What $2500 Buys You

[FAPTurbo]

My brother is a moron who can't spend money properly. So he bought a $h!ty VW Cabriolet from 1990 with busted mechanicals for a grand. He didn't even change the oil that sat in the car for nearly a decade and the water pump didn't function.

So naturally, he nearly died while driving it. Because he's an idiot.

I decided to find him something that would run properly, and reliable. The fringe benefit is that his pathetic sack of organs won't end up in anyone else's body. I'm doing the public a favour.

So I found this:

Clean, inside and out, with about 150,000kms (~95,000 miles). It's a 1993 EX-L, so it's loaded and has a sunroof. Best of all, it has a stick! All for $2,500!

New waterpump, new belt, and new Michelin rubber. It was owned by a little old lady who wants to go to church in an Acura RDX now. Incredibly smooth riding and driving and quick too.

If only it were white.

[67impss]

Walmart sells appliance white spraybombs

[balthazar]

Is that really a good price for a 19-yr old car with nearly $100K on it?

I certainly haven't checked on accord sale prices anytime (in my lifetime)- just sounds high to me.

Hope it is good to your idiot bro.

Edited February 19, 2012 by balthazar

[FAPTurbo]

Kelly Blue Book says that a car in this condition is about $3,100 - 3,500. With the new pump, belts and rubber, plus all the 'luxury' fixin's, I'd say two-and-a-half grand is pretty decent.

I'm planning to add at least eight Type-R or MUGEN stickers to the vehicle. That makes it go faster.

[Robert Hall]

I'm planning to add at least eight Type-R or MUGEN stickers to the vehicle. That makes it go faster.

Don't forget the single yellow wiper..

[Chris_Doane]

He could've had 7-8 hour of helicopter flight instruction for that.

[Intrepidation]

Is that really a good price for a 19-yr old car with nearly $100K on it?

I certainly haven't checked on accord sale prices anytime (in my lifetime)- just sounds high to me.

Hope it is good to your idiot bro.

Hondas hold their value.

[Robert Hall]

Seems like a reasonable price for the low mileage and good condition. Hondas and Acuras of that era had clean, crisp styling...I like the large glass area and nicely proportioned hood and decklid length, and the headlight/grille treatment is still probably the best of the Accords, IMO.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[bobo]

Great buy and low miles for a Honda. This is a much beloved generation of Accord. Should last a long time. Your brother is lucky that you're watching out for him.

[frogger]

Back when it was the right size and ride height.

[Blake Noble]

You stumbled across a deal to be smug over. I hope it treats your brother well and vice-versa.

[daves87rs]

Great buy and low miles for a Honda. This is a much beloved generation of Accord. Should last a long time. Your brother is lucky that you're watching out for him.

Agreed. Should last a while, we hope...

[ocnblu]

Nah, I like the green better than white.

[regfootball]

we got 2700 for a late 90's accord with 235000 on it recently. this appears to be a peach. there would have been someone who would have paid a lot more than 2500 for that. i would say you got a nice deal.

[caddycruiser]

Great car, and even better, one that was maintained. Take care of it and it will go forever...

One of the best generations of Accords.

[the_yellow_dart]

Why this is worth almost 2x more than my '05 Cobalt was is beyond me. It just screams "huge ripoff" to me.

[Blake Noble]

Why this is worth almost 2x more than my '05 Cobalt was is beyond me. It just screams "huge ripoff" to me.

Wait ... what?

If I remember correctly, I think your Cobalt had pretty high mileage, right? Even still, it should've brought more than just $1,500 dollars or so.

Hell, if I could buy a decent condition, running 2005 model anything for that kind of money, I'd be doing line dances right now. Hell, I could turn around and sell it for double what I paid for it, considering how over-inflated used car prices are right now in my area of the U.S.

Edited February 21, 2012 by black-knight

[ocnblu]

Mr. Dart, the difference is trade-in value v. private sale selling price.

[Blake Noble]

Mr. Dart, the difference is trade-in value v. private sale selling price.

Even still, a good-condition 2005 Cobalt with about 175,000 miles should be worth more than about $1,250 dollars trade-in value.

Edited February 22, 2012 by black-knight

[ocnblu]

It's Canadian money though.

[Robert Hall]

Depends if it's miles or KM, but 175k miles is a lot for an '05....Edmunds estimates shows trade in value as US $994, private party price of about $1800, dealer price of about $2700 in 85014. In Canada the numbers would differ, no doubt, eh.

Edited February 22, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Blake Noble]

Depends if it's miles or KM, but 175k miles is a lot for an '05....Edmunds estimates shows trade in value as US $994, private party price of about $1800, dealer price of about $2700 in 85014. In Canada the numbers would differ, no doubt, eh.

Edmunds isn't what I'd exactly call the best pricing source out there.

Here are some Auto Trader listings that I searched for within a 300 mile radius of my zip code. I searched for a Chevrolet Cobalt with over 100,000 miles and brought up the highest mileage cars first. Here's what a few dealers are demanding for their high-mileage Cobalts.

• 2005 Cobalt Sedan, no options, 186,211 miles, $4,500 wig-wams, location: Michigan
  
• 2005 Cobalt Sedan, no options, 194,971 miles, $4,988 bucks, location: Kentucky
  
• 2005 Cobalt Sedan, no options, 149,518 miles, $9,995 big fat, filthy dollars, location: South Carolina
  

[Robert Hall]

Depends if it's miles or KM, but 175k miles is a lot for an '05....Edmunds estimates shows trade in value as US $994, private party price of about $1800, dealer price of about $2700 in 85014. In Canada the numbers would differ, no doubt, eh.

Edmunds isn't what I'd exactly call the best pricing source out there.

Here are some Auto Trader listings that I searched for within a 300 mile radius of my zip code. I searched for a Chevrolet Cobalt with over 100,000 miles and brought up the highest mileage cars first. Here's what a few dealers are demanding for their high-mileage Cobalts.

• 2005 Cobalt Sedan, no options, 186,211 miles, $4,500 wig-wams, location: Michigan
  
• 2005 Cobalt Sedan, no options, 194,971 miles, $4,988 bucks, location: Kentucky
  
• 2005 Cobalt Sedan, no options, 149,518 miles, $9,995 big fat, filthy dollars, location: South Carolina
  

Madness....all are very high mileage for a 7yr old car and outrageous pricing...

[Blake Noble]

Depends if it's miles or KM, but 175k miles is a lot for an '05....Edmunds estimates shows trade in value as US $994, private party price of about $1800, dealer price of about $2700 in 85014. In Canada the numbers would differ, no doubt, eh.

Edmunds isn't what I'd exactly call the best pricing source out there.

Here are some Auto Trader listings that I searched for within a 300 mile radius of my zip code. I searched for a Chevrolet Cobalt with over 100,000 miles and brought up the highest mileage cars first. Here's what a few dealers are demanding for their high-mileage Cobalts.

• 2005 Cobalt Sedan, no options, 186,211 miles, $4,500 wig-wams, location: Michigan
  
• 2005 Cobalt Sedan, no options, 194,971 miles, $4,988 bucks, location: Kentucky
  
• 2005 Cobalt Sedan, no options, 149,518 miles, $9,995 big fat, filthy dollars, location: South Carolina
  

Madness....all are very high mileage for a 7yr old car and outrageous pricing...

Also notice that the general condition of each car was pretty unremarkable. One almost had a rat's nest for an interior.

And people wonder why I bitch and moan about used cars.

Edited February 22, 2012 by black-knight

[Robert Hall]

Checked AutoTrader locally (Phoenix area):

77k miles, $6999

105k miles, $5100

120k, $3988

[Blake Noble]

Checked AutoTrader locally (Phoenix area):

77k miles, $6999

105k miles, $5100

120k, $3988

I just ran the same search for your area within 50, 100, and 200 miles and couldn't replicate the madness I'm seeing out here on the East Coast. What the hell is up with that? I guess dealers out here must be extra-super evil or something.

[Robert Hall]

Checked AutoTrader locally (Phoenix area):

77k miles, $6999

105k miles, $5100

120k, $3988

I just ran the same search for your area within 50, 100, and 200 miles and couldn't replicate the madness I'm seeing out here on the East Coast. What the hell is up with that? I guess dealers out here must be extra-super evil or something.

Well, the East Coast has rust, fewer in clean condition (assuming all the pricey ones are very clean). And they are less common (less demand) here (a lot more Hondas and Toyotas in general out here).

Edited February 22, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Blake Noble]

Well, the East Coast has rust. And they are less common here (a lot more Hondas and Toyotas in general).

Rust isn't that bad out here in South Mid-Western and Southeastern US, especially considering we don't have much of a winter anymore. I know the salt crews here in my area of KY had to salt the roads maybe three times this year. Sure, it's still bad up North, but even still it's not much of an excuse for dealers price gouging the hell out of used cars. Someone asking almost $5,000 grand for an '05 Cobalt with damn near 200,000 miles is insulting to my intelligence.

Edited February 22, 2012 by black-knight

[the_yellow_dart]

Acutally now that I remember the exact numbers, "Almost double" was a vast overstatement. My apologies... still mine went for cheaper than this Accord, and I think it should be worth more.

Mine had 225,000 km (140,000 mi). No rust. It was a yellow manual coupe though, which all make it harder to sell. Somebody looking for a sensible used car for a couple grand is typically not looking for a yellow manual coupe. I eventually argued the dealer up to $1750 for the trade, which ended up turning into a $2k private sale to a friend's father.

I think in the end that was a fair price. There's no way I'd pay more than about $1k for a '93 Accord.