Buying a used 2008 Fit for upstate New York to NYC driving. It's automatic, @ 136K miles. I'm offering $3,200 for the car (from asking price of $3,900). What do you guys think? I've always been a Toyota person (Camry, Tacoma), but I really like the size of the Fit in regards to driving around NYC and finding parking, but I also really like its cargo space, as I'll be relocating to upstate and want to explore and camp a bit more.

The owner has kept immaculate service records. Here's the last correspondence I had re: servicing:

I've been good about oil changes, as the primary maintenance. I almost always went to Jiffy Lube (in Arizona), where they topped off all my fluids too, and I generally followed their recommendations for preventative maintenance (such as replace the air filter, etc). I bought the car from Carmax (which strongly vets their cars) six years ago in 2012. In that time I've had:

• Regular oil changes, within 3-5K miles
• The transmission flushed once
• The air filters changed a couple of times
• I've replaced the tires twice. The first time was not too long after I bought the car (it came with old tires) circa 2013. The second time was this past November 2017.
• I had the windshield replaced in May this year for a crack that developed when a rock hit it on the highway (and chips that accrue over time).

I have had a few repairs:

• I replaced the brakes early on after my first tire purchase. After replacing the tires that first time, the brakes began to grate, so I replaced the whole system. I've had no issue with them since.
• A few years ago, someone scraped my bumper in a driveway, leaving a significant smear/scratch across it. I had the bumper replaced.
• Within the last couple years, I had all four engine coils replaced to repair an issue with this generation of Honda Fits in which the original engine coils started to defect and lose power. As far as I know, this issue is limited to the original coils. I've not had an issue since.
• Around the same time I also had some maintenance/repair work to the suspension to repair a sway bar link and a rear shock, which was leaking.

Anticipated repairs and other thoughts:

• I had the car inspected by Honda this May before I drove it across the country to get here. It came out with a clean bill of health except for the tie rod ends, which were beginning to get old and crack. This is regular wear and tear on a car this age. They said that this is not currently serious, and were not concerned with me taking a 4000 mile road trip in it, but you can anticipate repairing this in the next couple years. Steering currently operates fine.
• I have noticed that the car has some cold-engine stutter, meaning that when the car has sat overnight in cold weather, it sometimes has a rough idle when you first start it up and for the first 2-ish minutes of driving. Once it is warm, it clicks in and drives perfectly, and the Honda inspection did not reveal any issue with the engine. This too may just be with age. I recommend idling a few minutes in cold weather. However, this may be a tune-up you look into in this colder climate. I do not think it is a major issue.
• Although the tires on the vehicle are new this past year and are quality tires, they are not specifically snow tires. If you are looking to keep/commute in an especially cold/snowy area, this may be something you have to think about, although this may be true of any car you purchase.

Thanks for any tips you all have. Do you think the price is fair for this vehicle? It's never been in an accident, and I test drove it last week, and it felt great. I'm wondering if it's mileage is a bad sign, however?

 

With the records on this car, the price is fair. I'd be surprised if the seller comes all the way down to 3200, but you never know unless you ask. Cash talks sometimes.
Regarding the tie rod ends - no big deal at all, they are pretty inexpensive, particularly if you can find an independent shop to change them. It will wear the tires prematurely, though, if you let it go. I'd go ahead and have those replaced and get an alignment.

 

Thanks for the tip!