The ‘kei’ cars and trucks are growing in popularity in the U.S. But many states have explicitly banned them in recent years. A bill at the statehouse would allow them on Colorado roads.
Especially because we are a captive market. Public transport is essentially non existent in most areas. You have to get a car, and you have to take a loan on it. Without a car, a lot of places won’t even hire you.
Yes. It is quite straightforward. First you figure out the kind of car you want - eg, Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. Peruse fb marketplace / Craigslist / etc to look at your options, note typical price for what you want based on model year and condition. Check your market once per day for a few weeks or months, and eventually a deal will come up - or else you can search in other areas you’d be willing to travel to. When you find a good (or at least reasonable) deal, you message the seller, and tell them the following things:
You are very interested.
The earliest time you are available to meet - ideally “right now or any time today”. Also ideally, this would occur during normal business hours for mechanics and banks.
You can pay in cash.
You want it inspected by a mechanic before you buy.
When you agree on a time / place to meet, start looking up mechanics nearby. Getting a pre-sale inspection is a service offered by most shops for a small fee. Call ahead and ask if they can do an inspection around the time you are meeting the seller.
Before you meet with the seller, look up a checklist of things to inspect yourself. These are basic things that are easy to check - do the lights work? The blinkers? The AC/heat/defroster? You can find inspection lists pretty easily online.
Meet with the seller. Ask them about the car, its history, maintenance records, and why they are selling it. Take it for a test drive on neighborhood roads and on the highway. Drive to the mechanic and have them inspect the car.
After all this, it is time to negotiate. If you or the mechanic found anything concerning, you can use this to haggle with the seller, who is likely ready to take a few hundred less in order to be done dealing with the headache of selling their car. With an agreed upon price, head to your bank.
Most banks provide members with free notary services. You can have them notarize a bill of sale or the car’s title if necessary. Once the title is signed over to your name, go to the teller, withdrawal cash, and hand that fat stack to the seller.
It’s still going to be at least $10k or so, unless you scour Facebook marketplace or know how not to get scammed.
My stepfather’s job was to negotiate deals between the car dealerships and the banks. They were all fucking sharks. Used car salesmen are terrible people as a rule.
Especially because we are a captive market. Public transport is essentially non existent in most areas. You have to get a car, and you have to take a loan on it. Without a car, a lot of places won’t even hire you.
Can’t you buy cheaper or 2nd hand cars?
Yes. It is quite straightforward. First you figure out the kind of car you want - eg, Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. Peruse fb marketplace / Craigslist / etc to look at your options, note typical price for what you want based on model year and condition. Check your market once per day for a few weeks or months, and eventually a deal will come up - or else you can search in other areas you’d be willing to travel to. When you find a good (or at least reasonable) deal, you message the seller, and tell them the following things:
When you agree on a time / place to meet, start looking up mechanics nearby. Getting a pre-sale inspection is a service offered by most shops for a small fee. Call ahead and ask if they can do an inspection around the time you are meeting the seller.
Before you meet with the seller, look up a checklist of things to inspect yourself. These are basic things that are easy to check - do the lights work? The blinkers? The AC/heat/defroster? You can find inspection lists pretty easily online.
Meet with the seller. Ask them about the car, its history, maintenance records, and why they are selling it. Take it for a test drive on neighborhood roads and on the highway. Drive to the mechanic and have them inspect the car.
After all this, it is time to negotiate. If you or the mechanic found anything concerning, you can use this to haggle with the seller, who is likely ready to take a few hundred less in order to be done dealing with the headache of selling their car. With an agreed upon price, head to your bank.
Most banks provide members with free notary services. You can have them notarize a bill of sale or the car’s title if necessary. Once the title is signed over to your name, go to the teller, withdrawal cash, and hand that fat stack to the seller.
Drive away with your new car.
Also make sure the shop knows its a pre-sale inspection
It’s still going to be at least $10k or so, unless you scour Facebook marketplace or know how not to get scammed.
My stepfather’s job was to negotiate deals between the car dealerships and the banks. They were all fucking sharks. Used car salesmen are terrible people as a rule.