I could use some input from you folks. I have been looking to buy a 2006 Pre-owned TSX w/ NAVI for a few months now. I really like the car and don't like paying for a new vehicle when I can get one a year old for cheaper. I know that 7-10k miles on an Acura is basically new but would still be sold at used-car price. I called several dealerships that had these available and I'm getting quoted prices that are just rediculous. I have monitored this forum every day for several months now and I know that this car brand new is going for $27,400-$27,900. These dealerships want almost $28,000 for a USED one! What is the deal here? I know Acura's hold their value very well, but come on. A used car is a used car. I've offered $26,000 for one with 9500 miles on it and was turned down. Am I being unreasonable here?
You should check out the Acura web site and go to the section to "Build and Price". That will give you all the USA color choices and interior color options. The Ebony, Quartz, and Parchment interiors are not available for all exterior colors. I think the Deep Green Pearl is the only exterior color that does not come in Ebony/Quartz. I have the Carbon Gray Pearl with the Quartz interior.
I felt the same way you did when I was looking around for a newer car. Buy used and let someone else take the big hit on depreciation compared to buying new. I could not find a reasonable priced used car within a 600 mile radius of Albuquerque, NM. Most cars I found were overpriced, high mileage, wrong color, not Cert. Pre-Owned, and too far to purchase site unseen.
Used TSXs will not go down in price until the 07 start hitting the road and the 04 leases are up. Even then that will not be by much. When the all new 08 hit the road, the prices will drop again; but, who wants to wait a year for that. Acura TSX/TL/RDX are very hot right now.
I’ve looked for 8 months and couldn’t find a used 05/06 TSX I liked. Once I changed to a new 06, I purchased a car in 3 days using the internet sales managers competing from Denver, Colorado Springs, Phoenix, and Albuquerque. My local Albuquerque dealership won out and I got a 06 TSX w/ Navi for $28,200+TTL in May (trunk tray, cargo net, all weather floor mats, metal trim kit, moor roof visor and pin stripping).
Word of advice, STAY AWAY FROM ACURA LOANER CARS. People drive the crap out of these cars :sick: . I did when I had one for a 3 days (120 mph on the hwy, testing out the VSA, etc)
I have seen advertised prices at $26,400 for one with 11k miles and one at $26,900 for one with 5k miles on it. I saw one private seller asking $25,300 with under 10k miles but he was too far away. These are all 06's with Navi.
If you are adventurous enough and/or want to find your car in a packed parking lot quickly, get Milano Red with ebony interior - looks great. Most likely, however, you will need to special order it and wait about 3 months, especially if you opt for MT. On the other hand, if you prefer to melt with the masses, go for silver and look like thousands of cars around you.
Beside the lower starting point on the private sale you can be pretty sure the private party will deal more than a dealer.
The TSX is not some magic car that is not subject to the general rule of thumb - a car typically loses 20% of its value after driven off the lot. So on a NAV equipped car there's at least a $5K depreciation potential the first year.
The 36 month lease has a 61% residual - at the lower end of the typical depreciaction (20yr1+10yr2+10yr3).
...one year old Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus/Scion products don't really follow the rule of great depreciation the first year. They're in demand and typically fetch prices not much lower than new.
That's why it is difficult to get a good deal on a 1 yr old Acura - the trick is to get to one before the dealer. The dealer will certainly try go by the general rule.
If the example of the private party sale at 25,300 for an 06 with NAV is any indication, some deals do exist.
A lot of new discussions have been added to the top level TSX board. Be sure to check that link - while you're there, click on Track This Group (on the right just above the discussion list) so that when you Read New Posts you won't miss any TSX related posts.
TSX may not be "magic", but it edges out BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc. - only being surpassed by another Honda (S2000) and a Cooper S (yeah yeah, kinda a BMW).
When I started searching last year for a TSX I also looked for used ones through Autotrader, local papers, and over the internet but even 04's and 05's with 20k+ miles were within $2k of a new 05 Tsx with navi so I just ended up buying a new 05 SSM 6A/navi/quartz interior in late October for under $27k
I've had it about 9 months now, accrued about 12000 miles and even took it from DC to Miami and I love my car. That being said, I did stop and check out the RDX at my last oil change
I have a 06 TSX with the 5 speed automatic and was wondering if anyone else hears a whine coming from the transmission when they are going in reverse? Transmission shift perfectly other then the whine in reverse.
I've owned 6 Honda Accords and one TSX and whine while reversing seems a normal thing with Hondas. I'm talking about a slight whine, nothing extremely loud. You can always call the dealership or wait until the next service to check it out.
I'm looking at getting a new car in the next few months and I've basically decided on the TSX. But the 2006 has been out for a while and I don't want to get a 06 with a 07 around the corner.
I have had my "06 TSX for 2 months and want to connect a cell phone to the Hands Free Link. Acura lists a very few phones on it's list of "tested" or approved phones. I will need to replace my current non-BlueTooth and am wondering if any enabled phone will link up ?? I'm thinking that a BlueTooth is a BlueTooth is a BlueTooth whoever makes the phone. Any advice or caveats?
Go to www.handsfreelink.com and you can look up all the approved phones there. Not all blue tooth phones will work. It depends on software intergration. The webpage above is Acura's phone list webpage and is updated about every 2 weeks.
I got my wife the Motorola V3 RAZR phone and it works great. The only two problems is antenna strength with the phone if you have it on the floor, trunk, or center console in certain areas and draining the battery in Bluetooth mode. Moving the phone higher up solves that problem and I purchased an extra car charger from eBay for the other problem.
Once I picked up my wife and she was talking to her friend while walking to the car (still inside the building). The RAZR phone linked to the car before she got out the building and I had to talk to her girlfriend until she got to the car. A little awkward when your car starts talking to you about “Women Stuff” with the 8 year old son in the back.
I will get another RAZR for me once my current Verizon contract is up in October. The RAZR phone shows signal strength and incoming numbers on the MID. Some Bluetooth enabled phones don’t do that. Every once in a while when I call her, I can hear my own voice in time delay through her car speakers/HFL microphone. More of a TSX problem compared to a RAZR problem.
Thanks all for the link-up info. I looked at the RAZR and the sales guy @the T-Mobile store had some really negative feedback as to the physical trustworthiness of it...he said it breaks easily if even slightly dropped or opened too vigorously. I know my wife would have it in pieces if that's the case. I'll look at what the acura website has to say and take it from there... The new offerings of cellphones seems to change hourly and I'm hoping that the site can keep up.
I am going to buy a new 2006 TSX with nav. I am a single woman with little negotiating skills and I really don't want to get hosed by a dealer. The sticker price is $30,500. I am figuring that now that the 2007 models are out and it being the end of the month, I should be able to get the price down a bit. Any suggestions?
Be sure to fully explore the Tips and Advice section of Edmunds.com. There is a lot of good information there. You also may want to peruse some of the discussions on our Smart Shopper board for more tips.
You are already ahead of many would-be buyers by knowing that the end of the month and end of MY is a good time to buy. As the host mentioned go to the prices paid thread to get an idea of what people are paying in your area. Your aim should be around invoice and decline any other add-on the dealer offers after that. Start with an e-mail campaign that you can start right here at Edmunds and see what kind of responses you get. If the prices are not what you expect you may need to widen your search area. You may also have to settle on a configuration other than your preferred one since there are fewer cars available. The 07s are not here yet so you might be able to do this again at the end of Nov.
i can't find any good deals:(...i want a 06 with < 10kmiles for $22k - i guess that is not happening...mite have to go with new since i can get it for invoice....
Yes, at invoice it makes sense to get new since a used TSX for $22K would be very difficult to find. The dealers mark them up so much since they assume the general public doesn't know that in some markets the TSX is going for invoice.
BT and the new dash display were added for 06, along with audio input. The wheels are a bit different along with a few more minor items. Another important change is the bump in HP.
The front memory seat Trunk Passthrough Tire pressure monitoring system ipod compatability
Now I found this doing the Comparison info from the Acura homepage, so I don't know if everything is technically new or not. BUT the difference between the two MSRP is just $200, so look at these things and decide if they make a difference (I'll probably fork over the extra $200 because it will be my first new car).
It will be more than a $200 bump in real terms. 06s have been going for invoice for some time, while dealers will be asking closer to sticker at first. With all the competition and a brand new design for 08, sales volume and prices will be down for most of next year.
Nitpicking here, but does anyone else find that the speedometer layout is badly designed?
Zero MPH starts at the 6:00 position, so the speed range most of us have to drive in (25-70 MPH) is compressed in the lower left of the speedo. The top of the speedo, supposedly the place that's easiest to read, is at 85+ MPH.
I wish Acura started the Zero at the 9:00 position, so the speed ranges most of us spend time in are the easiest to read.
And what's with Honda and their speedos going to 160 MPH? Even in my Odyssey! I wish they would go back to the 120 or 140 mile speedos, and provide a better, clearer layout with the extra room.
I am considering an 07, but may be transferred to Hawaii next year. Acura says the NAV is not available for Hawaii and Alaska?
Is it because the company that Acura buys its NAV softwaqre from has not mapped those states for GPS navigation, or that the GPS satellites don't cover those states?
I agree with you regarding the speedometer. My old Honda started 0 at about the 7 or 8 o'clock position and its much easier to read than the Acura speedometer. And yes agreed, I will NEVER go 160 MPH in this car - who needs that taking up space!
On the lower left of the dash are the switches for the sunroof and VSA on/off button. There are two switchblanks next to them, and I can't figure out what accessories they would be for.
On other Hondas, these empty switches are usually reserved for fog lights and cruise control options.
But with the fully equipped TSX, what are these for?
My suspicion is nothing, and that they are artifacts left over from the European Honda, which needed switchblanks for optional equipment.
Another agreement on the speedo. It's too compressed and hard to "get" right away. It would be better to spread it out and limit it to 120. (can this thing go 120?)
I read in this forum that since 06 and 07 models are similar, if I get a better deal on an 06, I should go with that. But isn't there a big difference in the depreciation of these cars? I mean, if I want to sell the car in 5 years, people would look at an 06 as a 6 year old car.
So, my question is, for an 06 TSX to be a better deal, how much do you think it should be cheaper than a similar 07?
I think the model year will become less significant for similar model year cars as a price differeniator on the used market.
Why? because auto manufacturers are releasing new model year vehicles as early as spring for the FOLLOWING year.
What matters more is the car's "in service date" -- the date it was purchased and rolled off the dealer lot. That date is easily obtained from DMV records, CarFax, etc., and gives a much more accurate picture of vehicle age than the model year, which only shows about a 14-month window when the car could've been purchased.
Remaining 06s are great deals right now. And 07s have some good lease and purchase deals going.
Easily. I've had mine over 130 once and the engine was still pulling. I love how the 2.4 in the TSX seems to have 3 personalities. It's quite docile up til about 4000 RPM where it gets a little more aggressive sounding. Then above 6000 it starts to pretend it's a race car.
I too think the speedometer is a little wierd. But I usually drive where I'm comfortable anyway. After you've been driving a car for a while, do you really have to look straight at the speedo any way? Speed is almost subliminal by engine note for me.
You might be able to get the TSX up to 160. It would be expensive though. 160 is the theoretical speed where the TSX redlines in 6th gear though. It does 80 right at about 3500 RPM putting 160 at redline.
But if someone comes out with w decent turbo kit for the TSX, I'd look into it. I drove a 6spd Passat the other day and found the engine quite entertaining. The gearbox left a bit to be desired however.
Comments
Used TSXs will not go down in price until the 07 start hitting the road and the 04 leases are up. Even then that will not be by much. When the all new 08 hit the road, the prices will drop again; but, who wants to wait a year for that. Acura TSX/TL/RDX are very hot right now.
I’ve looked for 8 months and couldn’t find a used 05/06 TSX I liked. Once I changed to a new 06, I purchased a car in 3 days using the internet sales managers competing from Denver, Colorado Springs, Phoenix, and Albuquerque. My local Albuquerque dealership won out and I got a 06 TSX w/ Navi for $28,200+TTL in May (trunk tray, cargo net, all weather floor mats, metal trim kit, moor roof visor and pin stripping).
Word of advice, STAY AWAY FROM ACURA LOANER CARS. People drive the crap out of these cars :sick: . I did when I had one for a 3 days (120 mph on the hwy, testing out the VSA, etc)
Good luck
I second the recommendation against the loaner cars.
The TSX is not some magic car that is not subject to the general rule of thumb - a car typically loses 20% of its value after driven off the lot. So on a NAV equipped car there's at least a $5K depreciation potential the first year.
The 36 month lease has a 61% residual - at the lower end of the typical depreciaction (20yr1+10yr2+10yr3).
If the example of the private party sale at 25,300 for an 06 with NAV is any indication, some deals do exist.
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/115129/article.html
I've had it about 9 months now, accrued about 12000 miles and even took it from DC to Miami and I love my car. That being said, I did stop and check out the RDX at my last oil change
You meant 5A right, or was it 6M?
We won't see a 6A from Honda/Acura for a while.
Once I picked up my wife and she was talking to her friend while walking to the car (still inside the building). The RAZR phone linked to the car before she got out the building and I had to talk to her girlfriend until she got to the car. A little awkward when your car starts talking to you about “Women Stuff” with the 8 year old son in the back.
I will get another RAZR for me once my current Verizon contract is up in October. The RAZR phone shows signal strength and incoming numbers on the MID. Some Bluetooth enabled phones don’t do that. Every once in a while when I call her, I can hear my own voice in time delay through her car speakers/HFL microphone. More of a TSX problem compared to a RAZR problem.
I am a single woman with little negotiating skills and I really don't want to get hosed by a dealer. The sticker price is $30,500. I am figuring that now that the 2007 models are out and it being the end of the month, I should be able to get the price down a bit. Any suggestions?
And be sure to visit the TSX Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion to talk to others about what they are paying.
And after all of that, please let us know how it goes and how you like your new TSX!!
I've been hoping a wealthy, bored 05+ Porsche 911 owner would fall in love with my 20 year old BMW and trade me even-stevens.
-Cj
Trunk Passthrough
Tire pressure monitoring system
ipod compatability
Now I found this doing the Comparison info from the Acura homepage, so I don't know if everything is technically new or not. BUT the difference between the two MSRP is just $200, so look at these things and decide if they make a difference (I'll probably fork over the extra $200 because it will be my first new car).
-Cj :confuse:
Zero MPH starts at the 6:00 position, so the speed range most of us have to drive in (25-70 MPH) is compressed in the lower left of the speedo. The top of the speedo, supposedly the place that's easiest to read, is at 85+ MPH.
I wish Acura started the Zero at the 9:00 position, so the speed ranges most of us spend time in are the easiest to read.
And what's with Honda and their speedos going to 160 MPH? Even in my Odyssey! I wish they would go back to the 120 or 140 mile speedos, and provide a better, clearer layout with the extra room.
Is it because the company that Acura buys its NAV softwaqre from has not mapped those states for GPS navigation, or that the GPS satellites don't cover those states?
That is most likely the reason.
Of course the obvious question is: who the heck needs a NAV on a small island?
On other Hondas, these empty switches are usually reserved for fog lights and cruise control options.
But with the fully equipped TSX, what are these for?
My suspicion is nothing, and that they are artifacts left over from the European Honda, which needed switchblanks for optional equipment.
So, my question is, for an 06 TSX to be a better deal, how much do you think it should be cheaper than a similar 07?
Why? because auto manufacturers are releasing new model year vehicles as early as spring for the FOLLOWING year.
What matters more is the car's "in service date" -- the date it was purchased and rolled off the dealer lot. That date is easily obtained from DMV records, CarFax, etc., and gives a much more accurate picture of vehicle age than the model year, which only shows about a 14-month window when the car could've been purchased.
Remaining 06s are great deals right now. And 07s have some good lease and purchase deals going.
It's quite docile up til about 4000 RPM where it gets a little more aggressive sounding. Then above 6000 it starts to pretend it's a race car.
I too think the speedometer is a little wierd. But I usually drive where I'm comfortable anyway. After you've been driving a car for a while, do you really have to look straight at the speedo any way? Speed is almost subliminal by engine note for me.
The memory driver seat with remote fob link, fold-down rear seat, and MP3 input jack are all on the 06 models.
But if someone comes out with w decent turbo kit for the TSX, I'd look into it. I drove a 6spd Passat the other day and found the engine quite entertaining. The gearbox left a bit to be desired however.