A Honda can take miles, if it hasn’t been ragged on and has had good maintenance. My wife’s ’97 CR-V has 170k and runs like new. I trust it to take us anywhere.

That said…….that is STEEP for that many miles. My ’00 was $12k with 57k on it. Yes, much older (and an AP1 if that matters), but over 100k less miles on it.

 

I don't think the price is too off, obviously you can get an 02 with 60k for 12-13 but thats what you would be getting, an 02, not an 07. If it has maintenance records then why not.

 

Do a compression test, and check maintenance records. If everything checks out, I would negotiate a better price , to me i would only pay around 10k for that car.

 

I wouldn't pay anywhere close to that number. Think of buying this car as a sunk cost. The possibility of resale is pretty crappy.

I think pay a little attention to Autotrader etc, dont be afraid to look a little far away and you'll find something good im sure. Good luck with your search !

 

It is NOT that easy to find some of the "Killer Deals" many of you say you have found on a S2k nowadays. Maybe 2 or 3 years ago there was a sweet spot to pick up an S2k with low mileage for a ridiculous price, but I had a hard time finding one that I was comfortable with. Yeah you can find the "old man" who never drove it and it is pristine for $12K but I haven't seen that and I look all over the country.

I found my 02 S2000 on Autotrader which was from a Honda dealership in Connecticut. Got it for $14k with 55,000 miles. One owner and clean CarFax (other than original owner clipping a deer on front quarter panel when they got car in 2002. They kept car and maintained it well for 10 years.

Many many of these "great deal" S2ks have changed hands 3, 4 and 5+ times over the past 6-12 years when I look at the Carfa reports. But I rarely see a 50k mile one for less than $13-14k.
I was more comfortable buying mine from a Honda dealership that did the safety checks and maintenance before offering it for sale. New Brakes and tires too.

The only time you will find a "crazy deal" is if the person selling really doesn't know what they have and I think that is very rare.

 

I have bought and sold many used cars and i would strongly advise against buying a used car from a dealership. the only possible benefit is that they may be able to help you finance the car. otherwise, they usually know little or nothing about the car, don't have maintenance records, charge you more, and offer no guarantees or warranties. if you want a private party vehicle looked over you can easily get a pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic.

 

Is it this one by any chance?

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...10865557&Log=0
That dealership is like 5 minutes away from my house. Ive seen it from the outside and it looks good. Just make sure you get the carfax records and like someone already said do a comp. test on the motor.

Theres actually this place on Pines blvd not too far from there called JapTech. They specialize in Hondas and Acuras only. If I were you I would pass through to give it an inspection before you purchase this car.

 

I got mine from a Honda dealer and they were able to pull the dealer records from when the owner had the car serviced at both their dealership and another Honda dealership.

 

To some extent I agree, but I bought mine from a reputable Honda dealership that priced it right. Like I said, 2002 with 55K for $14 with new tires and brakes as well as service to prep car for sale. I paid cash so I didn't need to finance. I look at private sales all the time and don't see much better deal. They provided service records and free CarFax.

Plus, I was able to track down the one owner of my S via email who gave me more insight. The problem is that a lot of S changed hands many times and even if the owner has their records since ownership, you still don't know history. My criterea was 1 owner whether it was private or dealer. I find that a lot of 1 owner sellers who babied their cars are asking too much.

Dealerships give so little on trade ins that there was wiggle room to price it right to sell. I bought in winter as well which helped.

 

I completely agree on the pricing. 2 years ago when I purchased my S, 04-05s were going for 15-20k here in Canada. Today you can't find an 04 for under 20. Most people with 02's want the upper teens for their cars not to mention lower mileage S2000s.

point is though at 156000, you aren't giving yourself much room for resale. Assuming you put on another 40-50k on the car ..you're sitting with a car with over 200k on the motor.. maintenance costs will probably go up and you really aren't going to find buyers willing to buy a car with that many miles on it.

car 1

For example is in the same area. Granted its an 01, but its got VERY low miles on it and is in the same price range.

car 2

car 3

Couple more options.