Honda grace ex yom 2014/12

[Darkkavin]

Hi i have planed to buy a honda grace 2014 ex grade ,CAE number milage 75000. I did a scan and the engineer said the usable capacity of battry was 47% need to cleen the hybrid battry fans and have to replace 4 plugs and tuned up the vehicle.I offerd before the scan 4.1 million for this vehicle. Now the owner dont like to negotiate it more depends on this problam he said it was normal also he is the 1st owner of vehicle. What should i do just leave it or can i buy and drive please advice thanks

[tiv]

Honestly I think the price you have offered is not fair, be respectful when approaching a deal, do not lowball, after all it was the first owners pride and joy and he paid above 5 mil for it, doesnt mean you have to buy it at a loss, 

But don't low ball,  try to make a quick buck and fall into the current perishing society in this country, if it isn't in your price bracket,  move on

If you can't handle the repairs, go find a better car 

Overall it's not a wise decision to touch an old hybrid car. It's a great car but the hybrid system is aging 

[Dee Jay]

2 hours ago, Darkkavin said:

Hi i have planed to buy a honda grace 2014 ex grade ,CAE number milage 75000. I did a scan and the engineer said the usable capacity of battry was 47% need to cleen the hybrid battry fans and have to replace 4 plugs and tuned up the vehicle.I offerd before the scan 4.1 million for this vehicle. Now the owner dont like to negotiate it more depends on this problam he said it was normal also he is the 1st owner of vehicle. What should i do just leave it or can i buy and drive please advice thanks

Honestly I think the results of the scan you mentioned are not things you need to try and renegotiate the price on.

1. Replacing spark plugs and getting an engine tune-up done is a running repair as it is normal for any vehicle of that mileage.

2. Hybrid battery fan cleaning is required if they are clogged by dust etc. which can happen when running on our dusty roads and I don't think that is also an issue as even Toyota Lanka does that for their hybrids (Axios and Aquas etc.) at their service at a charge of around 2,000~3,000.

3. When it comes to the effective usable Battery Capacity, you are talking about a 5 year old car and that battery capacity showing in the scan is quite okay for its age. This would enable you to drive without any issues into the next 2 to 3 years (can be less / more depending on how you use it). And the Honda hybrids are not known for battery failures like their Toyota counter parts. You should worry about the battery capacity if the reading is let's say less than 20%. Then you need to be ready for battery replacement.

That being said buying this particular car or leaving it is completely up to you. You may come across better cars well maintained than this at a better price as well. However, since this is a Honda Grace what you should be more concerned about is the DCT which is the common issue when it comes to the Honda hybrid models (GP5, Grace and Vezel) as the DCT is not suited for our huge traffic jams and our driving style.

And the other thing why are you looking to buy a hybrid?? If you are not planning on driving it for about 1,000 km per month then you'd be better off sticking to a non-hybrid car. This is because you need to drive a lot to offset the maintenance costs associated to hybrids by the savings on fuel. This is applicable for any hybrid regardless of the brand.

[Hyaenidae]

Let that grace go, not worth it IMO

[matroska]

4.1 is quite a low price for a Grace TBH... But this isnt the only grace in town nor the only car available for you...if you are not comfortable with it just skip it.

A 47% battery is okayish as the others said you need to be worried about DCT more than the battery cos when it comes to Honda hybrids their achilles heel is not actually the Hybrid battery itself (except FD3) but rather other issues like DCT or GP1s oil leak issue. 

[iRage]

You need to understand why cars depreciate (i.e. why the 5mil+ car becomes 4mil something after 5 years)...part of the reason for depreciation is for things like batteries, and other components wearing out and then the cost of having to replace them. If these components did not wear off and remain at a high level of operation/usability/potential then there is no reason for the car to depreciate. All the things you have indicated seem like normal running and pre-emptive maintenance services that need to be done in any car (and it is the cost of these that make the value of the car go down over time).

If you do not feel comfortable with the car...move on....but looking at the adverts for old Graces it seems like the average is around 4.5mil....4.1 mil is rather low...why was he willing to give it at such a low price anyway ? Since you are already getting a below market price on the Grace...you can either buy it and get it fixed. If you think you cannot afford it then look at a different car. However, if you cannot afford the Grace at 4.1mil and do the repairs..then a Hybrid is NOT for you. Any mainstream Hybrid that is used/old is going to need servicing of the Hybrid system. If you don't want to spend on it...go for a gasoline car.

[Hyaenidae]

47 minutes ago, iRage said:

why was he willing to give it at such a low price

 

Probably the DCT is acting up

[GayanR]

negotiating because it needs a tune up and a set of spark plugs.? You should get a brand new vitz not used ones.

[Quiet]

Genuine 70-80K mileage is DCT issue territory. A test drive would help to determine if the clutch is slipping 

[iRage]

46 minutes ago, Quiet said:

Genuine 70-80K mileage is DCT issue territory. A test drive would help to determine if the clutch is slipping 

and these are one of those things that counts in to depreciation and the seller's willingness to give below market value. So all this has been discounted in the reduced price the seller has offered. Trying to negotiate the price further down is just low balling the seller which is not a decent thing to do (and one of many reasons sellers resort to things like dressing up cars and rolling back the mileage before a sale).

Think about it...buying the car at 4.1 mil and fixing the clutch pack and doing a service/tune-up would make the car around the typical market value (maybe still a bit less)...when the OP himself is selling a car would he be willing to sell the car below market value and appreciate someone low balling him when the car in all accounts has been depreciated/devalued according to its use ?

Personally I do not think the OP should go for a Hybrid because what he can afford is a somewhat used Hybrid and all these cars are going to need battery pack replacements, etc...stick to a new import Vitz or Wagon R or something ?

[alpha17]

You are trying to get hold of the car in a risky time period considering the DCT’s clutch replacement. Since the battery’s usable capacity is 47% which would be fine for another 1-2 years I think the DCT issue has arisen and that’s why the owner is willing to sell for a such price. From what I noticed, the interior parts like the steering wheel starts showing their age in these trio (Fit, Vezel and Grace), so better to skip the vehicle and get a different model.