Is this a good deal on this 2013 Honda Accord LX

OverlordPumba

I'm on a hunt for used cars, I don't know a lot about cars and I just need something to get me to work (40mi drive up and down) and my daily/weekly errands. I live out in upstate NY.

I recently came across this 2013 Honda Accord LX for $6500 with 175K miles on it. Seems like it is his son's daily driver and is moving out. I will still meet him up at my mechanic's place to get it inspected but will this car last me for the next 3-4 years (and without it becoming a money pit).


Is this a good deal? It does have quite a bit of mileage on it.

stickguy

if anything is likely to be good at that mileage, it would be an Accord. You are doing the most important thing, having it looked at by a pro. Especially up here in salt country, you really want the underneath inspected for rust.

OverlordPumba

stickguy said:

if anything is likely to be good at that mileage, it would be an Accord. You are doing the most important thing, having it looked at by a pro. Especially up here in salt country, you really want the underneath inspected for rust.

Yes - there is some rust near the door end, and the owner said he can get it detailed. But if there are no other rust underneath is this a good purchase? Is the price fair and will this last me for a couple more years without any expensive maintenance inbetween?

qbrozen

Is it worth it? Eh. All comes down to condition.

Would I spend $6500 on a car with 175k to make a 40-min daily commute? Heck no. I’d rather get a Mazda3 with half the miles. I’d even take a Focus or Cruze with a third of the miles.

OverlordPumba

qbrozen said:

Is it worth it? Eh. All comes down to condition.

Would I spend $6500 on a car with 175k to make a 40-min daily commute? Heck no. I’d rather get a Mazda3 with half the miles. I’d even take a Focus or Cruze with a third of the miles.

I see - may I know why is that? Just want to understand what your thought process so I won't regret my purchase if I go through with it.

qbrozen

@OverlordPumba said:
I see - may I know why is that? Just want to understand what your thought process so I won't regret my purchase if I go through with it.

Because I am of the opinion that any of those can be just as reliable, yet I am getting a car with far more life left in it, for the same price as a miled-up Accord. I just don’t see such a long daily commute over the next few years in something that already has 175k happening without extensive repairs.

oldfarmer50

OverlordPumba said:

stickguy said:

if anything is likely to be good at that mileage, it would be an Accord. You are doing the most important thing, having it looked at by a pro. Especially up here in salt country, you really want the underneath inspected for rust.

Yes - there is some rust near the door end, and the owner said he can get it detailed. But if there are no other rust underneath is this a good purchase? Is the price fair and will this last me for a couple more years without any expensive maintenance inbetween?

I my experience in upstate NY most untreated cars will begin to rust after about 8 years here. So after 11 years you can expect some. Rust on the door bottoms is almost a given. You’d need to treat it with a rust converter and rust preventer to stop it from spreading. Even then you’re probably only slowing it down. “Detailing” whatever that is will only cover it up temporarily.

You mechanic needs to get it up on a lift and check major structural components like sub frames, shock towers, control arms. Also check the exhaust system, having a catalytic converter rust off can be expensive.

Fortunately, NY is not concerned with cosmetic rust so you can drive some pretty rusty vehicles as long as the structure is solid.

As to cost I found a comparable Accord within a few hundred miles of upstate with 179k miles at a dealer for $7700 so $6500 for a private sale seems reasonable. Offer a few hundred less based on your inspection and see if they bite.

Kirstie_H

OverlordPumba said:

Is the price fair and will this last me for a couple more years without any expensive maintenance inbetween?

You're asking for guarantees that no one here can give you. Every used car is different, and any make/model can break down, even if the vehicle (like the Accord) is generally thought to be reliable. There are too many unknowns - no idea how the previous owner drove or maintained the vehicle. This is the case with ANY used vehicle, though.

I'm with qbrozen - I'd be looking at something with fewer miles, and I happen to be partial to Mazdas. Just so you know, we have owner reviews for virtually every year/make/model of vehicle. You can start here: https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/, and scroll down to the bottom of the review page to find owner reviews. Some owners have updated their reviews multiple times, which helps give a picture of how the vehicle will hold up over time.

OverlordPumba

qbrozen said:

@OverlordPumba said:

I see - may I know why is that? Just want to understand what your thought process so I won't regret my purchase if I go through with it.

Because I am of the opinion that any of those can be just as reliable, yet I am getting a car with far more life left in it, for the same price as a miled-up Accord. I just don’t see such a long daily commute over the next few years in something that already has 175k happening without extensive repairs.

Ah understood. I was looking at a 2007 MazdaSpeed3 with 120k miles and 2 owners (1 owner had it for 28 days so it doesn't count and the other owner had 34 service records 0 accidents) AND it was a manual for $4995 - I was too late to get it and it still stings me. It looked perfect inside and out. I don't think I can live that down lol.

OverlordPumba

oldfarmer50 said:

OverlordPumba said:

stickguy said:

if anything is likely to be good at that mileage, it would be an Accord. You are doing the most important thing, having it looked at by a pro. Especially up here in salt country, you really want the underneath inspected for rust.

Yes - there is some rust near the door end, and the owner said he can get it detailed. But if there are no other rust underneath is this a good purchase? Is the price fair and will this last me for a couple more years without any expensive maintenance inbetween?

I my experience in upstate NY most untreated cars will begin to rust after about 8 years here. So after 11 years you can expect some. Rust on the door bottoms is almost a given. You’d need to treat it with a rust converter and rust preventer to stop it from spreading. Even then you’re probably only slowing it down. “Detailing” whatever that is will only cover it up temporarily.

You mechanic needs to get it up on a lift and check major structural components like sub frames, shock towers, control arms. Also check the exhaust system, having a catalytic converter rust off can be expensive.

Fortunately, NY is not concerned with cosmetic rust so you can drive some pretty rusty vehicles as long as the structure is solid.

As to cost I found a comparable Accord within a few hundred miles of upstate with 179k miles at a dealer for $7700 so $6500 for a private sale seems reasonable. Offer a few hundred less based on your inspection and see if they bite.

Gotcha, I was thinking of asking it for $6000 including they do the detailing thing they were talking about if everything else checks out. But let's see how it goes. Thank you for the detailed answer!

OverlordPumba

Kirstie_H said:

OverlordPumba said:

Is the price fair and will this last me for a couple more years without any expensive maintenance inbetween?

You're asking for guarantees that no one here can give you. Every used car is different, and any make/model can break down, even if the vehicle (like the Accord) is generally thought to be reliable. There are too many unknowns - no idea how the previous owner drove or maintained the vehicle. This is the case with ANY used vehicle, though.

I'm with qbrozen - I'd be looking at something with fewer miles, and I happen to be partial to Mazdas. Just so you know, we have owner reviews for virtually every year/make/model of vehicle. You can start here: https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/, and scroll down to the bottom of the review page to find owner reviews. Some owners have updated their reviews multiple times, which helps give a picture of how the vehicle will hold up over time.

Okay, thank you! I will go through those. I'm not necessarily in a hurry per se, so I can afford to wait and do more research on this.