New driver buying used car

Hello guys I'm a new driver and have some money to buy a car. Preferably under 3k but I could spend 4k if necessary. Anyways I know basically nothing about cars and I need something that will run well for a while. I'm curious as to what to look for when purchasing a car from a used car dealership and what cars are relatively easy to maintain. I really only need the vehicle to move around town and go on mini road trips, don't plan trying to haul anything heavy or anything.

Also would it be worth buying a manual car? Was looking at an 07 Mazda 03 but it's a stick shift and I don't know how to drive one (also heard that Mazdas are bad cars but that's coming from someone who knows about as much as I do about cars so I'm not sure.

Anyways any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I suggest that you look for used or second hand cars for sale directly from the owner. So you can save enough money. I also suggest you read some blogs about buying a used and second hand car and do some research. After that you can visit a buy and sell cars website where you can find affordable used cars for sale because most of the car listing on those website are car owners that want to sell their car. [Spam link removed by moderator]

That Mazda 3 you mentioned is a decent car as long as it was taken care of. Try to get maintainance records for it if you can. Mazdas aren't totally flawless, but they're not bad.
Also, don't shy away from a good car just because it's a stick shift. I would recommend learning how to drive one. It may seem difficult at first and there may be some slightly embarrassing moments at first (stalling, jerking around, tire squealing, etc.) but once you get the hang of driving a stick, it will become like second nature... you may even get to a point where you don't really like automatic transmissions anymore. Most cars I've had were stick shifts, including my first, and now I can't see driving an automatic without getting a bit bored.

Toyota wigo definitely if you are someone lookin for something cheap but at the same time looking for a family car. Wigo is worth every penny base on my experience with it. Good quality engine and exteriors and interior design and awesome for city drives

Hello guys I'm a new driver and have some money to buy a car. Preferably under 3k but I could spend 4k if necessary. Anyways I know basically nothing about cars and I need something that will run well for a while. I'm curious as to what to look for when purchasing a car from a used car dealership and what cars are relatively easy to maintain. I really only need the vehicle to move around town and go on mini road trips, don't plan trying to haul anything heavy or anything.

Also would it be worth buying a manual car? Was looking at an 07 Mazda 03 but it's a stick shift and I don't know how to drive one (also heard that Mazdas are bad cars but that's coming from someone who knows about as much as I do about cars so I'm not sure.

Anyways any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

It's best to buy from a direct owner. I've been driving manual for 12 years now and I bought an automatic last month. Less tiring for me. :)

Many people recommend buying a used car from owner, and while I don't disagree with it, used car dealers can also be helpful. Just look at their Yelp\Google ratings and maybe better business burea to see if there is no major unresolved complaints against them. If there are, you should probably question it.

Check out the Carfax, blue book value, and see even if you can take a mechanic with you to check under the hood.

Goodluck

Useful advise is that to buy electric/Moto cars or second hand cars.

I know people always tend to want to buy smaller cars with good gas mileage but you can't beat the dependability of a Mercury Grand Marquis. Of course I don't know how old you are and you may say that's a 'grandma's car' but my son as a teen loved it. This is our second one. Our first lasted to I think 180,000 miles before it got a cracked head and someone bought it like that. Now I have one at 140,000 that I am just having to do regular maintenance on it. The alternator went out today. But nothing major has happened. Just a thought you may not have considered.

you can't beat the dependability of a Mercury Grand Marquis.

Yes you can. Something as serious as a cracked cylinder head happening before 200k doesn't exactly speak volumes about above average reliability, nor does an alternator failure before 150k.
Don't get me wrong, it's not terrible, but you can do better.
My first car was an example of reliability and durability that was hard to beat. It was a 1989 Honda accord. Due to high mileage the asking price was $1200 or best offer. My uncle was working at the dealership at the time so I got it for $400 :evillol:. Anyway, it had 190k on it, and the only problems were faded paint, minor cosmetic rust and the AC didn't work. It was a stick shift and honestly, my early days operating a manual gearbox were embarrassing to say the least, but the clutch and Transmission both not only survived, but were smooth as silk until the day it died. I got it to 220k and the alternator did let go, but it was the original and once I replaced it, the car was fine. Around 250k, the head gasket blew. I put a new one in, changed the timing belt while I was in there and it was back to business. The CV joints on both sides had to be changed at about 260k because the boots had dry rotted as a result of too many winters on Maine roads. Finally at just over 300k something happened and the engine wouldn't idle without your foot on the throttle. At This point I gave up because I just couldn't figure it out. Somebody offered me $300 for it and I just sold it without haggling. Two weeks later I saw him driving it around town and it was running just fine.
Now that's reliability and durability. A car that doesn't start having problems until well past 200k and refuses to actually die.

There's an app on android with a checklist that you should go through before buying an used car. Check it out as well.