boarderboy Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Other than getting a CarFax report and checking service log, any suggestions on what to look for before handing over the check. Dealer is 4+ hours away, so don't want to louse this up. Thanks for any suggestions. BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrol Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 if it has lived a life anything like the 'loaners' I've driven, regardless of receiving scheduled maintenance & managing to have avioded a reported crash, it Will have been beaten regularly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Other than getting a CarFax report and checking service log, any suggestions on what to look for before handing over the check. Dealer is 4+ hours away, so don't want to louse this up. Thanks for any suggestions. BB Bring it to a garage of your choice, have them jack it up, look under it, and check out the engine etc ... make sure it is not a garage that the dealership has a relationship with, and make sure they understand that you live four hours away, so they know that any issues they find with the car will be fixed elsewhere. That should get you a pretty neutral assessment of any issues the car may have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZetaTre Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 if it has lived a life anything like the 'loaners' I've driven, regardless of receiving scheduled maintenance & managing to have avioded a reported crash, it Will have been beaten regularly! Word!!!!!!!!! I would stay away from loaners and rentals... I PERSONALLY try to stay aways from leased cars too or cars of a brand other than what the dealer sells (e.g. buy a BMW from a Lexus dealer) (let alone the multi-brand used car lots)... I've always had very good experiences with first owner cars sold by private party... Particularly if he has maintenance records... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Donnelly Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Does the offer seem too good to be true?? Maybe check on-line for price comparisions www.kbb.com or www.autonation.com Excessive miles? Where did the vehcile originate and live it's loaner life? Could this car have been involved in the floods in and around the Tennessee area from the spring of 2010? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Tennessee_floods IMO - a new car dealership would prefer to sell a loaner themselves as it is virtually like new and usually low miles. If the vehicle was damaged, it is not unusual for a dealership to sell "as-is" to a wholesaler or auto-recovery firm. Repairs are made, then taken to auction where a secondary used car dealer will pick them up; many times from out of state. Caveat emptor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boarderboy Posted January 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 for the opinions, advice and observations. According to the CarFax, the only owner has been the dealer (who took it out of their inventory & put it in their loaner "fleet") Transaction price is within a couple hundred dollars of the suggested average. Don't see how it could have been part of the spring flooding. Substantial portion of manufacturer's comprehensive warranty remains. And to top it off BOL's own Alli is a happy owner of the same model hatchback! Going up tomorrow to test drive - taking our 1999 CR-V, probably the best car we've ever owned, and the one we'll replace if we buy. Really like the CR-V's and Elements - good reputation as "used" car buys - but in this day and age their mileage is disappointing. Wish the Ridgeline was available as a diesel or hybrid. Maybe someday... ?? Cheers and happy motoring BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael.a Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Bring it to a garage of your choice, have them jack it up, look under it, and check out the engine etc ... make sure it is not a garage that the dealership has a relationship with, and make sure they understand that you live four hours away, so they know that any issues they find with the car will be fixed elsewhere. That should get you a pretty neutral assessment of any issues the car may have. Most loaners are new or semi-new cars, there is almost nothing a garage can spot that you cant without your own eyes, and those things are largely cosmetic (scratch there, dent here). The problem with buying loaners and rentals is that due to the abuse they all experience, that once they reach some higher mileage a lot of problems can show up, reving a cold engine, burning rubber, hard braking, 'rallying' all take a huge toll on the engine, transmission, suspension. I would not recommend boarderboy unless you can work on that price a bit more, and exactly how much of that warranty is left? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnuts514 Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 all good advice here, only thing I would like to add is test driving, play with every freakin' knob and function of the car, SLAM on the brakes, FLOOR IT going up a big hill! taking it for a spin around the block doesn't create real life driving situations that we all deal with. If it is a manual, bang through the gears fast. If it is automatic manually shift up and down 1-2-D. Don't be afraid to put a car through its paces. If the dealer is with you, a good dealer will expect you to rod on it (to a limit of course). Acouple months ago we were car shopping and test drove a Kia, ran fine until I took it up a hill. When I floored it, it sounded like the engine was ready to explode but we didn't go any faster....gutless piece of crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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