Unfortunately I have to agree with Doug. Elite had the kind of car, features and price I was looking for (a loaded Honda Civic). I wanted to take it to my mechanic, but they said it was too far to go (2B fair, it was 30 miles away). But they said that there was a local mechanic that could check it out for us. (Turns out that the mechanic was the son-in-law of Elite's owner or something.) They checked the car out and said it was fine. I asked, "Then why is there oil dripping on the floor?" and they tightened something. I made a point of asking them to check the brakes; they said the brakes were fine. I asked about the dampness in the trunk, and the mechanic repositioned the seal around the trunk.
Once I got it to my mechanic, I found there were many things wrong with the car, including needing brakes and rotors. I had to replace the tires. I discovered that the key they gave me was a valet key and wouldn't work on the trunk (they didn't have the other key). There were a lot of other things wrong as well. In the end, I paid another $800-1000 in repairs, just to make the car safe to drive.
By the time I realized just how much of a lemon I'd been duped into buying, I'd already put a lot of money into it, and decided to keep it.
3 years later: I still have the valet key, the catalytic converter/exhaust manifold needs replacing, the windows won't go down because the motors are shot, the inside hood release has broken off and the wire is stripped, and the driver's side door lock doesn't want to lock anymore. I replaced the radiator, the muffler assembly, and a few other things.
But good news: the trunk finally dried out last summer. read more