Keep driving old car (2009 Acura MDX)?

[acaixguard]

We currently have a 2009 Acura MDX with a little under 110k miles on it. Other than an oil consumption issue early on which was fixed under warranty, the car has only needed routine maintenance and has been trouble free. Drives great, and our only criticism of it is the less than stellar fuel economy.

This summer, we are planning to drive down to FL from the NYC metro area. We will probably do more road trips like this in the future as well. Because of that, we considered getting a new car (Lexus RX350), not only for the reliability peace of mind, but for more comfort and the modern safety features (lane assist, pedestrian warning, etc).

Thing is though, we are not "car people". I can honestly think of much better uses for the money. Above all else, I hate sinking good money into highly depreciating items. Obviously I would rather buy some timepieces that hold value over time :)

Just wondering, for those who are more practically minded, is there any good reason I should upgrade my MDX? We would still keep it as a "beater" car btw. I just want to have confidence that it can survive long drives without issues.

Thanks for any feedback and suggestions!

[T4ME]

Most new cars are now priced with a dealer mark up, I have seen an average of 5,000 per car. I have thought about a new car but have held back. For me right now a 2010 Nissan Armada 193,000 still running strong majority highway miles I would consider renting a vehicle for road trips.

For an Acura, 110,000 miles is nothing usual. Friend of mine had the Acura TL that seen 200,000 easily with dealer service ..car was passed down for another 30,000 miles

[330ci]

I’m a firm believer in getting cars to 150-200k before turning them loose. As long as you keep up on maintenance there’s no reason that car shouldn’t see 200k with ease. As long as the cooling system has been updated at some point, a transmission flush, and regular maintenance of suspension and brakes; I’d say it should be safe to drive everywhere. Modern lubricants, tolerances and engineering have made cars far more reliable in the past few decades. Cooling systems are the Achilles heel of long trips. Always seems to be when water pumps, hoses and radiators burst. For less than $2k I imagine you could get it in top shape for quite some time. If it has timing belts those will likely need to be replaced if they haven’t already as well which is probably $1500, if they’ve been serviced probably good for another 40k or so

[uscmatt99]

We have a 2014 MDX with just under 100k that has been completely problem free with normal maintenance. We just did the timing belt, spark plugs, and got new brake pads and rotors (for the first time!). These things are the best value under the sun. For your needs, where you'll be logging a ton of miles, it's totally worth using the MDX right now. Cars are priced to a hot market right now and if you don't need a new one or just have other places you want to put your money, hold tight.

[Chewbacca]

A 2009 MDX/Pilot was a good year for Honda.

If the car isn’t consuming oil and shifts crisp and such, I’d put the miles on it. The car is now on a slower depreciation curve so you’re driving it for free.

But there are a few things I’d do before a major trip to a hot climate with an older car, and because you’re technically reaching the ‘lifetime’ on a few parts:

1. Flush cooling system and change thermostat
2. Charge ac and check compressor health
3. Check battery health and change if less than 65%
4. Drain and fill the transmission fluid (check for old oil condition. Will tell you about its overall health)
5. Oil change

While the car is on a hoist, you’ll also get a report on tire and brake health and any suspension issues will be highlighted.

The above may seem like a lot but an independent or even a Honda dealer can do it for less than $500 all in.

Safe travels!

[Hollie_Rollie]

Not to throw a wrench into the equation, but isn’t the best time to search for a car when you don’t need one?


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[Mike B]

My mom has a 2009 Volvo XC90 with 181,000 miles on it. It’s been driven across country with a uhaul trailer full to the max about 4 years ago when it was at 150,000 miles. Been to many many different states on road trips as well. She loves it. Been paid off for years and all she does is regular maintenance on it and it’s treated her great. Had the front end suspension upgraded a few months back ( new upper / lower control arms, etc ).

I would trust that SUV to go across country again in a heartbeat.


With the cost of newer vehicles nowadays, I would just keep what you have and run it to the ground.

[Burlington]

Originally Posted by Mike B

My mom has a 2009 Volvo XC90 with 181,000 miles on it. It’s been driven across country with a uhaul trailer full to the max about 4 years ago when it was at 150,000 miles. Been to many many different states on road trips as well. She loves it. Been paid off for years and all she does is regular maintenance on it and it’s treated her great. Had the front end suspension upgraded a few months back ( new upper / lower control arms, etc ).

I would trust that SUV to go across country again in a heartbeat.

Built like tanks, big xc90 fan too

Do a lot of light to moderate off roading and wading in mine and it just keeps on going.

[CastorKrieg]

Originally Posted by Burlington

Built like tanks, big xc90 fan too

Do a lot of light to moderate off roading and wading in mine and it just keeps on going.

This is a car I’m looking at for 5-person family since I can stuff in kids + still have enough space for the luggage. They are on average 100k€ new but I saw many ads for 50% off new with 50 000 - 70 000 km on the counter. Are they reliable cars and can I expect with maintenance to keep going for the next 50-70k kms?

[Burlington]

Originally Posted by CastorKrieg

This is a car I’m looking at for 5-person family since I can stuff in kids + still have enough space for the luggage. They are on average 100k€ new but I saw many ads for 50% off new with 50 000 - 70 000 km on the counter. Are they reliable cars and can I expect with maintenance to keep going for the next 50-70k kms?

Volvos are renowned for lasting forever

It’s one of the safest cars on the road for your family too

Buying a higher mileage option that’s been well maintained is a good option.

[joli160]

Driving a 2004 car with 200000 on the clock.
I always change the oils, all filters and liquids well before the required interval and never had any problems. Not going to buy another with unknown problems

[Burlington]

More modern and improved safety features would be the most compelling argument

[EEpro]

I like Chewie's answer. Just don't wait to do it the week before you travel. Do it early enough that you can put another 1,000 miles on it before you head off.

[JasoninDenver]

Originally Posted by EEpro

I like Chewie's answer. Just don't wait to do it the week before you travel. Do it early enough that you can put another 1,000 miles on it before you head off.

X2. I have known two cases where the transmission seals on older cars developed leaks shortly after a regular flush.

The safety features are nice, especially since your daughters will likely be learning to drive in these vehicles.

[brandrea]

I’m of the mind that if it’s running strong, you might as well keep driving it till it’s in the ground. It certainly doesn’t owe you anything at this point

[acaixguard]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I am starting to feel better about using the MDX for longer trips.

I just had a further discussion with my wife and there is something else to consider. We currently have 12.5 year old twin girls, so they will likely be driving in less than 5 years, and we’ll eventually need a third car within that time. Our other current car is a 2013 Honda Fit with under 60k miles, so I think that will be going strong until they are well into college.

The consideration is that if we wait another 4-5 years to be a new car, our MDX may be on its last legs at that point. If it craps out then, we will be forced to buy 2 cars within a short timeframe, and the thought of that is nauseating to me. If we buy a car now and have to replace the MDX in a few years, at least we will be able to space out major purchases. And if that happens, we will just get another compact car since we won’t need 2 SUVs. And when the Fit dies, we won’t need to replace that as we will probably be empty nesters by then.

Decisions decisions...

[kieselguhr]

Me personally would drive that MDX into the ground. Which will likely take an additional 200,000 miles ++. Although likely would have a 2nd car for fun.

[Dr. Robert]

I drive a 2001 Toyota Highlander that I bought new in March of 2001.
I plan to be buried in it.

[AF_Rob]

I get it, OP. I’m the same way. I’m in my late 30’s and have owned 3 daily drivers. I keep them for about 10 years or so.

However, my previous car met an untimely end and was in a situation to where I had to buy a new car. The modern conveniences and safety enhancements, I find value in.

If you’re in a financial position to either buy it outright or have it paid off within a year, I would say at least consider it. Especially since you are well over 100k miles, adding road trips and looking at options with better MPG.


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[DLRIDES]

Originally Posted by acaixguard

We currently have a 2009 Acura MDX with a little under 110k miles on it. Other than an oil consumption issue early on which was fixed under warranty, the car has only needed routine maintenance and has been trouble free. Drives great, and our only criticism of it is the less than stellar fuel economy.

This summer, we are planning to drive down to FL from the NYC metro area. We will probably do more road trips like this in the future as well. Because of that, we considered getting a new car (Lexus RX350), not only for the reliability peace of mind, but for more comfort and the modern safety features (lane assist, pedestrian warning, etc).

Thing is though, we are not "car people". I can honestly think of much better uses for the money. Above all else, I hate sinking good money into highly depreciating items. Obviously I would rather buy some timepieces that hold value over time :)

Just wondering, for those who are more practically minded, is there any good reason I should upgrade my MDX? We would still keep it as a "beater" car btw. I just want to have confidence that it can survive long drives without issues.

Thanks for any feedback and suggestions!

) NO

) Report back at 250,000 miles

) An Acura with 100,000 miles is just broken in

) Don’t let your car leasing friends brainwash you

[TTbluesy]

Originally Posted by DLRIDES

) NO

) Report back at 250,000 miles

) An Acura with 100,000 miles is just broken in

) Don’t let your car leasing friends brainwash you

This!

Don’t talk yourself into a 50k horrible purchase because of made up scenarios and lane assist. I buy great cars all the time from Payment/lease addicted people.

That Acura is just broken in.

[acaixguard]

Thanks again guys! Appreciate the practical feedback, and it makes me love the MDX more. I am going to talk to the wife more, with the mindset of avoiding a new car purchase for a while.

One more question. She did get into a small fender bender a few weekends ago, where she rear ended someone at a very low speed. The only real damage is a bent license plate and plate holder, very small dent in the front bumper, and a piece of the trim in the grille popped out of place. I hammered the license plate flat again, and popped the bumper/grill back into place again, and it's about 90% of how it looked before. You would have to actually look for it up close to notice anything. It has been driving just the same since, and I don't feel like the bumper will fall off or anything. Anything else I should look for inside the hood in terms of potential mechanical damage?

[scarlet knight]

I had two Honda Accords that I bought for cash and drove to 200,000 miles fairly uneventfully.

I drove 24k or so per year, so leasing was out of the question. I drove a lot for work.

After I retired, I leased back to back Audi A4s. They have up to the minute tech and safety features, the car is comfortable and nimble and I’ve enjoyed them very much.

Does it cost more to lease than buy? Probably. But I like the convenience of spending very little time and money on maintenance and repair. It is a luxury that I am willing to pay for.

[colpol]

I’ve a 2004 Honda Jazz with 187k on the clock & apart from a starter motor that failed about 4 years ago - it’s just been servicing & regular items like brakes/ tyres etc. Honda reliability is 2nd to none. I get the jazz serviced twice a year & so far not had any serious issues in nearly 10 years. May have to look at changing over next year or so due to some body corrosion (Scottish winters aren’t great).

Luckily my partner doesn’t do old cars so for the really long journeys we take hers but only cos she refuses to ‘risk it’ in the jazz.

[Aquaholic_user]

My 95' jeep cherokee, has 532000 miles on her. Drive it till the wheels fall off!

Sent from my balloon knot

[superdog]

It a miracle if I keep a car a year.

So I’m zero help.

But agree that you can get much more life out of the MDX. Great car.

[1William]

If it is only about the mileage and will the car continue on then I think you sit tight with what you have. If you want something different with current safety and convenience equipment then why not go look and see what is out there. Go drive the Lexus and see if there is an appreciable difference in the areas that matter to you. Factor in what it costs, service, maintenance and what the warranty brings. With that information make an informed decision.

[ERH]

I would say I'm unapologetically an Acura fan. We live in Houston and miles on cars goes with he lifestyle, average 40K per year. I've owned 3 MDXs, great cars, period. Comfortable, reliable, workhorse cars. Scheduled maintenance is key to long term trouble free driving. I put my kids in Acuras.

As to the Lexus, size wise it is closer to today's Acura RDX than the MDX. The RDX is also a great option. Today's Acuras have all the technologies you can get on the Lexus, at a much lower price. 2009 versus 2021 technology is no comparison. For peace of mind, comfort, convenience, technology, reliability and price the RDX or MDX are both good options.

[SearChart]

I daily drive a '92 Volvo 240 wagon (270k km on the odo), big fan of old reliable cars so I wouldn't trade your Acura in for something new just yet.

[acaixguard]

Thanks again everyone! I agree, I think the MDX is great, and is actually the car that has served me the best so far, out of all the cars I've owned in the past.

Had more discussions with my wife last night, and we are comfortable with the idea of using the MDX for road trips. It is definitely a keeper and we are hoping it will last us until my girls are into college.

I actually told my wife last night that we should forget buying another car, until the topic of our girls driving came up again. We decided that by the time our daughters are driving, we will definitely need a third car. I tried to envision all four of us using only 2, and that will prove to be too inconvenient. So here are the two possible scenarios we have to choose between...

1. Buy a new car now, and my wife and I can break it in. Then our girls can drive either that car which will be almost 5 years old, or the MDX. I'm not sure they can drive the Honda Fit, since that is a manual transmission. I will certainly plan to teach them, but there are always some people that just don't adapt well to driving stick, plus we live in an area with a lot of hills. Obviously the main negative of this is making a major purchase sooner rather than later. Safety features of current cars are nice for the girls too, especially a backup cam. On the other hand, I want them to learn to drive the way our generation did, and actually look around you and not rely only on cameras.

2. Wait until the girls are driving to get a new car. This has the added benefit of delaying a major purchase, giving money we would have spent now towards a car time to grow. Then the other consideration is, our girls will mainly be driving the old MDX around, or be forced to drive stick. My wife and I believe that no 17 year old needs to be driving a brand new car, so they would only get limited use of a car that is less than a year old. We could of course get used for them, but I prefer, for their first car, to let them use a vehicle where I am 100% knowledgeable about its past service record. Another option that may be possible is my mother-in-law may be willing to let us use one of their cars by then (both newer than our cars), and I would certainly be happy to buy it off them. However, there's no guarantee that won't need both of the cars still.

Arggghhh, still torn. Believe me, I so wish that I can be deciding what watch to get next instead of this!