I think the question lawboy05 raises is, "Do you want a used car or a new car?" He prefers a new car in this situation. In my area, a used 2004 G35 with premium and 12k miles has about the same value as your private party listing.

I think it's prudent to ask for service records on the car and to make your own judgement about the previous owner's driving habits. But I don't think I would worry unnecessarily about the condition of the car at 12k miles. Assuming it wasn't in an accident or "tracked", it should show very little wear. IE like new. And $2,700 could buy a couple year's worth of gas.

(Now I've taken a side. I hate making choices. )

 

"the bumper to bumper warranty is 4 years and 50K miles, so you have plenty left on the car."

6yrs/70k miles on the powertrain.

Excellent warranty...

 

You can do a carfax, ask the owner the usual questions--accidents, paintwork, smoker/nonsmoker, flood damage, theft recovery, why are you selling, any problems;then with owners permission, have the service records faxed to you directly from dealer. You can also have the owner take the vehicle to the nearest carmax for an appraisal--they will check the vehicle for accidents--clamp marks on the frame rail that would indicate that the frame had been repaired due to a major accident; evidence of paintwork--you should feel a smooth edge on the door jambs/trunk/hood edges--paint work will feel rough and may not match or look original. Then, if all that checks out you should still have some warranty for any unforseen problems.

Let us know what you decide.

 

Go for the new one! I trust all G's but there is something about buying a "used" car even if the car has a remaining warranty. I like the peace knowing how a car has been treated.

Texan1 is right about getting it inspected. This goes for any used car. If you have a mechanic you trust to look at it, I recommend this as CarMax doesn't catch everything. I've seen it firsthand.. A friend of mine got his truck appraised at CarMax and they didn't even see that the front of the vehicle had been repainted and that the hood was not the original hood, although OEM. Some body shops (esp Dealer body shops) are getting incredibly good at making paint and body repairs un-noticable. Also, they don't always report it via the VIN if the repair was not a result of an accident. For example, factory paint repairs (warranty paint repair) normally won't show up on a CarFax report.

 

So, can I just bring the car to any carmax and ask them check it the body? or do I have to make an appointment for the service? Do you guys know how much it would be? I'm in So.California. Could you please tell me a little bit more detail about the carmax service? Thanks.

 

I know people can lie through their teeth on this question. But you have to ask yourself why the person is selling and is it a legit explanation.

I'd go new rather than used since the 05 has some ugrades and some issues that have been fixed. Of course the 05 has not been around too long so time will tell...

 

I was in a similar situation when I was looking for my first new car. I ended up buying a lightly used 1999 Acura CL with only 6000 miles on it and all records. Saved $5k by buying used. Had the car checked out by the Acura dealer and they cleared it as perfect and same with the carfax report. 3 years later, at about 78000 miles, my wife gets stuck in it because it is overheating. Luckily, she wasn't in a bad location, so no harm no foul. We take it to the dealer, they check it out and tell me it was my aftermarket radiator that was causing the problem. The only thing, I never put an aftermarket radiator on the car. It had been wrecked and re-built. I won't be buying a used car again. To many sh*ts in this world who will cheat and lie to you to make a nickle.

In short, I'd buy the new car and know the entire history of the car.

 

I agree. There are used car values out there, but everytime you buy one it's somewhat of a gamble.

I had a Tahoe once that was in an accident and had over 20k worth of work done....it was a great truck before the accident, but it never seemed right afterward. After a year of fussing with it and fixing little things that leaked/vibrated, we just decided to trade it in. When we did, we thought that we'd take a huge hit because of the work...the Toyota dealer we traded it in at didn't seem to care.....they said a clean 2-Door Tahoe with a warranty would sell in a week.

 

05Gsedan wrote: I recommend this as CarMax doesn't catch everything I've seen it firsthand.. A friend of mine got his truck appraised at CarMax and they didn't even see that the front of the vehicle had been repainted and that the hood was not the original hood, although OEM. Some body shops (esp Dealer body shops) are getting incredibly good at making paint and body repairs un-noticable.

I can tell you that this is HIGHLY unlikely--that car was NOT going to be sold on the carmax lot because 3 consecutive body panels had been painted. That vehicle had already been earmarked to be sold at auction--so not everything was listed on the appraisal form. The carmax buyers are the BEST in the industry at identifying ANY paintwork--PERIOD. They will not buy a vehicle, that they will have trouble selling. I don't care how good a body shop is--if you know what to look for--you will find evidence of paintwork. Less than half of the cars they buy from customers ever make it to a CarMax lot. The cars that fail Inspection are sold at wholesale auctions
They will NOT sell any flood or frame damaged cars.



To MINE---you have to ask the owner to take her vehicle to carmax for an appraisal--it is free of charge and on a first come first serve basis. Do not tell them that you are not planning to sell them your vehicle and that you are just there for an appraisal (inspection)--(they will still appraise it {inspect it}) but these guys want to feel like they have a legitimate chance of buying a clean vehicle like the one you described.

• We test drive your car to determine its mechanical condition.
• We check the interior & exterior to make sure its condition is consistent with the age of your car. Excessive wear and tear may affect your car's appraisal value.
• We check the mileage/age. Excessive miles may lower your car's value and narrow its resale market. Average mileage is around 12,000 to 15,000 per year.
• We check the paint & body work for paint lines, overspray, body putty, dents, scratches and other signs of previous body repair. Frame damage will also affect your car's value because it shows your car has been in a serious accident and may not drive properly. At CarMax, we don't resell frame-damaged vehicles. These vehicles are sold at wholesale auctions to other dealers.



Los Angeles
- Buena Park
- San Gabriel Valley/Duarte
- LAX
- Ontario - Opening Soon
Sacramento/Roseville


LAX
Address:
8611 La Cienega Boulevard
Inglewood, CA 90301
Store Phone:
Local: (310) 568-9272
Toll Free: (888) 646-9898
Fax: (310) 642-5165
Store Hours:
Mon-Fri 11-9
Sat 10-9
Sun 12-7
Service Hours:
Mon-Fri 7:30-6


Driving Directions:
At La Cienega (I-405) and Manchester (Hwy 42) near L.A. International Airport.

http://www.carmax.com/dyn/companyinf...?location=7810

 

Texan1... I wasn't trying to say you were wrong. Just wanted to give my first hand experience with appraisals at CarMax. I'm sure they would not have sold my friends truck on the lot. They would have definitely sold it at auction. All I know is that the CarMax he went to did not catch the body work that had been done on his vehicle. It was a Dodge Dakota (standard), body work had been done on the front, and the hood replaced with one from a Dodge Dakota R/T and even had the sticker from the R/T showing engine specs. The appraisal report showed did not show anything about body damage or a repaint and it had definitely been through it.

Moral of the story: Don't rely on one appraisal!

 

I purchased my 92 Pathfinder from Carmax in 95 w/ 36K miles for 15,000. If I had bought new it would have cost me 22K. I drove it 10 years and just sold it w/ 142K miles for 2500. The vehicle never gave me any problems and cost me $12500 to drive for 10 years. If I had bought new the first three years would have cost me 7K. I don't know if I'll ever buy new again with todays costs. Plus I can put the money I saved into my 401K or other investment.

 

Hey Texan, can you explain why Carmax prices are so varied. If you do a compare some are 3K below KBB, where others are only 1K below KBB. I've noticed this when pricing 03 G35s. Thought you may have the scoop....

 

I am not sure about that--I was told that it is relatively hard for c.max buyers to purchase those(G35s) at auction--they are not too common at auctions--or their cost is higher to buy them or it may simply be the features on the car--nav-or no nav--especially low miles or whatever--that is what I was told recently. I agree with your view on buying pre-owned cars with warranty. If you do your research, have the car inspected by you and someone else in the biz, you can save a ton of money. I know when we bought my wifes SUV--$30K+, you add extended warr., tax and you could very well near $40K on a car. Then you curse when the rock nicks the windshield, or the first ding. Once you buy a couple of new cars--its no big deal--because you can--so with my car--I chose pre-owned and saved around 9 grand. Got to love that--but new cars are nice too--but in 11 short months its a year old and worth less. We keep our cars a long time too--at least 8yrs.

 

05gsedan--Yeah--I get what you are saying--I was cutting and pasting and I left this part out--I do understand what you are saying.

 

I purchased my Miata and Mustang new. After I wrecked the Mustang it was a POS and gave me nothing but problems. So if you buy new and are in a pretty serious accident you can end up getting screwed. I wish they would have just totaled it and scratched a check. My Miata has 180K miles and is still going strong. If I didn't have a kid on the way I may consider buying new, but for now used makes more sense for me.