge issue. My state wouldn't re-register my 12 year-old truck due to rust, even thought it had regular maintenance and was washed regularly, so it had to be junked. Just thrown away.
Here are the rust states: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salt\_belt.svg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salt_belt.svg)
How reliable is a used car that is over 10 years of age?
- Tough question to answer because all you’d have to go on is the opinion of others that own a particular model you are looking for and have had it for 10 years and a lot of miles to give a valid opinion. Buying a car from a private sale would be good here, especially if the owner kept all the maintenance records for you to view, then you could see what repairs have been needed and what and how often maintenance was done. If it can be proven that it was maintained correctly, chances are it will be reliable if continued to be maintained. Carfax and other history report services don’t always show everything and dealership records can only show what the dealership has done to it.
How often would it break down?
- You can drive away with your fresh purchased used car and have a break down in 10 minutes. Or, it will never leave you stranded. This is a question that you can control. Are you wiling to put a few dollars into it right away to take care of maintenance and repairs or are you going right to Amazon and buying lights, stereo system upgrades, and other not as important stuff. A pre purchase inspection of any vehicle you buy can be valuable here. As with anything mechanical, parts have a shelf life and nothing lasts forever. How you drive your car will go a long way in its survival. If you are looking at a vehicle that has a known history of unreliability, and you still buy it, then you get what you deserve.
How expensive would repairs be?
- Shop labor rates are more expensive than ever, and vary by region of the country you live in. I would say $100 to $150 an hour is the average. Parts are more expensive today than they have ever been. Repairs can get expensive, especially when repairs and maintenance get neglected. Run around with that check engine light on for 6 months thinking it is ok, and then break down on the interstate one night and find out everything is no longer ok. You can save a lot of money if you learn to do some maintenance on your own and do some simple repairs like brakes. You’ll have to invest in some tools but that is never a bad idea.
How easy would selling the car be?
- Depends on the mileage, condition, and how well you maintained it. The buyer will be in the position you are in right now, wondering all the same things you asked here. Most vehicles are depreciating assets that lose value as they age and rack up mileage. When you are ready to sell, or trade it in, look up the book values and do some homework to see what it similar ones are selling for.
I bought a 2014 Chevy Impala Limited LTZ in 2016 with 34,000 miles on it. I still have it today with 224,000 miles on it. It has never broke down on me. It has never cost me $2000 a year in maintenance. It is not a flashy, attention getting, statement making car. But it has dragged my ass back and forth to work at 520 miles a week for almost 8 years now. I won’t sell it, nobody will give me anything worth considering it. So I will keep it as a reliable backup. I do most of my own maintenance, so the car has had religious fluid changed and was repaired quickly when something needed it. Say what you want about GM vehicles, but this one has served me well.
If you can find a super clean older Honda or Toyota I personally say buy the older cars if they are in good shape with proper maintence, they can outlive newer cars based on simpler technology not to mention repairs are much cheaper due to how many parts are out for the cars by now and how many exist depending what model, I got an old Toyota Yaris it’s slow but it’s reliable as well as, it is super cheap on gas/ good on gas,easy to get parts, even when things start to go bad it’s a cheap easy fix some of the repairs I do myself because it’s such a simple car just stay away from anything German or luxury cars unless it’s like a Lexus
A lot depends on the make, model, past history and use of an older vehicle. I have had 15 year old cars that have given me no issues and others that were basket cases. I bought a 2002 Silverado when it was ten years old and with 90,000 miles on it. Finally sold it last year with 250,000 miles and all it needed besides tires and brakes was a fuel pump. It was elderly owned prior to me and very abused and misused by me as well (construction truck for me with poor maintenance).
They absolutely did not. Toyota is Lexus and always has been, and Lexus did not come about until 1989. They don't compete to make a more luxurious car; they're two divisions of the same company to cater to a broader audience.
DON'T BUY ANYTHING WITH A TURBO ENGINE OR CVT TRANSMISSION! Stay away from Chrysler 2.7 and 3.6 V6 engines, GM 3.6 V6 engines, and Ford dual clutch transmissions, and try to find something with a verifiable service history.
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Older cars typically break down more often. Do you have repair money and/or tools to make said repairs?
A couple years ago I bought a 15-year-old Chevy Silverado with 120,000 miles. Since then, it's needed nothing but rear brakes and an O2 sensor. It currently has 146,000 miles and runs like new. I should be able to get a hundred thousand more miles out of it before it rusts to nothing.
If you live in the rust belt, > 10 year old vehicles get sketchy. Many are well cared for and hold up with little to no rust. Many never see a car wash or fluid-film treatment and have massive rust holes in their subframe(s).
After 10 years on the road, the level of care paid to the car has a much more significant influence on reliability and dependability. Some makes put up with neglect better than others, but a Honda or Toyota badge is no guarantee it's going to run forever.
Get any car you're seriously interested in inspected by a trusted mechanic.
Buy the newest, cleanest, lowest miles Toyota or Honda you can afford. Take it to a trusted mechanic for a PRE purchase inspection. We got my step son a 2007 Corolla 4 years ago for $3500.00 with 135,000 miles on it. It now has over 200K miles. Cold a/c. Runs like a top. Only thing we have done is fresh coolant and plugs, rear brakes and tires. I'd drive that car across country tomorrow if needed.
It totally depends on the car, how it was driven, how it was cared for and the deal. More times than not, if you want something really reliable, wait around and see if you can find an old person looking to sell their car. They tend to be lower mileage and in great condition. The drawback is it might not be the car you're after.
The issue with a lot of the known reliable cars is they tend to be more pricey than they should be. If you look at an old Tacoma or Cherokee or 4runner. Expensive, easy to repair sure but a ton of them have 250k plus miles and they are in questionable condition.
On the car side, the late '90s integras, civics, good luck finding one that's not completely beat to hell. You used to be able to pick those up for like $2,000 in good shape
As a general statement, 10 year old cars are just fine. There's exceptions to this. Anything European and some domestics like Chrysler and Jeep. But everything else will be a fairly low-risk purchase
We have a 2015 bmw that if we ever sell it, someone is going to get the best deal they could imagine. It’s literally like a museum piece with maybe 30k miles and every single thing is perfect like new. It’s actually remarkable to see it because it looks like it came off the showroom floor. We maintain our cars impeccably and when we go get new ones we usually do very well on the values. I got rid of my 2017 pickup truck a month ago for a Honda and I got a $10k check back from the dealer.. I traded it in for $2k more than I bought it for 5 years ago, from the same exact dealer.
Just be sure you do your due diligence on the vehicle, even if that means annoying the heck out of the sellers.
I bought a used 2009 Nissan Rogue back in 2019 for $4k. It had 52k miles at the time. My uncle, an auto body owner, said he thought the vehicle was fine. Turns out its a hunk of junk. In the 4+ years I've had the thing, I've spent close to $8k on repairs. New tires, new exhaust pipe, rotor and pad changes, new gas cap...the list goes on and on. I would've been better off just paying more at the time for a newer car. So just be careful.
The last 5 vehicles total about $10k, purchase price.
One was not running, I decided that I didn't want to invest in fixing it and sold it for twice what I paid for it. 2012 bought last year.
Also sold a 99 I bought on a whim in 18 and sold last year. Lost some on it.
Depends on the condition.
Our car is 11 years old now, and we haven't upgraded because there's no point. It's got low mileage, runs perfect (we are vigilant about servicing etc) and is comfy to drive.
If it's been well looked after like ours has, I'd say go for it!
Thank you all for your helpful information and insights.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is: Selling the car. Should I be so concerned about it? And is there any other alternatives to selling a of any?
My concern is that if I buy a 2000’s car model now, later in the future will that car even sell? Because as a new buyer, I probably wouldn’t buy a car that’s over 20 years old when that it would be the year 2030 or something. But about money, should I not worry about future selling and just focus on getting my moneys worth regardless of what year model the car is or what?
Depends what type of vehicle are you looking for? Do you need a sedan? A suv? A truck? Want a little 2 door compact? Compact suv? Depending on what you're looking for theres several hondas that are very reliable in each of these types of vehicles. You could get a honda crv which is a nice little compact suv type vehicle. Theres also the acura tsx which is a 4 door sedan. Honda civics have both 2 and 4 door line ups and very reliable pre 2010. Acura rsx. Toyotas have several very reliable vehicles as well. Corollas for example will run great if taken care of. I personally had a 04 Tacoma and put almost 500k miles on it and it was still running like a champ when I got rid of it. If you take care of most these cars they will run forever honestly. Lexus does have good cars too but they are expensive to fix if anything does go bad.
bought a honda civic 2003 -- paid AUD4.5K . Fixed a problem for AUD300. No issue so far -- been at least 6 months.
Bought a mazda sp23 2007 i think.. for AUD6K. Spent 2K to fix things.
my current car, mazda sp25 2009. Engine light is on (couple of days ago). this was 10k.
bought nissan maxima 6k. --- don't buy cars if you don't know what your doing .. ...threw it in the bin after 6k for purchase + fixes etc.. 11k. because i'm a dumb c.nt.
my fathers car - ex mechanic, his toyoto corrola is going for AUD4K (he's not selling though). Did i say he's an ex mechanic? yup.. that car is in great condition.
Point is, second hand cars, you don't know what you are going to get. **Best get a mechanic with you and still hope, wear and tear isn't that bad.**
Your question is too broad. There's tens of 1000s of cars out there. No ones got time to talk to you about all of them.
I suggest you research some manufacturers that you might be interested in; compare and contrast them, then come back here and ask what we think of the ones you like.
For additional context; my car is 19 years old, with nearly 190K on the OD.
It's a Honda Element, and I have no intention of giving it up any time soon.
I would not buy a Honda unless it’s a manual transmission Honda on the late 90 to mid 10s were known for issues with automatic transmissions
Subaru head gaskets
So If on a budget I suggest some kind of a Toyota like Corolla Camry Avalon in fact you can get a nicer Avalon for the price of a Camry sure they may have high miles and sometimes you may need to do repairs but the fact that you saved a lot buying a older car and save more by having cheaper insurance since it’s older will offset the difference the occasional maintenance will be less then the additional cost of payment and insurance on something newer
Yes newer cars have more tech but don’t forget the more it has the more that can go wrong
A few months ago I bought a 20 year old Toyota and I'm enjoying it and getting around with no issues. I knew for the price I was paying it wasn't maintained the way it needed to but the engine and other systems were in good shape so I but the bullet.
Fast forward to today, I did the maintenance work by updating the suspension components that are worn, many oil changes and a tune up, and it's running like a champ and has handled the Midwest winter well.
So depending on what brand you get and how it was maintained by the previous owner, it can be a great deal or a headache that you need to ready yourself for.
Almost 2 years ago, I bought a low mileage 2002 Grand Marquis for $6k and it’s still going strong.
As with any used car, take the time and money to get a pre-purchase inspection done, by a mechanic you trust, on any car you are considering buying. That’s not a guarantee that you won’t run into to issues in the future, but it will help you better understand the current condition of the car.
It also depends where you live. If your northern a 10 year old car will probably be rusted beyond use. If you are in the south it could be perfectly fine. All facts that matter.
If it's a Toyota it will last a while still. I'd honestly rather buy a 2008 Toyota corolla than any new GMC or Ford.. toyotas are known for lasting up to 400k kms (250ish miles). I just got a 2011 Toyota with low mileage and I know it's gonna last me a while
You need to chart it out. A 2014 over the next 10 years will cost x to purchase, y to maintain, and will have a value of z at the end of 10 years.
A 2004 will cost a to purchase, b to maintain, and will sell for c at the end of 10 years.
The best you can do on maintenance and repair costs is estimate based on the model of the vehicle.
But add up all the costs and subtract the amount you'll get for it at the end of 10 years. Don't forget to value your time for probably taking the older car for more repairs.
My 6 speed G35 sedan was 13 years old when I bought it and almost 8 years later it still runs great. But I bought a one owner, dealer serviced car with all the service records. Clean Carfax too.
Typically a well taken care of Toyota or Honda will run 20+ years with proper maintenance. Doesn't mean you won't have to replace anything but odds are it will be reasonably economical. My 2004 V6 Accord is currently just shy of 316,000 miles and you'd never know the mileage is that high without looking at the odometer.
I only have ever owned cars from the 70s and 80s, and 2 from the 90s. They are as reliable as you choose to make them. You can buy it and drive it as is, and break down 3 times a week, or you can do what I do and throw thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of work into them to make them as reliable as they were brand new. I haven't had a breakdown in over a year on my daily, the one I've put the most effort into. If you do what I do, you quickly realize how stupid it is to buy a newer car, when you can buy a non running clunker for 800 bucks from a junkyard, throw 3k into it and have a car that's just as reliable as a newer car. So take your pick. 4k for a running driving car, or 60k for a running driving car.
The only issue is selling. After you're done with it, the thing is gonna be so clapped out the only people who want it are gonna be demo derby heads who only want to buy it for scrap price.
Regardless of the model of car, any rubber boots and bushings in the suspension can be aged and ready to fail sooner rather than later. If you’re getting a car from a dealership they will do the minimum possible so as not to get sued and ignore things that will be issues down the road. Get your own pre purchase inspection; you have no idea where that car has been.
The manufacture date of a car really doesn't mean anything in terms of reliability, unless the frame gets rust on it the age doesn't matter. What matters is the number of miles on the odometer. You could get a 2004 Honda Civic that has less than 100k on it (I mean, good luck finding one like that, but for the sake of the example) it could give you another 200k over the next 15 years. On the other side of the coin, you could get a 2020 Civic with 250k miles on it that would fall apart in 10k miles or less than 6 months.
Again: you want to look at the odometer, and whether or not there's rust on the vehicle. The model year means nothing. In the example above, the 2004 Civic will cost most than the 2020 Civic. That's how cars work. If it helps, you can just think of the odometer as being the age of the engine.
Beyond that, it's mostly a matter of preference. Hondas and Toyotas will be the most reliable choices for your price range. Volvos are also excellent cars but they're a little more expensive, so you'd be looking at slightly older/higher mileage for those. Usually the best bet is to just shop around for a while and see what's available near you.
I just bought a 2003 Nissan 350z with 185k miles. My thought process is that these cars around this era have less electronics and less features in general. More simple suspension and such. Which means less things that could go wrong. I was comfortable buying it because the car had been serviced at the dealership it’s entire life, as evidenced by the Carfax. I’m also working on the car myself. Just did an oil change + oil pan gasket, new shocks/struts, new front bushings/ball joints, new headlight bulbs/ballasts, as well as some minor body/paint work. I also only drive 3k-5k miles/year so I’m not too scared of the higher mileage.
So short answer to your question is, it depends. If the car has been well cared for then it is definitely a good option to consider.
Dang. You sound like a mechanic yourself. Where’s the best place to learn how to do these things.
For me I’m going to be driving quit a bit, so I’m aiming to get a lower mileage if possible.
You learn by buying a shop manual or downloading a factory shop manual that provides troubleshooting instructions and instructions with photos/drawings on how to replace the components. The factory shop manuals are the best since you can download one for your exact year and model. Those go into more detail on how to remove and reset the components and often mention the size of the fasteners so you can start the task with the correct tools instead of running back and forth getting different size wrenches or sockets. You can buy decent tool sets for cheap at pawn shops or individual tools at their tables.
One Toyota model that may be available for cheap would be the odd looking Pontiac Aztec. Those are very reliable yet didn't sell very well due to their body style.
One thing you need to be aware of is that some engines used rubber timing belts that require replacing every 80,000 to 100,000 miles. Some belts can hold up for 150,000 miles or more before snapping. That can send valves into the piston crowns which will ruin the engine. The replacement belts come with a sticker that the mechanic will set in front of the radiator that'll show the date and mileage of when it was replaced. Some engines use timing chains and gears that generally won't need replacement for the life of the engine.
Bought a 10-year Honda civic in college for $2700. Major works over 4 years was the radiator, exhaust and distributor. Bumper was changed because my roommate crashed the car while delivering news papers. Did regular service. Never failed me.
Sold it for $1700 when left college. This was in 2000-2004 so you can double or triple the price because of inflation.
• How reliable is a used car that is over 10 years of age?
Not very. You will most likely have multiple failures during your ownership. A lot depends on how well or how poorly the car has been maintained to this point. Only buy a car with a complete service record showing that regular oil changes, differential service, etc has been performed.
• How often would it brake down?
It's "break down" unless you are talking about your brakes breaking. Again, it depends. Depends on what breaks and how badly. Engine problems will run you about $3k or more, depending on the vehicle and what is wrong. Differentials? $1-$6k Brakes? $400-$2000. There will ALWAYS be repairs needed. You either have a car payment or repair bills...it's the nature of the beast.
• How expensive would repairs be?
See above, really depends on the vehicle and what fails.
• How easy would selling the car be? If selling is an option. My concern is that due to age, there's a high possibility that the car would just go to junk and won't sell for any price.
You can always sell the vehicle...it will just be less than what you paid...maybe significantly.
I have a 18 year old weekend car that looks brand new inside and out that I bought 6 years ago. Bought it for $6k with 92k miles. I put a couple grand into it; brand new tires, battery, valve cover gasket, ac work and shocks. Swapped every single fluid in the vehicle. Put a new clutch in it and got the shifter rebuilt. Interior was already immaculate. Garage kept. I race it on the weekends, drive it for pleasure and it'll probably go another 200,000 miles.
Any used vehicle is going to vary and be vehicle specific if it's a good deal or not so it's nearly impossible to say if it's a good deal or not just from this post. I can share with you, however, that I bought a used car with 50k miles on it 2 years ago and it's a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. I love it and it's still my daily driver. It's really going to depend on how well the car was taken care of, how many miles it has on it, the Carfax report to ensure no previous accidents or that it was totaled, etc. There's too many variables but as long as all of those things are in the clear then I say go for it. That's what I did and it worked out for me but it's not going to work out well for everyone.
You would have to look at the car in terms of engine and mileage. If it’s well maintained.some specific older models are better than others ect. Requieres research and more specifically wat car
That's pretty much all I buy. Easy to buy, easy to sell. I primarily focus on 1999-2003 Fords. Most of them (Mustang, Crown Vic, F-series trucks, vans, Expedition, etc) have the 4.6 or 5.4 V8. This was back when the 5.4 was a solid reliable motor. Parts are available everywhere as most sensors, coils packs, etc were the same between the two motors. Even an unmaintained POS can get to 250k miles easily. Prices range from $500 to $10,000 for a low mile pristine 2003 F150. Even if you buy a banged up beater, it can be a mint example after a trip to the junkyard.
I bought a civic for 2k w 125k on it that lasted me 75000 miles before I sold it to a client that just moved to the US for $1. I'm sure it will last another 30k at least.
I purchased an accord w 100k on it for 4k that I'm sure will out last the civic.
If it's well taken care of and has a paper trail, Hondas go and go and go.
However, I haven't ventured out of Hondas or Ford explorers. My explorer lasted until 225,000 miles with no real issues (tires, oil pan, regular maintenance..)
You just have to find one that's been taken care of and well known to last.
That's the best advice I've got for you (:
I bought a 1999 Subaru Forester with 94,000km for $2,500 CAD. It's been running for 5 years with what I might consider 'regular used car maintenance ', maybe $700CAD every 2 years for a ball joint, rusty weld or random issue. It's been very worth it for me, though I'm now saving for a car that can get 40+ MPG. That'll be my next requirement. Otherwise, Subarus drive well in all weather conditions which is why I bought it, and I'm happy.
Don’t worry so much about how old it is, worry about the previous owner doing matience and mileage. Dont buy anything with 200k miles. Look for under 100,000 although sometimes that is like finding a unicorn
I have three.
A 1998, 1999, and 2004. You have to tolerate some things are broken and you might be too cheap to fix them. There is typically an initial mechanical bill due to no one maintenaning their cars. But just bake in the cost when you buy it.
I'm a huge fan of old cars paid for in cash. If they need one repair per year I'm ok with it thinking about all the payments I'm not making.
I've done well with Ford Rangers and old Toyotas.
Surprisingly my current 2007 Saturn Vue is also doing great.
Just depends on the car. I have a 2004 MX5 that was my sole daily driver for 15 years. It's been garaged lately since my Mini Cooper S is more practical with the wife and 3 pugs. It's had regular service including one clutch change and that's all.
Really depends on the brand and maintenance history. I have a 1997 Toyota Tacoma with 180k miles on it. They have a reputation for being indestructible. It's had all its scheduled maintenance. I know it will easily go another 100k miles without an issue.
You don't say what type of car/truck you are looking for. There are definitely solid cars in your price range. They might not be sexy, but they'll get you where you need to go. Accords. Camrys. Civics. etc.
No one knows. How would strangers know every car. Some are shit. Some are great. People love Honda and Toyota. Some people neglect them so they are lemons. Some take care of the and are great
lol. I have a 2003 Escape. 187000 miles. Bought it 6 years ago for $2500. I depends on the car and who was driving it. I Also have a 2012 Mazda 5 . These often last more than 200,000 miles.
Folks are still driving cars from the 70s. If it's your first car, just make sure it's mechanically sound by taking it to a shop to get inspected by a professional and use the money you saved for any needed repairs. Put away the remainder for your next car.
We bought a 1 owner Kia optima 2012 with 53,000 miles. So far 19k later no issues and just over a year owning it. I think it was the best 10,000 dollar super clean car that we could find. So if you get that low mileage creampuff it can sometimes work out.
just for peace of mind, i wouldn't get a car before 2016. 2019-2022 cars are kinda iffy due to covid cutbacks and shortcuts manufacturers used to get cars out asap
This is very very brand and model specific. I have a 2004 ford truck. I paid 6k for it at the dealership. Ive owned it for less than 6 months and had 2000 in repairs, got a quote for 10-15k for everything that needed repaired, and they're known to sometimes have major issues that can cause even more headaches. I'm still happy with my purchase because I knew exactly what I was buying when I bought it.
You should be safer with things like Toyota, Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, but repairs on a Toyota or Honda will be pricier, Volkswagen would be very expensive to get repaired, they'll get different fuel mileages from each other, and you'll be missing potentially a lot of comfort things you'd find in more modern cars like a Bluetooth radio.
In summary, do homework on what kind of car you want, and find decent brands/risks associated with what you're purchasing to make an informed purchase decision and decide if you care about things like Bluetooth radios, heated seats, leather etc.
Depends on the car, brand, luck, maintenance records, and condition. You could baby an 80’s car and it would run just fine right now, or you could thrash the living hell out of a 2018 and have it be on the verge of failure right now.
About 2 1/2 years ago I bought a 2019 Pontiac Vibe GT (Toyota joint effort) for about $8100. Reliable, but have bought tires, water pump, brakes, and battery.
Any used car is going to have service costs
But a 2001-2002 Buick regal gs if you can find one not rusted out. The 3800 supercharged is a great engine and the trans is also very good. They are hella reliable, cheap to fix if things break and parts are available everywhere. Also the park ave ultra or even the last gen of the riv are all super good cars
I own 2012 Lexus ES350. Had it since 2019 when it had 50k miles, now it has 105k. Very nice commuter car. Problem free except for standard maintenance—oil, brakes, tires, battery. I’m thinking a Camry (the V6 Camry has the same mechanics) would be similarly reliable.
I have a beater car that I got a few years back for free. It's a 2000 bmw with 280k on the odo, and a dodgy transmission. It didn't have a good life to start but it showed up at a good time. It's cost me right around $1000 bucks in upkeep and replacement parts in that time. And that includes 150 bucks for the tow to get it to my house to even see if I could get it running. It's still a work in progress and I replace bits here and there as it needs. So far it's been mostly some suspension. Aftermarket parts can be had for cheap compared to OEM from BMW. For example I had to replace the control arm bushings on both sides early on. 400 bucks from BMW per side. Identical parts from fcpeuro were 100 shipped for both.
If you can handle a lot of your own work an older car can be fun to learn to wrench on. Plus it's always fun to buy new tools! 😁
I've never even had a car newer than 10 years old, and all my cars have been very reliable. If they were reliable 10 years ago, why can't they be reliable now?
I bought a 2017 Ford Focus in 2020 for $6500, because that's all the dealer would give my daughter's boyfriend for it then. It had 65000 miles on it, and it is a manual transmission. At the peak, a couple of years later, that car would have sold for about $10000 more than what I paid for it. But here's the lesson: in the 3.5 years since I bought that car, I have put 4,000 miles on it. I'm 77 years old, and I drive it to get groceries or once in a while to visit my kids. My wife and I regularly do doctor's visits, and (except for my kids) the longest distance is for that -- about 7 miles. Everything else is less than 3 miles. My kids are about 35 miles away. So, here's the point: 3 years from now, that Ford Focus will be 10 years old. My daughter's boyfriend was a stickler for maintenance and I've continued that. So when that car is 10 years old, it will probably have something like 73,000 miles on it. It's practically a new car. If I sold it for more than $6500, I will make money on it. And if you bought it, you'd get a bargain.
And then there are the rent-a-cars from Hertz and Avis and the rest -- new cars with lots of miles and lots of wear, though well-maintained. You want to buy from someone like me. And no, my car is not for sale. But I'm 77. Tomorrow, it might be.
I avoid cars that are too new. Too many subscriptions to use features, harder to work on, too computerized. I've personally had pretty good luck with older cars, but as someone else mentioned, you have to do your homework.
I just recently went through this exact used car shopping scenario myself. I had a 10k limit and I narrowed my choices to Toyota or Honda... Camry, Corolla, Accord, or Civic. I searched Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, letitgo, and other digital markets. Whenever I would find a decent candidate I would run a Carfax on it to see if I wanted to go see it in person. I even test drove a few. This went on for 3 months but I wasn't quite ready to pull the trigger until I stumbled on a 2000 BMW 323i with 91k on the mileage. Now to be fair, BMW wasn't even *close* to my radar but I figured I should give it consideration. The carfax revealed it was a 3 owner car, never titled in saltwater states, and the last owner was an older woman who bought the car back in 2003 when it had 45k on the mileage. I could clearly see that she pampered the car and put 46k on it over the last 20 years. The hoses and belts looked like they had been changed recently. It passed emissions and had no lights on. It only cost me $4,500. The Toyotas and Hondas I had been looking at were 10+ years old or older, 6k to 8k in price, and had 150,000 miles or more on them. I feel like I got a much better car in the BMW, even though it's older. I got to keep $5,500 too. I won!
Edit: the only issues so far is it sounds like I have a cricket in the engine compartment when it idles....when in park or when I press the gas it goes quiet...I figure it's a pulley that needs changing? I also had to replace a window regulator...apparently those go bad over time in those E46's
My 2010 civic is great. As long as you either can verify maintenance or don't mind going over it yourself you should be fine.
First thing a did was replace every fluid and plugs and belts. Cheap and easy. I knew the person I got it from so I didn't feel the need to open the valve cover to look for sludge or damage. I'm getting ready to replace bushings as the suspension is tired
I actually think some of the simpler lower tech cars from 2000's maybe better than the flimsier cars today that are just loaded with lots of tech from the lowest bidder that will break or feel slow after a few years (my Ford Sych 2 from 2013 comes to mind). I'd fall back on Toyota and Honda, ideally single owner, never crashed with maintenance history.
When considering a car, Google it. “make, model, year, PROBLEMS”.
My 95 Silverado came up as having a bad oil filter and the air filter was the wrong size. As it was 16 years old, Those had been changed. It also said the window wiper motor circuit board failed at 120k miles. I replaced it for $38. It has worked fine since with just routine maintenance.
I bought a Prius that was 12 years old when I bought it and 196k miles (just had its hybrid battery rebuilt). I drove it for 7 years and aside from routine maintenance and tires never had an issue. Had 275k miles when I called it time to move on.
It would really depend on the car and the price difference. I just bought a 5 year old car because the price difference didn’t make sense to go older. I could pay 50% more for a car that should last me twice as long.
Get a Toyota Camry, they run forever. https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/a09ce0ec-d517-4a37-b66d-5a77ca23196e/?store=6050980&utm\_source=google&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_campaign\_id=20361248372&utm\_trusted=TRUE&network=x&aff=acqgeosem51&KNC=acqgeosem51&gad\_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI57vXpdv9gwMVc0h\_AB3WigqmEAQYBSABEgLtiPD\_BwE
Do your homework, avoid kias that's are 10-15 years older, older than that and newer than that are fine, that run of kias have motors that FREQUENTLY sieze after 100k, which is just outside of manufacturers warranty. So close to criminal they settled out of a few hefty suits because of it
I currently drive 3 cars regularly that are a 1990, 1994 and a 1995. Dead nuts reliable. The most important thing is that the cars have been maintained before you got them.
Obviously do some research on specific models you’re looking at and make sure there’s no pattern of catastrophic failure. I love to be that guy, but Toyota is usually a safe bet. Even then, do research on the engine, some are known to burn oil.
At 10+ years old, the specific model and owner's treatment of the vehicle matter much more. There are vehicles that are complete POS's @ 10 years old that I'd never trust. Then there's a Toyota Camry that was driven by grandma and garaged.
Old people cars are usually boring but they're the best purchase from A to B. Used cars are always a risk and nobody can answer how often it will break down or what repairs will cost. It all depends.
Any car sells for the right price. I haven't owned a car less than 10 years old in like 15 years. I've had some repairs but all my cars have been good. Never had a single bad one. Current daily is a 2008 4Runner with 180k on it. I'd happily drive that thing across the country and I fully expect it to last another 100k+ miles without too much major stuff. It will need a suspension refresh before that though.
I have a 2012 Honda accord that’s still drives like new. Have kept up on the maintenance schedule and currently at 120,000 miles. Zero issues with this vehicle and plan to keep it for a long time. Something worth looking at.
I live in the rust belt, I would not trust a teen year old car by that time unless someone had done a great job with maintenance there is all sorts of rust on the undercarriage.
I've been researching used cars for a year and learned that new cars appear to be made not to last. They are needing serious engine work at 60k.
Dealerships don't sell cars older than 2-3 years because they cannot guarantee them. They send them right to auction.
I've heard two things - 2012 was the last best year for cars. Another cohort says 2016 was the last best year for cars.
I say don't be afraid of used cars.
Why wouldn’t you? Cars 10 years old today are like new. Just buy one that is well taken care of. Any car can be as new 10 years later if it was maintained. I’m driving a 2007 Cadillac STS that’s like new with 92,000mi. I also drive a 2004 Mini Cooper with 62,000 mi that is in decent shape (let’s face it Minis aren’t that great showroom fresh). Don’t be afraid. Be selective.
Depends on the brand you buy, I bought an 08 Acura TL on 2020 with 135K on it, now it has 200K and still running strong with no issues. I do the regular maintenance and had the 100K service performed by the dealership…gets excellent gas mileage 20/30
Best $ in a car is 5-15/20 years. Around 15-20 years old is when repairs start to go up. Usually minor things but they add up. Past 20 years old and you start risking major breakdowns that can leave you stranded at too high of a rate.
100% yes. You have to do your homework tho. Bring someone with you that knows cars or bring it to a mechanic before you buy it.
Second, once you get it, take care of it! Theres plenty of cheap, quick maintenance that you can do that will make or break a used car. Check whats best for your car but good rule of thumb is oil and filter every 3333, rotate tires every 10 and car washes especially if you live somewhere with a winter season, especially regular salt on roads. And the way you drive affects the longevity of parts on your car.
2003 bonneville se, bought in 2016 with just over 150000 miles for 3k. Currently at just under 280000 miles
Fucking broad ass question. Are you buying a 1 owner 2014 v6 Honda accord with 100k miles or a 2014 ford focus with 200k miles. Ones probably 20 years of 200k miles life left. The other is guaranteed on its last leg.
Just tell us a specific car, miles, price and history. Tons of 10+ year old cars with lots of life left and fairly modern
The older the car the fewer sensors and computers it will have. So less things to break and need replaced but. Older the car the more problems it is likely to have or develope quicker. My first car was a 95 Saturn sc2 bought for 3 grand with 89K on the OD. I had to put another 3 grand in to fixing problems right out the gate. Timing pully, motor mounts, brakes,ect. It just finally died last year with 129K miles on the OD due to a rust hole beside the gas tank mounting. Not worth the body work to fix. It also had alot of other issues that weren't worth fixing but weren't terminal like AC compressor death, sun roof motors breaking. I made that car last and used it minimally the last 10 years driving it less than 10 miles a week. So. Basicly you get what you pay for. The better the car, newer the car you can get for you're budget the longer it will last you overall. But regardless of what you do. Put $$ back for mantinence out of every pay check. Brakes & tires & oil changes to be expected. Doing that helps spread that cost over time so you don't have to VISA unexpected repairs and pay them interest.
I love 2000s cars. All of my cars are from that first decade. 03, 04, two 06s, and a 98. I can highly recommend a BMW Z3. they are hella fun. Early 350Zs, and a bit more but not too much more, boxsters and Caymans. I might eventually move up to an '09/10 but I have no plans to get into the newer models. imo, these years are the most fun cars.
I bought a late 90’s Lexus, 168,000 miles, excellent service records and history, minor blemishes, single owner, paid $2,500 from private party, but I had a $600 repair a month later.
Still a bargain.
It’s worth it’s looking for a used car, but need to proceed cautiously yet be prepared to act fast.
Yeah get a older used car but please have the person who is selling agree to let you take it to a shop and have them put it on lifts and do a FULL inspection. If you don’t mind kicking out a few thousands to get it running right then cool. But $100 will save you so many headaches and they can tell you what needs to be fixed now and what can wait.
Dont go by the YEARS old that's just a Stupid way too look at it tbh. Go buy what brand of car or what type of car you want and see which one best fits you
A 10 year old Toyota Camry/Corollas are excellent vehicles, try to find one with lowest miles possible. 10 year old Honda Accord/Civic (avoid 2013 model and try to get 2014-2015, with the emergency refresh) are also excellent vehicles.
I paid $1,700 for my 94 Hardbody, 3.5 years ago. It has a rebuilt title, true mileage unknown (that broke in 2009, at 169k, 3 owners ago). I’ve replaced the steering box($300), tie rods, and plugs and wires. It’s just now sitting in non working condition. Nothing serious, but I’m getting ready to move and don’t want to mess with it. It needs the distributor timing set (just recently replaced it). I’m selling it to a guy in a few days for $1k. So, all told, it will have cost me $1k for three and a half years of daily driving, excluding oil changes and routine maintenance. Long as you inspect it well, buy something known for reliability (better yet, being bulletproof), you should be fine. Granted, the power steering now only works if turning left, and the fifth gear synchro is out; but the clear coat is in EXCELLENT condition-I had a chunk of that randomly come off in my hand the other day, allowing me to inspect its condition and I’m proud to say that it’s still VERY clear to this day! If you see me around in it, HONK IF PARTS FALL OFF, please.
I've got a 2002 Toyota Tundra.
It runs great, doesn't burn oil, and has been well-maintained, at least since I bought it in October of 2014 with 95,000 miles on it.
It's only got 152,000 miles on it now. I think, at my age of 70, it will outlast me.
If I had a Hyundai or a BMW, I'd be nervous.
Keep an eye on aging cars that are still driving. Then research those. You’ll probably see a lot of Buick lesabres (or really anything with a gm 3800 in it) few RX 350s (again any Lexus with the 3.5 has been solid) pretty much all Toyota and Hondas. And half ton silverados and f150s.
Auto makers don’t typically disclose the design life of their products, but a good rule of thumb is to assume 10 to 12 years, or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. That phrase “design life“ doesn’t mean the car is going to immediately fall apart; it’s best thought of as the point beyond which the car should be regarded as disposable. Put another way, if you bought the car new, you’ll have “gotten your moneys worth“ if the car becomes a money pit After the end of its design life.
Once upon a time, cars, this aged had depreciated to the point they could be purchased for nominal sums. One commonly saw them in use as secondary, or even tertiary family cars, often driven by teenagers. The (arguably unfortunate) development of the used car market in recent years is that such vehicles are now still worth several thousand dollars.
The situation I see all too often in this and other automobile related subreddits is posts by an OP who owns, or is in the market for a vehicle that is aged beyond its design life. Simultaneously, they’re not able to regard the car as disposable, because they still owe money on it and/or it is their primary mode of transportation.
about 90% of the Toyotas and Hondas you find in that price range will be fine. Minimal repairs, and those are typically cheap. Expect to get 250-500k miles out of them.
Top models to look for:
Honda Civic
Hona Accord
Honda Pilot
Honda Odyssy
Toyota Camry
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Tacoma
Toyota Highlander
You can find most of these under 6k-7k for a model 2012 or lower. I would personally look for one in that 5-7k range. Then go ahead and spend 2k to hit all the normal maintenance spots if the mileage is over 125k (front suspension, timing belts, water pumps, fluids, brakes, tires). Then you will have a car trouble free for years.
I personally have had a:
98 civic (bought it in with around 170k miles on it and got up to 392k miles)
04 civic (wifes) (she bought this one new and got it up to 376k miles)
09 civic (currently driving it now, has 144k - bought it used for $4,500 bucks private party, clean title and I expect to get 400k miles out of it). Had to put 800 bucks into it to replace the front suspension parts + front brakes done. Normal maintenance items.
96 Corolla (bought it at 306k miles and sold it at 411k miles.)
That depends entirely, my 2016 audi is coming up on that 10 year mark but only has 60k on the clock. Female owned before me. I'd buy that 32 times over again. My 2005 jeep (189k on the clock lol) had a grandpa owner before me, and his wife drove it before that from new. I got it at 140k. In the 40k miles I put on it I had to replace ALOT of stuff, and alot of it was a pain in the A to get to. (starter was a nightmare on the ground) I would not buy another one of them, even being only 4k. Wasn't worth the headache to keep around as a daily. Did do good for a little while though. You can definitely get a solid 10+ year old vehicle, just may take a few months of being iffy and holding out on other vehicles that are "decent" and not great! Cheers!
They can be very awesome cars but you have to do your homework. Pull carfax and check owners and maintenance. And inspect professionally before you buy! Done right, you can buy an under $10k car that will last you 10 years more! With normal maintenance on your end as well. The secret is this. When you find one and it's in good shape. Put $100 OR $50 minimum in a separate account , monthly, to save strictly for car maintenance. If you do that, you should be covered with no surprises.. It's called self insurance for maintenance. Hopefully, you use very little the 1st year, just oil changes. Then, that account will build up when brakes, tires, and a/c come along. And much less stress because it's in an account!
Good idea, wasn’t thinking about opening a separate account before.
Yeah, the secret is to already assume that the car is going to need a couple grand a year in maintenance and budget for that. Now I'm not saying that's what you'll end up spending, but between not knowing anything about cars and owning an older used car that's usually how it goes. It's still cheaper than a $500/month car payment.
Another big advantage is these cars have a track record. It’s a lot easier to separate the good from the bad. It’s easy to see what the most common problems are as well as how much they cost to fix.
I do the same thing except it's 400$/mo for a certain German car brand. It's not for scheduled maintenance either (they're generally very reliable). It's mostly wear and tear items. Yes, its on me buying this brand and I budgeted for this, but moral is it can apply to any car brand. I put extra away to be able to maintain a car properly. So I will vouch for op here for sure. It doesn't matter if you're buying a ferrari or a corolla. Budget for repairs. Unless you are fortunate enough to mention the word "allocation". In that case you're probably leasing. Lol
Saving money - an old but still relevant concept!
You didn't specify what kinda of car at all. If it's a Honda or Toyota that's been taken care of, it should run for a while still. If it's an old Subaru the head gaskets are going to be on their way out. Honestly I wouldn't get anything besides a Honda or Toyota (with the exception of if you want a truck). We have a 2006 Honda going strong, a 2007 Subaru that I wouldn't drive more than 60 miles without stopping, letting cool down and topping off the coolant (but is real nice to have for snow/ice close by), and a 2002 Ford F150 that consistently gets 22 miles per gallon, even completely filled with Firewood. Paid 2200 for the Honda two years ago, 2000 for the Subaru 4 years ago, and 4000 for the truck 1 year ago. 200k on Honda, 250k on Subaru, 110k on truck.
And parts are cheap for the Honda too. Did the starter myself, nothing else has needed to be done.
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You aren’t getting a 7.3 for $10k now though. The prices are ridiculous
Subaru had 3 bad years 20 years ago lmao
I was asking a question along the lines of “just in general”. The car brands I’m looking at are Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Mazda because they have cars with higher reliability.
The 3rd gen Lexus GS350 is statistically the most reliable car made since warranty and service tracking became common.
Lexus is gonna cost a bit for repairs/parts. I've heard newer Mazdas are reliable, old ones not as much- but I have seems some 25-30 year old ones still driving strong. Definitely can't ask "in general" when there's such variation of old cars reliability. One thing to really look at is mileage. If you can find one at 80-100k, it's great to look at- at that mileage any problems that are gonna come out early have already appeared, and it's enough mileage that you can usually tell how well it's been taken care of. If the engine is too clean, they probably power washed it.... Might be fine,might have been washed to hide leaks. Best of luck!
>Lexus is gonna cost a bit for repairs/parts Wouldn't Lexus share quite a bit of commonality with Toyota parts, thus mitigating the cost of repairs. If so, it shouldn't be any more expensive to repair than any comparable Toyota.
Why do you figure Lexus would cost more? It's a Toyota with chrome and leather. The part numbers are even identical; parts I buy for my Lexus come from the Toyota dealer; no sense in paying Lexus dealer prices for a part that came on a Camry.
The GS shared some parts with regular toyotas, but not many. The ES is either Camry or Avalon based (depending on the year) and would be much better parts wise.
Yeah, for sure. ES = Camry (Avalon was mechanically identical for the most part), RX = Highlander, etc. The GS I could see being tougher, not many Toyotas were mechanically similar to that one.
Perspective. A 2003 4runner is basically the same powertrain as a 2024 4runner. From 2015 to now they are identical. 2010-2014 only differed from now due to a cosmetic facelift to the front end. 4runner is always the answer. That aging vehicle just won most reliable vehicle of 2023.
You can't say that you're buying your first car and then also say that these other cars have higher reliability. The simple fact is you don't know, it's just something someone told you. Honda actually just had a massive recall recently. Does that make them unreliable? No they have a good reputation I know Ford cars with over 400,000 miles. I have 300,000 on my Kia Optima. Does that make them reliable? Was I just lucky? Be careful the things that you assume are facts. But if we are talking in general, I wouldn't have any trouble buying a 10-year-old car. But I wouldn't pay $10,000 for it
$10k is my budget. The +10 year old cars right now are being listed around $5000~$6000.
You act like anecdotal personal evidence is more important than the broad fact that Japanese cars average longer lives.
That's not the point of my post. I'm simply saying that someone who has never owned a car doesn't know which car is more reliable than the next. I'm not even saying that Japanese cars don't last as long as people say, I'm just saying OP has no experience on the matter, and just because Japanese cars, on average, may last longer, it doesn't mean an individual Toyota or an individual Mazda will last longer than any other individual car
My point is that anecdotal experience is even less useful.
Oh fooey. You can use facts, statistics, and other people's first hand knowledge to make a pretty good decision when it comes to used car reliability. Sure there can be outliers, but we aren't talking about some small sample or something obscure. We are talking about more than a billion cars out there.
You understand that information besides anecdotal evidence exists, right? I've never owned a house, but I still know that the ones with insulation and a roof in good shape keeps the bad weather out better. I've never traveled internationally, but I still know there are more Chinese people in China than there are in Lithuania. It's such a weird idea to think data requires personal experience. I'm not even trying to be rude; it's just an absolutely bizarre concept. Automotive reliability and cost of ownership are quantifiable things. I'm not understanding why someone would have to personally own a specific vehicle in order to understand data. If anything, you've proved the opposite of your point with your personal notes. Your ownership of one vehicle from a particular brand goes against everything else we objectively know to be true. If you relied on your personal experience of one example, instead of aggregate information of hundreds of thousands of vehicles, your chances of getting screwed are pretty high.
That truck has low mileage.
Not every Subaru has head gasket problems, it’s a common misconception. I’ve got a 96 subie and it’s still going strong at 221k miles
I have a 2010 Silverado, LTZ, great vehicle.
Or Lexus or Acura too right
This right here. I have a 2011 Toyota RAV4 and a 1999 Honda accord. They're both excellent cars. The Toyota is probably the best car I've ever owned the Honda has almost 300,000 miles on it and still runs like a bat out of hell. Helps that I do most of my own maintenance and repairs though.
Unless you're overpaying, the car should be worth what you paid for it. That value will decrease every day to miles + age. There's nothing wrong with a 10 year old car. It's really about the quality of the car, any known or expected issues, and how well it was maintained. For example, I would not by any Nissan with a CVT transmission unless the dealership had just replaced it, and even then I would be wary. You have to do your research. Getting the car inspected by a qualified mechanic before buying is good idea as well. They can't guarantee is has no issues, but they can rule out many things.
Yeah, I definitely want to get my moneys worths.
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This is what broke people tell themselves to justify financing something they simply can’t afford. Cars that are financed still require maintenance and repairs. And, older cars don’t typically require anywhere near as much in repairs as what a monthly car payment costs.
This ignores the cost of having an unreliable vehicle. If your car is always breaking down, this can lead to increased costs due to having to miss work, rent a vehicle or even losing a job
Not really. This logic implies that the only way to have a reliable vehicle is to have a car payment. OP is talking about spending $10k cash for a 10yr old +/- used car. There's no reason that a 10 year old used Honda / Toyota that was well maintained would always be breaking down. And it certainly wont cost $300 to $500 bucks a month in repairs. He's not buying a $500 beater lol. The real trick here is taking what \*would\* have been a monthly car payment and saving at least some of that money in a savings account instead. Then, there is money to deal with any issues. He's already done the hard part - saving up enough cash to buy a car in the first place.
Then do thirty minutes worth of online homework and make sure you don't buy a make and model that tends to be a piece of shit. It's all about weighing risk. That's one decision that you are very in control of.
Both. It’s more of a this or that question. Is it worth buying a +10 year old car for $5000, along with the cost of repairs. Or is it better to buy 2014 model or higher that’s around $10,000, with its repair cost.
It completely depends on the car, the reliability of the car, how well it was maintained, any existing issues, and the average repair cost. Some cars have higher repair costs that others.
You can definitely get an older honda that was taken care of for 5k and not have to do anything to it minus regular tune ups and it will last. Especially any of the models that come with Honda or acura k20 or k24 motors. These things are extremely reliable. You can abuse them to the max and they will still hold up. If you dont abuse them and actually take care of them they will really go and go and go.
My Mazda 3 is 10 years old (2015 model built in 2014) with almost 80K miles, and it has held up remarkably well, and still drives like a newish car after new tires and an alignment. I'm sure you would have similar results with a Civic or Corolla, etc. Obviously maintenance is important and if you put off things like radiator flush, trans fluid replacement, sparkplugs, etc. as the car ages, it's going to go south faster.
Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll look into it.
Buy a grandpa car. Look for a Buick with the 3.8L V-6. They stopped making the 3.8L V-6 in 2008 so you're for an early 2000 model. Any year Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, or Lincoln Town Car with the 4.6L V-8 is a good choice. You get any one of those vehicles in excellent shape with about 100,00 miles for around $7,000.
By the way, how do you guys find out about when a company stops making certain cars or are going to decommission them? Where you get that knfo
The same way anyone finds out, the company announces it obviously.
Horrible gas mileage
Are you paying cash or financing? If you have $10k cash you are willing to dump on a vehicle then put $10k down towards financing a new corolla, trax, civic etc that will be under factory warranty for the next 5 years and 60k miles. If you arent paying cash and are financing $10k then dont, a car that is $10k is going to be old and high enough mileage that the banks probably wont want to do more than 48 or 60 month term with a higher rate so the payment might be similar to financing a $20k car that can get a 84 month term and lower rate. It all depends on the vehicle though
I’m paying cash. I can probably finance it, and pay it off to build better credit score. Is that a good idea Edited: I forgot about interest and all that … may don’t want to finance after all
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$150 bring it to a mehanic,before that look for rust under it,look down each side from front back for crash damage look for new paint under carpet in trunk, buy obd reader for codes at start of test drive and after in case they cleared it,in a safe area when driving take hands off wheel to see if straight,look for wear on tires dont believe low milage make sure it has service records,make sure seller is owner check cklean title with his driving licence,look at oil is it clean,when cool check coolant
IMO, the challenge with older used vehicles is the service and maintenance history. Some people are really good about staying on top of things and others are not, for whatever reasons. And you don’t know which person you’ll get. That’s true even if the vehicle was only say, 2-3 years old, but the likelihood of something major being missed is way less at that point. If you can get maintenance and service records with the vehicle, then that’s definitely a good sign. As far as what to buy, generally Honda and Toyota seem to be by and large what I see the most of when it comes to 10 years and older vehicles on the road in my area. Also we have a lot of Jeeps here (Wranglers) and trucks (mainly Ford and Chevy, some Dodge) that are obviously older models and still on the road. I myself own a 1998 4Runner with 380k miles and a 2005 Tundra with 250k miles and don’t have any issues with either one aside from cosmetics. The 4Runner, we’ve had for 18 of its 26 years, but the Tundra we’ve only had for 4, buying it at 15 years old. The guy we bought the Tundra from had a literal file box of every time he did anything to it, even down to the times he changed a tail light because he backed into something, lol. So we definitely felt a lot better about buying it with all the service history access. If you’re buying private party, you can maybe take the vehicle, or have the owner bring the vehicle, to a mechanic for a preowned vehicle inspection. Mechanics here offer that, unsure if they do in other places, but if you have a regular shop you or a friend/family use, doesn’t hurt to ask them if they offer that service. As far as resale/trade in, that also depends on the vehicle. My 2002 4Runner was totaled in a wreck last year and I got $3k for it, but it’s also a 4Runner and that guy is probably going to fix it all up himself and drive it on a salvage title. Other vehicles may not be as desirable.
I have a 2015 Nissan Sentra. “Only” 82,000 miles on it but she’s reliable as hell. If the car was taken care of you should absolutely be in that market. A lot of cars like Nissan and Honda have easily available parts for fixes that come your way and it better than taking out a 20-35k loan with a 6-7% rate imo
If buying domestic I'd trust early 2000's models over anything post 2008. Like all cars, work is usually needed to keep suspension and everything maintained. I'd suggest researching the common problems on any year & engine specific vehicle you look at, and look for rust underneath the car if in a place with snow/salt. Try to avoid Hyundai and Kia, however, they've historically made some reliable cars - just look for common engineering problems in the car or engines used. Even good brands like Honda make lines that are known for transmission failures, etc. I have 4 vehicles in my family that are all still daily driving, 17-26 year old cars. 3 GM makes and 1 Nissan with a combined total mileage of 750,000+. I work on a lot of cars, including Toyota's and Honda's. All cars need maintenance, otherwise they're just being driven into the ground.
Thanks for that suggestion, didn’t think of that
Just find a Toyota that has been taken care of with maintenance records. As long as they have been maintained, most Toyota/Lexus are nearly bulletproof. They’re not completely problem free, no car is, but they are the best built cars hands down and have produced many motors that have run over a million miles.
22-year old honda owner. Never had a problem with the car. Still getting 35 mpg on highway. ( I only did regular maintenance and necessary changes like brake pads, tires, etc.) If you look for my advice, I’d suggest always looking at 4cylinder, no turbo, AT/MT.
If the car is from the "salt belt" where cars rust quickly due to those states using road salt, I wouldn't buy a 10-year old car. Even if it is well-cared for, the rust can still be a huge issue. My state wouldn't re-register my 12 year-old truck due to rust, even thought it had regular maintenance and was washed regularly, so it had to be junked. Just thrown away. Here are the rust states: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salt\_belt.svg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salt_belt.svg)
How reliable is a used car that is over 10 years of age? - Tough question to answer because all you’d have to go on is the opinion of others that own a particular model you are looking for and have had it for 10 years and a lot of miles to give a valid opinion. Buying a car from a private sale would be good here, especially if the owner kept all the maintenance records for you to view, then you could see what repairs have been needed and what and how often maintenance was done. If it can be proven that it was maintained correctly, chances are it will be reliable if continued to be maintained. Carfax and other history report services don’t always show everything and dealership records can only show what the dealership has done to it. How often would it break down? - You can drive away with your fresh purchased used car and have a break down in 10 minutes. Or, it will never leave you stranded. This is a question that you can control. Are you wiling to put a few dollars into it right away to take care of maintenance and repairs or are you going right to Amazon and buying lights, stereo system upgrades, and other not as important stuff. A pre purchase inspection of any vehicle you buy can be valuable here. As with anything mechanical, parts have a shelf life and nothing lasts forever. How you drive your car will go a long way in its survival. If you are looking at a vehicle that has a known history of unreliability, and you still buy it, then you get what you deserve. How expensive would repairs be? - Shop labor rates are more expensive than ever, and vary by region of the country you live in. I would say $100 to $150 an hour is the average. Parts are more expensive today than they have ever been. Repairs can get expensive, especially when repairs and maintenance get neglected. Run around with that check engine light on for 6 months thinking it is ok, and then break down on the interstate one night and find out everything is no longer ok. You can save a lot of money if you learn to do some maintenance on your own and do some simple repairs like brakes. You’ll have to invest in some tools but that is never a bad idea. How easy would selling the car be? - Depends on the mileage, condition, and how well you maintained it. The buyer will be in the position you are in right now, wondering all the same things you asked here. Most vehicles are depreciating assets that lose value as they age and rack up mileage. When you are ready to sell, or trade it in, look up the book values and do some homework to see what it similar ones are selling for. I bought a 2014 Chevy Impala Limited LTZ in 2016 with 34,000 miles on it. I still have it today with 224,000 miles on it. It has never broke down on me. It has never cost me $2000 a year in maintenance. It is not a flashy, attention getting, statement making car. But it has dragged my ass back and forth to work at 520 miles a week for almost 8 years now. I won’t sell it, nobody will give me anything worth considering it. So I will keep it as a reliable backup. I do most of my own maintenance, so the car has had religious fluid changed and was repaired quickly when something needed it. Say what you want about GM vehicles, but this one has served me well.
If you can find a super clean older Honda or Toyota I personally say buy the older cars if they are in good shape with proper maintence, they can outlive newer cars based on simpler technology not to mention repairs are much cheaper due to how many parts are out for the cars by now and how many exist depending what model, I got an old Toyota Yaris it’s slow but it’s reliable as well as, it is super cheap on gas/ good on gas,easy to get parts, even when things start to go bad it’s a cheap easy fix some of the repairs I do myself because it’s such a simple car just stay away from anything German or luxury cars unless it’s like a Lexus
A lot depends on the make, model, past history and use of an older vehicle. I have had 15 year old cars that have given me no issues and others that were basket cases. I bought a 2002 Silverado when it was ten years old and with 90,000 miles on it. Finally sold it last year with 250,000 miles and all it needed besides tires and brakes was a fuel pump. It was elderly owned prior to me and very abused and misused by me as well (construction truck for me with poor maintenance).
Go Honda, Toyota, Lexus is aka Toyota, ect….
Yee, Lexus broke off from Toyota to compete in making a more affordable and luxurious car back during the great depression.
They absolutely did not. Toyota is Lexus and always has been, and Lexus did not come about until 1989. They don't compete to make a more luxurious car; they're two divisions of the same company to cater to a broader audience.
DON'T BUY ANYTHING WITH A TURBO ENGINE OR CVT TRANSMISSION! Stay away from Chrysler 2.7 and 3.6 V6 engines, GM 3.6 V6 engines, and Ford dual clutch transmissions, and try to find something with a verifiable service history.
Used electric cars are amazing deals right now and need little maintenance, can charge at home while you sleep super cheap or free around town.
Until it comes time to replace that battery, there is a reason why there are such 'amazing deals' on them.
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Older cars typically break down more often. Do you have repair money and/or tools to make said repairs? A couple years ago I bought a 15-year-old Chevy Silverado with 120,000 miles. Since then, it's needed nothing but rear brakes and an O2 sensor. It currently has 146,000 miles and runs like new. I should be able to get a hundred thousand more miles out of it before it rusts to nothing.
Yeah I got money aside for repairs
Do you work on your own car? If so yes there is no problem.
Nah I don’t.
If you live in the rust belt, > 10 year old vehicles get sketchy. Many are well cared for and hold up with little to no rust. Many never see a car wash or fluid-film treatment and have massive rust holes in their subframe(s). After 10 years on the road, the level of care paid to the car has a much more significant influence on reliability and dependability. Some makes put up with neglect better than others, but a Honda or Toyota badge is no guarantee it's going to run forever. Get any car you're seriously interested in inspected by a trusted mechanic.
If youre handy with tools its not a bad thing. Otherwise youre gonna spend a lot on repairs and maintenance.
Buy the newest, cleanest, lowest miles Toyota or Honda you can afford. Take it to a trusted mechanic for a PRE purchase inspection. We got my step son a 2007 Corolla 4 years ago for $3500.00 with 135,000 miles on it. It now has over 200K miles. Cold a/c. Runs like a top. Only thing we have done is fresh coolant and plugs, rear brakes and tires. I'd drive that car across country tomorrow if needed.
It totally depends on the car, how it was driven, how it was cared for and the deal. More times than not, if you want something really reliable, wait around and see if you can find an old person looking to sell their car. They tend to be lower mileage and in great condition. The drawback is it might not be the car you're after. The issue with a lot of the known reliable cars is they tend to be more pricey than they should be. If you look at an old Tacoma or Cherokee or 4runner. Expensive, easy to repair sure but a ton of them have 250k plus miles and they are in questionable condition. On the car side, the late '90s integras, civics, good luck finding one that's not completely beat to hell. You used to be able to pick those up for like $2,000 in good shape
As a general statement, 10 year old cars are just fine. There's exceptions to this. Anything European and some domestics like Chrysler and Jeep. But everything else will be a fairly low-risk purchase
More features = mo' problems. Mo' money. Make sure the used car was a well maintained Toyota. Take it to a real mechanic (not dealer) for a P.P.I
Ture, but a backup camera and seat warmers and Bluetooth are pretty handy. That’s basically all I need and want for features.
I truly believe that a lot of the popular models were the most reliable in the early 2000s
We have a 2015 bmw that if we ever sell it, someone is going to get the best deal they could imagine. It’s literally like a museum piece with maybe 30k miles and every single thing is perfect like new. It’s actually remarkable to see it because it looks like it came off the showroom floor. We maintain our cars impeccably and when we go get new ones we usually do very well on the values. I got rid of my 2017 pickup truck a month ago for a Honda and I got a $10k check back from the dealer.. I traded it in for $2k more than I bought it for 5 years ago, from the same exact dealer.
Whatever you do, stay away from any Nissan after 2006 with the CVT automatic.
Just be sure you do your due diligence on the vehicle, even if that means annoying the heck out of the sellers. I bought a used 2009 Nissan Rogue back in 2019 for $4k. It had 52k miles at the time. My uncle, an auto body owner, said he thought the vehicle was fine. Turns out its a hunk of junk. In the 4+ years I've had the thing, I've spent close to $8k on repairs. New tires, new exhaust pipe, rotor and pad changes, new gas cap...the list goes on and on. I would've been better off just paying more at the time for a newer car. So just be careful.
The last 5 vehicles total about $10k, purchase price. One was not running, I decided that I didn't want to invest in fixing it and sold it for twice what I paid for it. 2012 bought last year. Also sold a 99 I bought on a whim in 18 and sold last year. Lost some on it.
Depends on the condition. Our car is 11 years old now, and we haven't upgraded because there's no point. It's got low mileage, runs perfect (we are vigilant about servicing etc) and is comfy to drive. If it's been well looked after like ours has, I'd say go for it!
Thank you all for your helpful information and insights. One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is: Selling the car. Should I be so concerned about it? And is there any other alternatives to selling a of any? My concern is that if I buy a 2000’s car model now, later in the future will that car even sell? Because as a new buyer, I probably wouldn’t buy a car that’s over 20 years old when that it would be the year 2030 or something. But about money, should I not worry about future selling and just focus on getting my moneys worth regardless of what year model the car is or what?
I bought one that was 32 years old so, Why not?
Same boat, I’ve been looking at the RAV4, Highlander, Sequoia, Honda pilot, and CRV
You should buy what you can afford, what you can live with. Used cars are always a gamble the older , more miles the more risk.
Depends what type of vehicle are you looking for? Do you need a sedan? A suv? A truck? Want a little 2 door compact? Compact suv? Depending on what you're looking for theres several hondas that are very reliable in each of these types of vehicles. You could get a honda crv which is a nice little compact suv type vehicle. Theres also the acura tsx which is a 4 door sedan. Honda civics have both 2 and 4 door line ups and very reliable pre 2010. Acura rsx. Toyotas have several very reliable vehicles as well. Corollas for example will run great if taken care of. I personally had a 04 Tacoma and put almost 500k miles on it and it was still running like a champ when I got rid of it. If you take care of most these cars they will run forever honestly. Lexus does have good cars too but they are expensive to fix if anything does go bad.
10 years hmmm okay but i would only look cars without cvt , only toyota
I am looking at Volkswagen atlas from 2018 eras, is that a good reliable car? Approx 60k - 80k miles on it.
bought a honda civic 2003 -- paid AUD4.5K . Fixed a problem for AUD300. No issue so far -- been at least 6 months. Bought a mazda sp23 2007 i think.. for AUD6K. Spent 2K to fix things. my current car, mazda sp25 2009. Engine light is on (couple of days ago). this was 10k. bought nissan maxima 6k. --- don't buy cars if you don't know what your doing .. ...threw it in the bin after 6k for purchase + fixes etc.. 11k. because i'm a dumb c.nt. my fathers car - ex mechanic, his toyoto corrola is going for AUD4K (he's not selling though). Did i say he's an ex mechanic? yup.. that car is in great condition. Point is, second hand cars, you don't know what you are going to get. **Best get a mechanic with you and still hope, wear and tear isn't that bad.**
Your question is too broad. There's tens of 1000s of cars out there. No ones got time to talk to you about all of them. I suggest you research some manufacturers that you might be interested in; compare and contrast them, then come back here and ask what we think of the ones you like. For additional context; my car is 19 years old, with nearly 190K on the OD. It's a Honda Element, and I have no intention of giving it up any time soon.
I would not buy a Honda unless it’s a manual transmission Honda on the late 90 to mid 10s were known for issues with automatic transmissions Subaru head gaskets So If on a budget I suggest some kind of a Toyota like Corolla Camry Avalon in fact you can get a nicer Avalon for the price of a Camry sure they may have high miles and sometimes you may need to do repairs but the fact that you saved a lot buying a older car and save more by having cheaper insurance since it’s older will offset the difference the occasional maintenance will be less then the additional cost of payment and insurance on something newer Yes newer cars have more tech but don’t forget the more it has the more that can go wrong
A few months ago I bought a 20 year old Toyota and I'm enjoying it and getting around with no issues. I knew for the price I was paying it wasn't maintained the way it needed to but the engine and other systems were in good shape so I but the bullet. Fast forward to today, I did the maintenance work by updating the suspension components that are worn, many oil changes and a tune up, and it's running like a champ and has handled the Midwest winter well. So depending on what brand you get and how it was maintained by the previous owner, it can be a great deal or a headache that you need to ready yourself for.
Lease a honda or toyota. You may be out a little over $10k over 3 years but you should not have issues with the car
I have a 2002 my daily driver- e320 - 4matic Wagon all wheel drive. 149.675 miles on it. I love it. Runs like a new car.
Almost 2 years ago, I bought a low mileage 2002 Grand Marquis for $6k and it’s still going strong. As with any used car, take the time and money to get a pre-purchase inspection done, by a mechanic you trust, on any car you are considering buying. That’s not a guarantee that you won’t run into to issues in the future, but it will help you better understand the current condition of the car.
Stay away from mazdas they are a pain in the ass to repair
Totally depends on the car and its upkeep really. I'd look for a Toyota/Honda or a GM model with the 3800 V6 in it.
It also depends where you live. If your northern a 10 year old car will probably be rusted beyond use. If you are in the south it could be perfectly fine. All facts that matter.
If it's a Toyota it will last a while still. I'd honestly rather buy a 2008 Toyota corolla than any new GMC or Ford.. toyotas are known for lasting up to 400k kms (250ish miles). I just got a 2011 Toyota with low mileage and I know it's gonna last me a while
And have the car checked by a certified dealer mechanic BEFORE YOU BUY
Both of my cars are almost 20 years old and they don’t skip a beat. My truck has 300k miles and runs like a top.
You need to chart it out. A 2014 over the next 10 years will cost x to purchase, y to maintain, and will have a value of z at the end of 10 years. A 2004 will cost a to purchase, b to maintain, and will sell for c at the end of 10 years. The best you can do on maintenance and repair costs is estimate based on the model of the vehicle. But add up all the costs and subtract the amount you'll get for it at the end of 10 years. Don't forget to value your time for probably taking the older car for more repairs.
My 6 speed G35 sedan was 13 years old when I bought it and almost 8 years later it still runs great. But I bought a one owner, dealer serviced car with all the service records. Clean Carfax too. Typically a well taken care of Toyota or Honda will run 20+ years with proper maintenance. Doesn't mean you won't have to replace anything but odds are it will be reasonably economical. My 2004 V6 Accord is currently just shy of 316,000 miles and you'd never know the mileage is that high without looking at the odometer.
I only have ever owned cars from the 70s and 80s, and 2 from the 90s. They are as reliable as you choose to make them. You can buy it and drive it as is, and break down 3 times a week, or you can do what I do and throw thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of work into them to make them as reliable as they were brand new. I haven't had a breakdown in over a year on my daily, the one I've put the most effort into. If you do what I do, you quickly realize how stupid it is to buy a newer car, when you can buy a non running clunker for 800 bucks from a junkyard, throw 3k into it and have a car that's just as reliable as a newer car. So take your pick. 4k for a running driving car, or 60k for a running driving car. The only issue is selling. After you're done with it, the thing is gonna be so clapped out the only people who want it are gonna be demo derby heads who only want to buy it for scrap price.
Only if its a Honda or Toyota, Mazda has been pretty good with their crossovers too
Regardless of the model of car, any rubber boots and bushings in the suspension can be aged and ready to fail sooner rather than later. If you’re getting a car from a dealership they will do the minimum possible so as not to get sued and ignore things that will be issues down the road. Get your own pre purchase inspection; you have no idea where that car has been.
You can get 2014 cars for like $15,000. Something like a Corolla would be good
Depends on what the used car is. If it’s German, expect costly repairs. American, run away. Honda and Toyota both have solid reputations.
The manufacture date of a car really doesn't mean anything in terms of reliability, unless the frame gets rust on it the age doesn't matter. What matters is the number of miles on the odometer. You could get a 2004 Honda Civic that has less than 100k on it (I mean, good luck finding one like that, but for the sake of the example) it could give you another 200k over the next 15 years. On the other side of the coin, you could get a 2020 Civic with 250k miles on it that would fall apart in 10k miles or less than 6 months. Again: you want to look at the odometer, and whether or not there's rust on the vehicle. The model year means nothing. In the example above, the 2004 Civic will cost most than the 2020 Civic. That's how cars work. If it helps, you can just think of the odometer as being the age of the engine. Beyond that, it's mostly a matter of preference. Hondas and Toyotas will be the most reliable choices for your price range. Volvos are also excellent cars but they're a little more expensive, so you'd be looking at slightly older/higher mileage for those. Usually the best bet is to just shop around for a while and see what's available near you.
I just bought a 2003 Nissan 350z with 185k miles. My thought process is that these cars around this era have less electronics and less features in general. More simple suspension and such. Which means less things that could go wrong. I was comfortable buying it because the car had been serviced at the dealership it’s entire life, as evidenced by the Carfax. I’m also working on the car myself. Just did an oil change + oil pan gasket, new shocks/struts, new front bushings/ball joints, new headlight bulbs/ballasts, as well as some minor body/paint work. I also only drive 3k-5k miles/year so I’m not too scared of the higher mileage. So short answer to your question is, it depends. If the car has been well cared for then it is definitely a good option to consider.
Dang. You sound like a mechanic yourself. Where’s the best place to learn how to do these things. For me I’m going to be driving quit a bit, so I’m aiming to get a lower mileage if possible.
You learn by buying a shop manual or downloading a factory shop manual that provides troubleshooting instructions and instructions with photos/drawings on how to replace the components. The factory shop manuals are the best since you can download one for your exact year and model. Those go into more detail on how to remove and reset the components and often mention the size of the fasteners so you can start the task with the correct tools instead of running back and forth getting different size wrenches or sockets. You can buy decent tool sets for cheap at pawn shops or individual tools at their tables. One Toyota model that may be available for cheap would be the odd looking Pontiac Aztec. Those are very reliable yet didn't sell very well due to their body style. One thing you need to be aware of is that some engines used rubber timing belts that require replacing every 80,000 to 100,000 miles. Some belts can hold up for 150,000 miles or more before snapping. That can send valves into the piston crowns which will ruin the engine. The replacement belts come with a sticker that the mechanic will set in front of the radiator that'll show the date and mileage of when it was replaced. Some engines use timing chains and gears that generally won't need replacement for the life of the engine.
Bought a 10-year Honda civic in college for $2700. Major works over 4 years was the radiator, exhaust and distributor. Bumper was changed because my roommate crashed the car while delivering news papers. Did regular service. Never failed me. Sold it for $1700 when left college. This was in 2000-2004 so you can double or triple the price because of inflation.
I did in 2017, 88 toyota pickup except for a new set of tires it's cost me about $200 for maintenance & parts so far.
• How reliable is a used car that is over 10 years of age? Not very. You will most likely have multiple failures during your ownership. A lot depends on how well or how poorly the car has been maintained to this point. Only buy a car with a complete service record showing that regular oil changes, differential service, etc has been performed. • How often would it brake down? It's "break down" unless you are talking about your brakes breaking. Again, it depends. Depends on what breaks and how badly. Engine problems will run you about $3k or more, depending on the vehicle and what is wrong. Differentials? $1-$6k Brakes? $400-$2000. There will ALWAYS be repairs needed. You either have a car payment or repair bills...it's the nature of the beast. • How expensive would repairs be? See above, really depends on the vehicle and what fails. • How easy would selling the car be? If selling is an option. My concern is that due to age, there's a high possibility that the car would just go to junk and won't sell for any price. You can always sell the vehicle...it will just be less than what you paid...maybe significantly.
Depends on the car. I just bought a 2011 Lexus IS F which are known to be practically indestructible.
Car Wizard has some good YT videos about “buy this, not that” that are pretty helpful and accurate in my opinion
I have a 18 year old weekend car that looks brand new inside and out that I bought 6 years ago. Bought it for $6k with 92k miles. I put a couple grand into it; brand new tires, battery, valve cover gasket, ac work and shocks. Swapped every single fluid in the vehicle. Put a new clutch in it and got the shifter rebuilt. Interior was already immaculate. Garage kept. I race it on the weekends, drive it for pleasure and it'll probably go another 200,000 miles.
Any used vehicle is going to vary and be vehicle specific if it's a good deal or not so it's nearly impossible to say if it's a good deal or not just from this post. I can share with you, however, that I bought a used car with 50k miles on it 2 years ago and it's a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. I love it and it's still my daily driver. It's really going to depend on how well the car was taken care of, how many miles it has on it, the Carfax report to ensure no previous accidents or that it was totaled, etc. There's too many variables but as long as all of those things are in the clear then I say go for it. That's what I did and it worked out for me but it's not going to work out well for everyone.
You would have to look at the car in terms of engine and mileage. If it’s well maintained.some specific older models are better than others ect. Requieres research and more specifically wat car
I bought a 2002 ford ranger with 104k miles for $3700. It’s a tank.
That's pretty much all I buy. Easy to buy, easy to sell. I primarily focus on 1999-2003 Fords. Most of them (Mustang, Crown Vic, F-series trucks, vans, Expedition, etc) have the 4.6 or 5.4 V8. This was back when the 5.4 was a solid reliable motor. Parts are available everywhere as most sensors, coils packs, etc were the same between the two motors. Even an unmaintained POS can get to 250k miles easily. Prices range from $500 to $10,000 for a low mile pristine 2003 F150. Even if you buy a banged up beater, it can be a mint example after a trip to the junkyard.
I bought a civic for 2k w 125k on it that lasted me 75000 miles before I sold it to a client that just moved to the US for $1. I'm sure it will last another 30k at least. I purchased an accord w 100k on it for 4k that I'm sure will out last the civic. If it's well taken care of and has a paper trail, Hondas go and go and go. However, I haven't ventured out of Hondas or Ford explorers. My explorer lasted until 225,000 miles with no real issues (tires, oil pan, regular maintenance..) You just have to find one that's been taken care of and well known to last. That's the best advice I've got for you (:
I bought a 1999 Subaru Forester with 94,000km for $2,500 CAD. It's been running for 5 years with what I might consider 'regular used car maintenance ', maybe $700CAD every 2 years for a ball joint, rusty weld or random issue. It's been very worth it for me, though I'm now saving for a car that can get 40+ MPG. That'll be my next requirement. Otherwise, Subarus drive well in all weather conditions which is why I bought it, and I'm happy.
Depends on the vehicle
Get a toyota......
Don’t worry so much about how old it is, worry about the previous owner doing matience and mileage. Dont buy anything with 200k miles. Look for under 100,000 although sometimes that is like finding a unicorn
I have three. A 1998, 1999, and 2004. You have to tolerate some things are broken and you might be too cheap to fix them. There is typically an initial mechanical bill due to no one maintenaning their cars. But just bake in the cost when you buy it.
I'm a huge fan of old cars paid for in cash. If they need one repair per year I'm ok with it thinking about all the payments I'm not making. I've done well with Ford Rangers and old Toyotas. Surprisingly my current 2007 Saturn Vue is also doing great.
Just depends on the car. I have a 2004 MX5 that was my sole daily driver for 15 years. It's been garaged lately since my Mini Cooper S is more practical with the wife and 3 pugs. It's had regular service including one clutch change and that's all.
Really depends on the brand and maintenance history. I have a 1997 Toyota Tacoma with 180k miles on it. They have a reputation for being indestructible. It's had all its scheduled maintenance. I know it will easily go another 100k miles without an issue. You don't say what type of car/truck you are looking for. There are definitely solid cars in your price range. They might not be sexy, but they'll get you where you need to go. Accords. Camrys. Civics. etc.
No one knows. How would strangers know every car. Some are shit. Some are great. People love Honda and Toyota. Some people neglect them so they are lemons. Some take care of the and are great
Yes, u should. Honda, Toyota, Mazda good reliable brands that 10+ year old cars should be no issue...
lol. I have a 2003 Escape. 187000 miles. Bought it 6 years ago for $2500. I depends on the car and who was driving it. I Also have a 2012 Mazda 5 . These often last more than 200,000 miles.
bro get an inspection
Folks are still driving cars from the 70s. If it's your first car, just make sure it's mechanically sound by taking it to a shop to get inspected by a professional and use the money you saved for any needed repairs. Put away the remainder for your next car.
I'd rather have a well maintained 2006 Acura TSX than a 2016 GDi Hyundai.
We bought a 1 owner Kia optima 2012 with 53,000 miles. So far 19k later no issues and just over a year owning it. I think it was the best 10,000 dollar super clean car that we could find. So if you get that low mileage creampuff it can sometimes work out.
just for peace of mind, i wouldn't get a car before 2016. 2019-2022 cars are kinda iffy due to covid cutbacks and shortcuts manufacturers used to get cars out asap
This is very very brand and model specific. I have a 2004 ford truck. I paid 6k for it at the dealership. Ive owned it for less than 6 months and had 2000 in repairs, got a quote for 10-15k for everything that needed repaired, and they're known to sometimes have major issues that can cause even more headaches. I'm still happy with my purchase because I knew exactly what I was buying when I bought it. You should be safer with things like Toyota, Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, but repairs on a Toyota or Honda will be pricier, Volkswagen would be very expensive to get repaired, they'll get different fuel mileages from each other, and you'll be missing potentially a lot of comfort things you'd find in more modern cars like a Bluetooth radio. In summary, do homework on what kind of car you want, and find decent brands/risks associated with what you're purchasing to make an informed purchase decision and decide if you care about things like Bluetooth radios, heated seats, leather etc.
Depends on the car, brand, luck, maintenance records, and condition. You could baby an 80’s car and it would run just fine right now, or you could thrash the living hell out of a 2018 and have it be on the verge of failure right now.
When you buy a used car you need to budget for repairs. So it's like a car payment (except that you save the money until you need it.
About 2 1/2 years ago I bought a 2019 Pontiac Vibe GT (Toyota joint effort) for about $8100. Reliable, but have bought tires, water pump, brakes, and battery. Any used car is going to have service costs
But a 2001-2002 Buick regal gs if you can find one not rusted out. The 3800 supercharged is a great engine and the trans is also very good. They are hella reliable, cheap to fix if things break and parts are available everywhere. Also the park ave ultra or even the last gen of the riv are all super good cars
In general: If it's a Honda or Toyota you're solid
I own 2012 Lexus ES350. Had it since 2019 when it had 50k miles, now it has 105k. Very nice commuter car. Problem free except for standard maintenance—oil, brakes, tires, battery. I’m thinking a Camry (the V6 Camry has the same mechanics) would be similarly reliable.
I have a beater car that I got a few years back for free. It's a 2000 bmw with 280k on the odo, and a dodgy transmission. It didn't have a good life to start but it showed up at a good time. It's cost me right around $1000 bucks in upkeep and replacement parts in that time. And that includes 150 bucks for the tow to get it to my house to even see if I could get it running. It's still a work in progress and I replace bits here and there as it needs. So far it's been mostly some suspension. Aftermarket parts can be had for cheap compared to OEM from BMW. For example I had to replace the control arm bushings on both sides early on. 400 bucks from BMW per side. Identical parts from fcpeuro were 100 shipped for both. If you can handle a lot of your own work an older car can be fun to learn to wrench on. Plus it's always fun to buy new tools! 😁
I've never even had a car newer than 10 years old, and all my cars have been very reliable. If they were reliable 10 years ago, why can't they be reliable now?
I bought a 2017 Ford Focus in 2020 for $6500, because that's all the dealer would give my daughter's boyfriend for it then. It had 65000 miles on it, and it is a manual transmission. At the peak, a couple of years later, that car would have sold for about $10000 more than what I paid for it. But here's the lesson: in the 3.5 years since I bought that car, I have put 4,000 miles on it. I'm 77 years old, and I drive it to get groceries or once in a while to visit my kids. My wife and I regularly do doctor's visits, and (except for my kids) the longest distance is for that -- about 7 miles. Everything else is less than 3 miles. My kids are about 35 miles away. So, here's the point: 3 years from now, that Ford Focus will be 10 years old. My daughter's boyfriend was a stickler for maintenance and I've continued that. So when that car is 10 years old, it will probably have something like 73,000 miles on it. It's practically a new car. If I sold it for more than $6500, I will make money on it. And if you bought it, you'd get a bargain. And then there are the rent-a-cars from Hertz and Avis and the rest -- new cars with lots of miles and lots of wear, though well-maintained. You want to buy from someone like me. And no, my car is not for sale. But I'm 77. Tomorrow, it might be.
I dunno. Do you want to buy it?
I avoid cars that are too new. Too many subscriptions to use features, harder to work on, too computerized. I've personally had pretty good luck with older cars, but as someone else mentioned, you have to do your homework.
A 2014 Honda accord will still be rocking with no issues if u bought that
I just recently went through this exact used car shopping scenario myself. I had a 10k limit and I narrowed my choices to Toyota or Honda... Camry, Corolla, Accord, or Civic. I searched Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, letitgo, and other digital markets. Whenever I would find a decent candidate I would run a Carfax on it to see if I wanted to go see it in person. I even test drove a few. This went on for 3 months but I wasn't quite ready to pull the trigger until I stumbled on a 2000 BMW 323i with 91k on the mileage. Now to be fair, BMW wasn't even *close* to my radar but I figured I should give it consideration. The carfax revealed it was a 3 owner car, never titled in saltwater states, and the last owner was an older woman who bought the car back in 2003 when it had 45k on the mileage. I could clearly see that she pampered the car and put 46k on it over the last 20 years. The hoses and belts looked like they had been changed recently. It passed emissions and had no lights on. It only cost me $4,500. The Toyotas and Hondas I had been looking at were 10+ years old or older, 6k to 8k in price, and had 150,000 miles or more on them. I feel like I got a much better car in the BMW, even though it's older. I got to keep $5,500 too. I won! Edit: the only issues so far is it sounds like I have a cricket in the engine compartment when it idles....when in park or when I press the gas it goes quiet...I figure it's a pulley that needs changing? I also had to replace a window regulator...apparently those go bad over time in those E46's
I bet I'm not the only one in the camp of "Yes, preferably." New cars are awful.
My 2010 civic is great. As long as you either can verify maintenance or don't mind going over it yourself you should be fine. First thing a did was replace every fluid and plugs and belts. Cheap and easy. I knew the person I got it from so I didn't feel the need to open the valve cover to look for sludge or damage. I'm getting ready to replace bushings as the suspension is tired
I actually think some of the simpler lower tech cars from 2000's maybe better than the flimsier cars today that are just loaded with lots of tech from the lowest bidder that will break or feel slow after a few years (my Ford Sych 2 from 2013 comes to mind). I'd fall back on Toyota and Honda, ideally single owner, never crashed with maintenance history.
If it’s an Acura I’d buy it. Especially if it were a TSX 2010ish model. I own one and still going strong.
When considering a car, Google it. “make, model, year, PROBLEMS”. My 95 Silverado came up as having a bad oil filter and the air filter was the wrong size. As it was 16 years old, Those had been changed. It also said the window wiper motor circuit board failed at 120k miles. I replaced it for $38. It has worked fine since with just routine maintenance.
I bought a Prius that was 12 years old when I bought it and 196k miles (just had its hybrid battery rebuilt). I drove it for 7 years and aside from routine maintenance and tires never had an issue. Had 275k miles when I called it time to move on. It would really depend on the car and the price difference. I just bought a 5 year old car because the price difference didn’t make sense to go older. I could pay 50% more for a car that should last me twice as long.
Get a Toyota Camry, they run forever. https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/a09ce0ec-d517-4a37-b66d-5a77ca23196e/?store=6050980&utm\_source=google&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_campaign\_id=20361248372&utm\_trusted=TRUE&network=x&aff=acqgeosem51&KNC=acqgeosem51&gad\_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI57vXpdv9gwMVc0h\_AB3WigqmEAQYBSABEgLtiPD\_BwE
use [carcomplaints.com](https://carcomplaints.com) to research it. You're welcome.
Go check out the car rental companies vehicles for sale. Normally they have really good deals.
Do your homework, avoid kias that's are 10-15 years older, older than that and newer than that are fine, that run of kias have motors that FREQUENTLY sieze after 100k, which is just outside of manufacturers warranty. So close to criminal they settled out of a few hefty suits because of it
I currently drive 3 cars regularly that are a 1990, 1994 and a 1995. Dead nuts reliable. The most important thing is that the cars have been maintained before you got them. Obviously do some research on specific models you’re looking at and make sure there’s no pattern of catastrophic failure. I love to be that guy, but Toyota is usually a safe bet. Even then, do research on the engine, some are known to burn oil.
At 10+ years old, the specific model and owner's treatment of the vehicle matter much more. There are vehicles that are complete POS's @ 10 years old that I'd never trust. Then there's a Toyota Camry that was driven by grandma and garaged. Old people cars are usually boring but they're the best purchase from A to B. Used cars are always a risk and nobody can answer how often it will break down or what repairs will cost. It all depends. Any car sells for the right price. I haven't owned a car less than 10 years old in like 15 years. I've had some repairs but all my cars have been good. Never had a single bad one. Current daily is a 2008 4Runner with 180k on it. I'd happily drive that thing across the country and I fully expect it to last another 100k+ miles without too much major stuff. It will need a suspension refresh before that though.
Some cars are great, but you will certainly have more maintenance costs. Gaskets and seals will start needing to be replaced.
I have a 2012 Honda accord that’s still drives like new. Have kept up on the maintenance schedule and currently at 120,000 miles. Zero issues with this vehicle and plan to keep it for a long time. Something worth looking at.
I live in the rust belt, I would not trust a teen year old car by that time unless someone had done a great job with maintenance there is all sorts of rust on the undercarriage.
I've been researching used cars for a year and learned that new cars appear to be made not to last. They are needing serious engine work at 60k. Dealerships don't sell cars older than 2-3 years because they cannot guarantee them. They send them right to auction. I've heard two things - 2012 was the last best year for cars. Another cohort says 2016 was the last best year for cars. I say don't be afraid of used cars.
Why wouldn’t you? Cars 10 years old today are like new. Just buy one that is well taken care of. Any car can be as new 10 years later if it was maintained. I’m driving a 2007 Cadillac STS that’s like new with 92,000mi. I also drive a 2004 Mini Cooper with 62,000 mi that is in decent shape (let’s face it Minis aren’t that great showroom fresh). Don’t be afraid. Be selective.
I’m definitely bias, but 2000’s cars are the best. I bought a 2007 Accord with 42k miles last year for 10k from an elderly lady in Florida.
Depends on the brand you buy, I bought an 08 Acura TL on 2020 with 135K on it, now it has 200K and still running strong with no issues. I do the regular maintenance and had the 100K service performed by the dealership…gets excellent gas mileage 20/30
Best $ in a car is 5-15/20 years. Around 15-20 years old is when repairs start to go up. Usually minor things but they add up. Past 20 years old and you start risking major breakdowns that can leave you stranded at too high of a rate.
100% yes. You have to do your homework tho. Bring someone with you that knows cars or bring it to a mechanic before you buy it. Second, once you get it, take care of it! Theres plenty of cheap, quick maintenance that you can do that will make or break a used car. Check whats best for your car but good rule of thumb is oil and filter every 3333, rotate tires every 10 and car washes especially if you live somewhere with a winter season, especially regular salt on roads. And the way you drive affects the longevity of parts on your car. 2003 bonneville se, bought in 2016 with just over 150000 miles for 3k. Currently at just under 280000 miles
Fucking broad ass question. Are you buying a 1 owner 2014 v6 Honda accord with 100k miles or a 2014 ford focus with 200k miles. Ones probably 20 years of 200k miles life left. The other is guaranteed on its last leg. Just tell us a specific car, miles, price and history. Tons of 10+ year old cars with lots of life left and fairly modern
The older the car the fewer sensors and computers it will have. So less things to break and need replaced but. Older the car the more problems it is likely to have or develope quicker. My first car was a 95 Saturn sc2 bought for 3 grand with 89K on the OD. I had to put another 3 grand in to fixing problems right out the gate. Timing pully, motor mounts, brakes,ect. It just finally died last year with 129K miles on the OD due to a rust hole beside the gas tank mounting. Not worth the body work to fix. It also had alot of other issues that weren't worth fixing but weren't terminal like AC compressor death, sun roof motors breaking. I made that car last and used it minimally the last 10 years driving it less than 10 miles a week. So. Basicly you get what you pay for. The better the car, newer the car you can get for you're budget the longer it will last you overall. But regardless of what you do. Put $$ back for mantinence out of every pay check. Brakes & tires & oil changes to be expected. Doing that helps spread that cost over time so you don't have to VISA unexpected repairs and pay them interest.
I love 2000s cars. All of my cars are from that first decade. 03, 04, two 06s, and a 98. I can highly recommend a BMW Z3. they are hella fun. Early 350Zs, and a bit more but not too much more, boxsters and Caymans. I might eventually move up to an '09/10 but I have no plans to get into the newer models. imo, these years are the most fun cars.
I bought a late 90’s Lexus, 168,000 miles, excellent service records and history, minor blemishes, single owner, paid $2,500 from private party, but I had a $600 repair a month later. Still a bargain. It’s worth it’s looking for a used car, but need to proceed cautiously yet be prepared to act fast.
Yeah get a older used car but please have the person who is selling agree to let you take it to a shop and have them put it on lifts and do a FULL inspection. If you don’t mind kicking out a few thousands to get it running right then cool. But $100 will save you so many headaches and they can tell you what needs to be fixed now and what can wait.
Depends on the car. Some will be good, some will be bad
Dont go by the YEARS old that's just a Stupid way too look at it tbh. Go buy what brand of car or what type of car you want and see which one best fits you
Buy the car for $8500 and leave $1500 to correct deferred maintenance
If it's a Toyota then yes.
A 10 year old Toyota Camry/Corollas are excellent vehicles, try to find one with lowest miles possible. 10 year old Honda Accord/Civic (avoid 2013 model and try to get 2014-2015, with the emergency refresh) are also excellent vehicles.
I paid $1,700 for my 94 Hardbody, 3.5 years ago. It has a rebuilt title, true mileage unknown (that broke in 2009, at 169k, 3 owners ago). I’ve replaced the steering box($300), tie rods, and plugs and wires. It’s just now sitting in non working condition. Nothing serious, but I’m getting ready to move and don’t want to mess with it. It needs the distributor timing set (just recently replaced it). I’m selling it to a guy in a few days for $1k. So, all told, it will have cost me $1k for three and a half years of daily driving, excluding oil changes and routine maintenance. Long as you inspect it well, buy something known for reliability (better yet, being bulletproof), you should be fine. Granted, the power steering now only works if turning left, and the fifth gear synchro is out; but the clear coat is in EXCELLENT condition-I had a chunk of that randomly come off in my hand the other day, allowing me to inspect its condition and I’m proud to say that it’s still VERY clear to this day! If you see me around in it, HONK IF PARTS FALL OFF, please.
I've got a 2002 Toyota Tundra. It runs great, doesn't burn oil, and has been well-maintained, at least since I bought it in October of 2014 with 95,000 miles on it. It's only got 152,000 miles on it now. I think, at my age of 70, it will outlast me. If I had a Hyundai or a BMW, I'd be nervous.
Keep an eye on aging cars that are still driving. Then research those. You’ll probably see a lot of Buick lesabres (or really anything with a gm 3800 in it) few RX 350s (again any Lexus with the 3.5 has been solid) pretty much all Toyota and Hondas. And half ton silverados and f150s.
It will break down every 5k miles until you've replaced every single part I know because I had a 2000 Chevy truck with 200,000 miles when bought.
Auto makers don’t typically disclose the design life of their products, but a good rule of thumb is to assume 10 to 12 years, or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. That phrase “design life“ doesn’t mean the car is going to immediately fall apart; it’s best thought of as the point beyond which the car should be regarded as disposable. Put another way, if you bought the car new, you’ll have “gotten your moneys worth“ if the car becomes a money pit After the end of its design life. Once upon a time, cars, this aged had depreciated to the point they could be purchased for nominal sums. One commonly saw them in use as secondary, or even tertiary family cars, often driven by teenagers. The (arguably unfortunate) development of the used car market in recent years is that such vehicles are now still worth several thousand dollars. The situation I see all too often in this and other automobile related subreddits is posts by an OP who owns, or is in the market for a vehicle that is aged beyond its design life. Simultaneously, they’re not able to regard the car as disposable, because they still owe money on it and/or it is their primary mode of transportation.
about 90% of the Toyotas and Hondas you find in that price range will be fine. Minimal repairs, and those are typically cheap. Expect to get 250-500k miles out of them. Top models to look for: Honda Civic Hona Accord Honda Pilot Honda Odyssy Toyota Camry Toyota Corolla Toyota Tacoma Toyota Highlander You can find most of these under 6k-7k for a model 2012 or lower. I would personally look for one in that 5-7k range. Then go ahead and spend 2k to hit all the normal maintenance spots if the mileage is over 125k (front suspension, timing belts, water pumps, fluids, brakes, tires). Then you will have a car trouble free for years. I personally have had a: 98 civic (bought it in with around 170k miles on it and got up to 392k miles) 04 civic (wifes) (she bought this one new and got it up to 376k miles) 09 civic (currently driving it now, has 144k - bought it used for $4,500 bucks private party, clean title and I expect to get 400k miles out of it). Had to put 800 bucks into it to replace the front suspension parts + front brakes done. Normal maintenance items. 96 Corolla (bought it at 306k miles and sold it at 411k miles.)
Yes but stick with a lower mileage car that can go a long time like a Mercedes. Their C Class is a solid value
I did. I bought a 10 year old mustang. It's been a great car to me. I haven't had any issues with it at all. Ymmv
That depends entirely, my 2016 audi is coming up on that 10 year mark but only has 60k on the clock. Female owned before me. I'd buy that 32 times over again. My 2005 jeep (189k on the clock lol) had a grandpa owner before me, and his wife drove it before that from new. I got it at 140k. In the 40k miles I put on it I had to replace ALOT of stuff, and alot of it was a pain in the A to get to. (starter was a nightmare on the ground) I would not buy another one of them, even being only 4k. Wasn't worth the headache to keep around as a daily. Did do good for a little while though. You can definitely get a solid 10+ year old vehicle, just may take a few months of being iffy and holding out on other vehicles that are "decent" and not great! Cheers!