I (19f) have no father to help, a not so great paying job, $1.5k, and a desperate need for a car as the front end of mine mysteriously met the rear end of someone else’s a few months ago. I am getting an additional \~$3k at the beginning of February but would ideally like one now. I understand that will probably not happen.
I don’t want to go through a dealership or put a down payment on anything that isnt slightly more than what I have because I don’t make enough to be able to keep up with payments like that. Any advice or am I cooked?
Cooked. Gotta get that income up somehow
Well, first, unless you don’t want it to run, you’ll probably need more money. I’m not aware of any cars even at the most pathetic car dealerships that will only be 4K.
Once you get more money or have credit to get financing, go to a dealer that is part of the one of the big auto makers and try to get financing and get certified pre-owned car.
I got my car from a shitty used lot for $2500, 14 months ago. I’ve since put an additional $1800 in it, but it’s now running pretty well and I expect to get at least another two years out of it.
I don’t think you’re going to find anything worth driving for 1500, and even at 2500, you’re going to spend some money to fix random things as they unexpectedly break, but I’d say that in today’s market, that’s probably the floor for something that is actually driveable.
4.5k is a tough amount to work with
I don’t know where you are in the world but here in Australia, I got a 2002 Honda Civic off Facebook marketplace for $3000 and spent another $600 to do a basic refresher for the car to get it performing as best as it can. It was 7 years ago and I have put 200,000kms on it since and it’s still running strong. The main thing is to keep it regularly serviced at every 10,000kms intervals (cost about $200).
I really want to help people like you but unfortunately without knowing your local market, or being physically present to see the vehicles, its hard for anyone on the internet to maximize your dollar especially on a used car.
Obviously without revealing much about yourself, maybe you can start with what kind of car you’re looking for (SUV, sedan, truck, small car that’ll just get u from point A to B) and where you live (just country is fine unless you’re in an extremely large country like the US).
Where?
I love cheap cars.
You’ve got hands and everything, you can maintain a car.
Can you drive a manual?
toyota corolla, it doesn’t need to be fancy. it’s until you get the ball rolling. after you get a car, get a better job. Make sure it has a recent inspection sticker or can get one. Keep in mind the lemon law incase someone tries to take advantage of you.
Get a co-signer with a good credit history and you can make it work if you’re employed.
Just last month I got approved @5.3% for a car loan that was 62% of my provable gross annual income. I had no credit history but a great co-signer.
Post this to the r/carbuying forum. You’ll get more car-related responses.
I suggest you talk to a credit union about your situation and ask them what kind of loan they would give you. Once you figure that out, look for private sellers – probably on Facebook Marketplace.
When you find a car that meets your criteria, you’ll need to consult sites like [kbb.com](http://kbb.com) and [edmunds.com](http://edmunds.com) to find out what you should pay for that car.
Finally, you should plan to spend $150 to $300 for a pre-purchase inspection (PPI). That way, you’ll know what mechanical issues to expect, once you own the car.
Good Luck
What is your driving needs like? Do you live or work somewhere that will let you plug in an EV? Do you live in areas that have incentives/rebate programs for used EVs?
An older Nissan LEAF *might* be a possibility. Those with limited range nicknamed “Nissan Leash” can work for some people.
the less you pay the more you are going to pay in the long run.
unfortunately the days of the 1500 dollar beater are pretty much gone.
you might be able to find something at that price point on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist, but you are going to need to get in the car and drive it, look at it, understand how it’s supposed to feel, and then not get screwed by buying a car with a bad title.
where are you at, because the gritty of it changes by state if you are in the USA….. I have info for Florida but it won’t be the same if you are in another state.
Facebook Marketplace, you can find great old cars for $1500 to $2000. Many people are getting rid of perfectly fine vehicles that are just old or need minimal maintance.
Reach out to family friends, look for cars with lower mileage, but cosmetic damage to the sides etc, buy asian, etc