How Reliable Is Your High-Mileage Acura RSX-S?

[wolram]

And what condition is it in, is there any rust showing through, is interior falling apart, any major faults that caused you to think about buying a new one.

 

[Brett Royale]

not sure what this has to do with science?

 

[jackwhirl]

not sure what this has to do with science?

Rules in the PF Lounge and General Discussion forum in particular are slightly relaxed. Topics in this area don't have to be about science.

That said, there's no reason one couldn't do science with the data requested...

 

[Brett Royale]

point taken but it just seems a bit strange to be asking this

 

[jackwhirl]

Perhaps. But isn't asking strange questions for the sake of curiosity a really important and wonderful part of being human?

 

[Brett Royale]

In person maybe but curiosity is just asking or looking for the answer in a general manner,(asking questions people can relate to or understand why you asking) he doesn't exactly have and explanation of why he's asking

 

[Brett Royale]

And what condition is it in, is there any rust showing through, is interior falling apart, any major faults that caused you to think about buying a new one.

i have a little over 3,000 miles on my car and its in perfect condition, i do not plan on buying a new one car anytime soon

 

[SteamKing]

i have a little over 3,000 miles on my car and its in perfect condition,

It should be, unless you live in Iraq.

i do not plan on buying a new one car anytime soon

Why should you? Your car is barely broken in!

Come back when you've got an extra zero (or two) on that mileage figure.

 

[Brett Royale]

yes sir!

 

[Borek]

It should be, unless you live in Iraq.

Actually I would expect problems also in different places. Say, Nauru. Hard to drive hard, as the all around trip is 10 miles, yet because of salty drizzle everywhere cars tend to corrode fast.

 

[wolram]

We have a second hand Renault safira,2002. with 130000 miles on it, the interior is still fresh, the exterior has a few tiny imperfections, so far the only cost has been for an electric
fan for the cooling system.

 

[Brett Royale]

nice

 

[FritoTaco]

I don't drive yet but family's car, the oldest, has over 200,000 miles. Toyota, good car and hope it lasts for even longer time.

 

[Brett Royale]

I don't drive yet but family's car, the oldest, has over 200,000 miles. Toyota, good car and hope it lasts for even longer time.

damn that's a lot of miles. shouldn't think it to last long with that amount. what year is the car?

 

[FritoTaco]

damn that's a lot of miles. shouldn't think it to last long with that amount. what year is the car?

It was like year 1996. Here and there, the car doesn't start right away in the winter time. It's color is starting to rust badly. My dad takes very good care of it. He also drives slower than most and accelerates the same way. I heard the nicer you drive your car, the longer it'll last.

 

[wolram]

I don't drive yet but family's car, the oldest, has over 200,000 miles. Toyota, good car and hope it lasts for even longer time.

Toyota is legendary for high mileage and longevity, is there a bad one out there?

Gunners

 

[Silicon Waffle]

I don't drive yet but family's car, the oldest, has over 200,000 miles. Toyota, good car and hope it lasts for even longer time.

200,000 miles is way tooo long of a distance your currently usable old car has made, which sounds quite ideal to me. I would resell it when a good chance for a better model or similar but more modern one comes if I were you.

 

[Charles Walker]

not sure exactly.

 

[Brett Royale]

It was like year 1996. Here and there, the car doesn't start right away in the winter time. It's color is starting to rust badly. My dad takes very good care of it. He also drives slower than most and accelerates the same way. I heard the nicer you drive your car, the longer it'll last.

nice especially if its one of the older models

 

[Windadct]

2003 Nissan Pathfinder - 170K - Very good, interior is excellent. Un-stoppable in snow or sand - pulled a UPS truck out of a ditch in the snow 2 years ago. But it could be more fuel efficient ( the Nissan V6 is one of the best engines ever made)

2012 Chrysler Town&Country - 35K - rattles like crazy, electronics not 100%, hard on brakes ( most of the loaded minivans are due to the weight and distribution) ( Our third mopar minnivan ( 220K sold for $500 it was beat when we were done, but the first was the best of the three, 2nd went to 140K - pretty much rusted out - but still ran well, got peanuts on the trade in), This third will be our last due to kids moving out - but also this one was a disappointment (as well as with the dealer / sales)- still you can not beat the utility / versatility of a minivan - today I would go for the Toyota ( it is actually a little bigger inside as well)

2010 Ford Taurus 120K ( Company car) - Good condition, runs well, good for long drives. Good - but would not buy for myself ( Seems to be a lot of maint, tires, brakes) and unacceptable level of understeer, and transaxle occasionally will not engage into 1st when coming to a stop - engine revs and then bam! - about 1 / 100 stops.

As for high mileage we had a 1997 Toyota Tercel - we felt like we paid a lot for an entry level 4 door tiny car - a little underpowered, but we drove it to 190K, when we sold (for $3000!) it was the same car it was when new - performance, fuel economy,cloth seats were in great condition, unbelievably reliable - MAYBE one breakdown in the time we had it,,, highly reccomend but not available today, and it was very basic.

 

[Astronuc]

About 20 years ago, there was a Toyota that I would see regularly during my commute to work. The last time I saw it, it had about 380,000 miles on it according a sign the driver had on the back of the car. It may have exceeded 400 K miles.

The family cars generally accumulate more the 100,000 miles before replacement.

 

[lisab]

My car is an Audi A3 with 150,000 miles on it. It's mechanically sound, yet I desperately want a more suitable car. I just haven't been able to find the time to shop or take test drives.

 

[wolram]

2003 Nissan Pathfinder - 170K - Very good, interior is excellent. Un-stoppable in snow or sand - pulled a UPS truck out of a ditch in the snow 2 years ago. But it could be more fuel efficient ( the Nissan V6 is one of the best engines ever made)

2012 Chrysler Town&Country - 35K - rattles like crazy, electronics not 100%, hard on brakes ( most of the loaded minivans are due to the weight and distribution) ( Our third mopar minnivan ( 220K sold for $500 it was beat when we were done, but the first was the best of the three, 2nd went to 140K - pretty much rusted out - but still ran well, got peanuts on the trade in), This third will be our last due to kids moving out - but also this one was a disappointment (as well as with the dealer / sales)- still you can not beat the utility / versatility of a minivan - today I would go for the Toyota ( it is actually a little bigger inside as well)

2010 Ford Taurus 120K ( Company car) - Good condition, runs well, good for long drives. Good - but would not buy for myself ( Seems to be a lot of maint, tires, brakes) and unacceptable level of understeer, and transaxle occasionally will not engage into 1st when coming to a stop - engine revs and then bam! - about 1 / 100 stops.

As for high mileage we had a 1997 Toyota Tercel - we felt like we paid a lot for an entry level 4 door tiny car - a little underpowered, but we drove it to 190K, when we sold (for $3000!) it was the same car it was when new - performance, fuel economy,cloth seats were in great condition, unbelievably reliable - MAYBE one breakdown in the time we had it,,, highly reccomend but not available today, and it was very basic.

You say the Toyota was under powered but it did 190.000 it must have been a good engine if you had to put it to the metal all the time.

 

[wolram]

My car is an Audi A3 with 150,000 miles on it. It's mechanically sound, yet I desperately want a more suitable car. I just haven't been able to find the time to shop or take test drives.

Don't you have an equivalent to the RAC in the states, they will check a car over before you buy, you all so need a car buyers guide so with the two you can literally shop from home.

 

[CWatters]

Our Ford Galaxy is 10 years old and has done160,000 miles. Only major part changed was the clutch at about 120-130k.

 

[lordianed]

I don't have a license and I'm not sure I intend to get one anytime soon, public transport is efficient enough to get me where I want for now

 

[Loren]

And what condition is it in, is there any rust showing through, is interior falling apart, any major faults that caused you to think about buying a new one.

Model year 2004, Purchased used with 5,500 miles on the clock.

Today: 109,000 daily driven miles. Excellent condition (discounting some road rash), no rust, interior in good condition (minor wear).

Major Faults: None.

Annoying Faults: One — some computer appears to have lost its marbles and the door chime goes off when exceeding 72 mph. Dealer and independent shops unable to fix it, so I had to remove the chime transducer. Silence is golden.

Thoughts on a New Car. NONE. It's paid for and a blast to drive (still performs like the day I got it). I'd rather not have a new car anyway. Too much dependence on electronics. Don't want a vehicle Black Box, either.

Entertainment System: Most amount of fun you can have with your clothes on — 6-Speed Manual transmission, dual Exhaust, and 8,200 RPM redline. :-)

 

[Loren]

damn that's a lot of miles. shouldn't think it to last long with that amount. what year is the car?

You can make cars last as long as you want (as long as parts are available).

Modern cars have excellent rust protection, superb engines and suspensions. As long as you maintain it and don't have a crash, it will run virtually indefinitely. There are cars on the road that are near 1 million miles. Not that many, mind you, but it's possible.

The biggest cause for getting rid of a car now days is getting sick of it. Some people are addicted to that new car smell, too.

 

[wolram]

Model year 2004, Purchased used with 5,500 miles on the clock.

Today: 109,000 daily driven miles. Excellent condition (discounting some road rash), no rust, interior in good condition (minor wear).

Major Faults: None.

Annoying Faults: One — some computer appears to have lost its marbles and the door chime goes off when exceeding 72 mph. Dealer and independent shops unable to fix it, so I had to remove the chime transducer. Silence is golden.

Thoughts on a New Car. NONE. It's paid for and a blast to drive (still performs like the day I got it). I'd rather not have a new car anyway. Too much dependence on electronics. Don't want a vehicle Black Box, either.

Entertainment System: Most amount of fun you can have with your clothes on — 6-Speed Manual transmission, dual Exhaust, and 8,200 RPM redline. :-)

Please no moonies while at 8.200RPM

 

[wolram]

You can make cars last as long as you want (as long as parts are available).

Modern cars have excellent rust protection, superb engines and suspensions. As long as you maintain it and don't have a crash, it will run virtually indefinitely. There are cars on the road that are near 1 million miles. Not that many, mind you, but it's possible.

The biggest cause for getting rid of a car now days is getting sick of it. Some people are addicted to that new car smell, too.

Obviously you have not owned a Ford

 

[Windadct]

You say the Toyota was under powered but it did 190.000 it must have been a good engine if you had to put it to the metal all the time.

The Tercel was fine / excellent around town - the underpower issue came up on highway merge - esp when merging with a full car vs an empty one - the whole acceleration profile was different. It 3 speed auto with OD - so highway / loaded hills - etc. The highway driving - I do have a heavy foot and it took this pretty well, but the noticeable difference was above 70 maybe 75 MPH - the fuel econ would seriously nosedive - the RPM just too high. We did take pretty good care of it - which pretty much amounted to regular oil changes. If I could buy the same car back today I probably would for my son ( about to turn 16)

 

[Loren]

Obviously you have not owned a Ford

Or a Cavalier!

 

[czelaya]

Acura RSX-S with close to 200,000 miles. However, this isn't a regular 200,000 miles of use. It's me driving this car to it's 8100 rpm redline under brutal acceleration. Downshifting the car under hard conditions. This little car is a pocket rocket. Not one single problem. Most cars driven in these conditions wouldn't make it past 100K miles. Of course, I change the oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and all the filters. When it comes to performance and reliability, Honda's engineering is legendary. The K20 engine that is utilized throughout the Honda/Acura fleet has proven itself as one the most high-strung engines with bullet proof reliability that requires little maintenance. About the only other engines that I know that can with stand this level abuse are the 1ZZ-EE in the Toyota Celica GT-S (made in tandem with Yamaha) and the F20C in the S2000. Of course, there are the engines created by BMW's M-division and all the Italian sports car automakers but they require horrid and expensive maintenance to have this level of performance.

I've replaced some of the leather and other interior pieces. No rust because I clay bar the car's paint, strip, wax, and re-coat.