I was planning on buying a Honda or an Acura for my sons first car and wanted some help with things to look out for specifically the engine and transmission or any faulty components that will cost a kidney to fix. thank you
I would stick to the Honda Civic. Cheap and easy to maintain, repair, run, etc. and a safe car too. Plus it is still fun to drive.
I completely agree with the above posts, but I have another possible suggestion. You could get him a Lincoln Town car. They’re cheap, you can literally get one in not too bad condition for under $2000 if you look hard enough. They are reliable and can last 500,000 miles on the original transmission and engine if properly maintained. And parts are pretty cheap in most cases. They may not be the “cool” car, but they are absolutely the most smooth riding comfortable cars I’ve ever ridden in. And they can seat 6 people in a pinch. That’s just another option to look into. Good luck with whatever car you choose!
Avoid Acura/Lexus as they may get pricey to fix, let alone major repair (if wrecked).
Since you’re favoured to Honda’s, get him a nice used Civic & let him cut his teeth on it. They are fun to drive & if he does smash it, there’s tons of parts in junkyards (or even aftermarket) to fix it up without parting with your kidney.
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/postid/52247/
Heres Scotty’s opinion -
I wouldn't buy a Honda or Acura. Here's why.
Honda's reliability has being going back and forth in their modern cars. People buy them because they see that they have reliable aspects in them. While that is true however, it has not been like that for every car. Picture this scenario: Person 1 owned a Honda/Acura (model) which made him last over 400,000 miles in the long term while Person 2 who owned the same car as Person 1 had his falling apart before it reached 200,000 miles. This is also regarding how the car was bought, maintenance, where it was made and if bought used, how the previous owner took care of it. People have mixed reviews on Honda/Acura models. If this is like that for most of their cars that they've made, then why would you buy one in the first place. This is why I don't buy any Honda/Acura models. While this may raise an eyebrow from every Honda/Acura owner, this is what I've personally see in that car manufacturer.
wouldn't that apply to every car though?
Sometimes. I grew on Long Island, NY (NYC area) which is equivalent to city driving. Of all the Hondas I saw there, some lasted longer than others and I am not talking about rust on the frame.
so basically what your saying is; Hondas and Acuras have varying life spans while other manufacturer's have very high lifespans that all of their vehicles will hit before breaking down regardless of maintenance history? i dont know about that one man.
Other manufacturers do not have very long lifespans. If buy any german manufacturer (Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen) or any english manufacturer (Jaguar and Land Rover), they will not last 100,000 miles problem free. Korean manufacturer Hyundai (Hyundai, Kia and Genesis) is worse. If you want a good car, get a Toyota.
Generally speaking, older, less electronically sophisticate and properly maintained vehicles will far outlast any of the newer stuff with electronic systems that can't seem to last or be repaired, even by the people who make them, regardless of their maintenance history.