Good for you - sounds lovely. I have no problem with used cars - someone else’s perfectly good unwanted car is your new, sweet deal. Especially in a place like San Diego, where cars can be expected to last longer than the 10 years we get out of them on the prairies.
I know I’m going to get flamed for this but:
A 1998? With 131,500 miles? For over 4k? That’s way too many miles, and way too old (the 2009’s are nearly out, so it’s 11 years old), for too much money. All because it says Honda on it. As used cars, those cars are dramatically overpriced - I don’t care how reliable they are.
Look at this selection of cars available in the San Diego area now, with fewer miles and similar prices.
Sorry to be a spoilsport, especially after the fact, but it’s just not a good deal.
That said, I hope you get many happy miles and years out of it.
No flaming here. We realized that there were cheaper cars to be had, and that some had fewer miles. One constraint was that we needed to get it done quickly, so we didn’t end up looking around as much as we might otherwise have.
That said:
But isn’t this a bit illogical? Their reliability is a central reason for the value that they attract on the used car market.
Anyway, if it runs for a few years without needing much more than routine maintenance, we’ll be happy with the purchase. I’m generally not someone who suffers much from buyer’s remorse, once the deal has been done.
Hi
My two yen…
The REAL problem with a “cheap” car isn’t so much finding an inexpensive car that “seems” to in good shape…
Its WHAT are you going to do if you need a MAJOR repair? Something like an engine rebuild or transmission or fuel injection?
One mode of operation is you are TRYING to have cheap transportation and if push comes to shove you can/will drop a large chunk of change on a major repair.
Mode two is you buy something that appears to be cheap/reliable and if a major repair comes up you cut your looses and move on…
Mode three is you get something that is CHEAP to repair and/or you can do it yourself on the cheap if necessary…
For mode three, nothing beats the old VW Bug…sure it aint that safe to drive…but its gotta be alot better than a motorcycle at least…
If you give a VW Bug some TLC it will keep on keeping on…and with a little wise guidance, anybody with a smidge of mechanical ability can do any VW repair themselves for extremely cheap…
just my thoughts
hope it helps
Blll
Out of curiosity, did they replace the water pump when they preplaced the timing belt? It’s not necessary but it is something I’ve learned to do with my 86 Honda. The water pump seemed fond of the timing belt for some reason and would follow it like a lost puppy.
I doubt you have the same engine but I’m curious. On certain cars you really want to replace the water pump with the belt because of overlapping labor and similar wear cycles. The old Ford Escort had the WP as part of the timing belt circuit so it was a no-brainer.
On a humurous note: The first time the water pump died on my 86 Accord it made a squeeling sound, then a clunk and then the pulley wheel actually fell off and rolled out in front of the car at an intersection. I was so embarassed chasing after it.
Enjoy your new car.
[QUOTE=mhendo: That said:But isn’t this a bit illogical? Their reliability is a central reason for the value that they attract on the used car market.[/quote]
Illogical? Not necessarily. It’s that their reliability is not THAT much better than that of other cars - not as much as the premium you pay to buy them. Other car brands have improved their reliability, particularly in recent years, so they’ve nearly caught up with Honda. So you are paying, say, a 70% premium for a car that is about 20% more reliable than the average brand from 1998, and on the average LESS reliable than the typical 2002 car, especially one with lower mileage.
I owned a 1991 Civic. It was reliable, but my 2005 Mazda3 has been even more reliable thus far. As a rule, cars are constantly improving.
Then there’s the matter of mileage. Even though the car passed a mechanic’s check, all the moving parts not yet replaced have 10 years of age and 131,500 miles of wear on them. Even if they are very reliable, Honda parts are not magically immune to wear, and you have to consider that in your purchase.