HA! That's the site of my first attempted pickup by a car salesman.

:D

Another happy Nissan gal here...

My biggest concern is showing up at say, Cerritos Auto Square, with that clueless aura that car salesmen pick up on so easily. (We've got a live one!) I usually go in knowing exactly what I want.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll look for a Toyota but keep Honda and Nissan in mind. It looks like it's going to be a question of how little can I spend versus the age and mileage of the car.

It's not just figuring out what type of car you want, but how much you reasonably should expect to pay and how to avoid buying a problem. You'll pay less for a used car from a private party than from a dealer. Plenty of books, online guides, etc. about buying used and new cars.

Yes, but I don't know if I have time to do the research. I'm kind of nervous about buying from a private party and buying someone else's problem.

What about buying new? Use the five grand as a healthy down payment and you should end up with low monthlies.

Or only put three grand down and use the other two for reserves.

Was the Corolla the only family car? Or do you have another one. The reason I ask is if you have your own car and the Corolla was just the boy's, then give him your hand-me-down and get yourself the new one.

Just a thought.

Hey, don't I remember you saying that you care less about what happens to your car once you've paid it off? Guess you ought to be careful what you wish for. :eek:

I love my Mazda 3. They have been out for awhile (I think since 04 - GD?). Great car.

Yes, '04 was the first year. They are unlikely to be available in her price range. But some of the older Mazda's (626, for example) can be good options (Mazda's a little hit and miss reliability-wise, so research would be in order).