Hi, I'm looking at a Honda Accord 2.0 i VTEC Executive 4dr. It's a 2005 plate, petrol engine, but has 206k miles on the clock. 2 owners, the first was a major football club and from the miles between MOTs on the DVLA history it appears to be mostly motorway miles. It appears to be in great condition inside and out and was top of the range in specs when bought so has all the toys. From what I can see Honda Accords seem to be very reliable and it has 8 service stamps (I'm assuming these are yearly services). Seller wants £795 and it seems a good deal to me, but the mileage worries me.
Am I nuts for considering this? What should I be looking for / asking the seller? Are there any known pitfalls with the Accord? It's a private seller and I will have pretty much no comeback if I take it and it turns out to be a lemon. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks
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Don't even think about it! 206,000 miles and only 8 serviced... it should have seen fresh oil every 10k not 25k. These are complex engines and suffer badly from neglect like this. Timing chain failure, gummed up EGR, turbo failure, high pressure fuel pump failure etc etc etc. Honestly you don't want to touch a cheap diesel there's just too much to go wrong and despite the reputation Honda diesels do go wrong.
When shopping on a tight budget forget diesel and just keep it simple. You should be able to find a half decent 2.0 petrol Accord for £1k with less than half the mileage. Trust me, it'll be cheaper to run than this mega mile diesel with hardly any history.
Edited by SLO76 on 09/03/2017 at 13:05
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Don't even think about it! 206,000 miles and only 8 serviced... it should have seen fresh oil every 10k not 25k. These are complex engines and suffer badly from neglect like this. Timing chain failure, gummed up EGR, turbo failure, high pressure fuel pump failure etc etc etc. Honestly you don't want to touch a cheap diesel there's just too much to go wrong and despite the reputation Honda diesels do go wrong.
When shopping on a tight budget forget diesel and just keep it simple. You should be able to find a half decent 2.0 petrol Accord for £1k with less than half the mileage. Trust me, it'll be cheaper to run than this mega mile diesel with hardly any history.
Thanks for the reply. Yeah I worked out the service intervals too and was a bit skeptical about the ongoing maintenance. This is a petrol engine though. I'm just not a fan of diesels (not looking to be persuaded folks it's just a personal preference) so I don't even look at diesel cars.
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"Thanks for the reply. Yeah I worked out the service intervals too and was a bit skeptical about the ongoing maintenance. This is a petrol engine though. I'm just not a fan of diesels (not looking to be persuaded folks it's just a personal preference) so I don't even look at diesel cars."
Sorry, so it is... read before responding Sloan!
Yup a total punt and really pretty much worthless. £300-£400 and run it til anything expensive fails. Personally though I'd rather spend £1-£1.5k on a lower mileage example with history. They're available with less than 100k from £1k upwards but don't neglect the previous gen either, these are dirt cheap and equally as well made. I ran a 1.8 VTEC S for years without bother and you can get a mint low miler for £800-£1k or a good old smoker from £400.
Know this is an auto but just an example... Auto Trader:
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20170302286...7
And another worthy example... 2006 Toyota avensis 2.0 vvti in excellent condition Long mot till December full service history
www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/2006-toyota...s
Edited by SLO76 on 09/03/2017 at 14:39
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Thanks for the advice again, and the links. The Avensis looks good - I know as much about them as I do the Accord haha - I was aiming for below £1k. I just got conned a bit on a 3 series BMW and it's looking like I'm in for a fight to try and get as much of my money back as possible, so that has limited my available funds for this.
Still, i might give the Avensis owner a call and see if I can stretch my budget.
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Certainly wouldn't touch a BM at this sort of dosh. Here's another possibility and exactly the same car I owned for years. HONDA ACCORD **ONLY 43k MOT EXPIRES FEB 2018**
www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/honda-accor...s
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Again, thanks for the advice.
I've sent a message to the Avensis owner. A bit more expensive than I was looking for but not un-doable. The Avensis seems to be considered a very reliable motor also, from what I've found on Google and looking through here also. More than capable of lasting me the two years I'd need it for.
Thanks for the tip!
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The car the OP is looking at is petrol, not diesel. I suppose the lack of servicing is still a concern, though.
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£500 maximum if you are a gambler... if you get a year out of it, great, if longer even better, but think about setting £795 on fire with a amatch, when its gone its gone. you moght get something for some of the bits as spares..
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Haha - it seems my fear is being confirmed. I honestly would only want it to last two years, maximum. I'd probably do somewhere in the region of 30k - 40k miles myself in that time. But I'd understand that I'd be keeping it till it died really. Wouldn't even bother me if it cost me around £1k a year in maintenance, MOT, etc. And I know it would be a gamble, but all life is. Just trying to see how much the odds would be against me. Thanks for the advice.
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Oh ye of little faith - it's a Honda - if it's spent most of it's life on motorways instead of stop/start urban crawling it will in all probability be fine - I would risk it, just my personal opinion you understand!
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Oh ye of little faith - it's a Honda - if it's spent most of it's life on motorways instead of stop/start urban crawling it will in all probability be fine - I would risk it, just my personal opinion you understand!
Agree with focussed, if any cars are going to last and miss a service without problems its either a Toyota or Honda.
if the engine and transmission are sound it should be ok, only engine I would be weary of is the 2.2diesel, if timing chain is noisy then leave it alone but apart from that they are tanks and last years/miles Just my opinion
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Just remember that if it's a choice between the previous generation Accord that SLO linked and an Avensis, you will be saving a lot of money on petrol with the Toyota. Those older Accords were really thirsty for their performance. The later 03-08 2.0 petrol models weren't too bad.
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Thanks for the advice guys. Not going for the older model Accord. Still to look at the Avensis as the seller hasn't got back to me yet, but going to take a look at these two later today;
www.gumtree.com/p/mazda/-57-mazda-ts-1.8-mot-novem...8
www.gumtree.com/p/mazda/-57-mazda-ts-1.8-mot-febru...3
If they don't work out I'll try and get a look at the Avensis again.
Also maybe this one;
www.gumtree.com/p/mazda/-06-mazda-6-sakata-1.8-mot...7
Any thoughts?
Thanks again for all the tips.
edit - if none of them take my fancy I might bide my time and see if the high mileage Accord comes down in price. I think I would take the gamble at £500 but he's quite clear about "no offers" at the moment.
Edited by nerfherder on 10/03/2017 at 11:28
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Mazda 6 is a good car. Based on the Mk III Mondeo but uses Mazda's longlived petrol engines. A nice thing to drive but watch for rot, Mazda's rust like it's the 1970's over again so get underneath and have a good look around.
As with all large petrol saloons and hatches at this age there's little demand, you can get a mint one for £1k and there's plenty of them around so be picky.
Spotted this earlier too, one of the few diesels I'd look at with this budget. The old 8v HDi can do insane mileages if looked after and the 406 was probably the best car Peugeot ever built. Peugeot 406 diesel
www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/peugeot-406...s
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Just remember that if it's a choice between the previous generation Accord that SLO linked and an Avensis, you will be saving a lot of money on petrol with the Toyota. Those older Accords were really thirsty for their performance. The later 03-08 2.0 petrol models weren't too bad.
Totally agree. My 1800 struggled to break 30mpg while the later 2.0 would hit 35 without too much effort. But I'd still rather have a well looked after low mileage early model with history than a later car with mega miles...
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Totally agree. My 1800 struggled to break 30mpg while the later 2.0 would hit 35 without too much effort. But I'd still rather have a well looked after low mileage early model with history than a later car with mega miles...
So would I. I wish they had done an estate version, but the British market is never their priority, although they would have sold many more. The hatchback didn't have particularly good access. My dad had an auto 1.8 and it was so easy to drive. Lovely smooth engines. The cars are cheap for good ones and the economy isn't an issue if you're doing a lowish mileage.
Edited by corax on 10/03/2017 at 13:55
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".... the British market is never their priority."
I'm sure you're right, Corax. but does anyone know why not? We're RHD and a lot of Hondas are built in Swindon. Some of their really good models, like the FRV, have failed largely because they were too expensive to buy.
And the Jazz has needed the option (available in some other countries) of a bigger engine, but it's never been allowed in the UK. SWMBO had one of the first ones back in 2002: there were many good things about it, but the little Ford Ka which preceded it was far more relaxed at motorway speeds.
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".... the British market is never their priority."
I'm sure you're right, Corax. but does anyone know why not? We're RHD and a lot of Hondas are built in Swindon. Some of their really good models, like the FRV, have failed largely because they were too expensive to buy.
And the Jazz has needed the option (available in some other countries) of a bigger engine, but it's never been allowed in the UK. SWMBO had one of the first ones back in 2002: there were many good things about it, but the little Ford Ka which preceded it was far more relaxed at motorway speeds.
I understand from local Honda dealer they are going to fit the 1.5 turbo in the Jazz, probably later this year, but with a drop in BHP- but thats not certain yet.
I`m waiting to hear about the new reworked diesel they are working on for the Civic, its supposed to be cleaner than the present one with better mpg, though Honda have gone quiet on that.....
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Our 1994 2.0GL Passat was 242,000m when sold; I see no reason why a much younger Honda 2litre shouldn't have similar longevity. If it looks and sounds OK it seems well worth a £700 punt. Check the MoT history and look at the oil and coolant for suspicious discolouration.
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