I just test drove a used car that i'm looking to buy and need help...? Acura Legend question?

Question

My sister is looking to buy a used car and we found one yesterday. is Acura Legend a good car? I think its a 98. has 200k miles on it- but she's only paying 600 bucks for it. She's just buying it to hold her over for a year or so until she can afford a new car....We both test drove, slammed on the gas, slammed on the brakes, everything seemed ok except i think the car needs a realignment, cause the steering wheel is crooked and the car veers off a little. My question is- there's cosmetic issues, like it needs a lock for the trunk, a fender and some scratches on it, and one of the windows doesnt roll up or down. it felt like it runs pretty good. It needs a muffler so it sounds kind of loud. (the last guy took the muffler off so it would make that roaring noise)ALSO, from what i can remember it has three 'drive' options- D, D3 and D4. I had it on D3 and it wouldnt shift up when i drove it above 50mph's. The salesman said that you have to drive it at D4, thats why It didnt shift right. does that sound right to you? I want to make sure there are no transmission problems, and I havent found a mechanic yet. any thoughts?? THANKS!

Answer 1

KEEP LOOKING!!!!  Too many miles & too many issues!! Taking off the muffler is a HUGE no-no - it causes problems with the exhaust system due to back pressure and it won't pass smog.  The transmission probably has issues (the salesman is a salesman, need i say more?)   Tell her to save her money & keep looking - she'll be lucky if she gets a couple of months out of this one before it breaks down on her somewhere.  Look for a private seller and not a dealer for cars that cheap - check craigslist, autotrader, etc. for  private sellers & be sure you take the car to a mechanic BEFORE buying it - if they won't allow you to do so, then keep looking.  

Answer 2

my advice to you is to walk away from this deal,there is too much problems with the car and will coast too much to have it road worthy.for your safety sake look around and find something more safe.

Answer 3

Some good and some bad in this deal. First the good Acura's are really good cars. I disagree with the person who said 200,000 miles means the engine is shot. Acura is made by Honda and I know where there is a Civic near by with 325,000 miles on it and it's a daily driver. I worked on an Acura Integra that had 225,000 miles on it and the guy still drives it daily. A squirrel or some rodent had chewed some wires in the Acura I worked on. It took us a week to figure it out though. So I think the car will run for a year without a problem. Cosmetic issues on a $600 car, I say over look them you need transportation if you want good looking buy a new car. Acura can be expensive to fix if you don't know a mechanic. It does need an alignment if the steering wheel is off and it pulls. The only concern here would be is there any damaged parts in the steering or suspension. If you live near a NTB they do free alignment checks and will tell you if the car needs a tie rod or ball joint. Mufflers can be fixed rather easily. If you can only afford a $600 car though you'll need to plan out a way to repair it along the way. You can always fix it on a have to basis. I mean fix only what has to be fixed to keep it rolling. If you know a mechanic you should be ok. But you're not going to get a whole lot for $600 anyway. I'd buy it if I needed transportation.

Answer 4

Dump that car, sounds like a nightmare. Probably are going to have to pay 3000 in repairs.  

Answer 5

Its a good bargain. The Acura Legend was realeased back in 95 & then discontinued. The automatic transmission seems to be ok, its driving style requires extracting maximum performance, kinda auto-manual of some sorts.

Answer 6

200,000 miles on it isn't worth much at all.  Due for an engine rebuild, transmission and who knows what.  What do you expect for a car thats 10 years old?  Brand new paint still?  The dealer may be right about the d3 d4 thing.  Don't understnad why you would have it in a low geaar anyways.  Sounds like you were trying to kill it.  It might not even last 6 months.  Good luck.

Answer 7

The mileage and price are pretty reasonable. However, keep in mind that the things you listed which need to be replaced will cost more than say a Ford Taurus or Chevy Cavalier. It's a sacrifice to step down in car, however the parts are more readily available and cheaper to repair. Just my $.02. Good luck with whatever you choose.