Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Honda Accord vs Acura TSX
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100% correct.
I guess from a psychological standpoint, it would be hard for me to trade the 4 cy MT Accord for a V6 Accord. I know there is a lot more to the V6 but the cars would feel very similar on the inside. I would probably get silver and black leather again because I prefer the black leather on the Accord to grays and tans.
So I would spend a good chunk of change for 2 more cylinders, a few interior niceties and roughly the same car. The novelty of a new car has value to me and I think the Accord V6 would feel like too similar a beast to me.
If I was not coming from a nice Accord 4, the V6 is the most logical choice of the TL, TSX, and Accord V6 for me now that the car must not only provide fun for me but also reliable family transport. It is the least expensive of the 3 and has the most space inside.
I like the TSX because it is pretty much buying a similar car to the Accord I have and like. Every spec slightly one ups my Accord as far as hp, stereo, safety features (VSA). But it is cut from the same cloth as the Accord. Just a little nicer bolt of cloth. Its not a drastic change like going to a Honda Ridgeline which also provides a 5 seat Honda auto experience. But with truck bed utility but poor gas mileage and tougher to park.
As for the MT, maybe I can talk her into the 6 MT which does make the car very fun.
When I did test the TSX with the auto, I expected it to sap the joy out of the car but it was actually quite pleasant. More relaxed than the MT Accord or TSX. There are times I am sure I would miss. But it was not a dog. Going to the automatic does make the purchase make a little more sense to my wife.
There is a little voice in the back of my head that says that a TSX auto is a car for a non-enthusiast and that bothers me. I do not go nuts on the road but I do enjoy the tactile experience of shifting the gears.
My commute is very short, urban, and often not even on highways so the MT is not a liability for me. On trips you get it to top gear and hold it there.
It just makes it tough when times arise when my wife could use my car - hers is on the shop or just to move it out of the way of her car in our one lane driveway. Always seems to happen when she is running late for work and I just stepped in the shower!
Both are great cars!
Have a good day ( as Paul Harvey would say!),
MidCow the manual Shift Man- Accord Coupe 6-speed
P.S. - How will we survive now that Dan Rather is now longer anchor ??
now the durability of these transmissions is another question.
i'm looking forward to VW's new DSG transmission - it's supposely a manual acting like an auto as opposed to an auto acting like a manual (current tiptronics).
I used to have a 2003 Acura RSX-S 6-speed, but I sold it after 8 months. It seemed to ride rough and was a little noisey for longer trips. I also had a hard time getting into a comfortable driving position (no tilt seat and no teloscoping steering wheel.) On the flip side the car was a blast to drive around town.
I traded the RSX for a 2004 Mazda 6 V-6 auto. The Mazda is good, but the auto sucks the life out of the driving experience. (I don't know if it's the auto trans that sucks or the electric throttle.)
Anyway, I remember loving the driving experience I had in the 1985 BMW 325 5-speed I had when I was Germany (Army.) It had a good balance of ride, power, handling, etc. I loved the way you could rev the engine to 6,000 and barely hear it.
Joe
Age 33
Male
It sounds like you haven't done it yet, so I think a test drive would help you with your decision.
I agree with Manavi about the TSX tranny choices. The manual is really nice, and probably about a second faster to 60 than the Auto. I have the automatic, and like it a lot, but the car does seem a lot happier with the manual. But, again, just my opinion.
The biggest complain I have is with the tires. They are mediocre to begin with, and seem to be very vulnerable to blow outs and other damage. I'd also advise you to pass on the foglights (which get damaged far too easily).
Mine has 25,000 miles on it. I get between 23 - 25.
Be aware that the TSX does not ride nearly as well as the Accord or Camry (but handles a lot better).
I'm guessing you're from the CU area, cuz that's where I live and the closest Acura dealership is in Chicago, 105 miles away... whereas Honda is right down the street. I'm torn between an Accord EX-V6 or a TSX, and I believe local dealership will be a major factor in my decision. Is not having a local dealer really that much of an issue? I don't doubt its conveniency at all; but I'd like to know whether there would be all that many problems that specifically require a dealer's attention instead of a local mechanic's.
Another thing; you mentioned Honda can take care of basic maintenance for a TSX? A friend of mine got a pebble in the brake system of his Accord; he had to drive it to the dealer to get it out. Do you think Honda would do the same for a TSX? I don't want to have my car towed all the way to Chicago in an emergency!
I realize it's a silly question, but it's my first new car that I'll be driving for at least a good five years, so I want to make sure I don't make the wrong decision.
No I'm in South Bend (but both sons graduated from UIUC) so the Acura dealers are in Chicago (100 miles west) or Fort Wayne (100 east). For anything other than warranty work, the Honda dealer could do the job. An acquaintance of mine had a slight accident in his TL that required rear suspension work and the local Honda dealer did it (it wasn't warranty work).
You should check with the Honda dealer to verify that he would do normal TSX maintenance.
In the end, my decision was based more on my desire for a V6 engine and to not pay over $30K which ruled out both the TSX and TL.
FYI, I had very pleasant email dealings with the internet manager of Continental Acura in Naperville so I'd recommend them as a potential dealer.
(We had our last Papa Del's pizza last night. I'm going to miss those now that our boys are gone from Champaign).
Checking the situation out where you live ahead of time makes a lot of sense to me.
With HFP package help the handling of the car so much. Making fast cornering, the car stick to the road. I paid 36,000 for the car because its come the nav and HFP package.
I love the car. When I take on the road, other drive on the road stair at my coupe. The navi
is so cool with voice command. I don't think I will get lose driving with the navi unless I don't
update the software. The accord coupe 6 speed with HFP package is a sweet ride. With 36,000 dollars I could get a BMW 325ic but whether have the 6speed. 325ic is nothing compare the accord 6 speed, the accord is alot faster.
I made a disastrous decision in 2001 when an immigrant maid ran a stopsign and creamed my 1988 Acura Legend coupe, mint -- for which I was paid $2400 by Allstate. I was in tight financial circumstances, and bought a Mitsubishi Galant LS. It was a passible car, but horribly noisy and very boring. But cheap to run -- its 3-liter engine got almost 30 mpg on regular gas on long drives.
This week, after 140,000 well-cared-for miles, the AT gave up the ghost, and a rebuilt unit costs more than $2500, more than the car was worth. It's still parked in the North Plainfield dealer lot where I was towed.
I'm again in tough straits, but have to have a good car, since my 2 teenage kids live with my ex 125 miles away. I do a lot of driving (~35K/year), almost all highway. I love music. I am 62, and while I still love sporty driving, the reality is, I will likely put whichever car I buy in 6th gear and turn up the stereo on Lara Fabian love ballads. I hate having to crank up the volume and still hear road noise.
I also hate having to very closely manage a car in those circumstances. A 6-lane highway is no place to have to hunch over the steering wheel for 5 hours.
I rarely have more than one or 2 people in the car with me, usually my 5-foot-2 girlfriend on long drives, or one or two business people from a company to a restaurant.
I've bought only a few new cars in the past 20 years, because I take good care of them. So I am a novice.
Which car should I buy?
You will love the EX V-6 Coupe. You won't have to turn up the radio volume to hear your favorites. The XM Satellite Radio is great. Since you do so much driving, consider getting the vehicle with the OEM voice-controlled navigation system. You'll get over 30 mpg on the highway, and in the low to mid 20's in stop & go driving (on regular gas). The TSX is a fine car too, but you'll get more bang for the buck with the Accord.
The 2005 model also added back lights to the steering wheel controls.
Some improvements that make the car nicer once you wait for some improvements!
the TSX, I felt it was a totally different car compared to the accord we get here. The accord already has fine interiors but the TSX is even better.
As far as handling is concerned, the TSX felt slightly better until it hit an uphill
slope. The accordV6 seemed to be able to pull better.
The brakes on both seemed a little weak. Except for the low end V6 power, the TSX beats the accord in every other detail.
Accord V6
+ power
+ trunk space
+ interior space
- road noise
- interiors (compared to the TSX)
TSX
+ interiors
+ low road noise
+ luxury feel
- low end power
The bottom line is, with the TSX, you are really paying for an I4 accord with a finer tuned engine, more luxurious interiors, better finish and the "made in Japan"
Does anyone know what the difference is in the braking distance between the V6 and the TSX? I get conflicting numbers from websites.
I suppose one could make the same statement about the Accord
I actually drove both the auto and manual TSX but I ended up with a Camry SE-V6. In the end I opted for the larger, roomier, better riding family sedan with lots of low end torque. The Accord EX-V6 was my second choice.
The posts here all predate the Sept '05 release of the '06 Accord - anybody driven it yet, or have other thoughts?
TSX 25,751
EX V6 24,568
EX 4cyl w/ leather 21,737
The 2.4L 4cyl Accord has less hp that the 4cyl TSX but essentially the same torque.
I really liked the rest of the TSX, and would have considered it if it was the same size as the Accord.
Mrbill
I would assume the V6 with manual will have better straight-line performance than the TSX.
I would love to hear if anyone has sampled the new six-speed.
Thanks,
Greg