Im looking into buying my very first car. Ive had my license for a few months now, and really need to buy a car so I can get to school and work w/o trying to find a ride.


My parents said they would help, but Im still going to be paying for most of it. I think my budget will be under 3k, I still have to decide.


The thing is, I really dont know what to look for in a used car...anyone have anything they looked for? Or something they think they needed but didnt?

Ahh first cars are stressful! My best tip is don't shop alone! Bring along someone who knows a lot about cars, market values, and standing strong with negotiations. Make sure that your shopping buddy is familiar with your budget and needs for your car.

In a used vehicle, you want to make sure it has reasonably low miles, and has been recently inspected. If you prefer, you can have someone you know inspect it to double check. Ask if the seller has paperwork for any repairs and maintenance done on the vehicle.

On top of that, work ALL of the costs into your budget. Make sure you find out how much your insurance will cost you beforehand, as a great deal on a car won't necessarily be worthwhile if your monthly insurance payments are out of your budget. Is the car fuel efficient enough so it won't break your bank account every time you need to fill up? Along with that, some places require you to get a licensed inspection before registering the car. This can end up costing a lot more than you expect.

First cars are REALLY stressful! My advice is try to buy a car from a dealership, not private owner. Not just that, but try to buy a car that has a warranty, and if possible, is certified used, which means the dealers mechanic has checked it over for issues.

A $3,000 car is very inexpensive, and will likely be old and have a ton of mileage already on it. Older cars have problems, especially when the previous owner(s) didn't look after them properly. So, you can buy a cheap car and then bay for all the maintenance that will be soon to follow, or you can spend more on a car and not have to worry about it breaking every five minutes. Just because a car has a sticker price of say $10,000 doesn't mean you have to have $10,000 upfront. Financing is a great option for those of us who can't pay cash up front. If you put a good chunk of money down for your down payment, your monthly payments should be manageable if you work a part time job. I put $3,500 down on my $14,000 car and my payments are $199 a month. I have friends who put nothing down on their car that cost the same as mine and ended up paying $375 a month. It makes a huge difference in being affordable and completely out of budget.

Definitely bring someone with you. Your parents would be a good choice. Make sure that you bring it to a trustworthy mechanic immediately after purchasing so that you can be sure nothing is wrong with it at that time.

My advice would be to get it from a private seller rather than a dealership, dealers always rip you off. If you know someone who knows stuff about cars, take them along. Another big thing is to try and get a make where replacement parts (if needed) would be easy and cheap to find, don't go for some exotic make, if you need a part replaced you might not be able to get anything! If you can find someone who knows a lot about cars, they should be able to suggest a make and model to look out for (as in, would be the best choice for price, parts etc). In Australia, that would be a Toyota Corolla. Where you are I don't know, but it would be worth finding out.

Just make sure whatever you buy is safe and that it runs. You are not going to be able to get much for only $3K these days. Have the auto service mechanic your parents use check out what every vehicle you are serioulsy looking to buy first. Good luck.

Before you buy a used car you should get a CARFAX report @ carfax.com. The report will let you know the history of the car's VIN#. It is important to know that the car has not been in a flood, accident or some other disaster. The report costs $20-$30.

I second Teaberry's suggestion. CarFax is great. You want to know the car's accident history, if any, and to be sure the car wasn't flooded in one of the natural disasters we've had in recent years. You can also use Kelly Blue Book kbb.com to check the market values of any cars you are considering. Definitely have a good mechanic check it out. Also don't all of your money on the purchase of the car. Bear in mind that you need an emergency fund to cover the inevitable repairs used cars often need. Some used cars need things like new tires right away which can run you upwards of $500 for 4. Also if your area has safety inspections that you must pass in order to drive it, sometimes those necessitate repairs. Discuss with your parents whether they are going to pay for your auto insurance or not. If you are paying, that can be quite a large expense.

Also know that a car in the 3k price range will not come with any warranty. This sucks because if you drive it off the lot and it breaks down the next day, you are basically left with no useful car and a big bill!

For $3,000 you are rarely going to get a reliable car. I would wait and save till you have at least $5,000 and get something more reliable, like a 98 Honda Civic. I think these are great cars because they are very reliable, super fuel efficient (because they are lightweight) and fun to drive! Moreover, you probably don't have any credit so you won't be able to get a loan for the car as well. You should even consider leasing a brand new car, as many cheaper new cars can be had for $100-200/month. If you planning on driving between 10,000-15,000 miles a year, this would be a smart idea because you will be driving a reliable, modern, safe car with a warranty! Yes, you are basically renting the car, but to get you back and forth in comfort and piece of mind is worth it. Best of luck!

I spent $4,800.00 CND on my first car and it was an excellent one. I got a 1993 Mazda Protege (this was about 5 years ago) and it worked really well for me. I did have to put a bit of work into it like replacing the tires before Winter came and eventually getting a new muffler but that comes with any car. Unfortunately, it was totalled in an accident (not my fault) and I did not get enough from the insurance company to get something comparable. I waited a few years and my boyfriend and I just bought a brand spanking new Mazda.

A good thing to look for is private sales in the newspaper. I bought mine from an elderly couple who were the original owners of the car and were just selling one of their vehicles because the husbands wheelchair did not fit in the smaller car. It had about 105,000 km. on it which is remarkable. Buying a car with one owner really ensures that you are finding out about the true history of the vehicle. This couple had every receipt and piece of paperwork for every piece of work on the car. A dealer won't have that much info for you. Also, take someone with you who knows about cars so they can look under the hood and give you information the dealer/seller isn't telling you.

My advice would be to advertise in your neighbourhood and among friends and family that you're looking for a first car. That's how I got to pick up my first car (a 1990 Volvo 340) for free actually > a friend of my mother's wanted to get rid of the car and agreed to give it to me. Over the course of the first year I spent about €1000 on it to get it into a fairly reliable state again (it was running, but needed repairs), but seeing that I'd planned to spend €2000 on a car anyway, it was still good.

Just tell people casually that you're excited you just got your licence and that you're looking for a car. Buying from a friend or relative also has its own kind of warranty (trust) which you'd never get in any shape or form from a dealer or unknown private seller for $3000.

Your best bet - particularly at that price - is to buy from someone you know and trust, certainly not a dealer and NE****VER at auction.

Someone already has told you about CARFAX. You need one other reference: Consumer Reports every year publishes reliability information for used cars.

You can also check out some car forums on the internet. Before I bought my first car I knew I wanted a Mini cooper so I joined a Mini forum and everybody there was incredibly kind, knowledgeable and they gave solid advice.

Now is a great time to buy with the economy as it is. Shop around as there are plenty of bargains to be had. Good luck!

My husband and I both bought new cars last fall, and had a TERRIBLE time buying cars. The Cash For Clunkers program wildly inflated the cost of used cars in the US, because there was so much fewer cars to go around. We paid $7,500 for my Equinox, that should have cost no more than $5,000. And someone paid $2,800 for my husbands firebird at auction, and it needed about $2,000 in repairs. :/

I wouldn't recommend going to an auction yourself, but if you have someone that knows about auctions (my uncle goes to them professionally...), you can get a good deal there.