Lister00169

Greetings all. First time poster, long time lurker . I am in the market for a 2002 Type S. I found one that matches my wants (Navigation, Blue exterior, Black interior) at Dublin Ford in Dublin, CA. They want ~$23K with ~35K miles on it. Good deal? Also, what should I look for when I test drive the car? I know about the issues with the tranny and such, but are there any other problems I should look for. I looked at the CarFax Report and it shows all clean and still has the original warranty on it. Thanks in advance.

GaddAMIT

you can get one for cheaper then that I think. look for one on autotrader or something, should be able to find one for about 21 Im guessing. Good Luck. Ask to see if there has been any transmission troubles, thats one of the main reasons I sold mine.

cljw

I would get the Vin and call an Acura dealer to find out if the recall has been completed on it and to see if what the service history on the car is. Also find out if the 100k warranty is in effect for the transmission.

benzo555

Im sure he can find one cheaper.. but that combo is hard to come by.

Lister00169

The CarFax report came up all clear and stated that it was a Leased vehicle with one owner from Southern California. It was put up for sale down south a year ago and was then moved here. I know I will opt for the buyback protection that CarFax offers. EDIT: Just called a dealership and it has not been brought in for the transmission check.

cljw

I have seen the car you are talking about. It has been sitting on the lot for at least a month. offer them less.

Bareback

I would say 21K is a good price with the Navi, I would offer 19k and don't give them reasons to change your mind, a little here and there is okay, but nothing more than 21k out the door (including taxes/tags). You can always get the trans. recall done, as the warranty on the trans. is good for any owners, up to 100,000 miles.

Make sure you check out the brakes and try out the SShift, listen and feel for the transmission shifting from first to second and third. You really can't tell if the trans. is bad during a short test drive, many others had trans. issues well after purchase.

Be very picky about any flaws with the exterior (paint chips etc.) as well as the interior condition, use these as your neg. points.

If this has been sitting for a year I would be a little nervous though, find out why. See if you can get it certified. If it's not an Acura dealer, see if they will let you take it to one to have it checked out.

Good luck....

Lister00169

Thanks, but it states on the CarFax report that the vehicle was offered up as a Certified Used Car on 7/12/04, then moved to Dublin and offered up for sale on 10/13/04. So it's rather safe to assume that it has been unsold for nearly 4 months.

Bareback

Certified for 21K out the door I would check it out...I wouldn't get the extended warranty, but that's me.

Lister00169

It was certified when it was for sale in So Cal, but it's being sold through a Ford dealership. I suppose the whole 'Acura Certified Userd Vehicle' still applies since the milelage has only changed ~60 miles since coming from So Cal to Nor Cal.

Bareback

Don't know about that, I would have let someone else answer that one.

"Is an Acura Certified Used Vehicle transferred to a non Acura/Honda dealership"?

Lister00169

Hmm, well I will see how it drives this Saturday. On a side note, what is the process of trading in a car when it is still being financed? I currently owe ~14K on my 2k3 Nissan Altima 2.5 S and I will be financing the purchase of the TL.

cljw

Best case is the trade in amount will cover the amount still owed. The dealer will call and get pay off amount. Make sure you do not tell them what that amount is until they tell you what they will give for the trade. worst case is you are upside down and owe more than you get on the trade and you will have to decide if you want to refi the balance into the new car payment or hold off until you owe less on your current car. The other option is to sell it yourself which will always be better than trading it in.

EzEee

Im in Clearwater, FL and i just bought an 02 TLS pearl.tan navi and i was out the door at $19,500

EzEee

40K miles

Lister00169

Thanks for the replies everyone. I arranged a test drive this Saturday. I am currently applying for some car loans (joint with my dad), if anyone has a place where I can obtain an ~$23K 60 month loan with an APR <4%, please PM or post here. I will keep you all updated with my pursuit to satisfy my TL fetish .

BobCool

If you or your dad have a job that offers a credit union, find out what rate they can get you. Credit unions always have better interest rates than banks and most car manufacturer finance programs. I got 3.9%, but I have a credit score of over 700, which is required to get that "top tier" rate. If your credit is not up to par or you don't have much credit history, then your dad's credit rating could help since he's co-signing...

Good luck, and don't let emotion dictate your sale price - look at the facts and make sure you can afford what you agree to. Walk out if they won't deal - there are plenty of TLs out there. Since you already have a car, you can wait and find the right car and the right dealer willing to give you a fair price.

Regards,

BobCool

bello425

Especially with the Navi. Good luck..

bello425

NO, that certified used vehicle can only come from an Acura dealer. The only thing another dealer can offer is their warranty. It sounds funny that it was certified at an Acura dealer and then ended up in a Ford lot. Somebody bought it, traded it in for another car. So make sure to cover the bases, check everything out.

Lister00169

Thanks BobCool. I am taking my brother (the lawyer) and my dad along with me for the test drive. I know I have the power in this matter and I will happily walk out of there if they don't deal. As for financing, I applied for an auto loan online through Capital One, plus I will be checking out my dad's credit union by Friday. I just got a new job as a Business & IT analyst and my dad has been with his company for 7 years and his credit is solid. I hope we get <5% APR.