Hi everyone
I have decided that I want to buy a Fiesta ST. Used examples of this car are hard to come by! I have narrowed down on two possibilities around my area and was wondering if you guys could help me figure out which one to pursue
Option 1:
2014 Base model in Kona Blue (no Recaros)
54285 miles
$12,997
Value wise this seems like a great option to me. However there are a couple of concerns I have
Here is the carfax report of the car: http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?partner=DLR_3&vin=3FADP4GX9EM153851
1. It has very high mileage for a car this age! The 3rd owner drove ~26k miles in just 8 months. I am concerned this may have been modified/used for auto x or something of that kind.
2. It has some weird blue/red round thing stuck on the center console. I have been trying to figure out what this is but I couldnt. This suggests to me again that it has been modified.
https://www.cstatic-images.com/supersized/6/6/5/63/5e240cb948ffe5694fa4650d13b.jpg
3. The CarFax history shows it had a "transmission overhaul" at 54298 miles. Seems this happened after it was traded in and was done at a Ford dealership.
4. It was originally listed for $16.5k on 4/30/16 and has gone multiple price drops to reach its current valuation.
I like the car as far as a value proposition goes but I am worried this may be a lemon and hence the various potential red flags I noticed. Of course ideal for me would be test drive this and get it independently checked out by a mechanic but this car is a 5 hour drive away from me and I am cannot make multiple trips. I just wanted to get some opinions if this one is worth pursuing.
Option 2:
2014 White Fiesta ST with Recaros
Certified Pre-Owned
26001 miles
$17,522
This car looked great to me in vacuum but all I am wondering is if this is a fair price. Of course I want to make minor modifications on the car as the time goes (intercooler/exhaust/tune) which will most likely void the warranty. I was just wondering if the assurance of a car in good condition with much less miles is worth the extra $4.5k.
So what do you guys think? Any suggestions will be helpful.
As an aside, I have often heard people say end of the month is the best time to buy the car. The end of the month and the quarter is coming up. Do you guys feel I will gain anything substantial by buying right now? I would ideally want to wait till mid next month to buy this.
PS: I have driven a cheap '99 Mercury Tracer for the last 5 years and as much as I love that car I am really ready to move on to a proper car now!
I have decided that I want to buy a Fiesta ST. Used examples of this car are hard to come by! I have narrowed down on two possibilities around my area and was wondering if you guys could help me figure out which one to pursue
Option 1:
2014 Base model in Kona Blue (no Recaros)
54285 miles
$12,997
Value wise this seems like a great option to me. However there are a couple of concerns I have
Here is the carfax report of the car: http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?partner=DLR_3&vin=3FADP4GX9EM153851
1. It has very high mileage for a car this age! The 3rd owner drove ~26k miles in just 8 months. I am concerned this may have been modified/used for auto x or something of that kind.
2. It has some weird blue/red round thing stuck on the center console. I have been trying to figure out what this is but I couldnt. This suggests to me again that it has been modified.
https://www.cstatic-images.com/supersized/6/6/5/63/5e240cb948ffe5694fa4650d13b.jpg
3. The CarFax history shows it had a "transmission overhaul" at 54298 miles. Seems this happened after it was traded in and was done at a Ford dealership.
4. It was originally listed for $16.5k on 4/30/16 and has gone multiple price drops to reach its current valuation.
I like the car as far as a value proposition goes but I am worried this may be a lemon and hence the various potential red flags I noticed. Of course ideal for me would be test drive this and get it independently checked out by a mechanic but this car is a 5 hour drive away from me and I am cannot make multiple trips. I just wanted to get some opinions if this one is worth pursuing.
Option 2:
2014 White Fiesta ST with Recaros
Certified Pre-Owned
26001 miles
$17,522
This car looked great to me in vacuum but all I am wondering is if this is a fair price. Of course I want to make minor modifications on the car as the time goes (intercooler/exhaust/tune) which will most likely void the warranty. I was just wondering if the assurance of a car in good condition with much less miles is worth the extra $4.5k.
So what do you guys think? Any suggestions will be helpful.
As an aside, I have often heard people say end of the month is the best time to buy the car. The end of the month and the quarter is coming up. Do you guys feel I will gain anything substantial by buying right now? I would ideally want to wait till mid next month to buy this.
PS: I have driven a cheap '99 Mercury Tracer for the last 5 years and as much as I love that car I am really ready to move on to a proper car now!