[Bob Pr.]

I have a 2000 Honda Accord EX coupe, 4 cyl/5 spd stick shift which I l♥ve but it has 157k miles and will soon be needing expensive maintenance.

A local Honda dealer has a 2008 Accord EX sedan (I prefer the 4 dr for the room & functionality but the cpe is sexier) w/only 3,900 miles for $19,435. Much more luxurious than mine, a great drive -- this has an AT but the EPA mpg rating is only a smidge below those with a stick.

It lacks the leather seats I prefer (for Puff and her shedding) and also the retracting sunroof which is SO GREAT with Puff -- in summer's heat, I can crack the side windows to admit a draft, open (or tilt) the sunroof, and spend 20 minutes shopping and come back to a non-distressed Lab. They'll add one for $1200; (I can have a functional one added for $400 w/o as many bells & whistles).

The salesman also steered me toward a 2010 Honda Insight -- smaller, not as much fun to drive, a bit more expensive. Great MPG, interesting.

I'm not sure why he didn't have me drive a '09 Honda Civic Hybrid. They have leather seats (optional). Great 45 mpg rating. No sunroof but one can be added. And possibly a $4,000 tax credit (I'll call my tax accountant first thing tomorrow to see if it's still in effect for 2009 -- it was for previous years for NEW Civic Hybrids.)

From checking trade-in prices on used cars, I figured mine would be worth $4-5k. They offered $2.1k.

SO-o-o, tomorrow morning I'll go visit my friend Stan, who buys and sells used cars (only USA brands, unfortunately) and see if "Bessie" is worth more.

AND, I'm also a Costco member and they have a new vehicle buying plan which (they say) saves an average of over $1k on the purchase of a new car. I put in my name and member # and a Honda dealer 70 miles away, across the state line in Missouri, will contact me tomorrow.

Anyone have experience with the Honda Civic Hybrid?

Anyone have experience with Costco's car buying plan?

 

[zoezoe]

157,000 is just breaking in a Honda, Bob!

I loved my Honda and LOVE LOVE LOVE my Acura. I spent $1500 last year and replaced timing belts and something else and the guy said I'm good to go for another 100,000 miles. I hope so; I LOVE LOVE LOVE that car.

 

[AZLAB]

I bought my truck years ago through Costco Car Buying Program and loved the hassle free flat quote. I got it at the fleet price.

If you are a AAA member email their car buying service and get them to quote you also. I made a yahoo email address just for car buying research so when I was done everyone wouldn't be bugging me. They do both new and used cars. They will search the entire region looking for what you want. I just bought my 2008 Chevy Impala from them. I needed a larger car due to mom and dad. I got lucky and was able to purchase one that AAA actually owned for their sales staff as they replace them yearly. It had 18000 miles on it and I got it for $14,500 which is less than half the original sticker price. And they will let you trade your old one in so they may give you more in trade in value.

 

[krisinme]

Keep your Accord and sell it yourself. They will make over 2 grand on yours alone plus the mark up of what ever you buy. After you sell your car you can make a large payment on the new car.

 

[Bob Pr.]

UPDATE

After driving Accords, Insights, Civics, Civic Hybrids at the local dealer & getting somewhat confused, I tentatively decided on getting a new Civic 4 dr (about $20k) through the Costco new car plan which would drop that to $19k or a little less. The nearest Honda dealer participating in that program is just east of Kansas City, MO, about 80-90 miles away.

On the way there, I stopped by a Honda dealer in Lawrence to see what they had. They offered me $800 more on my Accord than the local Topeka dealer, they have an '06 Hybrid Civic (40k miles) with leather seats & upholstery for about $17k, but it's without a retracting moonroof ($1200 to add). They offered to pay $1k of installing one if I'll pay $200. So I bought it and will pick it up Tuesday or Wednesday.

Keep your Accord and sell it yourself. They will make over 2 grand on yours alone plus the mark up of what ever you buy. After you sell your car you can make a large payment on the new car.

Very possibly in some states but Stan, a longtime, very honest friend who owns a used car business (and from whom I've previously bought cars), discussed this with me recently and, because of the way sales taxes are figured in Kansas, sales tax is substantially less if I trade in my Accord to the company from which I'm buying another -- the value of the trade-in deducts from the price of the other and tax (about 7%) is paid on that. (I'd prefer to buy a used car from Stan BUT he mainly sells US makes and almost never foreign makes.)

So, early next week Puff and I will have a hybrid that gets roughly 50 mpg city and 50 mpg highway (that's under the old government ratings -- the new ratings are a few mpg less).

 

[AZLAB]

Congratulations and enjoy the new car.

I have been enjoying mine.