Reader question:

Where can I find a Houston used car dealership? I live on Ella, near 610.

Randy

Glad you asked.

Really, though, I am. I actually bought one of my cars from a Houston used car dealership right near there. It’s actually just a little further down 610, on Shepherd. All you have to do is go up 610, exit N Durham/Shepherd, take a right on Durham, fall it down until you get to 16th street, take a left, and another left once you get to Shepherd, and it’s not very far down. It’s called USA Auto Brokers.

The salespeople there are very niced, and I have to say that I probably spent the least amount of time there that I have ever had to spend at a Houton used car dealership. They got me done fast.

In addition to that, they will tow your car if it needs to be fixed, for free (the towing, not the fixing). What really helped me was that they were very understanding about payments. I have made payments a week late, two weeks late, even a month late and they were okay with it. No late charges or anything.

take care,

Fashun

Reader question:

How far can I push the envelope on Houston cheap used cars as concerns age and gas mileage?

Jack

Interesting question.

You know, I once owned a car that was older than I was when I was in my twenties. Unless you’re collecting a vintage car, it’s not a good idea to push the envelope very far when it comes to age. Even if the car may look nice, unless you have the money, the time, and the skill to fix it up, there are very few–okay, probably zero–cars that are over 12 years old and can still function properly with the proper maintenance. The best range for Houston cheap used cars that are also quality cars is between 3 and 5 years old.

As for mileage, you should also keep that as low as possible, but most Houston cheap used cars are going to have at least over 20k. That’s find. You should just set your high point at around 150,000 miles and not go past there, because you’ll have problems operating it.

Granted, a car dealership can change what the odometer says to read like the car doesn’t have very many miles. If you get the vehicle history report, though, you can find the real number.

take care,

Fashun

Reader question:

Auto insurance for a Houston TX used car would be pretty cheap, correct?

Manuel

Glad you asked.

Well, Texas is pretty far down on the list when it comes to high auto insurance prices, so a Houston TX used car is necessarily going to cost much less to insure than a used car in New Jersey, but that doesn’t mean that you should automatically just assume it will be cheap. In fact, you need to find out the insurance costs ahead of time so that you can factor them into your budget.

Once you know what type of Houston TX used car you want, you should run each of them through an auto insurance quotes database so that you can see what each would cost you from several different companies.

Also remember that, since you will probably be making month by month payments on your Houston TX used car, you will also have to have both comprehensive and collision auto isnurance coverage. Make sure you take these into account when you are rating your possible new cars.

take care,

Fashun

Reader question:

What are the price ranges for cheap used cars in Houston?

Michael

Great question!

There are many types of cheap used cars in Houston out there, but just how you view them as cheap will depend on your budget and the kind of car you’re looking for. Here’s what you’re most likely to get for your money.

• $10-20k

This is going to be a middle line kind of car which has agd around 3 or 4 years. This car will give you a few years of great service with absolutely no problems, as long as you do your maintenance duty and keep it going. These tend to be sold as certified cars at new car dealerships.

• $5-9k

This car will probably be between the ages of 5 and 10. It’ll be a good car, still, although it will have a lot of mileage on it. You can find one of these from a smaller dealer for cheap used cars in Houston.

$1-2k

These cars might help you out of a tight spot, but they won’t last you long. These are the cars you can buy from your neighbor or some weirdo on Craigslist, and they’ll probably break down within a year.

take care,

Fashun

Reader question:

What is the best price for Houston used car sales?

Jordan

Excellent question, Jordan.

Before you figure out what you are going to buy from the Houston used car sales, you need to figure out how much money you can shell out. Sit at your kitchen table and draw up a budget. Your car expenses–including oil changes, tires, and so on–should not come up to over 20% of your household budget. If it does, you will be tight on money.

Then, start checking out prices on the different Houston used car sales. Remember that even if you have a tight budget to spend on, you still shouldn’t just automatically go with the cheapest car. Sure, sometimes cheap cars can turn out to be really great deals, but most of the time they are just disasters under a very welcoming outside.

Say you get some prices going from $10,000 to $20,000. Since you’re looking for a used car, $20,000 is a bit much. I mean, you might as well buy a new car for that amount. $10,000 isn’t likely to get you a good car, either. You should try, instead, to settle in the median with $14,000 to $15,000.

take care,

Fashun

Reader question:

How can I get a car from one of the used car dealers in Houston without risking getting a dud? I’m used to buying cars brand new, but I just don’t have the money this time.

George

Great question, George.

1. Look hard to find what you like. You don’t want to start playing guesswork on which car is the best the second you walk onto any of the used car dealers in Houston. You need to move around the internet, read reviews, find out the car’s flaws and is great parts, find out what other people are saying about it. When you have you’re on just one or two models, then okay.
2. Once you see the car at one of the used car dealers in Houston, don’t fall in love before you see the vehicle history report, which you can obtain using the VIN. This has info on crashes, floods, robberies, so on.
3. Don’t listen to what the salespeople say. Look for yourself. Get a mechanic to check it over.
4. Watch your papers. This is more important when you are getting your used car from a private owner, because you have to make sure you aren’t buying a stolen car or one that’s still owed on.

take care,

Fashun

Reader question:

I’ve been stopping around some of the used car dealerships in Houston, but to be honest, I’m still kind of torn over whether I want a used car or a new one. Can you push me in the right direction?

Greg

Thanks for asking, Greg.

I’m sure you’ve heard the spiel from the salespeople at the used car dealerships in Houston before, but I can give you the skinny without the spin. Here’s how it is. Think of how, when you buy a car, the worth of i depreciates so fast–it’s more than halfed by the time you’ve only owned it for three years. You find yourself in a situation where you’re in an upside down loan, and the car is worth less than you owe. Even if you no longer want the car, there’s no way you can sell to get out of it.

If you buy a used car at one of the used car dealerships in Houston, you don’t have that problem. It depreciates slowly. Many dealerships will even sell you a warranty to go with it, so if you choose your used vehicle correctly, it’s not too far from buying an actual new car. This is especially so if you hop on the certified used car bandwagon, considering that certified used cars tend to be in great shape, cheap, and only fiveor three years old.

Sure, there is still a sense of uncertainty when you purchase a used car, which is why you have to be more careful than ever. With the right kind of dedication, though, you can find a used car that will blow any new car away.

take care,

Fashun