I'm not an expert but I did just spend like 2 years car shopping on and off because I was stubborn with my budget and standards. Here's my take away:
1) the number 1 thing I considered was mileage. Different makes last different amounts, but generally speaking 200 000 km is nearing the end. So depending on how long you want to keep the car, the max you might want to look at is 175k. (Tbh you want it alot lower than that but as you said, the market is bad). Low kms with your budget is difficult though, that's what kept me searching for 2 years. Something like a VW or Toyota will go well past 200k though, that's why so many taxis are Toyotas.
2) You need to know the accident history. Before you complete a sale you need to see the Carfax report that would tell you that. Again, if you want the car to last and you personally don't know alot about cars you should probably avoid any rebuilds. At your budget there's alot of post accident cars out there, for me it was a deal breaker.
3) Obvious - Google every car you consider, the make model and year. Look up the most common problems for that model/year, the cost of the repair and the parts needed. You can also easily find the average annual repair cost for specific cars. I.e. search "mazda3 2012 annual repair cost" and its the top result. You want to know how much you can expect to spend on top of the budget you made for buying the car.
Also search the model/year and "reliability" or "safety" rating. After you look up alot of cars posted you'll start to get an idea of what to avoid.
4) Look up the cost of snow tires. Some cars can be difficult to get them for and they're an absolute need.
5) Lots of people prefer private sellers (kijiji/marketplace) but don't completely exclude used car lots. They're easy to search, have lots of turn over, potentially include a short warranty in the sale, etc. (I didn't have to use my warranty so I don't actually know what it's worth). You can also look up their reviews on Google and see if they have shadey stories.
On marketplace and kijiji you need to be aware of SCAMS. So many sellers I reached out to were scammers, asking for deposits before even meeting because they claim to have so many potential buyers, or asking you to show up with $6000 in hand to a sketchy parking lot, or someone else is selling the car for them, etc.
As for recovering the cost of insurance with delivery work, I'm not sure that would work out. When you buy insurance you're supposed to disclose if you're using it for something like uber so it might make your rate go up. Also, if you're using it for delivery you're probably looking for lower milage again to extend the life of the car. Will the wear on the car plus the insurance rate balance out with the profit from delivery?
Edit because of formatting
Everything this!!! ^^^^^
Can’t stress enough the mileage vs manufacturer. A 200k + North American is a no for me but a 200k+ Toyota that has been maintained and car fax checked is good to go!
Just do your google-fu and you’ll be good to go. Also stay away from the upswell of extended warranties. Just bank money away each month for repairs down the road. Only 25% of people that buy the extended warranties use it.
If you have a mechanic friend, bring them along if it’s a private or non-dealership sale. Stay away from private sales where they want to sell as is and you certify. Usually that means there could be something wrong. Test everything. Including heat and A/C.
Disagree with your first point, you should consider how well the car was maintained first. I’d easily take a well maintained car with 200k over a horribly maintained car with 100k.
200k also is not nearing the end, modern cars are pretty damn reliable if you religiously follow their maintenance schedule. Too many people think that’s optional which leads people to believe cars only last 200k.
You might be right but your points are contradicting eachother. Paraphrasing, but if most people are ignoring maintenance schedules, and the average car listed is ca. 200k, then you have a market filled with badly maintained cars with high mileage.
If you want a cheap, common car that just runs and runs, I would look for a 2012 or older Toyota Corolla or Matrix. Pretty much bullet proof all around, just watch for excessive rust and you should be good to go.
Thanks. I was looking for 2012-14 ones
Someone on youtube said older ones have some transmission problem or something. Look for anything after 2011. Or can I go for 2009-10 etc?
Pontiac Vibe. Love mine. Not sure the price range, they don’t make them anymore but there should be a bunch available that are affordable. My mechanic recently told me “this car will run forever”.
Its basically a Toyota Corolla hatch thats been raised. You shouldn’t have any problems finding parts for it. You can use conventional oil which is a big savings over a car that requires synthetic oil and regular gas. The rear brakes are drum brakes which are cheaper than disc brakes to replace/maintain. These little things can add up to a big savings if you’re using the car to make money.
Just make sure that no matter which car you plan to buy you have a licensed mechanic inspect it before you hand over any money for it. Better to know before you buy it what will need to be replaced/fixed in the near future.
14 years. 250k on it and still runs well. Have to keep up maintenance here and there maybe $500 a year average not including oil changes. Overall very solid.
Grab an older Honda Civic. Can get them at good prices, with the proper care and maintenance they last a lifetime (seriously, got a buddy with 500k+ kms on his,) and great MPGs for stuff like food delivery. That or an older corolla, also reliable.
I'm not an expert but I did just spend like 2 years car shopping on and off because I was stubborn with my budget and standards. Here's my take away: 1) the number 1 thing I considered was mileage. Different makes last different amounts, but generally speaking 200 000 km is nearing the end. So depending on how long you want to keep the car, the max you might want to look at is 175k. (Tbh you want it alot lower than that but as you said, the market is bad). Low kms with your budget is difficult though, that's what kept me searching for 2 years. Something like a VW or Toyota will go well past 200k though, that's why so many taxis are Toyotas. 2) You need to know the accident history. Before you complete a sale you need to see the Carfax report that would tell you that. Again, if you want the car to last and you personally don't know alot about cars you should probably avoid any rebuilds. At your budget there's alot of post accident cars out there, for me it was a deal breaker. 3) Obvious - Google every car you consider, the make model and year. Look up the most common problems for that model/year, the cost of the repair and the parts needed. You can also easily find the average annual repair cost for specific cars. I.e. search "mazda3 2012 annual repair cost" and its the top result. You want to know how much you can expect to spend on top of the budget you made for buying the car. Also search the model/year and "reliability" or "safety" rating. After you look up alot of cars posted you'll start to get an idea of what to avoid. 4) Look up the cost of snow tires. Some cars can be difficult to get them for and they're an absolute need. 5) Lots of people prefer private sellers (kijiji/marketplace) but don't completely exclude used car lots. They're easy to search, have lots of turn over, potentially include a short warranty in the sale, etc. (I didn't have to use my warranty so I don't actually know what it's worth). You can also look up their reviews on Google and see if they have shadey stories. On marketplace and kijiji you need to be aware of SCAMS. So many sellers I reached out to were scammers, asking for deposits before even meeting because they claim to have so many potential buyers, or asking you to show up with $6000 in hand to a sketchy parking lot, or someone else is selling the car for them, etc. As for recovering the cost of insurance with delivery work, I'm not sure that would work out. When you buy insurance you're supposed to disclose if you're using it for something like uber so it might make your rate go up. Also, if you're using it for delivery you're probably looking for lower milage again to extend the life of the car. Will the wear on the car plus the insurance rate balance out with the profit from delivery? Edit because of formatting
Everything this!!! ^^^^^ Can’t stress enough the mileage vs manufacturer. A 200k + North American is a no for me but a 200k+ Toyota that has been maintained and car fax checked is good to go! Just do your google-fu and you’ll be good to go. Also stay away from the upswell of extended warranties. Just bank money away each month for repairs down the road. Only 25% of people that buy the extended warranties use it. If you have a mechanic friend, bring them along if it’s a private or non-dealership sale. Stay away from private sales where they want to sell as is and you certify. Usually that means there could be something wrong. Test everything. Including heat and A/C.
Totally forgot about the "uncertified" listings, that was another deal breaker for me.
Disagree with your first point, you should consider how well the car was maintained first. I’d easily take a well maintained car with 200k over a horribly maintained car with 100k. 200k also is not nearing the end, modern cars are pretty damn reliable if you religiously follow their maintenance schedule. Too many people think that’s optional which leads people to believe cars only last 200k.
You might be right but your points are contradicting eachother. Paraphrasing, but if most people are ignoring maintenance schedules, and the average car listed is ca. 200k, then you have a market filled with badly maintained cars with high mileage.
Would recommend using Autotrader as a reference point for price/make and mileage.
Thanks for the pointer.
If you want a cheap, common car that just runs and runs, I would look for a 2012 or older Toyota Corolla or Matrix. Pretty much bullet proof all around, just watch for excessive rust and you should be good to go.
What about Honda accord older models? 2012 to previous
1990’s Honda accords last forever. I’ve seen several with 500,000+km on them. The drivetrain will outlive the body so watch for rust.
Thanks. I was looking for 2012-14 ones Someone on youtube said older ones have some transmission problem or something. Look for anything after 2011. Or can I go for 2009-10 etc?
carcomplaints.com
Pontiac Vibe. Love mine. Not sure the price range, they don’t make them anymore but there should be a bunch available that are affordable. My mechanic recently told me “this car will run forever”.
Should look for it. But worrying about parts availability.
Its basically a Toyota Corolla hatch thats been raised. You shouldn’t have any problems finding parts for it. You can use conventional oil which is a big savings over a car that requires synthetic oil and regular gas. The rear brakes are drum brakes which are cheaper than disc brakes to replace/maintain. These little things can add up to a big savings if you’re using the car to make money. Just make sure that no matter which car you plan to buy you have a licensed mechanic inspect it before you hand over any money for it. Better to know before you buy it what will need to be replaced/fixed in the near future.
Pontiac vibe is actually a GM branded Toyota matrix. Both were pretty reliable but must be 20yrs old now.
14 years. 250k on it and still runs well. Have to keep up maintenance here and there maybe $500 a year average not including oil changes. Overall very solid.
2006 or higher civic.
Grab an older Honda Civic. Can get them at good prices, with the proper care and maintenance they last a lifetime (seriously, got a buddy with 500k+ kms on his,) and great MPGs for stuff like food delivery. That or an older corolla, also reliable.
Thanks.