2006 - 148K or 2005 - 116K or is it too much miles on it to buy??

naren82naren82 Member Posts: 1
Hi All,

I have been trying to get a used car for myself, just wanted to know if 100K miles Acura TL is good buy??? How much would maintenance cost??

I understand 100K is okie for honda cars, but Acura being luxury version the maintenance cost would be higher(correct me if I am wrong). Also getting from dealer will be difficult to know the wear in the car.

Well since I am stll fishing around, $10 K for the above deal looked good. Let me know what you guys think?

Thank you guys.

Comments

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,916
    edited August 2013
    Well.....as with any used car, having a mechanic check the car out, especially one with 100K+ miles is imperative.

    While it's easy to mask some potential problems, I'd look at the following....

    -does the motor make any unusual sounds on a cold start up
    -does the transmission shift smoothly, no hesitation, harsh shifts or mushy shifts
    -are the tires in good shape....do they have uneven wear
    -look underneath....can you see any leaks, of any kind
    -look under the hood, are there any leaks there
    -check the oil, is it fresh...same with the master cylinder and the coolant...does any of it look off color or smell "burnt"
    -on the test drive, have someone follow you. Once underway, push the accelerator to the floor and ask the follower if the exhaust is blue, black or something else. Does the transmission shift down readily.
    -Any squeaks coming from the belts under the hood
    -all lights work, A/C work, windows work, radio works, rips, tears in carpet or upholstery
    -look in the door jambs and around the trunk lid and hood edges....any uneven paint. Do the body panels line up straight and do they have even gaps between them. Does the body panels have a "wavy" look to them when you look down the side of the car.
    -do the doors, hood, trunk lid creak

    Those are things just off the top of my head. And, these are by no means a comprehensive list.

    Acuras in general are bulletproof. Their engines should sound smooth....almost like a sewing machine. They also should last a long time IF (BIG IF) they haven't been abused or been in a serious wreck. They had some issues with their auto transmissions around '06, but if the trans makes it to 100K miles, I'm assuming the ones you're looking at aren't affected.

    200K miles, even 250K miles on an Acura is definitely possible....and highly probable, if the cars haven't been abused.

    If it were my money, I'd go for the '05 with 116K miles. There isn't a whole lot of difference between the '05s and '06s.

    Maintenance should cost no more than any other Honda. Matter of fact, I wouldn't be afraid to have a Honda dealer do the maintenance work on an Acura. But, find an independent mechanic you trust that has experience with Japanese luxury brands.

    Not sure about pricing. Look at Edmunds and Kelly Blue Book to see if the prices are in line with what you're being quoted.

    Good luck and let us know what you end up with.
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
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