I currently have a 99 accord coupe EX manual with 140k and am planning to trade it in for an auto so my girlfriend can also drive the car. I'm currently teaching her how to drive. I've been looking at/test driving 2 accords at a dealer, both automatic sedans. This will eventually be her car, so I'm hoping to find one as trouble free as possible. I would appreciate if you can tell me if any of my observations should be concerns and which car I should get.

01 EX with 45k miles - The engine felt ok during the drive. I noticed that the ride was pretty stiff, like my current coupe. The rear tires were worn and need replacement right away. The trunk creaks open and feels light. The carpetting to the right of the accelerator was pull out for some reason. I didn't get the "feel" that this was as well maintained as the 02 LX. This car was originally a lease. Should I be concerned at all?

02 LX with 56k miles - The drive of this car felt ok. It felt more solid than the EX. I don't know how else I can explain it. The engine however is a bit loud when you step on the gas. It's not as smooth as the 01 EX even though it's the same engine right? I also test drove my friend's 98 accord EX sedan (auto) and it felt/sounded exactly the same. Is this normal?

I've also read that Honda extended the transmission warranty. Would this apply to one of these accords if I get it? Thank you in advance for your help.

 

hey you get a bad feeling about a car and you get the hell out of there you hear? and im getting a bad feeling about both of those cars. those damn dealerships get so many of those cars at auction, where they have been siezed or whatever and you can be damn certain that they werent maintained at all. if you buy used .....you buy private....and you dont look at 2 cars you look at 20... and for the price that that dealership wants to sell you that car for, you could probably get an all leather 03 v6 auto, that probably had one owner and you can personally view every maintenance record that they have. plus when you talk to someone about their car, you can tell how they have taken care of it...if anything find a car thats been waxed...if someone will take 2-4 hours out of their day to wax their car,,they love it and thats the car you want your gf driving. and for what they would give you for your trade in? if you offered your car at that price privately you could probably sell it in one day if you listed it on the weekend.

 

you didnt put where you from .. so here are some cars in my area. let me know how much the dealership is going to charge you for those other cars. im imagining at least 15k.


car

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well here are a couple. be careful of those flood cars. many dealerships are trying to sell those even though it is illegal.

 

Thanks a lot for your suggestions and help lightshow. I'm in CA, the bay area. They were charging $12600 and $13200 OTD for the LX and EX, respectively, which isn't bad. They offered a trade in price of $4000, which isn't the worst. They also gave me the carfax for the cars. Both were privately owned, had two owners, and were all in the bay area.

 

I'm actually looking at purchasing a new accord myself, but very unsure how to go about doing it. I'm afraid to buy used from a dealer.
I'd rather do new from them with 3-4 yr lease or something. I'm not sure if it pays to buy a used when u can almost lease and pay close to what you would buying (if not cash).

I've never bought a car from dealership so I really don't know what questions to ask and what to look out for. I hate having to go there but like you said, I need something reliable for my girlfriend too.

Does anyone have any tips/advice on buying new or used at dealerships ?

 

any accord between 1998-02 with a V6 and an auto trans is bad news. I would even be leery of the I4 autos as those transmissions are JUNK

 

Never buy on your first visit, EVER!

Get outside financing if at all possible. Credit Union, Bank

If you feel pressure leave immediately.

Don't believe a word they tell you about the vehicle, theyr'e a salesman not a mechanic.

Ask for a Carfax Report, it will tell you everything you need to know
1. If it has had more than one owner in two years walk away.
2. Rentals are never good vehicles, despite what people say.
3. If it has been sitting awhile, there's a reason. Don't buy!

Check for minor repaired damage, for some reason most Accord's have been hit from the rear.

Check fluid level, color, smell. Ask for maintance records if availible, what work they did as well. Act like you know what your doing and devalue the car as much as possible. Used Accord's are in high demand so don't expect an easy buy.

Try all of the features to make sure they work.

Do not let the salesperson sit you down while he goes to talk to his manager. If he/she asks you to take a seat tell them you are going to take a walk around the dealership. Stay in control! Don't give a thing until your ready to buy.

During the test drive push it hard, this will expose potential problems.

AT good.. MT better...

This is a start.

 

Mike 7311 is giving you the best advice that you can get..listen to what he put in there and Yes..above all .. you must keep in control of the sale if you expect to get a good price...

WheelBrokerAng[sm=americanasmiley.gif]

 

chances of getting to see maint records are next to nothing unless you buy private party. A dealership could get in a lot of trouble if they left the previous owner's service records in the car (address name, etc) I would allow someone to see the service records on the car before they bought it but there is no way I am going to let them keep the records.

Carfax can be a hit or a miss depending upon how long it take a particular state/repair facility to report information. Typically it takes anywhere from 1-12 months for stuff to show up.

Best thing to do is get the car inspected at your Honda dealer. They by default are going to tell you everything that is wrong with the car simply because they want you to have them fix it.

Best way to check a car for accident damage is to look at all of the body panels. If one or more have been painted it will not perfectly match the rest of them.

If the car does not drive straight, wiggls or shifts funny.....run Forrest run!

Look at the interior of the car, if there are a lot of stainss, again do not buy the car

 

my advice..............take car to a Dealer or a shop that Specializes on Hondas.......ask them to do a BUYER'S INSPECTION ,, best 50-80 dollars you will ever spend. they will give you a list of what is wrong with the car with repair cost estimates........