asitmc

HI, I am currently looking at used 06-08 TL and the best I could find with low mile is around $19k. I have not yet tried to talk them down on price or anything, but I don't think there's a lot of wiggle room on it as that's the lowest price I could find on the net right now.

My question is, if I get a used Acura TL, per se, 06 with 36k miles, the warranty might run out before I even reach 50k thousand. With that in mind, would you guys recommend buying a used TL without any extended warranty from acura? I am aware that honda/acura generally make reliable cars, but it is what it is and they will need repairs time to time. I was wondering what kind of maintenance and how expensive they can be to maintain.


I am still a student and am not in a position to fork over a grand every time something goes worng so I was torn between used acura TL, which I love, and other cheap low-maintenance reliable cars that I can get for 20k or a little less.

(By low maintenance cheap cars, I am referring to civic sedan, mazda 3?, etc, etc that doesn't require meticulous maintenance)


Any thought would be appreciated.

Spiritman

There were some nice improvements between those years. I would forget the extended warranty, And get the 08. No question. Of course the TL must be maintained to a "T"....

MR1

Sounds like a TL would be a stretch right now. I think I would buy something less expensive to start with. The two cars you mentioned would be a great place to start.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Depends on whether you can afford, and want a flashy vehicle that runs on preminum fuel. Although the vehicle is quite dependable, maintenace is high, especially considering the cost of the tires when needed. Consider the purchase of a brand new car with 10 year/100000 mile power train warranty that will give you everything you might want while in school, then jump for the upscale car of your choice once you graduate. Naturally, there is no worse investment than a car, as it will always depreciate. Before someone jumps on this statement, let me clarify that certain vehicles will appreciate in value, but most of them aren't DD, or units that we can afford.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

stick with a new < 20k car.

csmeance

Your best bet would be to look at a slightly used or new car such as a Mazda 3 Sport. If you get a TL, you'll have a car with more mileage, the possibility of more issues and as well more maintainance costs as things are older.

Will Y.

Glad you're thinking about costs before getting the car.
TL maintenance is generally not expensive-- oil changes, tire rotations, changes of air filters and brake pads/parts-- if you DIY or have a good independent mechanic. The major service on the TL (@105K miles- a "4" code on the MID, IIRC) is expensive because it involves changing the timing belt, water pump, etc.

In my experience, TL maintenance costs are about the same as those for a Civic-- the higher expenses on the TL arise for: 1) gas, 2) if something breaks after the warranty ends, and 3) insurance. Check the insurance to see what the premium differences are--they can vary quite a bit based on car type

However, you're still in school-- can you live with the car getting dinged up in the parking lot? If not, get an inexpensive car.

Fixored.

I recommend getting a lightly used compact economy car-- Civic, Mazda 3, Corolla, etc. that is still under warranty, reliable, easy to park and has taken the depreciation hit under the original owner-- and trading up after school ends.

chaiwala

No advise but just a wise ass remark. You are too YOUNG to drive. Come back here in 6 years and I can answer that question for you. HeHe

arrogantbastard

For the price, you're going to get a much newer car with a good bit of warranty left. Last thing you need to worry about in school is out-of-warranty repairs on an older car.

Oh, and fix your birthdate in your profile. :wink:

NetDiver

I would look at 07-08 Accord. You should be able to find one with low miles, and fully loaded, for well under $19k. Very reliable, fairly inexpensive repairs, and great value for what you're getting. Good luck with your choice.

OCADA

Going used is the way to go for any car really. I like everyone else's advice of finding a used economy car that you like. A 2007-8 Mazda3 would be a great choice: lots of fun to drive, hatchback is real practical which comes in happy since you tend to move around a lot in school, and cheap to keep up. Just be aware that the 2.3L doesn't get great gas mileage for a 4-banger. My GF's averages 26 and gets 30mpg on long highway trips.

But here is a thought, why not get a used TSX? Get a 2006, since thats when they updated the engine and other things. You could get one around that price, would be a real solid buy, gets good economy and is a really nice ride.

asitmc

wow, didn't expect to get this many responses. All comments are really appreciated and I will keep them in mind.

I know you guys were probably just kidding, but to those who mentioned I should not drive, I am not really 10 years old. I am 24 and I am in a graduate school now. It is possible for me to go on to getting a PhD, so I am not sure when I will have reliable incomes.

However, by maintenance cost, I was mostly referring to things that would break more often than other cars would, per se, something that could go wrong just because it's inherent in the design of the car itself or problems that are known to be there on these cars. I haven't heard any horror stories on TLs really so I am not too worried about maintaining it regularly in terms of changing oils, tires, etc, etc.

My insurance on my G35 is pretty hefty now so getting any car would lower the insurance so it's not too much of a problem. If I save some money on insurance, that's just gravy.



I will level with your guys here. I don't think I will keep the car for more than 3~4 years. If I get a TL with 33k -35k miles, what do you guys think the cost of maintenance for the initial 3 years would be?? I will be doing my regular oil changes myself, so that's not a problem and don't really need to be figured into the calculation. I am referring to maintenance works that are required for the car to run properly.

What needs to be changed after approximately 40~50k miles? If I get serviced at around 50~60k, when would be the next MAJOR service date?


Thanks for all your help. I test drove a 09 4 door civic and it wasn't too bad. It obviously wasn't as nice as TL. When I test drove the TL for the first time, I was blown away by how nicely it drove.

YeuEmMaiMai

if you are good to the car and properly maintain it, the TL should be very reliable. I have my car in the shop (02 CL-S) due to an accident and they gave me a chevy cobalt for a rental. OMG what a peice of crap....if you are going to go for an economy car a Civic or Corolla would be the best bet... I have had my CL-S for 4 years and this is what I have had to fix

1. 45K lower ball joints
2. 55K coolant cross over pipe, rear brakes (maint item)
3. 65K lower ball joints again
4. 81K front brakes (first time- again maint item)
5. 88K new airbox because bolt broke off, new battery (my car still had the original one), new bulkhead cover cause the old one cracked
6. various interior plastic peices that have broken over time such as the defroster vent

Things acura paid for
1. 71K new transmission

car has 90K on it now......

BEAR-AvHistory

Buy a new car with a warranty. Will take you through school with no extra money spent.

JERU

Go with a low price new car. It makes the most financial sense. When in school, you don't want the unexpected repair bill. The more expensive the car, the more expensive the repair bill...

Unless you are very good with turning a wrench, don't set yourself up with a used car.

If something goes wrong, you take a new car in for warranty and relax. If something goes wrong with a used car, you take it in and bring your checkbook. It really is that simple...

I hate cars

Part of me wants to say get the TL because it's nicer than the others you mentioned and mine has been trouble free for 81,000 miles. But being in school, a cheaper economy car with a longer warranty would be one less thing to deal with and less stress. The TL is likely going to be completely trouble free past 100,000 miles but as soon as you start counting on or relying on the Honda reliability, something expensive will break.

TonemanTLS

LOL

BradE

Go new.

Something with a 4 banger and a good warranty, in your situation.

Dilligaf2

Most acura's are pretty dependable and are not known to have manufacture defects/recalls. TL's are great car and this line of car has a lot to offer in terms on creature-comforts, ergonomics, as well as aesthetics. With all that mentioned, you would have to be meticulous and use extra care when you drive/maintain these cars. In my opinion, if you're just trying to get a dependable "A to B" type car, 3g TL's would probably not be a good choice. Considered a medium-high end car, any normal wear/tear (i.e. wear/tear in leather, small dings/chips, cloudy headlamps, slight wheel curbage) would deface the value of the car drastically. Apart from that and the scheduled maintenance that every car requires, TL's are relatively mechanically sound. If you do get it you will love the amount of car you get for the money, but as a student you probably wouldn't want to invest the time/money into the "care" it requires. I think an early model TSX would be a good compromise for economy, dependability, and comfort. Or Toyota Corollas or Honda Accords -- low maintenance, dependable, nicely priced.

jungy4

Going from G35 to Civic? I wouldn't do that. Is there anything wrong with the G35 right now that you want to get rid of it?

I was in the same situation before I bought my TL. I am a college student as well.

I was going to trade in my 02 Grand Am and I didn't think Civic and Mazda 3 would be a step up. So I looked at 06 or newer V6 Accord coupes (didn't like the look of the sedan) and I found an 06 TL that was $2000 more with similar mileage. I thought the TL was worth every penny more, just like how most of people here would suggest the Type-S version.

I say if you can afford it go for it. You are a graduate student so you can be a responsible car owner.

Babnik

If you can afford an 06 TL, get a lower mileage 04 or 05 TL for $15k then you'll have some money left over in case it needs repairs. But it's unlikely it'll need any repairs, the TL is one of the most reliable cars there is. I bought my 04 TL with 45k miles a year and a half ago and nothing has ever went wrong with it and maintenance has been no more expensive than any other car I've owned.

TheChamp531

iTrader: (3)

Why not just get a CPO 06 and/or get the extended warranty for an extra 1k? Since you're a student, I doubt you would drive over 20k miles a year. Get the TL, forget the "cheaper" cars. And FYI, the Mazda 3/6 is by far the worse car I've driven (even the Ford Focus is better), uncomfortable, engine is noisy, and its a mazda.

TL cost very little to maintain, the only thing that cost a little more are the mods. Get an A SPEC kit and you're done modding with your car. 18k + 1k = 19k for 100k/3yr

csmeance

with all this new info, your best bet would be to look at getting an 06 TSX or an 05 TL (05 and 06 are virtually the same car). The 05 will be a bit cheaper, and as well you won't need that much maintainance on it:

1. New Air Filters at 30K, 60K, 90K (about 40 dollars each time)
2. Oil Changes, 5-7K miles (29.99 each time)
3. Tire Rotations every oil change (free)
4. New Tires (est. 30K miles) (about 400-1000 dollars depending on tires)
5. Brake Fluid Flush every 1-2 years (79.99)
6. Transmission Fluid Change (79.99) every other oil change.
7. Coolant flush (every 5 years)
8. Timing Belt, Valve Adjustment, WaterPump, etc. (105K, then every 60K after)

Just remember that this is every service that WILL need to be performed, all cars have a time table very similar to this, however most cars have the Timing Belts and stuff a bit earlier, most of them have it at around 80K.

YeuEmMaiMai

7. trans oil change every other oil change? maybe for an older car but you should be able to go every 30K between those

8. why would the replacements be every 60K afterwards? That's a spendy job (About $1100) and if you are changing your t-belt every 60K you must be beating the crap out of ur car.

I was just talking to my service advisor and he said you can go 10 years or 105K on a belt under normal driving conditions. I was asking becuase I am creeping up on 8 years with 90K miles and i am starting to price this service out...

samplemonster

I plan on going to grad school next year & won't have a good income stream until I'm done. . I bought a used TL with 68k miles

Coming from a Toyota, this car feels like heaven driving everyday

jungy4

Yea if you get it CPO, you will get another year of warranty even after the factory one ended. I did buy extended warranty for $1000 but keep in mind that extended warranty will not cover every little thing.

asitmc

Every comments count. It really helped me throughout the process and it actually got me to realize that getting a TL is a bit of a stretch with what I have since there are opportunistic(?) repair costs that I might have to pay for unforeseen breakdowns later on.


Having that said, I went to test drive a civic and surely, it was a mediocre car. Not mesmerizing, but not too horrible either. I guess I can use the term "Bland" to how that car felt. I had nothing to say to the salesman after the test drive. I didn't want to go with mazda because I have heard bad things about them and their resale values don't hold up as well as toyota or honda.

After I test drove civic, someone here recommended getting a nice low mile accord for 18~20k. Well, I started looking for low mile accords and I was surprised to find great deals on 2009 accords. With 2010 models out in the market, the dealers had huge wiggle room with 2009 accords. In fact, the price range of lower end trim models are about the same as civic mid-grade model or had a $1000 difference at most. With only $1000 difference, I immediately knew it was a no-brainer to get the accord instead of civic. The ride quality and interior build was significantly different and I immediately knew that getting the accord would make my life much happier than getting a civic.

I went to two different local dealers and still working on the price on two different accords. I also contacted another dealer 100 miles away from me and worked on the price on a used-certified accord with 2xx miles.

Brand new 09 accord white LX (lowest trim model)
a) sticker price : $22999 and got the price down to $19000.
b) got a trade in quote for my g35 coupe : $19000

Brand new 09 accord grey LX-P (p stands for premium supposedly)
a) Sticker price : $24,499 and got the price down to $20000
b) Got a trade in quote for my g35 coupe $ 18250

Practically new 09 accord silver LX-P
a) Asking price : $19990 and got the price down to $19500
b) Got a trade in quote for my g35 coupe $18500
c) Thing about this car is that this was a test drive vehicle at honda and their used car department bought it and certified it and put it on the lot for sale. Has 4yr/48000 miles bumper to bumper, 7yr/100000 miles powertrain warranty which is better than the factory warranty on the new ones.


I am kinda torn between second and third one. Third one actually seem like a much better deal with extended warranty and with a lower price, however, I like the grey exterior better so I am in the process of making a final decision.


I think i am going to be finishing negotiating this weekend or midweek next week. This couldn't haven't happened without your inputs. Although I got mixed responses from yall, I needed a direction and all of your comments certainly helped me make a decision one way or the other. Accord is not up to par with Acura TL's ride quality and fun-factor, but it is brand new with worry-free warranty for 3~4 years which I was reminded by you guys is very important. To be honest, 4 cylinder accord wasn't that bad afterall. It was pretty peppy and pretty responsive. IMO, it was much funner than camry's.


Let me know how the price looks. Should I push my luck and negotiate the price down a little more? So far, the third looks like a best deal out of three and I am very inclined toward it.

Again, Thank you all for the help.

BradE

What year is your G35, and how many miles does it have?

asitmc

it's an 06 with roughly 38,9xx. It's really close to 39k miles. I got quoted $19k for trade-in from the dealer and that is $2k more than what the carmax offered me so I was pretty happy with that. Obviously I can get a better offer if i sold it privately but it would take time especially with the kind of economy we are in these days. I posted it on one of the G forums for $20900 and so far there has been a couple of interests, but no takers.

knavinusa

Personally, I'd never buy a demo car just because I know people tend to beat on it. How much would the EW cost separately?

asitmc

well, with the extended warranty on it, it felt like a pretty good deal. It was priced lower than others and also had the extended warranty on it, so it's almost a no-brainer except that there's a chance that people might have abused it.

But then again, it's an accord. I don't see any one attempting to launch it from 0-60 or anything like that. So I figured I would take the chance and if it ever goes wrong, it's covered for at least 4 years bumper to bumper, which is probably a little longer than what I usually keep any car before selling or trading.


When I asked my local dealer how much they charge, they said it would be around $1200 if I bought it separately.

AckTL05

iTrader: (18)

defiantly spend the extra 850 bucks for the second one aka newer. Who knows what they did to that car. Every "loaner" and "employee" car I have ever seen has been beaten to death. I dont see the TL as a very expensive car to handle, since mercedes cost about 3 times as much to upkeep and service is CRAZY. In the end I would go for the new accord (#2) and if you LOVE the TL get the 05 low miles. I myself LOVE the TL and would do that. THEN AGAIN, if you plan on keeping the car for only 3 years I don;t see why you wouldnt go for the third one since it has the extended warrantee.