![](\"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/used-car-salesman-picks-his-top-6-vehicles-under-4-000.jpg\")
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You’re broke. It\u2019s hot. Uber is expensive. Your current ride smells like despair and ketchup packets. But you can\u2019t afford a new car, so you have no choice but to climb into the cloud of rancid french fry grease and hit the road.<\/p>\n
Or is there another way?<\/p>\n
Used car dealer Kellen Lake (@kellenlake) says that you actually can afford a new vehicle. You don\u2019t need a loan, either, Lake says: You need a Toyota Camry with 200,000 miles.<\/p>\n
While walking the grounds of a North Carolina-based used car dealership, Lake offers viewers some low-budget options from Chevrolet, Toyota, and Volvo that can be purchased for less than $4,000.<\/p>\n
A cheeky text overlay on his post says, \u201cCars under $4K that\u2019ll outlive your last relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lake points at a 2008 Chevrolet Impala<\/a> with 65 service records, joking, \u201cThat\u2019s more maintenance than your ex got in therapy. No accidents. Just pure vibes.”<\/p>\n Lake describes a gold Volvo XC70<\/a> thusly: \u201cIf IKEA made tanks, this would be it.\u201d<\/p>\n He says a 2007 Honda Fit with 53 service records \u201csips gas like your aunt sips boxed wine: Cheap and consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n With new car prices averaging over $47,000 and even older used vehicles fetching record highs post-COVID, the idea of a reliable beater has gone from punchline to holy grail.<\/p>\n According to Lake, you don\u2019t have to break the bank to get a reliable used car on the cheap. You just need to do your homework.<\/p>\n \u2018All I Get Is Old Men:’ Man Buys Classic Chevrolet to Get Attention From Women. It Backfires<\/a> Lake told Motor1<\/em> over the phone that he used to run a personal training studio and make daily videos about fitness. Now that he sells used cars, the subject matter has changed, but the strategy hasn\u2019t: make people laugh, teach them something useful, and earn their trust before you try to make a deal.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not about making a quick sale,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about building trust. If they know, like, and trust you, they\u2019ll come to you when they\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Now the general manager at New Era Motors in Winston-Salem and a co-owner of Oak Auto NC in Kernersville, North Carolina, he still treats content like a long game. Every video\u2014whether it\u2019s a rundown of sub-$4,000 cars or a walkaround of a recent auction pickup\u2014is part of a larger effort to build a brand people actually believe in.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m never going to say I post a video and something sells the next day,\u201d he said. \u201cHas that happened? Sure. But that\u2019s only because I\u2019ve been posting organic content every day since 2017.\u201d<\/p>\n The cars in Lake\u2019s viral TikTok aren\u2019t sleek. They\u2019re not rare. And they\u2019re definitely not going to make anyone jealous at a stoplight. But they\u2019ll get you from point A to point B.<\/p>\n The Toyota Camry<\/a> is well-known for being a reliable vehicle, even with high mileage. The same is true of the 2007 Honda Fit<\/a>. The Volvo XC70 has purportedly<\/a> had some lesser years, but is also generally considered a dependable vehicle. Some 2008 Chevy Impala owners have complained about its reliability, but overall, it has a rather high rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars in this category on Kelley Blue Book<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Hyundai Sonata<\/a> Lake highlights is also generally seen<\/a> as a reliable vehicle, though there have been complaints about engine seizing, and some years<\/a> are considered lesser than others. Subaru Foresters have been described<\/a> as somewhat more “finicky” than the straightforward Honda or Toyota, but the brand is also widely known for its reliability.<\/p>\n All the cars Lake highlights in the post share the same profile: Under $4,000, clean titles, long service histories, and a reputation for being mechanically sound, even if they\u2019re visually uninspiring.<\/p>\n For Lake, that\u2019s a feature, not a bug<\/p>\n \u201cNot exciting, but neither is walking,\u201d he jokes in the TikTok.<\/p>\n When asked what advice he\u2019d give someone looking for a vehicle under $4,000, Lake doesn\u2019t hesitate.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst, check the tires. Then the trunk. Then pop the hood and look for stop leak,\u201d he said of a fix for minor leaks in gaskets, seals, or radiators.<\/p>\n He says that before buying, you should also look at:<\/p>\n Coolant reservoir\u2014look for white gunk or a blackened reservoir, as both suggest engine wear or quick-fix additives like stop leak; He emphasizes that buyers should still test drive the vehicle and get a feel for how it sounds and handles. But more than anything, he values service records, noting that older cars with 40 or more service records show some real care was taken.<\/p>\n Then comes his secret weapon: An OBD-II scanner.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re cheap. Plug it in, get the codes, and then copy\/paste them into ChatGPT,\u201d he says. He recommends asking the artificial intelligence to provide repair scenarios, cost ranges, and parts estimates based on the vehicle\u2019s year and make.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gives you a really good idea of what you\u2019re possibly getting into,\u201d Lake says.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You’re broke. It\u2019s hot. Uber is expensive. Your current ride smells like despair and ketchup packets. But you ...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-event-coverage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=931"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":934,"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/931\/revisions\/934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bruntonwolf.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Selling Cars One TikTok at a Time<\/h3>\n
\u2018Making It Personal:’ Man Buys \u2018Lemon\u2019 Ford F-150 From Used Car Dealership. Then He Decides to Get a Custom Wrap and Warn Buyers<\/a><\/p>\nWhat He\u2019s Actually Selling\u2014and Why It Matters<\/h3>\n
Buying Advice<\/h3>\n
\nCheck the oil\u2014low levels, moisture, or signs of neglect are red flags; and
\nLook under the hood\u2014moisture around the engine might indicate head gasket problems.<\/p>\n
\n‘Not Having Wireless CarPlay in a $30K Car Is Kinda Crazy,’ Says Honda Civic Driver. Then He Finds a Workaround<\/a>
\u2018Can\u2019t I Just Use Carfax?’ Man Lists His Car for Sale on Facebook Marketplace. Then He Spends $60 on a Vehicle History Report<\/a>
Used Car Prices Are Spiking, Except For EVs<\/a>
Yes, You Should Use Fuel Detergent. Your Engine Will Thank you<\/a><\/p>\n