Episode 3

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Published on:

3rd Jun 2021

We Help a Used Car Buyer Find a Cool SUV

We Help a Used Car Buyer Find a Cool SUV

This episode is a follow up to episode 2 where we introduced Nic Bodiford and his search for a used 4-wheel drive SUV under $8K. Nic followed our five simple, yet essential rules to find a cool use car, truck or SUV at a great price, and he ended up doing just that after only a couple of weeks of searching.

He began his search looking mainly for a Toyota 4Runner in the 1998-2002 model year range. He also looked at Isuzu Troopers and Rodeos, the Mitsubishi Motero and the Rodeo-based Honda Pilot in a similar model year and price range. Most of these were 6-cylinder vehicles, but he ended up finding something just a little bit different with a V8!

00:00 - Show Open and Introduction

I reintroduced Nic and his search for a cool SUV, plus I gave a quick rundown and review of how Nic used the 5 essential rules to find a cool used 4x4 SUV at a great price.

04:15 - Nic reveals that he bought a first generation 2002 Toyota Sequoia

Nic goes into detail on why it fit his needs. He talks about how he had considered a 4Runner of the same vintage and was looking for specific features including 4-wheel drive with dual range (high/low) transfer case, vehicle stability control (VSC), Active Traction Control, etc. The Sequoia has all these features and is a garaged, one-owner SUV with 177,000 miles, excellent interior and exterior with extensive maintenance records highlighted in the CarFax.

08:00 - It's got a 4.7-liter V8!

08:20 - "Post Purchase" Inspection

Nic took it in for a post-purchase inspection and found only a couple of very minor issues, but overall the Sequoia is in excellent condition cosmetically and mechanically.

09:20 - The Price

The asking price was $7,000, but Nic negotiated down to $6500 and with tax & license paid $7200 total. Gary said the Sequoia was probably worth at least $2000 more based on what he's seen for sale in recent months.

10:45 - A One-Family-Owned Sequoia

The owners were great and even gave Nic back $50 to fill the tank with gas (say, but with today's gas prices, $50 hardly fills my Miata!).

11:20 - A Picture is Worth a Thousands Words, But An In-Person Inspection is Priceless.

Gary said that Like many car ads, the Sequoia looked good in the pictures displayed in the ad, but it looked even better in person and only had a few minor blemishes on the exterior that can be easily touched up. Some cars look worse in person, so seeing it with your own eyes is essential.

12:40 - There's an Arrow In It

Nic tells the story of one 4Runner he looked at while car shopping that had a steel arrow shaft and feathers for a radio antennae.

13:45 - The Best and Lowest Priced Used Vehicles Last A Day... Maybe.

Nic mentioned that he learned from this experience that cars in this price range sell very quickly and that you have to drop what you're doing and go see a car you like immediately if you want to have a chance to buy it.

14:36 - Cars Outside Urban Areas May Take a Little Longer To Sell

Nic thought that since the Sequoia was about a 45-minute drive north of Seattle, the time/distance may have kept it on the market longer than a vehicle in this condition would normally be available.

15:00 - Search In As Wide An Area As Possible

Gary recommends searching a wider area when looking for a used car - even looking in adjacent states. He then tells the story of a car he bought from someone in Salt Lake City and how he flew out and drove it back on the same day. 20-hour Fly & Drive Road Trip!

15:50 - Do Your Research To Know What You Want

Gary asked Nic if he had learned anything he wanted to pass on to listeners. Nic said that when buying in the future, he will definitely impose a wait time to make sure he does research to know exactly what he wants. He said that was invaluable this time to finding the right SUV.

16:30 - Don't Forget The Pre-Purchase Inspection

I typically recommend a prepurchase inspection (though in this case Nic felt comfortable buying the Sequoia with just the maintenance information from the CarFax).

17:15 - Don't Forget The Little Things (Like Wheel Locks!)

Gary mentioned that when buying a used car with wheel locks, be sure to ask the owner if they have the wheel lock key. You don't want to be stranded by the side of the road with a flat tire you're unable to remove simply because you can't find the key.

18:00 - Weigh The Pros & Cons of Passing on a Pre-Purchase Inspection

Gary also mentioned that while it's best to have a pre-purchase inspection, sometimes owners of cars that are low priced (under $5000, for example) will not allow you to take the car for an inspection since they just want to sell to the first person willing to hand them cash. As a buyer, you need to weigh whether you are comfortable not having the inspection.

19:15 - Get A CarFax or AutoCheck History Report

Nic bought the three CarFax bundle for his search and used all three over the course of a couple of weeks. Gary said he recommends CarFax, especially if the owner doesn't have or cannot find their maintenance records (often times some of the maintenance info is listed on the CarFax report, but paper maintenance records are best).

20:00 - Talk To Mechanics Who Serviced The Car (if possible)

Nic was happy to have access and contact info for the mechanics who had serviced the Sequoia in the past. He got lots of positive reviews and useful information from them about the Sequoia, and that was key in helping him ultimately make the decision to buy it.

21:00 - Thanks again to Nic and Show Wrap

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!