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Oh the anguish of buying. Advice needed.

Please be patient. I know I've posted before, but I'm looking for the voices of experience. I continue to try to be patient and look for a good deal on a Miata like so many others have described here. I've found the following in classifieds that look interesting:

1999, garage kept, single owner with 73,000 mi., asking price 10,400

2000 LS, not garage kept, but only 22,000 mi., but multiple owners, asking price 12,980

Same color. My first inclination is to want to look at the 2000 with the lower miles. Then, I think about the reliability I read about in the group and think that 73,000 may not be anything. Therefore, saving $2000 before even trying to negotiate may be a real deal. Especially if it has been garage kept and only one owner.

I guess I don't know if there any real differences between the 1999 and the

2000 that I should be concerned about, if all things were equal. What do you think? Obviously, I would have to consider the condition of the exterior and interior, but beyond the obvious wear and tear things, what should I be concerned with?

Thanks,

David

Reply to
Prometheus7
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Permit me to suggest that you lose no sleep over the "deal," and choose a good Miata without further delay. The summer is wasting away, and you're still not driving one. This is your happiness we're discussing, not "The Price is Right."

I assume you've been to miata.net and done your homework on used Miatas. Drive 5 or 6 cars this weekend. Haggle if you like, but buy the one that makes you grin the widest. Time's a-wasting--these are weeks that you'll never see again.

Reply to
Lanny Chambers

Reply to
jimuntch

Recently a '99 with leather and 80+k miles on it sold on Ebay for $8,900 (I believe).

I bought a '96 in April with under 40k and paid $7,900. I swore I paid too much, but now that I'm having all this fun, I really don't care! Two weeks prior I came so close to signing for a '99 with only 25k on it for $11,200...

Of course, the smart thing to do is have a mechanical inspection BEFORE you buy the car, not AFTER like I did. Now I'm on the hook for a new catalytic converter. The good news is, there doesn't appear be anything else wrong with the car. I've put 4,000 miles on it since picking it up and it runs like a top.

I agree with the other poster, you're wasting time! Do it and have fun....

Reply to
The Millers

Reply to
Candy

Don't trust the ebay prices on automobiles. I just bought a Miata off an eBay ad and made the deal offline. The guy wanted to get some feedback so he closed the auction early and the ending price showed $1300 less than what I actually paid for the car. After talking to the dealer it sounds like most of his deals are done "offline" and closed early like this. I would check the local listings in the paper and see what market value is in your area. Check with your bank or credit union too. They usually have somebody in the loan department that is up to speed on vehicle prices. Personally I think buying the car is the cheapest part of the miata experience. It's all the accessories that I want to buy that's going to put me in the poor house ;-) Happy 4th

Reply to
D. Rogers

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