Doctor Ron’s CarFinder Service

27,000 mile Volvo, 8 Airbags, $13,500.

2005 Volvo S80 2.5T.  27,000 miles, $13,500.

This car has:
Traction control, stability control, a steel cage,
an extra battery, ABS, GPS, ATD and 8 airbags.
(So if you ever have a problem Tim, it’s probably your own fault.)

The sellers were in tears.  The buyers, well, see bellow….

Mr and Mrs Irwin Sidman extolling the Volvo’s virtues to Tim the buyer.
Dr Ron says:  "This is beginning to feel like Thanksgiving dinner at my parents’ house.
Give them the check, take the car, and let’s get out of here!!!".

Jetta with heated seats, clean history, and only one owner

2004 VW Jetta GLS, 22,000 miles, $10,000.

Seller’s Description:
Only 22,056 miles. You can buy with confidence.
One owner, purchased from local Volkswagen.
Original sales documents in hand.
All scheduled service performed by authorized VW dealers.
The car is in great shape. 
It has had routine maintenance and had no accidents or major repairs.
Immaculate vehicle in excellent condition.
Heated seats, Sunroof, Remote Keyless Entry, Premium sound and CD player.
Exceptional opportunity.

37,000 mile VW PASSAT Turbo

2004 VW PASSAT GLS TURBO 37,000 MILES, $9,500.

Moon roof, auto stick, ASR, 6 airbags, heated seats.
Gorgeous gold car with black interior.
Dr. Ron is astounded that for under $10k
you can have a low mileage European car with such high tech options. 
ASR is skid control. 
Auto stick is an automatic transmission that can be shifted like a stick for fun. 
6 airbags is, well 6 airbags (more than Dr. Ron’s car has).
The seller was a retired attorney in Litchfield County, CT. 
She bought it new,
and had every single piece of original paperwork and service record available. 
She showed us around her home,
introduced us to her hunting dogs,
and showed us her new Lexus and Audi…enough said.
 

Sporty VW Golf owned by Sociology Professor.

2003 VW Golf GL, 52,000 miles, $7,500.

Seller’s Description: 
Low mileage, Non-smoker, One owner,
Bumper to bumper warranty and emergency roadside assistance included!
Warranty is good until 7/15/2012 or 100,000 miles.
Runs & drives great, Well maintained,
Maintenance records available.
Selling because moving overseas.

I purchased it in Virginia in 2003 and drove it immediately to Massachusetts.
I was completing my Postdoc at Brandeis.
I then moved to RI to assume a new teaching position. 
Mass and RI are the main locations. No accidents.
There are a few minor scratches.
I got an estimate on what it would cost to remove those and $300 is the estimate I received.
I checked on that because they are noticeable if you are OCD like me,
but otherwise they’re not noticeable.

One owner Passat with only 49,000 miles.

2003 VW Passat GLS, 49,000 miles, $7,499.

Seller’s Description: 
Single owner, well maintained car. Everything functioning perfectly.
No accidents, No scratches, No dents, No repairs, Excellent interior.
The car was in Florida and I moved to CT in Feb. of 08′.
Selling because, I want to buy a new car.

V6, Heated Leather, and a Honda Warranty for Dr. Gilbert.

2007 Honda Accord EXL. V6, Heated Leather, Moonroof,
6 Airbags, Skid and Traction Control,
and a 70,000 mile Honda Warranty. 39,000 miles, $16,700.

Sellers Description:
While Camrys are being recalled by the millions,
there exists a great supply of late model Accords.
These Hondas are designed to fit like a glove,
drive like a mellow BMW, and last like - well - a Toyota.
And they do.

How hard does a ninety year old drive a car?

2004 Honda Accord EX Sedan $12,900, 23,000 miles.

Seller’s Description: 
The car is in excellent condition. No accidents or repairs since purchased.
The car is being sold by my 90 year old mother because the car is a bit too
big for her to handle - she’s looking to buy a smaller Honda Civic.

Efficient one owner Civic.

2005 Honda Civic LX Sedan, 40k, $9,000

Seller’s Description: 
I purchased this car NEW in 2005 from a dealership in California.
It’s never had a winter with snow so it is in fantastic condition (we just moved here).
I have never had a problem with this car (I love Hondas).
We are selling the civic because we are now students.
This car has had all scheduled maintenance.

You can park this car ANYWHERE.

2008 Toyota Yaris Hatchback $10,000, 3,100 miles.

Seller’s Description: 
This 2008 Toyota Yaris 3dr Liftback Hatchback
features a 1.5L 16V 4cyl Gasoline engine.
3100 miles on the clock and superb condition inside and outside.
The car has only been used to drive to the train station and back.
Only one owner.
This car gets great gas mileage,
on average City MPG 29 miles and Highway MPG 35 miles.
Air Conditioning, Electronic Power Steering, Clock,
Tilt Steering Wheel, Driver and Passenger Airbags,
Rear Defogger, Intermittent Wipers,
AM-FM, MP3/CD Player with IPod/AUX connector.
Must see and test drive to appreciate!
The seller moved closer to the train station so no longer needs the car.

Pontiac Vibe built in a Toyota factory - $9,300

2005 Pontiac Vibe with 53,981 miles for $9,300.

This is not a six speed 185 Horsepower beast like the Matrix above. 
But just like a base Matrix, it has a Toyota Corolla engine,
transmission, and all other mechanicals. 
It’s not your uncle’s Pontiac. 
Dr. Ron knows how to buy Toyotas at Pontiac prices….
Other good bets are Chevy Prizms and Chrysler cars with Mitsubishi power trains. 
Iona should be happy.

38,000 Senior Citizen miles bought from estate for $9,600

2002 Subaru Outback LTD AWD Wagon 38,000 miles.
Two moonroofs, Side Air Bags. Heated leather power seats covered since new.

When the executrix of the estate told Dr. Ron
that her father had kept the leather covered since new,
it reminded Ron of his grandmother’s living room furniture always covered in plastic.
When these karmic moments occasionally come up, one needs to jump on the car.
Just what Joanna wanted for commuting to Rockland County.

 62,000 miles, AWD Subaru $7,900.

2002 SUBARU FORESTER-L AWD. 
This sought-after Forester “mini – SUV” body style was hard to find with only 62k on a 7 year old car.

The seller was a Yoga Teacher.
The Buyer a Therapist.

The Yoga Teacher delivered it to the family therapist in Great Barrington Mass. She drove him back to Long Island.  Apparently they hit it off, and she gave him her favorite book on couples’ relationships… Dr. Ron charges for car finding, but not for his dating service… You never know.

Dr. Ron’s bookkeeper has the same car and says, "My 95 Subaru has 150k and is still going strong."
 

45,000 miles, AWD, $6,300.

1998 SUBARU LEGACY L AWD STATION WAGON.
The car lived in the 80 year old gentlemen’s garage.
How do we know his age?  His DOB was printed on the CT title.
The point here is that this Subaru is fully depreciated, but has barely been used.  And 80 year olds drive gently.
Dr. Ron and his client (the buyer) Dr. Steve got under the car on their backs with a flashlight.  The underbody looked new….
 

Famous Honda motor, design, and engineering.

2000 Honda Odyssey EX, 52,000 miles, $8,500.

Seller’s Description: 
In 1999 Honda was the first car company to figure out
how to build a minivan with a fold flat rear seat. 
Toyota and Dodge needed five more years to do the same thing.

LOW miles, Second owner, Fold Flat Rear.
Well maintained excellent condition non-smoker/pet-free vehicle.
(alloy rims are worn and scratched on surface.)

This Gramp was a WWII vet — ie an Octogenarian.

2004 Chevy Venture LS Extended Van. 35,000 grandpa miles. $7,000.

Karmic Coincidences:

Seller (executor): Hilton Kelly
Buyer: Pat Kelly.

Seller’s address:  Winslow Drive
Buyers mother’s maiden name: Winslow

Deceased:
WW-II vet who blacked out behind the van wheel in a nursing home parking lot.
Buyer’s Dad (and beloved family patriarch):
WW-II vet who pulled many similar stunts behind the wheel and in and out of hospital parking lots.

This business is getting weird.

On a more serious note:
This is the second car that Pat bought through Dr. Ron. She is a repeat customer
because the $5900 Dodge Stratus with only 4,000 miles worked out so well over the past six years.

 This Hemi lived in Florida from 2004-2009.

2004 Dodge Ram 1500 2WD Crew Cab SLT, 40,000 miles, $12,900.

Seller’s Description:
Florida Truck with 5.7 liter HEMI and Dodge Powertrain Warranty.
20 inch alloy wheels, almost new tires, tow package, tranny temperature gauge, and bed liner.
Inside it has heated leather seats, navigation, Infinity sound system,
SIRIUS Satellite Radio compatibility, electrically adjusted pedals, and power everything.

This truck was purchased new in Florida in 2004,
and kept in Florida by the original owner (a Mercedes technician) until July 2009.
I bought the truck from the Ford dealer last summer and brought it up to New England.
So this truck has only had 1 New England winter.
No salt, no sand, no snow, no rust.

This truck has a completely clean, no accident history.
I can email you the AutoCheck report from Experian Credit Reporting. 

The truck is in excellent condition inside, outside, and underneath.
Everything works fine. The heat is hot and the AC is cold.
The HEMI runs and sounds awesome.
No accidents no repairs, no issues.
No dents, no dings, no rust.
Still under Factory Warranty.

6,800 mile Ford F-150, $8,500

2007 F150 XL with 6,800  miles for $8500. 8 foot bed with liner.
The seller Ray was a grandfather living on Cape Cod.  He used the truck occasionally for trips to the dump or to tow his 14 foot sailboat.  Here is the text from his original ad: “Truck has tow bar and bed liner in the 8 foot bed and is in excellent condition. Only averaged about 2200 miles per year for the three years that I have owned it. I am reluctantly selling to buy a second car because my wife doesn’t like to drive a truck. “   If the wife is making the decision, then Dr. Ron likes the car.

Ford F150 with 8 wheels and tires.

2000 Ford F 150 XLT 4×4, 39,000 miles, $6,500.

Seller’s Description:
4X4, V6, stick. Only 39k miles, $6,500. 8 wheels/ 8 tires. Bed liner.
I bought this truck new back in 2000, and never used it to plow or work.
Only thing I ever towed with it was an ATV.
My wife and I used our other vehicles most of the time, so this truck has low miles.

Compact Extended Cab Pickup with Cap.

1997 Chevy S10 LS Extended Cab 4 x 4 Pickup.
Came with Bed Liner, Step Bumper, and matching Cap.
Bought with 45,000 miles for only $6,500.

When Kathleen told Dr. Ron that she and her husband needed a good 4×4 for $6,000,
Dr. Ron was up to the challenge. 
When she said it had to be a compact pickup in very good condition,
I considered going back to basic science research. 
Where does one find such a vehicle? 
The AARP classified? 
Anyway we found the truck
so now the Potoski’s can leave their Miata in the garage for the winter. 

Long bed, Bed liner, Toolbox, Never worked.

2000 Chevy Silverado V8, Automatic, RWD.

Great well-maintained dependable work truck, very low mileage, one owner,
non-smoker, clean interior, no accidents, maintenance records available.
Features: air conditioning, upgraded top-quality Eclipse CD player/radio,
long bed with bed liner and Weather Guard saddle box.

Terry and her husband needed a truck for towing and dump runs.
This truck had never been used for work. It didn’t even have a tow hitch.

The seller was a Wall Street banker who worked 24/7,
and kept the truck in his suburban garage.

"Thanks for finding us the truck we’ve always wanted!" - Terry.

Ford Taurus Clone with heated leather, moonroof, and MP3.

2005 Mercury Sable LS Wagon, 27,000 miles, $9,500

Seller’s Description: 
2005 Mercury Sable Wagon only 27,253 miles!
$9,500.00 Beautiful Maroon/Burgundy paint and tan interior, flawless inside and out!
After Market integrated Navigation (GPS) system
Blue Tooth phone connection
and MP3 support using a 4GB SD card through the factory stereo!
Prestige Remote Start/Alarm/locks & a Class II trailer hitch.
Always garaged, regularly maintained, NON-Smoker, New Brakes/Rotors.
Almost every possible factory option!
3.0L V6 DOHC 24V FI Engine (200HP) ,
16 Inch Alloy Wheels, 4-Wheel ABS,
7 Passenger Seating, Cruise Control, Leather and Wood Steering Wheel Trim,
Air Conditioning, power windows/seats/locks,
Heated Exterior Mirrors, Roof Rack,
AM/FM/6 CD Audio System, Automatic Climate Control,
Leather Seating, Third Row Seat, Power Glass Sunroof, Remote CD Changer.
GREAT Car, my second Sable Wagon, hate to sell but need a truck now.

61,000 Arizona Grandma Miles  $6,250

2002 ALTIMA GXE.  TWO AIRBAGS, ABS, FULL POWER. 
After grandma passed away out west, her granddaughter (the seller)
drove the car home to Indiana, loaded it with suitcases,
and made two trips to NYC.  (That is a 3,000 mile test drive done for Dr. Ron). 
She then realized that parking in the Big Apple costs $400 per month,
and so put it up for sale…  Another home run.
 

27,000 Grandma miles.

2007 Ford Focus SE. 27,000 miles. $6000. Automatic, CD, MP3.

This car was priced below wholesale.
There is only one other car on this page that shares this noble distinction.
Even the attorney placing the online ad knew it was cheap, so she wrote:

"2007 Ford Focus SE, 4 door Sedan (ESTATE SALE) only 27k miles,
Clean inside and out, runs well. The 1st $6,000 takes it.
4 cyl, Auto, Airbags, ABS, Power everything. Grandma’s Car."

2.4 liter 25,000 miles $5000.

1999 Plymouth Breeze 2.4.

Way back in 2004 before gas prices spiked and the market crashed,
Dr. Barzideh knew he needed a fuel efficient economical car
to drive to surgery in the city so he could leave the Lexus at home.
Today this car has almost 80,000 tough
Long Island and Brooklyn miles on it and is still running strong.

37,000 Miles, 5 Speed Stick Shift, $5,500.

2002 PT CRUISER CLASSIC.  New tires and battery. 
Garaged in Connecticut by original owner since new. 
We bought this like new car from the meticulous retired owner
who tracked the car’s fuel economy for the last 7 years.
No rust, no scratches, and averaged about 6,000 miles a year on it.

Diego and Courtney went to pick up the car in CT. 
Their trades are film direction and product development,
and their other car is a new Scion Xb,
so they know a tasteful, economical car when they see one. 
"37,000 miles for $5500?  We need to go buy this car Dr. Ron." 
"We love the fold flat back seat and the stick shift."

Dr Ron likes PT Cruisers for a number of reasons: 
They are front wheel drive wagons with easy access and a fold flat rear seat. 
They have a durable Mitsubishi 4 cylinder engine, and a fun retro hot rod design. 
They are bargains.