Hello! I live in Chicago and will be making a trip down to west KY in a few weeks to help my daughter and son in law pick a used car. I'd like to know where all these cheap cars are I keep seeing on the videos. My time will be limited, as I have to drive back and go to work. I'd give my left arm to find a good used car for under 2,000.
I would not buy a car for under $2k, and I would not rush a purchase. You might as well flush $2k down the toilet.
mountainmanjoe I know it We are saving and waiting a little longer. Have more than 2K. I know this question is a major pain, but can anyone tell me what year Mazda's, GMC's, or Nissan's were decent? Probably spending more like 5K. TY
Take a look at our buying guide in the FAQ
Price depends on location.
I’d say do your research well online, before you make the trip. Test drive only the cars which make it to your shortlist & have the winner inspected by a professional mechanic, before purchase.
See here for further guidance -
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/used/
I said I'd give my left arm.....we all know thats not happening. Looking for a car under 5K in West / TN West Ky.
Its not impossible to get a good reliable used car under 2k but you have to expect some maintenance issues. Unless you are an intermediate mechanic or have a close relative who is I would stay away from that price point. 2003-2007 corollas might be your best best but you will have to up your budget to maybe 3.2k and hold out for a good one. For living in Chitown and near KY you might run into rust issues from the salted roads. Check out Scotty's vids for stuff to look out for when buying used cars. Feel free to post a link to an offerup or craigslist deal that you find on this thread. I'll help with what I can. Hello from California btw! 😎
@itaintright Thanks. I just say 2000 because I see so many videos where people find such good deals! Im never lucky like that, and its always a time crunch.
For around $2500 I see lots of 97-01 Camrys those are great cars the most important thing is to take your time to find one that is in good mechanical shape and can last a while.
But the ideal money to spend on those is $3000+ generally thats what they go for 2k isn't a lot for a car.
The best way is to ask friends if they know someone who sells a car. Also, you can ask your trustworthy mechanic to keep in mind.
One last thing: Take your time and do not rush buying a car, in 90% of the time, you will regret afterwards.
Just be sure to check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. I'm in central KY and I see a few cars in that range, most of which I wouldn't touch though. If you are able, have whatever you are looking at checked out. I did a quick search for cars for sale around Paducah, and saw this:
I can't recall the good/bad of a 1999 Ford Taurus, than one is a manual with a V6. But, you might search around the area you are going, get some input from the forum, and then consider any ones that might be winners. Best of luck to you!
