The handwritten sign said "RUNS GREAT $5,800 OBO" and was taped to the inside of a back window on Frederick Avenue. Garrett spotted it from the passenger seat of the van at a red light and took a picture before I could say anything. That was listing number 17. By the end of the month we'd looked at 23 of them, made four phone calls and seen exactly zero cars we wanted to buy.
That sounds like a bad month. I don't think it was. Most of the work of buying a cheap used car is deciding what not to look at, and we got a lot better at that.
Where the 23 came from
Nineteen were online listings, the usual marketplace and classified sites, filtered to within 60 miles of St. Joseph, under $7,000, 2008 or newer. Three came from Kansas City, which I mostly regret, because the drive is an hour each way and the cars down there are priced like the sellers know that. One was the window sign on Frederick. And one was a coworker's cousin in Savannah who was "thinking about selling" a 2010 Accord.
Garrett kept a shared note on his phone with every listing: year, model, miles, price, link, and a column he labeled "vibe," which I have chosen to allow.
What we skip, and why
We set our budget at $6,500 back in July, and that already ruled out half of what looks good in photos. Then we cut harder. Here's the list we ended up with on the fridge:
- Rebuilt or salvage titles. Insurance and resale both get complicated, and I don't know what was fixed or how.
- No title in hand. If the seller says the title is "at my brother's" or "coming in the mail," we move on.
- Anything over about 165,000 miles at this price, unless the records are perfect.
- A known problem transmission. That's why we passed on a 2013 Focus with an automatic. The reputation on that generation is bad enough that the low price didn't tempt me.
- Modified anything. Lowered, loud exhaust, aftermarket tint or a "tuned" engine. A teenager doesn't need a car someone else already had fun with.
- Sellers who won't allow a pre-purchase inspection at a shop of our choosing.
That list knocked the 23 down to six worth a call. Two of those sold before we got through. That left four.
The four phone calls
The window sign on Frederick. A 2009 Malibu with 171,000 miles. The man was friendly and told me more than he needed to, including that the check engine light "comes and goes." Over our mileage line anyway. Polite no.
The coworker's cousin. The Accord was clean, 128,000 miles, one owner, oil changes on schedule. He wanted $8,900 and wouldn't move much. He's not wrong about the value. It's just $2,400 over what we're spending. Garrett asked if he could pay the difference over time. The answer was the same answer as in July.
A 2011 Mazda3 in Kansas City. Good price, reasonable miles. I asked whether we could bring it to a shop before buying, and the seller said he'd "rather not deal with all that." I thanked him and we didn't drive down. No inspection, no deal. I don't care how nice the photos are.
A 2010 Corolla, about 40 minutes away. This was the one Garrett liked. Asking $6,200, a little under 130,000 miles, older seller, folder of receipts. We couldn't line up a time this month, so it's on the calendar for later in the fall. I'll report back.
Ask three questions before you get in the car: Is the title in your name and in your hand? Can I take it to my mechanic? Why are you selling? The answers to those three on the phone saved us at least five Saturday drives. A seller who hesitates on any of them has told you what you need to know.
Also, don't shop listings at dinner. Tina made that rule week two after Garrett read the description of a 2007 Cobalt out loud in a radio announcer voice. It was funny once.
The cost so far: about $22 in gas for one drive to look at a car that turned out to have a different engine than the ad said, plus a lot of evenings. Not bad for a month of learning what we don't want.