New to used car scene, trying to get a good gauge on deals!

Question

Hello,

I was looking into buying some used cars for college use and was looking around me for some private sellers. I found this 2009 MAZDA MAZDA6 i Touring Sedan (link below) and was looking to find out if this was worth buying or not. As the title stated, I'm new to the used car scene and I just want a good deal, not too worried about make/model, but looking for a sedan/crossover. So if anyone has some good tips, that would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Link to Mazda: https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=588924649&maxPrice=10000&priceRange=&city=Round%20Rock&state=TX&zip=78681&location=&sellerTypes=p&searchRadius=50&marketExtension=include&isNewSearch=false&showAccelerateBanner=false&sortBy=relevance&numRecords=25&dma=&listingTypes=USED&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fcars-under-10000%2Fround-rock-tx-78681%3Fdma%3D%26sellerTypes%3Dp%26searchRadius%3D50%26location%3D%26marketExtension%3Dinclude%26isNewSearch%3Dfalse%26showAccelerateBanner%3Dfalse%26sortBy%3Drelevance%26numRecords%3D25&clickType=listing

MountainManJoe · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, you picked the worst time in history to find a good deal.

I couldn't even tell you what is considered a "good deal" these days. This Mazda certainly is not by the standards I'm used to. You're just going to have to spend a lot of time searching listings to get a feel for what cars are worth. If you want a deal, then don't be afraid to look outside the confines of your city. Especially rural areas. If you don't care about looks, hail damaged cars can be in good mechanical condition and go for cheap. But don't touch flooded ones.

Have a look at our car buying guide in the FAQ for what's good.

Scotty's favorite entry-level cars are 'Yota 'Rollas, Camrys, Civics, and possibly Lexus or Acura V6's etc.

And as always, have the vehicle inspected before you put down any money.

Best of luck.