Need Help/Advice on how to buy a car!!!!

[BillyBatson]

So i got into a car accident last saturday. My car wasn't damaged as much as the other car mainly the front bumper crashed and both my airbags went off. It is a 95 Nissan Altima. Left door was already smashed in by neighbors and car runs ok, can drive to vegas and back just fine (4-5 hours each way) but rattles, idles bad, and was ugly as sin. Now it is much worse and i have 2 holes where airbags use to be which i hear is illegal to drive that way.

I work but in 1 month when school starts i will only be working 2 days a week, so i will be making about $480 a month after taxes. Dad will be paying everything else ie cell phone, CC, food, gas, gym membership, WoW account, spending money a month, and my car insurance BUT amount i quoted him was for the liability i had before, not the full coverage i will need.

I have NO money saved! though within the next 2 weeks i can get a hold of possibly up to $2k for a downpayment.

How does one buy a car that can't afford! Is there anywhere you can ask for assistance sort of like financial aid for school? Somewhere students can get help getting money for a car? Programs? Donations to my paypal? lol Basically not a loan where i have to pay it back, even if it is not for the full amount of the car.

I was told my best bet was to go to a credit union sine they are non-profit and they can also get a better deal on the car (my friend said no dealer would go lower than $18k on his corolla but his credit union got it for $15k and financed it for him, is this true?). I dunno what i am looking for, i speced and priced the following online:

Scion tC ($19k-ish)
Toyota Corolla ($18k-ish)
Toyota Yaris ($15k-ish)
Hyundai Sonata ($19k-ish)
Jeep Compass ($17k-ish)
Nissan Sentra ($17k-ish)

everything else i saw was either too cheap (hyundai accent) or too much (honda civic)
I want a car like the above but maybe in the $12k-15k area, would a better bet be to go with a certified preowned car from a deal that is 2003 and newer?

ANY HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!

 

[thedarkwolf]

With the amount of money you have to play with I wouldn't be spending anywhere near that much. Nothing wrong with a nice $5k ish car.

 

[Wapp]

Sounds like you need to buy a junker.

 

[Trikat]

Sound like you need to drop some wow and go to your job a bit more often. That way you can pay off your car faster if you decide to get one.
Anyways 95 Altima to a new car is quite the buy. Get a used car instead, but tougher to find obviously. It will save you $ in the long run.
Either that or go with a junker for now.

 

[Conky]

All you need is a beater. Get a nice car after you graduate.

 

[Sentinel]

$480 a month isn't going to pay for a brand new car. Find something for 2k, get by, save, stop playing WoW.

 

[dabuddha]

Yep get a used car. Why the hell would you buy a new car if you're strapped for cash?

 

[BillyBatson]

1) ok first off my dad is paying for the WoW account and $15 more a month in my pocket won't help me get a much better car lol
2) i already have a junker, if i am going to buy a junker i might as well stick with the one i have and pay to fix the radio
3) a $15k car would cost what about $280 a month, so how is the $480 a month i will be making at work not enough?
4) i don't know if i will be able to pick up more days at work, i will be going to school fulltime so i am goign from 5 days a week to 2. maybe after a few months of attending i can decide if i am able to pick up a 3rd day but most likely not

 

[Baked]

Look in the classified ads and get a used Honda or Toyota. You'll save a sh!t load of money buying from private party, skipping the title and tax fee. Just have the owner put gift for the value of the car, or $1 if DMV insists on you putting a value on it.

 

[GrammatonJP]

-15 WoW
Eat less
sell your old car & cancel insurance
spend less
take public transportation


at this point, you need to save more money so you can afford a car.. ask your day to give you money instead of a wow account..

sell your PC

 

[BillyBatson]

Originally posted by: GrammatonJP
-15 WoW
Eat less
sell your old car & cancel insurance
spend less
take public transportation


at this point, you need to save more money so you can afford a car.. ask your day to give you money instead of a wow account..

sell your PC

my dad is going to be giving me the money to pay for all my expenses.
and i am not selling my pc lol, sure let me sell my pc, tv, dvd collection, etc etc, and live in an empty roomto buy a new car

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: BillyBatson
1) ok first off my dad is paying for the WoW account and $15 more a month in my pocket won't help me get a much better car lol

No, but the extra hours you have available to work at a job earning money will.

[/quote]2) i already have a junker, if i am going to buy a junker i might as well stick with the one i have and pay to fix the radio[/quote]

A junker that's been crashed twice , runs poorly, and has no airbags (when they are supposed to be there) is not something you want to keep. The radio is the least of your concerns.

3) a $15k car would cost what about $280 a month, so how is the $480 a month i will be making at work not enough?

What if they cut your hours at work or you lose the job? It's impossible to predict what may happen 3 months down the road even. No income for car payment = no car payment = repo'd car. Get a beater that runs decent.

4) i don't know if i will be able to pick up more days at work, i will be going to school fulltime so i am goign from 5 days a week to 2. maybe after a few months of attending i can decide if i am able to pick up a 3rd day but most likely not

All the more reason not to have most of your income tied up in a car payment.

 

[BillyBatson]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA

Originally posted by: BillyBatson
1) ok first off my dad is paying for the WoW account and $15 more a month in my pocket won't help me get a much better car lol

No, but the extra hours you have available to work at a job earning money will.

2) i already have a junker, if i am going to buy a junker i might as well stick with the one i have and pay to fix the radio[/quote]

A junker that's been crashed twice , runs poorly, and has no airbags (when they are supposed to be there) is not something you want to keep. The radio is the least of your concerns.

3) a $15k car would cost what about $280 a month, so how is the $480 a month i will be making at work not enough?

What if they cut your hours at work or you lose the job? It's impossible to predict what may happen 3 months down the road even. No income for car payment = no car payment = repo'd car. Get a beater that runs decent.

4) i don't know if i will be able to pick up more days at work, i will be going to school fulltime so i am goign from 5 days a week to 2. maybe after a few months of attending i can decide if i am able to pick up a 3rd day but most likely not

All the more reason not to have most of your income tied up in a car payment.

[/quote]

1) nah i hardly play WoW as it is, i have put in 7 hours in the last 5 weeks, it is somethign i do when i am stressed and need to get away, plus i have friend sin the guild i drop by and say hi to. WoW is the least of my worried

2) Been crashed once. The first time a neighbor backed into my driver door which didn't do major damage (the door and window work) but it doesn't looks nice. My mom is wokring on getting me airbags for cheap and a new front bumper which would bring my car back to the way it was before the crash but that is $ i do not want to put in the car and it will still be a junker which is embarassing to say the least. and yeah youa re right the radio is the least of my worries i should fix the knock sensor first but the knock is just annoying where i am going crazy driving without a radio for 10 months now lol

3) they won't cut my hours at work from 2 days to 1 day a week, they want me to work more actually, but yes there is a chance that if they got to the point to where they want me to pick up at least a 3rd day and i say no that i could be out the door but my mom would help me until i found another job where i could work 2 days a weeko not want a junker, i want a 2002-2004 car or newer because of the look, the interior condition, all the modern extras, gas mileage, and to know that i could drive from cali to NY without a problem.

4) my dad is paying ALL my bills. If i do not get any sort of a new car i might end up quiting work because i do not need the extra income. as of right now if i do not purchase a car and remain 2 days a week at my job all that extra money that i do not need will go to alcohol, partying, and possibly more elaborate/expensive dates with the girl i am seeing at the moment. SO since all that money is extra and not needed i figure this is a good time to purchase a new/newer vehicle to replace the aging junker i have been driving for 4 years and didn't even want when i first got it

all that being said, how do i best go about finding a car for a decent price, and finding a way to pay for it?!

 

[BillyBatson]

so no one is going to give me any of the advice i asked for except "buy a junker" ?

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: BillyBatson
How does one buy a car that can't afford! Is there anywhere you can ask for assistance sort of like financial aid for school?

You don't, that would be stupid. Just get a used car like everyone else.

Check out Craigslist, and have a friend who knows cars come with you on the test drive. You can get a DEAD reliable, not bad-looking car for $2k.

 

[xanis]

Originally posted by: BillyBatson
so no one is going to give me any of the advice i asked for except "buy a junker" ?

Well think about it. It would make a lot more sense to just to buy a decent $5K-ish car that you can pay cash for and be done with it rather than try and buy something that you can't afford. Go look for a used Honda Accord or similar that will be reliable as sin for about $3-5K.

 

[Black88GTA]

If you're dead set on a newer car, you can always look at local dealerships - they check out all the used cars and most have certified used cars that come with warranties. Or, you could go with a private owner - although, this is riskier. You will save some $$$ over a comparable car from a dealer, but you may get a gem, or a complete lemon. Have a friend who knows cars go with you when you are looking.

You can also look on autotrader.com, traderonline.com, craigslist.org, ebay, etc. As far as the money goes, you'll almost certainly need a co-signer for a loan from any financial institution. Someone who is willing to have the payments default to them if you don't pay up.

But, since you are young, single, and have very limited income - you'll probably get slapped with a high percentage rate, if you are able to get a loan at all. Maybe someone else can chime in on it who knows a bit more.

Good luck.

 

[bctbct]

Originally posted by: BillyBatson


my dad is going to be giving me the money to pay for all my expenses.
and i am not selling my pc lol, sure let me sell my pc, tv, dvd collection, etc etc, and live in an empty roomto buy a new car

You are starting to understand the absurdity of you buying a new car. When you have to sell your worldly possessions to make a down payment, not a smart move.

 

[kranky]

The reason you aren't getting the advice you want is because you want to make a bad decision.

i want a 2002-2004 car or newer because of the look, the interior condition, all the modern extras, gas mileage, and to know that i could drive from cali to NY without a problem.

That's nice, but you can't afford it. Face reality! If you could afford it, you would qualify for a loan and have a nice down payment. Do you qualify for a loan? Do you have a good-sized down payment? Then I guess you can't afford it.

How does one buy a car that can't afford! Is there anywhere you can ask for assistance sort of like financial aid for school?

As I said, face reality. Reality, for you, is a $5K car.

 

[Pikachu]

Less than $5,000 and well rated.

Never owned a new car in my life, which has kept me in the black, but since you're so well off... :roll:

 

[BillyBatson]

Originally posted by: kranky
The reason you aren't getting the advice you want is because you want to make a bad decision.

i want a 2002-2004 car or newer because of the look, the interior condition, all the modern extras, gas mileage, and to know that i could drive from cali to NY without a problem.

That's nice, but you can't afford it. Face reality! If you could afford it, you would qualify for a loan and have a nice down payment. Do you qualify for a loan? Do you have a good-sized down payment? Then I guess you can't afford it.

How does one buy a car that can't afford! Is there anywhere you can ask for assistance sort of like financial aid for school?

As I said, face reality. Reality, for you, is a $5K car.

Um i would easily qualify for a loan, i have excellant credit and was approved for a $18k car loan 3 years ago but i never used it. But even with a car loan that paid for a new car in full the monthly payment would be higher than i would like, hence me asking for help looking for ways to reduce the price of the car and finding alternate funding for the car so that i will not have to take out a large loan

 

[BillyBatson]

Originally posted by: Pikachu
Less than $5,000 and well rated.

Never owned a new car in my life, which has kept me in the black, but since you're so well off... :roll:

OMG that is ugly as sin!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

 

[jagec]

Didn't notice this before.

i want a 2002-2004 car or newer because of the look, the interior condition, all the modern extras, gas mileage, and to know that i could drive from cali to NY without a problem.

I've driven thousands upon thousands of miles on road trips since 2000, and every single car I've owned has been built in the 80's. One 14,000 mile trip in particular springs to mind, in a 1990 VW Golf. Nary a problem the whole time. I laugh at all those people who seem to think that cars start to spontaneously break after 5 years. No...as long as you maintain them, they simply DON'T.

Airbags, ABS, and EFI. Those are the only "modern" features that are worth it (though I haven't owned a car with the first two). And as for mileage...not a huge difference between the old cars and new ones...mid-30's highway is pretty standard for an economy car. Interior condition...well, don't buy a used car with a crappy interior! This is the interior of my 1989 Toyota MR2...the flash makes that picture look kind of funky, but you get the idea. Buy a reliable car from someone who took care of it, and you can't go wrong.

 

[BillyBatson]

Originally posted by: jagec
Didn't notice this before.

i want a 2002-2004 car or newer because of the look, the interior condition, all the modern extras, gas mileage, and to know that i could drive from cali to NY without a problem.

I've driven thousands upon thousands of miles on road trips since 2000, and every single car I've owned has been built in the 80's. One 14,000 mile trip in particular springs to mind, in a 1990 VW Golf. Nary a problem the whole time. I laugh at all those people who seem to think that cars start to spontaneously break after 5 years. No...as long as you maintain them, they simply DON'T.

Airbags, ABS, and EFI. Those are the only "modern" features that are worth it (though I haven't owned a car with the first two). And as for mileage...not a huge difference between the old cars and new ones...mid-30's highway is pretty standard for an economy car. Interior condition...well, don't buy a used car with a crappy interior! This is the interior of my 1989 Toyota MR2...the flash makes that picture look kind of funky, but you get the idea. Buy a reliable car from someone who took care of it, and you can't go wrong.

that interior is in good condiiton. i'v noticed cars that people want seem to be taken care of such as your MR2, used bmw's especially older M3's, etc but cars that people just buy to have a car like corollas etc are abused

 

[Pikachu]

Originally posted by: BillyBatson

Originally posted by: Pikachu
Less than $5,000 and well rated.

Never owned a new car in my life, which has kept me in the black, but since you're so well off... :roll:

OMG that is ugly as sin!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

Well yeah, compared to the beauty you're used to... :roll: