Scotty, My grandson was rear-ended last week (while stopped at a red light). Geico just totalled his car, with barely enough payout to cover his loan. This is terrible, he needs wheels to get to work and the used car / truck market is horrible for buyers. Do you have any advice for us?
He is looking at a 2006 Jeep Commander [120,000 miles], I am thinking that's not a car he will be happy with, but he's kind of desperate at this point.
Modern Jeeps are not reliable and tend to become money pits as they age. If he doesn't have much money to work with, look for a sedan rather than an SUV. Price will be lower for one that has cosmetic defects such as failed clear coat or hail damage, or minor fender bender damage. (No need to be concerned about paint or pockmarks when looking for cheap wheels, just don't buy anything rusted out or bashed hard.) An old Corolla or Civic would be ideal.
That's a bad choice. In this market, you better off not buying SUV and trucks if you do not need them. Sedans can be a better bet and stick to Toyota or Honda.
A possible vehicle for your desparate grandson could be a Pontiac Vibe which has a Toytoa engine or the similar sized Toyota Matrix. Both aren't made any more but both will make better MPG than most trucks, both have timing chains- not timing belts which need to be changed every 100k miles. They're overlooked because they're not 'chick magnets' but you really don't want a male teenager to drive a hot rod he's not paying for. In a breif scan of Craigslist in my state, most of the cars have over 100k miles on them, a couple have more than 200k- a testament to their longevity if cared for. Scotty seems to like his Matrix except for the ride which isn't unexpected on a small car.
As always, Scotty recommends you have a trusted mechanic inspect the car before completing the sale. You may be able to negotiate the price if fixable problems are found. Your mechanic should also be able to tell you if repairs costs more than the car is worth. Good luck.
