Which is a better used car deal?

[RationalLunacy]

I'll sell you this at an even lower price than either of those:

 

[antdak]

I think it would depend on how well the cars were driven and maintained. The one with 55k, could have been drove into the ground, never had the oil changed, etc etc, ready to fall apart any second, whereas the one with 125k could have been well maintained, drove only on Sundays to church. Miles alone is not a factor in deciding on a particular car!

 

[190E]

I would invest a little sound money and go get both cars checked out by a mechanic whom you trust. Aslo, check out kbb.com, they're a very reputable source for information relating to the pricing of cars in particular areas. I would also take both of them on test drives to see which I liked better, you know what a car should feel like.

 

[1st love ron]

I'd go with the $2500/125,000 mile one. I have a '93 Sentra that has 200,000 miles on it and I've done virtually nothing to it but routine maintenance. The reliability of it has been astounding; that's why I wouldn't worry about the miles.
Check Edmunds whatever you decide.

 

[buzzj]

I'll sell you this at an even lower price than either of those:

Great sun roof!

 

[thermodynamics]

It's worth a look at the Kelley Blue Book (KBB) values. That, AND get a CARFAX history report. Well worth the money. It'll tell you if it's been in accidents or other things that you might not be able to notice by your own eyes.

Most importantly: take it to a mechanic to have a look at it BEFORE you buy it. If a shop charges a small fee to do this, it's well worth it. Those guys know what to look for.

 

[tx_doc]

I also suggest getting a Carfax report on the VIN. Then you can see if either was in any major accident that may have caused the body to be repaired (not counting dings and scratches).

 

[NCSU4EVER]

Keep in mind the Carfax doesn't always tell you the whole story. Surprise surprise, there are always people willing to work around recording a body fix on a particular car, or when insurance isn't involved, etc. So make sure that the mechanic everyone suggests you take it to looks for the obvious potential damage to the body as well (different paint coloring in different light, different feel to the touch, etc.)

Mike

 

[germanluger]

wow how funny

i'm actually gonna be buyin a used car in the next few months and prolly cannot spend more than 4 to 5 k on it.

so how would you find a mechanic? i'm new to a major city and really have no friends. so i'll just be flyin blind most of the time.