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Honda Accord vs Acura TSX
nead_a_car
Member Posts: 2
Looking at both these cars.
2004 Acura TSX is $26,900 (pretty firm)
2003 Accord V6 EX Sedan Leather Auto is $23,600
why should i not go with the TSX (besides the xtra 3,300 bucks) or why should i go with the honda
thanks
(i currently have a civic)
2004 Acura TSX is $26,900 (pretty firm)
2003 Accord V6 EX Sedan Leather Auto is $23,600
why should i not go with the TSX (besides the xtra 3,300 bucks) or why should i go with the honda
thanks
(i currently have a civic)
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
TSX would be better if you want something smaller (about the same size as 94-97 Accord), sportier and don't mind the extra dollars.
THe TSx, even though I have yet to see the car from a driving perspective, the exterior is very nice. I have to say its better looking then my accord. ( One plus is that you wont see as many TSx's as you will accords)
The interior of the TSX is more refined then that of the accord. The one piece dash , the awesome instrument cluster, top notch stuff.
If I had the extra money, I would definitely get the TSX, but then again you cant go wrong with either.
The only thing that really irks me is the fact the TSX doesnt have a power driver seat. Kinda odd?
kyfdx
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- Lower price
- More engine power
- More space
- More comfortale ride
- Power passenger seat
- Uses regular unleaded fuel
- Cheaper insurance
- Won't feel like a kid's car when I'm driving it my late 30s.
There's no question that the TSX looks better and has a more refined interior than the Accord. And being assembled in Japan, the TSX is less likely to have rattles. The TSX also handles better. But several things turned me off. First, the price is just way too high. It's a great car that's loaded with features, but I expected a stronger engine. The car is heavy and once you add passengers, the engine struggles to get this car moving. Speaking of passengers, there's no power passenger seat and the back seat is cramped. Also, the ride is rather harsh which it's supposed to be in keeping with its sportier image. But for everyday driving, I'd hate it as I'm sure passengers would. Being an Acura, I also expected heated mirrors. Ultimately it came down to money. The Accord is a much better value. It feels like a luxo cruiser and really the only thing wrong with it is the way it looks, which is why I added the spoiler. That made a huge difference. With the TSX, not you do you have to pay more for the car, you also pay more for gas and insurance and you end with a small car that's underpowered and missing a couple features. And I'm sure the price will come down once the TL arrives. I personally would never pay more than a couple hundred over invoice. The dealer doesn't deserve that much profit.
I would say that a more fair comparison (size and power wise) would be between the Acura TL and the Accord v6 sedan. I agree that the TSX is nice, but the little 4 is no match for the 6 cylinder in terms of performance. Yes the TSX handles better (stiffer), while the Accord is a bit quieter and much softer.
I guess it depends on what you want. Again I second aka150's comments. Choose the TSX if you want: Acura nameplate, Xenon headlights, manu-matic tranny, tighter handling, stiffer ride, smaller back seat, less power (4 vs. 6 cyl.), less common vehicle,
or the Accord if you want: better value, more powerful engine, softer ride, more rear seat space, cheaper fuel/insurance.
Some people just have to have the Acura because of its luxury name. For them price is not a problem and the TSX or TL is fine. If you want basically the same quality (less the xenons, "tiptronic" tranny, etc.) the Accord provides a much better value.
0-100 Km/h
Accord V6: 8.25 - 8.75 secs
TSX: 12.5 - 13 secs.
I did 3 trials for each.
Fuel:
Accord - regular
TSX - Premium (dealer told me)
Cheers...
How accurate can that be ?
There is no way the TSX is that slow, 4 seconds slower then the accord, highly doubt it.
I drove the TSX this weekend, and though I did not time it with a stopwatch, it must be faster than 12+ seconds. My current 1.6EL (Canadian Acura 4-door Civic Si) is about 11 seconds for 0-60, and the TSX feels much faster than that (and this was with 4 passengers aboard).
The "feel" of the V6 Accord (4-door) and the TSX are different. The Accord feels more effortless in straightline acceleration, whereas you can throw the TSX around more at speed without losing it. Mind you, the TSX will fly for you, but you are in the 5,000 rpm range, while I never got the Accord V6 over 4,000. The advantage to me for the TSX is that it is shorter. Narrow streets and a small garage are factors.
In Canada, the TSX does have heated mirrors.
How accurate can that be ?
There is no way the TSX is that slow, 4 seconds slower then the accord, highly doubt it."
It's the same way I time every car I drive. It's not accurate to say .1 or .2 secs and I don't claim that it is. In my opinion, at least for myself, it is within .5-.75 secs accurate. If you use the same procedure it isn't hard to do. This is the same method I used since my 87' accord and it has been very reasonable.
The TSX felt very decent in its acceleration but the times suprised me very much, just as it has you. It could have had some sort of defect or maybe they used regular fuel and it needs premium ...I don't know. I just thought that I would give my findings and let everyone decide on their own.
I drove the cars (Accord & TSX) one after the other within 1hr. Conditions were the same.
Maybe the manual is better?????
cheers...
Can't deny that the TSX is a nice car though. I love the instrument cluster, so classy.
It fell short in a few critical areas for me and therefore it's off the shopping cart.
Areas it fell short (that I required):
- Less interior space especially the rear.
- Power - I've been waiting for honda to increase the horses in the accord and finally they met my expectations.
- regular fuel vs premium fuel.
- more trunk space.
- mileage (very close but I believe the accord is rated better). More power and better mileage ... can't beat that combo.
- The seat is perfect for me in the accord and a little snug in the TSX. Long drives could be an issue for me.
cheers...
tim
books don't buy cars...people do
I think I will line up for one with chequebook in hand. If Navi is also offered, I'll be laughing!
I'm 23, engaged, not looking for the most speed, just an upgrade from my pathetic 89 camry 4 banger.
I can afford about 30 or so, without saying why for any of the following, i simply stated want, luxury feel, good pick up, front wheel drive, very low maintaince 4 door sedan.
Honda/Acura seem to have what I'm looking for, I just can't make up my mind on which....the 03 Accord Sedan, V6 EX w or w/o Navi...the 04 TL or TSX...of even a used 01, 02 TL or the new 03 TL before the new one comes out.....
Such dilemmas.......ideas appreciated immensly. I obviously can't make up my own mind, so someone help me make it for me! haha
Don't forget to factor in the higher fuel costs for premium gas, plus the 4 cyl Accord will get much better mileage than the Accura. Figure $200 extra/yr for gas for 15k miles/year.
I'm kind of comparing apples and oranges I know, but I don't want a V4 accord, if I do, I'll just get the TSX.
Pricing wise, from original MSRP. The fully loaded top of the line EX Accord w/Navi is very comparable to the TSX w/Navi.
I guess I should be comparing the EX Accord w/Navi to the TL w/Navi....haha...but that would make too much sense!
You just described a EX V6 Honda Accord!
Again, when I say 30 or so, I guess I really mean 25 to 35.
So it's a toss up. I'm more on the side of the Accord and the TSX...not so much the TL...if the TL it would have to be the new one I think....the old (03) and before are (as someone else told me) on an old platform and isn't such a good car anymore.
Do you have a different perception of the reliability and luxury of a Toyota/Lexus vs. Honda/Acura? Was your Camry unreliable?
Just curious why you're not staying "brand-loyal"...
I think the Accord should be it for me, but that TSX is rite there making fun of me !! haha
BTW, I love Toyota/Lexus, but the new Toyotas have never looked as nice to me as the Hondas and for some reason I just have never liked the design of the Lexus as much as the Acura.....just a personal thing. You are rite though, Toy/Honda/Accura/Lexus...that's all there is in my book.
The new Accord isn't the greatest looking, but it beats the heck out of the new Camry I think.
You wrote, "I'm 23, engaged, not looking for the most speed, just an upgrade from my pathetic 89 Camry 4 banger. I can afford about $30 or so...I want, luxury feel, good pick up, front wheel drive, very low maintaince 4 door sedan... I love Toyota/Lexus, but the new Toyotas have never looked as nice to me as the Hondas and for some reason I just have never liked the design of the Lexus as much as the Acura.....just a personal thing. Toy/Honda/Accura/Lexus...that's all there is in my book."
Pretty much sums it up for the TSX too.
Crappy dealership experience? Lexus near the top of the pile. My recent experiences have been outstanding.
Trunk and back seat more than adequate for our family of four (which includes two pre-teens). [Do wish the trunk used the space-saving multi-link hinges rather than the space-intruding gooseneck hinges.]
Check out Consumer Reports' historical dependability and future reliability ratings for IS300. Outstanding.
IS300 has also received good crash test results from IIHS and NHTSA.
It would be a tough decision to buy the IS300 over the TSX.
The Lexus salesguy acted like he was doing us a favor in selling me a car. I even switched salesguys and the other one decided to argue with me about trade in values and act like they were doing me favors in taking my junker (2000 BMW 323). Again, very condescending.
Got similar 'tude at Acura dealership.
I know this is not the norm but it's where I have to shop so.....
It was a relief to go into the Honda dealership. Pleasant and professional. When my wife and I stepped out of the Accord at the end of the test drive we both though "Why would we spend 5-10K more?"
The Accord is just that good. It will definitely outrun either the IS300 or TSX at the dragstrip. A decent set of tires and the Accord will show it's tail to the IS300 and TSX in the mountains too.
My wife traded in her '00 323ia for her '03 IS300a. But our salespeople went out of their way to be polite and friendly. We didn't work out a deal the first night. I always make a last best final offer (which happens to be my first offer). They didn't take it. But they were nice about it. They tried later that week, as they moved closer to my offer. Couple weeks later they called me out of blue to say they'd take my offer. I wrote the dealership a nice letter thanking my two salespeople. Outstanding buying experience. Beautiful dealership.
Doesn't bother me that they won't take my offer initially. They usually try to low ball you on your trade. They normally make more money on used cars than new cars. I never buy in a hurry. I can wait. In buying about 20 cars in past 15 years, think a dealer has accepted my offer on the first day just once. Once a dealer waited 3 months before accepting my offer.
If we need a new comparo, anyone is free to fire one up.
When I walked on to the lot at the Acura dealership I asked for a test ride. The salesguy responded "Sure, but we are not discounting the TSX" Jeez, I know I didn't show up in a Rolls wearing Armani and a Rolex but talk about turn off. Drove it. Liked it.
I think the moral is if a salesperson professionally represents his or her company they get a sale. I would have been happy in either a TSX or IS300. They were actually furthur up on the A list. I had not really considered an Accord but a few negative experiences narrowed my choices. I'm very, very glad that that happened and ended up at the BIG H.
Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti dealerships tend to score very highly in customer satisfaction surveys. For whatever reason, Toyota dealers tend to score very poorly.
Think salespeople are sometimes frustrated by educated buyers (like those who frequent here) and by buyers who are trying to take advantage of soft economy and low interest rates. Makes their life miserable.
Reason I did NOT look at TSX during my recent purchase decision is that Acura was/is not aggressively incentivizing sales. TSX is new and getting good reviews. Just check out the latest issue of Automobile magazine. Plus Acura isn't trying to sell a zillion of them. Dealers trying to stick close to MSRP (which seems reasonably priced given the standard equipment) and there weren't any publicized financing incentives. (I wanted to lock in low interest rates for 5 years.)
Thought it interesting that in latest issue of Consumer Reports they mention the TSX vs Accord dilemma. They prefer the Accord V6 as a slightly better overall buy. (I would tend to agree, at least for Accord V6 coupe with manual transmission.)
When you stop at the dealer for a demo ride, if you're approached, just say "May I speak with the internet or fleet manager?" Heck, the fact that you're posting on Edmunds (and have probably done a fair amount of internet research) suggests that you're not the typical buyer who can be easily swayed by a smooth-talking salesman.