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Hey guys! I started a thread a few weeks ago (here), where I was on the hunt for a TSX wagon and looking for some info about some mods. GOT SOME GREAT NEWS.
Found the wagon on Carvana (brief review down below). 2014 Wagon w/ Tech in Forged Silver. Looked to be in really good shape and had really low mileage considering age. I was a little skeptical but the CarFax was clean and the pics were too, so I just went ahead with it.
I DEFINITELY overpaid for it, but considering its condition and how hard they can be to come across, I felt like it was at least a little justified. Car got delivered last week, and I took the it to a Honda/Acura shop to give it a full rundown and make sure it was actually as it was advertised...and it was. Maybe even better. So after all that hunting, finally got the wagon I been dreaming about:
I put about 200 miles on it over the weekend to give it a full test and it was a blast. All in all very happy and finally starting to forget that I paid a little too much
Anyway, on to Carvana. A disclaimer I guess - Carvana didn't reach out to me to do a review and probably could care less that I'm talking about them lol but for anyone who is interested:
Carvana is basically like Amazon but for cars, fully online. Search from their inventory, connect a bank account to pay the downpayment and monthlies, fill out all purchase info (same that you would have done at a dealership) online, set a date for getting the car. They claim that all their cars go through a very detailed 150 point inspection, where a handful of dealbreakers will not allow the car to be sold on their site (flood damage, accident history, etc.) and anything minor part that needs replacing will (for my car, it was the battery and the wipers). You can either get it at one of their car vending machine sites at a couple places around the country, or you can schedule a delivery to your door. I went with delivery, and it literally showed up exactly on a flatbed like they advertised. I honestly thought those Carvana flatbeds were just made for their ads, but turns out they're real:
They verify that you have a valid drivers license, that you've signed the online sale contracts, and that you have valid auto insurance for the car itself. They unload it for you and give you a chance to do a little test drive. When you get back, you sign the last of the paperwork and they hand over the keys. It was pretty easy compared to haggling at a dealership. But I guess that's one of the downsides: there is no haggling. I guess that can be an upside too depending on how you feel about haggling. I guess another downside is that you need to purchase car insurance before you actually have the car. Which I guess will cost you at least one months worth if car insurance, if you decide to return the car...
And speaking of which - once they deliver/you pick up, you have a 7 day trial period where you can return the car for any reason, no questions asked. First thing in the morning after I got the ride, I had it inspected at a Honda/Acura specialty shop. Side note here: they were really really hyped to see the wagon, and I got lots of props for the find. That was nice lol. Anyway, they kept the car for the day and gave it the full rundown, and deemed it to be in immaculate condition. I breathed a sigh of relief and felt myself finally owning my dream wagon.
Overall, Carvana was a good experience for me and they definitely make it easy. BUT I did overpay. AND I feel like theres some luck involved in not getting a lemon. But I guess those things can apply to real life too. If you're gonna go down the Carvan route, I think getting a CarFax report and having it checked over by a mechanic of your choice would be prudent. I would definitely consider using them again in the future, but probably only for cars that are hard to find. I think I still like the in person experience better. Not because the Carvana experience is bad, but just because of the thrill of the find and haggle.
Fwiw, you can add a car to you insurance with a phone call or visit to the insurance company website (and likely through an their app as well). And you can drop it as well. So you don't really need a whole months worth of insurance.
I wouldn't recommend insuring a car you don't actually own at the time. Once they're rolling it off the truck in your driveway, it be tapping on the phone getting the VIN added to insurance.
But good luck with finding that wagon! It's the best one.
Oh thanks for the info, I didn't actually know that. To be honest, in the excitement of finding the wagon, I just kinda forgot about the whole insurance detail...Luckily it worked out for me this time, but will definitely remember this for the future
I found mine at an Acura dealer in 2016...a CPO base wagon with 26k on the clock....paid approximately $20,000 out the door, and now have 61k on the clock. I have owned Hondas and Acuras since 1983, and honestly, this wagon is the best built of any of them. I baby it with synthetic oil every 5k miles, and expect it to hum along for years...so, enjoy it!
Cool man. I've been considering these guys for my next car. Mainly because the trade value was so good. They offered $13.9k for my none tech 12 wagon with 58k miles. Worst case I was just going to sell them my car and buy elsewhere. Congrats on the car and glad you had a great experience. Cheers
Thanks! Yeah I didn't have anything to trade in, but that sounds like a pretty good deal. If I ever have to trade one of the family cars in, I might do the same - look into selling on Carvana then maybe look around buying somewhere else. Its definitely not the cheapest place to buy, but can make the search easier, especially if you're looking for something a little harder to find.
So how many miles on the new ride? I'd ask how much you paid, but you'd have said that in the first post if you wanted.
Let me give a little spiel on prices of used cars. New cars are easy, a new tSX wagon at one dealer is the same as a TSX wagon at a different dealer, but used cars are far different. You can't compare one to another because they are going to be different.
It gets even harder when there aren't that many cars to compare them to. The wagon is one of those cars that is so good that they don't get sold a lot on the secondary market, so there is no "real"price.
A used car is worth what you think it is worth. If you paid over $30k then you paid too much. Otherwise you paid just the right amount.
I've looked at used cars and some that are listed on Carvana, definitely seem higher than market pricing. Their trade in values seem pretty generous though, so maybe that's why.
So how many miles on the new ride? I'd ask how much you paid, but you'd have said that in the first post if you wanted.
Let me give a little spiel on prices of used cars. New cars are easy, a new tSX wagon at one dealer is the same as a TSX wagon at a different dealer, but used cars are far different. You can't compare one to another because they are going to be different.
It gets even harder when there aren't that many cars to compare them to. The wagon is one of those cars that is so good that they don't get sold a lot on the secondary market, so there is no "real"price.
A used car is worth what you think it is worth. If you paid over $30k then you paid too much. Otherwise you paid just the right amount.
Had just shy of 17k miles and I definitely paid under $30k for it!
This was great, thanks for this input. To be honest, it's the first car I've ever bought, and its both used and really tough to find. So you're right, I don't really have anything to compare it to, it was just more than I thought I might spend on a used ride.
That being said, I like the point you make - A used car is worth what I think it worth. There's certainly a value finding and buying a used car that you've been really hunting for, especially when it's uncommon.
Had just shy of 17k miles and I definitely paid under $30k for it!
This was great, thanks for this input. To be honest, it's the first car I've ever bought, and its both used and really tough to find. So you're right, I don't really have anything to compare it to, it was just more than I thought I might spend on a used ride.
That being said, I like the point you make - A used car is worth what I think it worth. There's certainly a value finding and buying a used car that you've been really hunting for, especially when it's uncommon.
Had just shy of 17k miles and I definitely paid under $30k for it!
This was great, thanks for this input. To be honest, it's the first car I've ever bought, and its both used and really tough to find. So you're right, I don't really have anything to compare it to, it was just more than I thought I might spend on a used ride.
That being said, I like the point you make - A used car is worth what I think it worth. There's certainly a value finding and buying a used car that you've been really hunting for, especially when it's uncommon.
I used to say "this is the car I'll keep for many years" but I'd swap it for something else a couple years down the road. This is the first car that I've kept for over 5 years and have zero intention of selling it unless something significant breaks but I still have warranty for 3 years and 40k miles.
It isn't the fastest, certainly not the most up-to-date infotainment wise, but everything works as intended and few things break. Everything that I've had break (bluetooth, lighter socket) were covered under warranty.
Got some tint and coat work done on the wagon. Hard to tell in pics, but there's a pretty noticeable difference in person.
Before pic:
Then went ahead with a 30% all around ceramic tint, 70% ceramic tint for the windshield, clear bra for the front clip, and all over ceramic coating:
Lol I know it's hard to tell in the pic, but you can see straight through the windows in the before pic and then not really in the after pic. And maybe the car shines better? Lol I don't know but it looks better in person
Just thought I'd share. Probably gonna do something about the suspension, wheels, and tires next...
09-30-2019, 09:43 PM
