Whatsup all, ive been a lurker here for awhile, but anyways my question. Im looking at an '05 with 26000 miles on it. the party involved is only asking $12900. Being as this is well below the kbb, is this the going rate for these cars or is there something i should be looking out for? also when i go look at it, are there common problems with the ep3's that i should be aware of?

 

That's on the cheap side, but within the going rate that I see. New, they were being sold for as little as $15-16K just because they were an unknown car (I had one guy ask if my '02 was "the new Civic hybrid" even though it was late in 2005) and dealers wanted to get them off of their lots. That may be part of the story behind the low asking price of this one.

Common problems? I can think of two things -- exhaust cam lobe galling and transmission grinds. But, they're not what I would call "common", because they were the kind of problems that happened more than once but didn't happen to very many at all anyway.

As always, get it checked out by a mechanic if you can, and do the usual inspections like you would for any car.

 

cool, thanks for the answers. im choosing between the '05 and an '02 with 79000 on the clock for 10888. i really like the idea of a low mileage car, so ill go check it out. btw, im more of a body man than a mechanic, what would be noticable about cam lobe galling?

 

hey boost, i was in your shoes just about 3 weeks ago when i first picked up my ep3, i would definately go with the 26K miles one, i love the car, runs excellent, stock its not a racing machines but the power is always there when you need it...$12K is not bad at all, however i think i got the best deal ever, $11500 for a 04 ep3 with 12K miles lol...but i got it off a friend so thats why the discount was there...

if you plan on driving it for a while or having it as your DD, lower mileage would be the best way to go even if your saving a few bucks...maintenance costs and what not will definately eliminate the advantage of saving 1-2 grand...

a problem i had with mine was the TBS (throttle body sensor), my sensor on the throttle body got f'd up and now i have to replace the whole TB, which costs 800 at the dealer...its not a common problem that i know of, but just my experience

 

wow that was a steal on the 04. the insurance company is dicking around with my totalled value, so i might look at the 02 first. the 05 is my first choice though. but seeing as i only have 2 1/2 years left in college i dont think the 79000 miles would be a problem

 

I got my 04 with 9k miles on it for 12,200 about 3 weeks ago, they are awesome cars for DD and or modification

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 04Si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hey boost, i was in your shoes just about 3 weeks ago when i first picked up my ep3, i would definately go with the 26K miles one, i love the car, runs excellent, stock its not a racing machines but the power is always there when you need it...$12K is not bad at all, however i think i got the best deal ever, $11500 for a 04 ep3 with 12K miles lol...but i got it off a friend so thats why the discount was there...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Haha yeah, you got a fantastic deal there. Ep3's are really expensive in our area. I dont get how a car that sold for so much under MSRP is reselling for so much now in the NYC area. obscene costs to boot; example- most 04EP3 I found were $14K-16K with high mileage and some having been in accidents.

I ended up getting my 03EP3 for just over $12,500 but that was after some epic level haggling with the dealer.

Generally though, Ive seen much better deals private party, but then you gotta fend for yourself as far as repairs in the first 90 days

 

yeah thats why im leaning towards the '02. its had a new water pump,plugs,wires filters and brakesput on before it hit the lot. plus it has a 6 month 6000mile comprhensive warranty, so i dont think i can go wrong

 

the 05 is a lot better deal but also more money. The 02 is not so much of a good deal. I am selling mine 02 for 10600 with 64k miles. I would talk them down if you want that one.

 

Warranty's are always a good thing, and if you can afford it; pay for the extended comp warranty from Honda Care. It will not only cover those important things you might worry about as the car gets older, but it also raises the resale on the car.

BUT, so you know; "certified" Honda Care Warranty starts at the time the car was put into service (so for an 02 it would run out in 09), "Pre-owned" Honda Car Warranty starts when you buy the car yourself, but is more expensive.

Dont let the dealer try and tell you that your car will be covered until 2015 when it wont!

EP Kevin is right though, that price is far too high for an 02 with high mileage.


Modified by thechromecoyote at 11:14 AM 6/4/2007

 

alright, since im new to these ep3's, what would be a good haggle price? like i said its been fully serviced, has aftermarket rims, and the warranty... dealers wont budge but so much, so im thinking maybe 10k if im lucky?

 

Its not just the EP3's, dealers are ******** when it comes to selling all cars.

Remember: No matter what they say, they are not doing you any favors. They want your business, so make them work for it.

Know how much the car is worth on KBB (http://www.kbb.com) and NADA (http://www.nadaguides.com/home.aspx?...=58778&nozip=1)

NADA is nice because it also gives you the national average sales price, which is a good tactic to use when you are negotiating.

They will bust out a book called GADs (or something) and claim the car is worth "X", just ask to see the book and make sure that its up to date. Ive known some shady dealers who swear on a book value that is 2 years out of date.

AND no matter what they claim.. they short-changed the kid who traded the car in for his after market rims and other mods. They do not increase the value of dealer sold cars, if anything, you can use them against the higher cost by claiming poor workmanship or increased expense of ownership.

EDIT: Fully serviced cars are also not a selling point. Most states require pre-owned cars be serviced fully before they can be sold on the lot, and will protect buyers.

 

cool. im looking for an ep3 also. but i dont really have the money. are there any out there for about 6-8k? i seen one for 7.5 with 100k miles clean title. should i take a look at that or should i move on and look out for another one?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by boostownsme &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">btw, im more of a body man than a mechanic, what would be noticable about cam lobe galling?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Basically, the engine would be ticking all the time, as if the valves weren't adjusted right (which, it's been said, should ideally be done every 30K miles). You'd only be able to see for sure with the valve cover off, though.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thechromecoyote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Haha yeah, you got a fantastic deal there. Ep3's are really expensive in our area. I dont get how a car that sold for so much under MSRP is reselling for so much now in the NYC area. obscene costs to boot; example- most 04EP3 I found were $14K-16K with high mileage and some having been in accidents.</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's because it's a Civic hatchback. Ever since I got my first one 17 years ago (seems like yesterday... well, no it doesn't), I used to check the classifieds section in the paper for Honda hatchbacks. Every single one of them only lasted for a week or two before it was sold and the ad pulled. I'd see, like, a Buick or something like that sitting there for a whole month or two, but never a Civic hatch. People who shop around for used cars want something practical, reliable and affordable, and that's exactly what Hondas are, especially hatchbacks.

The EP3 is in a pretty unique position on the used car market, too. There have always been Civic hatches available up through 2000... but there's not going to be another one here until at least 2010. That leaves the EP as the only Civic hatchback sold in the US over this entire decade. And -- as we all know -- it never sold well in the first place. So, there aren't even as many of them around as there were EF, EG, and EK hatchbacks.

Supply = small; demand for used Civics = always high. That's how they keep such high resale value.