Buying a Honda with 190k miles. Good idea?
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Date: May 16th, 2012 4:21 PM Author: rusted deranged stage
How much are we talking about here? It might be cheap enough to justify.
But in general, I just do not understand people that pay money for a Toyotas/ Hondas with 150k+ miles that could buy an equivalent domestic (or other brand) with way less miles.
Yes, Toyotas/ Hondas are reliable as shit (esp the older ones), but when you are talking about closing in on 200k miles, that's a lot for ANY car.
I'd look at non-Toyota/ Hondas and look at specific models known for their durability.
Certain used Mazdas and Subarus can be flat out steals.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1950018&forum_id=2#20704504) |
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Date: May 16th, 2012 6:48 PM Author: Sapphire Underhanded Station
True. I would do this:
1. Price in sources of unknown but foreseeable replacement costs. Mechanic won't be able to tell you how long before the alternator, other accessories (steering pump, a/c compressor and related parts), engine sensors, cv joints, and even an automatic transmission will need replacement. So price in such replacements, discounting appropriately based on how long you plan to own the car and on when any such equipment has been replaced in the past.
2. Price in wear of parts whose lifespan the mechanic can tell you for sure, i.e., brakes, tires, shocks, struts, and have him check all the rubber (i.e., suspension and steering joints, drivetrain mounts).
3. Determine likelihood that past events will bite you in the ass in the future. Your concern shouldn't be that this car has a lemon of a significant component (i.e., a bum engine or transmission), but rather that something happened during the life of the vehicle that greatly reduced the lifespan of these parts. So, for the engine, pay for a compression test _and_ a leakdown test. Look through the maintenance records in great detail, searching for any history of overheating (could easily warp an aluminum head), running with low oil (could score your bearings; thrown rod bearings are not _that_ uncommon on aged hondas), head gasket replacements, transmission complaints (i.e., lazy shifting) and the like.
4. Do your own internet research on this particular model to see if there are any known issues and how much repairs or preventative fixes will cost (i.e., some late 90s hondas had bum timing belt tensioners that could fail at an instant and with prior warning, which would cost $500 in parts/labor to replace and could flat out destroy the motor if the motor is designed such that the piston will hit the valves if the timing is off (an "interference" design, fairly common in higher compression japanese cars)).
Then you'll be able to put together a sensible range for your cost of ownership.
The main takeaway is that the effective price of even a great specimen is much higher than what you fork over to the seller, and should influence your decision on whether to buy new, later model / lower mile used, or whatever.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1950018&forum_id=2#20705726) |
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