Q: How many more miles can I get out of this car? Year: 2000 Make: ACURA Model: TL Series: LUX Mileage: 117,776 Stock #: TL VIN: 19UUA5666YA053977 Condition: Used Price: $4,995
A: I think the best thing to do is to buy the most car with the lowest miles possible...sometimes considering one's budget, that might mean buying a car with over 100K. Here's the thing, there's pros & cons to this car. First, the upside is that it's a Honda (Acura). If the car's been well cared for via regular scheduled maintenance, then it's quite possible that it will easily last for another 117+ thousand miles. In that sense, the price you pay for it might be a pitance...a good buy indeed. On the other hand, if the car appears to not have been well cared for, then you're taking a chance. But honest, $4,995 is a very good price for this car (assuming no damage, no salvage title, not neglected, etc.). The worst of this however is that Honda (Acura) lost a class-action lawsuit that applies to the automatic transmission used in this car (and in V6 Accords, Odyssey's of similar years). It's been estimated that anywhere from 2-8% of all models mentioned are affected. The settlement provided extension of the factory warranty out to 108K miles or ~ 7 yrs...in either case, it's out of warranty. So...the very worst thing that might happen is that you buy this car, and one week later find that the transmission if failing. That will cost you well over $3k to fix. The aforementioned should raise one concern that the seller might have knowledge of adverse transmission symptoms, and he/she is now seeking to dump the car. If you really want to buy this car anyway, you might pay a reputable mechanic to accompany you & to specifically inspect the car's ride to be sure that the tranny's OK. Things like hard/rough shifts, delayed shifts, transmission slippage can indicate big problems in the wings. Also & again, if you really think you're going to buy this car, it would be worth the $30 to input the VIN into CARFAX...that will give you a history on the vehicle related to number of prior owners, accidents, salvage titles, etc. Hope this helps & best of success!