Author Topic: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?  (Read 3890 times)

bananagram

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Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« on: May 11, 2015, 02:56:16 PM »
I've been working full time since November, and just found my office is moving. I currently don't have a car. I've come to accept that I'm going to need to purchase one for my new commute, at least for the time-being. (I have evaluated EVERY other possibility, and honestly this is the most practical. I'm not happy about it. That's another discussion however.)

My relative offered to sell me their 2002/108kmile PT cruiser for my commute for ~$2.5k. I only have about 6k sitting in the banks, and I'm thinking of doing it.

However, since the PT cruiser is a less than idea commuter (22mpg) I'm unsure. I can only afford a cheap used car right now, so buying from someone I trust seems really great. I'd probably try to hang onto it for just a few years, depending on how it holds up. BUT, it really is not my ideal car, or the ideal commuter.

How anti-mustachian is this move? Should I do it? Or find an alternative?

Gin1984

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2015, 02:57:19 PM »
What is the kbb value of the car?

bananagram

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2015, 03:02:23 PM »
The KBB value is right around $2.5k. He would shave a few hundred dollars off to sell it to me.

He has all the service records. One of the main selling points is that I know I can trust my uncle and he's not ripping me off or lying to me about the condition.

Gin1984

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2015, 03:06:35 PM »
I bought a truck from my aunt for a similar reason, knowing it is not a lemon (also to give her a bit of money) but I had a very short commute, what will yours be?

bananagram

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2015, 03:08:20 PM »
Not too far - 7 miles each way.

Gin1984

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2015, 03:09:55 PM »
Not too far - 7 miles each way.
Then, to me, the cost of the car matters more than the gas milage, I'd get it.

RexualChocolate

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2015, 04:07:01 PM »
Business with family is always dangerous. I don't recommend it unless dealing with him has an implicit put option you can guilt him into (he agrees to repurchase the car if it craps out in the near term). Too much risk for bad blood for me.

Briarly

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2015, 06:24:50 PM »
I bought a similarly cheap old car once from a relative.... it was a Saab. I loved that car and had no regrets. it died many years later, of rust, and outlived all expectations.

MoneyCat

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2015, 06:34:09 PM »
That sounds reasonable unless you might be able to commute those 7 miles by bicycle.  What are the roads like on the commute?

Eric

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2015, 06:41:23 PM »
Not too far - 7 miles each way.

Sounds like the perfect bike commute distance!  (says the guy with a 7 mile bike commute)

But if you are going to drive, a car with ~100k miles where you know the owner and have record of all service performed for $2.5K is a pretty good deal.  Even if it doesn't have the greatest gas mileage and is a Chrysler.

bananagram

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Re: Buying a Relative's (SubPar) Car - Should I?
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2015, 10:29:09 PM »
Roads on the way are a mix of hills, heavy downtown Seattle traffic and railroads/industrial areas.

I'm probably going to try the bike commute in the summer at least to see if I can make it through traffic alive (I'm not totally confident in my biking in heavy traffic abilities to be totally honest). However in the winter when it's dark both ways, still traffic-y and raining... I just don't see it happening.