buying a car (1 Viewer)

[Luke_Khuc]

Hi,
Just one simple question. Don't know if it's been asked. Would you buy a new car with high mile or older car with lower mileage? Thanks.
By the way, I'm going to buy an acura integra

 

[Matt Stryker]

All things being the same (after a professional inspection and verification that the odometer readings are correct)?

Lower mileage anyday. Also consider who has been driving it. If you're buying an integra from a 20 year old kid who just finished taking the "TypeR" decal off the back, I'd think again. On the flip side, if you can find an elderly owner, usually the car is in fabulous condition mechanically.

If you're planning on selling the car soon, the newer model might be a better choice for resale value's sake. I'm a drive it into the ground type of guy.

 

[SteveA]

I would definitely buy a newer car with higher mileage because chances are, most of the miles are "highway miles", which result in less wear and tear than the same number of miles in stop-and-go traffic.

 

[MarcVH]

I assume that by "new" you mean "not as used."

One consideration is that the older car will probably be a bit cheaper to insure, which is a signifcant factor for a car like that.

Trivia: relative to the number of them on the road, the Integra is the most-often-stolen car in America. By a wide margin.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

I wouldn't touch a "little old lady who only drove to church on Sunday" low mileage older car with a 10ft pole.

I've worked in a Toyota dealership service dept. for 32 years and these are usually among the worst cars you can find. Only driven on short trips means the oil never gets warmed up. The tires may have lotsa tread left but be 5 or 6 years old and disintegrating. Many parts are virtually atrophied just like thier owners. Rubber seals and gaskets and such are petrified. Most of these old folks do little or no maintenance because "I don't drive it that much". So because it only gets driven 4k miles a year the oil's changed once every 2 years and chances are it's still got the original coolant in it.

I like to call these "Garage Queens." They almost always look nearly flawless with perfect paint and upholstery, but like old fish they're shiny outside and rotten inside.


I'd much rather have the 2 or 3 year old high milage car that was driven by a traveling salesman.

Unrelated but another mistake a lot of young people make when buying their first car is to purchase an older high end sports model instead of a newer more mundane car.

Case in point would be the 17 or 18 year old who pays 5 or 6k for a late-80s Supra Turbo with 150k on it instead of a mid to late 90s Corolla with 50 or 60k on the clock. That Supra is a complicated beast with lots of luxury features that will soon cost a mint to repair, whereas the Corolla probably has another 100k in it before it needs more than normal maintenance.

Since the Acura Integra is basically a reskinned Honda Civic, it is a very sensible choice with the usual cautions about avoiding getting one from a Fast and Furious wannabe. If you ARE a F&F wannabe, get one whose former owner wasn't one and you'll have a good basis for some fun mods.