Pinch

I'm trying to decide between 2 used TSXs in my area.

Car #1 is a 2006 TSX with 38,000 miles.
Its being sold by a private seller. The seller is trading it in for a new car this week if I don't buy it. He won't take less then $16,000. He is the original owner. He is also including winter tires which are currently on the car. He replaced the rear brakes and rooters 2 months ago. The car looked in great shape. It wasn't clean when i saw it so it was really hard to spot any blemishes on the car.

Car #2 is a 2008 TSX with 45,000 miles. It's being sold by a used car dealer which he bought at auction. I got him down to $17,750. The car was very clean i was able to spot a few blemishes on the car. The hood had a few dings on it... looked like something that maybe hail would have caused. The dealer put new tires on it (Sonar tires) and brakes/rotors.

My current lease expired last week and the leasing company gave me a 10 day grace period so i desperately need to find a car this week.

So do I go with the older car with less miles plus snow tires or the newer car with more wear and miles on it, without winter tires.

I like the idea of going through a dealer cause he will handle all the insurance and DMV BS plus I currently have financing from Capital One but it can only be used with a dealer. So if i go with the private seller I will have to find new financing ASAP.

I'm planning to drive this car for AT LEAST 6 years so the 06 kinda scares me but i do like the idea of lower payments. I put very few miles on my car. My current lease is going back with 24,000 miles after 36 months.
I can't decide which route to take!!

I'm hoping someone could give me their opinion on the situation.

Thanks in advanced!

nj2pa2nc

with the 06 you met with the owner and get a basic idea what kind of treatment the car had. Did this person have receipts of the service done or the maintenance book stamped. I would ask the person to get the car cleaned so you can get a better look at it and also get it checked out by a trusted mechanic. I personally own a 06 tsx with almost 117K problem free miles- love it.

cober319

If it were me, I would go with the 06. I would check out edmonds.com and see if the 06 has any recurring problems/recalls. If so, definitely ask the owner if they have been addressed. I bought an 04 two and a half years ago and I haven't had a single issue except for a minor door lock issue. These TSX's are designed to last forever so I would look at miles before the model year.

What I did personally before buying mine is read all the reviews on edmonds. If you read through 50-100 reviews, you get a good idea of common problems/gripes. I knew EXACTLY what to expect, and the only minor issues I had are the ones that I already knew would probably happen. Knowledge is power! good luck

feuss2

iTrader: (1)

Get the 06, the get the Hondata reflash

Boulder TSX

I agree...the 06 sounds great, (as long as it looks fairly blemish free when washed.)

Pinch

Thanks for the advice. The more I think about it (and I'm thinking about it a lot!) the more I like the 2006.

The seller seemed very adamant of the price but I think I can talk the guy down some more. He's trading the car in this week. If I walk he gets nothing. I'm hoping I can work him with the good old "somethings better then nothing" line. Maybe split the difference between his price and the trade in prince (wish i knew what that was!).

I would be very happy if I was to get this car for $15k.
We'll see how good my negotation skills are.

I'm also kinda curious to see how the dealer is going to react when i let him know I'm going to pass on the car.

I'm excited to join the TSX family!!

cober319

don't tell him you're passing on the car, tell him you're going with another seller who's offering you a better deal on the same car....he doesn't know its an 06 vs. an 08.

Simba91102

The price for the 06 does seem high, but I'd be wary of any 08 that's not for sale at either an Acura dealer or a new car dealer took it in trade. There are any number of reasons why cars end up at auction and allot of them are not good ones. With this car it could be the mileage, could be the hail damage, or...... maybe something that's not readily apparent but could come back to bite you down the road. All that said, it's too bad you're short on time since there seems to be no shortage of nice low mileage 07's and 08's on ebay in the $16K to $19K range (and yes, there are more for more money).

jchan2

Personally I would ask to see all the maintenance records on the '06 and see if you can see it cleaned up one time. If it looks good, I would get it inspected and then be ready to buy it.

At least with the 2006 you've met the previous owner and have some idea of how he has treated the car. With the 2008, you're essentially rolling the dice.

Pinch

Unfortunately for me… there is a major time crunch.

Like most of the people here I'm leaning towards the 06 but time is really limited. He's trading it in on Wednesday when his new car gets to the dealership.

The owner of the 2006 is actually a car insurance agent. He said he can provided me with all the paper work for any work done to the car. He seems like a really nice down to earth guy. Not some dirtbag trying to take advantage of me.

My biggest issue right now is securing financing for a used car being sold by a private party. I called around to a bunch of lenders and Back on America gave me a great rate. I was able to get the seller to send me a copy of the title and registration for the lender to complete the contract. But typically the turnaround is 3-5 business days.

I just don't think they can get me a check within in the next 48 hours. I was planning to also negotiate the price a bit more but I'm in no position for that considering I don’t even have financing as of yet
My last plan is to see if he will drop $500 if I have him insure me.

Plan C which is something I really didn’t want to do is pay cash. I have the money but it’s my “safety net”. I could make my monthly payments to my savings account.

Buying a used car shouldn’t be so stressful!!! I had to take a xanax today at work just to calm down J

Simba91102

If worse comes to worst, find the closest "rent a wreck" and just rent something for a week if necessary. That shouldn't cost you too much.

Pinch

Bank of America came through for me!!

I pick up the 06 on Thursday morning!!

I'm very excited!

vrflyer

Sounds like your prayers were answered. I just picked up my CPO '08 with 22k miles last night. So now I have color matching cars RDX, TSX & Accord.

ParaSurfer1979

BTW what we're you leasing?

nj2pa2nc

excellent news-hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine.

Pinch

For the last 3 months I've been driving my wifes 2007 Nissan Murano but prior to that I was driving a 2007 Nissan Altima.

jchan2

My mom has an '08 Altima... Solid cars,(pretty good highway MPG too) just not particularly exciting, especially since hers is a 2.5S model.

MrHeeltoe

iTrader: (1)

I would tell the guy with the 06 that you will give him $1000 over what the dealer is going to give him for trade in. That should be a more than fair price for you, and he'll get more than the dealer is offering.

The 06 is the better bet in terms of modding.

feuss2

iTrader: (1)

See post #4

Pinch

Got my car today! Loving it so far.

I've only been able to do about 15 miles in it. It's hard to enjoy a new car in the north east this time of year At least the weekends coming!

Hopefully I can get some quality time with it!

2006milano6manual

I would go with the '06 (just did myself). Miles seem low. Just have it inspected before purchase.

Well, just saw that you got one. Congrats.