Used Cars for Sale in Miami, FL

Calm down. You live in paradise. You live right next to a beautiful ocean, you have the Everglades as your back yard, there's a ton of fun things to do in this city, why are you all so angry? The light turned green, yes, that doesn't mean you lay on your horn the millisecond it turns green. Learn some patience. Learn to relax. Stop flipping everyone off, blaring your horn, and yelling at them. STOP dressing in your car. You should have dressed before you left the house. Feel free to brush up on road rules. Turning left from the far right lane and cutting everyone off is not the correct way to drive. Riding people's bumpers is not safe. Swerving in and out of traffic is not safe. Dear GOD would you all stop getting on to the freeway and flying right over in to the left lane where you sit and go the exact same speed as the lane to your right. The left lane is for passing, not for you to dawdle along, applying your make up, yapping on your phone, texting on your phone, fiddling with radio stations, eating, or doing anything but concentrating on your driving. DRIVE. Be thankful that you have a car. Be thankful that you can drive. Be thankful that you have paved roads that are surprisingly well maintained considering the sheer hoards of people/cars who use them every day. STOP cutting in line at an offramp. You are no more special than anyone else. Stop with your foolish road rage games, you are not a better driver. Just fricken relax for crying out loud. RELAX. CALM. DOWN. You will get there. Waiting one extra second at the green light is NOT going to kill you. Acting like a lunatic at every single traffic signal IS going to kill you. Enjoy that you live in such a beautiful area.

Do NOT buy a Volkswagen in this city. I had one when I first moved here, and there's only one place in the entire city that will work on VW cars. They know this, they will rip you off. It's already expensive enough to get maintenance or repairs on a VW because you have to buy VW parts. You can't interchange parts like you can on other cars. If anything happens to your VW, if you need any kind of work done, you have one place to take it. They will rip you off and smile right in your face about it. Keep every single possible receipt of any work done on that car, because they will tell you that something needs to be done, when you have proof it doesn't need to be done. I swear, if you don't have a VW, and they are fantastic cars, do NOT get one in this city. Wait until you move. If you already have a VW, keep every last shred of paperwork/receipt. You will save a lot of money in the long run when they try to tell you a fix is "necessary" and they will have to "hold your car" if you don't get it done due to it being "a safety concern". That's a total line of bull....Keep. Everything, or don't buy if you don't have one.

My absolute favorite memory was when I was driving out to the Everglades for a job interview as an airboat captain. I had just left a job that required me to deal with the most idiotic drivers I've ever seen, and go out in to the wilderness. I distinctly remember this drive because once I got out of town and in to the wilderness area, I instantly felt relaxed. Everything was slowed down, no one was in a huge rush, I didn't have all that traffic to deal with, there weren't a thousand buildings blocking the view, etc. I remember being so happy about that drive, and hoping I would get to make it every day. That drive made driving fun. I turned off the radio, and just listened to the sound of my tires on the road while I looked around at nature. I saw all kinds of animals and birds that I wouldn't get to see in a normal city commute. A few other cars were on the road, but they all seemed to miraculously know how to drive once they left the city, and I didn't have that feeling of impatience or stress that I had on the roads in the city. It felt right, if that makes any sense. Yes, I did get the job, and I got to make that drive every day, and yes I appreciated that drive every day, but that first drive out there was the best. It was all brand new, it was filled with hope, and it made me realize that I had made the right choice about leaving the craziness of Miami behind.

Tamiami Trail. This is the road I drove to go out to that airboat place for that interview, and subsequently, the job after I got hired. In addition to seeing all sorts of wildlife, (alligators!), It is also flat. So not only was I able to test out things on my car if I thought a problem might be coming up, (certain sounds), I would periodically test out my alignment because there weren't a ton of cars around, and it was flat enough to take my hands off of the steering wheel for a bit to see if the car pulled to either side. Mainly though, what I enjoyed the absolute most about this road is that it goes from the east side of the state to the west, and almost all of it is nothing but Everglades. You can see alligators right on the edge of the road, sunning themselves. You can see all types of different birds. You get to see turtles, and sometimes get out and help them along across the road so they don't get hit. You can see other types of animals every so often, like deer. The deer were rare so seeing one of them was a special treat. This road almost made me feel like a kid again. I found myself getting excited every time I saw another wild animal. It may sound silly, but I would gasp, get all excited, get a huge grin on my face, and sometimes I would squeal with delight. That's how happy this road made me. I didn't take the entire road to get to work, but I took enough miles of it to see all sorts of things. I got to see the wood stork nesting area, and watch for them each year to come back. I got to see egrets, herons, ibis, all kinds of birds. I mentioned gators and turtles. It was like getting what people pay to see, for free.

Driving in Miami can be very stressful. Many drivers aren't all that considerate or kind, and many more than that are just bad drivers! There is a lot of traffic and a lot of road rage, but the most important thing I try to remind people about driving here is to just try to take it all in stride. Always be alert and always be on your guard, but don't stress about traffic or being late (we are on Latin time down here, after all). You'll get there when you get there, and planning ahead to leave extra time is always key! Lastly--at least 50% of drivers here will turn on their hazard lights when it starts raining. They're not crazy or dumb, and they aren't in crisis or trying to confuse you. In many Latin American countries (especially Cuba, and we have a heavy Cuban population, of course) it is actually a law that one should turn on their hazards in the rain (similar to American laws to turn on headlights while using windshield wipers). Once I had this explained to me and I could better understand it, the practice annoyed and frustrated me less and I barely even notice it anymore!

I bought a car in Miami about a year ago. I wanted to buy new, so I avoided Craigslist, and although I did a lot of research online at various websites, I ended up working closely with a dealer in the Coral Reef area. There are dealers bunched around all over town (i.e., Where you spot one, you'll find a dozen if you keep your eyes open). One helpful tip was to know the availability of the specific car/color/trim package I wanted at other area dealers. I was able to make a deal for about $1,000 off my trim preference because I knew that another dealer had my preference in stock on the lot, while the one close to my home had to ship one in for me. But they wanted my business, so we made it work. It's a haggling town, so don't be afraid to negotiate or ask for little things thrown in (my first three oil changes and several car washes are free!). Also, shop holiday weekends and keep your eyes on the local papers for when specific dealerships have special sales. You can combine big savings without having to work too terribly hard if you just pay attention, plan ahead, and make a couple of phone calls.

Although I love the experience of driving over the causeways onto Miami Beach (especially as the sun comes up, because to see the sun rise behind the South Beach city line is indeed an amazing thing), I don't even consider that to be my favorite driving memory. My favorite memory driving here was the first time I ever drove north/northeast on Old Cutler Road. It was probably ten years ago and I was leaving the Pinecrest neighborhood and headed back to Coconut Grove where I lived. It was late morning and the sun was high enough to filter through the Banyan tree canopy, but it was a Sunday morning so there were few cars out. I just drove slowly, admiring the stunning homes on either side of the road and loving the notion of all of the bikers and joggers along the sidewalks. The winding road and filtered sunlight, mixed with the songs of hundreds of birds nesting in those trees, made me feel like I live in the most magical city in the country. To this day, every time I drive along that road, I get a piece of that special feeling back. This morning, I even left home early on my way to work and sat in traffic on Old Cutler just so I could admire its beauty and begin my day being thankful for living in a gorgeous place.

Old Cutler Road. There is definitely some nostalgia associated with driving on this road based on the story I described above. But even disconnecting from that particular memory, I consider it to be the most beautiful road in all of Miami. The homes are works of art. The Banyan trees are older than I am by far and they are enormous and majestic. There is tropical foliage along either side of the road and the many colors of flowers just remind me of how beautiful the world is. It is the perfect mindful road--feeling the curves as you drive and appreciating all of the tiny elements of beauty it holds. It makes me feel pensive and grateful. It is my favorite path when I need to slow down and relax while still getting from one neighborhood to another.