Car Advice Please!

[isildur]

Isildur needs a new ride.

A friend of mine is selling his old car - not exactly a lease turn around vehicle, but it would be better than what I've got & I'm checking around to see what the general consensus is on this car.

its a 91 Acura Legend L 2dr: 5 spd, cd changer, sunroof, power-all, 150k miles. current owner is the son of the original owner. I know that at least the original owner took pristine car of the vehicle and had all the services done. its never given them any major problems, but it did recently overheat. repairs are being done before the sale (ignition switch, head gasket).

car is in what kbb would consider good to excellent condition, offered to me for 4500

(listed on kbb for 5470)

I've been told both that this is a good deal (being less than kbb) and also that there is no way I should even consider buying such a "crappy and old" car.

<dramatic eye roll>

thoughts?

 

[StageLeft]

Well that's a lot of miles to sink $4500 into. It probably will give you some repairs even if it's been good for a while. Have you considered maybe buying a cheap new car or a much newer one? On the other hand if it's really in good condition that is substantially less than kelly says it's worth and that's sweet.

 

[BCYL]

Even if the previous owners totally babied the car, with that much miles on it there's bound to be problems soon....

I would look for a cheaper but newer car to buy.... that would probably save you a lot in the long run from repairs and maintaince...

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: BCYL
Even if the previous owners totally babied the car, with that much miles on it there's bound to be problems soon....

I would look for a cheaper but newer car to buy.... that would probably save you a lot in the long run from repairs and maintaince...

I'd say also that - if you don't wanna spend too much cash take out a loan for $5k and use that to round up the purchase of a late model car for $10k or so.

 

[badluck]

I wouldn't touch that car....for $4500 look for a '94 Honda or Toyota with 100k or so......

 

[isildur]

I've looked around a little and not had much success finding anything "newer" and "cheaper" though. For that kind of money, I've not seen much better than relatively the same vintage civics or more recent models of other such models with roughly the same miles.
<shrug>

I've got a <ahem> "work car" now that is doing ok, so its not like I'm up against the wall or anything - but its a 90 corolla (not nearly as nice a car) with nearly the same miles.

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: badluck
I wouldn't touch that car....for $4500 look for a '94 Honda or Toyota with 100k or so......

I agree. Especially if it was overheating, KBB's "excellent" condition wouldn't apply, b/c of mechanical defects. (possibly unknown to the buyer) 100k Toyota's can be rock solid, and for that price you could get a real decent one.

 

[Knight125]

I agree that 4500 is too much for a car with over 150K on it.

Also note that KBB is a good site to reference if you're buying from a dealer but the prices are a little inflated for sale by owner.

That said, I don't see anything wrong with buying the car if you can get the price down a little. My advice would be to ask if you can have the car inspected by a mechanic. This should not be a problem for the seller unless they know there is something wrong with it. Ask around in your area and find somebody who knows what they're doing. A good mechanic looking at the car itself can give you far better advice than the online community. You may have to pay a litle for his services but it's worth it.

Failing that, I would recomend taking a look at the following:

Tires - How old are they? What condition is the tread? Have they been rotated?
Serpentine belt - Is it cracked on the inside?
Exhaust system - What condition is the muffler and catalytic converter in?
Shocks - If they haven't been replaced in the car's life I guarantee they'll need to be.
Transmission - When was it last serviced?
Clutch - Has it been replaced? At 150K if it hasn't It will need to be.
Engine - When was the last tune up and what was involved in it?
Radiator - When was it last flushed?

This is all I can think of right now. It may sound like the third degree but with used cars (especially this used) you can never be too careful. I would really recommend having a qualified, reliable mechanic look at it before you buy.

Hope this helps.

 

[isildur]

I'm afraid going up to 10K just isn't in the cards. Just bought a new house. 4.5K I could manage, but not a whole lot more. this is the generation 2 coupe w/ the v6, not the older ugly and whimpy model.

this of course is part of the problem since my corolla is neither pretty nor quick.

<sigh>

 

[Thegonagle]

I wouldn't. You're paying too much for "niceness," which is a dumb thing to prioritize in a used car. For the money, get a well maintained, one-owner Accord or Camry from a private seller with under 100,000 miles. They're both about the same size as a Legend, with equally fine mechanicals, but without the luxury car premium, and lower insurance premiums too boot. How do you know they've been well maintained? Believe me, they stand out. If you're not sure, a quick mechanic's inspection will tell you.

 

[Knight125]

One more piece of advice.

Generally speaking the cheapest car to own is the one you are driving. If that is not usable anymore that is one thing but buying a new car that is outside your budget is never a good idea.

I speak from the experience of personal mistakes

 

[isildur]

Originally posted by: Knight125
I agree that 4500 is too much for a car with over 150K on it.

Also note that KBB is a good site to reference if you're buying from a dealer but the prices are a little inflated for sale by owner.

That said, I don't see anything wrong with buying the car if you can get the price down a little. My advice would be to ask if you can have the car inspected by a mechanic. This should not be a problem for the seller unless they know there is something wrong with it. Ask around in your area and find somebody who knows what they're doing. A good mechanic looking at the car itself can give you far better advice than the online community. You may have to pay a litle for his services but it's worth it.

Failing that, I would recomend taking a look at the following:

Tires - How old are they? What condition is the tread? Have they been rotated?
Serpentine belt - Is it cracked on the inside?
Exhaust system - What condition is the muffler and catalytic converter in?
Shocks - If they haven't been replaced in the car's life I guarantee they'll need to be.
Transmission - When was it last serviced?
Clutch - Has it been replaced? At 150K if it hasn't It will need to be.
Engine - When was the last tune up and what was involved in it?
Radiator - When was it last flushed?

This is all I can think of right now. It may sound like the third degree but with used cars (especially this used) you can never be too careful. I would really recommend having a qualified, reliable mechanic look at it before you buy.

Hope this helps.

These are alot of the same questions that I have, but haven't had the chance to get answered. Since these guys are friends of mine, I trust them to give me the straight skinny on what's been done and what needs done. The overheating issue was due to the failure of the ignition switch and was the only major issue they've had with the car to date. This is being repaired by a local mechanic, whose opinion on the vehicle I can easily (read: will) solicit. I knew the car was going into the shop today, so I've been killing time by asking around on the web to see what kind of vibe I could get from those with more expert opinions or owners of the car. Acura-guys think this is good buy, but most others have the same reservation I do - this car definitely was sweet, nice looking, powerful, nice options, but after 150k miles...?

The price I quoted from kbb was from private seller too though.

 

[Que-TiP]

do all you consumer reports car experts realize that an acura is a honda. its not a bad deal, it was a very nice car back in the day, but it is old, and these recent problems don't make it sound so hot.

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Que-TiP
do all you consumer reports car experts realize that an acura is a honda[?]

Yes, an Acura is an expensive Honda.

 

[isildur]

well, I told the guys that I would sit tight until after the mechanic had worked on it, so I can get his opinion. In the meantime, I'll see what is available locally for the same money and see what jumps out. truthfully, I've not yet seen anything nearby for this money that is newer w/ less miles, unless its a geo or a saturn or something.

the hondas and toyotas that I've found so far are either significantly more expensive for a newer, lower mileage, or roughly the same year/miles for the same money.

<shrug>

as much as I'd like to get out of this beater I'm driving, I don't absolutely HAVE TO quite yet, so I may just have to pass

 

[gogeeta13]

At 150k. Here are the following things that WILL go wrong VERY VERY SOON:

start motor, brake rotors and calipers should be needed. struts, shocks, alternator a lot of times, AC(which will suck since it is freon not r134a), things like spark plug wires, exhaust, etc.

 

[isildur]

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: Que-TiP
do all you consumer reports car experts realize that an acura is a honda[?]

Yes, an Acura is an expensive Honda.

yeah, but what 91 honda has the 3.2 ltr v6?

 

[isildur]

Originally posted by: gogeeta13
At 150k. Here are the following things that WILL go wrong VERY VERY SOON:

start motor, brake rotors and calipers should be needed. struts, shocks, alternator a lot of times, AC(which will suck since it is freon not r134a), things like spark plug wires, exhaust, etc.

Yikes! LOL

Thanks though - this is the kind of stuff I'm looking for, b/c these are the things I can ask them and the mechanic about.

 

[badluck]

do all you consumer reports car experts realize that an acura is a honda. its not a bad deal, it was a very nice car back in the day, but it is old, and these recent problems don't make it sound so hot.

Most people in this thread that refer to Honda's are referring to Civics, Accords...I would think an expert would be able to figure this out.....Moreover, is it a good deal as you state in the beginning of your sentence, or a deal that is not so hot as you state towards the end? Learn how to construct your ideas b4 acting like an a*s.....

 

[notfred]

You could get this car for $4900. It has less miles.

I'm probably the only one here who actually lieks that car, though

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: isildur

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: Que-TiP
do all you consumer reports car experts realize that an acura is a honda[?]

Yes, an Acura is an expensive Honda.

yeah, but what 91 honda has the 3.8 ltr v6?

Gee, maybe one made by Ford or GM?

Honda has never made a 3.8 L V6. The one in the Legend is only a 2.7 or a 3.0 (not sure which).

But the point is, he should be able to get a newer car with fewer miles for the same money, which will translate to a more reliable ride for a better ownership experience.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: notfred
You could get this car for $4900. It has less miles.

I'm probably the only one here who actually lieks that car, though

I'd buy it if it was a bit closer to me.

 

[rubenswm]

Originally posted by: isildur
Isildur needs a new ride.

A friend of mine is selling his old car - not exactly a lease turn around vehicle, but it would be better than what I've got & I'm checking around to see what the general consensus is on this car.

its a 91 Acura Legend L 2dr: 5 spd, cd changer, sunroof, power-all, 150k miles. current owner is the son of the original owner. I know that at least the original owner took pristine car of the vehicle and had all the services done. its never given them any major problems, but it did recently overheat. repairs are being done before the sale (ignition switch, head gasket).

car is in what kbb would consider good to excellent condition, offered to me for 4500

(listed on kbb for 5470)

I've been told both that this is a good deal (being less than kbb) and also that there is no way I should even consider buying such a "crappy and old" car.

<dramatic eye roll>

thoughts?

According to edmunds.com TMV-
$7,101 dlr retail
$5,422 priv party

This is an acura. You're not going to have any real major problems as long as you perform scheduled maint. on time. i've seen acura integras run to 300k on Ebay. Don't let the miles scare you away. Get the car inspected. If the motor is good, everything in good conditoin, minimal rust, go ahead and get it. It is a SOLID car, for the most part.

 

[NutBucket]

Dude, its a 5speed Legend. If its in good shape, go for it. That said, realize that there are MAJOR risks involved with buying a car from a friend. You can say all you like about not letting it affect your friendship and all that but there's a good chance it will. Just some caution.

 

[blahblah99]

Originally posted by: isildur
Isildur needs a new ride.

A friend of mine is selling his old car - not exactly a lease turn around vehicle, but it would be better than what I've got & I'm checking around to see what the general consensus is on this car.

its a 91 Acura Legend L 2dr: 5 spd, cd changer, sunroof, power-all, 150k miles. current owner is the son of the original owner. I know that at least the original owner took pristine car of the vehicle and had all the services done. its never given them any major problems, but it did recently overheat. repairs are being done before the sale (ignition switch, head gasket).

car is in what kbb would consider good to excellent condition, offered to me for 4500

(listed on kbb for 5470)

I've been told both that this is a good deal (being less than kbb) and also that there is no way I should even consider buying such a "crappy and old" car.

<dramatic eye roll>

thoughts?

Take a look at this post and see if you still want a Legend.