Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Buy a Honda Prius
Toyota, all the way.
Be VERRRRY careful. Lots of FLOOD cars (Katrina) out there right now. Go somewhere that offers a warranty, if you must buy used.
Oops..sorry, I post that on Windows threads.
I think PaulaB and I can make some suggestions.
Watch out for them hurricane bargains.
Hope no one was hurt. ...looks like a good lick.
I like Honda or Toyota. I currently drive a Subaru, but that's because I'm in Vermont down a dirt road in the snow. My last car was a Toyota Camry wagon, which I liked very much.
My present car is a Subaru Outback. It handles like a dream, but the brakes tend to rust from the road salt. Rusting is a particular problem in Vermont.
Honda makes terrific cars, so that's worth a look, too.
I went head to head with a Freightliner in 2003. I survived, walked away and extricated myself only because I was driving a 3/4 ton Suburban. I recommend BIG trucks because F = M x A....and no amount of engineering will change that fundamental law.
I had a lot of trouble with my diesel powered Suburban, so I can't recommend GM products. I can recommend Ford. I now drive a 6.0 L, Turbo-Diesel Ford Excursion....and I'm pleased with it.
I got a Oldsmobile I'll sell ya cheap. only driven off a bridge one time.
How much are they going to give you?
We've used autotrader.com to find our latest 2 vehicles and found exactly what we wanted down to our last specification. KBB and Edmonds were helpful for reviews and other info.
Buy Certified Preowned and get something that has just crossed the 40,000 mile mark. If you look at used car prices, you will see a precipitous drop in price, just after you cross the 40K barrier. Get something nice, just comming off lease. Buy the extended warranty up to the 100K mark at least.
Used SUV's are a bargain right now since folks are panic selling. Hell, you can even get a new one at used car prices. I'm keeping mine though!
Go to an auto auction business. Get yourself a "whosesale dealer's Blackbook." Do not get the consumer addition. Act like you know what you are doing when you go to buy it because some of the places will only sell them to dealers.
You may be able to get one from your bank as well.
These secret (not really) books are printed by-weekly and list the national average for the auction value of every vehicle in every year with every option ever made. This is the price that dealers use to buy autos at the auction and the price the banks use to determine how much they will loan you on a used vehicle if you do not buy from the dealer. There are different publications for cars and trucks.
This is where I always start.
You can always get a 2nd opinion from another body shop. If you really want to keep the vehicle tell the adjuster and they would deduct the salvage amount from your check and you could keep the car. However, I think you might be better off taking the money. It looks to me your vehicle is worth about $7,900 more or less depending on mileage and options. Used car values -> http://www.nadaguides.com/
#1. Don't buy from a used car lot, either buy from an owner and verify the title, mileage, etc through Carfax, (a good idea on any car) or buy from a reputable new car dealer's used car lot. Street corner used car lots buy most of their cars at auctions where new car dealers unload the cars they don't want to sell to the public for one reason or another. Another frequent source of auction cars is insurance companies. Some of them sell the accident or flood damaged cars they total out through car auctions at bargain basement prices, then the used car dealers who buy them have their in-house mechanic/bodyman/office-sweeper patch them up to look good enough to sell.
#2. If at all possible check with the previous owner of the car for any major problems he or she knows about the car. They may or may not level with you, but at least it's worth a try. Most reputable new car dealers sell their decent trade-ins on the lot and unload the problem trade-ins through auctions or wholesale buyers, but even they get suckered on a trade-in now and then.
#3. This is just my opinion, but it's based on many years experience with almost every make of car on the market. All else being equal, go for a Japanese brand car, preferably Toyota, Honda, Nissan, or Suburu in that order. There is no disputing the absolute FACT that MOST Japanese cars are more reliable, durable, and trouble free than MOST American or European cars, but you will no doubt get some advice to the contrary from people who have had a bad experience with the occasional Japanese lemon and good experiences with American cars. Neither Japanese, American, or European makes are all bad or all good.
If you prefer an American car try to find one with low mileage in relation to age. I once found a 10 year old Chevy sedan that only had 16,000 verifiable mile on the clock, and it gave me another 85,000 totally trouble free miles before I let it go. A car's mileage isn't the only important factor in wear and tear, but it's one of the biggies.
OTOH, I would avoid European makes like a drooling dog in August. Not only are they usually overpriced in relation to Japanese and American cars, in recent years they have become the most unreliable cars on the used market. If you fall in love with one and just have to have it, be sure you have it checked out thoroughly by a mechanic who is familiar with that specific make and model. BMW and SAAB are exceptions to the unreliable rule, but good used Beemers almost always go at a premium price, and SAABS are relatively expensive to repair and maintain. Insurance rates for both are abnormally high, and that goes for most other Eurocars as well.
Everyone has a favorite make of car, and everyone has an opinion about buying a car. My advice is based on over 50 years of car ownership, and a roughly one year of involvement in the used car trade. It's worth only as much as I'm charging for it, so you decide whether it's good or bad.
MUST GO TO - cars.com
Best choices available in your area.
If you have cash, then INDIVIDUAL sellers would give you the best deal compared to any dealership.
3-5 old Camries with less that 50,000 miles for 7-8k.