Quality Used Auto Parts

Q.I've spent a lot of time looking on Cars.com to get a feel for prices. It looks like I could afford a car costing about $8000 - $9000. I'm leaning towards a used Ford Escort. However, I have a real bias towards Japanese cars so I feel uncomfortable about the Escort. I used to drive a Camry and before that I had a Protege (back when I had a job before I went back to school). Both were great cars and gave me no trouble. It looks like I could get an late 1990's Escort in my price range with about 30,000 - 40,000 miles on it. I could get a Japanese car (Corolla, Protege or Civic) for the same price from the mid 1990's with about 60,000 miles. Which is a better investment? I'll be in school for two more years and I hope to drive this car for at least a year or two after graduation so I estimate that I'll keep it for 3-4 years. Which is better, a lower quality car with fewer miles or a higher quality car with a lot of miles?

A.New car dealers will generally charge more for the same used car because they ostensibly offer some sort of relief if you have a problem (but don't bet the farm on it). Plus new car dealers take good trades on new cars. The *dogs* they wholesale to used car lots (which I would avoid). Absolutely! If you don't know someone who has a friend who will do this, hire an independent mechanic to check the car out. New car dealers usually carefully check out a used car before the sale. Check with the Better Business Bureau for complaints against dealers. your driving habits probably should steer you away from Hondas, whose brake rotors are prone to warpage. Additionally, Honda auto trannies are not paragons of quality. In the auto industry, "Buy American" has little meaning with the joint ventures, such as Ford & Mazda, and GM & Toyota. GM and Ford don't practice a "Buy American" policy. They're relocating many of their non-manufacturing jobs overseas.

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