What's up everyone. I made an account today because I wanted to get other people's opinion on a car I'm thinking of purchasing. So I have an 03 Honda Accord coupe ex fully loaded with nav with 172000 (about). Now the car has not given me any major issues I the two years I've had it but I definitely feel the tranny skipping.

Anyways I been wanting an Acura rl for years now and am thinking about getting. So my question is do you think financing an 05 with 102k for 8995 is a good buy? The car is mint and I'll check it out today but my concern is that the car is too old. I want to get an 09-12 RL but they're hard to find with decent miles. I found one 09 tech package with 44500 on it and was really thinking about that one but they want 19495 which seems like a bit much for that car. Basically is the first option a better buy considering I'll only be paying about 150 compared to 250 for a longer amount of years. Thoughts everyone ? Thanks and I appreciate any feedback.

 

you currently have an 03...
and you think 05 is old? lol

 

and have you secured a loan? the loan details would dictate how much more you pay..along with the total amount of the car.

also, you are comparing a fairly new car with 45k miles vs an older model with 102k miles... OF COURSE there's going to be a big jump in the total amount of the car

I would suggest setting a budget....instead of looking at years of cars....
set a limit of how much car you want... and use a calculator to see if you can afford a larger total.

Do not calculate by monthly payments...that's how you get screwed

 

Lol yea but I'll finance it for 2 or 3 years. I don't mind having an older car but it's more of if it's worth financing it. I feel like if I'm financing it should probably be something newer. That's why I'm asking is if it's a good buy or not considering it'll be financed and it's an 05.

 

for what it's worth, you'll need to look at your finances before you look at cars.
have you secured a loan?
how much car can you afford?

 

Thanks I appreciate it. Ideally I would want to pay no more than 300 a month for a car and I want an RL regardless you know.

It would be easier to get the car that cost less but at the same time is it worth it considering the mileage and year. The car is mint and the dealership has a good reputation which is always a plus but by the time it's paid off we're looking at a 15 year old car.

Thanks again.

 

i'm rocking an 11 year old car and plan to keep it for at least 5 more years, maybe even longer.....

when negotiating at the dealer, it's better to negotiate on the total price of the car and not monthly payments...that's how you get screwed.
thus why, i think you need to secure a loan first...set a limit on how much you want to spend on the total amount of the car...


the deal is EVERYTHING. the age, mileage, brand...Doesnt matter as much as the deal you are making.

 

Lol yea having a car that old doesn't bother me at all as long as I love the car and those RL's were pretty ahead of their time IMO.

But it very true thanks again man. What I think I'll do is see if I can get the 09 RL at a bit of a lower price because I'm telling you this car is mint. I'll post the link below of both cars just because.

http://www.macmulkin.net/VehicleDetails/used-2009-Acura-RL-4_Door_Sedan_Tech_Pkg-Nashua-NH/2951386243

http://www.l-sauto.com/2005_Acura_RL_Plantsville_CT_267564650.veh

 

if you can afford it, go for it.
remember to account for gas, maintenance, insurance, etc.

and i'll repeat, dont negotiate on monthly payments...
it will be better if you secure a loan first.

 

I'll definitely keep that in mind. Negotiate on total price of the car, got it. Because they would just extend the time I'm paying, lowering the payments. I would probably have more leverage if I got a secure loan first but idk how I would go about that. My credit isn't too good but my brother will consign for me. So he would probably have to get the loan right?

 

yikes! thats what I was afraid of.
poor credit means you'll have a high APR. you are going to get HOSED at the dealer.

not trying to tell you what to do, but picking the 05 would be the smarter thing, here

I would HIGHLY consider keeping your honda, and just fixing the tranny if it goes.

 

Exactly. To be honest the only reason I'm even considering the 09 is because my brother is willing to cosign for me. I was under the assumption that if he does cosign I'll be able to get an APR of about 5% because his credit is way better than mine lol. But if that's not the case I definitely won't get the 09. And again I appreciate your responses.

 

head to your local bank or credit union and inquire about a car loan. They will tell you how much you can and cannot afford...then it would be up to you, to either pursue the loan with all of the money, or get something that cost less than the loan

 

8995$ is about the retail price for an '05 with that kind of miles.Clean trade in value in my zip code is 7600$. I don't know what your financial situation is, but the wisest thing (financially) to do would be to swap the transmission on your Honda IF it goes. If your financial situation is looking more up, and you feel comfortable, I would try and talk the dealer down on the price and definitely talk to a credit union!

I noticed you're 24. I'll chip in a little bit on the personal side here, which I don't do much, and share my story if it's any help. I bought my RL at 22 years old for 18k, at the time it was 5 years old. I honestly didn't care about age, for me it was miles and maintenance that I was looking for, and that's what I got with my car. Granted, I drove a '95 and a '97 (and still drive the '95 lol) At the time, I had (and still have) steady employment and I calculated the amount of car I could afford and my cap was 22K at the time. As the crab man said, DO NOT fall into the trap of monthly payments. I would take a hard look at your financial situation and decide based on that

Do you have a link for the car?

 

the links are posted above and thanks for the response I definitely appreciate you describing your situation. What year is that RL that you got anyways lol. But to answer you, honestly I know financially wise it would probably be better to keep my Honda but I just always wanted an RL so I feel like just getting a car that I'm content with having for a few years. I have a pretty steady job that I've had for about three years now and will start a second job in the next few weeks so I'm confident in getting a payment but only if it's right. One of the main things I'm looking at as well is the mileage and maintenance history of the car. If the 05 had its timing belt and water pump done I might get it because 102k isn't much at all for these cars. I just have that urge of getting the next model one with the 44k because like that's the car I really want but at the same time probably don't need. The links are posted but I'll post them again and let me know what you think. Thanks again for sharing your experience.

http://www.l-sauto.com/2005_Acura_RL_Plantsville_CT_267564650.veh

http://www.macmulkin.net/VehicleDetails/used-2009-Acura-RL-4_Door_Sedan_Tech_Pkg-Nashua-NH/2951386243

i think financially it might be better to get the 05 then get a new leer model when I'm done paying this one which will only be for 3 years, ideally.

 

I run about 35k miles annually (10 years ago I was putting 50K a year on my cars). My current 2012 RL I purchased in January 2015 CPO with 25k miles for $31k. When searching for the RL my primary focus was on CarFax maintenance history and preferably serviced at an Acura dealer. IMO, financing and maintaining a 12 year old luxury car is not wise. I remember being 24 (and sure wish I was again!) and what it is like to really want something. Perhaps look for something newer with higher miles, but impeccable service records. A lot of people who bough these RL's new were mature in age which helps these RL's age more gracefully. I know mine was leased by a local woman for 30 months from new, serviced at my local servicing Acura dealer on a regular basis, and generally in very good shape. I have about 90k miles on the RL now and the only replacements I have made are recent front brakes and new Michelins last year. Front brake jobs on the RL are not cheap at the dealer with the RL Brembo style brake system. At 105k the RL will require water pump, timing belt, coolant flush, filters, and spark plugs runs about $1400 at Acura. For a near luxury car, the RL is a relative inexpensive car to maintain, but quite a bit higher than a basic Accord/Camry. I garage my RL and keep it in pristine condition. My guess is the car is only worth about $12-13K on a trade and perhaps $2k more retail. I plan to keep it until about 200k miles.
A few cars back, in 2008 I purchased a 2006 RL CMBS CPO with just 4k miles. I ran that RL for 3.5 years and sold it with 173k miles. I put a new driveshaft in it (CPO warranty) at about 95k and some front end work north of 100k miles. The guy that bought it did have to have the headlamps replaced which is not cheap when they wear out. Other than that it was pretty much bullet proof and the guy that bought it still has it.
Just my opinion, but I would try to refrain from financing an old car. I would be more willing to finance a car less than 7 years old (although higher miles). And as other posters have said, work on the bottom line, then the payments. And shop for a decent loan. Financing can be Very profitable for dealer's and financial institutions, especially when dealing with people with less than stellar credit. Credit Unions are usually a good source.
Good luck and keep a cool head when making the decision!

 

Hm

Best to have cash in hand.. financing.. ha.. till then drive 1998 civic for 900$. Anything over 160k miles hard to resell later. Younger than 10 years. Less than 150k. People are dumb. 200k automatically means it's a car with problems "high miles". While if they pull their eyes out of their asses and look they'll realize that a lot of 200k+ hondas drive like 100k car..and if u come see some weird dude who is selling "his aunts" 80k mile acura which is rusted to shit.. it's probably 250k mile acura with odometer rewound.
Basically if u have 200k miles on odometer.. forget about reselling. 2000$-3000$ max . Shop in winter. Again. People are dumb. Only shop in spring or when it's warm. Winter deals are best.

A good honda buy is 1500-2000 below kbb private party value.. can resell for same price in 2 years.. or lose minimal. Like 500-1000$

 

The 2009 RL with 44k miles has a KBB trade value of about $14k which means that the actual cash value of the trade was about $12k. $19.5k Asking price (plus dealer admn fee?) is a lot of money for a 8+ year old RL IMO. Small detail, but the 1 wheel they do show has curb rash. It you were going to buy it, that is a point of negotiation.

 

what's funny is that I was looking at an 09 Acura rl with about 98,000 for 12,999 at an Acura dealership. I was so willing to get this car for the simple fact that was dealer maintained its whole life. The water pump and belt was done at 91,000 as well so I was for sure ready to get it but the dealership inspected it and the interior was not in the best shape smh. There's some that I see with 120 for 12 to 14k but I just think about the mileage and what it would be at when I'm done with it. That's why I don't know if I should even finance an 05 unless it was maintained at an Acura dealership the whole time. I'm going to keep my eyes open and just check some out. My credit isn't good but my older brother will cosign so that will save me some money for sure. Thanks for the response btw.

 

i still say....Get your ducks in a row first.
apply/inquire for the loan, FIRST!

with cars, THERE will always be a better/newer/lower cost car
tomorrow, you may find the deal of your life time...but if you dont have that loan secured.....

thus why milage/ years dont matter so much...because there will always be a better deal around the corner


buying a car takes time. dont rush,or you'll regret

 

A car being too old to buy, when looking at any fairly complex car, will depend heavily on its history and treatment as well as the reliability of the type of car and brand. I would think a 12 year old Honda product would be a reasonably safe bet, as long as it was cared for.

I just rolled those same dice last week and bought a 127k mile 2005 RL with a solid maintenance history. Timing is done, trans/diff fluid changes done 4x in its life, excellent physical condition, with nav, and the only issues the car has are broken latches for the Not An Ashtray and charger plug (my replacement latches arrived Monday), and the master switch for the right rear window does not work (although the switch on that door for the window works fine). In all, for $6300, I'm very satisfied. Being in the northeast, bringing it home Sunday and allowing me to park my E39 540i MSport just in time for the blizzard was icing on the cake.

Bottom line though - any car cared for well can be a safe bet, even something like my BMW. Conversely, even an Accord can be a ticking bomb if it was neglected or abused. Like others said, determine what you can afford, and buy the best-cared for car in your range that you can afford.

 

I can not possibly emphasize this anymore. But you NEED TO BUY WITHIN YOUR MEANS. Listen, I am only 22, but I also had a "dream car" when I was 18. It was the VW Touareg, absolutely loved them, finally got one near the top of my price range (10k) but I was lucky and budgeted somewhat for it, I ended up spending $4500 in repairs (of which $3000 was from me and the rest from my parents) and sold it with needing an 8K diff.

The reason I mention my story is because I have been in your exact position with a dream car that I could afford, but that I should not buy because I wasn't in a position to fix the problems. The RL may be an Acura, but it can get VERY expensive (especially the 2005 year model). Driveshaft issues, electronic issues, and not to mention that 100k service is another $1000-$2000 and might be why it was sold/traded in. My advice to you is to wait, just wait a couple years till your financial situation shapes up, it's easy to follow your heart when you like a car and hard to follow your mind even though it's screaming at you! If I could go back in time, I could have bought SO many cars for 10k and I would have told myself not to be an idiot and try and buy above my means. It is a terrible idea to finance a 12 year old car, especially one that can cost you a crap ton of money.

My vote is to either keep the accord and fix it when it gets wrecked, or sell it now while you can and buy something else for the time being.

 

I do believe that they want a bit too much for it. I cargurus.com it says it's about 2,074 dollars overpriced lol. I like the car but if that price wont drop I doubt I'll get it. Especially considering the fact that there's no warranty other then the 30 days.

 

I'm going to go with my brother and see if we can do that because that is probably the smartest way to go about it. I definitely won't rush it and am about to just take my time, probably try to sell my car privately if anything. Thanks for all your input man for real.

 

thats definitely a good buy right there considering the history of it. That's the kind of car I would get if it's around that year range. As long as the maintenance records are there then I feel comfortable doing it. My accord was a one owner vehicle that I bought cash for about two years ago and has been very reliable for me but I just want the RL.

 

Mike, exactly my thinking. As I'm new on this board, I don't know the backgrounds of the OGs yet, but I've been wrenching on cars since I was 20 (I'm 42 now). A lot of the pitfalls that may dissuade some buyers in terms of issues and frequency of repair don't bother me so much as I DIY everything. I cut my teeth on my Nissans years ago (a Sentra winter rat and a heavily modded 300ZXTT), before moving into German cars. I've been heavily active in the Audi arena since 06 (I co-admin www.audiforums.com under this same screen name), and I also have a 540i MSport that I turn my own wrenches on - that thing can be a pain but the rewards are there too.

The wife and I just decided to go in on Acura as she's always loved Honda, having owned a Civic in the past and more recently an Odyssey EXL. We sold the Odyssey and in the last 24 days I got her an 08 MDX Tech and picked up this RL for myself. The RL is nice and in great shape, but man the MDX is a jewel. Both cars are one owner with full histories, and I even have the window sticker from the MDX. There's even a dealer receipt from changing the battery in the fob (seller's reason for that was "I leave cars to car guys", which is exactly the type of seller I want to buy from).

so far both cars are fantastic, and the SH-AWD is every bit as good as my A4's Quattro system. We've been very happy with them and I look forward to a much more painless experience with these cars than the BMW has been (it's been good for a Bimmer but that statement in and of itself says a lot).

I do think though that if the OP isn't a DIY person, the history and a good relationship with an indie mechanic is a good idea, as is buying tools and learning to wrench. I couldn't own the cars I have if I couldn't do the work on them. I spent $287 doing an alternator replacement on the 540 that would've run me $2000 at a dealer if I had to take the car in to have it done. Learning to wrench vastly opens up your ownership possibilities.

 

^This. I neglected that I calculated and budgeted for maintenance costs on my RL and planned for downtime by keeping my Camry. I also wanted to buy a car I could still wrench on (for the most part) myself. It's also worth mentioning that despite me doing my due diligence on my car, it still threw a timing belt invoice at me that cost me over a grand. And it did it 20K miles earlier than when I had planned on addressing it. Since we're talking about German cars now, let me add this, I had several German cars on my list at the time (all BMW). I could have gotten a killer deal on an E46 Grey M3. Ultimate enthusiast car and a 22 year old's wet dream to own. Lady driven, low miles, 100% dealer maintained. and she had it listed at 23K, could have easily talked her down to less than my budget. I knew her personally and I knew that she already had a brand new E92 M3 that was literally on it's way to the dealership, and I also knew what the dealer had offer her on trade in too. I don't need to tell anyone here why it's not wise for a 22 year old attempting to stay on a calculated budget to buy an used M3.

In retrospect, here is a closing thought for you. When I bought my '07 RL, I had a '95 Camry and a '97 RL. Fast forward 5 years later, the Camry still runs and my dad uses the '97 RL as a winter car. As a matter a fact, we both drove the Camry and the '97 RL today. I probably could have gotten away with never buying my '07 at 22 years old. I was in a VERY unique financial situation that allowed me to make the purchase I did and not suffer or regret it.

EDIT: Something else I wanted to add, so I'll just tack it on here. While the RL is somewhat DIY friendly, when compared to an Accord, some of the costs can get prohibitive on an RL, like OE only parts and things of the like. And the sheer amount of extra service required on an RL too. That's why I didn't venture German, I knew I couldn't afford the maintenance, regardless of how much DIY I do on my own.

I often joke with my parents and friends that while my Camry has been down more times over the last 5 years for maintenance and repairs, it has still cost me less than my RL to maintain because of high cost items like differential services and a timing belt service that just inherently costs more than on a Camry. Parts are dirt cheap on a Camry of that vintage and very easy to swap in no time...

 

Thanks for the response bro and I appreciate you sharing the experiences. One thing you mentioned in the post before is that the 05 model can be even more costly, especially considering the fact that it's the first of those models. I think I'll just keep the Honda and save money until the spring and drop a good amount on an RL. It's just so enticing and although I love my accord I miss the Acura. I've have three TLs and wanted the Rl after my second one. Now that I'm 24 I feel like I should just get the next model especially considering I'll be making payments. I would get that or even a TL but only 2012- 2013 lol. I would love a beemer but I'll get that when I can get it New with warranty lol.

 

no reputable lender is going to lend on a 10yr old vehicle over 100k miles. If you find one that does they will be forced to finance at a high rate maybe 6 or 7% and that's with a down payment of probably 20% The risk is too great that the car will fail before the lender recoups their money. If you take out a personal loan then those can start at a rate of 10%. Good luck. Keep us up to speed

 

As a price point of reference I saw at a local Honda dealer a 07 RL with 193k miles for $7998 pearl white and tan interior.

 

I think he needs to at least try.
it will be a learning experience, going to bank to bank and getting his ducks in order.
If he doesn't get approved, even with his cosigner, he at least knows that he can't afford such a car.
Good luck, OP

 

I got approved before by myself with decent credit so I know I will definitely get approved with my brother so don't try to act like I'm just some kid not knowing wtf I'm doing.
But I decided to just stick with my car and just save up to get a car "that I can't afford" by putting a good amount on it. D*ck

 

sounds like good buys what year is the Rl ? That's funny I like MDX's but even though I never had one. I have a pretty good mechanic I go to which is always a good thing but I definitely need to learn how to do more things myself to save myself money. Nowadays you can see how to do a lot with cars on YouTube lol.

 

Brotherman, I truly have your best interest at heart.
you are a salesman's wet dream! They will take advantage of you!!

 

Lmao sorry brethren you're right though. I just felt like you were trying to play me real quick.

 

I was thinking around 7500 for an 05 with 100k on the clock. Mine has 118k and drives great, but I've really taken care of it. 05 could easily set you back $5-7k in repairs as their are common issues with the ac, torque converter, door handles, side mirrors, AFS and a few more I'm missing. At 105k, major service is due with the timing belt. IF all these issues have been addressed and brakes and tires are good plus shocks/struts, only then are you are between 7.5 and $9k. If nothing has been done, no receipts, etc, I'd avoid the car.

 

My RL is an 05 and I paid $6300 with 127k on it. Timing was done 9 days ago and trans/diff flushes along with oil change, air filter, cabin filter, and brake pads done 16 days ago.

Im telling you, even though the RL was positioned as a flagship, the MDX is more luxurious. I absolutely love it. The RL is a fine car but in my opinion the MDX is definitely nicer. But I'm cool with that - the MDX is my wife's car but I still drive it regularly and I'm enjoying the RL quite a bit. Just took 5 minutes this morning and replaced the little POS latches for the Not An Ashtray and foldaway charger plug, so my own brand of OCD is satisfied (I hate having stuff flopped open when it's not in use).

 

I think the only real adjustment I'm going to have to make is in the acceleration department. The RL picks up pretty well but compared to my modded MSport 540i, it's down about 100ft-lbs of torque and doesn't have anywhere near as much of a gut-punch - the lungs on the BMW definitely breathe a lot harder so I'm gonna have to recalibrate myself some. I do love flooring the 540 at 70mph and having the nose come up as it takes off.

 

It's not super clean, there's some minor scratches in the paint and minor rub on the right rear bumper/fender. The HandsFree Link doesn't work (I plan to fix that). It runs fantastically well. I got it for $8100 which I thought was reasonable, but what do I know? I've already replaced the map, dome, door and license plate bulbs with white LEDs. I think I'll leave the yellow incandescent lights in the sun shade mirrors. I need to replace the passenger seat heater bulb and several of the A/C bulbs have gone out. I'll get to them in due time. Other than that, I LOVE this car and want to drive it all the time. I've always loved honda/acura but this is my first owned.