badactofollow

Wassup everybody! Glad to be here and hopefully I'll be joining the family soon.

I'm in the market for a 3rd gen TL, specifically a 2008 non navi. I've eyed the 3rd gen since they came out and now I'm following through and hoping to buy one now that I need a new vehicle. I went and took a look at the 2008 TL with 146K miles over the weekend. During my search I've been going with the notion that most drivers average about 15k miles per yr, this one is over that threshold by nearly 6k miles per yr. I feel like I'll need this vehicle for the next 3-5 years and I'm trying to keep the expensive maintenance to a minimum.


The dealer is asking $9,995 for it. Ran the Autocheck and it's been in 2 accidents, the interior is in good condition, and I'll probably take it by an Acura dealership if I feel good about the car after the test drive.

In summation, should I talk him down and pull the trigger on it? Or am I better off going with a older TL with less mileage?

Help!

And thanks for reading my dissertation

Alexns05

That's how much I paid for my 04 two years ago with 103k on the clock. That's way too much for that mileage and two accidents. Has the timing belt been done? If not, that's close to $1000 right there. With the timing belt done I wouldn't pay more than $8500.

badactofollow

The timing belt question is one I'll ask the dealer. I'll make sure I bring that up in potential negotiations.

I'm sure there aren't many 08's out there with this many miles and I'd sure as hell hate to be the guinea pig with a myriad of issues.

ez12a

i think 10k is a bit much considering the mileage and the fact that it has been in 2 collisions. If there weren't any collisions i'd say it's fair.

there may not be many 08s but there are plenty of 3G TLs, why not a 2007?

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

Well it depends. 146k miles of being hard driven and no maintenance will be horrible. 146k miles of highway and good maintenance is good. Up to you if you think it's worth it, there no right or wrong choice.

cantojai

Bought my 04 TL 2 years ago for like 12700 with 135km, but then again Canada is rape up here.. Dealerships were charging 16,000 for 155 km on average

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Simply put, no I would not buy a 146,000 mile 2008 with two accidents. If your gonna need the car for as much as 5 years get something with lower miles that hasn't been banged up a couple times.

erdoc48

^^ Exactly this. If you decide to get it, you should be able to negotiate a decently low price- I'd never pay $10K for what you described. I've always felt it's better to pay a little more for a better, lower mileage car with a clean history and good maintenance. I seriously doubt the dealership would be able to prove if the timing belt was done on the car.

Aman

I wouldn't buy that particular car. Reliability won't be an issue, but considering other 3G TLs available, 10k is too much for one with that mileage and 2 accidents.

These days, that'll buy a clean 05 with decent miles.

badactofollow

Thanks for the advice and suggestions everybody, I appreciate it!

When I ran the Autocheck it didn't describe the severity of the damage, so it's a possibility it could've been minor accidents. I'll definitely take a look at 2007s too.

I guess I'm really caught up and excited about possibly getting a newer vehicle for a steal of a price.

But, I do agree with you with your assesment of getting something with lower miles and better history. I'm looking into it right now! The possibility of going into uncharted territory with an 08 might not be the best decision financially for me.

I am seeing plenty of 2004-07s in my area (Atlanta) in the same price range, so that's pretty encougaring. I'm trying to purchase rather quickly [this weekend ] since i'm on week 3 of $200 rental cars

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

I totally understand what your saying about being excited about getting a new car, but please dont let your emotions take over and get a car that you may possibly regret in a few weeks when the excitement cools down. It is a low price for a relatively nice car and the last year 2008 3G, but I mean would you really be happy with a car that has been involved in not one, but two accidents that you will likely never know the severity of? Sure, they may be as simple as a parking lot bump, but they could also be as severe as a highway collision with airbag deployment etc etc. Not that the car wouldnt necessarily be good anymore or that it wont drive nice, but if your somewhat into cars which I think you are since your on this site, then find yourself a clean one that hasnt been hit a few times and been repainted and worked on and stuff.
I am always browsing craigslist and other sites for whats out there and I have seen some pretty nice deals on 07 and 08 TL's with waaayyyy lower miles than that one.
I know you have a rental and the price adds up, but I think finding the right car is the way to go and a 146,000 mile 08 with accident history isnt the one.

Just as an example, within a 2 minute search I came across a 2007 Type S with 55,000 less miles than that 08 base TL for $11,900.
http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/4361823407.html

Ho9984

My 08 is at 148K. Love it. No issues with it at all. No accidents though.

badactofollow

What a coincidence you posted that TL-S. That car is less than 20 mins from where my dad lives in Chicago. I think I'll expand my search to that zip code and see if he might be able to take a look at vehicles up there

NBP04TL4ME

There are too many other cars to consider. No need to seriously consider a car that has been in two accidents already.

annabelle

Chicago area is definitely the place to look. There are an abundance of 3g Tls up there with good prices at dealerships.


If you like the one you've already looked at you should be able to get it for a much better price than that. The negatives have already been pointed out - mileage, accidents, and no nav. When we were searching for ours we test drove an 06 with 133k miles. It drove better than many of the others with <80k miles on them. Just depends on the car and how it was driven and maintained.

erdoc48

If cost is a consideration, consider an 06. They're were 1/2 way through the production run at that point, and most issues were generally resolved by 2006. There's plenty of them around and I'm sure you could find one with relatively low miles for not too much money. In general, they have been reliable cars (actually for the bulk of the production run).

If you spring for an 07-08, these are obviously newer cars / assumed to be even more reliable than the earlier ones and the only recommendation I would make is to check spark plug torque immediately if you get one (if you read on here, the #5 plug tends to loosen- the middle one on the back bank of cylinders)- it probably wasn't torqued properly at the factory.

jbtruong

TL Type S with 91K Miles is a good deal at about $11,000 IMO!!!...Jump on that if you can....

tones160

ahh dude a car with accidents? I wouldnt be able to sleep comfortably or even drive with a safe mind because i will think the car will collapse on me any minute. Take your time and research. Lots of fishes in the sea specially within the 3G family of the TLs.

Acuramon

I don't know, man. My car is older (2005) but I got it with 115k on the clock 4 months ago for $8,400. This was after having the timing belt/water pump replaced and no accidents. The 2008 you are looking at is probably good but I'm betting you can find a better deal.

badactofollow

I'm closing in on an 04 with 136K miles. But, I might have my dad go take a look at that Type-S since he's in the Chicago area.

WillTC

If it's legit, it's pretty damn good!

badactofollow

Ran the VIN earlier...rebuilt title

csmeance

Get the car inspected by a trusted independent shop, it's much better than any report you can purchase online.

Based of your title, my answer is maybe. If the price was right then sure no problem. For 10K I feel it's a bit steep:

1. 2 Collisions and a Rebuilt Title don't help this car's case at all.
2. It has 145K miles, check and see if it needs a new timing belt or water pump. It'll probably need new compliance bushings in the front (about 300 at a shop) , transmission fluid will need to be changed, new coolant, then as well you'd have to see about the brakes and everything else.

Sight unseen, I'd probably spend no more than 7K on this car. After seeing it you can make a much better and educated decision.

I would suggest this if for your needs that you said in your post:

1. Stick with a 2007+ TL, transmission problems are pretty much gone. I'd recommend a 4G if you can afford it!
2. Look at the 2006+ Acura RL, it's AWD and gets a bit worse gas mileage but it is one of the best buys for the money.
3. Look at the V6 or I4 Acura TSX from 2009+. You can find them at a great price and it'll run easily for another 5 years.

nokkieny

I would never buy a car with more than 100k miles, I feel like if I was doing that I would essentially be sacrificing reliability for "style?".. getting a model I couldn't otherwise afford if not for the high mileage. Which to me is a problem within it self because you are then going to have higher costs all around.

SamDoe1

Would I buy one? Yes.

Would I buy this one? No.

badactofollow

The rebuilt title I referenced was on the Type-S that was linked earlier in the thread. The car that prompted me to make this thread is off my radar now. It's too far of a drive for me to keep checking it out and it didn't meet all the requirements I'm looking for.

I'm taking a look at a 2004 tomorrow with my mechanic. Strangely, I haven't seen too many There's one at Carmx, but the numbers aren't anywhere near what I'm willing ot pay.
It's a all a matter of preference when it comes to buying cars with high mileage. I acquired my last vehicle with 179K miles and the cylinder cracked a few weeks ago with around 260K. I try to baby any vehicle I drive and this TL won't be any different.

badactofollow

Whoops. Didn't finish the first part of that that last post. (I can't edit?)

But I haven't seen too many 2007's with low mileage in my area and one I scheduled to look at, at Carmax is higher than I'm willing to pay.

The search continues....

Elite1982

geez, i thought I had a lot of miles. I have an 07 with 82k mile

EricDET

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a car with that kind of mileage. Especially given the dependability of the platform itself. That price isn't crazy high where I live. I got laughed at by a lot of people with slightly higher mileage TL's when even offering blue book private party values.

Scottwax

Mileage would be the least of my concerns. Would be more worried about the two accidents and the price.

3 years ago, I picked up a 2002 6 speed Maxima for $5000 with 155k miles. No accidents, well maintained car. Leather, Bose, climate control, etc. Pretty loaded car. I know Nissans depreciate more quickly than Acura, but with the mileage and car's history, price is $2000 too high.

badactofollow

Figured I'd bump this since I settled on a 2007 Nav w/116K miles. Thanks for all the advice everybody! I'll be frequenting this forum from here on out!

Aman

soupi

I would shy away from it because of the accidents, unless you get exact details in what happened... theres better deals out there

flyromeo3

i'd stay away from a vehicle that has been in an accident.
Let alone 2x.

but dont let high mileage cars sour you from looking at them
i have an 06 w/ 157k miles. As long as its properly maintained, I can see mine going up to300k ( im hoping to do that ) and maybe more.

Primitive6

Woah. I took a look at the prices for 3G's in ATL. The market is about the same as it is on Dallas. I bought mine last week an 08 with 89k miles for $16k. I did see a listing there for an 08 with 45k miles for $20k...WTF?! Lol but seriously a lot of it has to do with the area. I see a lot of new guys on here that got a wayyyyy sweeter deal than I did just by being in the right area. Maybe you should consider a short road trip?

Primitive6

Oh Nevermind I just saw that you bumped this, if you don't mind me asking what deal did you get??

YeuEmMaiMai

My car has been in 3 accidents

1 curbed

1 minor front end 2 weeks after bought by first owner
1 moderate rear end collision 6 months before I got it.

and I was just rear ended this winter and had a new bumper skin installed.

badactofollow

In short, you got a MUCH better deal than me! lol With my lack of credit history and no available co-signer I had to go with Carmax.

OTD it was around 15K. But despite all that I'm happy I got the car I wanted with the color and features I was looking for. Now time to build that credit!

521ranger

Where is the car posted? Some of us would like to take a look...

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Which car are you talking about? The one in the original post from seven years ago?