Hello hopefully I can crowd source some ideas
Currently driving a 2013 Honda Accord V6 with 180k miles. No mechanical issues but my AC is shot and fixes can be expensive. Summer is coming around and I drive 20k miles about every year so it will be hot. KBB values my car around $3.5k.
Worth paying to get the AC fixed (likely $1k+) or just bite the bullet and get a new car. I’ve kept this car as second owner for over 10+ years and plan to get a Mazda / Toyota hybrid. I have the cash but I see Mazda is doing low APR deal on some models. Tia!
Keep or get a new car
byu/AnotherPersonsName inpersonalfinance
Posted by AnotherPersonsName
14 Comments
Uhh 1k vs a new car seems pretty clear cut. People love those V6 Accords especially if a manual so I’d keep that car till the wheels fall off. Or watch a youtube video, get a AC manifold gauge from Harbor Freight and fix it for <$100 unless it is an actual broken AC component.
It is absolutely worth paying the $1,000 to fix the AC on an Accord that otherwise runs perfectly fine.
I’ll give you 3k for it. Then you can go get yourself a new whip!
You can get the AC parts at a parts yard used for about 350 to buy some time. I’d do that or don’t go to a dealer to get it fixed.
Whether you sell the car or keep it and fix it, you’re paying (most if not all of ) the repair either as a mechanic’s charge to get a car that still works or as a loss in resale.
For $1k I’d definitely take a flyer on it. That’s less than the title, tax, and doc fee of a new car. For an otherwise servicable car I’d 100% get it fixed.
$1000 is like two months car payments. I’d get it fixed.
too many people believe the fallacy “it’ll cost me a few thousand dollars to repair, so it’s better to spend thirty thousand dollars to buy a new car”
those hondas are great, and 180k isn’t that many miles on that engine. there’s no new car in the world that you could drive for at least a few more years for $1k (not even accounting for insurance, taxes, etc)
even if you have to spend $1-2k/yr on repairs that’s like 20% of the cost of a new car annually
Get the AC fixed. This is a no brainer.
Seems repairs be cheaper than a new car, unless you are desiring a new car. But the mileage on your Accord will is pretty high at 180K, have you changed out the fluids like transmission fluids etc. at regular maintenance intervals?
Depends if you have the money for a new car or not. I would get a new car if you can pay in cash. A car nearing 200k miles isn’t worth investing much money into. And newer cars get much better fuel efficiency than a 2013 Accord
The biggest thing that could tip the scale into getting something new is the miles you drive. Those V6s get pretty poor fuel economy by modern standards. I’d bet you’re averaging 25-30mpg, or something like $4k a year at current fuel prices. A newer hybrid could halve that, or better yet an EV/PHEV if you have charging. You’ll also need to do the timing belt soon at ~200k miles unless you’ve done it recently.
Even with all of that, it’s still going to be cheaper to keep the old car, but just take into account the totality of the costs.
I have an 09 accord and have recharged the ac with a $40 can from autozone after it stopped working a few summers ago. Ac still running just fine from that fix
Well really it depends on if you will have another issue with the car. If you put a value of say .10 a mile in 6 months of keeping your old car you will be at break even. You would have to know a few other things to figure the return of savings vs low apr but lets just add 3 months roughly so your break even should be somewhere in the 8-9 months range vs buying a new car.
I checked on CARFAX and that year and mileage are listing around $9k. Personally I’d fix it and get another few years. Plus a new car would increase your insurance costs assuming you have only liability now.