Buying a vehicle

[Correction]

Do not buy a truck unless you're willing to become a deliveryman/moving buddy for every single one of your friends.

Trucks are for people who can't make a living without one. And idiots.

[TheTaru]

I have a truck(Ford F150) and a sports-ish car(Mercedes SLK230). Didn't buy either of them anywhere close to new, but I'd honestly recommend against getting the truck as a daily driver. Like other people said, unless you're very regularly hauling stuff, it's not worth the gas(which actually isn't THAT bad, like 23 mpg). It's been very helpful moving my sisters' belongings to their dorms, taking random stuff to the dump, and a few other random things, but I just don't really like driving it.

If the Mazda is your dream car, and you're thinking about getting the truck instead, get the Mazda.

Other recommendations: If you do decide on getting a truck, I really recommend getting a Ford. I bought mine when it was ~10ish years old and had 140k miles on it, and I've really had pretty much no mechanical issues with it. Drives really smooth for a truck, too.

[Elesirdur]

Sorry if someone already posted this but I'm going to put it in big letters.

If the vehicle is used, either from a lot or private dealer, GET A LIEN SEARCH before you do anything. They cost about $20-40 and will tell you if there are any financial encumbrances on the vehicle at the Personal Property Registry (PPR). If you buy a vehicle, or any other piece of real property, and there is a lien on it, as the new owner, you are responsible for that lien.

I work for a registry agency company that does lien searches, among other things. We had a guy from Richmond last fall who bought a 2006 Audi A6 for like $65,000 directly from the previous owner (can't remember exact amounts, but expensive car). Turns out the owner still owed like $50,000 on the car in a registered lien, but he didn't do the search until a week after he bought the car. That guy now owes the bank, or dealership, or whoever is the lender of that lien $50,000 and the previous owner is pretty much off the hook. He'll probably try and take the previous owner to court, but it's an uphill battle if the lien is registered against the piece of property, and not to the individual.

We're lucky that in Canada we can do this kind of thing for very little money. There's no such thing as a "lien search" in the US; I think you need a court order of some kind to acquire this kind of information. All you need is the VIN (find it on the door jam, the engine block, in the engine bay - don't trust the dealer or seller, find it and take it down yourself) and a credit card. If the dealer won't give you a phone number for a place to do lien searches, do a quick online search and I'm sure you'll find something.

If you do happen to be in BC, call Dye & Durham - where I work - at 1.800.665.6211 and ask for a lien search. It's like $35 and we can do it over the phone with a credit card.

Otherwise, good luck!

[Dmitry]

Are you able to do lien searches on American cars or does that fall into the needing a court order for regardless?

[jmc]

So.......... i'm a fanboy, but with that out of the way.


If you looking at spending 22k on that mazda..... you should test-drive a 2010 Subaru WRX. All wheel drive + Snow tires (+not being a idiot in the snow) is awesome XD

Oh, and you can get the car new for 22k...... well, here in the states at least.

[Awoir]

Get a 2011 Ford Raptor.

[Heavencloud]

+1 for a WRX, you can get a great car for that price (low miles too) and their great in the snow. I'm slightly bias since I have an 07 Impreza but I've yet to have a problem and I love it with all the rain I get where I live.

[ozz]

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/cto/1732879146.html

[Elesirdur]

Are you able to do lien searches on American cars or does that fall into the needing a court order for regardless?

No, the system in the US is totally different. Here in Canada there is a Personal Property Registry where pieces of property (vehicles, construction equipment, etc - not land, because in Canada you can't actually "own" land property, just lease it from the Queen, and I'm totally serious on that last point) are registered with any financial encumbrances, like a lien.

To your question, I do not think it is possible since there is no equivalent of the PPR in the US. To get lien information, you would need to get a court order of some kind to access the records of the lender or the borrower to disclose that private information.

Canada has a much more transparent legal information system than the US. The only privacy protected registered data in Canada is your medical history, and your driver's license. All sorts of records; court, corporate, land titles, personal property, etc. can be acquired either by a member of the public or an agent by searching a registry that maintains that data. Americans are always amazed when they call our company to find out that you can get stuff like this without a court order. However, I think it has more to do with whether or not a jurisdiction decides to register the data than any privacy issue.

Here's some background info from the BC PPR's governing body, the Ministry of Finance:
Personal Property Registry

The Personal Property Registry provides registration and search services covering interests in personal property for lenders, sellers, garage keepers, taxing authorities, government agencies, purchasers and the general public.

The Personal Property Registry was created on October 1, 1990, as a result of proclamation of the Personal Property Security Act, which essentially consolidated and streamlined the law on the registration of the security interests in personal property in British Columbia. The new registry absorbed the function of the former Central Registry and took over encumbrance filing responsibilities for the Corporate Registry and Manufactured Home Registry.
The Personal Property Registry is a notice filing system which registers all of the encumbrances (e.g. mortgages, liens, debentures) created against personal property in British Columbia, whether it belongs to a corporation or an individual. These security interests are to be distinguished from mortgages on real property (e.g. land) which are registered in a Land Titles Office.

[toonces]

Hmm my understanding you can do Lien searches in the states, just do a vin check out then contact the local DMV. (I do know for a fact you can find out if a car has a lien on it but don't know how far you can get with information).

But like Elesirdur said, is more of an issue if they decided to actually register the data.

[Haruk]

gonna have to also recommend checking out a WRX, drove my friend's and it was so fun to drive, definitely plan on getting an STI in the near future now

[Heavencloud]

gonna have to also recommend checking out a WRX, drove my friend's and it was so fun to drive, definitely plan on getting an STI in the near future now

/jealous!

[Fr34k]

I'll give another +1 to the WRX. A friend of mine has an 05 WRX Wagon that he let me test out, and that car is fun as fuck to drive. His older brother has an 04 STi, and while he hasn't let me drive it he has taken me 135 in it lol.

[Quixon]

I love the STi as well, too bad it was going to raise my insurance $400/6 Months.

If it was a little less of an increase, I probably would have bought one of those instead.

[Aero]

I'm really starting to lean towards the car now. I just wish I had some replies in favor of trucks.

If anyone was wondering about the rx-8's price this is what Id be paying the extra for.

"Sport rims, spoiler, insane sound system, cold air intake, 6,800kms. Fully loaded with all of the extras, 6-speed manual, suicide doors, sunroof, black with cream leather interior, never driven in the winter, original owner."

Not to excited about the suicide doors. Driving up to go check it out on Saturday to see how she feels; and Ill likely make my decision or not to buy it. Ill try to haggle him down to 18-20k; he seems desperate to sell.(Which of course is usually a bad thing; Ill keep my eyes open)

[Quixon]

If any of that is aftermarket, it should decrease the value of the car.... not increase it. The suicide doors actually aren't that bad at all. I was checking them out on a couple RX-8's this past weekend at a car show.

Don't forget about the carfax report!

I wouldn't buy it for any more than 19 grand regardless.

[jmc]

If any of that is aftermarket, it should decrease the value of the car.... not increase it. The suicide doors actually aren't that bad at all. I was checking them out on a couple RX-8's this past weekend at a car show.

Don't forget about the carfax report!

I wouldn't buy it for any more than 19 grand regardless.

^^

This

I would never fuck with a modified car, even more so if i'm paying 20k+ for it.

You have no idea truely what modifications have been done to it, what stock items went back on the car (most people sell of the modified parts when selling the car)...... and if it was modified, was it properly tuned?

[Quixon]

Might be a good idea to head over to a Mazda dealership or check the web for photos of the stock engine bay, springs/shocks, exhaust, and interior.

That way you will also know for sure if anything has been done, without having to rely on the previous owner's word.


I'm extremely anal when I buy cars lol. I always buy low mileage used, but almost always from a dealership.

If the spoiler, rims, sound system, and intake are not factory options..... there's 1-2 grand off the asking price from a dealership right there. If any work has been done to the suspension, which isn't always obvious unless you know what you're looking for..... I wouldn't ever consider it, unless there was meticulous installation receipts by a dealership.


Edit:

Is there any manufacturer's warranty left on the car? To lazy to read back through everything to see if you mentioned it. Sign up for a RX-8 forum and check all the Service Bulletins Mazda put out for your year car. If they have been performed no problem. But if the car is out of warranty, and they haven't been performed.... you would need to pay out of pocket.

Mazda can tell you if a bulletin repair has been done on the vehicle by giving them the vin number, and a copy of the service bulletin #.

[Kyten]

+1 for the lancer EVO.. they're fucking beast.

[sekaran]

I don't think its been mentioned before.. but RX-8s have god awful gas mileage. Talking like 13MPG. I wouldn't be surprised if any truck you choose has better gas mileage.