I'm in the process of trading in my Mustang. I need some honest feedback on my two choices

I'm deciding between a 2013 White Nissan Altima 3.5 SL with 25k miles at about $16k out the door. My other and first choice is a 2013 Black Honda Accord EX-L V6 Coupe with about 45k on it for about $18-19k out the door. Insurance is but a $15 a month difference between the two vehicles for me so what's I'm really trying to find out is if the Honda is worth the extra money I'd spend on it for car note and insurance. Monthly payment difference is $40ish. Oh and the caveat: I either have to pay about $500 to get the Honda shipped to where I live or drive about 14 hours to go purchase it where it's located. Help please. I plan on driving whichever vehicle into the dust so it's a pretty important choice for me.

A) You're probably not yet"in the process of trading" it because that actually implies that you're already negotiating with a dealer and have started the preliminary paperwork. It would probably be more correct for you to say that you're planning to trade in your Mustang and that you're in the process of looking for a replacement.

b) When purchasing a vehicle from a dealer DO NOT tell them you plan on trading in your present car until AFTER you have negotiated the best price you can. Only bring up the possibility of a trade in after they have agreed to a sale price that suits you. This puts you in a much better position to negotiate the trade-in value of your car. Otherwise they have some very deceiving tactics of making it look like you've got a good deal when in fact they've ripped you off.

c) Most of the time you can get quite a bit more for a car if you sell it on the private market instead of trading it in. However, if you still owe money on it this can get a bit complicated. So it's often easier to trade in a car that you still owe money on. Just don't tip your hand to the salesman until after they have agreed on a no-trade-in price.

d) It's absolutely foolish to purchase a used car that you have not thoroughly inspected and test driven. NEVER take a dealers word on the condition of a used car. Age and mileage are not the best indicator of that. If you do not know how to properly evaluate a vehicle yourself, then get help from someone who does. Otherwise you're just gambling your money. For the amount of money you're planning to spend its worth paying $100-$200 to an independent shop to have a complete pre-buy evaluation done.

e) Beware of the "certified pre-owned" gimmick. There are no laws that govern this sort of advertising and it can mean very different things dealer to dealer. Be sure you fully understand what it covers. Here, read more about this very important point: https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-blog/2016/02/what-does-certified-pre-owned-mean

f) Based on points (c), (d) and (e) above you should very carefully reconsider whether buying a used car from someplace that is "14 hours away" is a good idea. Any warranty you get with the vehicle would be pretty useless to you if you have to take it back to them for diagnosis or repair. On most used vehicles, only the dealer you buy it from is going to honor the warranty. Because of this its probably much better to buy a vehicle locally.

(g) There are millions of used cars for sale at any given time and I fail to believe that just those two cars are the only ones worth considering. NEVER get in a hurry to buy a vehicle. Yes, if you drag your feet you can lose a prospective "deal", but be sure you have done your homework first. My guess is that you haven't. If you had bought intelligently the first time you probably be looking to trade in the car you have already. Don't make the same mistake again.

If your looking for fun, I would personally go for the Altima. It has great acceleration and handling even though its doesn't look like it. The Accord should be nice too, as you might get better gas mileage. But again personally I would take the Altima.

The latter

Hi

Trade in for a jimmy

Don't just rent it