What about this 2005 Altima?
Advice on purchase ($) - '02 Maxima
- Thread starter WylieCoyote
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Primarily, the word "automatic". With all the potential problems that come with cars this age, I elected to eliminate that one. Secondarily, the 2.5 is infamous for disintegrating pre-cats causing big problems with the engines. Not sure what year they fixed that, or if they ever did.
I gotta say, the hunt for a good used car is exhausting. Thought I had a good one yesterday (07 Accord LX 2.4 5-speed in Colorado Springs) and it sold in less than 24 hours. Hondas in decent condition with M/T are HOT in this market. By the time I've located one and contacted the seller, it's already gone.
Have pretty much given up on Accords, Civics, and RSXs.....they're just too popular, and ones that don't look like they've been used to pull stumps, or aren't modified to death are very scarce in Dallas.
I've moved on to Mazda. Honed in on a 2010 3 S Hatch 2.5 6-speed, 117K locally. Wish me luck!
Have pretty much given up on Accords, Civics, and RSXs.....they're just too popular, and ones that don't look like they've been used to pull stumps, or aren't modified to death are very scarce in Dallas.
I've moved on to Mazda. Honed in on a 2010 3 S Hatch 2.5 6-speed, 117K locally. Wish me luck!
The rear suspension is a beam that uses liquid filled mounts. Check them! If they are leaking, there is no replacement outside of a new axle as they are welded to the axle.
Originally Posted by WylieCoyote
I gotta say, the hunt for a good used car is exhausting. Thought I had a good one yesterday (07 Accord LX 2.4 5-speed in Colorado Springs) and it sold in less than 24 hours. Hondas in decent condition with M/T are HOT in this market. By the time I've located one and contacted the seller, it's already gone.
Have pretty much given up on Accords, Civics, and RSXs.....they're just too popular, and ones that don't look like they've been used to pull stumps, or aren't modified to death are very scarce in Dallas.
I've moved on to Mazda. Honed in on a 2010 3 S Hatch 2.5 6-speed, 117K locally. Wish me luck!
You're in the Dallas area, and you're looking for a good used car in Colorado Springs, or maybe Minnesota? No wonder you're exhausted!
Stick to your local area. Decide if you want V6 power or 4-cylinder economy. Search LOCAL craigslist daily with "manual" checked.
I gotta say, the hunt for a good used car is exhausting. Thought I had a good one yesterday (07 Accord LX 2.4 5-speed in Colorado Springs) and it sold in less than 24 hours. Hondas in decent condition with M/T are HOT in this market. By the time I've located one and contacted the seller, it's already gone.
Have pretty much given up on Accords, Civics, and RSXs.....they're just too popular, and ones that don't look like they've been used to pull stumps, or aren't modified to death are very scarce in Dallas.
I've moved on to Mazda. Honed in on a 2010 3 S Hatch 2.5 6-speed, 117K locally. Wish me luck!
You're in the Dallas area, and you're looking for a good used car in Colorado Springs, or maybe Minnesota? No wonder you're exhausted!
Stick to your local area. Decide if you want V6 power or 4-cylinder economy. Search LOCAL craigslist daily with "manual" checked.
Probably not what you want to do, but I don't fixate on a particular vehicle but instead start with some pretty wide parameters and then choose the best one that I can get at a price I want to pay, regardless of brand, model, or year. For example, maybe go for midsize, 4-door sedans, and start from there. I think it is better to get a sweetheart deal on a well-maintained local car than it is to travel a long way to pay top-dollar for a perfect car. I've often found an older car with low mileage that was particularly clean, but maybe not the sexiest model or the desirable version. Of course, I am not picky. I look for something that is a great price for whatever it is, and I figure if I don't like it I can resell it for market and at worse break even after owning it for a few months. Strangely, I can get a fair bit of enjoyment out of owning and driving a car I am not familiar with, even if it is not a particularly exciting car. There are always quirks to each vehicle that are interesting to get to know.
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Originally Posted by brages
You're in the Dallas area, and you're looking for a good used car in Colorado Springs, or maybe Minnesota? No wonder you're exhausted!
Stick to your local area. Decide if you want V6 power or 4-cylinder economy. Search LOCAL craigslist daily with "manual" checked.
That's how hard it is to find a decent '03 - '07 Accord. There are Accords here, but they all look like they've been used to pull stumps...or have automatic transmissions. But you're right, I need to stay local. I stopped by a place on the way home to look at a seemingly nice '07 Civic, and looked underneath to see everything soaked in oil, and a drop hanging on the pan. I have to shop locally in order to avoid those types of things.
I've been concentrating on cars that I know I like, that don't have timing belts. '06+ Civic, '03+ Accord, any Mazda 3 hatch, any '03 -'08 Mazda 6, or a 2000 - 2007 Maxima. They're like unicorns in Dallas.
You're in the Dallas area, and you're looking for a good used car in Colorado Springs, or maybe Minnesota? No wonder you're exhausted!
Stick to your local area. Decide if you want V6 power or 4-cylinder economy. Search LOCAL craigslist daily with "manual" checked.
That's how hard it is to find a decent '03 - '07 Accord. There are Accords here, but they all look like they've been used to pull stumps...or have automatic transmissions. But you're right, I need to stay local. I stopped by a place on the way home to look at a seemingly nice '07 Civic, and looked underneath to see everything soaked in oil, and a drop hanging on the pan. I have to shop locally in order to avoid those types of things.
I've been concentrating on cars that I know I like, that don't have timing belts. '06+ Civic, '03+ Accord, any Mazda 3 hatch, any '03 -'08 Mazda 6, or a 2000 - 2007 Maxima. They're like unicorns in Dallas.
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About three years back, I saw an 03ish Accord manual on craigslist at a good price. Turned out the seller worked at the same company I did, so I was able to check it out over my break. Didn't care much for the car, though, and moved on...
Me personally, I don't care whether a car has a timing belt or chain... if you allow belts, you will have more options.
Me personally, I don't care whether a car has a timing belt or chain... if you allow belts, you will have more options.
I've just found it easier to only look at cars with chains. Nobody seems able to cough up records of the last time the belt was changed, and changing them can be pricey. Having one break can be catastrophic to a Honda. I got a quote from a Honda specialist to change the belt on a '01 Accord V6 auto coupe that I really wanted to buy. $1,100.00. He also cautioned me about the auto transmissions in those cars (the only auto I've considered thus far in this hunt). Hearing about the possibilities has caused me to narrow my search parameters.
Supposed to be meeting with the owner of this one some time:
https://www.kbb.com/cars-for-sale/5...p;year=2009-2009&getjsonresults=true
KBB Private party: $4,399
Carfax Private Party: $3,500
Edmunds Private Party: $3,397
Would love to hear what some of you would offer!
Back story: The owner is a young girl, and her "story" is that she bought this car from an estate sale on May 2. She's quickly found that she doesn't enjoy a manual transmission in Ft. Worth traffic, has not registered the car in her name yet, and just wants to pull her money back out of it so she can get something with an automatic. She sent me pictures of the title, signed by the executor of the guy's estate, along with a Letter Testamentary. What she doesn't know is that I'm a paralegal, and I know that she needs the Letter Testamentary, along with Letter of Administration, and Muniment of Title in order to transfer the title into anyone else's name. She THINKS she has everything she needs, but I'm not convinced. She committed to going to the Tax Assessor's office today to determine what she needs, and what she's missing, and will let me know.
It's always something with these people.
https://www.kbb.com/cars-for-sale/5...p;year=2009-2009&getjsonresults=true
KBB Private party: $4,399
Carfax Private Party: $3,500
Edmunds Private Party: $3,397
Would love to hear what some of you would offer!
Back story: The owner is a young girl, and her "story" is that she bought this car from an estate sale on May 2. She's quickly found that she doesn't enjoy a manual transmission in Ft. Worth traffic, has not registered the car in her name yet, and just wants to pull her money back out of it so she can get something with an automatic. She sent me pictures of the title, signed by the executor of the guy's estate, along with a Letter Testamentary. What she doesn't know is that I'm a paralegal, and I know that she needs the Letter Testamentary, along with Letter of Administration, and Muniment of Title in order to transfer the title into anyone else's name. She THINKS she has everything she needs, but I'm not convinced. She committed to going to the Tax Assessor's office today to determine what she needs, and what she's missing, and will let me know.
It's always something with these people.
Got it, titled it. Nice, garage-kept, well-maintained car.
Thanks for everyone who shared their experiences & opinions!
Thanks for everyone who shared their experiences & opinions!
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