We're looking at a mid 2000's used Honda and/or Acura.

There are obvious differences in luxury, ride, fuel type (regular vs. premium), mileage, etc.

But are there significant maintenance issues as far as cost of routine repairs?

Thanks.

1) Premium gas is a big one if you drive alot.
2) Parts are cheaper for Honda, plus aftermarket parts are common.
3) Are you a DIY? If not, how close to an Acura dealer?


[This message has been edited by dubi (edited 2/19/2012 10:47a).]

1) Premium gas is a big one if you drive alot.
2) Parts are cheaper for Honda, plus aftermarket parts are common.
3) Are you a DIY? If not, how close to you to an Acura dealer?


1. I certainly get that one. That's a big difference. Yes, we do plan to take it on highway when work takes us out of town.

2. Yep.

3. There is an Acura dealer within 15 miles, but there are of course plenty of locally owned places nearby that we can get a Honda serviced.

I also think the Honda is cheaper to insure.


[This message has been edited by aginlakeway (edited 2/19/2012 10:41a).]

What type of vehicle?

I assume if you were looking at something unusual like a Honda S2000 or an Acura NSX you would have specified...

And don't be so sure insurance will be cheaper on a Honda. You'd be amazed how much it costs to insure something like a 2000 Civic Si...




[This message has been edited by madd_ag_05 (edited 2/19/2012 11:49a).]

You can run mid grade to mitigate some cost.

quote:

---

And don't be so sure insurance will be cheaper on a Honda. You'd be amazed how much it costs to insure something like a 2000 Civic Si...

---

Insurance costs are the same on our '10 Civic Si and our '03 Civic EX.

I've had an Acura for the last ten years ('02 TL and '06 TL) . Always used regular gas with no issues. All non warranty service issues have been handled by our regular, independent mechanic with no problems. Great cars and very few non maintenance issues.

Modern cars have knock sensors that retard timing appropriately where premium is "recommended".

Most independent Honda repair places will work on Acuras without much fuss.

I dont see the repair costs being more than a 10% delta over a Honda product.

Agree with 1Ags.

It's something like an extra 20 bucks a month to run premium. Why would you cut costs there?

Premium gas is no cleaner than regular gas; it is just more resistant to pre-ignition. No need to pay extra as it won't keep your motor in better shape than regular gas.

Most Acura engines are higher compression than the similar Honda engine. Hence the premium fuel.

higher in cylinder pressure due to not just comp ratio but also timing curve

quote:

---

Premium gas is no cleaner than regular gas; it is just more resistant to pre-ignition. No need to pay extra as it won't keep your motor in better shape than regular gas.

---

If you want to be cheap, it's your business and your car. You aren't likely to hurt anything doing this on a modern car...but an engine designed to run on high octane fuel will perform better if it's given the fuel it was designed for.

120k miles of nothing but premium 93 octane in my 350Z and it's still running great (premium is recommended by Nissan). Could it have lasted this long running nothing but 87? Probably. But if a few bucks per fillup were that big a deal to me, I'd have had a heart attack the first time I had to replace the tires. I rather pay the premium and get what I paid for, performance-wise.

[This message has been edited by madd_ag_05 (edited 2/20/2012 9:32a).]

quote:

---

Premium gas is no cleaner than regular gas; it is just more resistant to pre-ignition. No need to pay extra as it won't keep your motor in better shape than regular gas.

---

When I worked in an oil refinery, the only gas blends that ever failed the gum content test was premium gasolines. I’m sure all of it you buy meets the spec, but premium is “dirtier” (closer to the spec) than regular. How many people would buy premium knowing it was actually dirtier.

Isn't there also an issue of foreign markets in Europe especially not selling less than 95 octane at the pump, so they recommend premium as a rule because the cars are designed for both markets?

for the record, I've had an Acura for a dozen years, and it's well made and cheap to work on (97 integra). I've got a kick ass mechanic in Irving that works on Japanese cars for cheap, which also helps.

And although mine has been well out of the warranty at this point, I do remember the difference between taking it for service to an Acura dealership and then to a Honda dealership later. That was night and day. Acura dealership had nice loaners, free detailing, etc etc when it was in for service. The honda dealership just made me feel like I was getting severely ripped off.

Then I found Hondura and realized that I HAD been getting severly ripped off.

Having owned both I never noticed a significant difference in maintenance costs. As with any car you'll feel a more wallet pain at the dealer and less with an independent mechanic.

quote:

---

I've got a kick ass mechanic in Irving that works on Japanese cars for cheap, which also helps

---

Care to share the address, name, or phone number?