Regardless of make or model, what do you look for when in the market for a used vehicle?

The only time we shop for used cars is race cars for my husband or sought after cars that are classics. Price matters, and usually it also matters that all the paperwork has been maintained. The service logs, that sort of thing.

does it run?

is it going to need work? (which might be, but is not necessarily connected to mileage)

price

Color, bells and whistles – don’t matter at all if the top 3 factors aren’t met.

Appropriate mileage for its age – 12,000 miles per year or less.

I pay a mechanic to look it over.

My primary concern is if it’s mechanically sound. Color, style, doesn’t matter at all. Don’t care about what type of radio/tape/cd player or other bells and whistles. I also really dislike electric windows cuz if something goes wrong you’re stuck until it gets fixed (and that’s usually expensive to troubleshoot. I’m not so infirm that I can’t roll a window up and down :)

But, i’ve realized that I really can’t survive without AC. I’ve got allergies and asthma and it makes a real difference. I’ve bought cars in the past without it and regretted it greatly.

And years ago I did buy a car with stick shift. Problem is I was living in the city at the time and my knees were just beginning to bother me. I would never consider that now since there is literally no cartilage left in either knee. I’m not a masochist so I’d need automatic transmission. But stick shifts are getting less and less frequent nowadays so it’s usually not a problem.

In years past, AAA used to have a bunch of diagnostic centers all over the place. (These were run and staffed by AAA people, did not do repairs and for around $50 you got a complete and comprehensive written report including computer diagnostics. ) but most have been shut down.

It’s a real shame because they provided a much needed unbiased source of info about a car.

mechanical reliability. @Buttonstc first paragraph rates an “A”.