Can you buy a good, reliable, and a usable second-hand car for just $2,000 to $3,000 in cash? If you ask us, the answer is a resounding YES. There’s a myth that brainwashed the mind of a lot of people who are buying second-hand cars, and we can’t just stay quiet without explaining how the tale is not true.
Saying that you can’t buy good, second-hand vehicles under $10,000 is just absurd, a way to condition the mind of the consumers and have them spend more. A lot of known Fresno car lots offer used cars like for example, a 1996 Nissan Altima with 200,000 in mileage, and a price tag of below $5,000.
And what’s more, you can pay it in cash. All you have to do is to be patient in looking for dealerships that can offer you used car that is within your budget. We compiled a small list to help you find good and cheap used cars that are within your budget, and you can pay in cash.
“Uglied out” cars can be very cheap
Nicks, hail damage, dents, and peeling paints can help you get a lower price when buying a second-hand car. The uglier the exterior looks, the more you can haggle the car dealerships for a lower priced second-hand vehicle. You need to remember that all the flaws outside the car won’t affect the performance of the engine under the hood.
But there’s an area where every buyer should always look out for – the tires. You need to make sure that the tires are not bald even if you will pay extra for it. No matter how ugly looking the car is, or how dirty their interiors are, as long as the engine is in good condition and the tires are new or close to brand new, the vehicle is still good to go.
Haggle all you want to lower the price, but you can’t compromise your safety and the safety of your family to get discounts on buying a second-hand vehicle.
Follow the 100,000 mile – 10-year rule
Ever heard of Japanese and Korean manufacturers like Kia, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, and Honda advertise their 100,000 miles – 10 years auto warranties? That is the inspiration for some rules you need to follow if you want to spend two to three thousand dollars on a second-hand car.
You have to look for vehicles that are a ten-year-old model and have at least 100 thousand miles on them. Cars with at least 100,000 miles on them are on their last leg and will not last long. That’s what most people think. In reality, it is possible for cars made 10 to 15 years ago can ride more or less 200,000 miles if the vehicle is properly maintained.
You have to know where to look
When looking for a cheap second-hand car online, you can check AutoTrader, www.Craigslist.org, CarFurus or the Klipnik message boards. Klipnik lets you put the model of the vehicle you are looking for and the zip code of your area. They will comb through their 2 million listings in their published database and rate every vehicle available that are for sale. They will rate them either great price, good price, fair price, and so on.
Beware of beloved nameplates
Toyota and Honda routinely top the tally for vehicle reliability that Consumer Reports does, it means that there is a premium on the resale value. If you want cheap and reliable second-hand cars, skip the Toyota and Hondas of the world.
According to USA TODAY, instead, you might want to look at second-tier vehicle brands from Japan like Nissan, Mitsubishi or Mazda. You should also skip European cars, but for a different reason — vehicles that are made with German engineering.
These cars are so finely tuned; they require a lot of money to maintain. That will be extra money you need to spend in the shop. According to USA TODAY, you might want to look at vehicles like Ford because these cars that are made with U.S engineering is proven and tested when it comes to reliability. If you want to see the list of major Japanese car manufacturers and the brand under them, click here
You should check the Consumer Reports for reliability
The yearly Consumer Reports survey for auto reliability is one of the most extensive automotive reliability surveys available today. They have been analyzing new car models with greater accuracy every year.
But here is the real value for second-hand car buyers: Consumer Reports also offers a detailed reliability rating for models six years or more on all possible nameplates. The scores are then compiled from reports with 17 common trouble spots in at least a million vehicles on the road.
