teomcdohl

After going on a bunch of test drives, and reading the Buh-Bye TSX, hello TL-S thread, it got me thinking.

Since I'm currently looking for a job and I have spare time on my hands, I have had time to test drive a bunch of different cars.

The cars I test drove:

Acura TSX
Mercedes C-Class
Lexus IS250
BMW328i
Infiniti G37
Audi A4

I guess I'll review the cars, just to give people where I'm going with this. Please try and read through this, maybe you'll find some useful advice.

First, the Mercedes C-Class. I wasn't really impressed. It was a nice car, had plenty of power, but it didn't scream anything to me. The price was unjustified, and the gas pedal seemed to have some lag. I wasn't interested in it - I drove the Automatic.

Second was the Lexus. Nice car, back seat was non-existent. It was quick, it was very comfortable - perhaps the most comfortable car I've ever driven. No manual.. next!

BMW... if I had the money I'd buy this car. Gas pedal was a little eh, and it was a pain to see the gauges with the way the steering wheel was situated, but the car was awesome. The price was the only thing stopping me from buying this car to be honest. There is a reason it's considered the "Ultimate Driving Machine". Drove the automatic.

Infiniti... the strongest of them all. What a beast this car was. Second gear was insane, the car just flies. It's a real beauty as well - the price was a little steep for me, but the car was awesome. It was pretty uncomfortable though, and honestly, I could probably get the car with some financial maneuvering, but, it was pretty uncomfortable. Drove the manual. No thanks..

Audi A4. This is a really nice car, to be honest. For a 2.0 turbo, it was quick, and it was fun to drive. It seemed to have more pep than the Manual TSX. The leather was really nice, the car was just... nice is the best way to put it. It screamed elegant to me. The only worries I have are the VW/Audi problems, no reliability... but it was a car that I'd really consider.

Finally, the TSX. I decided to re-affirm my decision and I drove a TSX today, I was finally able to drive a new 6MT (I drove a 6MT in the past, it was a used 2004). It was nice - compared to the other cars, it didn't really match up. It seemed pretty powerful, to be honest the Audi seemed to beat it in power. I love the car still, and I'd love to put money into it, upgrade the suspension, DICE iPod, and improve the sound system... so I'd be putting money into the car.

Then, I read the TL-S thread. It looks like a wonderful car, more luxurious than the TSX, and I'd probably be putting less money into the car than the TSX. I plan on test driving a TL-S...

Now, for all of you out there, I would LOVE some opinions. What do you think about my situation? Which car should I buy? I know that ultimately it is my decision, but am I underselling the TSX?I'd love the extra power of the TL-S and from what I've heard the sound is better, the suspension is very good... so... opinions?

jlukja

IMHO you can't really compare the TL-S or or the G37 to the TSX. Different cars with different purposes. What model year cars did you test drive?

jayq16

Umm...none. Get a job first!

evil_acura

when buying a car , you look for 3 things, a. reliability, b. speed, c. less $ out of your pocket

you can only choose 2 =]

teomcdohl

Good points. Working on the job thing. I'm not spoiled, but parents are willing to pay for a car, for college graduation. I'm not looking to bankrupt them either.

CL9er

i test drove all of them too... also the saab 9-3... as for the tl... honestly it felt more like a girls car....

Simba91102

teomcdohl

Ah. Ok. Great. I wanted opinions about cars. Yeah, I understand I'm unemployed right now. I also understand I have some very awesome parents who are willing to spend money on me and buy me a nice car, which is not my money. I'm also pretty sure I'm working on getting a job, and if all goes well I should be employed very soon.

psteng19

We get it, you can drive stick.

hyunk24a2

in all honest if speed is important to you i would get the tl-s no question

CL9er

the 08 m3 sedan and the 08 c63 amg is FASTER

club_euro2

I would get the tsx. I have an 08. If you can wait check out the new one coming in the spring

CarbonGray Earl

Ask your parents to give you the money to invest. Get a cheaper car that you can work on, that can be more fun than having those cars you mentioned.

just my opinion.

CarbonGray Earl

and WAY more expensive.....

timd38

Yup!

I am going to give the TSX to my wife and get BMW 545 in spring, I think. I under bought, because I'm cheap, no frugal, but am growing to like TSX.

CL9er

who cares.... his mommy and daddy are paying for it... oh wait... my mommy and daddy paid for my first car.... it was a civic though... not some luxury car...

Simba91102

Ok. Great. We get it; Mum and Dad are going to buy you a $30K+ car to help you get a job. Maybe more than we need to know. That said, I agree with the earlier post regards to apples and oranges. The TSX really isn't at the same price point as any of the other cars (comparably equipped). I'm sure most if not all on your list are priced $10K and up more. That's of course what makes the TSX such a screaming deal. Decide first if you (they?) want to spend $38K-$40K or $28K. That would change the complexion of your list considerably.

Since I need to drive in all weather conditions, I'd probably vote for the Audi. I drove them for 10 years until changing to Acura in 05. They have the best interiors out there (yes, still) and although I know VW/Audi has a poor dependability rap, I never had a bit of trouble with the ones we had (5 cars between 96 and 05). I'd be in one again in a minute, but there's no local dealer and I will admit that, like all German car in my opinion, they're warranty cars. We drive too many miles now to deal with that.

teomcdohl

Wow, someone is pretty jealous. Can't you just be happy for someone rather than bash them? Congrats to you! Hey, do you know where this money came from anyway? You didn't ask about this. This money came from my brother dying, how about that? Its blood money you fucktard. The money is from the resulting lawsuit from his death. You ass. Its always, well, he's a spoiled brat cause his parents are buying him something. Some people don't understand. Be happy for someone that they're getting something that they want, don't be bitter.

Mods, you can close this thread. I really don't care to hear about people who think I'm some spoiled brat.

CL9er

you set up for it by saying you had no job and you said that you're parents were gonna pay for it.... i'm not being bitter or anything... i replied to the guys post on the amg and the m3 being to expensive... if you can afford it.. well go for it.. i don't care who ends up paying for it.. i was pointing out that you're parents were paying for it.. which means you don't have to worry about the cost... as for your lost.. well my condolences go out to you..

muncher

ughhh... so you have no problem with spending money that came from your brother's death? honoring him by getting something that'll be worth $1000 in 10 years? jeez man get a job and some perspective on life.

visuelz

I think the TL Type S is the way to go. It pulls so much harder than the TSX. It's like the only car that I thought was better than the TSX.

CarbonGray Earl

As a parent myself, I'm pretty sure his mom and dad care about whether a car is going to cost them $20k to $30k more than what they had offered him.

I don't know how you having a civic has any bearing on this situation....consider him lucky and just move on.

LuvMyTSX

I also think this is a really good idea. How about getting an Accord and putting the other $5k or so into an ING savings account with over 4% interest, or invest in mutual funds? That way, you'll have some money saved down the road for an emergency fund, or a start for a down payment on a house.

DAYTA

Try driving a S/Ced TSX vs. a TL Type-S and then get back to me ...

jlukja

You asked for opinions on your situation so don't get upset if you see posts you don't like.

dom

Not that I'm suggesting the IS (in fact it would be last on that list for me) but the 250 is available in a Manual. The 350 is AT only.

I'd go G35 then 328.

dom

BTW - Maybe this will help. Not the exact cars you're looking at but close enough.

335 vs G35 vs C-Class vs CTS vs IS350

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=123235

visuelz

The TL Type S is NA.

However, can I borrow your car?

wackura

The thought of people's parents gifting them luxury cars always shocks my senses so thouroughly that I lose sight of everything else, but that being said, a new TSX and TL are about to come out so the current models will apear outdated soon. Maybe you can talk your parents into giving you enough to get the BMW. Asking won't cost you a penny. It apears to be the best car on the list.

teomcdohl

As nice as that would be, I can't justify asking my parents for that kind of money. I'm going to be driving this car for a long time, and I'm only 22 years old. They may be able to afford something nicer, but even if they offered to get me the BMW I'd have to refuse their generosity - at my age, a car like that,(for a price like that) I can't justify that. I've set a limit, and thats a hard limit, I will not go over it for any reason. As for my reaction to the other posts, it does get me angry, and I don't think I can be blamed for that - no one knows me here, has any idea who I am, where the money came from, ect, ect. If I asked for advice on those things, I would have made a post in the ramblings board. I apologize for my previous post, when someone hits you in a sensitive spot, you can lose sight of things, as I'm sure some of you have before.

If people would like to make comments about the cars, then sure, go ahead. The facts are:

I am going to get a new car. I listed my choices in the first post.

Although the cars I listed cannot be compared to the TSX, I decided to test drive luxury cars, mainly because the TSX is a luxury car, and the service offered with them is a notch above Honda, Nissan, Toyota, ect. Besides that, they fall into the price range.

My question is, in a nutshell, given the increase in cost (which has me a little hesitant, the only reason I even considered the TL-S was because I read the great deal that JoeRockT got when he bought his, post is located here ). As much as I like modding, and working on cars, I'd be more than happy to get a car with a good sound system, and there are other things mentioned in that thread that made me think about getting the TL-S, such as the suspension and speed, that I would upgrade if getting a TSX. If someone could mention the pros/cons between the TL-S and the TSX, that would be great.

I really don't mind criticism, but at the same time, when people are telling me to get a job (its not like I'm sitting on my ass day in and day out getting hand outs, I am trying, and interviewing, and hopefully I'll land something very shortly) and telling me the right way to honor my brother, then it starts to get a little personal, and I get really mad. There are plenty of ways to honor people, and trust me, I will always honor him, and he will never be forgotten. On the other hand, life is short. He was only 18 when he died, and at the same time, if my parents should decide that they would like to buy me a new car for graduation, and they can afford it because of a tragedy, that is their choice, and I'm happy because of that. The money is extremely bittersweet, on one hand its like winning the lottery - I don't have to see my parents bust their ass to make ends meet, on the other hand I'd give it all back if my brother were alive. We're a very close family, and the whole experience has left a tremendous void in all of us...

If some of you have had parents that had the money to buy you a car, you should be lucky, and grateful that you have parents that are willing to spend that amount of money on you, and even more grateful that they can afford to spend that money without damaging their future interests. On the other hand, to those that decide to take out payments for their cars, or work their asses off to buy the car they like, and mod it the way they like, I hold you no grudge. That is your money, you have worked extremely hard for it and you should be proud that you were able to afford such a nice car. I hope I can be successful in my career where I can provide my children with a nice car when they are old enough.

Again, to those who stuck on topic, thank you, and to those that had to bring other things in to it - thats fine - if you don't think I should spend the money on a nice car and decide to invest most of it and get by on a cheaper car, then your opinion is welcome... on the other hand, if you're just being an ass, then don't post. I don't mind hearing a well thought out opinion, but hearing some things when people don't know the situation... it just comes out as venomous.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

If you're going to be driving this car for that long, why not just get something used. A car that is a couple years old and CPO would give you just as much enjoyment and somebody already took the initial depreciation hit.

CL9er

a used luxury car is a better way to go... unless you have to absolutely have to have a new car... then i'd recommend the 1 series..

jwood_06TSX

This is when forums turn into crap. Too many people with too many opinions and the urge to express themselves so exstensively. Regardless of where the money came from or if in fact his parents are buying him a car, he just asked for some opinions and yet everyone jumps on him, just like every other kid who has parents buying them cars. Whether or not your jealous, or think he's a punk "rich kid" who cares, then don't give your opinion.

My parents didn't buy me a car, i got my dad's hand me down when i was 16 which was a 1989 Z24 Chevy Cavalier with 88k miles on it and i loved that car. I was lucky enough that my uncle gave me his 04 TSX with 33k miles on it which i had for a while and then got into an accident and ended up with a 06 TSX and only owe about $4k on it.

People have different outlooks on life and that is fine, but no need to bash some one elses based on yours. Like when i asked opinions for when i thought about trading for a TL-S, you get people like CG who said, invest it and then you get the joerockt that say "screw, get it, your only young once." I can relate to both of those and would do both of those in different times within my life but right now, i need to save for a ring for my g/f, a house, and to be able to buy the car i want later in life so i made myself content with my TSX. Give him opinions of what HE is looking for, not what YOU think he is looking for or what YOU yourself are looking for.

Sorry for my rant....


If money is NO issue, then the TL-S is a fanastic car but i like the handling of the TSX better, as it is more "whippy." However, i also dream about the G37. Those would be my picks but again, they are in 2 different catagories and i'm over the 2 door phase right now....family to think about in the not too distance future.

all MY




EDIT: Just read your post really fast (OP).....good decision, admirable and mature!! I would also look heavily into the BMX 1 series as its coming out soon with not that high of a price

clee109

Ok can clee109 have some cents in too? lol!

To the OP, my parents bought me all of my cars, which the TSX is my 4th! HOLY SHIT! lol Look at it that way seems pretty sad right? Eh no excuses, my parents are generous and I'm lucky for that. Moving on, if your parents are buying you a car that is fantastic! So this is my personal experience on how I handled it, I sat down with my parents and my insurance agent and compiled a list of cars I liked and their prices and my agent laid out the rates for each car. From there I narrowed it down on my own resolve as to what I felt was not to much money. So I took my parents generosity but didn't take them to the cleaners. So for you it all depends on how much money your parents are willing to pay for the whole picture and how much you are willing to take from them. Moving on...

I wouldn't go German if I were you because of the reliability issue, your parents will end up shelling out money time and time again for the cars issues.

Now that we are sitting in Japanese territory:

TL-S = faster and more "luxury" feeling than the TSX. But it "detaches" you from the road, the steering isn't as precises, it doesn't whip around (another user said that I think) like the TSX and it's ALOT quieter. All of that together makes a fast straight line but slow in the corners and IMHO less fun to drive.

G37 Coupe: Just plain out fast! Handles well, still lets you feel some of the road, and is all around a very good car. However; if you enjoy modding cars the G37 comes so perfect stock that alot of add-ons don't help it much so if you want to mod be ready to assume that it's all for show unless you go F/I.

TSX: Great all around car for all types of drivers. Gives you a real feel of the road, handles very well for it's class stock and responds well to the small aftermarket support for it. Not to mention the insurance is friendly and gas at over $3.00 national average gas mileage is a plus.

Here is some you haven't considered:

08 Accord Coupe 4 cylinder: I believe it has 197bhp on standard unleaded unlike our 205 bhp on premium so you are saving anywhere from 25 cents to 50 cents per gallon. It's appointments inside almost rival the TSX. However; it feels a bit more boaty than the TSX, but it's much cheaper as well!

08 Civic Si: Can't beat that K20! Growing aftermarket support, good handling, nice feel of the road. But again you're stuck against premium fuel and higher insurance.

Lancer EVO X: Crap can't say anything bad about that other than premium fuel and premium insurance.

Lancer EVO IX: Same as above but with the X coming IX's will be cheaper new because dealerships want to get allocations for the new model.

S2000: Premium fuel and insurance but wow what a drivers car! Fair gas mileage for what you get but you loose 2 doors and 2 seats and basically a trunk lol But great for someone our age!

But honestly if I was going to do it all over again myself, I'd go with the 08 accord 4 cylinder or V6, great bang for the buck and Honda's tend to hold their value better than Acura's even though Acura is Honda.

Also, screw the people on here that are jealous, they just wish their parents would pay for them too. So don't worry about it, more people on here than not have their parents help, and I am sure even some of the ones that don't really do they just lie to save face.

Oh and if you all are curious here's the cars I've had in my short life time:
91 Maxima (hand - me - down)
99 Accord Coupe V6
01 MDX SUV
06 TSX

And one last note, I buy my own mods with my own money if that counts for anything? lol

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Actually, after reading the latest dyno numbers on the Accord Coupe V6 6MT, you might want to consider that. Apparently it is putting down power in the TL-S territory and is a great looking car too. Comes quite a bit cheaper than the TL-S as well.

davidspalding

Yikes, people really pushed your buttons. Simmer down, you're only getting opinions, you don't have to embrace every one, just listen and consider.

Listen, as someone who's lost people and also had inheritance come down, I can tell you that a car is not a great way to invest that money. I'd get a certified pre-owned edition of a good sensible car -- that you'll be happy with for the life of the loan, both in lifestyle and reliability -- and put the remainder into the beginning of your retirement fund. Start early on that retirement, it will pay off much better than a fancy car. (Presuming you don't have one; if you do, bravo.)

You're not going to like hearing me say this, but you're only 22, you don't have to have a $38,000 car to get around in. A $20,000 CPO Accord V6 would be great, or a 6 year old TL, something like that. How about a Civic Si, one of the members here just got one and it looks like a humdinger. When I was shopping this summer, I was looking at nice little cars at $14,000, HALF what you're looking at for a new TSX. (I bought the TSX for value: 6 year warranty, zero worries, was able to finance it aggressively, safety features, and good for both my divorcé lifestyle and toodling my daughter in.)

Frankly, for much less than some of those cars you mentioned, you can get a pre-owned vehicle that will suit all the things you might be doing in the next few years. Check out Consumer Reports' used car guides and see which of your "wanna's" stand out for value and reliability.

davidspalding

P.S. I drove a 2007 TL loaner, and I wasn't impressed. "Boaty" is what the US Accord-based cars seem to be. Granted it had a V6, and maybe the TL-S is more nimble, but ... at the end of the day, I wanted my TSX back.

Also, compare the TL's (and TL-S') gas mileage. If the TL is like the V6 Accord, it's going to reach hard to get 24 MPG. *#@& that. My TSX averages 28 MPG in varied driving.

davidspalding

P.P.S. Blast, I neglected to mention a RSX as an alternative to the Civic Si. Superb mileage (laugh at gas stations as your vroom by), and for a 2004, 2005 model, even Type-S, cheaper than a TSX and about as fun (less amenities, though, that's why I passed on 2005 and 2006 models).

wackura

Another remark about the TSX option, I doesn't feel like what I expect a luxury car to feel like. I moved up from an Integra so at first I didn't notice but now I'm realizing things like - if this was a luxury car the dashboard control cluster wouldn't look so minimal and basic, the car would feel heavier, be quieter, but most of all it would have more low end torque. A luxury car wouldn't make you work it so hard to pull ahead from a stop. Then I notice the TL has heat vents for the rear passengers and who knows what else. A TSX closely resembles a fully loaded Accord and that what it has come to feel like for me and I'm happy with that, but no longer convinced I'm in a luxury car as it's commonly understood.

LuvMyTSX

That's why the TSX is actually entry luxury. :wink: