where would be the best place to buy a used 2009 TSX. im not talking about price factor. More along the lines of quality control/inspections and warranty? direct from Acura/honda dealer or a place like carmax?

 

Acura Dealer

 

Dude mine is for sale. 6 speed baby! Ask any of the guys on AZine... they know I babied the hell out of it.

Be sure to check the classified section on AZine...

Where are you located?

 

Ressling's car would be a GOOD choice, seriously.

If you cannot get his, then I would go straight to an Acura dealer. I'm glad that the wife and I did, as we had some problems with the car being inspected for sale at the BMW dealership next door (Acura's sister dealership) and the Acura tech's would have found it prior to the sale.

 

thanks MCDavis. Mine's still covered under factory warranty too.

Also OP, bear in mind if you buy privately, you don't pay salestax. Something you should definitely consider

 

i will also vouch for ressling

 

thanks guy. im not ready to buy just yet. still looking around. btw im located in florida. I noticed that carmax has alot more in stock then the acura dealerships. is there anything bad/good with carmax? or should i strictly stick with an acura dealership?

 

in the current times, it is cheaper and more beneficial to buy a brand new car compared to used cars. The old adage of buying used cars has been turned upside down now.

i say go to a dealership and look at the cars there, but you'll be more likely to find a better deal for a new car compared to a used one.

 

CarMax is ok I suppose. My fiancee got her used Camry there. Again, the thing is that you'll end up paying sales tax. If you go private sale you can easily save $1.5-2k. You might want to see what rate you can get with your local bank or credit union.

Bottom line: my TSX is essentially a certified pre-owned (CPO) 6 speed base with low miles. You'd be hard pressed to get a similar deal anywhere else. My listing of $23k isn't necessarily firm, but I don't want to stray to far away from it. Most dealers are listing $24k+ at those specs plus tax, title, etc.

The car is worth every penny! I've kept the paint in great shape thanks to my hand washing & waxing.

Best of luck in your search. Not sure when you plan on pulling the trigger but so far only a lot of emails on mine, but only one test drive. Someone is bound to get a good deal no doubt.

 

cheaper is highly debatable... there are too many variables in play (credit worthiness, price negotiations, APR, etc.)

but yes if you want a brand new car then by all means go for it, so long as you're willing to take the initial depreciation hit and don't plan on selling for at least 3.5-4+ yrs. There's no better example of what you shouldn't do than my case in that regard.

 

thanks for your input. im am looking to buy used. what state are you in

 

Atlanta, GA

 

well I guess you would be right since most americans all end up selling their old cars and getting "new" ones every year or so.

 

I am not sure about that assertion. Most studies place average vehicle ownership in the U.S. at an average of six years. And it's getting longer, due to the economy and the increasing reliability/lower maintenance of vehicles.

U.S. vehicle ownership is at its lowest point since 1960, according to USDOT. We are scrapping millions of cars more than we are buying.

Your remark about buying a new car is interesting as used car prices are booming. I experienced this firsthand when I turned in my 08 TSX off lease. The blue book was almost six thousand more than my residual (lease buyout).

According to the dealer, TSXs are in high demand from folks turning in their luxury cars off lease or selling them, and wanting to get into a car that is more fuel efficient, but still has most of the features they have grown accostomed to (e.g., bluetooth, XM, navi, heated seats, etc.). The TSX fits the bill very well.

To the OP, CPO from Acura is definitely an option. Just be sure to negotiate any extended warranty the dealer tries to sell you.

 

That was a very informative post. Did you ever buy your car since it was worth that much more?! I guess we can look at it that we're scrapping more cars than we're buying as being green? An I also agree about the TSX. It does come pretty well loaded. I dont blame many owners after their lease is up actually buying one of these. Super reliable and easy to maintain, it's a win-win for the TSX.

I really didn't know people kept their cars an average of 6 years. I honestly thought it was a couple of years or so shorter. I know we keep our cars easily past the 6 year mark.

 

would it be possible that a car from carmax is certified pre-owned or is cpo only when sold from the dealer?

 

If you buy privately you will most likely have to pay sales tax when you register the car.

 

^ not true. And it's not sales tax when you register a car. It's ad valorem tax... COMPLETELY different...

 

CarMax has their own standards that are similar to CPO, but I would argue if you were wavering between the two, to do CPO, since it's dealer-backed for the specific make and model of a vehicle that you are interested in purchasing. CarMax, obviously, sells all makes and models (whatever comes on the lot), and is in the business of "flipping" cars for a profit, citing their four day "money back guarantee". That's essentially the markup that you're paying for...

Bottom line, if you trust a private seller it's still a better route to go if you're buying a used vehicle, assuming that vehicle was cared for and maintained properly.

 

Don't buy one.

 

ok in NC it is called highway use tax which is 3%. When you go to get the car in your name-you pay that fee. Used or new-they want that money (unless the title is going from one family member to another.

 

In pA you pay sales tax no matter where you buy it. Either a neighboring state collects it or you pay it wen you register it in PA.

 

what would be a decent haggling offer for a 09 or 10 tsx $2,000? $4,000 off the dealer sticker price?

 

Way more than that, but you won't get it. Dealer is going to always play up the price because they can afford to let it sit on the lot while supply is low.

Should've bought my '09 my friend. I just sold it yesterday for $21,500... an absolute STEAL considering it's a 6MT and didn't even have 20k on the odometer...

 

Each state is different but in MA i'm almost positive you pay sales tax as well as excise tax no matter how you acquire the car. Not sure the laws in FL and GA though.

@Ressling — Damn clean car for 20k miles, nice final value price too. Congrats.

Matt