bimmerdad

Hi All,

Looking to buy an TL tech. I've been looking for a few weeks now. In my area, the 2013_2014 are commanding top dollar. I set my budget at $15,000. I haven't had much luck finding a 7th gen for that price. Today I ran across a 2012 TL Tech with 102,000 miles on it. It's in excellent shape. Looks practically new. The dealership is asking $15k. So, should I worry about a TL with that many miles? Is this car priced fairly?

Mark

bimmerdad

I meant 4th gen...

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

At 102,000 miles, the TL is barely broken in. That said, there is a tune up, timing belt, timing belt tensioner, water pump, and coolant service due at 105,000 miles. This service, depending upon where it is performed can cost well over $1,000.

bimmerdad

Thanks for the input. In your opinion, is 15k a reasonable price?

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

I'm probably the wrong person to ask about that; I'm not at all a fan of the look of the 4G TLs. I will say this, back in May I bought a pristine 2006 TL 6MT with 114,000 miles on the clock for $10,000; just to give you a frame of reference.

rlx015

3.7L engines appear to have oil consumption issue due to silicone something something in the engine... how wide-spread is this issue, anyone can chime in?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

your question is loaded.
is it worth it? well, ONLY you, the buyer can answer that.

why not check out what other TL's are going for in your area? that will be a better indicator on what it's worth.
then, you the buyer, will have to inspect the car for any bad signs.
so, let's say you drop the $15k, only to find out it's a bad individual car. then you would have buyers remorse and it wouldnt be worth it...

so, revise your question.
instead of "is it worth it?"
ask, "does this car look mechanically sound to you fellas..?" and then we can chime in on what we think.
but then, we really cant inspect the car from the internet....so then, it would fall back on you to determine if the car is worth your $15 grand.

bimmerdad

Thanks for the reply.

I'm aware that it will be my decision as far as worth. What I wanted to know is from people in the forum, Is this car, for this price, with this amount of miles on it, sound like a reasonable deal? Another way to put it, is having 102k on a 2012 TL Tech something I should avoid or is that amount of miles not a big deal if the car has been taken car of? I'm reading that at 105k it needs some type of major scheduled repairs so I need to take that into consideration as well.

I hope this clears things up.

Mark

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

is it reasonable? we still dont know!
we dont know the condition of the car. we dont know if the 105k service has been performed. we dont know if that particular car is eating oil.
Used cars are used cars, and it will be up to the buyer to figure out if it has been treated well, or has been abused.

if I look up TL's in my area and find that they are going for $15k, then I would say that is the going price for them...
Market value dictates fairness.

your best bet is to look at several, instead of just 1 car.
when I bought my used car, it took me at least 6 months and several different makes and models.
in hindsight, I over spent on what I thought was fair. but that was what I wanted, as it was a clean non-molested car.

if the particular car you are looking at is clean and non-molested, and you think $15k is fair for it...Purchase!
a used car is a used car is a used car. you will have to look at it with a fine tooth comb.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

just took a look for the used TL tech's in my area...they go anywhere from $12-15k...
so, yes...Market value says they are still worth in that range.

you can also negotiate with seller to drop price, if you are so inclined.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

I couldn't agree more. In my case, I settled first on a Gen 3 TL with a 6-Speed Manual. After searching further I ruled out the Type-S, I like the understated look of the base TL better. Upon further research and shopping, I narrowed my focus to a 2006 TL 6MT non-NAV.

One other thought just occurred to me, my original goal was to find a car with under 80,000 miles on the clock. Yeah, about that, I found lots of them, several dozen actually, but all but two were well flogged. The first nice one only had 20,000 miles on it and the asking (and selling price as it turned out) was $14,000. The second nice car I found had 114,000 on the clock; I bought it for $10,000.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

My 4G has 121K and it runs, sounds and drives like the day I bought it at 58K. Well, better because I've modified it a bit and dropped some weight.

But maintenance and care are a key factor. I saw what looked like a 2 or 3 year old Camry burning oil yesterday, probably because it had the original oil in it from the day it rolled off the sales floor. Older woman driving. No offense With these newer cars, maintenance is everything. 25 years ago you couldn't expect a car to go much over 100K without an overhaul. Now, most cars can go 3X that if they're well cared for. Engineering is important too. Most Japanese vehicles fit into that category. Just don't expect a Chrysler product to go that long

See if it has any maintenance records. Look at the Carfax. Start it cold and immediately check the exhaust for blue/white smoke. Check the transmission fluid to see if it's relatively clean and doesn't smell burnt (glass transmissions on these Acura's need to be meticulously maintained). Try to talk them down about 1K if it requires the timing belt service. Most of all, drive it and make sure there's no hesitation, all the electronics work correctly and that it shifts well. Push it hard when you shift and manually shift up and down aggressively to make sure there's no slipping or significant hesitation or funny noises. If all that checks out, I'd pay 15K for it.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

i still think you are phrasing your question wrong...

it should be "will the TL last for 10 years? or how ever long you plan to keep it."

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I was looking for six-speed manual G35's!
dealer showed me an Acura with six speed manual and I took it home for the weekend.
Been in my garage ever since

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

That is EXACTLY what I had Is yours Alabaster Silver Metallic by chance (my profile pic)? If so, it's a twin of my 3G. Looooooved that car.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

another cool thing about used cars is....THERE will always be a better deal tomorrow.
so, today that particular car might be fair....but tomorrow a clean unmolested car with a better price might show up.

another thing to take in account of; used cars are needy. mine is pushing 11 years old and it gets needy at times.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Nope, mine is Royal Blue Pearl:

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

another point about money....
if you are a sub-prime loan target with less than ideal credit score, down payment, etc.. then NO $15k would not be fair.
"payments of only $250 for the next 20 years! at 20% APR"
that shit aint fair

bimmerdad

Losiglow, this was the kinda response I was looking for. Like others have said, there are other factors to consider which I was aware of. Now, here is more on the car. It is being sold at my local Acura dealership, was told that is was owned by a local lawyer who basically put highway miles on it. The car looks brand new, the interior is immaculate, no rips, tears or fading. It is a one owner car. I have not driven it yet and i have not asked about the 105k service. (my guess would be that they have not done that.)

I also have my eye on a 2013 Maxima at the same dealership with 25k. that car is fully loaded as the TL Tech is. Asking price on that one is 18k.

I like both cars but must admit the TL feels a little more solid.

Mark

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

you didnt ask that. lol

WNY PAT

The 3.5 FWD isn't prone to the oil buning issue.

1. Ask for the carfax. Make sure it shows that the car was sold at the dealership it is currently at and that it was a one owner car since new. It'll also show service records if it was performed at a dealer or other facility networked in.

2. If the car is truly a one owner local vehicle, especially if the carfax shows regular service intervals, it's probably worth about $13K-$15K. The fact that the original Acura dealership that sold the car is selling it after a trade in would be a big plus in my mind.

3. Check the carfax for accidents. Also, directly ask the dealership if it has been in any accidents or if it has had any paintwork. If you don't know what to look for, ask for one of the appraisers or the sales manager to walk around the car with you to look for signs of previous paint repair.

4. If everythingabout the car checks out, I'd offer them $15K so long as the dealer agrees to complete the 105K service (timing belt, water pump, tensioner) and any other necessary service items (brake fluid, transmission drain and fill 3X, etc). If the tires/brakes/rotors are shot, try to get the dealer to throw them in at a discount so that car is road ready for many miles.

5. IMO, all used cars are a risk. If you can get everything above completed, I'd say you've minimized the risk as much as you can and you ought to be driving off the lot with a car that should give you many trouble free miles. It ought to just need regular maintaniance for many miles.

bimmerdad

Thanks WNY PAT, that was the exact type of information I was looking for. I feel better about the car now but will definitely do my research and I'll let you know what I decide. I really do like the TL with at least the Tech package.

Mark

JM2010 SH-AWD

On its face it sounds like a good prospect. I'd ask to see the service records -- the dealer should have them.

Honda/Acura's standard for powerplant longevity is 300K with appropriate maintenance. In my experience, that kind of a service life is attainable IF the car is taken care of and well maintained. Under those circumstances, at 112K the drivetrain should be only 1/3 through its service life.

Years ago we had friends who knew nothing about cars and made no effort to maintain their cars. They had an old Volvo which looked like hell and on which nothing worked, but it limped along gamely. They bought a new Accord, and after awhile it began to take on the same appearance. After a few years, my friend asked about adding oil to the car. I asked when was the last time he changed it, and his response was "changed it?" Last I saw of that car, it was still running well but looking like crap with a regimen of add, but don't ever change, the oil. A real tribute to Honda's over-engineering.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

there's a guy on here who gets featured on Jalopnik ALL the time....he just reached 500k miles on his ILX..
and has million miles on his Legend.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

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GS-R with 200,000 miles
ILX with 200,000 miles
NSX with 100,000 miles

dude wants an Acura SUV and you bet he's going to take them way past 300,000 miles.
he's just a regular fellow that loves roadtrips on the weekends.

davidchicago

No dude I bought a 2009 TL with 64K miles on it for 15K almost two years ago one owner perfect condition did not even do any repairs yet. Did you check Cars.com? I looked around Charlotte there is a bunch of TL's around there with less miles.

LOL check this out this is almost same thing that I got 2 years ago 2009 as well.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...8429/overview/