I am looking to buy a 2004 Acura TSX 6MT
It has the Navigation package.
It has 75,000 miles on it.
It's gray.
My mechanic told me that some very common and costly repairs for the TSX are the AC/clutch issues.
The person who is selling this car said that the AC was replaced under the warranty and there has never been any issues with the clutch, so no work has been done.

The price is $12,000

I got the carfax and it seems like everything is fine. I will take the car to my mechanic for a check up.

What do you guys think about the price? KBB is at $12.7 Edmunds at around $10k.

 

I think what your mechanic meant was that the common issue is with the AC clutch. In fact, the compressors outright explode when they go bad, contaminating the whole system. A very costly repair. I've never heard any issues with the transmission's clutch.

I wouldn't say that it's a bad price but it isn't low either. I personally would look for a later year without Navi if you want to stay in the same price range.

 

Thanks for the input. I wouldn't mind paying a little bit more but I can't find anything with 6mt at a reasonable price close to me (orange county, ca).

 

Assuming you're in the US, that's huge money. It's like a $10K car max (and though you're probably excited and pleased with the MT, so you'll know, they tend to be a hard sell)(not an issue if you plan on keeping it forever). Don't forget, in a few months it will be an 8 model year old car (and could be 8 years old now. Honda started building them in early 03). You should be able to find a nice 05 for that, or an 06 for a little more. But...... if it's the car you want, and you're satisfied with the condition, then the price doesn't really matter. A year or two from now you won't remember what you paid and you won't care.

 

Good points. However, I just looked at carmax and they are selling their cars just like any other dealership, way overpriced.

Maybe you meant, she could only get $10K at carmax if she sold it to them.

 

Simba was saying that car is worth 10K at most. Thus, if you're talking numbers, he's saying the car is not worth it.

 

lol, thanks huludicidal
I just reread his post. That was funny.

I think $10K is a little harsh don't you think?

 

Maybe, but of course I'm inclined to use ebay as the ultimate outlet for what determines what a car is worth. I'm not a huge fan or anything like that, but their format and their reach tends to allow the most pure form of finding out what someone is actually willing to pay. And that after all, is really all that anything is worth: what someone is willing to pay. I like to use the prices that the same or similar model cars bring as a guide. I understand that those prices might not be available locally, especially for a low volume car (like an MT TSX), and many people (probably still most) won't go through the hassle (or leap of faith, you decide) of buying off ebay, even if the car is not too far away. I was (and am) only offering my opinion because you asked. And.... I did say that if you want the car, then the price you pay should be if not secondary, at least not the final deciding factor.

 

Absolute agree with Simba. Seller typically want to point out the higher estimate, such as KBB, as what it's worth. Of course the buyer tend to use the lower price. Utlimately it's what someone is willing to pay as the determing factor for the car's worth. I have seen plenty of delusional sellers who are convince their perfect car is worth the retail price, but they themselve would not pay for it if they were buying. They typically end up keeping the car.

Good luck with your search.

 

Thanks guys. I absolutely appreciate the advice here.

My only problem is that, I have been shopping around for a while and as you know 6mt TSXs are rare. Plus, I don't like the silver, white (just because of the biege interior, otherwise white is my fav. color on a car) and light blue TSXs.

I also know that 6mt's are harder to sell but if you are a buyer that is especially looking for a 6mt, you don't have as many options as an AT either.

There are so many disillusioned sellers out there who are almost trying to charge retail prices for these cars, it's unbelievable. And the funny thing is they are selling these cars probably pretty close to their asking price since they keep rejecting my offers.

I would love to pay only the edmunds pricing for the car, which is $10K but is there anyone selling for that price? Ebay sure sounds good but I can't have my mechanic check the car out or I can't look at the condition of the interior closely before buying it. That's a big problem don't you think?

I have been searching craigslist, autotrader and cars.com for about 3 months and couldn't find anything.

 

Simba, I'm looking at ebay right now. I had no idea, dealers sold cars over there. Prices seem very reasonable as well.

It's still a big investment without showing the car to a mechanic though...

Thank you.

 

I just remembered how priced spike up towards the end of auctions. With shipping etc. not that great deals at the moment.

 

I spent MONTHS looking for the perfect 6MT. I was willing to "settle" for any color as long as it was well cared for. I really wanted a glacier blue but when I found an arctic blue in immaculate condition, I pulled the trigger. I found it at a Dodge dealership in the middle of nowhere almost two states away. They had a hard time selling it because of the 6MT and I ended up driving away with it for less than they paid for it on trade-in. Not sure why anyone would trade their Acura for a Dodge, but it surely helped my negotiations.

Point is, don't sweat it. If you jump too early, you won't be happy. Take your time and test drive as many as you can. Get a good feel for what people are asking AND what people are actually selling them for. But remember, you can only really negotiate if you're willing to walk away without the car. If you find the perfect car near your budget, negotiate a little but just pull the trigger.

 

I am patient. I have been shopping around for a few months now.
I hope I can get a deal just like you did. A well cared 6mt.

 

I am not sure you are looking at the same I am. I see for the past 90 days (Ebay won't list anything past 90 days), there were about 80 tsx for sale and 5 were sold. Three were with salvage title. One was within few hundreds of Edmunds' private party sale estimate. One was sold at a price significantly higher than the kbb dealer retail estimate by a buyer who have never bought anything before that bid.

If the prices were very reasonable, why only 5 were sold out of 80? Most sellers are looking for that one un-educated buyer to make a fat profit. Also I don't believe in low balling someone. Just have a fair price in your mind and stick to it.

You are right about 6MT being hard to find. One of my co-worker's best friend was a used car dealer. He would never buy a 6MT, unless it's in excellent condition (less than 5% of all cars are considerd to be in excellent shape but majority are listed as being in excellent shape ). His job was to make money selling cars, and if a car just sit on the lot and won't sell, he is not making money.

Good luck and be patient.