Zardoz

Hi everyone, I'm new to the board.

I'm looking to get a new car. The TSX definitely caught my eye.

I reeeeeally want to get one, but.......there are 2 other cars that even when decking the things out are still about $4,000 less than the TSX (without the navigation system).

TSX vs. 2 Others

All of these are good cars & around the same specs (engine, dimensions). Forget all the "luxury" the TSX has and just go with how solidly built the car is. That's my main concern.

What are the TSX's pros, cons and things of that nature.

dom

ClutchPerformer

You're right. They are all good cars. But your second sentence hints that you should forget about the TSX because you don't need it. I think you'll be wasting your money.

Also, there's other discussion about the Scion and the 3. Search for it.

Zardoz

That's now what I meant. Sorry for the confusion.

Most people will JUST look at the options a car has and say how much better it is than other cars, just by going on that which is totally ridiculous.

I just saw that Mazda 3 discussion. Oops.

esk

You really need to test drive the cars. I drove the Mazda 3s 5spd and thought it was a POS. I haven't heard good things about the Scion either.

ClutchPerformer

Right. That's why I say the TSX is NOT better than the 3 and tC (even though it might have more "stuff"). I say get the one that serves your purposes the best. For me it was the TSX, but for you... who knows?

Zardoz

How SOLID is the car????? Do you feel safe in it????? Y'know, little things like that

Oh and.......please tell me about the sound system if you can. 360W without an external amp sounds like a big pile of b.s.

dzuy

i totally agree. it all depends on what you want in a car.

personally, here were my demands for my next car (before i bought my tsx)

1. hid (have bad eyes, and this helps tremendously)
2. wanted a manual
3. wanted four doors
4. wanted to spend under 30k

then test drive away and you'll know what car you will want.

ClutchPerformer

The car's very solid. It's heavy like a german car. I definitely feel safe. People complain about rattles, but I don't have them.

The sound system is OK. Apparently, there is an amp in the dash. It's very loud, so I'm inclined to believe the 360W, but the bass isn't very clear at high volumes. This is more of a speaker-quality issue, though. Lots of folks have replaced them and been satisfied.

You definitely need to test drive these three cars. Good luck choosing.

Bananaairsoft

I dont want to sound rude but why do people keep doing the Mazda3 vs Acura TSX! I understand they are both great cars but they are just not in the same class/field/or demographics! Drive them all. Visit all the forums for those cars. and look into your finance. I trust you will make the right decision on whichever car you will choose at the end. Happy car hunting!

esk

When I first saw the specs on the Mazda 3, I thought it might be similiar to the TSX without all the luxury. The Mazda 3 was such an incredible disappointment in all aspects. Nothing against Mazda. I love the RX-8 and would buy one if I could afford an extra car.

Viking

If you can afford the TSX get the TSX it is a better car IMO then the other two in your comparison. It has more power, better handling, ergonomics and saftey rating then the 3s, haven't seen the tC stats yet.

But it also isn't fair to the 3s or the Scion to compare it to the TSX, they are in a totally different class of cars. Since you looked at the 3s, what didn't you like about the Mazda 6?

925tsx

dude, do yourself a favor, get the tsx

nahooneyya

i drove the 3 before...YOU CAN't comapare! its in a diffrent league! plus..there are major price diffrences here...just get what u like! remember..although TSX costs more..it comes with more things...

ianS

If some noobs compare 325i to TSX then why not compare Mazda3 to TSX? at least Mazda3 is a solid up to date design that made in Japan instead of that out dated(compare to 330) inferior bmw(330 wannbe) that made in South Africa!

jjTSX

You gotta get the TSX, i was close to getting a Scion Tc before i found the TSX, in doing my research i found numerous problems with the Tc, mainly with the all glass roof. Plus the scion company has the gameplan of only having the models out for 2-3yrs, so resale will be horrible. As for the Mazda 3, its a reworked ford focus, and as we all know ford sucks. I just bought my TSX and it is rad.

jcg878

I'd suggest checking out this website - lots of good information in there: https://acurazine.com

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

There's no new advice to be given here.

However, my opinion is that you should skip the TSX and look into the tC. If you don't need the luxury, then why pay the extra for it?

Zardoz

"The car's very solid. It's heavy like a german car." -ClutchPerformer

That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Is it the TSX or RSX that's just a rebadged European Accord? Regardless, I'm sure it's solid.


"I dont want to sound rude but why do people keep doing the Mazda3 vs Acura TSX!" -Bananaairsoft

Why you son of a....! Just kidding.


925tsx, dude.....you just sold me on it.

CGTSX2004, the point I was trying to make was this: Strip away ALL the fancy things. Is it better in terms of build quality and performance compared to the others? After looking at everyone's posts, I'd say yes it is.

Looks like my 1988 Honda Accord LX will be no more come the end of the year. Too bad, because it really helped me pick-up chicks!

TommyJ25

You can't compare these vehicles. They are in different classes altogether. However, you could pick up a Scion Tc in February, with the turbo charger that brings it up to 200hp, and a lot more torque than the TSX, put some sticky tires on it, and you have a car that will play with the TSX all day. I was at a special Scion event recently, and they had one loaded with all kinds of goodies (sway, torsion bars, coilovers, 18" rims and tires, supercharger, and all of these coming from the factory with the factory warranty on them!!!!!) The price they said for one with all that stuff would run about $23,500. Maybe I will give it a second thought when that comes out.

The sound system has nowhere near 360 watts. Plus, no amplifier that could produce that much RMS wattage could be stashed easily in the dash and not require some crazy ventilation.

The system in the TSX is probably around 100-120 watts RMS. It's like the Mach systems in Fords, they are about one-third the advertised wattage when it comes to RMS. Heck, I ran 220 watts per SIDE to my MB Quart components. That is why the first thing that needs to go in the TSX is the sound system. Wish I could change the headunit, but too much of a hassle.

That is the reason why the bass sounds like crap at high volumes. One, there isn't enough power, and two, the speakers in the TSX are pretty bad. You never want an oval-shaped driver producing your low, low bass, and that is what exactly the TSX has on its rear deck. Component speakers are the way to go up front, and just get a LOC and hook up a mono amp to a simple 10-12" sub in back. Personally, I have a 10W7 ready to go in mine.

DEI99662

Out of those three cars, TSX hands down.

ClutchPerformer

It's the TSX. RSX is based on the Civic platform, I believe.

ClutchPerformer

I don't know why people keep bashing the 3 for being on the Focus platform. The Focus is a good car. It shares the same 10Best designation (C&D) that our beloved TSX does. They're actually very fun to drive (the 2 door hatchback, that is). It's good for the same reason that the TSX is: it's primarily a non-US market car. So it's frugal, handles well, and is a tidy shape and size.

BusyShifter

Yes, that is correct. It is just a fact that TSX is European Accord.

Zardoz

TommyJ25,

Thanks for the stereo info. My plan is to get a nice Alpine head unit (I had the CDA-9813), an Alpine amp and the speakers will all be Alpine Type-R's. I really hope the 6"x9" Type-R's fit in the rear, because they're huge depth-wise.

I have all Alpine Type-S speakers in my p.o.s. car now and I love the way they sound, but the R's should be better being pushed through an amp.

I also have the Panasonic C-9800U head unit, which is ridiculous as far as RMS power is concerned. They say it's 60W RMS, but it's probably more like 50. Regardless, it's like having an external amp built into the unit. The sound is pretty sweet, BUT not as clear as it was with my old Alpine deck.

jcg878

Alright, this great comment earns less of a jackassed-reply from me.

IMO, if you are willing to consider cars much less expensive than the TSX as fulfilling your needs (aka "luxury be damned!"), then I'd get one of those. The Mazda3 is a great car IMO, I'd go with that one personally

Alpina

If your budget is under $30K, get the TSX.

If your budget is under $20K, get the Mazda 3 or Scion Tc.

The old saying "you get what you pay for".

jiggaman

don't get a TSX, they are slow and rattle

khannie112

LOL, my mom's 89 Accord LX helped me pick up some hoochies in High school as well....LOL

sauceman

Indeed. I haven't read past post #2, and I'm not sure I really should waste my time if you're going to try and cross-shop a TC with a TSX. And as for the Mazda 3, another thread already discusses it through and through.

Meh, moving on.

dom

I can't believe he got this many responses. No offense to the thread starter but I can somewhat understand comparing a TSX to a Mazda 3. Afterall, they are both 4 door sedans' with a 4 banger. But a Scion Sc is a 2 door Coupe aimed at an entirely different market segment than the TSX. The question should be, Civic Si or Scion Sc.

Now if your looking only at quality then I see your point. But that doesn't make much sense. The cars are so different. so if you don't care about looks or luxury than the Accord should be also be a consideration.

rsx_r04

TSX feels more solid than the Mz3 FOR SURE. I definitely feel more safe in TSX... part of it is psychological 'cuz it has got 8 standard airbags, as opposed 2 for the Mazda3.

We don't get TC here in Canada, so can't comment on how well the car rides.

TSX also have traction control and VSA, a must for me 'cuz it rains here like 60% of the time and my commute requires me to climb steep hills.

Seeing that you live in Illinois, i gather it rains/snows there during winter? If that's the case, you can't go wrong with the TSX. If you've got the money, i'd say go for the TSX!

Good luck w/ ur decision... i know how hard it can be.

rsx_r04

Nahh... you're not being rude.

The reason why i compared these 2 cars is 'cuz there both pretty similar in terms of performance (keeping in mind that weight is your enemy), and they pretty much both handles equally well.

One is just way way WAY more luxurious than the other. You want cheap material, or do you want Acura quality? That's the question you should be asking yourself.

The answer's not as easy as one thinks...

Zardoz

This thread is so useless that it's featured on the front page. Boo-ya!

Hey, what about a TSX compared to a Neon?


khannie112,

If I drove past a highschool I'm sure picking up chicks wouldn't be a problem, but then I'd get arrested. Damn the law! Wait.....maybe there's a loophole, let me look.

sauceman

Because it is one of the more recent threads.

But we have already hurried to delete a thread, just so it wouldn't show up on front page just because it was so horrible.

So yeah, you could say this one is not that horrible. But it was definitely a waste of my time, which has me wondering how I'll ever get that time back now.

A-Q-R

what kinda comparison is that......sigh

even ppl that drives a Mazda 3 thinks that is the stupidest comparison ever

A-Q-R

OK...Mazda 3 is not a rework of the focus...man............

IMO...Mazda 3 is a good hanlding car...it handles as good as my TSX (cause we got the Mazda 3 too). As a comparison class, I don't think it falls in the same one. The TSX is a bigger car than the M3, and it got more room than the M3. The M3 should be compared with the Civic SI range and the base RSX. And after testing the SI, RSX, Scion, and Mazda 3...we went for the 3 because it feels much better and of course not as costly and it's 100% made in japan...and it got no rattling problems

sipark

Can you say the same thing for the rest of the Mz 3 in the world? I doubt it...

jjTSX

"In fact, the 3 is structurally related to the Volvo S40 and the European version of the Focus."
"yes, the Euro Focus does use the Mazda 3 platform..."

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forum/in...showtopic=7725

aascsm

I totally agree with that statement.....go with what your budget "really" wants you to have, IMO you can't compare these cars....the TSX is just an increadible value for those of us looking for sport luxury under 30k...if you budget is around $20 something then go for one of the others.......different strokes..etc...