There are a half dozen mechanics in my family. Hmm. ::deep breath::

Go to the Car Talk MechanXFiles and find a couple of shops with good ratings. Get a couple of estimates. This will cost you nothing. Have someone you know who knows a bit about cars check the estimates to make sure they haven't been padded with unnecessary items. Never ever go to a dealership for anything other than a recall repair. You will pay through the nose.

Check the Blue Book or Black Book value of the car. If the cost of repairs is anywhere close to the trade in value of the car, sell it. If not, get it fixed. Visit the shop in pairs, and make sure one of the pair is male. If you're comfortable with hand tools, get a Chilton's guide for your car and figure out how to do basic repairs and maintenance yourself. Parts are cheap; labor is ~80% of the cost of most work.

If you're going to buy a car, avoid anything newer than three years old (only PCs depreciate faster than cars). Most cars more than six years old ought also be avoided, unless the owner can produce good service records. Luxury cars tend to hold up longer than average cars, foreign cars longer than domestic. Do not buy a domestic car that's more than six years old, unless you're buying a Corvette, Cadillac, or Lincoln. In that case you should probably just buy an older Lexus.

Avoid dealers like the plague. Buy from a private individual at Christmas time. (The model year rolls over in the fall, making the blue book value drop before the calendar changes, and, as a general rule, people don't buy cars in December, so you'll have lots of room to negotiate.) Use Auto Trader liberally. When you go to look, shop in pairs, with at least one male in the pair. Look at at least three or four cars before buying. Make sure one person in the pair knows enough about cars and/or salesmanship to spot automotive B.S. Stand twenty or so feet away from a car you're considering, and look it over. If it doesn't sit level (bad shocks/struts, possible frame damage), or if the paint looks uneven (accident repair), or if it has a trailer hitch on the rear bumper (it's been used to tow things), avoid it. Use CarFax to check the title of anything promising. Have the car inspected by a mechanic before you buy it, unless you're shopping with someone who knows engines.

There are value gaps roughly between $3,000 (basic transportation) and $6,000 (newish domestic cars) and between $8,000 (newish domestic cars) and $12,000 (older luxury cars and newish foreign cars). These are low averages which will probably fit the Portland area. Most cars are listed in the gaps between these numbers because people who buy cars new would prefer you overpay a bit so they don't get hit as hard as they ought to by depreciation. Also, cars get listed high to leave the seller negotiating room. Don't shop in the gaps; you'll waste time or money or both.

You'll want a foreign car if you can afford it. If you want a subcompact, get a Honda Civic. If you want a small sedan, get a Toyota Corolla or a BMW 3 Series. The Camry is probably the best mid-size sedan. If you need cargo room, Subaru makes good small station wagons. If you can't afford foreign, you'll want a mid-size sedan like a Taurus (though the automatic transmission on anything earlier than ~1998 must be replaced at 100,000 miles) or Lumina, or a big sedan like the Ford Crown Victoria. (Don't buy an old patrol car - in this case, mileage is not the best indicator of wear. We've all seen the Blues Brothers. ::wink::) If you want a sports car, get a Mustang. Our '97 has 85,000 miles on it and has never needed anything other than basic maintenance.

The one exception which might be made in favor of buying new is if you find yourself in the market for a three year old Honda or Toyota. In that case, the price spread between new and used will be small, and the manufacturer's warranty might be worth the extra money. Do not go to the dealer for warranty service. You will pay through the nose. The warranty will be good as long as the logbook is stamped by a certified mechanic.

Posted by Mike @ 10/10/2002 12:45 PM EST

Whoa, HEINOUS useful! Thanks a ton!

Posted by Sarazin @ 10/10/2002 09:24 PM EST