Hey guys, I'm new here. I drive a '99 Honda Civic EX right now with 145k miles on it. It's a wonderful car and I've never had many problems with it. However, I'm itching for a new car. My dad drives a Prius and my mom drives a Lexus RX, and I feel like it's time to upgrade my own vehicle. What do I want? Acura TL, particularly the 2004 models. It's such a sexy looking car, and everytime I see one drive by, I come. I've been scrounging the classifieds and online in my free time for some good deals, and I happened on this, here is the link: http://tiny.cc/2nm73 It's the perfect match for me. Classy exterior, decent rims, leather interior, wood panels etc. It's all very blasé. However, if you've visited that link, there's one glaring detail that just makes me cringe. 172k miles. Now I probably know what you're thinking. No-buy. However, even though the mileage counts a lot, it's also about how the previous owner took care of it. So I checked its CARFAX, which they conveniently provided. Here's the link: http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory...UA66294A036362 I'm just a tad over the car newb, so I know the blatantly obvious tips on car care. If you sift through the carfax report, it doesn't seem like this car is all that bad. Only one previous owner, bought right off the shelf. numerous and consistent check ups. At around 100k miles, he/she replaces timing belt/water pump, which I believe is when they should be replaced for the TL and Accord models. So I'm asking you guys, if any of you are car enthusiasts and know a bit about maintenance and the like, please tell me if there are any glaring warning signs, other than the mileage, about this deal. Thanks.

 

Oh, wow, the format kind of...didn't happen. Sorry for the mess up there guys.

 

Personally, I wouldn't spend the money on any car above 100k miles unless it's a cheap beater. That car is worth closer to $7.5k, not 9k. If you do buy it you will pretty much lose most of the money you spend on it if you keep it for any decent duration of time, so get a mechanic you trust to go over the whole car.

 

Inb4 "tl;dr"

Edit your post and paragraph it haha.

Anywho, the car's body looks good.
I'd get the car checked out, though.
Never know what's wrong with the engine at 145k miles.

 

Make SURE you get extended warranty if you get the 5at. Other than that, lovely car

 

I'm also looking at an older TL with high(er) milage and worried about expensive repairs Any thoughts on which extended warranty (Accucare, Bernardi, etc.) is best for the $$$?