u/DadInKayak

124,000 miles and has a very good CarFax history with frequent oil and filter changes. No record of any AC or other issues. Checked out the car before starting it and everything looked good. When I started it I heard a horrendous noise for about a second. Loose belt maybe? Never heard it again. AC didn’t work. Fan works but not cold and it’s already in the 80s outside. Right rear window didn’t go down. Brakes didn’t shutter and transmission shifted super smooth. Ride seemed a bit mushy but I don’t know if that’s how these ride. Underneath looked good, no rust and this car was always in the SoCal area.
Not sure if to go with this but I plan to test drive another CR-V to get a feel of the ride and it’s another one with good maintenance.
Any thoughts on this? First time I’m going with this many miles. They are asking $12,495.

Test drove a 2020 Subaru Forester with 97000 miles. Not a mechanic but looked it over best I can, checked the oil fill cap, looked in the radiator and few other things. Test drove it and suspension seems good, braking didn't show signs of warped rotors, didn't hear any rear bearing noises on the highway but I noticed going from a complete stop there was a bit of hesitation below 5mph - maybe a bit more? - and then it was completely fine after that. On the highway I did a pass and no hesitation when hitting the gas. I also turned off the start/stop feature to remove that from question. Not familiar with CVT - and not sure if this is normal or maybe I should stay clear of cars with CVT (finding more and more have it, at least for the style car I'm wanting to get) or is this an indicator of a pending failure?

Edit: per edmunds the car has been on the lot for 156 days. Not sure why so long.

Would I be a bad person to go to a dealership, fake I want a car, get to the point of signing then suddenly say “naa, I changed my mind” and get up and leave?
I’m retired so I have time to do this. But in reality I wouldn’t waste my time doing this - just a thought due to the frustration of car dealers.

Dealer is asking $15,995 and looking at the carfax I see two owners, at 200 miles there was minor rear damage (2018), the front lower control arms @ ball joints replaced at 56k and 76.8k miles (red flag??), has consistent oil/filter changes, new rear brakes/rotors at 53k. Is this a good buy? Seems like it to me - I'd have the differential and the CVT fluids changed if I buy it. I'd tell them $15k flat if I like the PPI results. I'm aiming at this type of vehicle because it has the raised roof rails (I already have the cross bars that I think fit) and will be using it for a 13' kayak.

Using CarGuru and AutoTrader and FB marketplace for my searching. Found a few private sellers on FB and messaged them. Of the 6 or so I messaged only two responded. AutoTrader found 1 in a 50 mile radius. Otherwise there are a lot of dealers that have what I’m searching. But I don’t like the BS that comes with them so it seems I’m stuck going the dealership route unless I just wait longer for another private seller. So what’s everyone’s take on using a dealership to buy used?

I’m in the market for a used Outback. Something I came across regarding inspection is to confirm all 4 tires are the same and tread depth doesn’t differ more than 2/32” of an inch between all tires. Very new to me and wondering if this is something Outback owners monitor among other maintenance points.

Anyone buy from CarMax then take it to a shop to get inspected, found a bunch of things wrong then return and say no thanks? Or did CarMax do the fixes?