I'm looking to spend $15K on a used car. I found an 04 TL with 129,000 miles for that price, stating it was all highway miles. How many miles could I expect out of this car, assiming it has been well maintained? I know I could easily get a 2G TL with fewer miles for the same price, but I just LOVE the look and features of the new model. Am I crazy to even consider this?

 

It's anybody's guess.
One of the reasons I bought mine was reliability (Honda's reputation), but I've had 2 major problems (ABS accumulator and clutch) in 18k miles.
Do you fix your cars yourself, or always take them in?
If reliability is really important to you, it might be the wrong call. If your budget includes an allowance for repairs/maintenance, 3Gs are comfortable, quiet, and fast.
Have it thoroughly checked out by a competent mechanic, even if you have to pay a couple hundred to have that done. You can have the fluids analyzed, too; especially engine and transmission. If they have just been changed, that may or may not be a warning sign.
Good Luck.

 

if its taken care of its probably in fine shape. Ive got over 70k miles on mine and kept up with the maintenance and have had zero problems whatsoever. Id do a carfax on it also...

 

yeah, ask your dealer for a carfax report. I asked mine for one and they printed one out for me. turned out that the previous owner had taken it in for service every 3k miles. made me happy very fast

 

We owned a 2G TL and it crept up to the 160k mark and it was still gliding along like it had 100k less miles. The reliability of Hondas are phenomenal and it shows when you see alot of them old ones cruising around. If your budget is tight and you desire a top notch car this may be the one for you. Look at it this way, ASSUMING the TL you have your eyes on has been a one owner chances are whoever purchased it was an adult that took care of it. Not many careless souls out there can afford to own one of these great machines. Just make sure you do all the usual inspections with mechanics, vehicle history, etc, etc. If it was me I would probably lean toward the 04 TL rather than a lower mile 2nd Gen, just because you get all the ammenities like bluetooth, DVD Audio, and above all it's a sleek and modern car that still turns heads.