Tricks to Buying a Used Car, Part 2

It would prove harder to find a CR-V than a Rav4. Hondas, with their high resale values, usually cost more than matching Toyotas. I'd have to look harder. I wound up on San Diego's Craig's List for a sump of first-generation CR-Vs and Rav4s. Front-wheel drives and all-wheel drive, stick and slushbox, clean and beaten like an 18p nail.

Don't freak out, just think about it.
The shopper is in charge. You've researched, and you have a clue. You aren't going to be surprised by details, and you know what to expect. You don't have to buy. Trust your instincts if they're any good, and bring someone who has good instincts if you're prone to buying bridges. Please don't wait until you're desperate for a car. It's a lot easier to get ripped off when you're panicky. Know you'll need a car? Start looking months beforehand.


Be realistic. A car with tocks on the ticker will have wear. Don't confuse the type of wear with a lack of care. Certain vehicles are going to be used a certain way. A little econobox trucklet probably won't have a race history, but might have little shoe marks on the back of the seats. Cushions might be shmooshed and plastic might be faded, but don't sweat scratches, dings, a cracked fascia or a dried out bit of foam. Things that are worn out should come out of the price, though. A beat seat and a dead seat are different. Even some leaks are understandable, as is a little slime under the valve-cover gasket, or some grunge around the oil filter or a shock. Of course, puddles and active drips are a no-no.


There are some things that a used car's owner can't skimp on. Routine maintenance is everything. If the seller can't provide receipts or show new parts for wear items like belts, filters, pumps, pulleys, C-V joints, or shocks and brakes, find another car. A used car without maintenance is waiting to empty your wallet.


After seeing a few CR-Vs, I was not so impressed: $6,000-$7,000, even with 110-125K, and the CR-V interior felt uninviting. One of them was so stained by nicotine that the interior had turned yellow. Gross. I'm planning to daily-drive this thing so I don't need a car so smoked out that I could get a headache from the headliner.