Tips on Buying Cars: Advise on Used Card to purchase

Question
Hi Steve,

Appreciate your advise on my situation. I plan to purchase a second car, primary purpose to drop & pick up my kid from day care daily. Round trip 5 miles each day. With few trips year around, I plan to add 5 to 6k miles on this car. Hoping to not spend more than 7k to 8k. We stay in northern ohio and nearest carmax center is 250 miles away.

I read through the others responses you gave and decided to stay away for rebuilt and salvage titles.

With above background what vehicle make/model would you recommend? Any suggestions on how much mileage/ year combinations I should consider and what I should stay off?

Answer
Your price range is limiting, but I would look for a japanese car, say a Toyota, Honda or Nissan. if you find something with about 100,000 miles, and it checks out in history and not salvage, it should last a very long time. It may be tough to find as they hold there value, stay away from the American cars and Korean cars.


steve