Is it okay to buy a high mileage honda??
 

I've been looking at 99-00 civic manuals and those with 125k+ miles cost about $6000. Those with anything below 90k miles are $11000. So I was thinking why not buy a civic with 125k miles?? What do you guys think??

I sold my 85 CRXHF in 1990 for a 286 computer and a 26" color tv. It had 275k miles on it and was still going strong. One clutch, three sets of tires, a few sets of rotors and a few thousand gallons of gas was all I put into it. But I was the original owner. I guess it matters how well it was treated.

Go for it! I've purchased 15+ Hondas by now, lots of them with over 200K. Watch for rust and check the tie rods ends and axles for wear, these can cost you hundreds to repair. Also, don't be afraid to remove the oil fill cap and check to see how stained the head is, a nice light colored head is a good indication of frequent oil changes. Also check that the transmission goes through the gears smoothly on upshifts and downshifts, cars that are driven hard will often grind into 3rd.

125k miles is only 200k km and I've driven every vehicle I own well past that. My Metro is at 202k km now and I bought it with 193k km on it.

I took my Dodge Spirit to 400k km before I got rid of it. I generally don't see anything wrong with high-mileage cars if they've been maintained relatively well.

I don't know awhole lot about Honda's, but one thing I do know is that 125K on a Honda is like any lesser car just getting loosened up and broken in.

My take would be: It all depends on who and how the 125k got on there. Some kid with a riced out car at 125k no. A guy with a kid or wife stock you bet. I know that those are generalizatons but that is just the way I feel.

But the real question is this:

Did the 286 have a math co-processor? :P

I feel the same way.

11k for a 99-00 with 90k is a rip off. When I was looking at a new 05 civic it was 12k.

Anyway, I think you're ripping yourself off insisting on such a new one, especially since the 96 is identical besides the bront end bumper/hood/fenders/lights.

Hell, dan is selling a very very nice 41k del sol for 4k, :p

Just don't rush, is what I'm saying.

Obviously you want to look at how it's been treated. Mechanically I bought a 1987 DX hatchback at 165,000 and mechanically I think it was just getting broken in. Never used any oil, got 40-45 mpg, ran great. It's issue was my daughter who drove it for 4 month's in Utah, came to Ca for the summer, left to go back to Utah, in late August, but never checked her oil or changed it. It finally lost it, in Mesquitte, Nevada. When I got their it had gotten low on oil, quit feeding the last bearing on the cam and the cam got so warm it torqued off.

I thought that was pretty good. Then when I got the engine out, the crankshaft was still Ok and so I just put new ring's, rod and main bearings and put a rebuilt head on. The car's at 225,000 and still going strong, still doesn't use any oil to speak of.

I think if you look in the oil fill and it's amber, like Bunger said, then you have a pretty good bet going. Fundamentally amazing reliability.