AZRL

My Acura Care extended warranty is expiring in the next couple months. I am the original owner, and have driven 44K with this fine car. I really like the way the car drives and handles, and I prefer to keep it. Here's why I ask the question - If I keep the car, I have concerns about the high cost of a major repair with the headlights or nav/climate control system. I spoke with my Acura service tech, and he indicated that in his experience, he has seen very few problems with the Acura line with those types of problems. Being that the car has been on the road (in very hot Arizona), for over 6 years, I wonder if the hoses / coolant / timing belts should be changed / brake fluid flush / brakes - all are original. I also plan to spend a little in upgrades to include an iPod adaptor and new nav disc if I keep the car.
One alternative would be to sell the car and buy an 08 or 09 with low miles and extended warranty.
I know that the drive train has many more miles to go. The body is sound and the interior is like new. The Bridgestone Serenities have 7K on them.(great tires!) The resale value of the 05 seems attractive in my area too. Problem is, finding a low mileage replacement is difficult.
I appreciate comments on 1) replacement of the hoses etc, 2) are my concerns on the nav/climate control / headlights unfounded, 3) should I upgrade to a newer year RL

jacob king

keep in mind that the 05 RL ranked 3rd most dependable luxury sedan. also, if you're the original owner, you know its been well cared for. you could also buy an aftermarket warranty for the car (like Prism Total Protection Plan). but most of the major repairs aren't that big of a deal. the most common AFS issue is the $160 sensor in the rear wheel well that can easily be replaced at home in 15-20 minutes. yeah, the main ECU for it could be bad, but you could likely score one on car-parts.com for $100 or so. you really wont need a timing belt done for another 2 years (about 8 years or 105,000 miles) and even that's not too big of a deal ($700). nav disc is only $149 right now w/ free shipping (got mine last week). as far as hoses, just look at them, if they look or feel brittle (which they won't) then replace them, not a huge cost at all. lol, $22 and $31 for your 2 hoses.

VQPower37

with such a low mileage car, i would def say keep it (financially wise) fixing parts is most of the time cheaper than buying a new car.

but if u have the itch for a new car now would be a good time to trade because its low mileage (not so financially wise) but if u have the coin then do what makes you happy

tnobori1

1) It really can't hurt to replace hoses, but I would ask your tech to see if he feels it is necessary.
2) It's been said before here that the problems (and frequency thereof) are seemingly amplified because of the nature of forums. People are more likely to share negative experiences here when trying to get help or give a warning to other members. It's great to be in the know, but we also end up getting a skewed view of the issues inherent to our cars.
3) Nothing wrong with upgrading the vehicle, as long as you like the look of the MMC.

rtr

keep it!!

oo7spy

Keep it! Legend #1 in my signature still runs like a champ, and it never had hoses replaced. You can tell by my location that it went through some heat too. Honestly, the reason I bought another Legend is b/c they were built to last. I bought #1 with 114k mi and the only major work done was the timing belt. The only mainetenance work I had to do was shocks and struts. All of my repairs were due to hitting animals. And still, the car runs with close to 200k mi. My mechanic was always pissed when I brought it in bc he says they over engineered the car. I believe Honda, at least on the Legend, didn't use the cheapest parts available in order to reduce cost like say Chevy did on a Cavalier. These are great cars and the only consideration I would give to trading up would be to another Legend.

getakey

I'm wrestling with the same thoughts, but my 05 has 130K miles
Want to wait for 2013 RL, but not sure I can wait that long
That said, many repairs can be made for the equivalent of sales tax on new or used car

VQPower37

2013 models are right around the corner ... hopefully they have something amazing planned for the new rl

AZRL

Thanks for all your input. It changed my mind - I will keep the car and enjoy it for a few more years. Ordered a new nav disc too!

ral

I like my 2005 RL. It has been a great car. I have the 4.81 nav disc. Should I get the new upgrade? Thanks.
I am new to the forum.
RAL

oo7spy

Cool story...

pdusome

Funny. I bought my 05 RL used with 44K on it. I hit 371K this morning and I have yet to replace the timing belt. I love my RL. It is comfortable, well apointed, safe and drives like a dream. Since I drive primarily highway I am getting better mileage than my wife's Honda Accord.

Planning to keep it till the odometer turns over at 1 million.

mg7726

you want to see 1M miles i suggest you replace timing belt Lol.

db22

At least a 169 miles a day, every day of the week for 6 years? What do you do for a living - drive an RL?

SSjTrunks112O

I wonder if FPN90 still has his '05 & if he passed 400k.. it was over 300k as well the last time he posted..

getakey

Seems like I recall him posting when he turned 400K.

I just searched:
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rl-2005-2012-76/300-000-miles-787284/

It was 300K, but he was looking to retire it (into a wall) at 400K

oo7spy

Pics or gtfo.

SSjTrunks112O

yeah that's the last post i remember him posting.. after looking on his profile it seems like that's the last post he posted on here period..

neuronbob

^^^^^
Given FNP90's line of work, he posts on here pretty seldom. He'll be back when appropriate, as usual. Hopefully when he gets to 500k Acura will do something nice for him, as they did for a cruisin with his 500k mile 1G Legend.

As for 371k miles, post a picture and start another thread. The 2G RL may have its little gremlins, but it is apparently a tank over the long haul.

SSjTrunks112O

Wow, very impressive reaching 500k!! What exactly did Acura do for him if anyone can recall??

neuronbob

Oops. Pressed "edit" instead of "quote" above. DUH.

Anyway....

Acura held a celebration for him at Acura HQ in Torrance.

Pix of event:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showpos...&postcount=226

Pertinent part of accompanying thread in Car Talk:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...=818740&page=6

rlerman

No doubt that this is a really great car, but I'd be leery about keeping the car without warranty and I will face this same issue next spring when the warranty on my 05 expires. However, unlike the OP, I have had all of the common issues fixed on my car under warranty ($900 warranty has covered over $5k in repairs.)

The repairs to the 05 are common based on what is contained in this forum so don't downplay them as they are real and significant. If you haven't had them done yet, be prepared. These are things like the AC. AFS, torque converter, outside mirrors, flickering bulbs and these are not for an average DIYer. Your car has 44k miles on it and all of the problems on my car started after 50k. Not saying it will happen to you, but it was how it played out for me.

These items are different than maintenance, things like hoses / coolant / timing belts and brakes that you mention. These should not factor into your decision as any car will need these eventually, and those are less than sales tax on a new car. Also, no car payments and/or forking over a down payment is a very appealing thing, even if you have to fix some of the bugs.

Good Luck.

oo7spy

Fixed. '94 Rosewood Brown GS coupe w/ Type II engine to be exact.

playstrings

Good Day, I have been looking at a 2005 RL with 100k mi. on a dealer lot. Not a lot of history but runs very quiet. They are asking $15,000 which does not seem too bad. I am quite handy and can do a fair amount of fixin, I just don't want to be doing it all the time. I am comparing this to a 2007 bmw 530xi which is more money, with 75,000 mi. I am not a sporty driver, I feel the interiors are quite similar. What sort of annual amount is reasonable to consider for maintenance over time with these. With my other vehicles I budget $1000 per year and it seems to work out. Your thoughts are appreciated.

neuronbob

I appreciate the correction.

1) Welcome to AZ!

2) Between those two cars with those mileages, I would choose the RL all day long. The RL does have its little issues but is pretty reliable otherwise.

3) If the RL you are considering hasn't had its timing belt/etc. change (aka 105k miles service), budget about $1000-$1300 right away unless you can get the seller to take that much off the sales price. Otherwise, it's mostly oil changes and following the maintenance schedule to the letter, just like any other Honda. This car tells you what services are needed when, and they are also handily listed in the owner's manual. I would say that other than what I mentioned above, $1000/year is probably more than you need.

4) Get a full service history if at all possible. Being a 2005, you want to check for battery replacement (if original battery....junk right away and get a new one), AC compressor, door handle replacement, propeller shaft replacement, stuff like that that are known issues with the car.

HTH! and others will chime in too shortly, I'm sure.

oo7spy

Bob said it wonderfully. There are a lot of little issues to be aware of when buying an '05. There are at least three threads with very helpful information, so do an Advanced Search in this specific forum for "05 problems".

All that said, the RL, even 2005, is widely regarded as one of the most dependable luxury sedans available. Maintenance should not run you more than $200 a year excluding the timing belt service. That's the big one, all the rest are cheap.

I would read up on the '05 RL issues, and push that car to fail there. If it doesn't, that seems like a good deal.