sunilvarma

Hi all,

I am buying my first car and decided on the 1st gen TSX. I found a 2005 TSX (Manual, NAV), with 70,000mi for $15,000.

I checked the CARFAX report and it's clear. My questions are:

1) How good is a TSX with 70,000mi on it and how many more miles can I put on it before it gets too expensive to maintain?

2) Am I getting a good deal?

3) What is the average maintenance cost of a TSX with 70,000mi? Things that need replacing and stuff.

Any other advice on things to check before buying the car would be helpful as well.

Thanks
Sunil

nj2pa2nc

depends on how it was maintained and driven.
My 06 tsx has almost 108,000 problem free miles. I have all the maintenance done by acura/honda dealers. I do mostly highway driving. For the 3 year service I had the brake and manual transmission fluids changed. I have had the normal things such as oil/filter changes, tire rotations/balances, cabin filter changed. Love it, runs excellent.

Jimmy The Saint

I think people rely too much on carfax. A carfax won't tell you how well a car has been maintained or treated. Or what immediate repairs are needed. I would pay for a pre-purchase inspection by an Acura dealer if you are buying from a private party and ask for all maintenance records - if none are available just walk away.

If you are buying from a dealer then ask for the service records, ask for the record of what was done to the car prior to putting it on the lot and at a minimum negotiate some type of short term warranty or ask for it to be certified (not sure if thats possible with so many miles)

But in general for a honda, 70K is not a lot if the vehicle has been properly cared for.

thunder04

iTrader: (1)

Although mine is an '04 5AT, I've put 135k miles on mine (and counting) and it's holding up well.

As long as the car was decently maintained, you should be fine.

Simba91102

I agree on the Carfax comment. People seem to think it's the last word on a car's history, when in reality it's easily bypassed (and more likely to be now, where it's so well known). It's another tool for use when looking for a used car, but little more. And sorry..... I have an 05 and love it, but $15K for a very soon to be 6 yr. old car with 70K miles seems like huge money to me. That said, 70K miles is nothing for a TSX. There's not too much that need to attended up through 70K miles based on mileage, but there are some things that should have been done to a 5 year old car based on time. Pretty much all fluids should have been replaced (brake fluid every 3 years for instance), and of course filters.

1Louder

1) I'm in the market for a used Honda, and I'm seeing all kinds with 180, 190K miles and all happy owners. Brother is at 240K on his Accord and he's never replaced more than wear items. All cars come with risk, but in my opinion the TSX is as good a car to put your money on as any.

I just did a 45K service, which included all the 3-year stuff for under $500. That replaced the tranny and brake fluids, plus all the other stuff. Most will tell you that's a lot, but I plan on owning it for a long time so I'm going to take care of it. That said, seems like every 15K would set you back ~$200 in scheduled maintenance.

There's nothing unique to a TSX out there that's "expensive to maintain". In fact, I think the reputation for reliability with Honda/Acura is one of the best.

2) I'm not up on prices to know. The internet should tell you if your close.

3) I would get the VIN and call a dealer to see if they maintained it with Acura. They'll have the records if they did. You'll want to know if they did the 60K service. Also look at the tires - are they originals or have they been replaced? If they are originals, don't expect to get much more out of them. I think the service and tires are probably your near-term extra costs if they have not been taken care of.

1Louder

A few more thoughts - this is just regular "buying my first car" stuff":

- Check if it looks modified or stock (expecially the engine). Modified means higher probability it was driven harder.
- Check tires - bald outer edges is also an indication of hard driving.
- Check the oil - changed recently or old?

None of those are deal killers - just know what you're getting before you settle in on a price.

sunilvarma

thanks for your inputs guys. i ended up buying a 08 TSX manual with NAV - red / black. car had 27k miles on it and came with the balance of 4yr / 50k miles factory warranty. cost me 21k + taxes.

you guys think i got a good deal?

1Louder

Sounds like a winner to me - congrats!

nj2pa2nc

congrats-excellent color combo. Hope you have as much luck with your tsx as I have with mine. The only complaint is the lousy paint-numerous rock chips. If I had known I would have had a clear bra installed when it was new.

YeuEmMaiMai

carfax is a joke a much better option is to run the vin past your insurance co. they can give you the car's history if any work has been done on it that required a pay out on their behalf

my 02 CL-S was in 2 accidents for a total of $5xx and $7xx and carfax did not pick up on either one of them......one was 2 weeks after the car (04-13-03) was bought and the other one was June 2006 just before I bought it

ZDriver96

Your not getting a good deal. Sorry don't intend to sound like a dick.. But thats not a good deal.