Hey Everybody, sorry to bother you guys about this but I need some help! I am getting ready to buy my first NEW car in less than a month, and of course I chose the TSX....I can't wait to get her! Before I make a 28,000 dollar plunge however, I need some advice on 2 things!

1.) Can anyone tell me how Carbon Grey handles dirt/dings? I am torn between this color and Glacier Blue. It has been my past experience that dark cars show damage and dirt a lot more, and I was wondering if this holds true with a color like Carbon Grey....your advice and suggestions will ultimately determine the color I choose!

2.) My Grandfather (who is co-signing) has a concern about maintenance issues. Although I have assured him that the Honda/Acura line has a great-standing relationship with people who drive them (along with great reliability ratings from Consumer Reports) he is worried about the cost to maintain the TSX. All of my family has German made cars (Audis and Bimmers), and standard service/parts cost an arm and a leg. Are Acuras reasonable to maintain? I live 95 miles from the nearest Acura dealership, and want to know more about service and parts costs before I take the plunge.

ANY ADVICE/SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE AWESOME! I REALLY WANT TO GET A TSX, SO PLEASE TELL ME THAT YOU GUYS HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR ME! =) I THINK MORE THAN ANYTHING, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT IN TERMS OF RELIABILITY/SERVICING. THANKS A MILLION FOR YOUR HELP!

 

1)
Daytime: Looks clean far away / dirty up close.
Nighttime: Looks clean all the time.

Will you be parking in the garage? Helps a buttload if you do..
2)
Parts are reasonable and easy to obtain. It's a Honda

 

I have carbon grey, I agree with what nicky said. I also wash my car about 2 times a month, having a nice car looking dirty is

One of the reasons I chose the TSX is because I plan to keep it for a long time (at least 7 years), and I believe Honda/Acura are reliable and parts are reasonable.

 

Compared to German cars, Acura's are dirt cheap to maintain (and end up in the shop a LOT less, too!).

I have a PWP (white) TSX, so I can't comment on the CG or GB colours.

 

^^^^ +50,000E^32

You won't be in the shop that much - unless it's for warranty work (seats creaking, noise through windows & sunroof) or any aftermarket stuff you want the dealer to put on. These things are built solidly and the fact that they're made in .jp, you can rest assured that the workmanship is superb!

You can tell your gramps that he'll end up selling his .de car to get one of these as they're ultimately more reliable!

 

Might not be exactly the answer you're looking for,but...

I have a 4runner in a color close to glacier and it always seems to look cleaner than my new dark blue car (audi) which is the NBP color.

The dark color showed everything...until I waxed it this weekend. The difference in dirt shown (not shown actually) after 4 days is shocking. Still looks sparkling.

I used Klasse all in one and then a coat of Klasse sealant glaze. Hard to find products, but very worth it imo. I found them at a Porshe dealership. It's an acrylic wax.

Must be harder for the dirt to stick now.

 

:ibdinkywinkybegstodiffer:

 

 

I have CG as well. Compared to my black truck, it's a breeze to keep clean. Of course a silver based color will hide dirt much better.

Hondas/Acuras are great for reliabilty, I've had 2 hondas in the family eclispe 200k miles before we decided to get something newer. I can't comment on cost of maintenance for Acura however. I'm assuming it's higher than Honda's? Gonna be a log better than Audi/BMW though.

 

Honda/Acura are very close in pricing. In fact, many parts are interchangeable (maintenance items like cabin air filters, etc... are mostly interchangeable and priced the same at both Acura and Honda dealers).

And yeah, mucho cheaper than German maintenance.

 

1) CG isn't the hardest color to keep clean, but its no silver. However, when you wash a darker colored car after it was dirty, it makes it all worth it. I used to wash my silver integra, and other than the rims and windows, there was virtually no difference between "dirty" and clean

2) Compared to German cars, Acura isn't that bad. The great thing to is, depending on the service or repair, you can take your car to a Honda dealership if they have a cheaper price. It gives you options.

 

One thing I've noticed on my new CG is that pollen seems to stick to the outside, or at least show up more. Its only noticeable in daylight. This car ALWAYS looks good at night, and has a blueish tinge to it under outdoor lighting conditions at night. It seems to have a greenish tinge to it in direct sunlight when its clean. I've washed it twice by machine and once by hand and I don't see any problems so far, it positively sparkles when clean.

 

I just got my CGP a few weeks ago, but so far I'd agree with everyone else here...it doesn't look as clean as silver always does, but it's reasonably good.

Show him this article from CNN/Money, which they got from Edmunds...all very well-respected sources. The '04 TSX was the cheapest car to own under $35K.

Granted, that's from their '04 list (the Accord took its place in '05, and the '06 list hasn't come out yet). But since it's almost exactly the same car and costs haven't changed much, it's still a no-brainer that the TSX is a great value.

 

1. I own a carbon grey, and until you touch the surface of the car, you'd never know a layer of dust was sitting on top of the car (about 1 feet away to notice theres any dust/dings, etc) You cant see anything when your about 2 feet to 3 feet away, and at night theres nothing.

2. Maintain? HAH! And what do you mean replacement parts?? the only time you'll need to replace something is when you crash
Japanese cars made their business from reliability, and it still hasn't changed.

 

Thanks for the great advice everybody! I really want the CGP and now I feel much more confident (well, okay 100% positive) that this is the color I am going to get. I can't wait to get my new....VERY RELIABLE AND GENERALLY INEXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN.....TSX! Will post pictures when I do! Thanks again!

Mike

 

Responding to the question of maintaing cost:

I have a "Major Service" coupone from a local Acura dealer. The service included, 1.) replace engine oil, filter, washer and air filter; 2.) various inspection; 3.) tire rotation; 4.) replace transimission fluid; 5.) topping off fluids; 6.) road test.
The "Major Service" is $278.88 with the coupon.