Customer Reviews

Best Buys in Used Cars

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book, although 4 years old now, is a wonderful guide forthose of us who know next to nothing about cars. It provides greatgeneral rules to follow when judging cars, along with a list of known "lemon" cars and a list of "cream puffs" (cars that are worth a look no matter what year). There is an incredibly detailed chapter on inspecting a used car, whether you are buying from a dealer or a private owner. I learned more about cars from this one book than I have in my 32 years on this planet. I know what to look for in tire wear, spark plug wear, and fluid levels. I avoided a $1200 mistake by knowing that transmission fluid is supposed to be bright pink or red, and if it's brown or black that you are looking at an abused transmission. I almost bought a 1994 Nissan Maxima from a private owner trying to pull one over on an unsuspecting female that he thought knew nothing. The book also tells you how to take care of your purchase, how often to change fluids and filters, and what to look for in a mechanic. This book is a true bargain.

I flipped through this book when I was in local bookstore recently. TRASH. Don't waste your money. I've never been very fond of Jim Mateja's review style (he writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column on cars), but you'd think he'd at least have the decency to update his used car guide so that it would actually be useful in 2002. The book was written 7 years ago, and you're not going to find any recent, relevant info on the current used car market here. Jim spends a lot of time talking about late-'80s automobiles, which may have made good used cars in 1995, but are little more than old junkers now. Do YOU think that an '87 Oldsmobile would make a great choice for a used car? Right, but Jim sure does. You'll find everything you need for buying a used car on the 'net now anyway. Avoid this book and keep your cash in your pocket.

While there are some good generalized thoughts in here, I could not hardly be more disappointed. I bought this book because I wanted to find the best buys in a used car, TODAY. All I got were speculations about 1995 cars (new at the time) and some examples of 1989 car changes. I want evaluations based upon models experience in the real world. This book is useless to me. It should not have been titled "Best Buys in Used Cars".

Unless you are planing on buying a car that is from the early 1990's or the 1980's, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK! It is totally out of date and has no relavant information to someone buying a car in 2006!

The fourth edition is basically the third edition with a six page addition listing his 13 best choices including a paragraph or two of commentary on each choice and a few "you might also want to check these" suggestions. The book does have some useful general suggestions if this is your first time for buying a used car. If you are looking for specific models to buy, go to your local library and copy the last six pages.

I purchased this book before i went out to buy a car and I'm really glad i did. This book covers all cars, old and new. It also talks about cars that are prone to problems or recalls. It talks about what all cars should cost if they're in poor, average, good or great condition. I used this book as a guide and thanks to what I read, I purchased a good car at a great deal.