Divulge your used car buying tricks!

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:11 pm

Tina was in an accident today (not her fault, she is OK). Her 1998 Civic is very likely to be totaled. So we are in the market for a used car. It is likely to be a used second generation Honda Fit Sport with manual transmission (roughly 2008-2010 is the range I am looking at). It has been a decade since I have bought a used car, so I am rusty regarding where to source and how to determine fair pricing. So school me on where to look and who to trust regarding pricing! This would likely be a cash purchase. I don't mind traveling to get a good deal.

Richard

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:03 am

for pricing starters, I usually go to NADA, Edmunds and KBB to base line car prices. Take an average of the 3 will give you a good starting point. From there it's just shopping on line like cars.com and autotrader.com along w/ the other usual suspects like carmax. After an hour or so you'll have a great idea of what you're going to spend. From here it's just a matter of time of how long you want it out for a good price.

I don't know how much Sandy will impact used car prices w/ so many cars flooded and people buying replacement cars. And regard to flooded, they say that flood cars are already starting to hit the streets. Carfax is supposed to tell you for free the car was flood damaged. Beware a deal that looks too good to be true...

Stephen Westerfield · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 12:43 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

....along w/ the other usual suspects like carmax.

On that note, since you are paying cash, Carmax does not haggle. Don't go to look at a car there thinking you are going to talk them down. If you don't like the listed price, don't bother.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:16 pm

Is there much difference in price between new and used second generation Fits? Some quick checking shows hardly any advertised in this area which I assume hurts negotiation. Carmax prices look awfully close to new prices, again from a quick look. Maybe buying new would be a better deal overall, if feasible, of course.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:27 pm

Dick nailed it (that's what she said). When I sold my SI to CarMax, they were selling the same year with MORE miles than mine for more $$ than I bought mine with 0 miles on it. That being said, I only lost 2k on owning it for 1.5 years and 12k miles but I did get a killer deal.

Richard, I was looking at a 2nd gen Fit and I think you'll do better overall buying new since you have so much more bargaining chip that way unlike at CarMax or a private party coupled with the fact that the Fit holds it's value very well. The dealers get so many kick backs that they can sell cars for thousands under MSRP, or even invoice (I paid $900 under invoice on the SI)

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:38 pm

Yeah, it's not often I would say this, but for a Fit, buy a new one. Some quick Craigslist hunting shows that 09-10 Fits are listing in the low teens. Full retail on a Fit Sport without satnav is a hair over $17K. If I had a very fixed budget that mandated staying under, say, $13K, then maybe I'd buy a used one. $4K savings is a lot of money to not spend. But if I could swing it, I'd buy the new Fit over a used one.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:48 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

Yeah, it's not often I would say this, but for a Fit, buy a new one. Some quick Craigslist hunting shows that 09-10 Fits are listing in the low teens. Full retail on a Fit Sport without satnav is a hair over $17K. If I had a very fixed budget that mandated staying under, say, $13K, then maybe I'd buy a used one. $4K savings is a lot of money to not spend. But if I could swing it, I'd buy the new Fit over a used one.

You can get a Fit Sport new OTD for $15-15.5k if you are paying cash and are a hard ass.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:02 pm

What would be a better deal late model low mileage alternative to a Fit with the same basic fuel mileage, function, etc.?

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:13 pm

DickRasmussen wrote:

What would be a better deal late model low mileage alternative to a Fit with the same basic fuel mileage, function, etc.?

It's hard to compete with the Fit, since Honda is dumping them on the US market.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

I don't have a lot of specific advice but I can say:

- If you want to get a great value-for-your-dollar deal, you'll need to shop for unloved cars. Unlike the Fit.
- I agree with the recommendation to buy new if you are dead-set on something that is in short supply.
- The used car market in general seems to be insanely expensive right now. You might want to wait.
- You're a handy guy, buy something for 1/5 the cost of the Fit that needs some TLC.

Kendra's last 2 cars have been under $5k using #1 and #4 in that list above. Keeps me in enough disposable auto $$$ to do stupid things like buy Porsches and go racing. Don't waste your money on the wife's car <ducks and runs>.

Pete Guthrie · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:09 pm

Grassroots motorsports was helpful in researching the subaru.told me what to look for.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:17 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

Yeah, it's not often I would say this, but for a Fit, buy a new one. Some quick Craigslist hunting shows that 09-10 Fits are listing in the low teens. Full retail on a Fit Sport without satnav is a hair over $17K. If I had a very fixed budget that mandated staying under, say, $13K, then maybe I'd buy a used one. $4K savings is a lot of money to not spend. But if I could swing it, I'd buy the new Fit over a used one.

I've got a buddy who is insanely frugal and had never bought a new car until last year. He changed jobs and was gonna be doing a lot of highway miles and needed an econobox, but for sure with four doors as they have kids. He researched everything and found he wanted a Fit. Then almost decided not to buy one since used prices were so close to new. But in the end he still found it to be the best deal for what he needed, and so he bought his first new one. Said the used ones at the mileages available just didn't make any sense. I don't think that's changed since.

If you're stuck on a Fit, buy new.

And if it helps at all, multi-time SCCA runoffs champion Don Knowles drives one.

--Donnie

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:32 pm

Thanks for the tips everyone. I had not really been considering buy new. I am also trying to avoid the "for just a little more" logic, but I think I have been convinced that if I am set on a second generation Fit, new is probably the better deal. You can find second generation that are not as expensive, but with the downside of very high mileage (or other issues). And even then the price difference is not enough to make it worth it.

To Mike's point about buying something to fix up, I really like that, and may do that when I eventually replace my Civic (still going strong at 225K miles). However a voice in the back of my head keeps telling me to look at a Subaru BRZ! I probably just need to finish the 914 and the voice will probably go away.

Richard

MartynWheeler · **Joined:** Mon Jan 02, 2006 9:30 pm **Posts:** 303

Talk to Holland or Chip at Atlantic Auto Exchange. They're great at finding the car a customer is looking for whether it's in their customary inventory list or not, and they're solidly associated with the club.

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:36 pm

Richard Casto wrote:

However a voice in the back of my head keeps telling me to look at a Subaru BRZ!

You'd better not drive or autocross one then. I promise the voice will get louder! :lol:

When these get into the mid to high teens in a few years, I have a feeling they will be the next S2000.

As far as the Fit goes, if you're trying to get a good deal, be sure to drive several and just follow up with the sellers that still have them after a few weeks. My friend recently bought an '08 with super low mileage and they are wonderful cars. I personally prefer the friendly method of negotiation that goes along the lines of "I know you can probably get more than my offer of $XXXX but I really am at my limit so if you don't accept my offer I totally understand." Sellers get nervous that they've overpriced after a few weeks without concrete offers/interest.

Just my $.02 and good luck in the search Richard. :thumbsup:

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Divulge your used car buying tricks!

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