I'm looking at purchasing a car (less than $5k) for my teenage son. It's been an age since I last researched second hand cars. Does anyone have tips on what to look out for and potential traps to be wary of? Looking at going private and not through a dealer.
poppy62,
Aug 16, 10:01pm
Some examples (make, model, year) of what you will be looking at will help us identify the pros & cons.
dutch9,
Aug 16, 10:06pm
Check car on Car Jam to check for out standing money owned and if stolen . Pay to have history and mileage check . Google make and model to find that models problems . Ed Corona 2007 problems . Get AA check if member or take friend with car knowledge . See that wear and tear matches mileage shown . Good luck.
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 16, 10:52pm
Condition of the individual vehicle is as important or more than the badge on the front.
In that range I tend to buy the "Hidden Gems" stuff that is super popular and known for reliability etc overseas but gets overlooked here because it's not made in Japan or Korea.
Also, pretty much avoid all Nissans in your price range. The great Nissans of the 90's are too old now and the Tiida's, Notes, Wingroads etc are the cheapest of disposable rubbish. Silly problems like severe rust and transmissions that don't last beyond 120k.
Be wary of crash ratings too. If it's a Japan only model or has a lap seatbelt in the middle rear, chances are it won't do well in a crash. (not because of the seatbelt but the general design).
Also Suzuki Swifts are terrible in a real world crash but are built to pass the crash test fairly well. (Look up the government record of real world crash ratings online and you will see what I mean).
Best of luck.
sw20,
Aug 17, 7:19am
The newest, best condition, manual transmission Toyota Corolla you can buy with your money.
msigg,
Aug 17, 7:25am
Yes as above, my children have Toyota fielder, they are fantastic, one done 100k the other 190k , drive very nice and economical, we had nissan pulsar and primera and these were very good, do high km ,I would stick to Toyota , Nissan or Mazda3, all good cars in that price range, talk to your local mechanic, if your not confident with you inspection get a mechanic or inspection service, ask friends, If you want reliability I would stick to the those I suggest, stay away from the euro cars they tend to have more electrical issues than most along with transmission problems, this is my advise, look out for trolls and others on here that want to be disruptive, Kaz may be along later to give you good advise along with others. Good luck, do a few test drives. Have fun.
tamarillo,
Aug 17, 8:42am
There are bargains to be had from dealers unwanted trade ins. Often less than private and easy to view, trust, and still have cga. Many franchise yards don't want $5000 grand cars littering and off load them here or have a cheap yard. IMO it must be something with decent safety rating and airbags. My sons 15 and I've kept my old Volvo for him. Not cool but safe!
tgray,
Aug 17, 8:46am
I would go for a Nissan, Mazda or Toyota. For 5K you would be looking at a 2004 - 2006 range Demio, Tiida, Axela etc. All great cars. Be sure to get a pre purchase check, no matter how convincing the seller is.
intrade,
Aug 17, 9:05am
less then 5 grand is just the next one up froma bomb. in the 90s bombs sold for 600$ now bombs sell for 2500 to 3500$ with the ocasional good one . you could also get a good 600$ one if you where in luck back then. back then used imports sold for 6k good ones . its now 8 grand upwards and 12 grand upwards for a good used import. infation is massive since the 90s .
steveo351,
Aug 17, 9:20am
take it for a good long test drive, highway, gravel rds, speed bumps etc. if it drives nice its more then likely going to be ok. check conditions of oils, and transmission changes.
steveo351,
Aug 17, 9:30am
also I would stay away from anything that is packed full of sensors,
rovercitroen,
Aug 17, 9:36am
Minor cosmetic damage can make an otherwise great car quite cheap. Depends how fussy one is about that sort of thing. Don't overlook Mitsubishi either. There are some great used Mitsies in your price range.
intrade,
Aug 17, 9:59am
Now to tips. something everyone can do without amy mecahnical skills. if you open the bonnet and you see oil and grime under there. Shut the bonnet and walk away. because modern cars who leak oil and accumulate dirt. are not serviced correctly and if oil leaks out then air gets in the engine causing it to ramp up fuelconsumption due to extreemly tight emission rules from 2005 onwards basically . if there is no service history then you can cut that purchase potential to 50% of your list. and once you fund potentiall good ones you want them inspected by a professional trusted service. preferably the mechanic who is going to service it. to point out what the next potential expenses are and what problems the vehicle has to negotiate a better price. or pull the pin on the purchase all togather.
kazbanz,
Aug 17, 10:53am
mark-5k will buy you a heck of a lot of car. Unfortunately it is the price bracket where it also buys you a "polished turd" that might look fantastic on the surface but is a mechanical nightmare to own long term. I can't say Buy Brand X Y and Z and you will be fine because even the very best have produced dogs for NZ use. BUT you are fairly safe looking at Toyota 1500 or 1800cc VVT1 vehicles with up to 300k on the clock. Mazda 1300/1500 and 2000cc VVTi stuff is the same Nissan 1500 and 1800 stuff would be third choice. Honda 2.0l In my experience anything European has fallen off into the pit of things going wrong when in your price bracket. That said no matter what you buy get a comprehensive PP inspection carried out. One heads up for you. Ruling out buying from a dealer is a mistake.The reason being that the internet has created a world where private sellers are asking the same sort of money as dealers do. im not saying you must buy from a dealer-just don't rule it out. When dealing with a private seller the first question has to be how long have they owned the vehicle. If a couple of months or less you have a fair indication they are backyarders. With private sellers you need to be 100% certain there is no money owing because the debt stays with the vehicle and could be repo'd even after paying in full.
Paid $3k for an 07, 5 speed Honda Jazz. NZ new with full electrics and just over 100,000k. Look at dealers trades as they are often willing to wholesale them off at trade in money. This thing is multi airbag, abs etc so good young fella car and has an interior like a cave. Yep, it was a bit scruffy and needed a bloody good clean but 50,000k later it's still a reliable wee car
gunhand,
Aug 17, 7:16pm
A few months back I got an 2005 car off a dealer for $1200. I wanted a learner car for the kids and it will suit that purpose well. Ive used it everyday to travel to work and had it on a few trips now. Runs great and I have no doubt it will keep going well too. They were going to tidy it up and put in on yard but didn't. It was filthy inside but that cleaned up real good. Has a crack in the front lower bumper and a dent in the boot but hey, its going to be a learner car after all so no issues there. I contacted the previous owner and had a yarn to him first though. He said, yea good car no worries and it has a near new battery as well, oddly it didn't have a near new battery at all, Hmmmmmm. Had 4 new tires though. So the deals are out there, and Ive had my $1200 worth of use so far I reckon.
_peas,
Aug 17, 8:14pm
If you want to be safe get a Demio. It will get stolen within a month and they'll be walking or using public transport. Perfect!
mopeds,
Oct 23, 7:03pm
Check out Your Car Angel on youtube
Identify wear by condition of the drivers seat belt, brake pedal rubber and stone chips on the bonnet.
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