5 years, 67,000 miles, zero regrets
12-06-2008, 05:38 PM
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5 years, 67,000 miles, zero regrets
Actually, five years is a bit of an approximation. I took delivery of my ’04 (NBP, non-navi, MT) on 10-22-03. Three years ago this month, when I was at the 29,000-mile mark, I posted these comments on my experience as a TSX owner, and all of them still apply:
When it comes to overall driving enjoyment, I rate the TSX higher than the two sports cars I’ve owned (1978 280Z and 1990 RX-7). Naturally, it’s quieter and rides better than those cars did, but that refinement wasn’t achieved at the expense of very good handling (even with the OEM Michelins).
Other positives:
The manual transmission is outstanding, the best I’ve ever used
Respectable acceleration – good enough that I don’t crave more
Excellent styling, exterior and interior. (Some people may criticize the exterior design for being too “safe,” but I’ll take “safe’ over a more adventurous design like the current Maxima, which to me is a rolling eyesore.)
Excellent fit and finish, exterior and interior
Good sound system, given the price of the car
Good gas mileage; I’ve probably averaged 27 or 28 mpg, doing 80% highway driving (at 70-80 mph much of the time). I know some people have done better than that without really trying for maximum mpg.
I’ve had no rattle problems whatsoever; just lucky, I guess
Minuses and things I’d change if I could:
The shifting-seat problem. My TSX has had it from Day One, but it’s not severe and it doesn’t bother me enough to risk having the dealer try to solve it.
More hard plastic in the interior than I’d choose. I’ll grant you that it looks good as hard plastic goes, but it’s still a negative as far as I’m concerned. Really, how much more would Acura need to charge for the car if there were soft-touch surfaces where a lot of the hard plastic is?
The height of the car. I’m sure at least 90% of us wish the TSX was lower and that the wheel gap was smaller. Is this much ground clearance really necessary?
The vulnerability of the AC condenser to fatal hits from road debris. I’m fortunate that my dealer replaced my condenser as a goodwill gesture. I fear that the second condenser will be KO’d and that the replacement expense will be mine.
I have a concern: That a problem or problems already experienced by a fair number of TSX owners will develop in my car after the warranty expires. (I intend to keep this car at least 7 years and past 100,000 miles.) The problem I guess I’m most worried about is the dreaded “audio-HVAC display module is dim or dark.” Having to deal with that one out of warranty would be a monetary nightmare.
As I said at the beginning of this post, all of the comments I made three years ago remain valid today.
My gas mileage has been remarkably consistent over the five years. The average has stayed just a fraction under 28 mpg year after year. (I don’t strive for maximum fuel economy, but I never drive the car really hard, either. The mid-30s mpg numbers that quite a few A’zine members report really raise my eyebrows.)
I’ve still never had a rattle.
My second AC condenser hasn’t suffered a fatal rock hit. (That sound you hear is me knocking on wood. The knocking on wood also applies to the AC compressor, because I’m living in fear that it’s going to fail sooner or later. I’m apprehensive about it for two reasons: the MANY A’zine members who’ve reported that their cars’ compressors bit the dust, and the clunk I hear and feel periodically not long after starting the car.)
My TSX did eventually have the “audio-HVAC display module dim or dark” problem. Fortunately, it happened when the car had about 40,000 miles on it, so the fix was made under warranty.
My TSX also had another of the common problems: condensation in the headlights, although only once in a great while. Because I let the dealership know that the problem was very infrequent, and that the amount of condensation, when some did appear, was small, I figured they’d just put the clips on the headlights. To my surprise, they replaced the headlights. This was done just before the warranty expired.
If there’s one thing about the TSX that bugs me more often than anything else, it’s the fragility of
the paint. I have clear bra on mine, and chips still appear occasionally in the unprotected areas (and they really show on the black paint). Were it not for the clear bra, I’m sure I’d be very unhappy with how the front of my car looked.)
That’s really it as far as problems and complaints goes. When I see other A’zine members advising prospective buyers to steer clear of ’04s at all costs, I think the characterization of ’04s as trouble-plagued is extreme. No doubt that some first-year bugs were worked out, but it’s not as though most ’04 owners have been dealing with problem after problem and regretting their purchases.
I’ve been completely satisfied, and not for a moment have I wished I’d bought the other car I was considering back in October of 2003: the Mazda 6. I’m almost positive that this car has pleased me more than the Mazda would have, and I’m sure the TSX has held its value MUCH better. (I haven’t done a numbers comparison, but we know the TSX has been a top-of-the pack vehicle when it comes to depreciation.)
You know, if there’s one adjective I’d choose to describe the TSX, it’s responsive. Acceleration isn’t its strongest suit, but I consider it more than adequate. Maybe it doesn’t handle quite as well as some rear-wheel-drive models in the same general realm – the BMW 3-series comes to mind, naturally – but I’d say the handling easily warrants being labeled very good. Basically, the car just responds to steering and throttle inputs in a highly pleasing way. And I’m sure that just about everyone who, like me, elected to go the 6MT route is very glad they did. It really is a gem of a transmission.
After five years (plus a half-dozen weeks), I still look forward to driving the car. That, I think, really says something. (I used to carpool quite a bit, and as much as I like keeping the odometer reading as low as possible, I’d often find myself thinking: “Man, I wish it was my turn to drive today.”) A car that delivers this much driver enjoyment for this long has to get high marks.
As for how long I’ll keep my ’04, I really have no idea. (I kept my 1990 RX-7 for 14 years and 199,000 miles – partly because I really liked it and partly because I put a rebuilt engine (rotary, of course) in it at 92,000 miles, after the original engine suffered a catastrophic problem and I wanted to get my money’s worth out of engine #2.)
I’m not shooting for 14 years and 199,000 miles out of the TSX, but given how the first five years have gone, you know, it just might happen.
(Sorry about being so long-winded.)
When it comes to overall driving enjoyment, I rate the TSX higher than the two sports cars I’ve owned (1978 280Z and 1990 RX-7). Naturally, it’s quieter and rides better than those cars did, but that refinement wasn’t achieved at the expense of very good handling (even with the OEM Michelins).
Other positives:
The manual transmission is outstanding, the best I’ve ever used
Respectable acceleration – good enough that I don’t crave more
Excellent styling, exterior and interior. (Some people may criticize the exterior design for being too “safe,” but I’ll take “safe’ over a more adventurous design like the current Maxima, which to me is a rolling eyesore.)
Excellent fit and finish, exterior and interior
Good sound system, given the price of the car
Good gas mileage; I’ve probably averaged 27 or 28 mpg, doing 80% highway driving (at 70-80 mph much of the time). I know some people have done better than that without really trying for maximum mpg.
I’ve had no rattle problems whatsoever; just lucky, I guess
Minuses and things I’d change if I could:
The shifting-seat problem. My TSX has had it from Day One, but it’s not severe and it doesn’t bother me enough to risk having the dealer try to solve it.
More hard plastic in the interior than I’d choose. I’ll grant you that it looks good as hard plastic goes, but it’s still a negative as far as I’m concerned. Really, how much more would Acura need to charge for the car if there were soft-touch surfaces where a lot of the hard plastic is?
The height of the car. I’m sure at least 90% of us wish the TSX was lower and that the wheel gap was smaller. Is this much ground clearance really necessary?
The vulnerability of the AC condenser to fatal hits from road debris. I’m fortunate that my dealer replaced my condenser as a goodwill gesture. I fear that the second condenser will be KO’d and that the replacement expense will be mine.
I have a concern: That a problem or problems already experienced by a fair number of TSX owners will develop in my car after the warranty expires. (I intend to keep this car at least 7 years and past 100,000 miles.) The problem I guess I’m most worried about is the dreaded “audio-HVAC display module is dim or dark.” Having to deal with that one out of warranty would be a monetary nightmare.
As I said at the beginning of this post, all of the comments I made three years ago remain valid today.
My gas mileage has been remarkably consistent over the five years. The average has stayed just a fraction under 28 mpg year after year. (I don’t strive for maximum fuel economy, but I never drive the car really hard, either. The mid-30s mpg numbers that quite a few A’zine members report really raise my eyebrows.)
I’ve still never had a rattle.
My second AC condenser hasn’t suffered a fatal rock hit. (That sound you hear is me knocking on wood. The knocking on wood also applies to the AC compressor, because I’m living in fear that it’s going to fail sooner or later. I’m apprehensive about it for two reasons: the MANY A’zine members who’ve reported that their cars’ compressors bit the dust, and the clunk I hear and feel periodically not long after starting the car.)
My TSX did eventually have the “audio-HVAC display module dim or dark” problem. Fortunately, it happened when the car had about 40,000 miles on it, so the fix was made under warranty.
My TSX also had another of the common problems: condensation in the headlights, although only once in a great while. Because I let the dealership know that the problem was very infrequent, and that the amount of condensation, when some did appear, was small, I figured they’d just put the clips on the headlights. To my surprise, they replaced the headlights. This was done just before the warranty expired.
If there’s one thing about the TSX that bugs me more often than anything else, it’s the fragility of
the paint. I have clear bra on mine, and chips still appear occasionally in the unprotected areas (and they really show on the black paint). Were it not for the clear bra, I’m sure I’d be very unhappy with how the front of my car looked.)
That’s really it as far as problems and complaints goes. When I see other A’zine members advising prospective buyers to steer clear of ’04s at all costs, I think the characterization of ’04s as trouble-plagued is extreme. No doubt that some first-year bugs were worked out, but it’s not as though most ’04 owners have been dealing with problem after problem and regretting their purchases.
I’ve been completely satisfied, and not for a moment have I wished I’d bought the other car I was considering back in October of 2003: the Mazda 6. I’m almost positive that this car has pleased me more than the Mazda would have, and I’m sure the TSX has held its value MUCH better. (I haven’t done a numbers comparison, but we know the TSX has been a top-of-the pack vehicle when it comes to depreciation.)
You know, if there’s one adjective I’d choose to describe the TSX, it’s responsive. Acceleration isn’t its strongest suit, but I consider it more than adequate. Maybe it doesn’t handle quite as well as some rear-wheel-drive models in the same general realm – the BMW 3-series comes to mind, naturally – but I’d say the handling easily warrants being labeled very good. Basically, the car just responds to steering and throttle inputs in a highly pleasing way. And I’m sure that just about everyone who, like me, elected to go the 6MT route is very glad they did. It really is a gem of a transmission.
After five years (plus a half-dozen weeks), I still look forward to driving the car. That, I think, really says something. (I used to carpool quite a bit, and as much as I like keeping the odometer reading as low as possible, I’d often find myself thinking: “Man, I wish it was my turn to drive today.”) A car that delivers this much driver enjoyment for this long has to get high marks.
As for how long I’ll keep my ’04, I really have no idea. (I kept my 1990 RX-7 for 14 years and 199,000 miles – partly because I really liked it and partly because I put a rebuilt engine (rotary, of course) in it at 92,000 miles, after the original engine suffered a catastrophic problem and I wanted to get my money’s worth out of engine #2.)
I’m not shooting for 14 years and 199,000 miles out of the TSX, but given how the first five years have gone, you know, it just might happen.
(Sorry about being so long-winded.)
12-06-2008, 08:16 PM
#2
Instructor
I'm always glad when someone post positive comments about the TSX. Mine will turn 6 y/o in a a few months and still love driving it.
I have not experienced any mechanical problems so far (fingers-crossed).
I have not experienced any mechanical problems so far (fingers-crossed).
12-06-2008, 10:30 PM
#3
Pro
Mine's 5 years old (almost to the day) and I've had no mechanical issues. Only a few rattles that I've learned to live with because as a Honda Tech I HATE TRYING TO FIX RATTLES!!!
Your reviews (both past and present) are spot on as far as I'm concerned
Your reviews (both past and present) are spot on as far as I'm concerned
12-07-2008, 10:32 AM
#5
Passed 5 yrs last month too and still loving it. I had an 09 loaner last week and am still happy with my car more than the new one. (of course some of that may be based on the fact that I like not having a new car payment!)
12-07-2008, 03:53 PM
#6
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5 years old for me this week too. I have 64,720 miles. My only regrets are the TSX's sucky turn radius annoys me and it could do better in the snow, oh well.
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12-10-2008, 01:05 PM
#9
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Great post rx280. My own '04 will be 5 years old on the first of the year, and, like you, I still look forward to driving it, and thank myself every time I do that I opted for the 6MT. I was just at the Acura dealer this morning getting the headlight clips installed, and while checking out the new TL's and TSX's, it occured to me that Acura has lost its way a bit, at least when it comes to appealing to drivers. Nice enough cars, but not for me.
Long live the 2004 TSX.
Long live the 2004 TSX.
12-10-2008, 01:48 PM
#10
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I'm also driving an '04 TSX that has not had a single problem that apparently "plague" the first year model. I am the second owner but there are no records of any major repairs in the vehicles history. My passengers door lock actuator went out but was replaced under warranty with no hassle at all. While they were doing that, they decided the drivers side rear door lock actuator was a little slow so they just went ahead and replaced that too. I've got no rattles what-so-ever. I typically drive with radio off and just listen to the music seeping out from under the hood.
The only thing I feel that should have been different is that I think this car deserves an LSD. It's probably not as much of an issue for most but where I live, there are a lot of steep hills and off-camber turns. I wouldn't mind a tad more sure-footedness in these situations.
I'm going to add some sort of metal mesh material in the lower grill opening for the purposes of protecting the condenser coil.
Moko23, look into some quality winter tires. I've got Blizaks and they are spectacular. There was one day last winter where I was the only car in the upper lot at our office because no one else was able to get up there, including my boss in his Pilot. Very impressive tires.
The only thing I feel that should have been different is that I think this car deserves an LSD. It's probably not as much of an issue for most but where I live, there are a lot of steep hills and off-camber turns. I wouldn't mind a tad more sure-footedness in these situations.
I'm going to add some sort of metal mesh material in the lower grill opening for the purposes of protecting the condenser coil.
Moko23, look into some quality winter tires. I've got Blizaks and they are spectacular. There was one day last winter where I was the only car in the upper lot at our office because no one else was able to get up there, including my boss in his Pilot. Very impressive tires.
12-10-2008, 03:08 PM
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The winter that’s just beginning is my sixth with the TSX, and with the snow tires I bought within a month of buying the car. Like LukeaTron, I’m riding on Bridgestone Blizzaks. They’re mounted on 16-inch steel wheels. At the time, it was the Tire Rack’s recommended package for the TSX. We’ve had a few really bad winters among the five (Greater Boston area), and I’ve never had a traction problem. I recall reading a few A’zine posts that were critical of the TSX’s performance in the snow. I can’t remember whether the posters mentioned having snow tires, but I’ve got to think they were making do with the OEM all-season Michelins. Put a set of snows on the TSX and I think you’ll feel extremely sure-footed in the white stuff.
12-10-2008, 04:07 PM
#12
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Agreed. It's shocking how much of difference it makes. I think a lot of comes from the fact that the tread is much more narrow on the snow tires so it can cut down through the snow instead of riding up on top of it. My old civic went like a champ in the snow even with fairly bald tires. Those tires were pizza cutters.
12-16-2008, 02:51 PM
#13
Instructor
I agree.. the Snow Tires make a HUGE difference.. my TSX is a snow Champ.. I've taken her on many many many Snowboarding trips here in the North East, she's been through it all - Ice, Snow, Sleet... the Snows (along with the traction control) have always kept her nice and steady through the yucky stuff...
Going on 5 years, and 400 miles till I hit the 100k Mark (all those snowboarding trips add up).. no problems with my car (just the seat heater lights started to go out recently)...
oh btw, I'm averaging about 30mpg too.
Going on 5 years, and 400 miles till I hit the 100k Mark (all those snowboarding trips add up).. no problems with my car (just the seat heater lights started to go out recently)...
oh btw, I'm averaging about 30mpg too.
12-16-2008, 09:23 PM
#16
FOX 137:
Make sure you check back with the board when you break the 100,000 mile barrier. Start a thread in bold letters celebrating your car's accomplishent. There are not that many TSXs that have reached that milestone yet.
I think there are maybe 2 people on this board with Sauceman being one of them. Any others?
Make sure you check back with the board when you break the 100,000 mile barrier. Start a thread in bold letters celebrating your car's accomplishent. There are not that many TSXs that have reached that milestone yet.
I think there are maybe 2 people on this board with Sauceman being one of them. Any others?
12-17-2008, 09:00 AM
#17
Instructor
I def will, I'll prob break the barrier over the next 2 weeks.. I feel like I need to do something special for her as she has been very good to me 
and as for the snow tires.. I'd get 4... I feel like my car would fishtail out a lot easier with just 2 on the front...
and as for the snow tires.. I'd get 4... I feel like my car would fishtail out a lot easier with just 2 on the front...
12-18-2008, 07:14 PM
#19
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06 5AT. Second TSX I have owned. I had an 05 6mt and traded it in after a year of too much stop and go traffic. I do miss the rowing at times. No problems with either (24K on 05 when traded in and 44K on 06). I do say that reading all of these forums and hearing of these weird problems do es make me worry a bit. I am not mechanical at all, and maybe am overlooking certain areas of the car to be checking for wear and tear. Basically you guy/gals know alot and I know shit and that worries me. 
(fingers crossed)
(fingers crossed)
12-20-2008, 09:16 AM
#20
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5 years 1 month old with 52k miles. Only problems were a stuck CD in the CD player and a bad solenoid in the AT.
I was thinking of trading it in the other day for a new TL or something, but I couldn't think to part ways with it. Great great car.
I was thinking of trading it in the other day for a new TL or something, but I couldn't think to part ways with it. Great great car.
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