CARS...lady needs to buy a reasonably priced used car.Would LOVE to know what kind you ..?

buy a honda and your done.

stay home and do lots of research on the car your looking to buy. sales men are not your friends. they get you to buy anything.

I drove a Nissan Sentra for ten years. Wonderful commuter car, if a bit underpowered. We've also had various Chevrolet full-size and mid-size sedans and had very few complaints. Right now I've got a Pontiac G6 convertible and for cheap top-down motoring only an older Miata could be a better deal. Also have a Ford Fusion four-cylinder and like the Sentra, it's an excellent family car. Nothing inspiring about it, but that is what makes it great.

I drive Chrysler minivans for work and can recommend them, with reservations. They're not so great on fuel economy but you can beat the daylights out of them without hesitation because they're pretty cheap to fix.

Here's a short Do's and Don'ts list:

DO assume that the salesman does NOT know anything about the history of any particular used car on his/her lot, unless he or she OWNED it.

DO try to take an extended test-drive on a car you're serious about. A couple spins around the block, stopping at the park or a grocery shopping lot to give the hard sell, is NOT a real test drive. An extended test drive will also bring up any issues the car might have when things heat up and "get loose." Some dealerships will even let you borrow the car for a night or weekend as a "demo."

DO insist on a pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic YOU choose, once you've seen something you like. If you're looking at a "Certified Pre-Owned" car, this still applies!

DO try to get a source of financing in line before you seriously go looking to buy.

DO NOT sign any paperwork at a dealer unless you're done negotiating. A lot of dealerships run gimmick raffle promotions and that little card you fill out has fine print on the back allowing them to do this.

DO NOT tell them how much you want to pay per month. Negotiate the price of the car, then give them an opportunity to beat your pre-arranged financing source. This way you don't overspend.

DO NOT get emotionally involved in a car. Salespeople are trained (professionally or no) to see what happens when you get what I call "the shiny" impulse. Whether it's a brand new red convertible, or a sleek new Macintosh computer, or an awesome new outfit straight off the model in Turin, giving into "the shiny" impulse will spell your doom as a smart consumer.

I'm sure others will have good suggestions as well, but those hints will put you in a good position to score a good deal on a car you will enjoy for years to come. Oh, one more thing: DO have fun shopping!

The way you don't get cheated is to know the value of the car you are considering. Look at the specific year, make, model and trim level of a particular vehicle at nada.com or edmunds.com. Also, only consider vehicles that have good service history and records. Do not consider a vehicle that has mysteries. Too risky.

Also, here are several good tips on the entire used car buying process:

http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/10-steps-to-buyi...

You dont say what size car or price you want to pay. My first thing to do is go on to Autotrader and put in details from there drop down list and get some ideas of cost and types of car so you wont get ripped off.

I love my Ford Expedition. It has run like a champ since I got it 5 years ago.