buying a used honda fit with 85000+ miles.

[Semidevil]

I'm looking for a Honda fit between the 2008 to 2011, and considering the budget in mind, a used 2008 honda fit with 85000 miles sounds really tempting.

I've always bought new car, so I never really considered mileage; I know Honda's are great cars, and some people have driven their Hondas for over 200,000+ miles. I know that mileage should not be the main indicator, but when looking at the mileage, how much consideration should i put in to it. Is there point where xx miles is too much (more specifically in my case, a 2008 honda fit)? To me, 85,000 miles for a 2008 appears to be a lot of highway driving, but that's just a guess I guess I won't really know. My goal is to know that it can last for 5 to 6 years.

I'm not a car guy, so i'm going to test drive it, get a car fax, and have it inspected maybe at a dealership. I'm assuming the mechanic will also tell me the life of each part correct? I mean, if everything seems fine, is there a reason to not buy the car?

Would you buy a used honda with that many miles? any experiences?

 

[njmodi]

The usual common sense stuff applies here... no different from any other used-car purchase. So as you said...

1. Check for maintenance records
2. Get a CarFax, etc.
3. If you are not comfortable with cars, have it inspected by a mechanic

In general, 85k is not very much for cars of this day and age (including 2008). My cars (currently owned and past) have all hit over 150k with no significant issues along the way besides normal wear/tear and maintenance, an occasional O2 sensor, etc. The 2008 Fit you are considering is now ~6-7yrs old... so that puts the mileage/yr at 12-14k - that's average.

Personal experience: I have a Honda Odyssey with 166k and an Honda Accord with 190k... I would drive either cross-country without hesitation. I previously had a 1996 Nissan Maxima with 160k that was equally reliable. I purchased all 3 of these cars used.

Cheers.

 

[desy]

I like newer cars with high miles because of the reason you guessed
HW miles are pretty easy on a car
However cause I put lots of miles on myself I cant use one
With those miles just make sure the timing belt has been changed or make sure you do and I wouldn't be afraid of one to go another 5-6 yrs

 

[thomsbrain]

That isn't high miles for the model year. It's dead-average. High miles (like a long freeway commute) would be 180,000 or so.

But to answer your question, make sure you know the status of the timing belt (if it has one) and have that full service completed if it hasn't already been done (should include water pump, tensioners, thermostat, etc). The car will probably last longer than you can stand it if you do the maintenance on schedule.

 

[fstime]

That engine is barely broken in on a 2008 Honda. How well the car was taken care of is more important than the mileage in this case.

 

[Semidevil]

thanks guys. So in terms of maintenance record, is that still through the car fax? Or Should I expect people to keep their receipts for everything;

 

[desy]

Receipts by owner

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Paint and auto trans are common problems. Paint is thin, also seen some rusty ones in my location (NJ). If the auto trans is clunky when shifting run away.

 

[dbk]

Sold mine last year 74k for $8.5k...no issues..ac sucked wind noise that was about it.. Mechanically excellent

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Sold mine last year 74k for $8.5k...no issues..ac sucked wind noise that was about it.. Mechanically excellent

ac sucked wind noise? are those two separate things? I have an 09 Fit and the AC does suck. And where I live...thats damn near enough to force me to buy another vehicle.

Never noticed a problem with wind noise though, but that type of stuff doesnt generally bother me, I usually have my stereo cranked anyways.

 

[MiataNC]

I picked up a 2011 Fit Sport manual this past spring with 45K on the odometer. Looks and runs like brand new inside and out. The AC is pretty weak if you live in a place like Las Vegas, but it is like a TARDIS (bigger on the inside) and averages 34mpg. I want to hate it and have an excuse to get something else, but it does everything it is supposed to so well I can't find any real faults.

The trick with high mileage cars is to look for obvious wear and tear. Worn seat surfaces (especially the drivers seat, carpet, seat belts, etc), and worn controls (steering wheel, shift knob, etc.) indicate a lot of use. So high miles with a high wear indicates a LOT of short trips with the driver getting in and out of the car frequently. High miles with no signs of wear indicates the car was used on longer highway trips with more sitting and less getting in and out.

 

[Semidevil]

thanks guys. Right now, I'm debating between these 3 (if still available by the time I decide:

2008 honda fit sport
I really like the price as it is under 10k
mileage is around 85,000K
I don't see anything on the car fax(any one want to correct me?)

http://www.auto.com/cars/Honda-Fit-Sport-2008-JHMGD38638S049396

2008 Honda fit sport
this costs about $1000 more than the previous one, but has around 30k less miles
car fax also does not show anything outstanding.
The only con is that it's a 2 hour drive to pick it up.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...mt=[HONDA[FIT[]][]]&listingId=379145412&Log=0

2009 honda fit sport
this is pushing my budget because I don't want to spend a total of more than 12,000. However, it is a 09, with the sporty style and low miles (if that matters). The bad thing is the reviews for the seller is really really bad.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...mt=[HONDA[FIT[]][]]&listingId=355790339&Log=0

Then there is the option of going out of state for more options which are pretty attractive, but pushing my budget for a newer year vehicle.

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/613725056/overview/

under 10k
http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/607480970/overview/


any body have any thoughts on which you would pick? assuming color is not a factor

 

[FiLeZz]

Just sold the wifes 2008 Fit sport with 55k on it for $8800 I sold it in 24hours.

 

[mnewsham]

We got a new 2013 Honda fit sport 5 speed manual earlier this month. 65 miles on it when we left the lot. Managed to pay $17.4k after everything was said and done including taxes, title, etc.

For the DC/Metro area the AC is more than enough, not sure if the 2013 year is different from the 2008 someone mentioned earlier having poor AC.

Really a very nice car from my experiences. I can average 33-38MPGs generally.

 

[tamm]

Dont go first generation apparently since the regular car reviews just bought a 1st gen for $5k and apparently its a shitter. Panel gaps, water leaks etc. 2nd gen is better due to better Q&C. sourcE: Jalopnik