Acura TSX

justin

the problem here is that there are two dealers only. so, makes it hard to cross-shop. i am thinking when summer officially gets here, they will be more willing. hopefully.

redkey1

What if you priced out deals on the net and had them ship the car to you?

venus537

well i made an offer for $25,200 on an available meteor silver auto tsx. the salesman response was $400 of sticker. i thought they would be more willing to negotiate since more TSXs were available for sale then I ever seen before.

and what the dealership offer for my trade-in was absurd.

great for honda but i'm going to have to wait longer before it comes a "buyers" market on these cars in my area.

venus537

looks like you're getting the new car bug like me again. hopefully i can resist this particular virus for at least another year.

i'm looking at the s40, tsx, futura and the next jetta. i was a little disappointed in the exterior trim of the s40. the exterior mirrors are fixed for one thing.

i also wonder if honda will up the horsepower in the TSX for the next model year. putting a V6 in the car is a mixed bag, more effortless power but would probably effect handling too much.

venus537

the s40 does have turnable exterior mirrors.

justin

well, the LARGEST Acura dealer in DC/NoVa does NOT have any, not even ONE, TSX on the lot. they are sold before they get off the truck.

so yes, it appears that Honda is doing what they did with the Odyssey van for the first couple years - not making enough so they can get MSRP. then by the time they are available to the masses, they are "outdated"....

they had about a hundred TL's, but not even one TSX. i still can't believe that. i wonder if there is a problem in Japan on the assembly line or something? a strike maybe?

varmint

No offense, Justin, but that sales model you suggested makes no sense. The Honda Motor Corporation makes money on cars sold to the dealers. It doesn't matter what the dealer gets from the customer. Any profit over MSRP goes into the dealer's wallet, not Honda's.

So why would Honda restrict supply? They make their money on volume.

As for the Ody, supply was limited due to production and supply constraints at the plant in Ontario. We'd like to think that Honda could just buy more steel, make more transmissions, run 5 shifts a day, and hire expendable workers, but it isn't that simple. Honda had to work out deals with the CAW and all of their suppliers. You can't just hire an extra 1,000 workers then fire them when the car gets a little dated and demand drops. All of this takes time.

In the end, Honda built a whole new plant in Alabama to manage the extra Ody output. (The environmental impact studies required to build a new line take at least a year, btw.) That is how they were eventually able to meet demand.

The TSX is in the same boat. It's built at a smaller facility in Japan. That same facility has to handle production for the home market as well as europe. With the 2.2L diesel being released, demand from the UK will be picking up.

justin

no offense taken. i don't pretend to think i know what Honda is thinking when they manufacture cars. your info makes perfect sense. i still think, however, that it doesn't make them as much money as they could be getting should they find a way to build more cars.

gee35coupe

But you have to look at it like this. Let's say you were making cookies. Awesome homemade cookies. But you could only turn out 12 dozen or so a day. One day one of your customers gives one of your cookies to the owner of a chain of super markets. He loves them and wants to sell 20 dozen a day in his stores. To increase output you would have to hire more workers, build an addition onto your house for more ovens or buy space elsewhere. Niether option sounds easy or inexpensive. That's where Honda is right now with the TSX and was with the Ody.

kyfdx

If Acura planned 15,000 TSX per year (assuming that is also their capacity) and assuming 500 Acura dealers in the U.S., that only gives each dealer 30 TSX per year, or 2.5 per month. It is pretty easy to see why you don't see any on the lot. When I was shopping, there were only three total at two local dealerships.

But, people are reporting discounts, so spread out a little on your search, and be aware of what a good deal might be (I say try for all you can get, but jump on $26K), and be ready to say yes immediately to a satisfactory deal. If you have a trade, that may complicate things.

regards,
kyfdx

arb_16

I test drove the TSX auto today, the dealership had about 10-12 of them - all automatic trannys and all but one had the navi. I want a 6spd manual w/out navi...but the test drive was fun and included a lot of s-curves and canyons through country roads. I took them at about 40-50 mph in second & third gear.
Then I took my '99 Accord coupe EX 4cyl 5-spd through the same course. It handled nearly as well, but with more tire squeal and body lean. However, acceleration out of the corners just felt much better with the manual tranny. I look forward to trying out the TSX 6spd if and when it is in stock!

varmint

There is some flexibility with manufacturing. The TSX was scheduled for about 15K per year, but I think they sold something like 20K in the first year. An increase of about 25% more units. Ditto with the Element which sold about 67K units (who knew?!?!) when they predicted sales of 50K.

But there are limits. The Ody happens to be the most outrageous example of those limits. The 8 month wait list for the Toyota Prius is another. Those make the inventory issues with the TSX seem pretty mild.

Unfortunately, none of this helps shoppers like Justin. They simply have to work harder. :-(

justin

it really just annoys me, and kind of puts me in my place. i don't like that feeling that i get when the dealer gets to act like they have something (or in theory have something) that you want.

i imagine production will get ramped up fairly soon. i honestly hardly ever see a TSX in my neck of the woods, so it makes sense if they are only getting a couple of them a month...that is about all i see on the roads.

though elusive, i think it must still be a nice car

venus537

one of the biggest pros for the TSX for me is its exclusivity. and one of the few things i don't like about my accord is how common it is.

venus537

when you were accelerating out of the corners in your test drive did you try using the tiptronic feature?

just wondering if holding the gears in the corner would improve responsiveness.

craigrunning

If you look in a brochere or on the acura web site you will notice this great medium gray color that they are representing as carbon gray. But when I went to the dealer to drive one it became obvious that the carbon gray was a very very dark gray color, completely different from the color represented in the book and web site. I am wondering if anyone else has noticed this, or maybe even seen a medium gray one, similar to the gray they are putting on the new TL's. It looks really great in the catalogue, just wondering if Acura was actually going to sell that vehicle. Also, the dealership has these light blue TSX's, and this color is not shown in that little book of int/ext colors they have.

kyfdx

That color is called Meteor Silver.. go figure.

arb_16

About the tranny, I did hold it in 2nd and 3rd using the tiptronic feature. I think I even scared the dealer (and myself) on one turn when I encountered some loose sand/gravel but the traction control kicked in and held the course.

thepdmm

I test drove a TSX and when the car is turned on the Nav system comes up with this intro stuff and has an "OK" button so naturally I pushed it just because.. My question is, what happens if you never push it?? does it go away and leave the the car's controls unobtainable until you push the okay button or does it go away?

I like the car VERY impressed with the i-VTEC and I may be having to move away from my V6 need in my next car purchase..

thanks

brentc1

Hello,
Just wondering if anyone knows if the 2005 TSX will have XM Satelite radio? The 2004 Accord EX's have it, so I imagine the TSX will have to have it sooner or later.
Thanks

tblazer503

Graphite Gray is the lighter one(slightly)... =o)
Carbon Gray is the darker...
and Meteor Gray is the light blue...
Something like that anyways..

Wierdo color people...

As for the Cookies thing... What if by the time you build onto your house(say 6months @ $10,000), find/hire workers, buy more ovens/mixers/racks, etc. someone comes out with a better cookie? or even worse, your cost per cookie goes up, and you need to do this volume for say >1 year to make up the investment?

Most co's I've seen won't just build more facilities to accomodate a demand unless it is a continuous demand and they can justify spending $10B to build a new plant, hire workers, unions, etc. They just do "over production" and shift capabilities if they can...

william

The thing just disapears after about 30 seconds or so if not touched
some things you can still operate with out needing to say "ok" but theres still a bit you can do with out touching the "ok" i personaly love the navi in my tsx its great accurate and dependable

zmeenow

i have my metallic silver 6 speed 3000 miles and its great.... i had a benz c240 and was very dissapointed... this car is a much better value.
its quick... oh yeah 1/4 second slower than the beemer 0-60... sigh... can i live with that??(ya think?) seats comfortable.. shifts slick...
i went to ramsey acura rt 17 paramus nj worked with the manager. no bs no double talk no attitude. i got the floor model ... 20 miles on the odometer.. 25,100... plus on my requesting the cost he included the mud flaps trunk liner mats .... had the car the next day.... as to why the small supply? they did the same with the TL(which i owned too) when it first came out... kept the price very low and limited supply... IT DRIVES UP DEMAND .. and... by doing smaller initial production runs.. they can fix quality control problems faster... then 2 yrs... watch them do what they have done with the TL... up the price... super size it.. etc. so BUY IT NOW!!! ITS A STEAL!!!!!

brucec35

I'm curious, does the 4 cylinder in the car have any guts with an auto transmission? I don't expect a miracle, but does the car get out and going when pulling into traffic? I have a Saab 9-3 Turbo that really gets going when it spools up, but is very weak off idle, enough to affect how you drive in traffic even.

It'd be a shame if they purposely hamstrung the car to help TL sales.

redkey1

It has more than enough pop to get you in and out of traffic. Passing on the highway at 70mph is a breeze, you'd never know it was a 4cyl.

kyfdx

I agree with redkey...

It should be better than your Saab off the line, but may not have quite the acceleration at higher RPMs that your turbo does... but, very equivalent to a small six-cylinder.

regards,
kyfdx

pizags

Hey--just got my TSX about a month ago. Super happy with my purchase but...

Over the weekend I noticed a significant amount of water on the floor in the back seat of the passengers side.

Taking it to the dealer tomorrow...any advice?
thanks~

pat

One possibility - clogged sunroof drains.

gloves

I've had one for 3 months. The acceleration is outstanding at all speeds. With a touch of the gas pedal it downshifs quickly and goes.

Ira

xplorx4

Especially if you make liberal use of the sportshift feature. Holding it in 3rd gear in preparation for passing is great. Torque is right there, immediately; you don't have to wait for a downshift when you stomp the go-pedal.

futuref1

I know driving preferences differ between people, but I was wondering what is more popular among TSX drivers, the 6sp or Auto? Also, to those who have driven both, how much slower is the Auto? I will test drive them myself Monday(hopefully).

squirreljam

Futuref1 - I vote manual.

The TSX stick is the best I've ever driven. I didn't test drive an auto, but between the added control over engine speed and the extra efficiency, you should experience higher performance in the stick.

Note - the comment on efficiency doesn't apply to MPG 'cause of different gearing between manual and auto. However, that different gearing is another reason the stick should feel faster and more responsive.

Squirrel

shmades

Need a second car for my husband to drive; I drive a Honda Pilot. LOVE the TSX, but, we may on occasion need to put 2 carseats in the back for our toddler boys.

Are we CRAZY even considering this car? We sold our V6 4Motion VW Passat Wagon 6 months ago and seriously think we need another car. The wagon at least had the big trunk...

Anyone ever have kids in the TSX?

anonymousposts

I do not have a TSX but I do have a 2004 Accord that we bought a few months before our son was born. We thought the sedan would have plenty of room for us and the baby compared to the 2003 coupe that we traded. We ended up buying a 2004 Odyssey to drive for when we were all 3 together.

That said, the Accord is fine for short trips and for when we want to get better gas mileage than the Ody provides. Depending on what car seat you are using (our Alpha Omega takes up a good bit of rear seat room) you should find the TSX fine for what it looks like you are going to use it for.

If I were you I would take both car seats, some stuff that you regularly carry (stroller, diaper bags, etc) and load it all up in the TSX to see if you will all be comfortable.

gloves

I drive mostly in auto, and am comfortable with the acceleration. It's plenty fast. I think the key to effectively using auto is to learn how to use the gas pedal to down shift one or two gears.

Ira

mbennett674

the 6 speed is one of the nicest manuals I have ever driven. it doesn't like to be shifted quickly though, a more leisurly [non-permissible content removed] is rewarded with silky smooth shifts.

tommyijr

I wonder if one really gets to feel the effects of the IVTEC with an automatic, I have too much fun going from 4th to 5th, reving up to 6k rpms, hearing the "I" kick in than shifting.....like a sling shot. Do you still get that with the auto? So for me, it was manual without a second thought, and it is a wonderful shifter, smooth.....

xplorx4

IVTEC doesn't kick in until 6000rpm, so you have to wind it up to redline (7500) to really feel it. I've felt the VTEC pull on the AT, especially from 2nd gear to 3rd gear (using the sportshift). Of course, 7000rpm in second gear is over 60mph!

venus537

"IVTEC doesn't kick in until 6000rpm"

this really doesn't sound right to me. my understanding is the "i" (i think it stands for intelligence) in iVTEC means the engine is "kicking in" across a much broader rpm range.

fedlawman

Next time you drive, accelerate full-throttle and listen/watch the revs.

You'll feel and see the dip right at 6000 RPM.

vancmt

Interested in a '04 TSX but curious to find out if there is anything new expected for '05, such as new features, new colors, etc. before commit to an '04

varmint

Venus - The "i" part does engage at various rpms. That helps generate torque in the lower half of the rpm band. However, there is still a big kick when the engine switches over to the more agressive cams.

gee35coupe

venus537

thanks for the feedback good people.

my car came down to the tsx and accord EX V6. i settled for the accord. at times i wonder if i made the "right" choice.

the straight line acceleration comes in handy at times though. and the quiet smooth operation of the 3.0l is a pleasure day in and out.

lin-chi

I've researching like mad to replace my '99 CL that got destroyed in an accident a month ago. The two cars that really stand out for me are the TSX auto and Accord EX coupe.

I really like the looks of TSX, how it handles, and the interior. Two complaints I've come across repeatedly here are the inside rattling and the gas mileage. I'm pretty tolerant of minor creaks but some have said it sounds like the car is coming apart. Is it really that bad? Also, I have seen some pretty poor reports on the gas mileage. The TSX already has better mileage ratings than my CL (22/32 vs, 20/30 I believe) but I never had close to low 20s with my CL like I've seen reported for the TSX. I tend to drive very smoothly and granny-like when accelerating. Are these reports coming from the "jack rabbits" out there or should I plan on a second mortgage to fuel this thing?

If anyone compared the TSX with an Accord coupe before buying or has any other thoughts I'd be grateful to hear 'em.

pat

Welcome lin-chi! You probably want to head over to our Honda Accord vs Acura TSX discussion and read up on the postings there. That's also a great place to ask further questions.

Good luck and keep us posted on how your decision making progresses.

jrynn

Through 5700 (mostly highway miles) my TSX has averaged 28.6 mpg. (And that average is brought down by the first 1000 miles, when the mileage was significantly lower than it has been since). I expect it to move closer to a limit around 29.5/30 over time. My best two tanks were 32.5 and 33.2. (And all these numbers are calculated based on actual mileage/fuel purchases. The TSX's trip computer routinely reports even higher (but inaccurate) numbers.)

Basically a GREAT car. Surprisingly fun to drive for a four door sedan that doesn't have a blue/white propeller on the hood.

Just a couple of minor irritants. It does have a couple of interior rattles that the dealer can't (or won't) address. (Usually drowned out by the radio). And the TSX has a VERY WIDE turning radius, which makes the car a pain to parallel park (even compared to larger SUV's).

My TSX has NAV, and though it doesn't always come up with the smartest, fastest, shortest route and has an irritating tendency to suggest routes that have me turning left onto six lane roads at intersections without stoplights, it did let me leave all my roadmaps behind on two long roadtrips to other states and got me to all my hotels, friends' houses, restaurants, etc. (And it's kind of cool to be able to type in "Outback" and get instant directions to the nearest place to get a good, cheap steak.)

All in all, glad I bought one.

lin-chi

Thanks for pointing me to that discussion. I'll check it out.

markjenn

Almost any car will have some subset of owners containing bitterly of rattles and/or brake squeal and/or soft paint and/or you-name-it. Part of it is car-to-car variability, part of it is the type of service the car is put through, but I think a bigger role is how sensitive the owner is.

I'd ignore it all. All cars rattle over time and I really doubt that, as a make, the TSX is much better or much worse.

- Mark

xplorx4

"All cars rattle over time..."

Yeah, but few cars (with Japanese hood ornaments) rattle right off the showroom floor... or at inside of 10,000 miles.

My TSX (now just 10 months old and over 20,000 miles on the clock) rattles. It's something to do with the interior door panel construction. Particular types of road surfaces and sound frequencies from the speakers make various parts rattle: door locks, door handles, power window switches, etc. I was very disturbed by this during the first few months of ownership, but repeated trips to the dealer could not solve the problem: "Acura is aware of this, but has not come up with a fix yet. Check back in a couple of months."

Well, it's been about 6 months, and I haven't bothered to visit the dealer to resolve the rattle issue yet.

Keep in mind that many TSX owners do not participate in discussion forums, and it's more common for people to grumble about problems on these forums rather than sing praises. It doesn't mean that every TSX rattles.

Other than that, the car is great, and blast to drive.