Secret to buying cheap Japanese import cars

 

How to steal a Honda for under ten grand

Bargain Japanese imports made easy

 

 

These days the auto choice du jour seems to be a Honda. And why not. They have a terrific reputation for being reliable, gas mileage is always a consideration and they certainly hold their own here and resale values are off the charts. But here is the caveat. The demand has made them somewhat pricey with used dealers looking to capatilize upon the popularity by holding out for big bucks for that perfect Civic or Accord. . What I shall do today is hopefully guide the prospective Honda buyer through the price minefield to that ultimate bargain, a used Honda for under $10,000.

 

Customized Honda Civic S

Step one is to understand that you are not likely to ever find a one or probably not a two year old Honda for the price point you are searching for. So lets take a look at what some three year old Honda buyers can expect to find in the market place. Average miles per year of useage seems to be around the  15,000 mark give or take. So around 45,000 miles on the odomometer give or take should be your goal. But vehicles these days are generally reliable on up to 200,000 major trouble free miles so a bit more than that is certainly acceptable. Particularly for a Honda.

 

So we've found that blue Civic with 48,000 miles and this leads us to the next step which is the equipment on the car. Most cases you will find a vehicle with automatic, air and all power excepting power seats which is an option. DVD is pretty standard. Be sure to pull the Car Fax, even if it is a private purchase. Insist on it or walk if you are told it is not available for that would be a clue that something is amiss. A test drive is a must. Take particular care to see if the car accelerates smoothly, brakes well and the transmission shifts without slipping or jerking. Look for oil leaks underneath the car if it has been parked for a spell. The spare tire and truck area ia like checking under the rug in a home purchase. It can reveal secrets if not tidy and clean.

 

Now to the magic question. How much? It is generally better to let the seller speak first as to this issue. Why? Allow him to under price his car if in a rare case he has choosen to do so. Or he may be desperate to sell for anumber of reasons.

 

Or you could do what many astute buyers in Sacramento have choosen to do and that is buy your vehicle from a high volume dealer like Paul Blanco's Good Car Company. The reason I bring up this company's name is simple. Due to the large number of vehicles they sell each month I suspected that they must be a discounter of sorts and for sure must be pretty close to the real market value of any used vehiecle.  I checked the price of a 3 year old Civic and to my surprise and joy since I was looking for a true discount dealer the one I priced was juat over $10,000. Which I figured was certainly within negotiating range of, Viola, under $10 Grand!

 

Jim Johnson | Auto Guru
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