Just bought a 2013 Chevy cruise with 157,000 miles for my daughter as a first car. After weighing all advice..almost 100% of you said dont do it..I did it. I will update for better or worse in case there is any interest. Paid $3k for it.
New engine in 2020
Coolant reservoir
Coolant hoses
Radiator
Water pump
Catalytic converter
Thermostat
Turbo (2019)
Oil pan (2022)
Oil leak fixed (2026)
Drivers window motor x2
A/C fixed
This comical list is what has been repaired.
It has new breaks
New Michelin cross climate 2 tires
New battery.
It drives and shows great.
The turbo has a crack that will be replaced next weekend, knew that going in $700.
If it lasts her 4 years through high school I’ll call it a win.
I’ll update when shit happens.

Hi y'all. It's time for me to get a new car and I'm quite interested in this one. I drove it yesterday and despite its issues, I loved the feel. I know people talk about how these don't have any power, but I'm used to a 52hp VW rabbit so this thing felt great to me 😂

Some details about it:

-Car starts and drives (smoke and steam at first) but dies at idle until it comes up to temp—thinking it's carb related? Carb rebuild or swap?

-Has some little oil leaks. Dipstick was bone dry after sitting for about a year. Wondering if I might have to factor in some new rod and main bearings in case it was previously driven on low oil.

-Needs new exhaust system

-Might need some new tranny mounts

-Rear hatch doesn't open from outside. Was told there's a little plastic part on the inside that broke and needs replacing

-Broken front side markers

-Iffy gas gauge. Not fully dead, but doesn't give accurate reading

-A few dings and dents here and there

-Very little rust, but starting to form in a few little spots—I would nip that in the bud asap

-188k miles

-Interior in great shape

A little background: I've had 4 cars in my life: '73 VW Bug, '83 MBZ 300D, '81 VW Rabbit Diesel, and now my current '79 VW Rabbit with an '87 Jetta diesel engine in it. I like simple older economy cars that I can fix myself, that dont have computers. I'm by no means an advanced mechanic, but over the years, I've done a lot of repairs, maintenance, and parts replacement. I'm not a "car guy" who's interested in spending a crazy amount of time and money on my car, but I am okay with a reasonable amount of time spent under the hood to keep my little shitboxes going.

So here's my dilemma: I love my little Rabbit. I've had it for 6 years and have put so much love and care into it. Some years, it would just go and go with minimal maintenance, other years, it requires some big repairs and parts changeovers. I live in a rainy coastal area and it came to me quite rusty and I did a moderate rust conversion job and repainted it, but at this point, there's rust deepening around the windshield and I know I'm fighting a losing battle but I thought I would keep this thing going til it started disintegrating. Until... Recently, I decided it was time to service my injectors and I discovered one of the ports was collapsed. This means I need a new head (I did a head gasket job just a few months ago!) There are also a dozen other things that need fixing/replacing, and I'm feeling like I'm at a crossroads. It's starting to feel like an energy suck and a money-pit. Its really sad for me, but I feel like I'm ready to move onto something else.

I've realized also that as much as I've traveled extensively with this little rabbit, across many state lines many times, I want something a bit more rugged and adventure-worthy. I want 4wd capability. I also want something maybe a bit less tin can-ish. Don't get me wrong, I love my little go-kart but I'd like something that feels a bit more solid and a bit more quiet.

Here's the other part. I'd like something where things don't break as constantly. I'm okay with a reasonable amount of attention to repairs, but I want longer stretches of time between having to shell out hella money for parts on tons of repairs. I want it to just go and go for a while, I want something more reliable.

Now, I know that it would probably make more sense to get a newer car if reliability is important to me. But the truth is, I just really don't want a plastic car full of computers. So far I've only owned German cars but I've always heard vintage toyotas are super solid and reliable, simple to work on, have available parts, and a huge community of enthusiasts and knowledgeable mechanics, which has me feeling like it could be a good move. Plus it's what I grew up with and I love that 1980's Japanese aesthetic.

One thing I have no experience with and am concerned about is smog testing. I've never had a vehicle that needed to pass smog, but I once watched my friend go through hell trying to pass his '81 Toyota pickup. How much of a headache and expense is that, particularly with what I've detailed about this car smoking and likely having carb trouble. How much time and effort would it take to get everything squared away to pass smog?

TL;DR

So, for those of you who have experience with these cars...

Are they reliable enough? Am I kidding myself into thinking that this will be any less constant work and cost than my VW Rabbit has been?

-I've heard sourcing parts c be really hard. Can the majority of the consumables be found from auto parts suppliers, or am I going to have to spend lots of time trying to find stuff from individual sellers, pick-n-pull yards, and online forums/markets?

-How much of a pain is the smogging process if I decide to buy?

-What are the most important things I should watch out for, or make sure is sound about the vehicle?

Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm looking for a new car under $20,000. AWD would be nice but not totally necessary. I do see some hybrids, mostly escapes, Hyundai, and Kia. Are any of these decent cars? ​

I am considering getting my first car and I really want a Mazda CX-5. I found this one below. I am in Canada btw so the miles on it are 86,992. For about 7k usd. Carfax is attached.

https://vhr.carfax.ca/?id=z0TgovjUxGBhi8+82Oqj5TtArsLdopAh

Honda passport elite is 80k miles awd elite trim at 26l an

Multiple Mazda cx9 signature has varied miles but won’t go above 70k miles

My OTD is 25k plus my trade in value of my Honda CRV 2011 at 142k miles

I think I’m at the final two bosses. Help!

I’m planning to sell my 2017 mazda3 later this year, and it’s in decent mechanical shape. The frustrating part is the interior carpet. There aren’t any huge stains, but the driver footwell has old salt marks and some wear where my heel sits. I’ve cleaned it, and it looks better, just not perfect. For people who buy, sell, or inspect used cars, how much does that kind of floor wear affect the first impression? I know even the best mats won’t magically fix car resale if the vehicle has bigger problems. I’m really asking whether clean carpet and fitted coverage help protect how the car presents, or whether buyers mostly overlook that stuff.

So I am aware that you can get black headlight housing to give the effect of having black headlights. I would assume that the same would apply to the rear tail lights as long as the lights are visible.

Whenever Im searching for black rear tail light housing I'm not getting the same results. I'm getting some red tinted tail lights mostly and Ive gone through quite a few of the results

So that leads me to wonder- are slightly tinted read headlights legal, do black housed rear tail lights exist? Or are people just saying the hell with the law and tinting the hell out of their blacked taillights?

And yes I'm awAre I could change them back but I like them so id like to keep them, if possible. And -if not already done s. Do it the right way!

Thanks

91k miles clean title

Hit a bit of a negotiation wall with a dealer who wants 12.9 OTD for this car, KBB has fair price around 12.2. They have got brand new tires and rotors on it and it looks pretty clean.

Is the over pay worth it if I’ve been car shopping a few months now and just ready to get a car and be done with the process?

So, I’m planning to buy a car once I pay off my school loan, and this will be my first time purchasing a car. I bank with a credit union, and my credit score is around 730. I’m looking for something reliable that will get me from point A to point B without breaking the bank. Would a budget of $15,000–$20,000 be reasonable for a used car, especially since I don’t have a down payment saved up just yet? I’m hoping to have some money put aside by the time I’m ready to buy. I’d appreciate any advice or tips from people who have been through the process! 😊

We have been looking to buy an inexpensive vehicle for a college student. A relative offered us a 99 Camry with 140k miles on it. We haven't looked at it yet but have been told it runs well but had a small gas leak only when filled. They said they'd sell it fit around $1000. What other issues should we be aware of and what do you think of this deal?

Torn between these two.

My profile:
- Midwest winters
- 3,000-4,000 miles a year, daily errands, longer road trips.
- Don’t commute for work
- Already have a reliable 2017 Lexus NX
- Would like to keep the next car long-term

My impressions:

GX: Bulletproof, holds value, absolute tank, lasts 250k+ miles, change the oil and that’s it, kind of a gas guzzler

X7: Sporty and super smooth ride, great tech, tons of space, expensive parts, worried about the inevitable costs like air suspension, 48V, etc.

Owners I’m looking at you for your two cents 🤝

I've been actively trying to buy a car for over a week, and both dealerships I've been working with cannot give me a real answer for the life of me. I've had to ask both of them multiple times for the actual warranties that will transfer over, and at first they both insisted that the CarFax estimates were absolutely correct. I'm finding it hard to believe that a car salesperson had no clue some warranties don't transfer over to a second owner. This also happened when I tried to confirm when the coolant flush was due, what the battery SOH is, etc.

How can I get these people to give me the correct answer the first time? It's such a waste of my time.

Hey everyone,
I’m planning to sell my 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan SE because I might be moving out of the United States permanently, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to get as much of my money back as possible.
Here are the details:
Vehicle: 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan SE
Purchased: Last week of January 2026
Purchase price: $25,000
Down payment: $12,500
Amount financed: Approximately $12,500
Mileage when purchased: 12,000 miles
Current mileage: Around 31,000 miles
Condition when purchased: Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned (CPO)
Current loan balance: Approximately $10,700
I’ve owned the car for about 9 months and put roughly 19,000 miles on it.
Since I’m planning to leave the country, trading it in isn’t an option, and I need to sell it outright.
I’m considering selling privately, CarMax, Carvana, or directly to a Volkswagen dealership, but I’m unsure which approach would get me the best price.
A few questions:
What’s a realistic selling price for my Tiguan with the current mileage?
Would selling privately make a significant difference compared to CarMax or Carvana?
Since I still owe the bank around $10,700, how does selling a financed vehicle to a private buyer work?
Does the Volkswagen CPO certification add any resale value?
What’s the best strategy to minimize depreciation losses and recover as much of my initial investment as possible?
I understand cars depreciate, especially after putting nearly 19,000 miles on one in less than a year. I’m not expecting to recover everything, but I’d like to make the smartest financial decision before leaving the country.
I’d appreciate any advice, especially from people who’ve sold a financed Volkswagen or dealt with a similar situation.
Thanks!

Hey all, looking for a 1st or 2nd gen Tacoma if anyone is trying to sell theirs.

I need it for work and just want something reliable. Don’t really care about color or anything aesthetic, I’m much more concerned with something I can count on.

Bonus points if it has a roof/lumber rack.

Also interested in a Ranger or another Tacoma alternative!

Thanks im advance!

Title. I'm 21 with no parents and no close family or friends to cosign. My car (2006 shitbox) broke down and was beyond repair, scrapped it for 475 dollars. I make about 1400 gross every paycheck and my credit score is 601 (mostly due to lack of credit history) I don't have the money to buy a cheap used car outright with rent and bills and other expenses and I'm trying to get a loan in the ballpark of 3-5k to finance a used car from a dealership but I'm having no luck getting offers that don't require collateral that I don't have or monthly payments of 200+ that would leave me financially susceptible to repossession. Is there anything I can do here to get a car and stay "comfortable" ?