Looking for a used (or brand new) car.

[angry hampster]

Have you checked autotrader.com? Don't be afraid to travel to go buy a used car, either. It's often times easier to find a smoking deal when you're nowhere near a big metro area. Also, good god that website is horrible.

 

[radioouman]

I bought a certified Honda back in December from a Honda dealer. They gave me a great price, although they wanted $500 to "certify" it. I told them that I was not paying $500 for that but I still wanted it certified. Anyway, the car that I bought had 38,000 miles on it. The dealer gave me a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty that covers everything, plus a powertrain warranty with $0 deductible to 100,000 miles. That is part of being a certified Honda. It is good at all Honda dealerships and is not some after market warranty.

Also, I got 3.9% financing which is better than what even my local credit union could come up with at the time. I was never interested in certified used cars, but I got a great warranty for free by buying a certified used Honda. I'll certainly consider buying a used Honda again next time.

 

[ponyo]

Originally posted by: Arkaign

Originally posted by: Lothar

Originally posted by: vi edit
An Accord is simply a midsize FWD family sedan.
A G35 is an entry level luxury/ RWD sports sedan.

The Accord will be more fuel efficeint, cheaper to repair, offer more room for passengers and luggage, and have a much lower ownership cost at the cost of performance and luxury items.

If you aren't used to driving RWD in poor conditions then the G35 probably isn't for you. If you don't care about HP ratings, oversteer, and torque steer, then the G35 probably isn't for you.

That's exactly what I want (without any compromise if possible).

I live in Maryland. No earthquakes, tornadoes, mud slides, hurricaines, or blizzards. At most we get like maybe 2-3 snow storms a year and they're pretty good at clearing the roads here. I would think with a luxury car, I wouldn't want to drive under adverse conditions. No need to scratch the paint or get mud all over the tires.😛
I do like the AWD capability though.

I don't think I care enough about any of those things to even know what they mean.
I also don't care about something as insignificant as fuel efficiency either. If I did, I would be buying a Prius or an '80's Civic. 😉

You owe it to yourself to drive both. There's simply no other way to responsibly do this. Be sure and tell each dealer that you're cross-shopping, as they will likely break out the best deals to try to snag you.

He wants an appliance. Used Accord is perfect for him even if he's going to pay too much because it's an used Honda. It won't matter as he'll drive that car til the wheels fall off.

Buy the 4 cylinder Accord.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Lothar

Originally posted by: Gibson486
brand new 07??? I did not know any place still had new 07's on the lot.

Anyways...

if your budget is up to 20K, why not just try and get a new one? You'll probably end up with a lower intrest rate too. People have been buying news ones for around the mid 17's last month...and that is w/o a customer rebate.

Which is why I'm going to the dealership now to see if they still have them on the lots.
The rear of the recent Accords looks kinda weird.

I'll see what financing they have to offer. PenFed has 3.99% for up to 60 months.
If I can get a brand new Accord ('08-'09) for the same price range as you're mentioning, I'll prefer to get that than getting a used car.

Not to mentiion the tax deduction to go with it.

if i were you, I would wait until the end of the month. Not because of quotos, but because people are anticipating Honda to make new more agressive incentives.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: Lothar
http://www.odonnellhonda.com/

I'm going there now.

I was planning on going there today, but decided to stop at a closer dealer first.

I couldn't even go to O'Donnell because the sales people there held me for 4 hours.
I know the rumors about car salesmen were true, but not to this extent.

I get to the used parking lot.
Sales guy asks me what I'm looking for and told him "used Accord, '06-08"
He shows me a used '06 V6 Accord that has everything souped up on it including navigation and others with only 15k miles on it. This is essentialy the highest of the highest end 2006 Accord.
We inspect the car and the first thing he did for me was open the trunk. My thoughts? nice and roomy.
We looked at the interior...all leather, front heated seats, etc...Pretty cool.

We went for a test drive, and I liked it.
We finished and they all of a sudden wanted me to sign the paperwork. I say wait a minute, my intent was not to buy a used car TODAY. I'm still shopping around. The Salesman went to get his boss.

Salesman's boss: "What are you shopping around for? You can't get a better price with the features and low mileage."
Me: This is the only dealer I've been to and I'm not so intent on buying an Accord, but it's on my preference list.
Salesman's boss: "A car this good won't be here in the next 24-48 hours, I suggest you get it tonight. I've already received 3 offers online."
Me: This car has features I don't need (ex: built-in nav).
Salesman's boss: I'm offerring you a $30,000 car for $18,775.
Me: I cant afford it.
Salesman's boss: We have financing available.
Me: What interest?
Salesman's boss: Industry standard is 8-11% depending on your credit rating.
Me: What's your lowest offer? I'm not going to waste time filling out a credit app for you to offer me a crappy rate and ding my credit report with an inquiry.
Salesman's boss: 5.49%
Me: That's ridiculous. I can get better deals elsewhere.
Salesman's boss: Where?
Me: PenFed. 3.99%.
Salesman's boss: We'll match that.
Me: I don't want you to match it, I want you to beat it by at least a percentage or more.
Salesman's boss: *changes topic* what price are you looking at?
Me: $15k.
Salesman's boss: Went to edmunds.com and plugged in some numbers showing the car is actually worth $21.9K and gave me the print out. What more do you want for it?
Me: The price you paid for it. I didn't budge.

He then gave up and decides to show me an '05 Accord(non-V6) that he'll give to me for $14-15k with 65k miles on it.
I go for a test drive, but it was not the same that I experienced. Plus there was a lot of road noise. The car was decent, but I just didn't like the car at all. I tell them that the earlier Accord was better.

Salesman went to get his again boss, who then preceeded to get his own boss(the CEO there I guess) who's Italian to convince me to buy the car. Let's call him Luigi.
Luigi: What is it that we aren't offering you? If it's something an employee did, let me know so I will fire them.
Me: Price.
Luigi: I tell you what, I'll knock it down to $18k even, lets call it a deal. Just sign here.
Me: My intention was not to sign today. I haven't done my due diligence.
Luigi: What due diligence? There is no better deal. Where else can you find a 2006 car with only 15k miles on it? This is the '06 top of the line Accord that was selling for $31k just 2 years ago. The navigation system in it alone is worth $2k.
Me: I'm not interested in the navigation system because I have my own GPS that's more advanced than what's in the car so it's worth zero to me. How about we subtract $2k from your offer, and go to $16k?
Luigi: $18k is my final offer. Take it or leave it. If you leave tonight without signing this, I won't offer you the $18k discount price that I'm offering you now, even if you were to come tomorrow morning

Luigi gave up and went back to his plush chair and the Salesman shows up.
Salesman: I suggest you reconsider and tell him that you'll "initial"(not sign, meaning I can get the price for tomorrow and still reject".
Me: I'll call you tomorrow morning. I still haven't decided if it's still an Accord I want but it's the 1st thing I'm looking at because of their reliability.
Salesman: Here's my cell #. Call me tomorrow regarding your decision. I have your information, you have mine. I'm supposed to get to work at 12pm, but I can come earlier just for you if you decide early tomorrow morning that you'll get the car. Make sure you get this car. This is a car I'd even get for my mother.
Me: Cool, no problem. I'll call you tomorrow and inform you of my decision.


What a waste of 4 hours.
http://www.northwest-honda.com/index.htm
http://www.autotrader.com/deal..._search_type=certified
(The car is listed in the 2nd link)

 

[imported_Lothar]

I've been reading around and it seems the current gen V6 is seriously underpowered compared to it's competitors like Toyota, Hyundai, and many others.
Has Honda lost their touch?

Man, the new V-6 does indeed costs $$$, no kidding. Way overbudget.
Going back to the used arena.

 

[Arkaign]

The I4 Accord is 200lbs lighter, and a lot noisier than the V6 Accord. Being that you didn't like that, you owe it to yourself to drive the G35 Sedan. It's truly a bargain in the segment, and even if you end up getting an Accord (not a bad choice by any means), at least you'll know. If you're going with an automatic, I believe the Infiniti transmission is a bit better (Honda automatics are one of the few aspects that aren't higher-than-average quality), plus there are some extras that aren't available on the 07 Accord, like adjustable steering column (very cool IMHO). Other bonuses : tighter turning radius, lower interior noise, 40+ more HP, 60 more TQ, AWD available (G35X), etc.

There is no G35 counterpoint to an I4 Accord for the fuel economy, but used to used on the V6, the G35 gives a lot more for the $. New Accord V6 will be priced well out of range.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Lothar
I've been reading around and it seems the current gen V6 is seriously underpowered compared to it's competitors like Toyota, Hyundai, and many others.
Has Honda lost their touch?

Man, the new V-6 does indeed costs $$$, no kidding. Way overbudget.
Going back to the used arena.

The Accord is a solid car, no bones about it. The new 3.5L V6 is a definite power improvement, and thankfully they did the new larger Accord gen without adding a lot of weight. That said, even the 2009 Accord V6 is down on power compared to a 2005 G35.

The observations you had that distinguished the 166hp Accord from the 241hp Accord (available power, how hard the motor had to work to move the car, resulting interior noise, etc) will be similar to the step between an '07 Accord V6 and an '05/'06 G35.

 

[ponyo]

If you're looking for bang for buck, consider used Hyundai Sonata. Fleet/rental sales and Hyundai badge kills the resale on these cars so you can get these for cheap. Sonatas are very good cars comparable to Camry, Accord, Altima, etc and are very reliable. Hyundai has come long ways.

If you want slightly larger car but even more luxurious than Accord, check out used Hyundai Azera. These are very nice and still in your budget.

Check out CarMax. Not the cheapest place but they have bunch of different makes and model you can test out and they won't pressure you. Use them to do the research on different used cars and then buy from the cheapest place.

 

[vi edit]

He'll never consider it, but the Fusion I4 is a great value choice too.

The 2.3L in there (same as in my Mazda 5) is easily one of the most refined I4's I've ever drove. 15k will likely get him a brand new one of the previous gens that they are trying to clear out.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: Naustica
If you're looking for bang for buck, consider used Hyundai Sonata. Fleet/rental sales and Hyundai badge kills the resale on these cars so you can get these for cheap. Sonatas are very good cars comparable to Camry, Accord, Altima, etc and are very reliable. Hyundai has come long ways.

If you want slightly larger car but even more luxurious than Accord, check out used Hyundai Azera. These are very nice and still in your budget.

Check out CarMax. Not the cheapest place but they have bunch of different makes and model you can test out and they won't pressure you. Use them to do the research on different used cars and then buy from the cheapest place.

Interesting.
I completely avoided getting a car from any South Korea manufacturer altogether based on the reputation Kia Motor has/had.

The pressure and arm twisting the car dealership tried to instill in me was ridiculous.
Are all car dealerships like this? 😕
There are 4 CarMax stores in a 25 mile radius from my zipcode. I will check the closest one tomorrow morning.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: angry hampster
Certified is a marketing ploy.

...not really. For Honda certified, you get an extended warranty (both bumper to bumper and powertrain are extended), four new tires, an extensive checklist, and a fully detailed and touched-up interior and exterior. For that luxury, you pay $1000-$2000 more than the same car before it was certified. It's up to you if it is worth it, but it's not just marketing.

Without it, the same car will be on nearly bald tires (~30K miles is typical for these model years), probably have numerous small chips in the paint on the bumper and hood, may not be fully detailed on the interior, and it will be at the end of its warranty or past it. Figure $800 for some Michelins right off the bat, and if the OP isn't comfortable with advanced exterior detailing, it'll be another $250 to get the paint back into shape. Then there's the extended warranty tacked on, to take care of all those little things the OP missed on the test drive. Suddenly a $1K-$2K premium isn't THAT bad of a deal anymore...

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Lothar
I've been reading around and it seems the current gen V6 is seriously underpowered compared to it's competitors like Toyota, Hyundai, and many others.
Has Honda lost their touch?

Man, the new V-6 does indeed costs $$$, no kidding. Way overbudget.
Going back to the used arena.

Honda's V6 is fully competitive with any other V6 sedan in the class in terms of power and speed. In terms of refinement, it's the gold standard. I don't know what you've been reading. 😕

 

[ponyo]

Originally posted by: Lothar

Originally posted by: Naustica
If you're looking for bang for buck, consider used Hyundai Sonata. Fleet/rental sales and Hyundai badge kills the resale on these cars so you can get these for cheap. Sonatas are very good cars comparable to Camry, Accord, Altima, etc and are very reliable. Hyundai has come long ways.

If you want slightly larger car but even more luxurious than Accord, check out used Hyundai Azera. These are very nice and still in your budget.

Check out CarMax. Not the cheapest place but they have bunch of different makes and model you can test out and they won't pressure you. Use them to do the research on different used cars and then buy from the cheapest place.

Interesting.
I completely avoided getting a car from any South Korea manufacturer altogether based on the reputation Kia Motor has/had.

The pressure and arm twisting the car dealership tried to instill in me was ridiculous.
Are all car dealerships like this? 😕
There are 4 CarMax stores in a 25 mile radius from my zipcode. I will check the closest one tomorrow morning.

CarMax has very good website online with current inventory. Check it out. If they have Azera at the location you're visiting, take a look at it. That's $50k car in Korea.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain

Originally posted by: Lothar
I've been reading around and it seems the current gen V6 is seriously underpowered compared to it's competitors like Toyota, Hyundai, and many others.
Has Honda lost their touch?

Man, the new V-6 does indeed costs $$$, no kidding. Way overbudget.
Going back to the used arena.

Honda's V6 is fully competitive with any other V6 sedan in the class in terms of power and speed. In terms of refinement, it's the gold standard. I don't know what you've been reading. 😕

Edmund's '09 Accord review?

 

[Arkaign]

^^ Naustica brings up a good point with the Hyundai. Another brand that's worth considering.

Carmax would make a great opportunity to test a G35, a Sonota and/or an Azera, perhaps a TL if any are in the target price range. Hmm, other V6 midsize sedans .. maybe a Camry? They are often overpriced, and aren't the most engaging cars to drive, but might warrant a look. Mazda6 w/V6 might be a possibility as well. Volvo S60 and S80 can be found with relatively low miles for cheap, they drive a lot like BMW/Audi (solid luxury feel).

Tops on the list to at least try has to be the G35 though. I'd really like to hear your impression after driving one. It's really amazing how much car you get for the $$ on the used market, and a lot of that probably has to with the G35 being replaced by the marginally improved G37 (in some ways the G35 is better). A new gen has a chilling effect on last-gen prices most of the time. Low miles E46 3-series are dirt cheap now that used E90/E92 are getting on the market in numbers. Unlike the G35 though, out-of-warranty BMW (Audi and Mercedes as well) maintenance is notably expensive, and I'm a BMW fan.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Lothar

Originally posted by: thomsbrain

Originally posted by: Lothar
I've been reading around and it seems the current gen V6 is seriously underpowered compared to it's competitors like Toyota, Hyundai, and many others.
Has Honda lost their touch?

Man, the new V-6 does indeed costs $$$, no kidding. Way overbudget.
Going back to the used arena.

Honda's V6 is fully competitive with any other V6 sedan in the class in terms of power and speed. In terms of refinement, it's the gold standard. I don't know what you've been reading. 😕

Edmund's '09 Accord review?

Hah, burn! Nice 😉

"Performance is likewise uninspiring -- while the upgraded 2.4-liter four-cylinder in the EX is pleasant, the base engine is merely adequate, and the top-of-the-line 3.5-liter V6 is overmatched in terms of acceleration by many rival six-cylinder engines."

I'd say that's a bit harsh, but honest I suppose. 0-60 is about a second or a little more off the G35/G37, though the G is admittedly an entry-lux sports sedan vs. a now full-size upscale family sedan in the Accord.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Lothar

Originally posted by: thomsbrain

Originally posted by: Lothar
I've been reading around and it seems the current gen V6 is seriously underpowered compared to it's competitors like Toyota, Hyundai, and many others.
Has Honda lost their touch?

Man, the new V-6 does indeed costs $$$, no kidding. Way overbudget.
Going back to the used arena.

Honda's V6 is fully competitive with any other V6 sedan in the class in terms of power and speed. In terms of refinement, it's the gold standard. I don't know what you've been reading. 😕

Edmund's '09 Accord review?

Don't read *too* much into professional reviews. They test drive so many cars they get jaded and spoiled by a select handful of cars. There's much more to a car than raw HP numbers. Weight, gearing, throttle tip in can play just as much, if not more of a factor in how a car feels to most people than what numbers an engine produces.

My little Mazda 5 minivan puts out about 150 some HP and every professional review and paper racer poo poos it for being a slug. Truth is, it's gear is such that it peels out with little effort from a stop, has a great pull off the line up to about 40 MPH and has never left me fearing for my life when merging onto the highway. In stop and go driving and 95% of all situations you typically encounter driving the extra 20-40 HP that the Accord gives up to the Camry/Altima/Ect is just sitting there unused.

If it's fast enough for you, who cares what the journalists think?

 

[Arkaign]

Vi, that's a great point. A V6 Accord of recent make is more than enough for pretty much anyone, but it does bear truth that the Accord is more of a well-rounded overall product than particularly awesome at any one thing. Reliability is good. Resale is good. Comfort/Space are good. Fuel economy is good. Styling is good. Handling is good. Value for money is good.

Weak points for the Honda for me (I've owned several, and probably will again at some point) : Automatic transmissions haven't been very good overall, their motors are usually down on torque and don't deliver power early even in V6 form, motors use timing belts ($$$), all FWD other than the now-deceased but still excellent S2K, resale is high (yes this is a negative too, when you try to buy a used one it brings the price into competition with vehicles that started out in a higher class, such as the A4 and G35, etc).

The OP already stated that the I4 Accord wasn't to his liking, it's probable that he'd be happier in a quieter and more powerful car, provided the negatives aren't too high.

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: Lothar
I've been reading around and it seems the current gen V6 is seriously underpowered compared to it's competitors like Toyota, Hyundai, and many others.
Has Honda lost their touch?

Man, the new V-6 does indeed costs $$$, no kidding. Way overbudget.
Going back to the used arena.

that dealer you went to sucks, you can def get a better deal on an accord out there. keep looking, it's a buyer's market.

the v6 is by no way underpowered in the 7th generation (03-07). My mom has a 05 V6 that provides way more power than you'd expect from a family sedan. i've been driving it all week since she's been on vacation and its gonna suck when i go back to my i4. from what i've read, it can consistently smoke the V6 mustang ( although i don't think that's saying much since the v6 mustang is crap!)

if you want more information on the accord i suggest you read www.driveaccord.net - you'll see alot of the trends and what to look out for.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i have a 2005 Accord EX v6 + Navi w/ 40k miles on it.

color: graphite grey pearl
interior leather: tan

some features include (you'll need to look up the smaller features on ur own)
-leather, 6 disc, dual power seats, dual air conditioning, power mirrors, rubber floor mat and trunk tray, XM Satellite, 6 speakers, 16in alloy, disc brakes, abs, F&R Side airbags, moonroof

stuff installed by professional in department:
-Infinity Basslink Subwoofer
-AEM v2 Cold Air Intake
-AnzoUSA Projector Headlights
-Lightwerkz 5000k HID w/ lifetime warranty
-Brembo Rotors
-Hawk HPS Brake Pads

misc: mobile 1 since 2005, never been in an accident, no scratches, professionally detailed twice since 2005.

i'm in NYC if you want to come take a look at the car. $17k

 

[Strk]

I can't figure out the relevance of 0-60mph in a family sedan. I could see if it was painfully slow, but it's not. Also, according to the review, more of it has to do with the electronics taking over (the stability control, in particular).

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: Strk
I can't figure out the relevance of 0-60mph in a family sedan. I could see if it was painfully slow, but it's not. Also, according to the review, more of it has to do with the electronics taking over (the stability control, in particular).

stability control can be disabled at any time via a switch on the accords

 

[Gibson486]

Used cars are the absolute hardest to talk down (especially toyota and honda).

Why?

You have no idea what the dealer bought it for....

AND

Because people are buying them like crazy. They just look at the sticker cost of a used, and they just pay attention to the MSRP of the new. SOmewhere along the line, someone informed people how much of a better value a used car could be. This was true, then the media got hold of this and made a this a News 4 at 10PM special. Ofcourse, seeing how most people are today, if it is on the news it has to be true, so people took it as gospel and some even refuse to buy new now. Now the market is all messed up and people are over paying for used cars b/c it's a "better value". In truth, once you factor in incentives, special apr, and just the desperation of some dealers at the moment, its cheaper to buy new (even OTD). Hell, Toyota has 0% APR now....that beats saving $2k on the OTD price when you compare it to MSRP of a new (even though they could have got a new one cheaper with the special APR on a new car if they actually did their hw and tried to talk the price down.).

The market has changed. Before, used cars were just extra money for dealerships, now it has become one of their main profit leaders.

 

[imported_Lothar]

I see that I can get a used '08 Hyundai Azera Limited with low mileage for $17-19k. Now, that is good value! :thumbsup:

There is no CarMax in my area that has the '08 Azera that I can visually inspect, only '07.
I'm on my way to the closest CarMax now. I will look at the other year Azeras that they have and also Infinity and Acura. I will have to look at other dealerships for the '08 Azera next week so I can visually inspect and test drive. Hopefully, the dealerships won't pressure me to buy.

Damn, it almost 12pm. I need to call the dealer from yesterday to tell him that I'm not interested. I will purposely use my cellphone for that and if he tries to keep me on to pressure me, I'll simply tell him I don't have mins. I don't want to burn any cables or anything because I might end up coming back to him, it's just that I'm still looking and haven't 100% settled on getting an Accord yet. I'm still exploring other cars in that price range.

Arkagin: Most of the G35 I see has high mileage on them which seems a little troubling. The car I'm planning to buy is indeed one that I plan on driving until the wheel falls off. I would prefer a car that has less than 25k miles on it if possible.

LOUISSSSS: Too expensive. The '06 V6 Accord that the dealer offered me is an even better deal than yours when you include warranty, not to mention that they have financing. I also don't have time to drive all the way to NY to inspect your car either. You don't know the kind of person I am. I'm not interested in mods, having the loudest radio on the block, and other irrelevant things. I'm just looking for a decent V6 car with space, heated leather seats, and a few other things that offers good value. I don't need navigation, satellite radio, subwoofer, and other misc things that I don't use.