$15K used cars - opinions sought

Q.My wife is planning on spending roughly $15K on a car, and I suggested that rather than buying a new Honda/Saturn/whatever, she consider buying a nice used car. Cars that come to mind include: ~1985 Mercedes 3** S*, 1986-88 BMW 5 Series, 1987 Cadillac Allante, etc. Basically, a nice ride... In any event, I have little knowledge of such beasts and would appreciate any opinions or experience that people have had.

A.I just bought a new demo 1992 Mercury Sable for 15212, after Ford rebate, so you can get a nice new car for the price. Nows the time to look for the low-milage demos. Often, you can get a new car for a used car price that way. I certainly viewed it as a used car -- it had over 6,000 miles. From the point of view of the lender, it was a new car -- title had never changed from the dealer. That's what makes a car new vs. used (legally) -- the title. I did get it at a price that was below dealer cost for an equivalent new car, and was approximately the Kelly Blue Book Wholesale cost for a used car with that milage. The "used status" lost me 6K miles of the warrenty, and about 6 months. I did get a 92, and given that it was always in the dealer's hands, didn't have to worry as much about undisclosed flaws that would require an independent mechanic's assessment (as one would do for a older used car that you had no repair history on). Perhaps I should have said that buying a demo can allow you to get the current model year's car at a good price. Depending on title, your lender may view it as new or used. (this makes a difference: for new cars, the maximum loan is typically 100% of MSRP. For used car, it is 100% of Wholesale Kelly Blue Book).

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