Heart set on a late 2001 Accord 2.3 AT

rohits · 27th September 2010, 15:34

Hi Guys
I found a great condition honda accord 2.3 AT VTI, and my heart is set on it. I had the honda showroom check it out and they said that other than the left door setting and the engine mount bushes that need replacement in 10 000 km, there is no issue with teh car. its in great condition has 56k on the odo,
is it a good buy, my monthly usage is 500 KM with a odd long trip thrown in ( hyd - mum types) 4-6 months.
what are the pros and cons opf this deal, the car will come to me at 3.1 l

Akshay1234 · 27th September 2010, 19:31

56k is like virgin for a Honda engine. 56k is a little less running for a 9 year old car dont you think? If you are convinced the car is genuine and the Honda dealership approved of it then go and get it my friend.

It will run well for many years. But once you do buy it do get the suspension and brakes checked out (since its an auto) and also change all the fluids (engine oil, brake fluid, coolant, a/t gearbox oil).

SunChaser · 27th September 2010, 22:24

Hey Rohit.. i had one of that. its amazing to drive and not very expensive to maintain, unlike the model after that, and this i can say cuz i've owned both. i had done a good 1L kms before i sold it.. the only flip point is tat theres no resale for tat model..if u could, negotiate that car till about 2.5L.. then its a great deal for sure! also since you gonna be doing Hyd-Mum, check the headlamps on the car.. they just not bright enough!

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Akshay1234 · 28th September 2010, 00:21

I suggest you get the car, run it for a few days, then see what niggles/problems you find. You will find some believe me, even if you take a test drive some problems will only be noticed after a few days of ownership. Once you find these take it to the service centre and get everything sorted out and get your car running smooth.

After that see what weaknesses you find, eg. lights and then see what you want to do about it.

jatinpatel · 28th September 2010, 00:31

If the Honda guys are saying that the steering rack has leakage and will require maintainence then I would advice you to either drop the price of the vehicle heavily or find some other model.

Rack replacement is not at all cheap.I had replaced the rack of my OHC and it costed me 18k for genuine Honda rack.So I suppose the rack of the accord would be even more expensive.

Do reconsider your choice.

vkochar · 28th September 2010, 10:47

Steering Hose leakage should be rectified before you pick up the car.

The car is a bit pricey at 3 lacs. Try getting it down to 2.5.

Also keep in mind the FE will be pretty bad as its an AT. Expect 7 - 8 kpl. So it will be expensive to ride.

Does it come with Alloys & ICE ?

SunChaser · 28th September 2010, 12:15

The steering rack replacement in an accord costs a bomb! So i would suggest you get a estimate from the company and try bargaining on the price. Also, i don't think you should worry about the car getting sold, because there are very few takers for the old shape accord. So bargain as hard as you can!!
The FE is surely gonna be on the lower side, but if you drive it well i think it should give you 10 overall. Mine was manual, and it gave me 13.5 on the highway and close to 9 in the city. So that's 10/11 on the whole.
How about posting a few pictures of the car before you buy it??

GTO · 29th September 2010, 09:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by vkochar

The car is a bit pricey at 3 lacs. Try getting it down to 2.5.

Agreed. These Accords last forever, yet demand is poor for the first generation that was launched in India.

About the steering rack, get it repaired (instead of a replacement). Any competent garage should easily be able to set it right.

Quote:

Also keep in mind the FE will be pretty bad as its an AT. Expect 7 - 8 kpl.

Are you kidding

. A Manual Accord gives 7 - 8 in the metros. Expect the AT Accord to give about 6 - 6.5 kpl.

rohits · 29th September 2010, 13:00

guys i checked out again , its not the rack, but the feeder pipe hose that feeds oil to the rack had developed a leak as the clamp had loosened. They have rectified that and yes i will be taking the car only after solving the issues, also the car has original ICE and no alloys, this is a stock car. also the seller is negotiating only by 20 k .
The FE he reported was 8, my usage is like 500km a montha

samyakmodi · 29th September 2010, 17:22

@rohit

dude i think you need to haggle hard on the price. the car is almost 10 years old, it's model has been changed 3 times already, + it's an A/T (huge running cost for SURE).
56k in 10ish years seems a bit fishy. 500 kms a month average??
another thing fishy is how come there are no alloys?? I thought alloys were standard in the accord. (heck even the vtec city had them)

few problems that I have seen cropping up in accords so old are :
1. power windows start malfunctioning (and they are expensive to replace)(OHC's are for some 9k)
2. Original ICE starts malfunctioning (you will probably need to replace it)
3. have seen one too many accords having problems with the rubber biddings going bad and replacements not easily available.
4. Wiper motor going kapoot.

and if the seller is claiming a FE of 8, take it for a proper bottle test in the city to know the exactly how much fuel you would be burning with the ac on.
drove down from ahmedabad to indore in a friend's first gen accord (manual), and it gave us an avg. of 8 kmpl. Not much spirited driving (couldn't resist it on gujrat highways though) and ac on full time.

Akshay1234 · 29th September 2010, 17:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by samyakmodi

56k in 10ish years seems a bit fishy. 500 kms a month average??
another thing fishy is how come there are no alloys?? I thought alloys were standard in the accord. (heck even the vtec city had them)

There were 2 trim levels 'vti' and 'vti-l' and the 'vti-l' had alloys and leather seats.

27th September 2010, 15:34	#1
rohits Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: hyderabad Posts: 11 Thanked: Once	Heart set on a late 2001 Accord 2.3 AT Hi Guys I found a great condition honda accord 2.3 AT VTI, and my heart is set on it. I had the honda showroom check it out and they said that other than the left door setting and the engine mount bushes that need replacement in 10 000 km, there is no issue with teh car. its in great condition has 56k on the odo, is it a good buy, my monthly usage is 500 KM with a odd long trip thrown in ( hyd - mum types) 4-6 months. what are the pros and cons opf this deal, the car will come to me at 3.1 l
	() Thanks

27th September 2010, 19:31	#2
Akshay1234 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 10,265 Thanked: 12,317 Times	56k is like virgin for a Honda engine. 56k is a little less running for a 9 year old car dont you think? If you are convinced the car is genuine and the Honda dealership approved of it then go and get it my friend. It will run well for many years. But once you do buy it do get the suspension and brakes checked out (since its an auto) and also change all the fluids (engine oil, brake fluid, coolant, a/t gearbox oil).
	() Thanks

27th September 2010, 22:24	#3
SunChaser BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Lonavla Posts: 63 Thanked: 41 Times	Hey Rohit.. i had one of that. its amazing to drive and not very expensive to maintain, unlike the model after that, and this i can say cuz i've owned both. i had done a good 1L kms before i sold it.. the only flip point is tat theres no resale for tat model..if u could, negotiate that car till about 2.5L.. then its a great deal for sure! also since you gonna be doing Hyd-Mum, check the headlamps on the car.. they just not bright enough! Note from the Team-BHP Support Staff : Slang and SMS Language are STRICTLY prohibited on Team-BHP. Please type in full and proper English for the benefit of other community members. We advise you to read the Announcements and Board Rules section before proceeding any further. Last edited by Technocrat : 28th September 2010 at 00:54. Reason: Please read the note in your post, carefully.
	() Thanks $Received Infraction$

28th September 2010, 00:21	#4
Akshay1234 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 10,265 Thanked: 12,317 Times	I suggest you get the car, run it for a few days, then see what niggles/problems you find. You will find some believe me, even if you take a test drive some problems will only be noticed after a few days of ownership. Once you find these take it to the service centre and get everything sorted out and get your car running smooth. After that see what weaknesses you find, eg. lights and then see what you want to do about it.
	() Thanks

28th September 2010, 00:31	#5
jatinpatel BHPian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 610 Thanked: 196 Times View My Garage	If the Honda guys are saying that the steering rack has leakage and will require maintainence then I would advice you to either drop the price of the vehicle heavily or find some other model. Rack replacement is not at all cheap.I had replaced the rack of my OHC and it costed me 18k for genuine Honda rack.So I suppose the rack of the accord would be even more expensive. Do reconsider your choice.
	() Thanks

28th September 2010, 10:47	#6
vkochar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Delhi / Agra / London Posts: 2,146 Thanked: 819 Times View My Garage	Steering Hose leakage should be rectified before you pick up the car. The car is a bit pricey at 3 lacs. Try getting it down to 2.5. Also keep in mind the FE will be pretty bad as its an AT. Expect 7 - 8 kpl. So it will be expensive to ride. Does it come with Alloys & ICE ?
	() Thanks

28th September 2010, 12:15	#7
SunChaser BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Lonavla Posts: 63 Thanked: 41 Times	The steering rack replacement in an accord costs a bomb! So i would suggest you get a estimate from the company and try bargaining on the price. Also, i don't think you should worry about the car getting sold, because there are very few takers for the old shape accord. So bargain as hard as you can!! The FE is surely gonna be on the lower side, but if you drive it well i think it should give you 10 overall. Mine was manual, and it gave me 13.5 on the highway and close to 9 in the city. So that's 10/11 on the whole. How about posting a few pictures of the car before you buy it??
	() Thanks

29th September 2010, 13:00	#9
rohits Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: hyderabad Posts: 11 Thanked: Once	guys i checked out again , its not the rack, but the feeder pipe hose that feeds oil to the rack had developed a leak as the clamp had loosened. They have rectified that and yes i will be taking the car only after solving the issues, also the car has original ICE and no alloys, this is a stock car. also the seller is negotiating only by 20 k . The FE he reported was 8, my usage is like 500km a montha
	() Thanks

29th September 2010, 17:22	#10
samyakmodi BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Indore Posts: 994 Thanked: 811 Times	@rohit dude i think you need to haggle hard on the price. the car is almost 10 years old, it's model has been changed 3 times already, + it's an A/T (huge running cost for SURE). 56k in 10ish years seems a bit fishy. 500 kms a month average?? another thing fishy is how come there are no alloys?? I thought alloys were standard in the accord. (heck even the vtec city had them) few problems that I have seen cropping up in accords so old are : 1. power windows start malfunctioning (and they are expensive to replace)(OHC's are for some 9k) 2. Original ICE starts malfunctioning (you will probably need to replace it) 3. have seen one too many accords having problems with the rubber biddings going bad and replacements not easily available. 4. Wiper motor going kapoot. and if the seller is claiming a FE of 8, take it for a proper bottle test in the city to know the exactly how much fuel you would be burning with the ac on. drove down from ahmedabad to indore in a friend's first gen accord (manual), and it gave us an avg. of 8 kmpl. Not much spirited driving (couldn't resist it on gujrat highways though) and ac on full time.
	() Thanks