So this is my first time buying a used car, period. This will also be my first unshared car (I shared a 95' camry with my older sister for a while), so I want it to be a worthy purchase. My budget is around 15k and I'm trying to obtain a used TL, and I've searched cars.com, yahoo autos, craigslist, etc. So far, my best bet has been craigslist in terms of finding local TL's for sale. I don't want to buy from a dealer if possible, I just don't trust them in general, and plus I don't feel like I'll ever get a good deal out of them. My problem is a lot of the ones I'm interested in are too far for me to get checked out by my mechanic, and I don't like dealing with unknown mechanics. Also, some of them aren't even within range (2+hrs away just to look at a car? Can't do it).

So what is the complete process I should go through when purchasing this car, specifically one that I probably won't see in person nor check out with a mechanic? I know I risk getting a lemon right?

 

Keep searching, there are too many TLs around to risk buying a car you can't see or have checked out by a mechanic. I'd suggest looking into CarMax or similar type of car lots.

 

So I should get it checked out no matter what? What if I search a nearby dealership to the car's location and take it there for a checkup

 

I would never buy a used car that I never got the chance to see/drive even if it only had 1,000 miles on it and it seems like a pretty good deal. I like to drive at least 3-4 of a specific to get a feel for what a good condition, say, TL feels and drives like and what a shitty, poorly maintained one drives like. You learn a lot about the car before you even buy it, and it usually sheds light on issues you might not have stumbled upon when you were researching the car pre-purchase.

I just don't know how people take a leap of faith and fly/drive out to where ever to buy a car. Even through super detailed photos and talking to the owner in detail about the car, how he used it and everything, I could only do it if I really, really wanted that, exact car with those exact options and it couldn't be found anywhere else and it was a good deal and there were valid service records on hand. I'm not going to waste money on a plane ticket to find out the pictures of the car are a month old and the guy just got in an accident last week.

For some even better insurance.... if you're not familiar with funny noises and behaviors that poorly-running cars make when you drive them, a compression test is a great idea, but I would think that owners will only allow mechanics to do that. At least I would. Personally I was too lazy to test all 8 cylinders on my car .... but I listened to it at idle, high rpm, inside and outside the car, etc.

 

I suppose that would work, personally I'd want to drive the car myself to verify it's condition. I just don't see how you can't find any nice TLs in your area. There should be several available at any given time.

 

Donnnnnttt

 

too many things to worry about :/

 

Be patient and wait for a good deal in your area.

 

Thanks for all your advice guys. I'm such a newbie and forums like these are a godsend to me. I'm under a time constraint because I need a car before school starts, and I REALLY want a TL. But I will play it safe rather than getting a lemon

 

dude why are you so desperate to up your post count?

 

I agree with the be patient part, but disagree with the wait for a good deal in your area part.. My motto is you gotta go where the deals are. I drove 4 hours to get my car, and I got one hell of a deal, granted the purchase process , but if I would've waited to find a deal in NYC, I would still have my previous POS car.

 

Well area has to be used as a relative term. Anything you can drive to in a day and back seems to be within range. You just need to be able to personally check it out and have a Mechanic look at it.