Acura MDX SUV Forums banner

Is this a good buy- 07 MDX base with 85K and @ $12K out of door?

1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  Marine One 
#1 ·
1 owner vehicle, no accidents and appears very well maintained. It also looks very very good both outside and inside. I did not test drive it yet as I only got a chance to look at the car while it was on a lift for general presale inspection and the pictures of inside. The underside is almost perfect and super clean. Both CV boots in the front look new'ish.

I an completely new to Acura the line and hence this question. I previously owned an 03 Odyssey(my first Honda) which was very good to me. Got to 177K before getting totaled. This is supposed to be a replacement.

I am looking for a reliable car that will be easy on the maintenance budget. So would you recommend this as a buy? I will be going there tomorrow morning. Price appears to be non negotiable. Would like to know if this can become a reliable car for the next 5-7 years.

I did some research here and will definitely look out for timing belt replacement. Are there any other big ticket items I need to watch at this mileage
Appreciate your feedback.

Thanks,
 
#2 ·
Hi and welcome!
I also own a 07 but mine is a Tech and RES packages the car has been a solid vehicle with no recurrent issues, knock on wood..

As for your inquiry I honestly think 12K is hugely overpriced for a Base model even with that little mileage.. Specially if there is no service record for the timing belt job... For that kind of money I would look for a loaded MDX instead.
 
#3 ·
Hi and welcome!
I also own a 07 but mine is a Tech and RES packages the car has been a solid vehicle with no recurrent issues, knock on wood..

As for your inquiry I honestly think 12K is hugely overpriced for a Base model even with that little mileage.. Specially if there is no service record for the timing belt job... For that kind of money I would look for a loaded MDX instead.
Thanks Skirmich.
Will see if timing belt was done and if they will go a little lower on price. Either way will try to get an second gen MDX.
Looked around here and see a bunch of 07-10 MDX's with 130-160K in mileage priced around $10-$11K
 
#4 ·
A J-Series can hit 500K easily with good maintenance 130-160k is barely broken in. Just look for a nicely optioned MDX and stick with it, Specially if they have maintenance records do not fret about mileage.
 
#5 ·
I just hit about 103k on my 2008 with Technology and Entertainment package. It was 1 owner before I got it. I plan on selling it soon. It has slight hail damage but otherwise no issues. I'd sell mine for $8000 if I posted it so if I were you i'd look around $8000-$9000 range if you're looking at 2007-2009.
 
#6 ·
Would have taken you up on the offer, if I had seen this earlier and you happen to be in Northern VA or nearby.
Just came back with the car. Was able to get it down to $9300 + fees + tax.

Hopefully will have this for a few years to come. Am looking forward to a lot of reading over here. Having used vehicles with backup cameras, suddenly I feel a little lost backing up. I guess one of the first orders of business is researching how to add backup camera and possibly Nav unit.

Can't believe how much dependent on tech I have become.
 
#7 ·
#8 ·
This 07 MDX Base (no tech package and no tech/res package) with 85,000 miles will end up costing you $16,300, to make it reliable.

This is very, very, very far from being a "good buy", without a COMPLETE list of service receipts. It is possible that the previous owner received the maximum trade in value ($8,745), by providing a stack of high dollar service receipts, but that would have been very rare.

All dealers need to make a profit and all buyers need to know what it will cost to keep the car from being 100% ruined.

This 07 MDX Base (no Tech/No Tech RES) and 85,000 miles is being offered at full retail ($12,025).

If you're a member of a Credit Union, call them and ask them what the Finance Value is (currently ($8425).

Dealers don't sink money into cars that they put on their lot and hope that they will recoup it. Instead, they make the inside, outside and engine compartment look clean and shiny.
If the dealer can not provide receipts (see below), it doesn't matter what the sales pitch is, you must understand that the work was not done. Sometimes the salesman will show you receipts from a different car, to trick you.

You have thousands of dollars in negotiating room and you should emphasize the lack of service records as a reason to come down $3,000.


Call an Acura dealership and ask the Service Manager about the cost of these 3 services and use the numbers to get the price down:
1. fluid changes (coolant, front transfer case, rear differential, automatic transmission, and oil),
2. a 4 wheel alignment,
3. a timing belt service is mandatory at which ever comes 1st 7 years or 105,000 mile: (timing belt + water pump + hydro tensioner + idler pulley + timing belt's tension pulley + serpentine belt + antifreeze).

With all of the above mentioned receipts, I'd likely pay the $12,000, then go to the DMV and pay for Vehicle Registration, Plates, and Sales Tax ($1,000).
My total cost would be about $13,300.

Without the receipts, I will IMMEDIATELY have to bring the MDX up to date on its recommended factory serviceable items.
My total cost would be about $16,300.
 
#9 ·
@carpayment4life
Honestly, I wasn't thinking that deep.
I am thinking..
This was a trade in at BMW dealer and not an auction buy, one owner, low miles, and looked very clean even before the dealer detailed it. I also saw the car last Tuesday before the dealer processed it and it looked pretty well taken care of. I guess I am taking a chance based on some partially educated guesses that this has been well maintained by the previous owner and is in good condition. Carfax does show that fluids were checked and differential fluid flushed at 50k and 72k.

Again, no info on timing belt and I did check to see if any stickers were placed on the inside(I think they sometime do that). Interior is very clean, all except the driver seat's leather appear barely broken in.

Since I last saw the car, the dealer did the check in inspection and did a few minor things, wiper blades, a bulb replacement, wheel balancing and rotation, oil change, and both safety and emissions etc and of course the detailing.

I was able to get this for $10.5K out of the door including tax, tags, dealer processing fee, etc. Maybe it is a good deal or just an ok deal. But at this point it is a done deal. Hopefully the car doesn't give me a lot of trouble. Time will tell...

@ Marine One,
Though I did my own install of an in dash DVD/Nav, back up cam, overhead monitor in my Odyssey, for this model there dont seem many options and the few instances of folks doing this mod seem to have gone through a lot of trouble. So I am looking to find out what a professional install will cost for those three. Perhaps once I get the sticker shock, I will follow your path and simply settle for wireless backup cam.
 
#10 ·
@carpayment4life
Honestly, I wasn't thinking that deep.
I am thinking..
This was a trade in at BMW dealer and not an auction buy, one owner, low miles, and looked very clean even before the dealer detailed it. I also saw the car last Tuesday before the dealer processed it and it looked pretty well taken care of. I guess I am taking a chance based on some partially educated guesses that this has been well maintained by the previous owner and is in good condition. Carfax does show that fluids were checked and differential fluid flushed at 50k and 72k.

Again, no info on timing belt and I did check to see if any stickers were placed on the inside(I think they sometime do that). Interior is very clean, all except the driver seat's leather appear barely broken in.

Since I last saw the car, the dealer did the check in inspection and did a few minor things, wiper blades, a bulb replacement, wheel balancing and rotation, oil change, and both safety and emissions etc and of course the detailing.

I was able to get this for $10.5K out of the door including tax, tags, dealer processing fee, etc. Maybe it is a good deal or just an ok deal. But at this point it is a done deal. Hopefully the car doesn't give me a lot of trouble. Time will tell...

@ Marine One,
Though I did my own install of an in dash DVD/Nav, back up cam, overhead monitor in my Odyssey, for this model there dont seem many options and the few instances of folks doing this mod seem to have gone through a lot of trouble. So I am looking to find out what a professional install will cost for those three. Perhaps once I get the sticker shock, I will follow your path and simply settle for wireless backup cam.
My wireless works great. Does the job.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top