HairyMonkey019

iTrader: (7)

***Admins, please do not move as this is for my TSX members to help me out with.***

OK, so my girlfriend will be looking for a car in the summer and I will be helping her. She doesn't know much about cars and I am her best help to find one for her. Gf has been using a GMC Yukon for the past 3 years as a daily and kills her wallet just because of gas, so now it's time for a change.

What she wants:
4 door
automatic (so her mom can drive it )
great on gas
minimal problems i.e. low cost in maintenance

First thing that came to my mind was the 3g TL, but since it's a 6cylinder and may have issues w/ the tranny in the years 04-05 it was pretty much a no, especially with possibly getting one with a crap tranny.

Now the 1g TSX, hits all those requirements and would be fun to mod if she lets me lol. I've already been in a TSX and love the interior compared to my old ass TL and the body is just gorgeous.

Questions:

-Francis

timeizmoney22

You can find all this out by simply searching the forums as this has all been discussed on here and the "other tsx forum". My advice would be to get an 06-08 tsx as they're less problematic but the 04-05 are nice too. Transmission is pretty solid on these cars unlike the TL/CL/Accords of early 2000's

fbt

Sounds like she wants a Toyotoa Corolla

mrgold35

I would stick with the 06-08 TSX 5AT with Navi. The only thing about the TSX is the tech that was luxury on the 06 is pretty much standard on Honda/Nissan/Toyota now. Those vehicles even use reg gas and get better gas mileage with very little drop in HP.

You might have a bigger selection looking for 09-11 Honda Accord sedan/coupe for the same price or cheaper, similar features I-4 or even V-6 power, and half the mileage on it compared to 06-08 TSX.

Simba91102

GMC Yukon as a DD for 3 years? What's up with that? Got a huge dog? 3 huge dogs? 5 kids? Moves pianos on the side? Took 3 years to notice it got around 6 MPG? Kidding of course, and no crticism, just thinking . . . The Corolla suggestion wasn't far off, but I'd suggest a Honda Civic or a Subaru Imprezza. The first gen cars are getting old, and anyone who has been here for a long time knows that it's all about regular maintenance with them. With it they can go forever. Without it? Not so much. Most of them that are for sale now probably need a bunch of stuff whether they were taken care of or not. Since it sounds like it really wouldn't make a ton of difference, you can probably serve her needs better by suggesting she look elsewhere.

HairyMonkey019

iTrader: (7)

lol, yes 3 years. She wasn't able to get another car as it was given to her by her dad. Long story short, she can get a new car now rather than dumping so much money into gas. She's pretty much not going to look haha, I am. I will take the 8th gen accords into consideration though.

I also knew I could search the thread, but didn't want to spend so much time looking for answers when I can have the knowledgeable members tell me the bigger points.

Thinking about it now, I should have just said I was looking for a new car rofl.

redpoint

To answer your questions:

Paint is a problem area on all years. It's thin and prone to chipping. People also complain about the brakes, but I don't have a problem since I downshift and rarely use the brakes.

87 octane can safely be run in the car, and there is no difference in fuel economy. I ran 87 octane for 3 years, and the past 1 year started running 89 octane. Keeping meticulous fuel records, I have found zero difference in fuel economy. That said, the lower 87 octane prevents the engine from advancing the timing as much as it would on higher octanes. The result is a very slight decrease in torque.

As others have said, go with an '06-'08. The '05 added an aux audio input I believe, and the '06 added Bluetooth and a few extra HP. After that, the car remained the same.

The TSX doesn't easily lend itself to turbo charging, as there are no kits offered. However, there are some super charger kits.

Since girls generally go for cuteness and comfort over handling, I would suggest any modern Japanese car. I doubt she would appreciate the firm suspension and handling of the TSX. It's also a bit noisy. Perhaps a Civic, Corolla, Mazda 3...

Aman

This. Us as car guys can appreciate everything something like a TSX has to offer, but it sounds like your girlfriend wants a car that'll just mind its own business. I say get the newest Civic or Corolla she can.

stevejojo

I'd definitely recommend the TSX. Avoid 04. Preferably not an 05. 06+ are the best.

They're very reliable as long as you keep up with regular maintenance. I'd also not recommend tuning it too hard. I'd say the intake/header/Hondata combo is as much as anyone should go on a FWD set up. The car is already very balanced, which makes it more fun to drive than the torque-steery TL. You can easily upset it by putting too much power to the front wheels.

Suspension mods are a different story :-)

HairyMonkey019

iTrader: (7)

Sorry to burst your bubble but i opened up my options more and she now owns a 2004 es330 and imo best choice over the other cars. The car is at 113k and we got it for a steal. I did plenty of research and the car has no mechanical issues our transmission problems. Compared to the tsx the es takes the cake on luxury.

NBP04TL4ME

Congrats! I'm sure you know the ES330 and a 1G TSX aren't even anywhere in the same category.

HairyMonkey019

iTrader: (7)

Thank you!
They really aren't. I compared it to my friend's TSX and it just blows my mind as to what you get for almost the same price.

Story as to how the car was meant for her:

I searched for many more options for her that included the corolla, matrix, mazda 3, mazda 6, etc. Then I thought about a lexus and the ES, I never really liked them, but I thought why not if the price is right. I looked into them and sure enough 3.3 liters + 210hp+240lb of torque+ 29 mpg on the highway, I wanted to find her one.

I searched all over craigslist but didn't find any good es330, until I changed the search from "es330" to "es 330" I found one for a price lower than all the other ones. It was posted 27 days before hand and figured I'd contact the guy to see the car next day. Girlfriend and I go in the morning and check it out, we like it but didn't have cash on hand. We couldn't go to the bank to withdraw it as it was on a Sunday. The guy had an older lady coming in that day and said he'll hold on to the car for us if we leave a $300 deposit. Went to the bank and left him $300. Next day picked up the key and did all the paper work.

The car is a millenium silver w/ gray interior and California redwood trim(which is the only trim I wanted)
I also did an LED interior swap and debadged the rear. Headlights are also rebuffed and look way better than when we got it.
My favorite part of the car is AUTO EVERYTHING even a rear sunshade!

NBP04TL4ME

Congrats again! We had the same in Blue with navigation and the Mrs loved it. She has an 07 ES350 today.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

nice pick up!

Boulder TSX

[QUOTE="Sorry to burst your bubble but i opened up my options more and she now owns a 2004 es330 and imo best choice over the other cars. The car is at 113k and we got it for a steal. I did plenty of research and the car has no mechanical issues our transmission problems. Compared to the tsx the es takes the cake on luxury."[/QUOTE]

Exactly right...two completely different cars. The TSX is a sports sedan, with much sharper handling, steering and an emphasis on fun-to-drive. (Hence it won Car & Driver's 10 Best Cars award 3 years in a row, 2004, 05, 06).

The ES is a tame, quiet highway car, sold mostly to people over 50. It is essentially a Toyota Camry.

My Mom has an 05 ES 330, and I have driven it extensively. It has slightly more HP than the TSX, but with its added weight, the 0-60 is not as good as the TSX. (Look it up.) Car & Driver got a time of 8.2 seconds with the ES, and 7.2 seconds with the TSX. A quote from the Car & Driver review: "Can't provoke even a twitch of excitement. Now, if Lexus could just dial in a bit of ride control, because wallowing and floating like an old land yacht is no longer a desirable luxury trait."

While I agree that the ES is perfect for my Mom, with its soft ride, my parents actually think the TSX is a nicer car. (Such things are subjective.)

As for luxury, in comparing the two cars, the ES does have nicer leather, (and a softer ride)...I will readily admit that. But other than that, I don't see how the ES has more luxury or more features. The TSX has several features that the ES does not, such as voice-activated climate controls & NAV, XM radio, (and with 06-08 models; bluetooth handsfree calling, iPod hookup)...

Sorry to take issue with your statement, but I could not let it go unchallenged.

With all that said, the ES is a nice car that should satisfy your girlfriend's listed requirements, and like the TSX it should last a long time. Congratulations!

HairyMonkey019

iTrader: (7)

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

I chose to go non navi for the fact that they are outdated and can easily be upgraded to something better and up-to-date. So I don't care for much of the bluetooth/ipod/handsfree calling.

The ES330 is also slower due to the lag it is known to have because of the drive by wire, but I still have enjoy it because it pulls weight easily.

Remember the 04 es is a generation that started in 2001 and is an ENTRY level luxury sedan, whereas the TSX was started in 2004.

But things that I like about the ES that the TSX doesn't have:
-4 Auto windows
-Auto moon roof
-Power Lumbar support adjustment (This will be memorized with seat settings)
-Angle adjustable headrests
-Rear access to trunk
-Quiet/soft ride (I like this because I sometimes get tired of being in stiff and loud cars)
-Superior interior all around espcially the wood grain steering wheel, wood grain shift knob, and wood grain on the gauges
-240 lbs of torque (TSX may have vtec, but I love torque)
-No major mechanical problems. TSX's I know are known to have AC compressors go out and I found too many with that problem.
-Courtesy lights on all 4 doors
-Footwell lights
-Fog lights already there
-Hood strut... surprisingly only uses 1
-Rear air vents


And the #1 thing I love about lexus- Full size spare tire.

Boulder TSX

I can understand restricting your budget (and search) to 2004 TSXs, but that does make your statements true about all 1G TSXs. For example 2006, 07 & 08 TSXs come with fog lights. They also have memory seat settings.

The 2006-08 models also do not have any problem with A/C compressors, (nor do 2005 models). It was a defective A/C unit problem only in the 2004 models. (Look it up -- it is well covered in this forum.) And with that said, the TSX has no major mechanical problems.

The TSX is also drive by wire.

The TSX has rear air vents -- under the front seats, aiming at the rear passengers' legs, (just as the rear vents in the ES do, except that the TSX has two vents, instead of one sitting between the rear seats).

Not sure what you mean by rear access to the trunk...but in the TSX you can access it from the back seat (with a key) and from the trunk lid button.

I agree with you about the Nav...I don't have it either, for the same reasons.

Lastly, I can't imagine why anyone would "not care for" handsfree calling. It is safer and easier. The caller's name and number shows up on the center gauge area, you can always answer by hand...but as anyone would agree, it is safer to tap the button on the steering wheel than to take you eyes off the road to find the phone and answer -- or to dial. (And you can dial with your voice, accessing contacts by name.)

Sirius XM and ipod hook up are features that for most people would trump footwell lights and angled head rests, (as many people add them to their cars with aftermarket kits).

Again, I hope you and your girlfriend enjoy the ES. My mom loves hers enough to have kept it for 10 years.

mrgold35

Congrats on the new ride!

I like my 06 TSX; but, I like to call my TSX a "4-door sport coupe". My wife would have picked a Lexus vehicle if we would have gone to the dealership years ago. Lexus pretty much out sells Acura about 10 to 1 in NM. I just never showed her any of those vehicles because I like Acura so much. After +8 years with the TSX (A-spec suspension+Progress RSB), RDX (Eibach springs) and now MDX (adv+ 20" tires); she now prefers the sharper handling over luxurious ride after riding in her sister's (IS250), friends (ES350) and co-worker's (LX 470) Lexus.