I might need someone to talk me off the ledge here. I'm really considering trading in my 06' TSX for an 07' Civic Sedan.

Here is a quick version of my story for background:

I'm 30 years old. I've never really been a big car guy. I've always admired nice cars, but i've never really been into buying new cars. I have just driven used Hondas for years now. Had an 88' Accord, 92' Civic, 93' Accord. I was a firm believer that the smartest financial people were the ones who drove used cars, and particularly well made used cars like Hondas.

So, earlier this year my wife and I had our income increase rather suddenly. Not by massive amounts, but by a nice enough amount that it got me thinking about buying a new car suddenly. It just came out of no where.

Before I could even blink, my wife and I were owners of two new cars. She was driving an black 06' Mazda 3 GT hatch, and I was driving a Silver 06' TSX. Neither of us had ever bought a new car before, and it was exciting. We love them both to this day.


The problem comes in this way. Having owned these two new cars for the past few montns, i've realized the constant battle of trying to keep a new car looking new. See, i'm one of those people who when they own something nice, they try and keep it that way. The problem with a new car is, I feel like i'm fighting a constant losing battle. My TSX only has 5,000 miles on it, and already i've got a dozen small paint chips on the hood. I've got several minor scratches around the car as well. Have no idea how they got there, and i'm really careful washing it. I honestly get the feeling the car has several new defects everytime I take it into the dealership for something. I even noticed a small tear in the leather seats the other day. In just the spot such a mark would be made if a mechanic got into the car with a screwdriver in their back pocket.



So, when it comes right down to it. I feel like i've learned a lesson. I don't feel buying a new car is a problem, as long as you don't spend a ton of money on it. Once you do that, you're just setting yourself up for that constant feeling that it's being beaten up, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. If I had spent $19,000 on the car I might not feel so intensely upset about every little nick and scratch. At least thats how I feel right now.


So, the bottom line is that i'm now considering trading in the 06' TSX for an 07' Civic Sedan. I personally feel that the cars are almost a wash from the outside. I'm a huge fan of the Civic sedan's look. I think it's nearly as good as the TSX.

The interior is where the real differences are seen. The cloth in the Civic is just ok. The bottom line for me is that the Civic offers a very competant drivetrain, with a VERY smooth tranny, and it gives me all the creature comforts I have to have. Not to mention the savings on gas over many years to come.



So, what do you guys think? I think i'll save some money on the swap. I've already paid down $6,000 on the TSX by the way. The Civic can be had for $19,500 retail.

 

i wont do it, unless its something a bit more meaningful, such as civic or prius hybrid, that you really want a change and or save gas. However, sounds like your mind is set, so do what is best for you.

As about saving money, if you do that, you will loose a huge chunk of money no matter how you calculate, new car loose the most value when they are new, so there may not be much out of pocket expensive for you now, the value is lost somewhat..... i would say keep the tsx, will give u pleasure years to come. if you really feel guilty, give your wife the tsx and you take her mazda 3 she wont object

 

Unless you get a pretty beat up Civic you are going to start noticing new scratches, tear, etc. on that also right? I say just accept that everything new has to eventually become old and enjoy your TSX while it's still new.

 

Well, just to clarify, I have no made up my mind. If I had i'd be on my way to the Honda dealership right now.

I'm also hoping to hear from someone that has both cars in their household, and could comment on having owned both cars for a while now.


Yes, I realize all cars will wear down over time. But the point is that it's even more painful to watch when you know you paid thousands more for a particular car. I think the pain is a little less severe when you know it's just a Civic that saves you a lot of money on gas and what not.

 

please tell me you're joking....

 

I say just keep what you have and be happy with it. You can baby it all you want, but you'll still get scratches and stuff, and the Civic is not immune to that. You'll lose money if you trade now, so you might as well wait until your TSX dies and then get a new/used car.

 

have you driven a new civic yet? I drove an 06 and I hated it. the new dash made me feel like I was a mile away from the road in front of me. the shifter was very notchy and kind of difficult to figure out. the engine made all sorts of funny noises that I could hear, but the dealer claimed he couldn't. I think my foot my have just been too heavy for it.

after driving the 06 civic, I would have paid to keep my 99 civic.

I think you will stop thinking about a new civic if you go test drive one. that's all I had to do to decide I didn't want one.

 

I guess I see a lot more similarities between an Accord and a TSX. I agree that a Civic will save you money, but you are still going to have your firsts: first rock chip, first door ding, first upholstry tear. If those are agonizing to you, and I can sympathize, why go through it again?

I'm 31 and had had enough of my Civic (albeit a much older one). I was ready for a car that I could see myself driving when I turned 40. I still smile a little bit getting into my car and I've had it for 9 months now. I like the looks of the Civic Si, but haven't really gotten into the sedan.

Only you can decide if a few thousand dollars will make you happy. Or if you like the Civic better, I guess go for it.

 

I vote for just keeping it too...

they're both going to get scratched up and get wear and tear on them like you said, the fact that you feel worse about it because it's a more expensive car only shows that you care for your posessions which is a good thing. Keep taking care of it and she'll be fine... Civic VS TSX has a huge disparity between the two kinds of cars...

from your thought processes maybe you'd be happier getting a used 2000-02 civic or something... because the wear and tear is going to be more evident with new cars than with used cars...

 

Don't trade, it's not worth it. Keep your TSX for a couple of years you'll regret if you trade it for a newer car. Since it's an '06 you already lose money trading in for a cheaper '07 Civic no matter how much it is the dealer will give you less than what you pay for it new. Plus you already lose the tax $ you paid for the title and registration fee.

 

I know exactly what you mean. You spend all this money on a car like the TSX and it gets beat up. It would definately be much easier to swallow on a car like a Civic. I was contemplating the exact same thing, I wanted to trade in for a civic 4 door.

Then I came to the realization that the money is spent and going to a Civic now would be a loss financially (I also have an '06 TSX) anywhay you calculate it. So I decided to stay put and mostly enjoy the driving experience of the car as well as all the interior features and pay not so much attention to the outside. Also, if you got a Civic (or me for that matter) it would still kill you seeing all those scratches and new rock chips. You may think it wont, but it will, especially knowing you will loose money in the end or even break even. I say enjoy the car you have now for what it is, a great car that is getting older and showing signs of you enjoying every turn, downshif, upshift, minute, mile (km), of it.

But.... this is my last new car. I will never buy a new car again. Anyway you look at it, it just doesn't make any sense whatsoever, in my opinion, for the reasons you mentioned above.

On side not: Remeber this because it's true. The more you care and fanatisize (is this a word) about the car, the more is going to happen to it.

 

Yes, I test drove an 06' automatic. Which is what i'd be getting if I bought one. I seemed to have no problem with the feel, and sound of the engine.

Thats the simple reason i'm even considering such a swap. The new Civic is really in a whole new class when compared to previous Civics. This new one has a far more powerful engine, and a VERY smooth auto transmission. I'm just not so sure how much i'd miss the TSX's power. The Civic seems plenty quick from 0-60.

The other thing to keep in mind is that i'd be saving nearly $40 a month on gas, based on the amount I drive each month. Thats another part of this equation for me. Yeah, id' take a loss on the tax now, but i'd gain for the next decade while saving money on the Civic's fuel economy.

 

I would never downgrade myself from a Euro Accord or a US Accord to a Civic. But, that doesn't mean I wouldn't ever "downgrade" from an Acura to a Honda.

 

you'll end up loosing 4-5k on depreciation itself...then the civic you'll lose 3k on its first year...in total, you just dropped 8k on the switch just by depreciation, lets not forget taxes. all in all, its not worth it. Mathmatically:

27k TSX
29K with Tax
Buys 19k Civic
Spends 20-21k after tax
you'll probably only get like 23 from dealer
Overall net right now is +2k back in your pocket...

 

if you keep the car for a full 10 yrs, you will see some savings, but dont' forget you're also going to loose thousands just for the trade, so those savings will be offset quite a bit...

really if the civic will make you happier then go for it, but to me it just seems like you're sorta guilty you got a car as expensive as the TSX. Buyers Remorse?

 

Thats exactly what I was thinking. I'd walk away with a new Civic and $2,000.

But then i'd also be saving $40 per month for as long as I keep the Civic. For those of you not quick at math, thats about $500 per year that is saved on gas. If the gas prices stay where they're at now. If they go higher i've saved myself more money. The other thing i've figured is that every piece of maintenance on the Civic is gonna cost less than it would have on the TSX. New tires? They're cheaper on the Civic. New brakes? Probably a little less on the Civic. New headlight? Cheaper on the Civic. You get the idea.

 

It's not buyer's remorse, as much as it is simply the practical side of me finally waking up to the fact that I just bought a $28,000 car. I had never paid more than a few thousand for a car before that.

Now i've owned the $28,000 car for a few months and i'm constantly watching it get beaten up by the harsh driving enviornment of the Chicagoland area. I can't even imagine how things are gonna be during the harsh winter months with snow/salt becoming a daily reality.

I'm just becoming a very frugal and practical consumer every day. I realize that having the most expensive option, isn't always the best one. That pouring more money than you have to into a greatly depreciating asset isn't as fun as it seems.

The TSX is awesome, I have no doubt about that. I like just about everything about it. But i'm just not so sure it's the car for a frugal/practical guy to be driving. In the long run it's simply an expensive car to operate. At least when compared to a Civic.

When it comes right down to it, i'm simply trying to figure out if it's worth cutting my losses now, and moving on with the Civic.

 

It seems like your focus is very much on the financial aspects of owning a TSX. Considering you bought the TSX "before you could even blink" I assume that you didn't do this kind of thinking/consideration prior to the purchase. Personally, I wouldn't do the trade-in. However, if you're looking at it form a "cut your losses" point of view then going to the Civic is probably a good idea for you.

 

"Am I nuts for considering a swap of my 06' TSX for an 07' Civic?"


Yes... You are nuts.

 

Yeah, you smoking something. A TSX to a Civic? Please, you're just giving money away to the dealers. But hey! If it makes you happy, do it. Just think when you trade it in, a civic is a civic.....everyone and their mama is gonna have it.

 

No, I did not do enough consideration about the long term costs of owning each car. I certainly think I did a good job of researching cars, and which ones were worth buying. We're thrilled with both the TSX, and the Mazda 3.

I think i'm just feeling like it was a mistake to buy such an expensive car, when a Civic would have offered me everything I "had to have" in a car for many thousands less. If only I had just made the right decision from the get go.

 

Have your more frugal side tell you that trading in a new car now would be a very bad idea financially, and suck it up and just enjoy your car.

 

Hi,

I wouldn't do the switch if I were in your position. I, too drove used cars for years. The TSX is my first new car and I've been enjoying it. Your argument about saving money seems confusing if you want to go to another new car. It might make sense if you sold the TSX and moved into another used car that was economical to own but by switching to a new civic, you take the depreciation hit twice, the car will still be getting beat up by the Chicago roads, the "savings" on gas are not very significant until many years later., gas costs may also go back down, you have to pay the state sales tax again (assuming IL has one), etc.

The other thing to think about is whether the civic is really cheaper to own over the long haul. It may very well be but it's hard to know. The warranty periods are different and your current warranty on the TSX may last longer than the 3/36 on a new civic. The TSX was made in Japan and if you follow the manufacturers maintenance schedule and not the dealers (stealer's), you don't have to do much until 110,000 miles. The civic is assembled in the US, it's the first model year and may have more "issues", and you claim to love the TSX already. I'd just keep it, accept the higher operating costs compared to what you were used to, be happy that you're making more money now, and when the TSX is no longer what you want, buy another used car. Maybe it'll be a used TSX.

Good luck.

 

The new Civic Si sedan? Mmmmmaybe....(I passed on the coupe only because it was too small. I liked the TSX because it had the same smooth transmission).

 

 

I'll tell ya, its threads like this that give the TSX forum a bad name.



Thats buyers remorse dude.

 

Check out the insurance for the Civic first. In Toronto, it costs a lot more to insure a Civic than a tsx because of the civic's higher crash rate. Tsx drivers tend to be more mature.

 

You have a bad case of buyer's remorse. My advice to you is once you make a "buying decision" don't look back. You truly will drive yourself nuts. Second guessing your life decisions will only end up giving you an ulcer and boring the piss out of your friends!

Having sold things for a living I can tell you one thing I've learned. And that is not to ever sell anything to someone like you. Now don't take that the wrong way. But it's been my experience that people with a predilection for buyer's remorse will end up being "sold" something by a salesman who will tell them what they want to hear to make the sale. A "good" salesperson wants you to "buy" something and be happy in your decision. People who can't make a decision and live with it will drive away good sales people and attract bad (i.e. they don't give a shit about you) sales people. I'm not trying to insult anyone here, that's the way it works. So do what you need to do to make a good buying decision, make your purchase and move on. I think you'll be happier in the end.

 

A car is always going to be a loss... and if you switch to a new civic that loss is going to be magnified. Not only that, it's going to be magnified in todays dollars, instead of dollars in the future, and dollars today are worth more so that hit will hurt you even more from a financial standpoint.

I also think that the TSX is a practical car for the long term, but then again maybe you don't feel that way. So really just like Still Water said, if it's eating you up this much, just do it cut your losses and get on with enjoying your car, and hopefully all the little scratches and chips that will come along with the new one will be easier to stomach...


and on the insurance... another thing that helped me with my decision on '06 Civic vs '06 TSX (i know i know they're different but i was coming from a 98 civic) was that insurance was significantly cheaper on the TSX... how could i say no to that?

 

I can really understand where you are coming from. My wife and I drove car payment free for 6 years on her car and 3 ½ years on mine before getting the 06 TSX. I didn’t have a care in the world when it came to having a dirty car, squeezing into the parking spot that was too tight, cracked windshields, or new dents/scratches on the old commuter cars.

Now my wife freaks out every time she hears a rock hit her TSX on the highway and she parks ¼ mile away from every vehicle when we go out. She even banned me for life from farting in her car and she still farts in my car! The TSX is 95% I want and 5% I need, a used Civic/Accord would suite my needs just fine (90% commuting, grocery shopping, the kid soccer practice/games).

Buying a new car is wasting money on a depreciating asset (rational side of the brain); but the damn car is soooo much fun (emotional side of brain that won out).

In the end, the TSX is just a car and there will be a new one at every dealership for the next 20 years. I would make the decision the whole family will benefit from in the long run. The extra money you save could pay for a great vacation on a warm sandy beach during the long cold snowy Chicago winters.

 

That's gonna hurt if you have to hold your fart after a long trip.

 

Yeah, I'm in Real Estate and buyer's remorse sucks! Say good bye to your earnest money!

 

 

I can tell you right now, i'm not "one of those people".


I researched the TSX a lot before I went into that dealership. In fact, I had been all around looking at my options. I'm not an inpulse buyer. I actually spent a few weeks looking at the TSX, among others before making my final decision. The salesman had nothing to do with the purchase. He was just the guy offering me the best price on a TSX. I paid $26,100 for a non Navi 06' with wheel locks.


It really came down to me not looking into the raw financial numbers over the long haul. I just got stuck on the idea that I was buying a $25,000+ car, and I don't think I gave enough of a look at the Civic. In hindsight, I just feel I could have bought the Civic, and probably been happy enough while saving thousands of dollars. Like I said, i'm not a hardcore car guy. I like nice cars, but i'm NEVER going to mod them one bit, and i'm not taking this thing to the strip anytime soon. In fact, I can honestly say that I don' think my TSX has seen the redline once in it's first 5,000 miles.

You could almost say I drive like a grandmother. I do enjoy the roar of the TSX engine when you push it, but I don't really drive fast just for the sake of driving fast.


For those of you who are wondering why I don't just get myself into another used car. I'm very concerned with safety, and i've realized that owning a newer car is much safer than some 96' Civic or Accord. So, with that in my mind I now feel like I have to owner a newer car with all the newer safety features. The Civic, and TSX both have very good crash ratings.

 

May I suggest you keep the TSX for a little while longer and see if you still feel this way a few months down the road. Don't compound the problem by making a poor financial decision to make up for a poor financial decision.

 

Its already 5k miles used keep it and enjoy it... Don't trade for pos civic... you will see at least 500,000 civics on the road soon..

 

I didn't mean to imply that you were an impulse buyer. In fact I would guess that you are like a lot of people who will do mega-research before buying a big dollar purchase. There's nothing wrong with that. But when you do make a decision it's time for phase II. Enjoy your new "whatever" and stop second guessing yourself. I don't know you personally but I do know buyer's remorse when I hear it. I'm just saying since you've already made your decision to buy the TSX enjoy your new ride. Regret is an emotional condition that can be and should be avoided at all cost. Besides, I think, it's boring as hell and not the path to take to enjoying your life.

 

I appreciate the suggestion. It's really a good way of looking at it.

The only problem is i've been thinking about this for a solid month now already. Now i'm starting to get to the point of taking action, so I posted this thread about it. The new 07' Civics are showing up at dealers right now.


One thing I haven't noticed is anyone trying to convince me to keep the TSX based on long term reliability. Is there any reason to believe a TSX K24 is gonna keep ticking longer than a Civic 1.8L?

 

Hey, they are both Honda engines. A mute point. If you were going to talk long term engine reliabilty with an American car, we would be all over that like flies on shit.

 

congrats on the new purchase, but you could've at least sprung for the si sedan ... good luck inspiring any type of driving excitement with that thing. seriously though, financially it makes sense