Here's my situation. A local dealership is offering a 2007 RDX for $25.5K. It has 6K miles. It was one of the cars they loaned out. The catch is it was involved in an accident. I basically really like the RDX except the mpg... The mpg calculator says 14 mpg when driving like a grandma... I know this probably isn't accurate but it doesn't help sell me the car....

Basically, the car fax says accident reported, sever damage. It says that there's not structure damage. It has been fixed and doesn't appear to have a scratch on it. I don't think it would be a certified pre owned with structure damage. I plan to call the place they had it fixed and take it to my local garage to have them look it over. I just don't want the reliability to be affected which is the reason why I'm looking at an Acura... They have an 07 with 20K miles for 33K but that's above my price range. If I don't take this one, I won't be able to afford the RDX which is ashame because my fiancee and I both really like the car. What are your thoughts.

Also a separate issue.. When I was driving the new 08 I didn't notice a sound but with this one I could clearly notice the whistling sound of the turbo (I think). I'm pretty sure this isn't something to worry about but when I drove the 08 I said I liked how you cant hear the turbo or anything and the ride is quiet and then the one thing I noticed in this 07 was that. The radio was also on in the 08 so that could be it too.

 

Loaner cars get bashed and bashed (insider people confirm that it always happen). I would not purchase a customer-loaner vehicle. The price is decent, but being a loaner and in an accident, I would not purchase it.

 

I know.. I'm trying to convince myself that I won't have a problem with it because it's only 6K miles. Anyone else have any input?

 

http://www.carfax.com//ccc_DisplayHi...TB18237A012801

The Carfax report.

 

You cant link that. I forgot the way to link it without Carfax removing the post.

 

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...000&cardist=12

You can view the carfax from there.... Sorry for the double post earlier...

 

It's kind of hard to tell with the crappy pictures. You need to inspect it in person. Even if it looks nice outside, it's ultimately your choice. I wouldnt spend 30k on a loaner vehicle with a previous accident, noted as "Severe Damage".

 

Truthfully, the odds are that you'd be fine with it. That being said, I wouldn't touch it since you don't know what those odds really are.

Oh, and FWIW - I can hear my turbo whistle clearly in my 08 with 500 miles on it.

 

don't go for it.... I just couldn't live with it if it were me.

 

From what I can tell, you're really waiting to hear what you want to hear - you want to hear everyone say, "go for it!" Ultimately, you're most likely to talk yourself into it if you want it bad enough. This is typical for the human psyche. So go for it! Or don't.

I wouldn't, but that's just me. I'm probably in a different financial situation than you, though. (Most of us here have quite a few years on ya'.)

FWIW - The turbo in my '08 is barely audible, except for a very brief period early in the spool-up, and even then quite faintly.

 

Accident reported
in Delaware County
Involving left front impact
Vehicle struck by another motor vehicle
It hit a motor vehicle
Severe damage reported <-- NOT GOOD AT ALL
Vehicle towed

copy and paste the entire link into a new browser. It will work until March 19th
http://www.carfax.com/viewEmailRepor...i3&language=EN

EDIT: Right click the link and go to copy link location. Open a new browser window (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc...) and Paste the link.

EDIT #2: I bought my 2007 RDX with 16K miles, completely MINT, no scratches, no issues, Acura Certified, clean carfax, for $25,950.

 

stay away. severe damage probably close to totaled. not only that, that price is a RIP, on top of being a loaner. and the car will be 2 years old. Loaner = completely F'd with & hammered on. getting a loaner is a like a free gift, people drive em like they wana drive their own car but are to scared to do something to it.

better off just searching for a regular used RDX with low miles.

 

That's the truth. I had a TL loaner, and without hesitation, I got a chance to explore its potential.

OP - Look for the RDX video on youtube that provides you with the reason that you shouldn't purchase a loaner vehicle. If the video is still there, you will see why you should stay away from this offer.

 

I agree with many of the other posts regarding the severe damage. There are many body shops who can fix a car after an accident and get it fairly close to pre-collision status; however, it won't ever be the same as if it were not in an accident. Spare yourself the heartache down the road. No car is worth compromising your potential safety.

 

I wouldn't spend 30K on any car that's being advertised for 25.5K

 

please dont buy a loaner car...a sales demo maybe..but never a loaner.. I work at a dealer and ive seen some pretty hardcore shit done to those things. some people have no sense and dont giv a hoot that someone is eventually going to buy the car. they are treated like dirt. hope this helps

 

+1. Without knowing exactly what "severe damage" means according to Carfax, I'd be really worried about frame damage. Even if it's fixed correctly (which is unlikely) it's not going to fare the same in a crash as if it were new. I'd run in the opposite direction...

 

Thanks for all the advice... I didn't get it... Instead I got a new 08!! Should be picking it up this week.