Beater Car #2

If you read our previous post about our Beater Car #1, you might be wondering what is a beater?

A beater is a paid-for car (no loans currently on it) that is likely older and in running condition, but not showroom floor condition.  Case in point….

Full View

Before I discuss HOW we got this beauty, I want to relay two separate experiences that caused external damage after we bought her.  Both occurred when we were visiting our parents.   This first one pictured here happened when I accidentally backed into my parents’ brick mailbox.  If I would have had a new car or had been paying off a car, this accident would have been alarming.  But after a quick check to ascertain if there was more serious damage, I just shrugged my shoulders.  “Oh well…” 

Accident #1

We’ve never fixed it. 

The second accident happened in that same calendar year and was when one of our parents backed out of their garage and took off our side view mirror.  I cannot show you a pic of this because hubby got a replacement mirror for $60, and that was the end of that.  Yes, there is also a scratch and some denting down the side, but we have no plans to repair that. 

Accident #2

We definitely feel peace of mind knowing that these repairs don’t really need to be completed since the car lives up to its name: beater. 

Here’s our process for purchasing this Honda Accord:

  1. We knew we either wanted a Honda or a Toyota.  This car was going to be our son’s car for college.
  2. We put a Facebook plea:  “Does anyone have a used car to sell us for our son?”
  3. That same day, one of our friends did have a friend who was selling this car. 
  4. After test driving the car, hubby and son approved!
  5. We researched the car by the VIN and the year (2007) to make sure there were no recalls or alerts. We also made sure the title was clean.
  6. Hubby got the seller to agree to accept less (because they also had the experience of college kids)
  7. Done deal. 

Our son also contributed to the car purchase.

We truly love this dependable (albeit a little busted) car AND the accompanying peace of having NO car payments.

Here’s an excellent article of the Best Used Cars Priced Under $5000 to get you started on your beater search.