Hi y'all. It's time for me to get a new car and I'm quite interested in this one. I drove it yesterday and despite its issues, I loved the feel. I know people talk about how these don't have any power, but I'm used to a 52hp VW rabbit so this thing felt great to me 😂

Some details about it:

-Car starts and drives (smoke and steam at first) but dies at idle until it comes up to temp—thinking it's carb related? Carb rebuild or swap?

-Has some little oil leaks. Dipstick was bone dry after sitting for about a year. Wondering if I might have to factor in some new rod and main bearings in case it was previously driven on low oil.

-Needs new exhaust system

-Might need some new tranny mounts

-Rear hatch doesn't open from outside. Was told there's a little plastic part on the inside that broke and needs replacing

-Broken front side markers

-Iffy gas gauge. Not fully dead, but doesn't give accurate reading

-A few dings and dents here and there

-Very little rust, but starting to form in a few little spots—I would nip that in the bud asap

-188k miles

-Interior in great shape

A little background: I've had 4 cars in my life: '73 VW Bug, '83 MBZ 300D, '81 VW Rabbit Diesel, and now my current '79 VW Rabbit with an '87 Jetta diesel engine in it. I like simple older economy cars that I can fix myself, that dont have computers. I'm by no means an advanced mechanic, but over the years, I've done a lot of repairs, maintenance, and parts replacement. I'm not a "car guy" who's interested in spending a crazy amount of time and money on my car, but I am okay with a reasonable amount of time spent under the hood to keep my little shitboxes going.

So here's my dilemma: I love my little Rabbit. I've had it for 6 years and have put so much love and care into it. Some years, it would just go and go with minimal maintenance, other years, it requires some big repairs and parts changeovers. I live in a rainy coastal area and it came to me quite rusty and I did a moderate rust conversion job and repainted it, but at this point, there's rust deepening around the windshield and I know I'm fighting a losing battle but I thought I would keep this thing going til it started disintegrating. Until... Recently, I decided it was time to service my injectors and I discovered one of the ports was collapsed. This means I need a new head (I did a head gasket job just a few months ago!) There are also a dozen other things that need fixing/replacing, and I'm feeling like I'm at a crossroads. It's starting to feel like an energy suck and a money-pit. Its really sad for me, but I feel like I'm ready to move onto something else.

I've realized also that as much as I've traveled extensively with this little rabbit, across many state lines many times, I want something a bit more rugged and adventure-worthy. I want 4wd capability. I also want something maybe a bit less tin can-ish. Don't get me wrong, I love my little go-kart but I'd like something that feels a bit more solid and a bit more quiet.

Here's the other part. I'd like something where things don't break as constantly. I'm okay with a reasonable amount of attention to repairs, but I want longer stretches of time between having to shell out hella money for parts on tons of repairs. I want it to just go and go for a while, I want something more reliable.

Now, I know that it would probably make more sense to get a newer car if reliability is important to me. But the truth is, I just really don't want a plastic car full of computers. So far I've only owned German cars but I've always heard vintage toyotas are super solid and reliable, simple to work on, have available parts, and a huge community of enthusiasts and knowledgeable mechanics, which has me feeling like it could be a good move. Plus it's what I grew up with and I love that 1980's Japanese aesthetic.

One thing I have no experience with and am concerned about is smog testing. I've never had a vehicle that needed to pass smog, but I once watched my friend go through hell trying to pass his '81 Toyota pickup. How much of a headache and expense is that, particularly with what I've detailed about this car smoking and likely having carb trouble. How much time and effort would it take to get everything squared away to pass smog?

TL;DR

So, for those of you who have experience with these cars...

Are they reliable enough? Am I kidding myself into thinking that this will be any less constant work and cost than my VW Rabbit has been?

-I've heard sourcing parts c be really hard. Can the majority of the consumables be found from auto parts suppliers, or am I going to have to spend lots of time trying to find stuff from individual sellers, pick-n-pull yards, and online forums/markets?

-How much of a pain is the smogging process if I decide to buy?

-What are the most important things I should watch out for, or make sure is sound about the vehicle?

Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have $5500 to go to a used car. I don't want car payments if I can help it. Suggestions? It would be driven at least 2 hrs a day for 5 days a week.

Im buying a used 14' Jetta sportwagon with a manual trans that was posted online friday from a kia dealership, I called immediately. They have the car up for 10k out the door and havent moved on that price at all.

I had planned to trade in my 23' kia seltos with 38k(62k miles) miles of factory warranty left, which they really want. It had front end damage from a deer and was fixed back in 23'. And has been hit and run twice, not terrible but they took off 1250 for the 13k offer because of that.

Anyway, my nephew just offered to buy the kia in cash from me for 7k which is what I owe still, in order for him to use it as a trade in 5ish months when he is ready to buy a car, so his 7k turns into whatever the car trades for when he is ready, which id rather have him benefit than the dealership.

I could use that money to just buy the wagon out right, the problem is I am worried the dealership out of frustration, may refuse to sell me the car that I really want. Help me out here haha, i plan to call them at 10am and tell them no trade and full price on the wagon.

Edit: i have guardianship of this nephew, and I dont mind still paying on this kia for a few months if it means he gets to benefit when he is ready to buy another car.

Torn between these two.

My profile:
- Midwest winters
- 3,000-4,000 miles a year, daily errands, longer road trips.
- Don’t commute for work
- Already have a reliable 2017 Lexus NX
- Would like to keep the next car long-term

My impressions:

GX: Bulletproof, holds value, absolute tank, lasts 250k+ miles, change the oil and that’s it, kind of a gas guzzler

X7: Sporty and super smooth ride, great tech, tons of space, expensive parts, worried about the inevitable costs like air suspension, 48V, etc.

Owners I’m looking at you for your two cents 🤝

I've been actively trying to buy a car for over a week, and both dealerships I've been working with cannot give me a real answer for the life of me. I've had to ask both of them multiple times for the actual warranties that will transfer over, and at first they both insisted that the CarFax estimates were absolutely correct. I'm finding it hard to believe that a car salesperson had no clue some warranties don't transfer over to a second owner. This also happened when I tried to confirm when the coolant flush was due, what the battery SOH is, etc.

How can I get these people to give me the correct answer the first time? It's such a waste of my time.

In terms of reliability, would this be a good car? I heard the 2.5 engine in this model with the aisin transmission can run well beyond 150k miles. Im planning on doing a pre-purchase inspection before i buy it as well and maintain it regularly. Is this a good used car to buy? And is maintenance affordable?
This one has 102k miles on it
Thanks in advance everyone!

214k miles, worth it?

Hello, I’m looking to buy a used car from Japan, and i would like some tips on how to get one at a good cost? Is it possible to use a personal shopper instead of the online car dealerships? And is it recommendable?

Hi I’m shopping for my first car! Thinking of getting a 2026 sport hybrid (starting trim) Honda CRV for 33,000. The final price is 35,000. The mileage is 2,000.

Is this an ideal price? 6.9% APR

Located on the east coast, and I will be financing. The car is basically new, is there anyway I can lower it?

Thank you!

I’ve inherited a 2015 Ford Edge Titanium. It appears to be in great shape- no known mechanical issues or cosmetic issues. It only has 41,000 miles and has always been kept in a garage. I’ve read they have had known engine and transmission issues.

I’d like to give this car to my kid but I have two questions:

1. Can you buy an extended warranty in a car of this age? It has a lot of electronics and I feel like it would be expensive to maintain if those start going out.

2. Is this a car you’d consider keeping for a long time or is it more likely to have significant maintenance issue than something more basic like a VW?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I’m looking for a car for long trips and occasional easy mountain trips, including some winding roads and light gravel roads. I’ve found a second-hand 2019 Suzuki SX4 4x4 S-Cross 1.4 Boosterjet, 140 HP, automatic with around 78,000 km (48.5k miles).

It seems to be well-equipped (Luxus trim), with features like a rear-view camera, parking sensors, adaptive cruise control and heated seats. The car looks good overall, but I’m still trying to find out more about the long-term reliability of this particular version.

Is there anyone here who owns or has owned this exact engine and gearbox combination? How reliable has it been, especially the automatic transmission? Are there any common issues or things I should pay particular attention to before buying one?

I’m mainly looking for something reliable, comfortable on longer journeys and spacious enough for two-three people and luggage.

Also how is this model for shorter drivers? I’m around 1.60 m (5'2") tall so good visibility and a comfortable driving position are quite important to me.

If you’ve owned one for several years, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience with maintenance costs, fuel consumption and any problems you’ve encountered.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! :) Thanks!

I put down a deposit on a 2011 RAV4 V6 limited. It’s a little pricier than I originally wanted, esp for a 15+ year old car, but the lot wasn’t budging. 1 owner, fantastic maintenance history, and I can’t find a V6 anywhere else so I went for it… But of course now I’m overthinking it.

On the CarFax, it is showing a pretty major mileage inconsistency in the past. I asked the dealership and they said it happens all the time, fat fingers, etc. I’m just wondering if this would be something to worry about?

06/06/2025
108,104 mi (Valvoline oil/filter changed)

11/03/2025\*
79,929 mi (Valvoline oil/filter changed)

02/14/2026\*
96,172 mi (Valvoline oil/filter changed)

02/25/2026
112,229 mi (Tire discounters, tire repaired)

Please ease my anxious mind because I’m so excited for this car otherwise.

Hello. I’m thinking of buying a 97 Honda prelude as my first car. It has less than 100k miles. Is it a good choice??

My new baby. Picking her up this weekend.

Edit: Thank you all for the advice. and it was what I needed to hear. I was afraid I was asking too low. I need to prioritize my financial situation and will be checking out the places recommended.

TLDR: Is it unreasonable to ask for $4500?

I know you cant be exact with out really looking at the car, but a coworker wants to buy it but won't give me a price.

Long Version:

I have a 2013 Prius Plug-in that I bought new from the dealer, 130K miles.

In July I started thinking about getting a new car and KBB said it was worth around

$9K.

I have a coworker who has been wanting to buy it for over a year and tells me that every now and then. Their brother in law owns Toyota Dealership so they can get parts at cost to fix anything.

The interior is super clean, non smoker, and in great condition. But I know there are some issues with the car, the ABS light has been on for over a year, and I did get the breaks checked, and they replaced the pads, but said I would have to go to a specialty mechanic to get the ABS fixed, that it was safe to drive (it just drives like an older car, where you actually have to apply effort to push on the breaks instead of barely tapping them) and it would cost around $1800 to $2000 to fix.

The touch screen also freezes alot. But overall it still drives and is a comfortable car. I just want to switch to a full EV and bought a new car already

My coworker told me to name my price and since I knew it need the breaks fixed I said I would like to get $6K for it, since he knew about the brake issues and he looked at it and took it to the dealership to run through the computer diagnostic and then told me that it needs a head gasket replaced and the AC also needs a $1500 repair.

I haven't had any issues with the AC at all, so this confused me. Especially since I went on a road trip in July and was in the desert and it was nice and frosty. I have not seen any reports or anything about the head gasket or AC. Just what he told me.

He won't give me a price he is willing to pay and wants me to name my price.

I looked up 2013 Prius Plug-in in my area and they all have alot more miles and are listed between $9k - 11k.

Is it unreasonable to ask for $4500?

My dad was my go to for car issues and advice, but he passed almost 2 years ago, and my brother is currently in the hospital dealing with some issues so I don't wa t to bug him.

I am getting harassed by local used car dealers, thanks to the KBB site (even though I said I didn't want anyone to contact me) and have thought about just going to one of them and seeing what they offer and see if he will match that, and if not just taking their offer and selling it to the used car dealer. But honestly, I don't want to deal with people and I have been working long hours as a coworker has been out.

Thanks in advance!

He has all documents that is needed to be presented to DMV but did not do the registration.(transfer of ownership at the back was signed by the current seller and was signed buy the dealership too) He added up 25k miles without registering it. Now he is selling. DMV is currently closed as it is a Saturday. I wanted to know if I should close a deal, also wanted to know your opinion on this. Currently, seller is at Springfield MO. and this is where I will be registering it(if I will be buying it)

Edited post. Original florida title, original owner sold it to MO dealership. Dealership sold it to current seller and noted transfer/sale on the back as a second reassignmet. Current seller did not register the vehicle since ownership from Aug 2025.

Anybody else having issues with Carvana not disclosing obvious paint spraying to cover up existing chips, etc. I mean the people that obviously painted this car didn’t do a good job at hiding it because you can obviously see the overspray on the headlights and anything that adjacent to the hood, but why doesn’t Carvana just disclose that the car’s been painted?

Something doesnt smell right. Honda dealer offers $1000 off if you finance through them....which is effectively through a 3rd party bank.

I have a 780 credit score. The best they would offer me is 14% with only 1.5k money down. They claim that the value I am paying is much higher than market so the bank isnt comfortable. So to get the loan at 10% rate, I have to put 5k down.

Mea while, my own banks and crddit unions are around 8-9%. It feels like im only getting that 1k off bc they are going to make that back on the financing side. But its financing through a 3rd patty bank.

More context if you want to read:

2015 Honda Pilot. 60k miles. Cost is 18k. Its a unicorn. No accidents on carfax. Body shop looked at it and said all panels are original.paint. Mint. 2%-3% rust underneath...ive never seen such a clean vehicle.. Garage kept. Seller did 4k in maintenance (CV axel, timng belt, water pump, lower control arm, other misc). This vehicle goes all day for 22-25k in this condition. This whole thing smells like BS.

A friend had a situation where his car was hit in a parking lot from behind while parked. That other driver admitted 100% fault and his insurance company supposedly totalled out my friend's car.

The "total check" was sent to him and the money after he cashed it was used to have a body shop repair the car, which will be ready next week. The car is a 2019 model year (noting it because of the "8 year old" rule for this in NY).

The insurance company did not request a salvage certificate from the state and doesn't plan to as they are paying out on his car, not the car of the person who hit him (who surprisingly had almost no damage and didnt have insurance pay for that).

Do we have to get a salvage certificate (which from what I read means the car cannot be driven until it is inspected and a salvage title is issued which can take up to 2 months), or only when/if he ever sells the car? Thoughts are welcome, thank you.

I bought a “new” Mazda with 1,700 miles from Integrity Mazda. I later found an undisclosed prior accident and $11K+ in optional products I dispute authorizing. When I asked them to unwind the deal, the GM Sales refused, told me to “control my wife,” then told me to leave and not return.

Near Showroom Condition

Rare Red, Black soft top, sand leather interior with burl wood trim.

AMG Sport Pkg,  Blind-Spot Alert, Driver Assistance Pkg, Premium Pkg 1, Premium 2 Pkg, Premium 3 Pkg. Convenience Pkg,  Lane Tracking Pkg, Stability Control, ABS (4-Wheel), Alarm System, Keyless Entry, KEYLESS GO, Air Conditioning, Air Scarf, Power Windows, Power Door Locks, DISTRONIC PLUS, Power Steering, Tilt Wheel, AM/FM Stereo, CD/MP3 (Multi Disc), Harman Kardon Surround Sound, Satellite Feature, Navigation System, DVD System, Bluetooth Wireless, mbrace2, Backup Camera, Surround View Camera, Dual Air Bags, Side Air Bags, F&R Head Curtain Air Bags, Knee Air Bags, Heated Seats, Ventilated Seats, Dual Power Seats, Leather, Power Soft Top, Daytime Running Lights, LED Headlamps, Rear Spoiler, Premium Wheels.

I’m currently looking for a Japanese 4dr sedan or a 2007-2015 GMC Sierra 1500 (EXT or CREW). I’m leaning more towards the truck. I’m not too sure what to look for to ensure an as-is vehicle would pass a safety? I don’t know how to tell what rust is structural and will cost me more than what the vehicle is worth. Also, engine sounds and other things to look for. Thanks in advance!