purchase a 98 HX w/ over 200,000 miles?

[satchel]

Would you recommend buying a 98 civic HX with over 200,000 miles? It's a stick. Thanks

[msirach]

Is it in good shape and VERY cheap?

[phoebeisis]

No, don't buy it - UNLESS
1)You DIY repairs.
2)It eyeballs as very good.
3)It is very cheap- maybe $1500 or so.
4) The AC still works. If they didn't fix the AC they might have skimped in other ways.

Charlie
PS I bought a 195500 mile vehicle last year-11,000 miles ago. I've replaced- 1)Shocks $215 2) Radiator $155 3) Belt tensioner $40 4) Water pump $60 6) Brake booster $130. Roughly $600 in parts . The total cost would have been about $2500 if I hadn't done it myself and Chevy parts are cheaper than Honda parts.

[satchel]

Asking 3595.00. Would have to make 400 mile round trip just to check it out. Said to be good shape and stock... Just found a 98 and a 2000 both automatics and around 95000 miles only a 40 mile drive away, but asking 6600-6900.00 for them!!!!Looks like every civic of this age they have is priced at 6900.00.

[phoebeisis]

$3600- forget that! Civics are good cars, but a 90,000 mile 9 model year old one isn't worth almost $7000. You can buy one of those Hyundai for about $9995- pointless to pay $7000 for a 90,000 mile car.
Charlie

[satchel]

Edmunds and KBB are giving a dealer range of 6000-7200(excellent condition of course) so someone must be paying that. I too think those figures are ridiculously high. Damn, I wish our 2000 VP hadn't been killed last week. I don't like shopping for "pre-owned". Wish we had the money for a Prius and the quota wasn't filled. Dealer in town has half a dozen sitting on their lot!

[phoebeisis]

Satchel- I have found that the KBB price is always high- except fpr desireable cars-like the Prius,HCH II and maybe old FE used cars. Civics aren't slightly less desireable here-NOLA - but that is waaaay too far to go to save $1000.

I'm serious about the Hyundai (sic) - I see them for $9999 new around here. Their QC is worlds better than it was 8 years ago.
Charlie

[Ophbalance]

Keep in mind, that would be the base model Accent. It will have no A/C, no radio, no cruise control, no power anything. And, to top it off, they'll likely only have 1 or 2 on the lot, if they have any at all. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to have the stripped a model, but I would miss the radio, and the 1 or 2 times a month that I use A/C. I like my Elantra, but unless you're willing to put in some serious commitment to P&G, you won't pull the same numbers as your old Civic.

[Walter]

These sound overpriced to me. I had a 2000 HX with CVT automatic. The early CVT automatics had problems and mine died at 110K with trans problems at 70 or 80K. Talking to transmission places turned up the fact that there were numerous problems with this year's CVT transmissions. Perhaps Honda fixed the problem on later models. Earlier HXs had a different auto transmission that was reliable.
Lean burn: some HXs had lean burn which can give great highway mileage. The CVT models did not; possibly only the manual trannys had lean burn. If you could find a manual trans HX with lean burn that might do you very well.
Hyundais: Some people here have done very well with Hyundais.
--Walter

[satchel]

The two grossly overpriced HXs have auto so they are definitely out. The high mileage HX has the MT... I am seriously spoiled with the great mileage the old civic got, and AC is a must here in summer when heat indexes reach 110+!

I will be very near a 2000 VP like our old one on a job tomorrow, will have to check it out. An acquaintance of my wife has a one owner 99 Camry 4cyl auto but I don't think I could live with less than 75% the mpg of the civic, although I loved our 85 Camry. If only she were selling a Corolla...

I need to talk to a tax consultant. Maybe business tax deductions would allow me to purchase a late model HCH or such, though I would loathe making payments again. Dang it, the old Civic was making me money at 50cents a mile!!!