Yes, yes, I've managed to make it 28 years and 1 child and not have to go through the process of acquiring my own vehicle. I've always had a license but never had the responsibility of having to read listings and take test drives.

In sixist terms, I need you guys to be the dad I don't have and teach me how to buy a car. I put the word "used" in the topic title because that's the kind of budget I'm looking at. I do not know how to drive a standard and would consider learning in the most desperate of situations, so you don't need to tell me things like, test the clutch.

Does make/model make a huge difference?
Buy used from a dealer/mechanic, or from an individual?
Any tricks/tips I should be aware of?

Cheers

Hmm...mileage vs. age ratio...of course low mileage is better. If you buy a car from a mechanic, chances are he took good care of it, but no guarantees there, as he may have bought it for cheap and simply wants to get rid of it to make money. Test drive and check for the obvious concerning how it handles, and funky oily odors are not a good sign. Try and discover if the vehicle has a written maintenance history, and if the oil was changed regularly, that's a good sign. Typically, vehicles approaching 100,000 miles (don't know Km...sorry) may be getting ready to have all kinds of problems: brakes, shocks, etc. although brakes should have been changed by that time.

Try not to be in a hurry, and don't buy the first one you see....hope this helps, but it's actually been a while since I've bought a used car.

Use websites like Autotrader.ca or kajiji.ca to find cars.

Heres a couple of tips:

-Invest in something with low mileage anything from 150,000 - 200,000 kms is bound to have some issues down the road.
-It doesn't matter who you buy your car from. Just make sure its passed its certified (emissions tests) and you have something in paper for taxes. If you're buying it privately, always go to the persons house and bring someone with you for an extra set of eyes. I'd only consider going to a dealer if you have a car to begin with.

I'm a fellow Canadian, and i've gone to London to look at used cars before. Be prepared to drive around for a good deal...Don't limit yourself to London. Theres ton of good stuff in Niagra and Hamilton. I wouldn't go any further than Mississauga though.

Buy a car in a auction you can buy a brand new car (with little to no damage) for a extremely low price. NEVER buy from the dealer as they will charge you three time more than what they bought it for and they charge you BS fees. :whisper:

Yay, replies!



London svcks so bad. I've heard that people typically travel all over to buy a car.

Here's a (stupid) question, how do you know when you've found THE ONE?