Posted on 04/16/2014 7:04:10 PM PDT by Kolath
I had a Nephew who got taken by a dealer the worst I have ever heard of. He just had to have a Honda Civic when they were really hot sellers.
He traded in a two year old Toyota extra-cab 4wd pickup which was about as minty as they get. Perfect in every way and low mileage. I checked the various dealer books and the Toyota was actually worth a little bit more than the new Honda.
They gave him $3500 trade-in and charged him sticker for the Honda. They had a live one and knew it. The nearest I could figure, is they made around $7,500.00 off him.
What trim level (GLS, GS, SE) and what type of transmission?
I could tell you a thing or two about cars, but what do I know? lol
checked carfax. Used as a lease for 10 months....last oil change was at 6176 miles (July 26, 2013).
No other issues of note.
Current milage 6176.
Friend of mine owns a hyundai dealership in west edmonton. There is no markup on new, it’s pretty low as is. That said, I’d probably go for the more solid elantra, though it’s all about what you are comfortable paying.
The money is in used cars and tradeins. For price of new with foreign makes, there’s not much fudge factor.
Now domestic is a whole different story.
gs, auto
My question would be “Why are you buying a new car?” Only to be followed up with, “Why are you not paying cash if you must buy a new car?”
I have a 2003 Trailblazer with 299,978 miles as of this evening. Original engine, replaced alternator and battery only. Still has the original brakes, shocks and exhaust. Still gets 22-24 mpg.
Ten months is not a typical lease term. Repo?
6176 miles in late July of last year, 6176 miles as of today? It hasn’t been moved an inch to be test driven or washed in almost eight months?
Carfax should also tell you how long this particular dealer has been in possession of the car. If they’re offering Certified on it, it’s a Hyundai dealer. Leased from them or brought in from elsewhere?
Sorry to be throwing doubt into the equation, but you’ve got to do your due diligence on a used car. Could be nothing, and you can buy it with a clear conscience. Could be something, and you’ll be dodging a bullet.
I would recommend a Ford Fusion. My wife has had three of them and they are great cars. She leases them for 2 to 3 years.
Mine's a 1994 model. It turns 20 years old this year. The problem you eventually face is that some things break down over time, regardless of how many miles you put on a vehicle. Electronic components are a good example of this.
I worked for 1.5 years as a courier using my own car. That’s how I racked up 332,000 miles in 14 years, about 50,000 in the last year.
Reading the car fax more on that one and I agree with your concern. Why has it been sitting on the lost for so long? Hmmmm.....thank you for giving my time to think about it.
I do have two others in mind (2012 Fiesta and a 2012 Versa) and the Car Faxes show they haven’t been sitting on the lot as long (they have “normal milages” of 27k & 26k respectively....plus they are both listed as rentals). Both are still under warranty while the Fiesta is a “Ford Certified” Pre-Owned.
It may or may not be a problem. Don’t let it scare you away until you know there’s some reason to be. It could be perfectly legit with no problems. Or, it could have problems.
What should I say to the dealer?
“Say, the CarFax says this vehicle has been sitting on the lot since last year....why?”
“What has been done to maintain the vehicle?”
A friend today was telling me about their cars - 2 Mercedes. Her husband works for Daimler. One is a company car that gets replaced every 8k miles. They get at a special rate for her car - it's an SUV they lease for 200/month.
I guess they used to have a friends and family program that has ended now. DANG!
Just be straightforward. “I like the car and would like to buy it, but it’s been on the lot for eight months. That’s unusual for a low mile Hyundai Accent at such a decent price. Have there been any issues with the vehicle of which I would want to be aware? Has it had any mechanical problems or bodywork that might not show up on a Carfax report?”
At least they’re confident that it’s been fixed whatever it was, if indeed there ever was anything wrong with the car, given the Certified warranty.
If I want to buy this vehicle, should I require that they do full oil service and check/replace other fluids?
BTW....thanks for the advice
Everything’s negotiable. It’s apparently been eight months since the oil was changed. Even with little to no miles on the car it may make sense to do it. Cost is minimal to the dealer to do so since they’re doing it themselves.
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