I am looking at a 2005 Acura RL w/ 97,000 miles. I have talked the dealer down to $14,000. I would be the 4th owner. Carfax is clean. No apparent damage, wrecks, leaks, or anything else a non-mechanic would notice.
Should I buy?
Is that a lot of miles?
Should I be leery of how low the price was? (originally asking $14,975)

It doesn't seem to have any problems. What do you current owners think?

Thanks a lot,
Ryan A.

 

Fairly decent price, however you have to factor in the 105k tuneup ($1100-$1500), brake pads/tires and whatever other maintenances upgrade needed.


High mileage shouldn't be a major concern for Honda/Acura, and i'm a few members here can attest to running their RL over 200k+ easy with out any problems.

 

How difficult is it to perform routine maintenance on the '05 RL? I'm no mechanic, but I have always changed my own oil, brakes, and other minor car upkeep.

 

Most tuneups aren't any more difficult than any other car. Have you read these?
Known issues: https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rl-2005-2012-76/known-problems-quirks-495897/
Problems with 2005's: https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...light=problems

The number of owners would give me a little concern. It sounds like a great price, but I would get out the white gloves to inspect it before considering it. There are lots of posts from people about to buy and what to look for. The mileage should not be a concern, but try to get them to throw the 105k service in with the price. It has been done before.

 

Thanks, I have test drove it twice. Looked and probed twice for a total of prob 1.5 hours. I have been reading as much as I can on this car. I am awaiting the bank check. I told the guy I was buying. I did not go through all these great tips though. I will prob give it another once over. I just don't ever trust car dealers. I am also going to bust out the phone w/ this page up and go through these one-by-one. I just hope I don't find anything.

Thanks again all for the support.

 

Yep everything was covered by the top posters nd if the car passes all these steps and u like it buy it , and enjoy your new car

 

Looking at all these posts about problems w/ the 05 RL. I don't know if I should buy? I going back today for a third test drive/ inspection. I am going to have the problems page brought up. But it seems like there is a lot wrong w/ this 2nd gen 1st year model.

?????????

 

05s had more issues than 06 and newer but an 05 can be fine if the appropriate stuff was addressed already.

Always buy newer if you can afford to, but 14k is a good deal. My 06 has 50k miles, and kbb is around 20-23k. So you are saving money but will potentially have stuf to fix sooner... Cars are always that way.

Is this a dealer? You cod always get a mechanic of your choice to inspect it.. That's peace of mind...

 

I went and looked at everything again (with my laptop open) looking for all the things that have been mentioned on other threads. I couldn't find anything.

I'm going for it. Now all I need is the check.

Here goes nothing!

 

SICUnurse, I purchased my 2005 RL with 93000 miles last year. It runs great and hasn't had any problems as of yet. The 105k tuneup will be due soon, but that's not the end of the world. $14k sounds like a great deal. Check to see if the sensor door handles both still work. Take a spirited test drive to see if you notice headlights flickering. Listen for a whir or whine around 55-75 mph. Also check the AC to make sure it still blows cold. All in all this is a fantastic car! It is very safe, very reliable, and a pleasure to drive. Like any car, there can be issues, but you shouldn't run into many by checking the above list before purchasing.

 

Also in response to your remark about problems with the first model year; remember that most people use this site to seek help from others. This is not a reflection of how prevalent these problems are. With the exception of the door handles, I doubt most owners have experienced any of the problems mentioned. There are also probably very few (if any) who have faced all of these problems. In my case, the previous owner replaced the AC before I bought the car. My door handles work intermittently. This has still been my favorite car.