This will be my first car the guy wants to charge me 5000 for a Camry LE with 83kmiles . . .it has a 2.2 L L4 16VEFI engine??? Allhelp appreciated

That is probably a little bit on the high side.From a private party you should pay about $3500-4000.But from a dealer in really good shape it could go as much as $5400. Remember to get it checked out FIRST!!!

:2cents: It's hard to detect some things that affect the value of the car. You might take a dental mirror and a small flashlight and use them to look into the oil-fill hole. If you see anything that tells you that the metal has over-heated (discoloration, or deposits of hardened oil) then look for a better buy elsewhere. But for a real good look, more disassembly would be required. You might look down the long side of the car to see any waves or buckles in the panels...this would mean that the car had been in a wreck. Ask the seller to provide you with a CARFAX report but BE AWARE that a car can have a clean CARFAX report and still have been in a wreck or a flood...some dealers will even check CARFAX to see if a car they know has been wrecked will have a clean record, to see if they can sell it as clean. Look for signs of good maintenance: brake pads that aren't worn down to the nub, not too many oil leaks, etc. A brand-new oil filter and other basic parts might mean good maintenance, but they could also mean a rush-job to make the car run well enough to sell. If the owner has kept receipts of oil changes, etc., that you can be confident in the car. But too few people do this. :banghead:

I would agree with Parmenides3, I would not completely trust CARAX. While if it does show pertient information if it is there, but be aware that it will not show everything. My roommate had the front end of his Civic run over by a semi and it did NOT show up on CARFAX.

For a base number, you could compare to the prices of vehicles listed for sale on the Internet, such as at www.automotive.com/buy/used

Thanks for all of your help . . . I have decided instead to purchase a 98 Altima GXE with 76k for the same price . . . .

i would say that figure is a little high. i would offer no higher then 4300.