The thing is I would like to get her a second hand 4x4 as they are great for getting out of the city, but she wants to buy a brand new car, saying that if we get a second hand car it will last only a short time and in the end we will spend more money than with a new car....so my question is how old is too old for a car? Is it the years or do I also have to consider mileage? HELP!
Thanks!
I have had it for about 6 years now and have not had any real probs with it. Replaced the usual stuff, brakes and 2 tyres and the odd little thing.
An older car can be fine if you do a bit of research on it. Also, depends on how much it will be used, what for etc. Also depends if what she wants as new will be in the budget anyway.
Mileage is highly relevant, but also the type of mileage: A rental car or a taxi will have aged quicker than a car with the same mileage done only on smooth long drives on highways.
Since this is about Peru: If a car was sitting in a coastal area next to the ocean spray it might have aged prematurely. Not soooo relevant for Switzerland...
Don't confuse the specs of a Swiss model with those of the 'same' model in another country. Many manufacturers produce cars to lower specs for developing countries.
Regardless of make or model, new cars depreciate very heavily. Rather than investing half your budget in depreciation, why not buy a car that's three years old? At that age, it's likely to have been fully serviced with a main dealer and any faults rectified under warranty, plus it's likely only to have had one owner. Save $1-2k as a contingency fund in case something goes wrong, and if it gives you peace-of-mind, buy an aftermarket warranty.
If I had $10-14k to spend on a 4x4, I would much rather purchase a high-spec Japanese or German model that was a few years old (with all the toys -- leather, air con, sat nav, nice stereo) than a cheap, basic Kia or Suzuki that was brand new.
You need to use common sense and good judgement when buying a second-hand car. I wouldn't touch anything without a full service history, and I would focus on cars known for their reliability and longevity (which is why I'd focus on German & Japanese rather than American, despite improving quality on American cars).
I was thinking a 5-6 year old car with not so many miles would be great. She mainly wants it to do her daily chores and then during the weekend drive up the mountain, since there are lots of us a big car is a plus.
I was thinking she should consider a car for which parts are easy to find, she drives an old AUdi now but since it is 1990 no more parts are available and it keeps breaking down (and I hate it)...
I had no problems with it and if i could drive on the proper side of the road here i would bring it over.
I'm a former Volvo mechanic and am loyal to the brand, and have always bought cars that were ~10 years old, often with over 150K miles (that's 240K km) on the odometer. Over the course of 5 cars the only repair work needed aside from standard maintenance (brakes, belts, etc, water pumps replaced preventatively when doing the timing belt) has been a turbo at 250K km, and some suspension work after a slide down an ice covered hill .
Quite a few other makes have as good or better long term service records; I wouldn't even consider a car personally that isn't capable of hitting 300k km without major work.
Do you want a 4x4 car, or something a little bigger? As you're talking Peru near the coast, I would pay attention to what's said about rust resistance for the models you are interested in. Some cars definitely rust out more easily than others and that can be as big a factor in a used car as the mechanical reliability.
Used is good. And in my opinion better to pay a little more for something with a known history and service record and perhaps a few more km's than a complete unknown with lower km's.
Seriously though, buy a second hand still on warranty car. If you mother doesn't like it, well, she can just refuse to drive it.
if you see the magazine on sale, then buy it!
Generally all Toyotas come out very well.
Here in EU, I would still opt for 3-5 years old car with single owner. We got our 2007 model for nearly half a price of the new one and in excellent condition.
Good luck!
Tips:
Check the reviews for models on the web See what the local taxi drivers have. They usually pick only well performing, cheap and low maintenance cars.
I'd buy a model from 2 or 3 ago. It pays off as you could save on taxes while still getting a recent unit.