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1) When the car is running, hold a white piece of paper to the exhaust pipe to check for any oil or coolant spots. If the car's been reasonably maintained, it should be fairly clean. Any tangible oily or wet residue is bad news. Also, hold the paper on the end of the pipe. If the car sputters, that's a problem as well with the valves. 2) Check the fluids. If the oil smells overly burnt (you'll know, it's a pungent smell) or if it seems to have water in it, avoid. Also, by all means take the car for an extended test drive (25-30 minutes). Once you park it, kill time with idle chat to let the car cool a bit. Then smell around for any sweet smells. That'll be a coolant leak. Again, bad news. 3) Ask, ask ask about the timing belt. I'm not certain if these cars have belts or chains, but verify. If a timing belt goes, on some models it'll bend the valves and cost lots of $$ to repair. 4) Check and feel the hoses and belts. If the hoses feel brittle, oily, or if the rubber powders off, their old. Ditto for the belts. The belts shouldn't have a lot of play in the tension. 5) Look thouroughly under the hood. If you see oil around the rear of the block, it could be a rear main seal going. If it's an automatic, ask about the frequency of service on the transmission as they'll go bad. If the transmission fluid smells burned, it's not a good sign. Look for wetness at the bottom of the water pump. Ask about the replacement of electrical parts (starter, alternator, electronic ignition, etc). 6) If it's a standard shift, test the clutch. Take the car to an empty parking lot. Depressing the clutch, engage first gear while holding the brake on. Release the clutch slowly while holding the brake with your other foot. If it tries to go, the clutch is about shot. If it kills the engine, then you're likely OK. Again, take it for a pre-purchase inspection. It's worth the $$ rather than losing your $1500 on a lemon. Again, I'd say Honda or Toyota.
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