I currently have a 2012 VW Jetta that I really like that hasn’t been in any accidents and still runs fine but it does have roughly 137,700 miles on it. My grandmother who is 93 and is giving up driving has a 2016 Chevy Malibu with only roughly 12,000 miles on it (she has never been a big driver) and is willing to sell it to me for $11,000. Obviously that’s a good deal but $11,000 is a lot of money. Not sure if this is relevant but I make about $40,000 a year and have about $75,000 in the bank. If you were in my shoes would you buy my grandma’s car? My dad thinks I’m crazy not to but I’m torn.
Should I keep my 2012 car or buy my Grandma’s 2016 used car?
byu/Mjmeck25 inpersonalfinance
Posted by Mjmeck25
30 Comments
I can’t imagine paying $11,000 for a 10 year old vehicle. The warranties are 10 years 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, for a reason. If you’ve redone your Jetta timing, then I’d stick with the Jetta. If you haven’t redone your timing, I would consider the malibu, but god I hate American cars. Chevy truck, sure, car, probably not for me.
Is that a good price? Seems high other than it only having 12k miles on it.
I like the idea but $11k seems like a lot.
You don’t need a car right now, and you can get something reliable for around the same price when and if you ever do.
I would sell the Jetta while it still runs and buy the Malibu. You’re plowing $11,000 into a car with likely more life in it. As long as you require a reliable car, then the purchase cost of a car is essentially a continual expense because you’re either paying on a loan, saving money to buy the next car, all while spending money on repairs to keep your current car running.
Sitting unused is hard on a car. You get things like seals drying out. 11k miles on a 10-year-old car would worry me, not encourage me.
I think I would pass. It looks like it’s slightly discounted over the market but you aren’t in a situation where you need a newer car.
If you’ve got a good solid car, keep the devil that you know. Let your grandma sell her car for a higher price to someone else
What would Carvana give grandma for the Malibu? That will give you an independent price point. Also maybe run it by a mechanic to see if it has any older car/under used issues.
No way would I replace a 2012 jetta with a 2016 malibu.
Jettas will last forever (if properly maintained) and parts are very plentiful. If the Jetta is paid off I don’t see a reason to buy a 10 year old Malibu, regardless of mileage.
Keep the Jetta and save your pennies for something newer down the road. Granny’s car could have rodents from sitting around a lot.
Pass on the Malibu, you can say you like the jetty is smaller and easier to drive and you dont need 2 cars. That chevy will die a horrible death and your jetty will be zipping along forever.
If you want to be nice, help grandma sell the car by getting quotes for carving and Carmex so she has a starting point on pricing.
The only thing going for that Malibu is the super low miles. The downside of only 12k miles is that grandma might not have changed oil very often. Most people drive their cars, so they hit the 3k miles sooner than the 6 months or so time before engine oil breaks down. This car has sat around a lot and that’s not always good.
Also, buying from a family member can get messy. Does she have maintenance records? Have you taken it to a shop to be inspected by someone? What’s gonna happen if you buy it and something major breaks on it in 3 weeks that should have been a maintenance item?
Do you really like the car? Is it meaningfully better than your Jetta? 10 years old cars are generally an entire generation behind in safety, technology packages, and reliability. Maybe it’s been good to grandma, but do you wanna drive that for the next 10 years?
Does this Chevy Malibu meet your current and future needs? What’s your life going to look like the next 5 years. How does this Malibu get you there? Why is this the car you need and not someone else’s off-lease well-maintained average miles vehicle?
Just because Grandma is selling her car doesn’t mean *you* need to buy it. Let her put it up for sale and sell it to someone else.
in 2021 I bought a 2007 highlander limited with 50K miles on it for 12k. best purchase i ever made vehicle related. ymmv with a Chevy.
My daughter had a 2016 Malibu, bought it at 2 years old with low mileage, and it was a piece of crap. Started rusting around the rear wheel wells, paint bubbling. I wouldn’t have one if you gave it to me.
My daughter had a 2016 Malibu, bought it at 2 years old with low mileage, and it was a piece of crap. Started rusting around the rear wheel wells, paint bubbling. I wouldn’t have one if you gave it to me.
No. Not that price for a chevy. The VW will probably hit 200k before its even close to an issue.
Go with the car that works especially if you don’t have any payments on it. I’d keep the Jetta.
I would not pay $11,000 for a 10-year old Malibu, even with the low miles. They’re not necessarily known for their reliability and there have been numerous recalls, issues with Powertrain and various electronic issues.
At 137k miles, the Jetta is barely broken in. Keep it and save the $11k. Thank grandma for the offer on the under-utilized Chevy and just sell it for her.
I don’t think $11000 for a 2016 Malibu is a good deal
Both are probably amazingly good value. A 2016 grandparents car could run for another decade. Is 11,000 a good price? Not sure. If its your grandma who i 93 – why is she just not giving it to you? Does she need the 11k?
Research this and get professional feedback. Is that low mileage a concern as well as a potential advantage? Are the fluids all original and what does running on 11 year old fluids do to the car? What is it worth in the marketplace? What are the reviews for the make/model/year? Bottom line is do you like the car and will it be reliable for you?
No. I would keep my Volkswagen. They can run forever if you take good care of them. $11000 is too much money for a ten year old Chevy.
Lots of good advice here about keeping your Jetta. You’re going to waste your money and have a lesser car but you do you.
That doesn’t seem like a good deal at all…. go to [Driveway.com](http://Driveway.com) , Carvana, or Carmax and see what they would even offer for that Malibu.
Keep the Jeta, but get that timing belt swapped out like another poster mentioned and keep chugging along loan free. I imagine that’s why you have 2x your salary in the bank, because you weren’t stretching yourself thin over a vehicle.
tell your parents to buy the car if it’s such an amazing deal.
A paid off car is way better than dumping 11k into a car you don’t want. Offer to help her sell it.
Blue book value for a MINT 2016 Malibu with 0 miles is $11K.
It’s not even a good deal. It’s worse than a bad deal. Grandma wants you to pay “Kept by a car collector” prices for a POS she let sleep in the driveway.
I’d tell her 9 grand or kick sand. Personally, I would be insulted if a family member offered me such a great “deal”.
MAYBE you buy a car you don’t need if it’s a great deal. You don’t pay over GD retail for a FSBO. You might be comparing with certified used – that is NOT what Grandma is offering. Grandma is offering a car no reputable lot is going to touch for the maximum price she could get from a private sale.
This is a bad decision. If you pay 11k for this car, you are choosing to make a bad decision.
Everyone here is correct. A 2016 Malibu is worth 4-6k even with low miles you don’t get to 11k.
Might has well gift your grandmother $6k cash because that’s the real scenario.