Need to buy a used car

Danny W

Bronze
Mar 1, 2003
999
12
0
I would like to buy a used Japanese car, preferrably a jepetta, in good condition and hopefully not more than 5 or 6 years old. Marco has generously offered to take me to Espaillat motors in Moca, which i'm sure is the smart way to go. But before putting him to that much trouble, I'm putting the word out in case someone has something interesting to offer. I will be in Sosua Sept. 2 thru Sept. 7. In the interim, my girlfriend in Sosua would be more than happy to check anything out. Thanks, Danny
 

Snuffy

Bronze
May 3, 2002
1,462
6
0
What I did......

The following remarks contain some personal opinions...they are only opinions.

I looked for months and found that prices on car lots were much higher than in the classifieds. You have to be very careful about a dealer. They often take a vehicle that has been abused and clean it up, do any repairs, and they have ways of turning back the mileage, they can make that thing look worth a lot more than it actually is.

I looked at a lot of vehicles then decided on a few models that I would enjoy owning. Then I focused on those and continued looking until I found the one that met my criteria...

1. My initial feeling was that the vehicle was a what you see is what you get.
No scams, no attempt to hide damage of any sort. For example, the owner
did not seem to go out of his way to fix every little item, glue every piece
of plastic back on, steam clean the engine, etc. This is not to focus on
any one item...but to just get an overall feel for it.

2. My initial feeling was that the person selling was not someone who has a
lot of interest in deceiving the buyer. In my case the owner had a shipping
company and his wife was a dentist. They just came across like...this is
not that big of a deal to them...lets sell it and move on. You will find this
with people who are educated, have money, and are focused on their
business which is other than vehicle sells. Again it is an overall feeling.
Easier to find this in Santiago.

3. Vehicle looked nice and did not appear to have any major problems. I looked at it and it looked nice, scratches which the owner did not attempt to
hide, a few dings which he did not attempt to hide, but overall it looked nice. And then I drove it and it drove nice. It drove like a new vehicle.

And it was the kind of vehicle I had been looking and the right color.

4. The price appeared reasonable in comparision to what else I had seen.

So...I think I have found the right vehicle. So...I then proceed to make excuses to visit it a few more times...each time driving it and having someone else with me...a mechanic...a friend. I put that vehicle through the ringer. And it passed all test.

So then I made arrangements to take it to a mechanic...where they checked it out...and oh yea...I looked over all the paperwork to confirm all was in order. I called the dealership where he bought it and confirmed he was on file as original owner. So his story checked out.

And that was that.

We went to his lawyer to do the paperwork...who just so happened to be in the same office as my lawyer and so that was good.

Then getting it put into your name...that was a mess. I did it myself...Best to have a good lawyer do that for you. I am sure your friends can help you there.

Good Luck
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
No better words were ever spoken

A very good post. I am sure you will be happy with your car for many, dare I say, years..


Take your time. Espaillat Motors in Moca are nice people. So are the Ochoa people in Santiago, but they handle mostly new vehicles.

This should take time and patience. And networking.

How much are you willing to pay? What are your perimeters? We just got a really nice Mercedes for $18000 (1995 S320-immaculate condition, one owner)...so it can be done.

HB
 

Simon & Nicky

Bronze
Feb 3, 2004
655
14
0
www.simon-hall.co.uk
Do the right thing...

Go with Marco for Christ's sake - unless you are a mechanic who has driven the make and model of car that you want, on these roads for several years - and you're not.

When you've got four or five of the same car lined up and you can take each one out for a drive you'll soon realise how many crap cars there are lurking around this country.

I didn't know how well a Honda CRV was supposed to handle. I'd never driven one, but I drove a few at the dealers. When compared to the others, one shone out like a star. How exactly do you do that when buying one car from a private add?


Dont be a dummy - Marco is the dude
 

Danny W

Bronze
Mar 1, 2003
999
12
0
HB - I was hoping to pay around 6K. The car will only be used locally, and the principal driver (my girlfriend) is a novice, and bound to have a few (I pray very minor) mishaps. - D
 

Paulino

New member
Jan 4, 2002
190
2
0
I think it is going to be hard to find a decent jeepeta for 6000 dollars. (=250.000 pesos). But why don't you check out for instance www.super-carros.com to get an overview of the market and going prices.
 

jerryme

New member
Feb 1, 2004
307
0
0
Those prices on that website are outrageous!!! 82,000 US for a used toyota? HAHA.
HB: Nice car but double the price than here in the south.
 

Juan_Lopez

New member
Oct 21, 2003
74
0
0
I can say that Espaillat motors were a good company to buy
my 1999 Toyota Hilux 4dr Diesel from. Not much BS or hardsell
and they were relatively flexable with the price. I actually spoke
with Marco briefly at the Turkey Day bash when checking in
about Espaillat motors and my purchase. We both agreed they
were a good company. I still have this truck and have not had
a problem in over 1 year.

It would be a good trip to make even if you didn't buy that
day because you would get a better understanding of a
FAIR market value for vehicles.

Happy Hunting!





Danny W said:
I would like to buy a used Japanese car, preferrably a jepetta, in good condition and hopefully not more than 5 or 6 years old. Marco has generously offered to take me to Espaillat motors in Moca, which i'm sure is the smart way to go. But before putting him to that much trouble, I'm putting the word out in case someone has something interesting to offer. I will be in Sosua Sept. 2 thru Sept. 7. In the interim, my girlfriend in Sosua would be more than happy to check anything out. Thanks, Danny
 

Rocky

Honorificabilitudinitatibus
Apr 4, 2002
13,993
208
0
111
www.rockysbar.com
Espaillat Motors.

Juan_Lopez said:
I can say that Espaillat motors were a good company to buy
my 1999 Toyota Hilux 4dr Diesel from. Not much BS or hardsell
and they were relatively flexable with the price. I actually spoke
with Marco briefly at the Turkey Day bash when checking in
about Espaillat motors and my purchase. We both agreed they
were a good company. I still have this truck and have not had
a problem in over 1 year.
I have purchased 7 vehicles from them and some odd 35 to 40 of my friends as well.
Everybody is looking for a steal, including myself, but if you want to get a straight deal, with a vendor who stands behind his product and treated with the respect you deserve, I can think of no better place than Espaillat.
If you live on the North shore, we can go together, test ride any of the vehicles, then if there is one that interests you, they let me borrow it for a day, take it to our own mechanic to inspect it, then return the next day and say yes or no.
The worst scenario is it cost you the gas and the time.
The best scenario is that you have a vehicle that you feel comfortable on the road with, that is selling at a fair price and has been inspected to the point that you clearly know what costs you might face to fix it up the way you want it.
They have come thru several times for me in problem situations and bent over backwards to help.
Marco.
 

Juan_Lopez

New member
Oct 21, 2003
74
0
0
JDJones said:
Forgive jme for asking, but what did you lay out for your 1999 4dr diesel..
I'd like to get one myself!

I paid $RD 495,000 about 1 year ago.

I have seen this same type vehicle listed lately for $RD 850,000 retail.

When doing recent research (looking for another) it seems $RD 700,000 is a fair price for this type vehicle.

JDJones - some additional info, maybee help you.

1999 Toyota Hilux 4dr. Camionetta
45,000 kilometers
2.8L Diesel
4x4
Power Windows/Locks

Overall the truck was/is in great condition, no dents, a few minor
scratches.