considering buying a HCH-I with 75,000mi or more on the clock?

I have the "hybrid itch" and have been getting a little more serious about trying to find out what suits me and fits my budget. One of my requirements for trading would be that the total cost at least breaks even vs. just hanging on to the Accord over a five year period. (I can't really justify spending extra money on something that I want but don't need.)

A MT HCH-I would suite my FE craving nicely, I think. But the only examples I have found that would meet my cost criterion are '03s with something like 75,000 miles on them. That means it would probably have 160,000 before I would want to have to shop for a new car again.

This question is probably cliche at this point, but are my odds good that it would last without major headaches?

 

Probably not. Just make sure you can get a reasonable amount of maintenence data or try and get a used car warranty on it. With a MT you probably won't have to do anything to the transmission for another 150K miles except to change the oil. I had an MT accord that lasted 250K before I donated it in good mechanical condition. The only thing I would be concerned about is the battery pack.

hope this helps.

 

I would recommend purchasing a PZEV rated HCH I (if you live in a clean state), not only for the better emissions rating, but you'll also get the PZEV 15 year/150,000 mile warranty on all the hybrid components (10 year/150,000 mile warranty on the battery), that is fully transferrable.

Here is the 2005 HCH warranty list:

http://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/Documen...t/apl27540.pdf

I wouldn't be too concerned with the battery pack, but I would be concerned with the catalytic converter failure that some of the early HCH I's suffered from (that the ECU reflash should have cured). If you purchase an HCH, I would confirm that this reflash has already been performed.

 

Thanks for the link to the warranty info. Fortunately I do live in one of those clean states so I'm going to do all I can to look for one in PZEV trim. The more I read about this car, the more it sounds like the right fit. The plan is to test drive one tomorrow if I can find one sitting on a lot.

 

I'm with Eskrimast1 too,
Since you live in one of the states that demanded the longer hybrid component warranty, go for it. The CAT and EGR valve are the only other common trouble-spots that I remember reading about. Some of the manual-tranny versions had issues with premature hybrid battery failure, but the extra warranty period would neutralize that concern.

 

Tell us about the Accord-year,miles, trans.Just guessing but what do you plan to pay-trade-for the HCH with 75000 miles? I would guess about $11000 or so? Your Accord will have to be worth about $14000 on a private sale to get a $11000 car from a dealer. You can buy a new 2006 VP Accord for $18000 here-and everywhere else, so your used Accord will have to be a 2004 4cyl with a manual and a modest trim level which it probably is considering your frugal nature.
It looks like a bad idea to me. Just repairing the AC-a common repair-will cost $800-$1000;CV joints $400;timing belt $300(maybe more).
I think you will have a hard time bringing yourself to trade a newer lower mile car for an older high mile car.They are both Honda's, so they are equally reliable-the HCH will cost more in repairs in the next 75000 miles.
Luck,
Charlie

 

I did manage to get in a test drive today, but it wasn't the high-mileage one that I saw. That one turned out to be kind of a disaster...body was in worse shape than the Accord, and it wasn't PZEV rated so I would be screwed if anything ever happened on the emissions or IMA side.

Phoebeisis, you bring up a lot of very good points. I hadn't heard about the A/C, CV joints, or timing belt repair costs. They do seem expensive vs. what I would have imagined. The HCH that I drove was a severely overpriced '05 w/ 40k miles on it. My impressions of it are mostly favorable. I think the interior quality is good, it has ample power for my rather sedate driving style, and I do think that the FE possibilities are quite promising. But I sensed that I was in a smaller, touchier car than what I'm used to. The ride was good but not quite as refined, and the seats weren't quite as supportive. The Civic just doesn't quite feel like I wish it did. Could I get used to it? I don't see why not, but it's not an issue I should ignore.

Since you ask about the Accord, it's a 2002 EX-L coupe, 4-cylinder and manual trans that's just coming up on 50,000 miles. I got a really good deal on it used at about 25k, and it is indeed a **very** nice car by my standards. The only thing it lacks is the FE toys, but it does respond well to my efforts. (Like I've said before, the FE toys are a 'want' and definitely not a 'need.') I could probably get about $12,500 from a private buyer, and today I saw paperwork on a dealer trade to the tune of $10,400.

At the end of the day I'm nowhere near ready to sign on the dotted line. I do like the car I have, and it would take a very special car at right price for me to switch. I do plan to have some fun shopping around as I still think I could be happy in a HCH. But my gut is telling me that the price point I'm looking for just doesn't exist in this market. And I think my sentiments toward the experience of owning one will gel a little better once I've spent a little more time checking them out.

 

I agree with phoebeisis . . . you've got quite a good car already (I should know since I traded in a 2001 Honda Accord 2-door/4 cyl in for my HCH). Even though I never actively thought about FE when I had the Accord, my best tank was about 35MPG on a road trip. You're already doing amazing things with your Accord. How about just optimizing your Accord with LRR tires and switching to 0W-20 synthetic?

 

That's a valid option, and right now I'm on the fence about the HCH-I. My first realization is that I can't justify trading a car for anything but a newer car with lower miles. So this 75k idea is out. The numbers do work on newer cars given their higher projected residual, but only at the right price. So far my haggling efforts have been thwarted by a hyper-inflated market and clueless salesmen. So the odds of this happening are totally up in the air. I found a positively beautiful '05 yesterday w/38k mi but their "bottom line" was something like $4-5k over what works on my spreadsheet.

Oh well. Still in no hurry to make a deal unless it's the right deal.

 

I own an '04 HCH MT that has 80k miles on it.

Other than some body damage (lotsa deer here), the car runs great.

I have not had any work done on the brakes -- my commute is mostly highway, and I believe I can last until spring time. However, you may want to check out the brakes on any 75k+ HCH.

I would expect you'd find the same type of car on the market near you.