Used Car Advise

[DaThug]

I'm helping a friend look for a used car to get her and the kid to a specialized school, maybe 45 mins one way. She doesn't have much to spend and needs it reliable.

Does anyone have any advice on what to check in a used car? Any used car dealerships anyone knows someone that's trustworthy etc?

Thanks

[Hoodoo Man]

might help to know what area they live in and how far they are willing to travel for a car. Also if they need 4 doors, SUV etc.

[DaThug]

She lives in North shore, I'm in south shore, any of those areas. An older SUV/Crossover would be best with 4 doors with the car seat.

I looked at my mechanic's who is in Milford, but he only has newer over 18k. Looking for some options of reputable reliable places to look.

thanks

[BlackNBlue-ISH]

The best cheap used cars I’ve gotten have been in the 5-10k range. The simpler the better. I’d head towards a CRV, RAV4 or Rouge with not a ton of frills. If there is t enough cash, try to secure a small loan through a local bank or credit union and buy from a dealer that provides an inspection. If they have a normal mechanic, ask them what they should get, they see all sorts of vehicles and can help steer you in the direction of something that should be fairly reliable and hopefully cheap to maintain.

[DaThug]

The best cheap used cars I’ve gotten have been in the 5-10k range. The simpler the better. I’d head towards a CRV, RAV4 or Rouge with not a ton of frills. If there is t enough cash, try to secure a small loan through a local bank or credit union and buy from a dealer that provides an inspection. If they have a normal mechanic, ask them what they should get, they see all sorts of vehicles and can help steer you in the direction of something that should be fairly reliable and hopefully cheap to maintain.

Thanks! I wasn't sure if going to a dealer would be more expensive.

[BlackNBlue-ISH]

I've made good and bad decisions when shopping for vehicles. Yes, you do pay more for vehicles when you buy from a dealer, but there is more ability to hold them accountable for the quality of the vehicle. MA has pretty good lemon laws for buying vehicles, so even if you find a vehicle that looks decent, it makes sense to have it checked out by a third party shop that has no skin in the game.

[pirahnah3]

I have bought Several cars from Linders in Worcester (A bit of a drive from yalls neck of the woods), the prices have always been good and the sales staff very easy going.

To add to Dans statement, https://www.mass.gov/how-to/did-your-ne ... se%20price.

Direct Copy from MASS.GOV website (Link above)
The Massachusetts Failed Inspection Law allows you to void or cancel a motor vehicle contract or sale if your vehicle fails to pass inspection within 7 days from the date of sale and if the estimated costs of repairs or safety related defects exceeds 10% of the purchase price. This law applies to both dealer and private party sales of cars and motorcycles purchased for personal or family use regardless of mileage or age. It does not apply to leased cars.

[Cannoli]

I bought my son's car at Bourne's Auto in South Easton, MA. The dealership is 35 miles from me, but their prices and selection were the best around. I had a great experience and would definitely buy from them again. Most importantly, they are a stand up dealership. The battery died less than 2 months after I bought it. They immediately offered to tow it the 35 miles back to their dealership and replace the battery all at no charge. Car was still under factory warranty and I was able to find a local dealership who replaced the battery under warranty (most of them wouldn't cover it) so I didn't need the tow, but was impressed with their offer.

[TheDirector]

One thing I do when looking for a car is spend some time researching prices with something like autotrader.com or other websites to get an idea of what is a fair price, obviously kbb.com is a resource as well. We have a used car dealership in my town that I like but if you walk in unknowing what the internet prices are, they will gladly take the extra cash. Knowledge is power for sure. The other thing a little research does is help set expectations, you are not getting a 2 year old car for $10k these days unless it was salvaged or something, so knowing what models and age range is in budget is helpful. Then you can narrow the where to look based on what you need. My favorite big dealership is Bach, if you find a car and hit internet price, print it out and present it, the will give you that price, he's a billionaire already and would rather have you as a customer than haggle over a couple bucks apparently, I have had other dealers try to negotiate on top of the internet price, which is ridiculous.

I'm out in Worcester so can't really help North Shore or South Shore other than Bach. I have bought a couple cars in Natick at Lev Kia, they were nice and honest, I actually got my first jeep from them before it was Lev, I think it was Dan's Jeep or similar.