Hello everyone. My name is Matt im a avid member over at G35driver.com. My reason for posting over here is I’m at the stage in my life where I need to make some big changes and for a number of reasons, my G35 coupe isn’t the most practical car for me to be driving while making these big decisions. I am 21 years old, goto school full time and work full time. I will be graduating in a year so I am trying to invest money anyway I can but gas and insurance (I don’t have a car payment because my car got paid off when my grandmother passed away she left me 20k which allowed me to pay my loan.)) is killing me. I live in MA where we get slammed on insurance, but for my perfect driving record at my age I should not be paying 3k a year for an 04 G35. Most of the reason is the car I drive, and since I can't beat the state I may just have to sell the car and look for something with 4 doors.

Now I was never a 4-door fan but something about a white TSX really appeals to me. I have a few questions about the car. First how will getting out of an 04 g35 coupe and getting into a used (prob 05) TSX affect my insurance. The last time I talked to them they said a BIG part of why I am paying so much is because the car has 2 doors. Also how does it do on gas mileage? I have a 6 spd right now but I think If I do go with the TSX I will be going with an automatic for this reason, which brings me to my last question, can the car get out of its own way when it needs to? I did some research and dug up the number and found the TSX is 200hp with 167 torque. Now I have had 2 cars thus far in my life, an 01 IS300 and an 04 G35. Since the G is faster than both can anyone compare the power of an IS300 to a TSX for me, because I know what that car feels like. And lastly, how is the reliability of this car? I know its a Honda, and I know their built very high quality but is their any common problems with these cars? (I know their is plenty with the G35). Thanks guys for taking the time to read all that, I look forward to your replies, thanks in advance.

 

Nice car man! And welcome to the forum!

1) I think you should swap cars with me flat out
2) You insurance will go down significantly. Because of the four doors, the safety of the TSX, and price of the TSX compared to the G.
3) You will probably get a lot better gas mileage a) because your driving style will change (see next point) and b) because of the 4 banger.
4) I drove the IS alot before I decided on the TSX. And there is a very significant difference, the 215 horses in 6 cylinders of the Lexus engine is much stronger. You can def feel the difference.

 

Relative to the G35 the insurance on a TSX should be much lower. I went from a 91 Integra 5MT to an 04 TSX 5AT and my insurance pretty much stayed the same. Maybe someone from your state (what state do you live in?) can chime in. Also, there is a thread about how much folks are paying for insurance. Search on "insurance" in thread titles and you'll find it.

Powerwise, the TSX can "get out of its own way" but its nowwhere as powerful as the G35. If you're into neck snapping acceleration then you'll definitely miss your G35. Mileage doesn't differ much between the AT and MT (maybe 1mpg difference) so don't let that factor alone dissuade you from the MT. The MT is much quicker and more fun to drive. If you need the AT for other reasons then don't worry. I have the AT and find it plenty fast enough for me. A few mods (intake, header, hondata reflash on 04 only thus far) will make it even faster.

Acura is a very reliable brand overall. If you look in the problems & fixes subforum you'll find complaints about annoying creaks and rattles but they are minor for the most part. Also, I suspect that the 05 models are a bit better at that than the first run 04 models.

Are you shopping for a new 05 model or do you have a used one in mind. In either case, do go and test drive a new 06 at your dealership. They are a bit more powerful but handle the same and you'll also feel the difference between the AT and MT versions.

Welcome to AZine and good luck.

 

Another big key here is to re-shop your insurance! I'm not totally familiar with how MA insurance works, but I gotta imagine that another company is willing to undercut your current rate just to steal your business. That's how it was for me.

Spend some quality phone time with these guys. If you're a student, you can even spare some 9-5 time to do it during their business hours when they'd love to talk to you. Shop all the major brands and then some! As I switched from my Benz to my TSX, I moved from GEICO to Liberty Mutual, who undercut the big gecko by over $400/year, after GEICO had undercur everyone else. I too am young and do not have a perfect record (not bad, not perfect), but comparison shopping insurance has saved me ample $$ on this decision. Ask for their rates for your current car AND for an 05 TSX. Spend enough time with them and they'll tell you anything.

 

First off, welcome!

Second, just call your insurance company and tell them you might be switching cars, and you'd like a quote on a TSX. If they need a VIN #, just look one up online. Since you are still under 25, your insurance will still be relatively high, nothing you can do about it except keep a clean record and not drive a coupe.

Third, the search button is your best friend in finding quite a bit of info on the car.

Go take a test drive of the TSX to see if you like it. There's less power than in a G35, but other features make up for it IMO. If you don't feel the TSX's power is adequate, maybe try the G35 sedan and get a quote on that as well, because just going to 4 doors might drop your insurance significantly.

If you get a new car, you'll have car payments, which you don't have now. So make sure the drop in insurance with a TSX makes up for the payments, or you're doing yourself a disservice.

 

You might want to stick it out 1 more year. When you turn 22, your insurance goes down bigtime. I know mine did.

Besides, going from a 3.5 V6 to an overacheiving 2.4 would be a significant downgrade powerwise. For me, it was actually an upgrade in torque since I came out of a 1.8 Integra. I'm worried the extra refinement from the TSX's overall quality compared to the G35's might not be enough to compensate a 21 year-old.

 

Go take a test drive. It will answer most of your questions about the car. As for the insurance, call your company and ask them to give you a quote based on your current coverage if you were to change to a TSX. That will let you compare apples to apples.

 

In the insurance thread, there is on poster who is an insurance agent on colorado. he might be able to help you. i can't remember his name, but he claims to save people a substantial amount of money on their insurance.

Some companies give you discounts for being with them for a while also, so you might want to consider that when shopping companies. If it's the case that you live with your parents, I'd consider getting on the policy along with them....and shift the "primary" driver of each car around so it's the Optimum scenario.

For instance, when I lived at home our car fleet was:

1997 Chevrolet Blazer (Own) - 18 Year old Sister as Primary Driver
1998 Chevrolet Malibu (Own) - Mother as Primary Driver
1989 BMW 528i (Own) - Father as Primary Driver
1991 Nissan Sentra (Own) - 26 Year Old sister as Primary Driver (2 speeding tickets, 1 accident)
1996 Toyota Corolla (Car Loan) - 23 yr old male as primary driver

The sentra was the car i drove, but since my sister was cheaper to be on the sentra because of her history, and the corolla required comprehensive because of the car loan, my insurance agent listed me as the primary on it.

playing this shuffle could save a fortune, and it's completely legal.

 

As far as I know, there is no significane in the insurance world to turning 22.

not sure what happened in your case that it went down.

 

How about we trade cars? (no joke) I'm in Mass

 

 

Maybe Black_6spd is a she? I think the insurance drop rate for women happens earlier than for men, right?

G35DRVR280, definitely drive the TSX and see if it has adequate power for your tastes. Hans007 also went from a G35C to a TSX, so you can PM him and ask about his experiences.

 

It wont be a new TSX, Ive been lookin at ebay, I can prob pick up an 05 used with 25k miles for about 24k. My car will sell for around 28k (I have 18k miles), and I will part it out before I sell it, that will put another 5k or so in my pocket (more if I sell my stereo and not put in it my new car, but that prob wont happen )


How old are you and how much is your policy if you dont mind me asking? and where is your car parked at night (that plays a big role also) (i live north of boston in a suburb)

Geico doesn't service Mass. In Mass you can't shop around. Here their is no shopping around for car insurance, this state sucks! My sister drives an RSX-S, shes 24 and her policy is even more than mine and shes only had one traffic stop for 81 in a 65 over 2 damn years ago. Im gonna call my insurance company and ask them for a quote with a TSX.

 

yeah....when they start driving! ready for a sexist comment? i'm not sexist but this is true......

women's insurance rates are cheaper. why? statistically speaking, they get in less accidents than men.

now, this is just a hunch, but anyone who lives with signficiant others or is married knows that when we drive anywhere, the guy usually drives (sorry for the sexism ladies). now, of course, if guys are always driving, guys are going to get in more accidents.

i think it's unfair. i wish some day, they would just switch to selling insurance in mileage blocks, so that people who drive the most pay more, and people who drive less pay less.

i'm happily uninsured currently since i don't own a vehicle! so my girlfriend's insurance covers the TSX since she's the owner. whoohooo

i'm not aware of women getting a discount prior to 25. as far as i know (i'm no expert), the first discount is at 25. if anything, at 22, you graduated college and lost the "good student" discount.

 

I am 26 years old and I believe I pay $1300-$1500 (gotta check again)

I park it in a suburb west of Boston.

So do you want to trade???

 

In PA these things stay on your record for 3 years, and fines in a 65 are doubled, which means she got double points unless she argued down the points (which you can almost always do). that's why she's suffering so much.

 

so a used TSX at 25,000 miles for 24,000.

For approximately $5,000 more, you get brand new, more HP, bluetooth, better navi, power passenger seat, memory seats, heated seats (did past have this?), fog lights, and some other features....plus 25,000 less miles!

this seems like a no brainer for me. these cars hold their value too well to be buying a used 2005. plus, the 2005 came out when? approximately a year ago? and the guy put 25,000 miles on it in a year? i'd wanna know how he was driving that!

 

Huh?

What's to prevent you from calling or visiting a different insurance company and asking for their rates?

I know Massachusetts is pretty left wing, but they're not THAT socialist... yet... :communist

 

i doubt he means "cant" literally. i hope he means that all insurance companies are the same. which is highly unlikely. even in NJ there are some competitive rates. Just because your state has high insurance doesn't mean you can't negotiate with them.

research it and find out what discounts are available and how you could qualify for them. find out what changing your deduct. would do. there's plenty of ways to get insurance cheaper. companies will want good business if they can get it. make them compete.

 

Everyone gets the same rates in Massachusetts which is why some insurance companies like State Farm don't want to insure here. I think the only differences are customer service and maybe some other stuff.

Now, back to trading me your G for my TSX. I have a 05 NBP Auto TSX with slight mods. It just under 15,000 miles. I could trade you my TSX with all the mods for your G minus the wheels since I assume you want to sell them. Let me know.

 

I came from a high horsepower car (C36 AMG). Funny but I don't miss the power at all. I guess you get use to all that power and it's not fun anymore. I barely go past 4K rpm on the TSX. I just putter around going from point A to point B while saving gas and insurance. Then again I only drive 2 days a week. What I do miss is the rear wheel drive. So much fun...especially in winter (No traction control on my old C36).

I'm older then you by almost a decade so age might be a factor as to why I don't mind the slower TSX. Test drive the car, call around for insurance and get the real # to help you with your decision.

 

^^ what he said, their is no negotiating. You get a rate, if you accept it, you drive, if you dont, then well.. you dont.

I just spoke with my insurance agency they said that both the g35c and the TSX (I said an 05 TSX) have the same symbol. Their both symbol 18, she said symbols mean how much is takes to fix them. So going from my car to an 05 would actually raise my insurance by like $30 a year.... ugh I dont understand how a 2DR 280hp car can have the same rate as a 4dr 200hp car...

 

My mistake -- it was 25, not 22! I got mixed up with the darned financial aid age cutoff where they actually view you as "independent" throught the state's eyes.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

crap, that sucks! in that case keep your G...

 

Dont do it, you will kick yourself later

 

Dude, I guess Massachusetts really IS that socialist. If I lived there, I'd be writing my dear old state senator and complaining about that crap.

 

Ok, so from what I surmise you want to go with a nice used 4 door car to lower your car insurance. Well here's my suggestion.

 

that sounds like anti trust to me?????

you can't have fixed prices. that's insane.

 

a nice Reliant automobile!

 

With a State Senator like Ted Kennedy, I'd rather not waste my time.

G35DRVR280, I feel your pain. I got my insurance statement the other day in the mail. It went up $600 from $2,300 to $2,900 and I haven't had ANY incidents since I got my liscense. Also, to add fuel to the fire, I am insuraned as the primary driver on a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 235,000 miles on it and a secondary driver on my TSX and my parent's cars. I use Electric Insurance, btw.

My suggestion, hold on for one more year. While the TSX is an AWSOME car, you might get bored with it comming from a sophisticated G35. Hold out one more year and the premium will go down. It did for my sister and shes 23 (drives an 03 Accord EX).

 

Nope, 25, same as males.

 

Or you stopped parking your car at school, where insurance rates are most likely higher because more cars usually get stolen or vandalized. Or you changed towns/cities. There's so much that goes into your insurance rate, it's probably pretty tough to narrow it down to one thing that made it drop.

 

Some people can't afford the extra 5K or just don't want to spend the money.

Yes, '04 and '05 have heated seats.

I put just under 30K on a car in one year with my stupid work commute - hell on earth - but anyway, yes, it can be done, and no, it doesn't always mean the person was driving like a maniac.

 

talk to a different insurance company then yours.

 

there is no logical explanation for insurance to go up suddenly at age 17 or down suddenly at age 23. something had to change in the status of the driver.

 

why tell them that you park at school? that's too much information in my opinion. as far as my insurance company was concerned, the car was at home, and i was at school. so i got a discount for being more than 100 miles away from home, where the car was

 

No he should let go of it and trade with me. I'll take real good care of it

 

doesn't mean the person drove like a maniac, but i'd be more cautious with a car that had that much mileage in one year.

i can understand not wanting to spend an extra 5,000, but it translates to $100/mo on the payment. I know not everyone can afford to jump up that much, but for a brand new car with some significant options, it's worth it to me. obviously not worth it to everyone though!

 

Keep the G35. You will lose MORE money by switching cars, especially a semi-expensive car like the TSX. If you are really trying to save, maybe sell your G35 privately and use the money to buy a $15k to $20k car with more power (since you haven't been spoiled by any luxury features in the G35).

 

I did that too, but maybe some people don't, I dunno.