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If a car is still in running condition after 180k miles, that's a good sign. Why would a dealer want a car with 180k miles if it wasn't worth acquiring?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Axle grease
Another quick Google AutoZone search proved yet another time to be true. A 2001 Dodge Neon alternator is $89 while the '95 Honda Civic is $129 for the same replacement part. Can you imaging fixing a higher mileage example over the lesser of the two?
...But how often is a Honda going to need to be fixed in comparison to a Neon? Chrysler stopped producing the Dodge Neon with good reason.
If a car is still in running condition after 180k miles, that's a good sign. Why would a dealer want a car with 180k miles if it wasn't worth acquiring?
...But how often is a Honda going to need to be fixed in comparison to a Neon? Chrysler stopped producing the Dodge Neon with good reason.
Piston rings, bearings, springs, seals, tranny, clutch and everything else has 180K on it. Unless it is a diesel, it is a 180K car that is nearing the end of it's service life. Or can a Honda outlast a diesel too now? I'm still waiting for the 500K to 1,000,000K mile Honda. LOL
When I used to work on other peoples foreign cars, I would buy a candy bar and a cold 20oz Pepsi at the auto-parts store for my trouble. When I returned, they were shocked at how much I had spent on parts and in some cases down right pissed when they learned they were not available and I had to go to the dealer or "dealer only" to get them. Something to always think about and consider. What, you came back without the parts? That candy bar and drink was good though! LOL What am I going to do now? Ahhhh..... go to the dealer to get them and be ready to get bent! LOL
Piston rings, bearings, springs, seals, tranny, clutch and everything else has 180K on it. Unless it is a diesel, it is a 180K car that is nearing the end of it's service life. Or can a Honda outlast a diesel too now? I'm still waiting for the 500K to 1,000,000K mile Honda. LOL
So in other words, you're discounting the Honda purely for miles alone, disregarding how it may be cared for, and assuming less mileage on a Neon means it's better. What if the Neon was traded in because it already had several problems without even reaching 100K miles yet?
With a budget of $3k, I wouldn't recommend a Neon, even with 90k miles. The resale value would be about half of that in a short time, even while keeping the mileage low. A Honda would keep most of it's resale value, which is why they're selling at the same price even thought the Honda is older with more mileage.
So in other words, you're discounting the Honda purely for miles alone, disregarding how it may be cared for, and assuming less mileage on a Neon means it's better. What if the Neon was traded in because it already had several problems without even reaching 100K miles yet?
With a budget of $3k, I wouldn't recommend a Neon, even with 90k miles. The resale value would be about half of that in a short time, even while keeping the mileage low. A Honda would keep most of it's resale value, which is why they're selling at the same price even thought the Honda is older with more mileage.
Wear is wear. The only mechanical device that doesn't need maintenance or wear out is a GRENADE! LOL I am sorry, I didn't realize you were a woman. I'll go easy on ya hon!
Wear is wear. The only mechanical device that doesn't need maintenance or wear out is a GRENADE! LOL I am sorry, I didn't realize you were a woman. I'll go easy on ya hon!
I see you are/were a mechanic. I have a brother who's a mechanic. I'm no car expert, but I can manage. I can change my own oil and tires, jump-start a battery if need be. I actually like cars, but I'm more into foreign models. I'm biased, I know.
I recognize any cars will need maintenance, but for a single year, I don't think either option would matter. After rereading the post, either car would probably be too old for that much driving, anyway. Methinks the OP's friend will need something else....
I see you are/were a mechanic. I have a brother who's a mechanic. I'm no car expert, but I can manage. I can change my own oil and tires, jump-start a battery if need be. I actually like cars, but I'm more into foreign models. I'm biased, I know.
I recognize any cars will need maintenance, but for a single year, I don't think either option would matter. After rereading the post, either car would probably be too old for that much driving, anyway. Methinks the OP's friend will need something else....
Holy crap I forgot all about the Fuego. And the Alliance, an even bigger mess.
Don't forget the Alliance hatch variant, the Encore. Renault had a bad deal allowing AMC to manufacture them in the US, selling under the Renault name.
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I voted for "other" in the poll, too. While the Honda can offer good reliability, the miles are pretty high. If I did not personally know the owner, I would be disinclined to take a risk on it. Then again, with any car, especially one in this price range, I would have a service like Carchex come out and give a mechanical inspection of any vehicle. It is not too expensive, under $150 or so, depending upon service level, but can save from making a bad purchase.
I looked on Auto Trader in the Atlanta area, using 50 mile radius of 30326, to see what would come up in the local market. While some Auto Trader listings can be stale, they do give insight as to what sort of car might be available.
One thing I did note, however, was a plethora of fake ads, which I know to be fake by a couple of criteria (price too low, email contact is generic hotmail account, and ads are not worded as most owners would list). I found the ads because I sorted from mileage, lowest to highest, as they appear in different zip codes in the region. An example of one of the fake ads was for a 2004 E320 4Matic wagon with 101k miles, asking $3,400. In good condition, that car would be in the $13,500 or so asking price for a private party. At first, I thought it was a misprint, and they left off a "1," but then I noticed other similar ads -- too many for it to be a typo.
In addition to some Civics with lower mileage, though over 100k, I saw some Accords that might not be bad, though some don't have much less mileage than the Civic mentioned in the poll. The Mid-Late 90s Accords were good cars, however, so high mileage should not immediately disqualify one, same as with the Civic. I would have an inspection performed on one. I also saw a couple of Acura Integras in the price range, which is another good value in a Honda. All Hondas, however, need the timing belt changed at 7 year/105k mile intervals. One Integra I saw was an '00 with 94k miles on it for $3,500 asking. It should have had the timing belt changed, but in the absence of such, I would negotiate on the price, and immediately change the belt, but save the receipt, so when your friend goes to sell the car, you can prove the repair/maintenance performed under their ownership.
If your friend would not mind a large car, there was a 1996 Town Car with 98k miles listed for $2,000. If it's in good shape, that's a decent buy, but it's about as far from a European driving experience as one could get. There were a number of Cadillacs listed, some that have low mileage, but I would not recommend them because of the Northstar engine that can have expensive services, and the Catera was just not a good car. There are also some Buicks in range, and the better models will be the LeSabre/Park Avenue that have the 3.8L engine. Buicks are generally reliable, but can have head gasket issues in the late 90s years, but some may have been replaced.
The timing belt on a Honda is a few hundred dollars, and there's no need to take it to a dealership, especially if you have a good local Honda independent mechanic. The labor rate is generally better, and they would be able to quote the price on the phone if you were to call, explain that you're considering a Honda and don't know if the belt has been changed, and would bring it to them if you buy the car. It's a standard job, so they should be able to give you a range of the cost, provided nothing else is wrong with the car.
The Volvo is probably going to be too big of a maintenance issue, even if you could find one around $3k that didn't need too much work. They can be reliable, but the parts and labor rates are generally higher because there are fewer on the road. I don't dislike Volvos, at all, and some are great cars, provided one adheres to the maintenance schedule, though some years/models can be ugly even when you do adhere to it. Generally, the 850s were pretty reliable, since they did not have the problematic AWD issues with the XC70s of the late 90s/early 00s. I would not buy an early S80, for example, though you might find one in that price range, as there were many issues with them -- or at least with the two owned by a sibling of mine that were gone within two years (purchased new).
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
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I forgot all about the Fuego. And the Alliance, an even bigger mess.
