As many of you know, I’ll soon be heading to Virginia. Only one problem: my current 1994 vehicle physically won’t make it.
During the last three weeks (because of the incidents of the last year), I am unable to acquire financing from the same banks our tax dollars bailed out, even though I can better demonstrate than them the ability to pay it off.
I am seeking (to meet my professional and long-distance traveling requirements) a 2001-vintage Dodge Grand Caravan, and those bad boys go for roughly $5000, give or take a grand or so.
If any of you can offer some guidance, it would be appreciated.
Here’s an ’02 for almost exactly $5000. It’s in Wayland, about 30 miles from Boston.
Thanks, but finding vehicles isn’t the issue. Finding financing is.
If you go to most large car dealerships that sell both new and used, they usually can help you with financing. Depending on your credit score, will determine what interest rate you will pay.
If you have a mediocre credit score, the interest rate (down here) will be about 7.5-8.5 %. A good score will get you about one to two points less, depending on the bank or CU.
Do NOT go to a “Finance Co.”
Credit Unions (which you have to join and open a twenty dollar savings account in most states) have a little more lenient lending policy. Their rates are comparable to other financing.
Stay away from little or small car lots. Deal with long time in business big dealers. The internet is a good way to shop. Don’t mind the advertised price, as that is just a starting point unless a person is dumb enough to buy it at that price. Find out the names of your dealers in your area and google them for a website.
A good place to go on the internet to learn about buying a car and financing and how to buy a car and how to understand the ins and outs of car sales people and dealerships is:
http://www.edmunds.com/
and
http://www.kbb.com/
Hope this helps.
Papa Ray
West Texas
Oh…I personally would never buy a Dodge or Chrysler product.
For a car that is older than two or three years, you can’t go wrong buying a Honda, Nissan or Toyota. Or even a Hyundai or later model Kia.
Fords and Chevys are OK, but older ones seem to always keep having problems.
Papa Ray
We’ve been renting small vehicles from those “economy” rental places when we have to do business travel, Bob.
A little Kia or a small GM car, stuff like that.
For these kind of trips, it may just be more cost effective in the sense that you don’t have to deal with wear-and-tear on the vehicle, maintenance, tires, oil, etc. Just rental and gas.
And I’ve been enjoying letting THEM wash the damn things when the trip is over, instead of me.
Bob, I have to agree with The Machine – rent. Let *them* clean the bugs off the car when you’re done.
I find that Enterprise and Dollar have pretty good rates, but you have to watch them trying to upsell you drivers insurance – check with your own insurance company to see if they cover you no matter what you drive. If they don’t see if they can put a temporary rider on your policy (get it in writing!) to do that while you are driving rentals.
INSPECT the car before you drive off the lot, and carefully note any damage, no matter how small, on the rental form. Make sure the car is full of gas when you turn it in… this is “the usual” when you rent a car at the airport, if you do much traveling it should be second nature.
Me? The “newest” car I have is a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee (my wife’s, she LOVES it), and a 1989 Taurus SHO. I maintain ALL my vehicles, so I’m sorry I can’t run over to where you are and take a quick look at your wheels and give you a quick check/service. For free. You’re worth it, believe me.
Igor
Personally, I’m partial to Subarus. My ’92 Loyale (Built in Tennessee, actually), just turned 225000 miles. A quarter of a million isn’t too far off.
If you fly out to California you can use my 2005 Honda Odyssey which is a great ride and safe or my 2005 Cadillac Escalade which is a nice smooth ride and very safe too. We have a 2002 GMC Envoy which I would not burden anyone with. Too bad folks used their homes as an ATM and set us back decades…
Let’s start a kitty and finance each other… I’m game