Buying/Used car questions?

Have a couple questions related to buying/used cars.

1. Is insurance typically cheaper for older cars? Say 3+ years older or what actually dictates the price of insurance?

2. What are good car brands and models to buy that are reliable? I can only think of 2 that people say are reliable but i have no knowledge of cars in general; honda civics and subaru's

3. For someone who is buying used but what's to keep the car in good running shape for many years to come what mileage should i be looking for? I live in Hawaii so commute for me isn't very far but i will be using this car daily. I was trying to stay away from 100k+ or close to 100k like maybe 60k but i wanted to hear from others and there thoughts on cars with higher mileage.

4. Are older cars say from the 90's worth buying versus early 2000 models? I was looking at intergra's from the 90's they look alright imo, fairly cheap but since they are older imo not sure what i should expect when it comes to maintenance.

So you quickly gave up on the $18k car? LOL

Toyota is good too but anything late 90s and early 2000s is a pretty big risk and unlikely to have under 100k. SMH

1. "Is insurance typically cheaper for older cars?"

Comprehensive (full) coverage is usually cheaper. Liability is not.

2. "What are good car brands?"

Toyota and Honda. But search for models among the rest.

3. "What mileage should i be looking for?"

Shoot for around one year remaining on the power-train warranty.

4. "Are older cars say from the 90's worth buying?"

Depends on the car and how it's been taken care of. I personally wouldn't buy something older than 10 years.

Insurance is cheaper for older cars because they can't sustain as much damage without being totaled, and that makes them cheaper to insure. But what you pay for insurance is really complicated. There are a lot of factors.

Japanese cars are the most reliable, especially Honda and Toyota (Nissan has really gone downhill.) Toyotas are the most reliable. With proper maintenance they can go at least 200,000 miles on the original engine and transmission.

100k miles is not as much as it used to be. I remember when it was rare for a car to last that long but these days even American cars do. It all has to do with how well the car is maintained. I bought a Toyota minivan with 100,000 on it and I've been driving it all through the western states on trips with no problems at all. It came with a big thick folder of maintenance records.

90s cars are too old. Even if they're low miles, they've just been around a long time and things will need to be fixed and replaced just from age. I had a 1994 Integra and it was the best car I ever had! 8^) It had 172,000 miles on it when it was rear-ended and totaled, otherwise I might still be driving it. But today a 90s car wouldn't be as reliable. Not that it would be terrible, it's just not the smartest choice for the highest overall economy.

Most cars over 80k start needing maintenance on major systems. Its a matter of if the owner kept the maintenance up or just let things go and patched it more or less. That said a garage kept vehicle that the owner presents maintenance records would be really good… Insurance is figured by the companies based on the drivers record and the age, marital status, the individual vehicle, options on that vehicle, and even color in some cases. It goes by how many of 'those' set of conditions they had to pay out on. Generally a sporty 2 door model with the bigger motor option and your young single and maybe have some points already on your license, ins will cost more than the car payment lol.

Starting place: Ebay, used, low milage, garaged,
My price is $1,000.00 for each 10,000 miles
Below 150,000 miles. I try to only but cars
With less than 75,000 miles. The lower the
Better. I also buy used bikes as well with
Less than 15,000 miles. Out line what you
Want and need from a car or bike. Engine
Size, transmission, fuel type, etc etc and
Narrow down the choices. Also don't buy
Cars from northern rust belt states with
High snow and ice that put tons of salt on
The roads as it rusts out the entire under
Side of vehicles. I bought a ford van that
I had to get crushed because it was unrepairable.

The only person who could give you useful insurance information would be an insurance broker. Call one and ask them about what kinds of cars are cheaper to insure in *your specific area*.

Anyone looking to buy a more than ten year old car clearly doesn't want a reliable vehicle. You know so little about cars that it would be impossible to teach you enough here. Go read some books on the topic.

1. Insurance is generally cheaper for older cars. Things that affect price; car value, driver age and driving history, type of car being insured (sports models cost more), how likely it is to be driven fast, how likely to be stolen, how expensive to fix, where you live, whether the car is garaged or left on the street at night etc. While most insurance companies work off the same basic metrics, they also weight the figures depending on their own claims experience. So if your preferred insurer has had a whole bunch of claims for Honda Civics, they may load the premiums for that car, whereas another insurer would not. So shop around. Cars that are boring, bought by non-aggressive people and which are cheap to fix have the lowest premiums.
2. Gonna use the C-word. For reliability you can't beat Corolla or Camry. They are the most boring cars ever made and if you get one you'll never get laid ever again, but you can't argue with their record. Alternatives are Hondas and Mazdas
3. Regular engine oil (incl filter) and coolant changes are the top two things that will dramatically affect the life of your car. Regular servicing is next. Don't worry about mileage. Modern cars are incredibly durable if they have had some care. As long as they don't smoke, leak, make noises and change smoothly, you'll be right.
4. Late 90's is when stuff like airbags were becoming standard fit to cars. Older cars may not have stuff you take for granted today, so if those features are important to you, check the specs before you buy. Retro fitting is not really an option.

Make, model, engine size, sport car or sedan, area your driving in. NYC is much higher for insurance than Lincoln Nebraska on the same vehicle, your record, any tickets, and how long have you been driving. All plays in the price you will be charged.

I'll address the insurance issue. There are 30+ factors that go into your liability insurance premiums. A few are your employment history, credit score, where you live, marital status, how many miles you drive a year, year/make/model of car, driving history, etc. As for collision/comprehensive, old cars can't get it because in some cases, the premiums will add up to more than the car's insured value.

If you're looking to finance the car, don't. Cars that old have such low value, lenders won't make any money on them.