jdibella

Well, I first want to say hello to everyone as i'm new to this board..

Second, I just recently lost my 2000 Accord V6 EX in a accident (not my fault) and i've recently came across the Acura TSX. I'm really starting to like this car. I came across this website because this evening I was looking at my July issue of Motor Tred and it stated that the TSX runs 0-60 in 7.9. This was FAR to hard to believe for me. The only thing I could think of was that the cars were new and they had to break in engines and Acura wouldn't allow them to beat on it. :-/

Anyways, I had a few questions that I hope some of you can answer for me:

1) What do you think of your car overall? Handling, performance, roominess, the looks ya get :-)

2) What kind of price did you get it for. I was looking for maybe something like 26,500 out the door for a 6mt/NoNavi or at most 27,000. What do you guys think of this? Let me know if it's to high or to low.

3) Are they readily available or am I going to have to wait months to get it? I'm out of a car right now and i'm going to have 15 grand to put down on a new car, so i'd like to leave the dealership or at least within a week be able to get the vehicle. Is this going to be possible or am I wasting my time? I know the car is in limited production, but are there actually people waiting? The wait for a Accord V6 6MT is about 2 1/2 months. Ridiculous!

4) I was also considering a 2004 Accord V6 Coupe 5AT. Would this be a better car when it comes to luxury/performance or does it not even compare to an Acura. I was looking at the standard features of the car and I really like the HIDs, Homelink, Moonroof, etc. The features are very similar to the Accord, but the 360 Watt Sound System and HIDs really stick out in my mind. Plus the fact that car just looks really good..

Hope I can get some answers to these questions and I just want to say I have taken a look at alot of your cars and they are really nice.

Color i'm interested in is the Carbon Greay Peal with Quartz Leather interior. The interior wouldn't really matter to me i'd be happy with the black.

larchmont

Welcome. Too bad about your Accord, hope you didn't get hurt. Sounds like you might be very satisfied with the TSX. I give it a thumbs up on all the things you mention. There has been some disagreement on "roominess," but most people feel it's real good for what size car it is, and I agree.

Your price is very possible, or at least in the ballpark. Depends a lot on where you are. You have a better chance to get a deal in some regions than others. Maybe check the forum of the area where you are, and see if they're saying anything. If they're not, you can start a new thread and ask about it. (Check the bottom portion of the main forums listings, under "Regional Divisions.")

Length of wait also varies a lot according to region. In my opinion it also varies somewhat according to how good a deal you got -- the less you're supposed to pay, the longer the wait might be. That's not supposed to happen, but I think it does. Most people seem to have to wait at least a month. But sometimes you might find what you want in stock, right at the dealer.

The Accord Coupe is a great competitor for the TSX, maybe the closest comp in a lot of ways. Less "luxurious," but superior in some areas of performance. Not as agile or sporty, though. And, most people think, not as much fun. But maybe try them both. Some people prefer the Coupe.

tehCOW

meh, we have so many threads with people asking what we owners think of the car. try browsing the forum for a little bit. also try searching. anyways:

1. i think 2 people on this site have taken their TSX to an auto cross event. they both said the car handled pretty nice. here is the link for one event (even has pix) http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/show...&threadid=2098 . As for proformance, the car has 60/40 weight distrubtion, engine is just right IMO. The car has lots of room, just a tad smaller than the accord 4dr and it has a 60/40 split fold down rear seats. trunk is big.

2. price, 26.5k out the door is very hard. i got a good deal in the bay area (california). i think 27.5 to 28k out the door is more reasonable. Remeber this car is in pretty high demand.

3. Many people on this website waited for thier cars. I got lucky and got my car the same day.

4. the accord is nice, but the tsx handles better. the accord will win in straigh lines, but the tsx will beat the accord in corners. the 360watt stereo system is good. The HID lights rock.


if you are only comparing the TSX to the accord right now... get the TSX

Brad

1). Can't answer that. Mine has been on order since late June.

2). What part of the country are you in? MSRP with destination (but not OTD) is just under $27K. It seems that people are getting $500-1000 off MSRP, although a few (in OK or TX or somewhere) reportedly got $1500 off. A $26500 final OTD sounds exceptionally good, given the car's short supply and high demand. My state adds sales tax and registration, which bring my OTD price about $28K (for 6MT No Navi).

3). Yes and No. Some are readily available, and some are not. In my area, the Carbon Grey with Black (my choice) is in tight supply). I might have to wait 'til December or January if a dealer trade doesn't appear sooner. Ask your dealer. You might surprised.

4). Some people report rattles from their stereo.

jdibella

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to reply..

I live in the South East Region in Palm Coast, Florida (Just north of Daytona Beach) We have about 5 Acura dealers within 70 miles of me so i'm going to try Acura of Orange Park first in Jacksonville. I'm really interested in the Carbon Grey color, I feel that color is very clean looking. I'm sure there is another color I would get as well but that one just really stuck out. Anyways, thanks for all your responses and if anyone knows what they're going for, how available they are in the south east region, please let me know! Thanks!

captainjack

You and about 25% of us. Carbon Grey is proving to be the most popular color. This could prolong your wait. If you like any other colors, strongly consider them.

Good luck.

Santacruz

You're fortunate to have 5 dealers in relative proximity. It'll help in bargaining and in getting the Carbon Gray. Both however may prove to be a bit difficult since the TSX is popular and Carbon Gray is what most people seem to be choosing. That said you should be able to negotitiate a good deal by using the $15K to let dealers know how serious you are and then get the dealers in your area to compete with each other. $26,500 is VERY "doable" for a 6MT w/o Nav.

LeMasseHammer

We've got a lot in common. I bought a CG/Quartz/Non-navi and my girlfriend drives an '03 Accord Coupe EX 5MT. If you want detailed comparison, maybe PM me, or check out some of my previous comparison posts.

Given Florida's sales tax rate, I'd say $27,000 OTD is possible, but $27,500-$28,000 is more likely. Mine was $28,800 and I waited about 10 days to get it (no complaints here, on either account).

TSX handling is excellent (and will be better when you get some summer tires on there). The 6MT is sweet. Roominess is perfect (I'm 6'4" and I like to golf). Plenty of power/torque, but the 7.9 sec figure is pretty close to accurate -- this is not a neck snapper -- but the gas mileage is good.

You won't go wrong with the Accord Coupe V6, but unless you gotta have that V6, the TSX is clearly the better choice for driving enjoyment.

jdibella

Well, i'm not looking for neck snapping speed, but I want to be sure that if I wanted to pass someone i'd have no problem doing it Do you all think that I should shoot for the NAVI or should I just say forget about it. I dont have any NEED for it, it would just be a toy for me.

I'm hoping I could get it for 27k out the door because I think i'd be most satisfied with having a 12k loan. I maybe able to get a little more to put down, who knows.

I'm not sure if i'm to fond of the new styling of the Accord so I dont know if I could go for that. I would really prefer the 6MT but that seems to be out of the question so I came across the TSX and it is everything I would love in a vehicle. 4 Doors, 6MT and quick and luxury looking. It sounds like everyone is enjoying theres as well.

Brad

GOOD, there's competition. Before you visit the dealers, visit their Web sites and request quotes via email (to get it in print). I would expect all to want your business; some are more motivated than others. The quoted price plus sales tax and registration and a modest $50 doc fee should comprise your out-the-door price.

Visit a dealer or two and request a "Review Deal" sheet that shows you all costs including the final out-the-door price. WATCH OUT (sorry for shouting) for dealer fees. That's where ~~some~~ dealers try to--and often do--milk their customers. Some call it extortion, whereby the dealer is writing up the final sales contract and they happen to add $300-500 for "fees" that "should" be overhead--not a direct charge on your sales contract. Examples of phony fees include "advertising fees" and "dealer association fees". (Do a search on "extortion" to see other messages I have written about this.)

(I've often wondered if the tradition dates back to mobster days, when mobsters sunk or laundered their ill-earned income into legitimate businesses--like car dealerships--but they continued some of the extortion and racketeering tactics (boldface lies that additional fees are required) that we see today at some dealerships?)

Always remember that you--not the salesperson--are in the driver's seat.

idx

Welcome fellow Floridian!

1) Absolutely love the car. Sure there are minor things that could be better, but as a whole its a great car for the price.

2) Just over 30k (with tax/tag/etc.) (5AT with Nav).

3) It depends. I haven't seen a CG at any of the 3 dealerships I went to (Regal, Fountain and Palm Beach), but you never know what's coming in soon. I started by looking at a used TL on 7/31, then saw the TSX and was very interested. Wasted a few weeks with Regal and their lack of response then spoke with Fountain but they didn't have the color I was looking for. Then ended up driving down to PB for the buy on 8/23. Was the exact car I wanted for a decent price. (considering their availability) As other's have said: get all your figures from the internet, email them for an online quote then get a review sheet at the dealership. None of the 3 were budging from their "dealer fees" of $299-399, stating its a FL requirement. Sounds like BS to me, but see if they're willing to reduce the fee. (you can probably get one of them to bump the car price down to offset the fee) Also, get an itemized list of any accessories you want. Depending on the item, you'll probably be better off purchasing through hondacuraworld.com . (better yet - wait around here for a group buy and get it for even less)

4) Same here. I drove a 2003 v6 sedan (? LX I believe) right after the TSX and it didn't compare. The accord just felt cheaper and sloppier on the road. (not to mention the lack of HID, etc.. etc..) Had a litttle more punch than the TSX, but the engine and nominal extra passenger room wasn't enough to convince me.


As for CG: I really like the color and it would have been my first choice, but just like Black, it takes more work to keep it looking good.

Nav? If you have the cash, go for it. Around town its not that useful, but its pretty cool otherwise. (even in nearby towns like Orlando/Winter Park since I don't know them inside-out.) Although, the voice controls are really cool and handy once you learn them.

-r

jdibella

Well, i've put in a few dealer quote requests and gotten alot of responses. If I wanted a Satin Silver Metallic in 6MT with Ebony interior it would be in probably about mid to late October :/ That would be fine if I had a vehicle right now, but I dont have a vehicle.

The guy told me if I wanted an Automatic I could get into a Carbon Grey next week! I dont think I would settle for an auto though, i'm very interested in a 6spd Manual. This was just one dealership though so i'm waiting for responses from others. I'll keep everyone posted, but until then keep it up!

Brad

I would be dieing to know what kind of delivery dealers are currently promising (speculating) for CG 6MT Non-Navi. In August, I was told the mine has been scheduled for November production. I guess delivery may be December-January.

kurt_bradley

Brad,

Just curious from what you said earlier in this thread. You said you have a car "on order" from June. Are you sure? If a dealer were to order you a car, which they don't do (it takes way to long and they aren't ordered one at a time, on demand...they're done every couple months in bulk), you should have already had it arrive. Usually the MOVE on cars is done with a 6-week advance notice. So if a car were to be ordered to have a build date 6 weeks from that date and have 30 days of transit time to make it to your dealer, it should have arrived or be arriving no later than the middle of this month. Not only would ordering it not make sense, the dealer could always just do a locate on it and do a dealer trade and get the car in a much more timely manner. Acquiring the car by this method is the normally practiced method for dealers, being that it is much more efficient. If you've agreed to terms on the price of the car and handed them a deposit, you should not have been waiting this long to get it. You should be driving one.

I just figured I'd throw that in. It seems a little odd.

darth62

It is nice to have you posting here, Kurt. You always have the inside scoop, and the information you provide is very helpful.

kurt_bradley

Thanks for the re-assurance. I like to help whenever I can. It just sucks that there are some people out there that give my profession a bad reputation. I'm a car nut too, I figure it helps having an insider at the same time.

XPLORx4

jdibella- If you can get the color you want when you want it, you will probably be more satisfied with the TSX than the Accord.

In your first post, you mentioned that you're considering the Accord V6-5AT. The TSX has both a 6MT and a 5AT, but the TSX's 5AT has a sport-shift feature which makes the TSX AT more fun to drive than a standard AT (like in the Accord). So if you need a car right away (i.e. can't wait for a TSX 6MT), you're probably still better off getting a TSX AT than an Accord.

The TSX definitely has ample power to pass. While it's 0-60 times may not be stellar relative to the competition, I find that it's performance is definitely more than adequate at highway speeds. Using the sportshift mode of the AT helps, too.

Why don't you take a TSX AT for a test ride and see what you think? Don't be shy about using the sportshift feature. (Pretend it's a manual.)

Other items to note:
The HIDs are great. They really provide an amazing amount of light, not only forward but to the sides as well.
The stereo (for non-audiophiles) is reasonably good. Audio fanatics generally don't like it very much, though.
The remote-controlled window roll-down feature is really nice too, especially in hot weather.

jdibella

I guess my main problem is the power issue. I feel that at least with a 6MT that it would compensate for the amount of power lost in the engine.

I had a 200 Accord V6 and it was pretty peppy when I wanted it to be. I have considered the 2004 Accord 5AT and also the 2003 Accord 6MT as i've had a few dealer quotes on silver and red ones. What do you all think of this? I know i'm asking alot of questions but i'm really just confused about all of this :-/ I've had people tell me that the TSX isn't that powerful and so fourth and that is something i'm going to have to figure out for my self. :-/ I'm not to thrilled about the wait either.

darth62

The TSX is about as quick as the 2000 Accord V6. The current accords v6s will, of course, be quicker than both.

Brad

Oh ja, man. It's VERY odd! It's called Murphy's Law.

It's a little confusing, and I hope that I can recite it correctly.

The dealership management made a series of errors. The Sales Manager went on vacation, and someone who filled in for that person did not pay attention (as in FORGOT or ignored big time!) to what customers had ordered. Besides ignoring customers' orders, the person who ordered the cars made some MAJOR errors in ordering which committed them to receiving something like two month's of their allotment all in the same color for all models. That effectively blocked out customers' orders from being accepted. A higher level manager could have "groveled" to HQ to beg them fix the orders, but that person refused to. As a result, customers are forced to suffer by way of delays. It's sad that upper management refused to "do right by the customer".

Although I placed my deposit at the end of June, I suspect my order couldn't be entered into the system until August. It's an extremely unfortunate situation.