Yeah so the week we moved down here, I decided to get my new DD. lightly used hopefully. And to my surprise, there were several dealers with hundreds of used cars in the $4k-$6k range. YAY.
NO.
There is this problem here in Florida. DEALER FEES. When you try to buy a new or used car from a new car dealer, there is no cap to the fees they can charge you. And to get a new plate is $500. So in looking at used cars at a new car dealer, I found that you literally have to take their price, and add $1500 to it. Even more at certain places. And to make it worse, I have been told more than 6 times by various car dealers that around tax time, all dealers jack up their prices because people generally buy more cars when their tax returns come in. This is a real thing here.
So here I am looking at new car dealers, at cars that should be $5k, but are now $8995+$1500+....... and so on. This is NUTS. But it gets worse.
So Im like fuck those new car dealers, there has to be small car dealers around here that only deal in used cars. Tons in IL with good clean cars.
NOT HERE. Yes those dealers exist, but they dont deal in quality used cars. They deal in the SHIT junkers that the dealers take in on trade for $500, then dump literally same day into the lots of the used car dealers. These are junk box cars with yellow headlights, faded paint and TONS of body issues as well as mechanical issues. None cleaned or even washed.
And again, these cars are $5k for 180k mile mountaineers and 220k 15 year old mercedes cars. All with their standard YELLOW headlight lenses and maaco paint jobs. I had one dealer try to tell me that the entire side of this car that was clearly painted and not cleared or wet sanded was just "touched up". Fucking Lulz.
So I searched for 4 days straight. Met and passed on probably 15 cars that were private, and small dealer/car flipper cars. All had "clean titles" but looked like they were held together with piano wire.
And finally I stumbled on the Hertz rent a car retail sales dealer. Yes I know, former rental cars are usually beat hard. But thats worlds better than what I was seeing. So they had the inventory packed of identical camrys, accords and sonatas. As well as altimas and all other jap 4 doors. There were two levels . 2017 cars with 43k miles for $12k and 2017 cars with 73k miles for $9k.
JACKPOT. We ended up driving and loving a super clean 2017 Hyundai Sonata with 73k. The dealer fee was $600 and the plate was $400. But its the best I could do, and it was a 2017, not a 2010 with 140k miles. So otd it was just over $10k. Best part is it comes with a 12/12 from hertz. The body and interior is PERFECT. Not a blemish. Tires were replaced recently and it had full service history from day one. This was the best I could do guys. The used car market down here is sketchy as shit, and I was done fighting with scammers and car flippers to not get killed on a junk box. We were quoted the same price on a 2010 Honda Accord with 176k miles that was in Ok condition, but still had an incorrectly installed front bumper from a maaco respray. Who the fuck knows why it needed it, but habib Jamali said it was never in an accident...
Anyway, the new car is going in for 15% tints. And its needed down here. The only way to not get completely screwed down here is to just buy new. Anyway check it out.
NO.
There is this problem here in Florida. DEALER FEES. When you try to buy a new or used car from a new car dealer, there is no cap to the fees they can charge you. And to get a new plate is $500. So in looking at used cars at a new car dealer, I found that you literally have to take their price, and add $1500 to it. Even more at certain places. And to make it worse, I have been told more than 6 times by various car dealers that around tax time, all dealers jack up their prices because people generally buy more cars when their tax returns come in. This is a real thing here.
So here I am looking at new car dealers, at cars that should be $5k, but are now $8995+$1500+....... and so on. This is NUTS. But it gets worse.
So Im like fuck those new car dealers, there has to be small car dealers around here that only deal in used cars. Tons in IL with good clean cars.
NOT HERE. Yes those dealers exist, but they dont deal in quality used cars. They deal in the SHIT junkers that the dealers take in on trade for $500, then dump literally same day into the lots of the used car dealers. These are junk box cars with yellow headlights, faded paint and TONS of body issues as well as mechanical issues. None cleaned or even washed.
And again, these cars are $5k for 180k mile mountaineers and 220k 15 year old mercedes cars. All with their standard YELLOW headlight lenses and maaco paint jobs. I had one dealer try to tell me that the entire side of this car that was clearly painted and not cleared or wet sanded was just "touched up". Fucking Lulz.
So I searched for 4 days straight. Met and passed on probably 15 cars that were private, and small dealer/car flipper cars. All had "clean titles" but looked like they were held together with piano wire.
And finally I stumbled on the Hertz rent a car retail sales dealer. Yes I know, former rental cars are usually beat hard. But thats worlds better than what I was seeing. So they had the inventory packed of identical camrys, accords and sonatas. As well as altimas and all other jap 4 doors. There were two levels . 2017 cars with 43k miles for $12k and 2017 cars with 73k miles for $9k.
JACKPOT. We ended up driving and loving a super clean 2017 Hyundai Sonata with 73k. The dealer fee was $600 and the plate was $400. But its the best I could do, and it was a 2017, not a 2010 with 140k miles. So otd it was just over $10k. Best part is it comes with a 12/12 from hertz. The body and interior is PERFECT. Not a blemish. Tires were replaced recently and it had full service history from day one. This was the best I could do guys. The used car market down here is sketchy as shit, and I was done fighting with scammers and car flippers to not get killed on a junk box. We were quoted the same price on a 2010 Honda Accord with 176k miles that was in Ok condition, but still had an incorrectly installed front bumper from a maaco respray. Who the fuck knows why it needed it, but habib Jamali said it was never in an accident...
Anyway, the new car is going in for 15% tints. And its needed down here. The only way to not get completely screwed down here is to just buy new. Anyway check it out.