Took the $8K Plunge--Am I Crazy or What?
 

Original owner of 2005 RL that's been trouble free. All services on time at dealer. Body and interior in excellent condition (other than bubbling glove box lid). Now at 200K. Just picked up from dealer after Timing Belt, Spark Plugs, Valve Adjustments, Water Pump, Pulleys, Front and Rear Oil Seals (were leaking a bit), all new Gaskets, Engine Mounts X 3, all Fluids changed, Radio Sub Display replaced (was flickering), Detailing, and brand new Glove Box, all to the tune of nearly $8,000.

The way I figure it, I'm keeping an exceptional car that I really enjoy for a lot less than a new one. And other than the "newness", my RL feels heavier and more substantial, with maybe better build quality than the present day mid sized luxury sedans I've driven. Plus, buying a new car is such a pain. Not to mention the insurance.

On my way to 300K!

Wow..

I thought this thread was going to be about buying a used RL for 8K. :rofl:

that seems like typical dealer markup but i think with that investment, you'll easily hit 300K!

if you're happy with the $8k spent, :cheers:

happy driving!

Ha! $8,000 would have been a ripoff----the KBB value is only $3,500-5,000 for my car!

The way I see it, if you bought a new car now, the depreciation over the 4-5 years is going to be around the same price as what you spent on tuning up the current car (if anything more). The car should last you another 5 years!

Money well spent!

I think this car is simply amazing car to keep alive... good bones, good investment

that's a lot of coin but it is a great car and you'll save money on lower tabs and insurance vs buying a new car. see you at 300k.

Ouchh what a rip off did they at least use vaseline LOL!! For that price you could of bought a low mileage newer model RL with shipping, that job should of been no more than 2 grand max. I cant see how some people just accept being literally robbed by the stealership and be ok with it.Any reputable indy shop would of been a better choice and you would of been like 6 grand richer but hey its your money you can spend it where you want im just saying..

That dealer markup is insane but other than that, great job! :cheers:



:pics:

Ahhh good old stealership....

That's awesome though. And I have the same logic when sinking money into older cars - if the cost of ownership & maintenance is lower than the expense of buying a new car (and if you like your old car better than the alternatives), you're better off. Drive it until the wheels fall off. Then put new wheels on and keep driving. I could have said goodbye to my 1994 Legend multiple times: I hit 2 deer at 299,000. The fuel pump went out at 399,000. But here I am at 565,000.

Keep on rolling!

Well out of all the used car I owned, the RL by far is the best purchased I ever made as far as machinal trouble. The previous owner taken care everything at the dealer (since he work in sale lol) the Carfax come back with 7 pages just from his servicing, it drive as good as when it just left the dealer back in 06.

I guess I must be the only one confused...so you didnt spend $8k in PM or you did?

Yes indeed. I spent close to 8K on maintenance and other items listed in my original post. I'm the original owner and know my '05 RL was extremely well cared for and I'm happy to continue to drive it. Plan to go to 300K and beyond!

I do wish I had researched the flickering upper center display problem before I paid $600 for the dealer to snap in a new one.

Ahhh the flickering pod issue. Yeah 1 of my first fixes.

I recently just picked up an '09 RL w/ single owner with 65K for $7.5K....seemed like fair value to me.

You stole that car. :ninja:

Ah crap typo not an 2009...it was an '06 RL...not a a steal anymore huh? 😂

Maybe not a steal, but still a really great deal! :D

To all those in this thread who've done the Internet thing to do – informing you that you didn't get a bargain price – of course that's true. But you have a very nice car with the good feeling of knowing everything's fixed. It's a helluva lot less than car payments, and if you enjoy your RL and it serves you well, it's well worth it to you. Enjoy.

I can relate because I have everything dobe at my Honda dealer for the most part. My local Acura dealer will rob you blind.


Honda discounts me well and always tries to help. We spent a lot of money there, but I know, it's all for the good of everything and everyone.



I now have a regular service advisor and tech I deal with, so I know who's messing with my car! The more work I have done, the better the car drives, screw milage!



I feel happy and love my car more! You (OP) should feel that way too.



You KNOW you were involved in the love the car received!

You’ve got a good list there. If I were in your shoe I would also keep up the maintenance BUT find a Indy shop or DIY as much as I can. No matter how to look at it, $8k is a big number, and the car is 14 years old.

The risk here is if someone hit your car and it got totaled, insurance is not gonna pay for the $8k you just spent, I learned it the hard way as one of my car was totaled a week after performing 60k mile service which I paid thousands. For a set of tires I paid $800 a week ago, they bump up the total loss number by $50, new brakes, fluids, etc? Nothing.

My 06 has only 75k miles, and plan to keep it a long time. I had a Honda dealer do the timing belt/water pump last year for $850. Rest of the items I try to DIY. My car worth probably $8k now, if anything would cost more than $4k I’d have to seriously think about it, cause insurance company still thinks it’s a $8k car no matter what I do to it.

Yep, acura_fantacy, I considered all of that, but decided to roll the dice anyway. I realize that even a smallish collision would render this experiment in auto longevity a total bust. It's now become a bit of a game for me---how long can I keep this car looking and performing like new. To me, the styling is in no way dated, and one of the reasons I purchased it in 2005 was it's somewhat conservative "brown paper wrapper" look. I'm in a new city, and have so far been unable to get a reference to a trusty mechanic specializing in Acuras. So I knowingly and willingly donated to the dealership owner's daughter's college fund.

^There is a regional subforum on the page. Worth searching/asking to see if fellow members have a recommendation for a trusted mechanic in your area.

I have an 05 RL that just hit 100K. Sounds crazy, just bought from a disabled man that never drove it. I plan to invest hard in this car in the future as you did. I hear great things about the engine and if you maintain the car it will last a very long time.

Cheesus Crust
I thought I ripped buttholes
That stealership is next level

That’s great mindset! I didn’t think it makes pure financial sense given the risk, but would def be a fun project/experiment. I’m curious to find out how far can you keep your RL going and rooting for the best outcome. Mine will get nowhere near its potential in term of accumulating miles as sadly it retired to winter duty only.

As the others suggested, look for a Indy locally rather than taking it to stealer every time, these cars are not overly engineered, any competent shops specialized in Japan imports even Honda dealer can/should be able to take good care of yours. Best of luck!