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Acura TSX Owners: Meet the Members
Please take a moment to introduce yourself and share some details about your TSX!
My name is KarenS and I am the host of the Edmunds.com Owners Clubs. Please let me know what discussions
you would like to see in your Club folder. I will create them ASAP. You may want to take a look through the other
clubs to get ideas for discussions.
Looking forward to meeting everyone!
KarenS/Host/Owners Clubs
My name is KarenS and I am the host of the Edmunds.com Owners Clubs. Please let me know what discussions
you would like to see in your Club folder. I will create them ASAP. You may want to take a look through the other
clubs to get ideas for discussions.
Looking forward to meeting everyone!
KarenS/Host/Owners Clubs
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
I bought my Milano Red 6-speed last weekend (June 2nd) after my 3rd test drive.
I tested the 325i, G35, Saab 9-3, IS300, etc. several times over the last few months and ultimately, didn't feel that any of these machines had as complete a package as the TSX.
Sure, some were a little more stylish, and some were marginally quicker, but overall, the TSX had the best combination of performance, style, comfort, amenities, and value of them all...plus Honda quality and reliability.
My favorite things about the TSX?
Driving dynamics (precise gearbox, light accurate steering) and the cockpit (tan leather/wood trim, purple instruments, quality materials and switchgear).
This is one terrific car!
I am also the proud owner of a 2002 Buick Rendezvous, which is a comfortable and luxurious family hauler, but not the most thrilling driving machine. The TSX is the perfect 2nd car for me.
I too drove the 3-series, A4, G35, 9-3, and IS, and I agree that the TSX offered the best combination of quality, reliability, features, performance, and cost. And there's something to be said for its uniqueness; there aren't hundreds of them driving around (yet).
Just wanted to say thanks to all you posters for your opinions. The discussions on the TSX (and other Edmunds boards) were very helpful in my shopping and negotiations, and I got a great car for a great price.
I originally started looking at Camry, Accord, Altima...disheartened, I moved on to other areas of the car market, driving A4, 9-3 vector, WRX. I almost bought the vector before the TSX was available; I'm glad that didn't happen now.
After two test drives, I knew the TSX was the car for me. Stylish, unqiue, elegant, sporty and fuel efficient. I was thrilled to find a dealer that actually had six manual trans TSXs on the lot to compare.
I have a meteor silver (quartz interior) 6-speed with nav. The nav is quite useful. Having survived the first few weeks (during which it's easy to become momentarily engrossed with the screen instead of the road), I now pay no more attention to it while moving than any other control, and the world is a safer place ; )
I might have traded it in had I been offered a decent price (which no dealer came close), but I still own my 93 Jeep Wrangler 5-speed (stock I4 engine). I'll probably keep it for muddy outings to the state park with my dog and snowstorms.
It certainly has more pickup than the 1.8T Passat I am coming from.
My TSX:
-6MT
-Carbon Gray Pearl Exterior
-Ebony Interior
-Navigation System
Accessories:
-Wheel locks
-All season floor mats
-Trunk tray
-Cargo net
That's it. Simple and clean. I've had my TSX for almost a week now and I still can't believe it's mine. I just filled up my first tank today... awww. Well, for all those who own a TSX, congratulations!
Carbon Grey, Black interior, no nav, wheel locks, and mud guards...it's so cooooool
took it out for a spin last night (see how it looked at night)
three initial thoughts come to mind
- cool bright dash display
- strong headlights
- interior lights pop on when the car is unlocked
one question i do have. when i test drove the car the salesguy made this big deal about the extra stuff built into the undercarriage to curb road noise etc. I test drove on mostly side streets so i didn't hear much
when i drove it on the highway yesterday there seemed to be a good amount of hum or road noise...i need to listen to it some more to tell if it is continuous noise or if it comes in pulsating frequency
do others find this? do you think there is a chance that the mud guards are actually causing it?
thanks
As for the undercarriage panelling, the salesguy was partially correct- a lot of it is designed to reduce drag and wind noise.
Check out this informative article (including a video) discussing the undercarriage design features of the TSX.
Mileage may also be affected downward slightly; that is likely to wipe out any cost savings from the cheaper gas.
My take is - you're buying a great, fun to drive car, may as well get all the performance out of it that Honda designed into it. Next to the extra $ you are spending on the TSX compared to, say, an Accord, the premium gas shouldn't be a major expense.
Squirrel
yes, call me cheap.
I don't mind spending splurging on occasion, spending more money to get something better (TSX vs. Accord, for example), I just hate paying for ongoing higher costs, such as premium fuels.
notice any difference yet with mileage yet, uncledavid??
This would be my first new car and the first car I ever spent more than $10k for (major purchase for me) is this car worth the $$, I was looking at used Accords V6 (1999-2001) for around $18k-$20k this would be a big step up financially I think I can do this car.
Thanks,
It was also my first new car. I traded in a 2000 Accord V6, and while Accords are great cars, the TSX is a real step up, IMO.
The new Accords are outstanding vehicles, and I strongly considered one, but if you want a more enthusiast-oriented car, get the TSX.
$25K sounds like an excellent price. Just beware of the salesman trying to pad his profit with extraneous fees. Catching you on the backside, so to speak.
The TSX is an absolute blast to drive, and yet it still functions well as a daily driver. Extremely solid.
YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY BUY THIS CAR!
There. See how easy that was? ;-)
new 04 models but was most impresed by the tsx.
its fun every day to drive it. It handels great and its got a good engine in it compared to other cars and a sleek look.
Dave
paid 25.6 w/tax what acompany to do busines with!!! car is carbon w/ quartz . best car i ever drove. i tested rx-8 and 328 beamer. good luck w/ your car. ihave'nt seen another one since i bought mine
My wife and I were looking for a third car to help reduce the number of miles we are putting on our Suburban (18K annual). My current ride is an 04 TL.
We looked at the New Beetle Convertible but scratched that off the list because our kids are 2 and 4 1/2. My wife pictured having to have the kids wear football helmets with eye protection just to be safe. Loaded as we wanted $29,500 MSRP!
So we looked at Saab. 9-5 out of our price range, 9-3 in our price range until you add any options. Plus, reliability was off putting for us.
SO, looked at competitive cars on edmunds.
TSX looked like the bargain of the decade.
Long story, but TSX is mine for commuting 58 miles a day and the wife gets the TL with Navi as the daily driver for the girls.
TL get to sit in inclemet weather (good thing as standard tires are not great in the snow).
If Acura ever brings the wagon model to the US, I will strongly consider one. That would be sweet.
Craig
I bought my '04 satin silver TSX on Jan 1, 2005! It is a dealer used car that had 26,900 miles on it. It is automatic and has black leather interior and Nav. I paid $24,300 after trade in of my Mitsubishi Mirage. This is one sweet ride. I test drove a Honda Accord and Honda Accord V6. I felt the V6 was just a little too small and the Accord too big. This car fit me just right. I am a little nervous about upkeep because it seems like a lot (20,000 mi. tire change???!!) I wish I had found this message board first but I think I got the best vehicle regardless.
The overall impression; Car handles, feels like worth at least 10K dollars more than what it costs. Everything is so well though out. Styling, inside out is so much to the point and precise that even after 5 -6 years it will still look new...
Driving & other initial impressions; Very eager engine. You will be surprise how much power this engine can pack in just 2.4 Litres and with 4 cylinders. Power delivery is smooth in all the gears. Even on overpasses the 6th gear delivers with amazing grace. The raod feedback is precise, steering is tight and razor sharp. I have mostly driven my first 100 miles with VSA on. The transmission is a real gem. Seats are perfect for my height and built. I had read in one magazie review that all controls feel as if coated in vaseline; yes it is like that; the sound of door-closing, the door handle grip, the transmission gear changes, radio controls...list can go on.
The interior space is more than enough for 4 passengers. Actually it has 91 Cubic feet, same as a Pontiac Grand AM, a little more than the Benz C Class.
I have tested many cars including;
Audi A4: nice interior, but not so nice mechanically anymore. 3.0 litre is better but so much more money. 1.8T does not offer good power and tends to be noisey. Poor tranny compared to TSX, even the 6 speed that comes with Quattro.
ES330 (diffrent category however): Just like camry, found the tranny a little confusing.
Saab 93: A little more noise, less refined, not so much well put together, not so impressive - general interior in the base trim.
Acura TL: Liked the car with Auto tranny. The 6MT does not suit this car. Too much power for this front heavy design.
Infiniti G35: Very nice ride, not so great interior, uniques design (good or bad?). Can not get the 6Mt with AWD, and RWD is no choice for my geograohical area, so not a choice. This would still be my second choice even if prices were same for TSX and G35.
To sum up; Its a handsome car and perhaps the best Acura till date, be it craftsmanship / driving charactaristic / sportiness / fit and finish and the value as well.
I spent 4 months researching and driving cars, and it ended up being between this car, a 2003 audi a4 1.8t quattro and a loaded new mazda 3 sedan - i opted out of the audi because their spotty reliability record was too much of a detractor. the mazda 3, while not in the same class, held a lot of appeal for me, a single guy in his mid-20's. the car is fun to drive, fairly responsive, quite safe, stylish, and was generally a good value. but local mazda dealers' reluctance to deal on this very hot car made the price diff. between the mazda and acura about $4000 U.S., and when you factored in resale value, i was sold on the acura.
i also checked out the new vw jetta at the auto show, and while i'm sure the high performance gli version will rock, i found the exterior styling to be ugly, and the car would not come out until the fall anyway. I will look forward to posting on this board in the future - it definitely helped me out with my decision. enjoy your cars!
CRaig
The legagy GT ''05 (not '04) (250 hp turbo) is sticking with me and giving the TSX a run for the money (moslty),
I especially loved the power and the AWD handling.. this thing is fast. more so that the TSX, not that it is a slouch either
Its Styling (other than the front) and options are not as good as the TSX.
Audi A4 $$$ too much, Altima (goofy interior), Jetta (blah), Mazda 6, nice but no GOTTA HAVE IT FACTOR.
just wondering if anyone else compared the two.. Road and track did and each auther picked one of the 2.. some help they were..
Are there any drawbacks (besides price) for nav? How accurate and reliable? What about a portable such as Garmin?
Need to decide quickly. Would appreciate hearing thoughts/experiences.
Thanks.
The Legacy GT manual and the TSX manual were the final two contenders for me. While the speed of the GT was awesome and the awd would come in handy sometimes, those were the only 2 things that mattered to me over the TSX offerings. In fact I was having a hard time justifying AWD when I would really only need it a few days a year in really bad weather. The TSX stability control works very well anyway.
I prefered the TSX 6 sp manual feel, interior layout, leather interior, sunroof, exterior styling, trunk volume, and fold down rear seats (which the legacy surprisingly doesn't offer). Plus, the gas mileage is much better and the Acura reliability and value retention is fantastic.
After driving my TSX for a while and then getting behind the wheel of the Legacy again, I am really happy with deciding on the TSX. I think the only way I would have chosen the Legacy is if I lived in a mountainous region where I would encounter snowy slopes frequently. But either way they are both great cars. However, I would have to recommend the TSX. :shades:
Here's the laugh. Trusting in "mankind", and not shopping the dealer charged me an out the door price of over $32,000. That did of course include the maintenance plan, and the extended warranty. Even on the warranty they put a $100 deductible on it instead of the "zero", which I now know is available.
Go you one better. Never questioned the financing, and found when I went home that they financed it with "xyz" bank, and at 6%...way above generally available, even directly thru Honda....plus...it is a compound note, which can bury you alive with interest.
Horrible shopping experience...
Great car...
Morale...ala, watch who you buy from, and "read" the contract...before you sign it. Oh, ps: For a better laugh the dealer had given me 2 baseball caps/acura, and a keychain; and then...they billed me $120 over everything for that. Plus, forgot...had fog lights installed before I picked it up and they charged me another $500 over and above for that.
Just one more...Had to call Honda. The dealership; yes, the same was not putting an approved oil in the vehicle, and it took a letter directly from Honda to get that taken care of.
Count your blessings; and yes...No I don't have navi in the car either...
I tried to cancel the contract but they refused. They offered me $23,000 back for the car if I didn't want it. That was with 100 miles on it.
Grin and bear it.
Zeke6
Have you considered a SCAM category?
Recently we purchased a new TSX and although we paid cash were briefly ensnared by an attempted scam. As we started asking around we discovered that a fair percentage of people have been victimized by scams (mostly when they finance a car).
The attempted scam was familiar to my attorney, but not one that I've seen posted anywhere. Of course it would be a good idea to avoid any reference to a specific dealership or person. Just the scam, mam.
Perhaps, you can develop a live weekly chat such as the one Subaru has in which we can discuss such timely topics as dishonest dealer as the concern of storyman, and other topics quickly. The Subaru chat has been very successful.
Let us know your ideas
Fred
my friends are suggesting i put cold air intake in it yet i dunno exactly what it dos outside of a slight increase in hp... any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated
-Daniel
I love it. it handles wonderfully and has plenty of get up and go.
what i am looking for is after market extras for increased horse power. i was told that there are computer chips to add 20-30 additional horse power. does anyone have any helop for me. i dont want to spend the national debt but will spend some coin. :confuse:
thanks ben from albuquerque.
Additional available mods include cold air intakes, headers, rear sway bars, suspension and cat back exhausts. There is also an available supercharger from Comptech, but that runs in the $3K range.
Good luck and congrats on the TSX. It's a great car.
My TSX has been the best car I have had yet. It has proved to be fun to drive yet comfortable in whatever I have throw at it: city traffic, 1800 mile road trip, twisties, etc. The reflash has given me 210 HP and the potential for 30 mpg on the highway. In my mixed driving, I typically get 22-24 mpg. The 6 speed shifts with smoothness and precision. On top of this all, I have not had a single problem.
On the inside, the seats are very comfortable, and the controls are ergonomic perfection. The touch screen nav works great, although I do need to get a newer data DVD for it.
My few niggles for the car include the seat heaters could be better and their is a bit of road noise on the highway, even when I had the stock tires.
If you are in the market for a TSX, I have no reservations saying get one. If you want to enjoy Hondata, be sure you get 2004-2006, and for God sakes get the manual.