Any car experts/hobbyists?

[sanantone]

I had a similar good experience with a Hyundai. Back in 1986 I bought a new Hyundai and I drove it for 7 years - a VERY durable car, especially considering it cost so little. Unfortunately, Sanantone is right about these cars - a majestic Buick slid slowly into the side of my Hyundai at a stoplight on a snowy day. My car was a total wreck - hardly a scratch on the Buick. With the insurance money, I bought a used Dodge Omni -my last car before I decided to quit driving. Another tough car, it lasted until it was 13 years old. If I ever start driving again, it'll be another Hyundai -unless I win the lottery. Then it'll be a 1937 Wolseley 6, a Riley RMB or the 50s-60s Alvis convertible of my dreams.

Most important thing to look for in a car purchase -- dealer's reputation.

Johann

I can attest to this. I was in an accident several years ago while driving a Buick Century. A Hyundai SUV that was a few years old hit me and another Hyundai SUV that was fairly new. Both of those vehicles had to be towed away while I was able to drive away with a small dent. You would think that a mid-sized sedan wouldn't fare as well as an SUV. That was a sturdy vehicle; it had over 200,000 miles on it when I got rid of it. Many people don't know that the Buick Century and first generation of Buick Lacrosses were rated as just reliable as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. I was involved in another accident a few years ago while driving a Mercury Sable. I was hit from behind by a late 90s Honda Accord. That car was totaled, but I was able to drive to work with only some minor dents and scratches on the back.

With the growing popularity of Social Media, you should look take a look and see if this company has a Facebook page and make comments about their service there as well...

I wouldn't be so upset if I had only bought this car from a mom and pop dealership for $5,000, but this vehicle cost about as much as a new economy car and came from a nationwide dealership that prides itself on selling "quality" used cars. I'm almost starting to think I would have been better off with fixing the 15-year old Buick Park Avenue I had. I didn't think it was worth it to spend almost $2,000 fixing the A/C and multifunction switch (need it to work properly for safety inspections) since the car was worth about that much.