Answers

Are you thinking about buying this car because it may represent some type of status symbol ?

For the price that you will pay for this used vehicle, there is half a dozen vehicles you could buy new.

Oh, to answer your first question, " is this a good sign or a bad sign ? ", well, it was good for the other guy.

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Buying the car is not for status symbol but functionality! New cars, Yes but what I NEED is not a car but a Seven Passengers SUV that is AWD with appreciable technology. This will serve my family better. Can you suggest new and reliable SUVs that will meet these specs and still be sold at the price of this used MDX.

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The absolute mileage is less important than how those miles were accumulated and how the vehicle was maintained by the previous owner. It needs a complete check-up by your mechanic and a list of what it needs now + in the near future. With that list in hand, you'll know if its worth buying at any price and if so, you can use it in your negotiation. Don't underestimate the cost of the repairs or needed maintenance - for example, 4 tires will be $800-900.

All other things being equal, which they are rarely, I'd prefer a late model hi mileage to an older low mileage vehicle. There's a premium for the older low mileage vehicles that is often not warranted by the risk level. I know of a 10 year old Camry with about 20K miles that has many thousands of hours idling, driving very short trips and has rarely been driven warm - and I wouldn't touch it with the proverbial 10 foot pole, yet it will bring a premium because it has "low miles".

This vehicle has been driven an average of 27,600 miles a year over a 5 year period - almost exactly the same as my highway commute driving. Ask how it was driven to find out if the route had good roads, moderate speeds, and no stop & go; also check if it was driven on distant vacations or to visit distant parents - those are all pluses that should make you feel more comfortable with the mileage. Was it driven where roads are salted? Ask for repair and maintenance receipts. A responsible owner should have a file full of receipts and records. Ask the owner about its fuel economy - hint: a gently driven vehicle will exceed the EPA mileage estimates (for example, my subaru outback, rated 20/26 by EPA, gives me an honest calculated 29 mpg commuting and better on long trips). The vehicle will be heavily discounted when you do an appraisal here at Edmunds used cars - but if its been well cared for, could be a bargain that serves you well for a long time.

Good luck !

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Many thanks to you MORIN2! I really appreciate your honest response and more importantly the details, comparisons and analysis you made! I must say that I am inclined to go along with your logical reasoning and analysis in addition to the invaluable recommendations you made. It sure remind me of a friend of mine whose brand new BMW 3 series kept giving him so much trouble. It eventually turned out that this was due to the fact that the car was hardly driven and when it is, mostly on short trips!

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Sorry for the delay in responding - I just got home from a long drive from the office in foul weather. I'm afraid that I can't add much about this vehicle because I have no personal experience with one. A friend has a 2005 Pilot and likes it, but complains about the fuel economy. I suspect that he has unrealistic expectations because his other vehicle is a saturn SL fuel sipper. He pulls a 20' fiberglass skiff with his Pilot, but not long distance. He has had 2 car seats in it and they work just fine. I know someone else with a MDX and they use theirs to commute a short distance and carry long touring kayaks on the roof - seems to work ok for them although its a bit of a reach up there, at least for me.

I recommend checking out the reviews in the used car section here at Edmunds and also check out the model specific forums on the MDX. They do share many components with the Pilot - but this is no twin. At one time, the Acura used a more sophisticated auto trans than the Pilot and there have been a few problems noted - so have it checked out. The biggest complaint has been the cost of service at Acura dealers - which you can avoid by using an independent mechanic. I've had good luck with the mechanic finder at cartalk. Still, with its sophisticated engine, this is not a cheap SUV to service.

I have some unusual SUV recommendations for 2 that can be bought at bargain prices and it seems like they are ignored: Subaru B9 Tribeca and Chevy Trailblazer. The Trailblazer is not as refined or reliable as the SUVs from Toyota and Honda or Subaru, but it's priced so low used that it seems to be an ok value. I've used them at work and they always did fine, although the seats are not the most comfortable for long trips.

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Thank you very much Morin2!

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