Buying a car in the US
08-21-2002, 07:24 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
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Buying a car in the US
Hello,
I currently live in England but a change in my career plans could mean I will be moving to the US in a year or less from now. I know this is almost too much forward planning but I am curious to know what the process of buying a car is like in the US.
- I have noticed many people seem to trust buying their Porsches (including $40k 993s) on Ebay without even seeing the car, is this acceptable? Here in the UK I wouldn't buy a car without having seen it at least twice (even a crappy $1000 car)!
- would you buy a $7000 car from Ebay without having seen the car ever before?
- is a carfax a completely reliable source of information? I see its pretty comprehensive.
- what is a smog test and how often does one have to do it?
- are there any other fees to be payed to the government? like sales tax, licencinf tax etc...
- is there a yearly tax such as the 'road tax' we have in the UK (and all EU countries)? If so, how much is it, does it vary with engine size, or car class?
- is insurance expesnive? what can someone who has just arrived in the US expect to pay for a vehicle like a Jeep Grand Cherokee or something similar; what are the tips for paying less insurance?
- anything else I need to know?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
I currently live in England but a change in my career plans could mean I will be moving to the US in a year or less from now. I know this is almost too much forward planning but I am curious to know what the process of buying a car is like in the US.
- I have noticed many people seem to trust buying their Porsches (including $40k 993s) on Ebay without even seeing the car, is this acceptable? Here in the UK I wouldn't buy a car without having seen it at least twice (even a crappy $1000 car)!
- would you buy a $7000 car from Ebay without having seen the car ever before?
- is a carfax a completely reliable source of information? I see its pretty comprehensive.
- what is a smog test and how often does one have to do it?
- are there any other fees to be payed to the government? like sales tax, licencinf tax etc...
- is there a yearly tax such as the 'road tax' we have in the UK (and all EU countries)? If so, how much is it, does it vary with engine size, or car class?
- is insurance expesnive? what can someone who has just arrived in the US expect to pay for a vehicle like a Jeep Grand Cherokee or something similar; what are the tips for paying less insurance?
- anything else I need to know?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
08-21-2002, 03:19 PM
#3
My thoughts below:
-would you buy a $7000 car from Ebay without having seen the car ever before? No, but I bought a $22,000 car offered on eBay after getting a PPI done by a mechanic in the area.
- is a carfax a completely reliable source of information? I see its pretty comprehensive. CARFAX is only as good as the data collected which varies by state. I think that as more and more state agencies have gotten computerized, more data has been made available, but it can be spotty. In addition, people have been known to move cars around from state to state to avoid getting tagged with certain problems.
- what is a smog test and how often does one have to do it? Depends on the local jurisdication/state. I think that it is generally once a year or at least every 2 years on new cars (until they age a bit).
- are there any other fees to be payed to the government? like sales tax, licencinf tax etc...
Depends on the local jurisdication/state. Seeing a theme here about 50 states... Most states don't require sales tax to be paid on used car transactions between private individuals I believe. Don't know if used car dealers charge sales tax. All locales require a license plate/tag fee and registration. Here is the rub. Some areas only charge $50-100 per year, others access a one-time assessment on initial registration (can be $300-$1000 based on value of the vehicle), others charge annual personal property tax assessment.
- is there a yearly tax such as the 'road tax' we have in the UK (and all EU countries)? If so, how much is it, does it vary with engine size, or car class? See above.
- is insurance expesnive? what can someone who has just arrived in the US expect to pay for a vehicle like a Jeep Grand Cherokee or something similar; what are the tips for paying less insurance? Having read your posts on the 964 board and only guessing at your driving record, insurance would be prohibitive for you. (Just kidding.) I varies significantly based on the insurance company, where you live (urban/suburban/rural). type of car and coverages. You have a 1993 C2 Coupe. I have a 1992 C2 coupe and pay $1000 per year with a $500/$1000 deductible. Pretty reasonable I think.
It really is not a big deal here buying a used car and getting it set up. I beleive that based on what I have read on the boards about other countries, it has to be cheaper. BTW: The 93 octane Chevron is cheaper here too...
-would you buy a $7000 car from Ebay without having seen the car ever before? No, but I bought a $22,000 car offered on eBay after getting a PPI done by a mechanic in the area.
- is a carfax a completely reliable source of information? I see its pretty comprehensive. CARFAX is only as good as the data collected which varies by state. I think that as more and more state agencies have gotten computerized, more data has been made available, but it can be spotty. In addition, people have been known to move cars around from state to state to avoid getting tagged with certain problems.
- what is a smog test and how often does one have to do it? Depends on the local jurisdication/state. I think that it is generally once a year or at least every 2 years on new cars (until they age a bit).
- are there any other fees to be payed to the government? like sales tax, licencinf tax etc...
Depends on the local jurisdication/state. Seeing a theme here about 50 states... Most states don't require sales tax to be paid on used car transactions between private individuals I believe. Don't know if used car dealers charge sales tax. All locales require a license plate/tag fee and registration. Here is the rub. Some areas only charge $50-100 per year, others access a one-time assessment on initial registration (can be $300-$1000 based on value of the vehicle), others charge annual personal property tax assessment.
- is there a yearly tax such as the 'road tax' we have in the UK (and all EU countries)? If so, how much is it, does it vary with engine size, or car class? See above.
- is insurance expesnive? what can someone who has just arrived in the US expect to pay for a vehicle like a Jeep Grand Cherokee or something similar; what are the tips for paying less insurance? Having read your posts on the 964 board and only guessing at your driving record, insurance would be prohibitive for you. (Just kidding.) I varies significantly based on the insurance company, where you live (urban/suburban/rural). type of car and coverages. You have a 1993 C2 Coupe. I have a 1992 C2 coupe and pay $1000 per year with a $500/$1000 deductible. Pretty reasonable I think.
It really is not a big deal here buying a used car and getting it set up. I beleive that based on what I have read on the boards about other countries, it has to be cheaper. BTW: The 93 octane Chevron is cheaper here too...
08-21-2002, 08:10 PM
#4
I agree with most of what has been said. I think many times sales tax is collected at vehicle registration but as noted there are 50 states and DC and the procedures and taxes vary between and within each one.
If I were looking for a Jeep Cherokee or something like that I would just use the local newspaper/car trader/dealers as vehicles like that are exceedingly common. E-Bay is for more exotic fare, and there should definitely be a pre inspection, especially as I have seen some evidence that people post pictures of other cars and may take deposits on cars that don't exist. I would much rather deal with a real person.
Even if you don't intend to get a Porsche, you may wish to see about joining PCA as that would provide some vehicle savvy local contacts when you come over. Good Luck
If I were looking for a Jeep Cherokee or something like that I would just use the local newspaper/car trader/dealers as vehicles like that are exceedingly common. E-Bay is for more exotic fare, and there should definitely be a pre inspection, especially as I have seen some evidence that people post pictures of other cars and may take deposits on cars that don't exist. I would much rather deal with a real person.
Even if you don't intend to get a Porsche, you may wish to see about joining PCA as that would provide some vehicle savvy local contacts when you come over. Good Luck
08-22-2002, 01:52 PM
#5
Track Day
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May I suggest you mug up on the quite considerable differences in US spec cars compared to UK cars first - bhp for example can be quite a bit lower, so is this is important you may choose a different model. Mug up at <a href="http://www.sportscarguides.com." target="_blank">www.sportscarguides.com.</a>
08-22-2002, 07:09 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
The answers to your questions depend on 3 things: location, location, location.
Depending on where you will be, almost everything you asked can vary wildly. Insurance might be $700 a year or $2000 a year. Taxes and smog requirements are set by local law. There are 50 states, and some states have dozens of counties. For example, in California you pay sales tax on all car transfers when you register. In the Bay area you can get a smog check at anyplace that has a license from the state and they do a sniffer and visual check. But down in Los Angeles they have a dyno test, I hear. In Arizona, in the big cities they have a dyno test at a state facility, which is a major pain because you have to schedule it. Yet in the rural counties there is no smog requirement at all.
So depending on whether you're in Washington DC or Silver City, New Mexico your car-buying experience could be pure hell or pure joy.
Depending on where you will be, almost everything you asked can vary wildly. Insurance might be $700 a year or $2000 a year. Taxes and smog requirements are set by local law. There are 50 states, and some states have dozens of counties. For example, in California you pay sales tax on all car transfers when you register. In the Bay area you can get a smog check at anyplace that has a license from the state and they do a sniffer and visual check. But down in Los Angeles they have a dyno test, I hear. In Arizona, in the big cities they have a dyno test at a state facility, which is a major pain because you have to schedule it. Yet in the rural counties there is no smog requirement at all.
So depending on whether you're in Washington DC or Silver City, New Mexico your car-buying experience could be pure hell or pure joy.
