123456SPEED

The new large flat shiny silvery surface grill face is definitely gonna show each and every rock, gravel, chip, worse than the painted hoods do. Bad design IMO for the most visible and vulnerable area of the car for debris collison.
Who gonna be the first company making grill bras?

Just02

I don't see why it'd be difficult to apply PPF? It's mostly flat. :/

feelgood13

rock magnet implies that rocks somehow are attracted to the grill. I think what you're trying to say is that the grill is susceptible to rock damage.

xenonhid

Yup, Probably gonna have to Clear bra the grill.

White92

easy answer, Clearbra

JeffS

That was a good one!!!

123456SPEED

you know what I mean. a chrome-like finish flat piece prominent on the front of the car attracts attention, and the chips it will get will be very visible.
quality designs for cars should take into account use and wear issues IMO. plus the grill doesn't add anything special IMO.
whatever.

xenonhid

Well, you are definitely Not gonna be a girl-magnet driving around with that grill IMHO.

MMsTSX

aznt1217

Hey it should be taking hits... it's called the SHIELD Grill by Acura. lol

kennungesser

To me it looks like it is wearing those fake "bubba teeth"

Mokos23

i'd be more worried about the black gap, could a rock get right under the grill and damage something inside at all like a radiator or something?

eggbert52

Sadly the only reason I would buy the 2009 is if it had a better paint job. From the looks of this thread sounds like it's the same ole same ole:

TS_eXpeed

Or just wait until Mugen makes one!

lol

davidspalding

You mean something that fits through the "brick pattern" grill?

GreenMonster

Hmm... another CL owner over here

Mokos23

yup

jwaters943

If the TSX grill is made of the same plastic as the grill on the Pilot (see pic below), then it should be quite durable. On my Pilot the grill is the only part of the front of my vehicle that doesn't have small rock chips/pits after nearly 3 years of ownership.

Mokos23

are you going to trade in the pilot for the new TSX?

davidspalding

It makes me think of this more:

jwaters943

Honestly, we're undecided. We need 1 "utility" vehicle in our household because of my job. I'd like to keep the Outlander because it has a longer warranty (it's been relieable in the 18 months we've owned it), and because it gets slightly better fuel economy, but I'm not sure it's quite big enough for my needs. In any case, one of our vehicles will be replaced by the TSX, which will be driven by my better half the majority of the time. After years of driving my Pilot I'm looking forward to getting to drive something more "fun". Although 1st-gen TSX owners don't seem to think the new TSX is any more fun to drive than their car, it's vastly more entertaining than my Pilot.

Mokos23

you have the outlander? i also test drove that! it's the new gen though, the 2008 one and i love it too and you get all the bells and whistles for $31K. my gf likes the features where the outlander has the navi and 30 gig hd jukebox.

jwaters943

Our Outlander is a fully-loaded 2007 (which is the current-gen) with the smart key, hard drive music storage, hid headlights, navigation, etc. I know Mitsubishi gets little love outside the Evo, but we really like it overall. The stock tires were crap and were replaced right away and it's quite buzzy/noisy compared to my Pilot (or the TSX), but for the money it's a great CUV. The dealership we purchased it from sold it for invoice without any haggling ($27k). I only wish it were a bit quieter and had a bit more torque down low. Other than that, we really have no regrets getting it over the CR-V.

Mokos23

$27k? Dang, good deal! I saw the sticker and it was $31K. how did you haggle so low?

jwaters943

We didn't haggle at all to be honest. After our test-drive we asked for their "best offer" so we could think it over. My salesperson said he would see what he could do on pricing, but in the meantime he said we could take the vehicle out on our own for a couple hours to which we accepted. When we got back he said they could sell it to us for something like $100 over invoice. FWIW, they recently moved into their new building (a fancy glass-faced modern Mitsubishi/Saab dealership) and neither brand has been doing well in terms of sales so I'm guessing they are just desperate for business.

hans007

if its the same plastic as my 05 tsx, then its going to chip. at least mine has after 2 years and more of it came off after washing it. going to have to replace the chrome strips, can tbelieve it costs like $200

lcrazyaznl

iTrader: (1)

If i got the 09 tsx, i would go to europe and buy their oem grill and call it a day.

davidspalding

I kinda wonder (probably in vain), would the 2004-2008 Acura front grill chrome emblem fit in the same place where the H emblem sits on the 2009 Euro Accord's grill?

prballard

My wife doesn't like the JDM grill, she perfers "the element". I still wonder what else I can get out of Japan. Any opinions on the body colored single bar accross grill of the EuroAccord body kit? I will try to find a pic to post.

prballard

This is what I was talking about

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-image?...8eu_acc-08.jpg

Mokos23

too bad no wagon TSX here

chibianh

How's everyone's "element" holding up so far? I have a few small scratches already.

nycgay23

I'm not sure where to post this, but I suppose this thread is as good as any related one. I've been reading so much about paint issues, chipping, the need for "clear bras", etc, and it's frankly made me just a little nervous about buying the TSX. First off, are these problems I would hear about from just about any TSX owner, or is it more largely discussed on here because we all take care of our cars more than the average car owners? Secondly, is this issue specific to the TSX, or Acura/Honda as well? I have a 2004 Honda Civic currently, and of course I see some small chips, dents, etc in the bumper from what I consider to be normal wear and tear, but from what it sounds, I can expect to find these on the TSX much sooner and more frequently? Is this true, or is this just an impression I'm getting?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Stacys

Why do you think it will be a rock magnet? My wife's Odyssey with the same material on the grill does not have a single rock chip in over 3 plus years of ownership. Give Honda some credit!

LuvMyTSX

It's most likely because a lot of us are pretty anal about our cars and tend to care more than the average person. That being said, the paint is a little soft, so a clear bra isn't a bad idea and I may get one on my next car. On the other hand, I really don't have that many chips considering the age and mileage of my car, so it might just be some bad luck as well. Don't drive too close to people, especially on the highway, and maybe get a clear bra and you should be just fine. I wouldn't let this keep me from getting a TSX.

nycgay23

Cool - thanks for your quick reply. It definitely will not hurt to look into it, but as it's something I've never used, and accepted that my bumper get chips over time, I was worried that I might be replacing my bumpers or something! I have my appointment for this coming Monday and as excited as I am, this is such a big investment for me that I am slightly nervous, as I am sure others have been! Thanks again!

Jazz886

buy the jdm or audm grill looks HEAPS better than USDM.

davidspalding

What, you haven't bought yours yet? I thought you were hot to snag one months ago. Cold feet?

nycgay23

Haha...no, I was originally waiting for October to have the down payment I want fully saved. However, I've gotten a little impatient and have more free time this month than the coming ones, so I finally have an appointment.

No cold feet, just determined to get the monthly payment I want. Believe me, if I had mine already, there'd be a whole thread dedicated to it's pictures!

Now, If I could only narrow down the three color options to one!

The Dark Knight

iTrader: (1)

nycgay i hope you aren't negotiating price by monthly payment?????