Please! Thoughts and help on purchase (8 Viewers)

[Godfr33]

Hello yup I'm a NOOB. Id really like advice on a potential purchase that will allow me to enter as an EX-Jeep owner?new 200 owner.

Of course Ive tracked down a very nice car halfway across the states from me.

I'm going to provide details and wish for help! I'm going to tell you about the car and hopefully I wont be poached?

Its an off corp lease 2014 with 80,000 miles. Approx every 5000 miles the oil was changed and maintenance was preformed. I mean to a tee! at the same 2 Toyota dealers near where this car is. I have the carfax to show.

I've never come across a corporate off lease car before but I have a friend who works for Siemens and he said they wrap the maintenance into the entire lease and his car is always kept to best running condition it can!

I can ship to my house but think I should also ask you guys your thoughts?

Love this forum and you converted me from buying a 4runner to looking for a 200.

*******&I need this help becuase I think the car is going to go real fast**********

 

[DOCBG]

Price?

 

[Godfr33]

can get it for under 44500. Might be able to negotiate a little more for shipping to my place.

 

[TXGooner]

Have you thought about getting a 3rd party inspection service to check it out? Lemon Squad runs about $140 for an inspection. Totally worth it in my opinion.

 

[Godfr33]

I totally agree. how can I PM the carfax just for peoples input. I know these go fast

 

[HighMile200]

If it's the one you want, it checks out, and it's at the right price for you, do it!

I bought my '08 with 94K in 2012 for just under 40. The 2014 will be better equipped and has lower miles.

If it's the one, you won't regret it.

 

[Godfr33]

Wise Idea to post the carfax info here? I would be doing so in order to have other members chime in. I know that wont be the wisest thing but I'm probably a few hours from final buy. I'm just tied up for a few hours with my kid. Had video sent to me of the 200 and its not private party

 

[Godfr33]

smogged my Jeep this morning. PASS (never had problems) but I had to make sure she was good to go for a sale. otherwise I'd be stuck with an extra car and CA smog headaches!

 

[Romer]

CarfFax doesn't always tell you a lot. The main thing I look for is it from the rust belt and where there any accidents. There is some service info there, but you get better records on the toyota owners site entering the VIN as if you are the owner and looking at the service records. I entered and deleted several VINs when I was looking

IF it is rust free or little rust and was well maintained, that is the key.

 

[Godfr33]

CarfFax doesn't always tell you a lot. The main thing I look for is it from the rust belt and where there any accidents. There is some service info there, but you get better records on the toyota owners site entering the VIN as if you are the owner and looking at the service records. I entered and deleted several VINs when I was looking

IF it is rust free or little rust and was well maintained, that is the key.

Thank you all for the help. It's just hard since I got locally screwed at a dealer when searching for a 4runner. Wife didn't like it to begin with. She has always been into jeeps and has has a 2000 wrangler bought new since nursing school.

We both work in medical field (not DR.'s)my wife is a Surgical ICU RN and I'm a CT/Interventional Radiologic Technologist.

We take care of fixing people. When it comes to maintenance on vehicles, we take the same mentality people should take with there health. If it hurts,aches,or just feels different go get it checked out!

What screws us is our work ethic and compassion to help others in some of their darkest times.

So when a car dealership who knows about our careers tries to screw us, its tough.

If they came in hurt and possibly dying , we would take the utmost care of them as a fellow human being. Treat them with dignity and help them get back to feeling great. It's not just a job for us, it's a calling to help fellow humans while we're in this beautiful world.

We work really hard and have rough jobs. Both physically and especially mentally.

I want to just buy a safe reliable vehicle to protect ourselves and son.

I hope to create a relationship with this forum to help us find what we would like. Your the pros here!

Thanks for the past replies and future ones to come.

 

[DomSmith]

Depending on location get a good look underneath. We're spoiled here in CA and my idea of acceptable rust is much different than some on the East Coast.

I would only buy from the west or south. But that's me.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Romer]

Here is the link to the Toyota Owners site Toyota Owners Official Web Site

Join and add a VIN as you are researching a vehicle, say you own it and delete if you dont buy it

You can see the History of where and when it was bought and all the Toyota registered maintenance. This and CarFax are the two tools I use when evaluating a car. I also go to cargurus.com to look for deals. I found my vehicle on carmax.com and they are good to deal with and will ship a vehicle to your local store for free so you can check it out.

 

[Godfr33]

You know it's really strange. I wrote on this forum and said what I said.

Karma is real. I bought a CA lottery ticket tonight and just scratched it off.

Matching the 16 just gave me $150

Therefore I going to give $100 as a gold membership to this site and $50 to my new car! When I find her!

Makes my last post a sign from whomever is above!!!

 

[Godfr33]

Here is the link to the Toyota Owners site Toyota Owners Official Web Site

Join and add a VIN as you are researching a vehicle, say you own it and delete if you dont buy it

You can see the History of where and when it was bought and all the Toyota registered maintenance. This and CarFax are the two tools I use when evaluating a car. I also go to cargurus.com to look for deals. I found my vehicle on carmax.com and they are good to deal with and will ship a vehicle to your local store for free so you can check it out.

Thank you! I looked for something like that but came up short. Very helpful

 

[Godfr33]

Thank you! I looked for something like that but came up short. Very helpful

Unreal. I had assumed I had to own the vehicle! If I don't buy I will delete the vin. This is like reading the chart of my patients!

Carfax is only superficial and I weary of it in the first place.

Again much thanks!!!!

 

[Godfr33]

Here is the link to the Toyota Owners site Toyota Owners Official Web Site

Join and add a VIN as you are researching a vehicle, say you own it and delete if you dont buy it

You can see the History of where and when it was bought and all the Toyota registered maintenance. This and CarFax are the two tools I use when evaluating a car. I also go to cargurus.com to look for deals. I found my vehicle on carmax.com and they are good to deal with and will ship a vehicle to your local store for free so you can check it out.

Cargurus really impressed me. There is a fake 2008 white 200 with 67,000 miles. They alerted me and I already had a shady suspicion when I talked to the woman and her "gang" of thiefs.

I have my wife's wrangler on that site and they asked me to do something special to verify I'm really the owner of the jeep! I did and after reviewing they listed me as a verified private seller.

I posted on Craigslist and used to love looking there, but I can't believe people flag you just to eliminate competition. Well I should actually! Lol

Met Craig Newmark in NY when I lived there, he was at a convention and nobody at the time knew who he was. We talked and shot the $&(! That's why I was always into Craigslist but no more!

 

[lcgeek]

How long have you been researching 200's and comparing year model, condition, miles, and prices? Without posting the exact vehicle for sale here, and running the risk of getting poached if it is indeed a really nice truck at good value, it is hard to give any solid advice about that specific truck.

It is worth letting some time pass as you immerse yourself with all the various data points and market values - then you will know what's a great deal, a good deal, an average deal, and well you get the idea...my 2 cents. Once you REALLY know, then you can jump quickly and confidently when you find the right one for you.

 

[Godfr33]

How long have you been researching 200's and comparing year model, condition, miles, and prices? Without posting the exact vehicle for sale here, and running the risk of getting poached if it is indeed a really nice truck at good value, it is hard to give any solid advice about that specific truck.

It is worth letting some time pass as you immerse yourself with all the various data points and market values - then you will know what's a great deal, a good deal, an average deal, and well you get the idea...my 2 cents. Once you REALLY know, then you can jump quickly and confidently when you find the right one for you.

I've done extensive research on vehicles that met our criteria for 1 1/2 months.

Narrowed down to specific models in first 1/2 month, past month listed our Jeep for sale and have over 600 views and lots of inquiries just on cargurus alone. Won't count the Craigslist post as that was like a Gatling gun going off here with about 50 emails in the first 6 hours!

I have the patience to look for a great vehicle and all roads led me to a 200. Went to a local Mom and pop dealer here and they had all types of 4runners, gx470, 570, and 100's. They would gladly sell me any of the ones they had in the garage. being a small boutique shop, they set my wife and I to only get a 200. They said look around and wait until you think you see one that interests you. Since we have time I did.

I read tons of documents on this site as well as others ( even the guy here explaining the difference between the 2016 8speeds vrs the 6) I'm highly technical in my profession. I help to fix people! You think car manuals are complex, nope because as far as I know No OBDii scanner for people yet!



I could wait but I also know I read/analysis too much and my wife wants to get rid of the jeep so we can put our 11month old into both of our cars! He won't get in our Jeep. Period. Not here in SD.

The 200 will be our family's vehicle. We love to camp, fish, explore and get outside. We have to to keep our sanity working with sick people day in day out!

Work is 2miles away, hence a 2000 Jeep Wrangler with 104000 and a 2013 Honda Accord v6 that just hit 30000.

We have saved up the money and don't buy until we have enough $ to do so!

We put careers in front of having a child and now we want to get a 200. As our replacement for the jeep we have owned for the past 17 years!

 

[Godfr33]

Lots of good advice here already...but wanted to say HELLO to another fellow San Diegan!

We should get some of our SD guys together. I'm going to try and hit a Cruiser Club that Mogwai belongs to Sunday night in (I think) Escondido... Maybe you could go?

That would be great.....in the near future. I'm in the process of acquiring a LC. I'm only the member of of the Honda family car/ Jeep Wrangler clubs. Last count only members of those clubs are my wife and I. Haha

Hitting the cruiser club should be soon but may be later? I'll add your info as I'm just getting used to the backend of this site.

I'll learn all the acronyms and gargon in due time!

Thx for the invite just a little more time!

 

[Godfr33]

How long have you been researching 200's and comparing year model, condition, miles, and prices? Without posting the exact vehicle for sale here, and running the risk of getting poached if it is indeed a really nice truck at good value, it is hard to give any solid advice about that specific truck.

It is worth letting some time pass as you immerse yourself with all the various data points and market values - then you will know what's a great deal, a good deal, an average deal, and well you get the idea...my 2 cents. Once you REALLY know, then you can jump quickly and confidently when you find the right one for you.

Just wanted to add. I know good things come, good things go, bad things come, for me that used to be the snow! Lol Grew up in Upstate NY.

You get a bad deal if you jump to quick, you get an average deal and that's great. Average will never be bad! You get a great deal by luck or knowing "that" person.

If a salesman does a great job, I go for the average deal. He worked hard, presented the product and takes a piece of the transaction. I want him to be able to take his wife and kids out to a nice dinner to celebrate his hard work. Not get into an argument with his wife about $. If he does well, the next person does well and that's how it's supposed to be!

I don't want to see a hardworking salesman think he has to go to the dark side for that dinner. Become an AHole like my last SD dealer encounter was. rubbing the white stuff from his nose because ultimately he's not happy!!

I buy mid-high quality items that I use until they die. They don't have to be expensive to be mid-high quality either!
Heck my 2013 Panasonic plasma would sell for more than an LG OLED. But I won't get a new TV until I want to! Just an example.

I just want a nice 200 at a fair price. Something to provide my family safety and exploration capabilities. It's not going to have 76" tires with icon 32 coilovers , beryllium forged argon gas filled shocks or graphene infused polymer snorkels.

I want my kid to grow up and be smart. rock-crawling with a car seat would rattle the little noggin too much. BUT I want to take him and my possible future child to places others can't in a Honda Pilot