Any non-obvious issues to look for with used NC1s?

[neuronbob]

As used NC1 prices are in free-fall, I am closer to acquiring one. Regulars here know I am sold on the NC1. I plan to wait until the fall, after NSXPO, when I'm more likely to see good deals on new 2019s and so can make a comparison. In my daily searches of the usual sales sites, I am seeing more lightly used cars at the magic (for me) $125k level. There are two $125k 2017s and a $130's used 2018 in my immediate vicinity, right now. I'm sure that these cars, which even used, are using up deal floor space for ages, and can be procured for less. I am tempted to trade in my '99 right now even though I know, logically, that it should continue to appreciate. Worse, I really enjoy my '99, but garage space issues limit the number of cars I can have...and I have the new car bug.

That said, am I looking for anything specific with the used NC1s outside of whether the recalls have been done on the 2017s, and the usual worries about undocumented major accidents? Electronic gremlins? Tranny issues? Premature rust? I haven't seen anything specific on the forum, and I'm not a member of the FB NC1 groups, so if there's any secret issue, I haven't heard about it. DocL's experience seems to be the exception rather than the rule, but I'm thinking about that, too.

Knowing extended warranties may be coming from Acura really helps.

My plan is to daily drive, including during the winter, other than heavy snow days. Work is only 3 miles from home, so I'm not putting on a zillion miles.

Or....should just keep my NA2? and wait for NC1 prices to fall further?

Thanks!

 

[goldNSX]

Or....should just keep my NA2? and wait for NC1 prices to fall further?

I can't really help you but I think you already have the answer.

If I was really was looking for a NC1 I'd wait until most of the first batch of leasing deals have ended. It will be a slaughterhouse war of prices.

 

[DocL]

There have been many other cars besides mine with serious problems that have been bought back. Those owners just aren't on this site.

 

[Heavymetals]

I wouldn't part with a car I really liked.

I would look for storage (I was!) if I was intent on getting another car.

I just couldn't justify to myself owning three cars that I don't drive all the time.

Not even a "project" car as I am sort of done with wrenching......

 

[Bricks and Bio]

My understanding is that 4-5 have been bought back.

One recent one was likely rented out by the owner. The car got a new electrical harness and checked out fine and Honda still ended up with the car.

I would buy a new one ($20k trunk money plus whatever discount can be had) over a used one.

 

[Olyar15]

There haven't been many issues brought up by the owners, other than the dash/door rattles and wind noise from the side windows. A few have suffered severe engine issues, but right now it is unclear whether or not those were isolated incidences. Otherwise, the cars seem to be typical Honda reliable.

Personally, I've had my car for just over 2 years and about 24,000 km. I just returned from a 2500km road trip. The car is fantastic. Other than the recalls and dash rattles, I haven't had any issues. Service so far has been oil and filter changes that I do myself.

I don't regret selling my NA2 to buy this car. At one point, I considered keeping it so I could have both the 1st and 2nd generation, but when the price went up and the Canadian dollar dropped, that became unfeasible for me. In any case, now that I have the NC1, I realize that I still would have had to sell my '04 because I wouldn't be driving it. No point in paying for insurance and maintenance on a car I didn't drive; better it go to another owner who would. IMO, there is no scenario that I would drive the NA2 over the NC1. It just does everything better than the old car. Maybe track days, but that has more to do with the cost of replacement CC brakes than anything about the car itself.

I also recommend getting a new one, not because there is anything wrong with the first years, but because being able to spec out the exact colour and options that you want in a car like this is part of the joy of ownership. If you don't care about that, then I wouldn't hesitate picking up a used one.

 

[lucky]

Well said Olyar15

or, if you are super lucky and someone is selling a gently used that is an "overspec" car than what you would have bought, then jump in I'm just getting to know mine and am really very happy with the decision to finally have a modern supercar that does so many modern things so well

 

[MasterNSXTech]

I also recommend getting a new one, not because there is anything wrong with the first years, but because being able to spec out the exact colour and options that you want in a car like this is part of the joy of ownership. If you don't care about that, then I wouldn't hesitate picking up a used one.

You can get a great deal. Or you can get exactly the one you want. But you probably won’t get both.

A handful of people got to order a 2019 built to their exact specification, and got the $20k AFS incentive applied. Customers that ordered 2017s and 2018s built to order usually paid sticker. Some got $5k, maybe 10k off. But these $30-45k discounts people got? Those were for cars that have been sitting around for awhile. They had tons of carbon options to bloat the sticker which were a spec they may not have necessarily gone for if they had the choice. But hey, if a Valencia Red with all the options was what you would have ordered anyways? Then you get to have the cake and eat it too. Curva Red with full polish interwoven wheels, steel brakes, and no other options is what you’d spec? Ehhh, you’ll either take a sitting car with a spec you’ll compromise on to get a discount, or pay full MSRP with perhaps even a non refundable deposit to order it.

 

[MasterNSXTech]

As to the topic at hand. There really hasn’t been any unpublicized line changes that would make you want to pass on a 2017 over a 2018 other than the recalls of course. There’s a simple telematics system update that any dealer can apply to most of the 2017s. But that’s really it.

While there is no Certified Pre Owned available for the NSX, it would still be prudent to get a used NSX from an Acura dealer. Finding one at a secondary lot is a risk. CarFax is far from accurate, so you can’t depend on it to catch collision repairs and so on. Many of those secondary lots will not let you take a car like that to have an independent PPI done (and again the Acura dealer would be best to have that done at), so there’s a major red flag if they don’t let you.

What I’d look for is how bad the underbody has been scraped up. Especially with the carbon lowers, since they are painfully expensive. Maybe pull back the undershields to look for any leaks. Throw it on the alignment machine to make sure all the angles are still good, because if they’re not, it’s an indication that something got smacked.

 

[neuronbob]

Thanks for the answers. [MENTION=33024]MasterNSXTech[/MENTION] , in particular, big thanks. I feel a bit better chasing after a used car now, though if I can snag a deal on a new car late in the year or early next year, I’ll likely take that..especially if I can turn in my TLX lease a little early as part of that deal. We’ll see how it goes as I’m already watching the auto sale sites on a daily basis at this point.

On another note, I’m a bit surprised Acura dealers don’t offer the used NSXs as CPO, and I was even more surprised that there was no extended warranty program.

 

[MasterNSXTech]

Unless you went really deep on a down payment, you’re probably upside down on your TLX lease. Resale values have not done well plus AFS used some bloated residuals to get payments lower. To do a pull ahead, you’d be asking to dealer to eat $4-5k (what most TLXs are from what I see) in negative equity to get you out of your TLX. Sometime to think about when factoring in how well of a deal you’ll get.

You might want a new Acura sedan when your lease runs its term. Can’t give details, but our upcoming products are very nice. Some of them maybe even legendary.

Yup. No CPO program. No Acura Care warranty. Sounds like they were afraid of what stuff might cost, so they didn’t even want to take a chance. And not even a Acura Care maintenance plan, even though we can pretty much predict the maintenance costs over x amount of miles.

 

[neuronbob]

I see what ya did there LOL, and thanks again for the info. I’ve got only ten months left on my lease so by the end of the year/early next, it’ll be pull ahead time. The timing for the new Acura sedans will be a bit off for me, since they tend to release in the fall. If one or more of them is...ahum...legendary, maybe that’ll be worth waiting for...here’s hoping the Pebble Beach unveiling will be meaningful enough to cool my new car bug for a year.

 

[MasterNSXTech]

Not sure about the big boy that’s unveiling next month, but you’ll be able to get into the all new TLX (Type-S even if you want) by the time your lease is up.

 

[neuronbob]

Not sure about the big boy that’s unveiling next month, but you’ll be able to get into the all new TLX (Type-S even if you want) by the time your lease is up.

Well...that's news right there. Good news for me, anyway, should the next TLX (or whatever they will call it) be competitive...all indicators are that it will be.

 

[dshinke21]

Well...that's news right there. Good news for me, anyway, should the next TLX (or whatever they will call it) be competitive...all indicators are that it will be.

End of Quarter 1 is when the all new TLX will be released. End of Quarter 2 is when the all new MDX will launch. Definitely not typical for Acura but these shouldn't be just typical releases either.

I'm hearing lots of different things about the Pebble Beach "production ready concept" and "sportiest sedan ever". Lots think it is an RLX replacement, some think it's TLX Type-S concept. Either way I'm excited to see it.

I'd also guess Indy Yellow will be unveiled at Pebble.

 

[MasterNSXTech]

I'm hearing lots of different things about the Pebble Beach "production ready concept" and "sportiest sedan ever". Lots think it is an RLX replacement, some think it's TLX Type-S concept. Either way I'm excited to see it.

See if you can pry anything out of your dealer principal. They can give you something juicy if they’re feeling trusting.

 

[Bricks and Bio]

Based on the "legendary" tell the Master gave us , I am going with an RLX replacement

 

[neuronbob]

Type S reveal tonight reveals the most exciting (for me) Acura external design since the 3G TL. Given that’s likely the next TLX we are looking at, that’s likely my next daily driver pending drivetrain specs. If a TLX Type S will be available by the time my TLX lease is up in the spring, I’ll be buying (not leasing) one. Still waiting for the “right deal” on a NC1, too...

 

[MasterNSXTech]

Great lines on that concept. I was told that they’d be bringing back the Legend nameplate. Maybe they’re not ready for that yet. Most of the lines (definitely the hood) you see on that concept are headed to the new TLX.

But that concept is a bit long for a TLX isn’t it? There may be some of the new Legend in that car too.

 

[dshinke21]

Type S reveal tonight reveals the most exciting (for me) Acura external design since the 3G TL. Given that’s likely the next TLX we are looking at, that’s likely my next daily driver pending drivetrain specs. If a TLX Type S will be available by the time my TLX lease is up in the spring, I’ll be buying (not leasing) one. Still waiting for the “right deal” on a NC1, too...

You can always do a 6 month lease extension on your current car. This extensions can be terminated at any time at no penalty as well. This would allow you some time to ensure you get a TLX Type S. I've been told Q1 is when that car will go on sale, which means March most likely. I've also had Acura Financial work with customers who ordered a specific RDX spec and were waiting for the car to arrive before turning in their lease.

I'd recommend that you start talking to your preferred dealership as early as December/January to see what they know and ensure you can be near the front of the line for one.

Great lines on that concept. I was told that they’d be bringing back the Legend nameplate. Maybe they’re not ready for that yet. Most of the lines (definitely the hood) you see on that concept are headed to the new TLX.

But that concept is a bit long for a TLX isn’t it? There may be some of the new Legend in that car too.

That would surprise me as we were explicitly told in New York at the COSE banque a year and a half ago that they explored reviving nameplates like Integra and Legend and they decided they would not be doing it. They wanted to create a new brand image, not rely on their past or something along those lines.

Maybe it was a whole lot of BS but that was straight from Ikeda.

 

[MasterNSXTech]

That would surprise me as we were explicitly told in New York at the COSE banque a year and a half ago that they explored reviving nameplates like Integra and Legend and they decided they would not be doing it. They wanted to create a new brand image, not rely on their past or something along those lines.

Maybe it was a whole lot of BS but that was straight from Ikeda.

I’ve mentioned to some clients that the Legend may be coming back. They all get super excited immediately because they all remember what the Legend was. To be honest, we could get the JDM Legend badging and throw it on the RLX, and it’s probably sell at least twice as many units just on name recognition alone. The RLX is fairly unremarkable. But it’s a very well built and price competitive luxury sedan.

Legend and Integra need to come back. Ikeda had no problem relying on the past by recycling the Precision Crafted Performance tagline. Yet now he wants to keep the nameplates that tagline sold on the shelf? Nonsense.

 

[DocL]

Master, I agree with you 100% on the moniker. I had two RLX's and loved them. Didn't the first RL replace the Legend sedan iirc?

 

[MasterNSXTech]

The Legend name died here in America in 1995. The next generation was still the Honda Legend in Japan, but we got the 3.5RL. To go along with the recently introduced 2.5/3.2TL which replaced the Vigor the year prior. In 2005 the next generation car dropped the engine sizing and simply became RL for 2005. Then for 2014, they added the X just to line up with the rest of the model naming. All the while, it’s still a Legend in Japan.

They did a nine year cycle for the last two generations. I seriously hope Honda doesn’t make us wait till 2023 to phase out the current car. It just doesn’t sell. My store sold just as many NSXs for 2019 as it did RLXs. Seriously.

 

[Ponyboy]

Couple thoughts:

We should have a Used NC1 Buyer's Guide.

The Type S concept shows promise with edgier styling. If the production model is within 90% of the concept, it could be my next new car.

 

[asir_nsx]

Sorry, I can't fine the article, but I remember reading about Acura advising NC1 owners to drive them for long distances every while as the battery depletes. 3 miles seem short. But don't take my advice, ask Acura instead.