Internet shopping is great because you can get the car from the owner BUT you need to buy a kunming registered used vehicle. You cant import and register used vehicles into kunming ...exception is less than 2 year old cars

I have a Mianbaoche for sale, 15k rmb, you could use it for a few days to get to know it well, I need to use it during spring festival, availble at the end of Feb. contact John Xie John 13354949490, or email [email protected] thanks!

Most vehicles I see are bought and then run into the ground. If you are buying second hand there is a real risk of buying a lemon, a crashed repaired, or money pit. That is why most locals I know would not touch second hand.
There are good cars out there, but some people will have no qualms about selling on a problem to the unsuspecting buyer, and so you need to know what you are doing or go with someone else who does.

what are the other costs? like tax, insurance? thanks

Oh ...a side note..
Get ready for the countless stares and laughs from locals driving a superior car, even if they drive a "new" crappy cherry brand car.
Driving a MBC is the lowest of the "status vehicles" in China, let alone an old MBC;

I used to have a sign on the back window of my jeep, in Chinese characters.

"I drive a piece of dog shit because you drive like dog shit!!"
Then later."Don't laugh..... your daughter might be inside!"

that's very provocative!

it's kind of silly and petty to be laughing at other people based on what kind of car they drive. many people cannot even afford a car. so that means we should be mocking them? grow up, people.

Nobody here mentioned the safety of the MBC's. For me that's a big concern and i personally think, saving money on that side isn't the right decision... especially on chinese roads.

Mike4g is not suggesting that we mock people based on the car they drive. He is merely pointing out that people in China do judge you by your car. A laowai in a mbc is perhaps incongruous to them.
Anecdote, my in-laws 4 year old boy was asked, 'shall we buy a mianbaoche?'. He basically replied, in Chinese, 'no they are rubbish'. Now I wonder where he got that from.

i understand that mike4g is responding to attitudes by people. i'm suggesting not to play into it or be bothered by it.

if your entire being is defined by the car you own, it's not the way to go.

i don't own ANY car, so by that standard i'm totally worthless? could be, i guess. he he.

IF you really need a car, and IF you can reasonably assure yourself that a particular 2nd-hand car is okay, it's better to buy the 2nd-hand one, since it does not put yet another car on the road.
But those are 2 big IFs.