im thinking about buying an 01 mustang, but i'm a little nervous, help?

Question

hi, i am 17 and i am very interested in this gorgeous (and i mean gorgeous!) yellow mustang. it looks absolutely brand new off the lot. it has almost 100,000 miles on it though..... which isn't so bad for it's age but i'm a little nervous that i'm going to buy it only to have a bunch of issues which i would like to avoid if possible. it's only $7200 and i can more than afford the car, so my main question is is it reliable, do you think i might have to do some repairs on it fairly soon? i also can't drive a stick and i don't know if it is a stick or not, the dealer is closed only when i'm available. i mean who opens at 10 and closes at 6! so i havn't been able to test drive yet or take a really really good look at it, i'm  going tomorrow so if theres anything i should be on the look out for, trouble signs or things that i might notice while driving it that might be indicators....... i'm just looking for some info.

GuyOnEarth · Accepted Answer

A ten year old car with 100 thousand miles on it is not worth that much. You could buy it on a private sale for half as much.

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cobrajet · Answer

$7200 for a 2001 Mustang is WAY TOO MUCH! 
Even if it's a GT and a convertible that's too high!
If you buy a used car off a used car dealer you will ALWAYS pay much more than you would thru a private sale. 100,000 miles isn't really that bad but if it hasn't had new front struts installed then it will need them. A few other things tend to start going bad and wearing out at that mileage but nothing major should need to be done as long as it was taken care of. Check the tires to see how much life is left on them.
If it's a v6 Mustang run away from that deal because it's not even in the ballpark of a reasonable price.
A hardtop v6 automatic(the most undesirable kind of Mustang) should be no more than about $3000 if it has the premium package. A convertible v6 should sell for about $5000 to $5500. A GT convertible should be about $6500. A hardtop GT should be about $5000. Of course, a lot of things go into valuing a Mustang including like whether it's a stick(more desirable) or automatic(less desirable), regular version or Premium(Premium packages were available in both v6s and GTs and included lots of standard upgrades like power windows, locks, upgraded radio, leather seats, etc).  
$7200 is only worth considering if it's a GT and a convertible and even then talk them down at least $500 if it's in great shape. I'd take someone with you that knows their way around cars.
Used car dealers always shoot very high and will almost always try to swindle a female buyer. 
Learning how to drive a stick is easy. It will take you only a few hours of driving to get it down smoothly.

? · Answer

Well.
1. Look in window, does it have a console with a shifter? If yes, it is a manual. 
If not, go ahead and test drive it.
Listen to the engine, does it run rough? Strange noises? Drive it, does it shift hard? Again, any strange noises when shifting? 
Dealers will make it look the best they can, so try and look past all that. Have a guy friend who is mechanically inclined go with you. Father, friend, whoever. And if you know anyone with the same model car, ask them questions about it. 
And KellyBlueBook the car, so you know you arnt over paying, you can also read reviews, see recalls, all kinds of stuff.

Anonymous · Answer

its only 7200? God I hope that's a GT then. To be honest 100k is NOTHING. On very old cars that can be alot. But on modern feul injected cars thats low. My 1998 camaro has 146k. No problems at all. That mustang can easiey go over 200k if you take care of it. Which means change the oil every 3k and fix little things before they get worse

im thinking about buying an 01 mustang, but i'm a little nervous, help?

4 Answers