sms_pitt

Hi all,

I'm considering getting a 2007 Acura TSX 5-speed auto V4 w/ 53k miles, navigation, with cash. The carfax is clean but it had 2 owners - it was a fleet vehicle for 10 months, then a personal vehicle after that.

The dealer originally posted it for $18.7k ( = 20.5k out-the-door) as a CPO, which I bargained down to $19.2k out the door (though I'm demanding $17k). Should I cave in or keep bargaining?

I loved everything about it more than the 08 accord EX and the 07 Altima that I also test-drove (except the interior space).

I'm also wondering if it's big enough for two 5' 5" people + a carseat in the back, in case any of you have perspective.

This is my first post, so apologies in advance for any blunders!

Thanks

Alee:)

Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe the interior specs for the backseat are VERY similar to the 2nd gen.



Anyway, I do have trouble with getting a car seat in the rear but it is not bothersome to me as it will usually stay in there until he is ready for a new car seat.

I am also 5'7" and have long legs with a short torso.. I took a 4 hour trip and it wasn't too bad.

sms_pitt

2nd-generation has quite a bit more rear shoulder room. Other than that, the backseat specs are similar.

2009 TSX:
Rear hip Room: 54.4 in.
Rear head room: 37.3 in.
Rear leg room: 34.2 in.
Rear shoulder room: 53.5 in.

2007 TSX:
Rear hip Room: 54.2 in.
Rear head room: 37.0 in.
Rear leg room: 34.3 in.
Rear shoulder room: 56.1 in.

sms_pitt

So as not to distract from the main topic, I've posted the is-it-good-for-family question in a separate thread in case people have more thoughts:
https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-tsx-2004-2008-124/infant-car-seat-07-tsx-806638/#post12676745

jchan2

Couple of things:
1. Is this car certified pre-owned? That warranty/reconditioning process is quite handy and does add at least a little value to the car
2. If not CPO, are you buying from an Acura dealer, or some other dealer?
3. I highly doubt it's large enough for 2 5' 5" people and a car seat. The backseat, while usable, is not particularly large.

sms_pitt

Yes it's certified pre-owned, from an Acura dealer.
So, is there room to negotiate downward? Your own TSX sounds very similar, though it has lower miles.

And yeah, what you said about the backseat is the same gist I'm getting on another thread.

jchan2

Mine had far fewer miles and is non-navi, so factor that into your evaluation of how much lower you could go.

For reference purposes, I paid $20,000 before taxes and fees when it had 24k miles. The car had been listed at $23,995 but had been dropped to $21,169 when I went to look at it. Also, the car was 6 months newer than it was now (though mine was an early-build 2007)

I think $17k out the door is low (I think that's what you're demanding?), but we don't know your sales tax rate. A quick peek at KBB for an '07 with Navigation and 53k miles shows a private party value of $18,470 (excellent) to $17,470 (good). I'd wager that between the CPO status and the 2 owners that it falls somewhere between the two. Personally, I'd feel comfortable paying $17,750 for the car Certified before taxes and fees. (check their doc fee; I had an out of state dealer that I wanted to buy from that demanded a $600 doc fee, even though I would be filing all the papers on my own)

Also be clear that you are buying the Certified warranty too. When I bought mine, the car had two prices. $21,169 for Certified and $20,400 for non-Certified. I made it clear throughout that I wanted the CPO warranty.

sms_pitt

I've got them down to $18,300 out the door certified, including all fees and the 7% tax ... they don't seem to be budging further. But maybe that's okay.

Now I just have to decide whether to behave responsibly and get the roomier certified 2007 Nissan Altima for ~$13,000 out the door, or live it up with the TSX

Simba91102

So what did you pay for the car? The common inclusion of "out the door" price always annoys me (sorry.....grumpy tonight) because the registration fees, and title fee, and taxes, and blah, blah, blah, vary by location so much that it's a useless figure (for any type of comparison anyway). I'm in CT (or sometimes Mass) and have no idea where you are, so that price might be good or might be bad.

ParaSurfer1979

Sorry but When will people stop call 4 cylinders V4's? Dude it's an INLINE 4. Only V-4 is in motorcycles.

jchan2

That price on an Altima sounds terrific- They go for at least another $1500-$2000 more in my neck of the woods.

Coming from a family that has both the TSX and the Altima (my mom has a 2008), I can say that the Altima is roomier, more efficient, and more practical, but it's not as engaging, luxurious, and well thought out from an engineering perspective as the TSX (changing the cabin air filter in an Altima is quite a bit more involved than the TSX).

You really can't go wrong either way, though. The Altima is a great car as well.

ParaSurfer1979

the CVT transmission in Altima is awful. That TL is a deal. more prestige than an Altima. Tl says upper middle class. Altima screams lower middle class single parent..lol.

Simba91102

And really old 2 cycle Saabs

Simba91102

Ummm.... the car he's buying is a TSX..

npolite

I'm going on a slight bashing spree here but it is all the truth.

The Altima while it has it's PITA moments like jchan2 mentions on the air cabin filter, it has been rock solid so far compared to my sister's 08 Accord. She had a ton of problems with the Accord, most common issues, such as going through 2 sets of rear brake pads before trading it in at 36k miles in 09. Her Altima has one blown fuse and the mic on the bluetooth went out but so far it has had less issues compared to the Accord.


I purchased my CPO 07 TSX in Dec 2009 for $20,300 and it had 23,500 miles if that helps.

I'm 6'1 and have no issues with the car size. I actually prefer smaller cars, the current gen Accord is way to big for me.

nj2pa2nc

actually they are trying to decide between the tsx and altima

Simba91102

True (nj2), but my comment was directed to the fact that nowhere in this discussion is a TL a candidate. Plus.... does anyone really think he's going to buy the Datsun? (after being exposed to so many words of wisdom here I mean).

nj2pa2nc

memories of yesterdays gone bye: I had a friend that sold Datsuns back in the day (before that he sold VW's during the 70's)

jchan2

I drove my mom's Altima for a bit before I got the TSX and quite liked it. It's been trouble-free thus far, and a great family car for the 4 of us. I wouldn't hesitate in a bit to recommend it to someone. It's been fairly low maintenance- just oil changes, filters, and a new set of tires. Still on the original brake pads at 40k miles!

The CVT isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be- it gets the job done in that car (she has a 2.5S) and provides for excellent fuel economy (we average mid 30s highway, mid 20s in town, for an average of right around 30 mpg).

rhannahs19

I got a 08 TSX with navi and 29k miles from a non acura dealership for 19250, still has the factory warranty. Hope that helps.

nj2pa2nc

hopefully the altima will be as good as my 06 tsx. Replaced the oem tires at 74,000 miles-all the tires measured 4/32. It still has the original brakes with lot of life left. Not bad with almost 120,000 miles. Did not have much luck with the 2 Nissan's we owned. I also prefer my tsx over my mom's 08 accord v6.

sms_pitt

Thanks to everyone else for their comments as well, they've been very helpful.

I'm in a PA county with 7% tax, and I believe the title/doc fee etc totals $200-300, so an $18,100 out-the-door cost (they reduced by a further $200) corresponds to a $16,635 price for the car.

We test-drove both cars again and felt the TSX might be a bit small for the 5-people situation it'll often be in. The Altima, while definitely no Acura, is much smoother and more fun to drive than similar-age Accords and Sonatas which we also test-drove. So between the two, we're leaning towards the Altima.

However, I personally find it hard to let go of the Acura's superior driving, cabin feel, and the built-in navi + bluetooth ... so we've started to consider larger, slightly older (2005/2006) TLs and RLs of the previous generation with < 70k miles that we might be able to get by throwing in a thousand or two. At that age, I figure the certification warranty doesn't get you much anymore. The additional power of the V6 is also nice to have.

However, with that we're starting to get into prices that seem very high to pay for any used, 5-6 old, 50k+ mileage car. Could I expect such a car to last 5-7 years if I kept it that long? If not, the sensible thing is probably to stick with the Altima if we want the extra space.

My fallback plan if we get the Altima is to get a Garmin voice-activated portable GPS with bluetooth for hands-free calling, or something like that. Not as slick as a built-in solution, but gets the job done

ParaSurfer1979

You mean late 1stgen? 03-04? Those are nice. A friend has a pearl white 04 with 48k miles with navi. Great car. There is great right up on the improvements each year. in the 1st gen RL forum.

jchan2

That's a pretty good price on the TSX I think.
Any used Acura is going to be relatively expensive compared to other makes, simply because the depreciation is less. You probably could get one that lasts another 5-7 years; Acuras are fairly durable.

virtualbong

My gf purchased her 07 CPO with 39K miles on it for $17,999 (not including taxes, fees, etc...). This was back in August.

It was also an auto with Navi.

sms_pitt

Thanks all ... I ended up buying the TSX instead of the Altima after all, it was too good to pass up. Loving the ride, handling, interior, and all the bells and whistles!

ParaSurfer1979

Nice post pix soon.