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Cars - It is the Season to
Save Money
The cost of new transportation
is expensive. However,
there are several used
vehicles that you might want to
consider. The following
vehicles all have good ratings
and current market forces have
made them available at
very reasonable prices.
Five vehicles worth your
consideration:
1. The Toyota Camry has been
one of the best vehicles
in America
for years. New Camry LEs cost
$18,500-$25,000.
Now that the redesigned 2002 Camry is circulating in
the market, you can buy
(if you shop carefully) a used
2000 Toyota Camry LE with
25,000-30,000 miles for about
$10,500-$11,000. I
consider this car to be an excellent value
for this price. The
vehicle should still have at least 6 months
remaining on the manufacturer's bumper-to-bumper warranty
and 2.5 years remaining on
the power train (engine and
transmission) warranty.
This vehicle can be driven for
hundreds of thousands of
miles.
2. The Honda Accord has also
been one of America's best
selling automobiles. New
Accord LXs cost $18,500-$26,000.
The Accord was redesigned
for 2003 (the new model arrived
in showrooms during
September).
You can buy (if you shop
carefully) a 2000 Accord LX with
25,000-30,000 miles for
about $11,000-$12,000. This vehicle
should also have at least
6 months remaining on the
manufacturer's
bumper-to-bumper warranty and 2.5 years on
the power train. This
vehicle can also be driven for hundreds
of thousands of miles.
3. The Mazda 626 has also been
a reliable vehicle. New 626 LXs
cost $17,500-$24,000. The
626 will be redesigned for 2003
(renamed the "6").
Mazda does not quite have
the name of the Toyota or the
Honda.You can buy (if you
shop carefully) a 2000 Mazda 626 LX
with 25,000-30,000 miles
for about $9,000-$10,000. This vehicle
should also have at least
6 months remaining on the manufacturer's
bumper-to-bumper warranty
and 2.5 years on the power train. This
vehicle can provide many
years of dependable transportation.
4. The Buick Century is also a good bet in
used transportation.
New Centurys cost $17,000-$24,000.
You can buy (if you shop
carefully) a 2000 Buick Century
with 25,000-30,000
miles for about $10,000-$11,000. This vehicle
should also have
at least 6 months remaining on the manufacturer's
bumper-to-bumper
warranty. This vehicle can provide many years
of dependable
transportation.
5. The Nissan Altima is also
a pretty good value. New Altima 2.5s
cost $17,000-23,000. The
2002 Altima was redesigned to be a
much larger car than the
previous model.
If you are on a
transportation budget, you can buy (if you shop
carefully) a 1995 Altima
GXE with 60,000-75,000 miles for about
$3,500-$4,000. At this
age and mileage, the vehicle will likely not
include any remaining
manufacturer's warranty, however, the Altima
is quite reliable and
economical to drive. This car can provide a
number of years of good
transportation service.
If you are in the market for a
vehicle, do your homework. Consult
Consumer Report's
automotive issue (April). Also, be sure to read
a couple of archived new
vehicle road tests (review road tests that
were conducted at the time the
vehicle was new) on the used vehicle
of interest in auto magazines
(many are archived at your local library)
or Internet sources such as
Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track,
or MotorWeek.
Information from the road tests will allow you to zero in
on which of the vehicles
discussed above will be the best for you.
For example, if you prefer a
softer ride consider the Camry or the Century;
if you prefer a stiffer more
European ride, consider the Accord; and if price
is the major consideration,
consider the 626 or the Altima. Last, but not
least, if you are going to buy
a 2 to 3 year-old vehicle, try to get the 2000
model rather than the 199...
model. Years down the road when you sell
the vehicle, the 2000 model
will be worth more than the "past century"
vehicle.
How to Evaluate a Used
Vehicle:
Kyle Busch is the author of Drive the Best for the Price: How to
Buy a Used Automobile,
Sport-Utility Vehicle, or Minivan and
Save Money. 1 800
839-8640 or
www.drivethebestbook.com.
The web site accepts all
transportation questions.
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