rsl5181

so here is my situation. im buying a car this week, and i have it down to the tsx of the v6 accord coupe. i like the tsx better overall. however, im worried that it has a lot of bugs since its a new model. the problem is that i have to have this car for approx 8-10 yrs or 100k miles. will i be taking a risk in getting the tsx? im going to be a medical student/resident/doctor, so im not interested in spending a ton of time repairing my car. i suppose id be willing to sacrifice what i really want for assured quality, but i would rather have a tsx. so my question is, can anyone comment on the reliability of the tsx vs the accord? ive heard of a lot of problems such as pulling to one side and interior rattling in tsx. are these common or just anecdotal? also, has anyone here put more than 40-50k miles on the tsx. hows the car handling it? thanks in advance.

pcaulfie

I think a lot of people have a different degree of hate regarding the rattles. For some people, it drives them crazy. Others, it might not be noticeable to them. I knew about the rattles and I have them, but they aren't too bad for me. Other than that I have no worries about this car. It carries the Accord name in other places so I would not expect the build quality to be much different, including the service. I say buy what you like and don't be surpised if you enounter some of the problems posted on this forum. Compared to other cars, they are very minimal.

provench

I think you will find that the TSX has way less than the average number of issues, and so far there are none that are pervasively large. Don't expect the Accord coupe to be any different. In fact, I would want to have the TSX being built in Japan on my side on the way to 100K. Also keep in mind that the TSX is new to the US, but existed for about a year or so in Europe before its launch in the US as the TSX.

The TSX is an overall great package, with the Accord you give up several things (check lots of threads on that comparison) not the least of which is the stellar TSX handling, but in return you get a very good V6 engine. Lots to consider, but test drive both ... a few times if needed ... don't wanna regret your purchase for 8-10yrs.

mg7726

i was faced with the same choices 1.5 months ago. imo, the only thing that was better in the accord is the v6. so i chose the tsx...for the interior quality, dash layout, and navi.

i have 3,400 miles now and no pronounced rattles, dash lightning issues, navi lockups, or alignment problems. i did have wipers squealing noise which the dealer replaced the blades and everythings cool.

rsl5181

any one else with opinions? thanks.

majormojo

I looked at the Accord and a few other similar sedans before I bought the TSX. You can read my write-up on the decision process here:

This is my story and I'm sticking to it.

acfanatic

I love my TSX. 15k miles and the only problem I've had is a rattle in extremely cold temperatures. Right now, everything with the car is perfect, except I need to get my brake rotors turned (routine maintanance).

robert_tsxgeek

oh, shush...you ain't gonna be driving the car in 5 years top....you'be driving Lexus/Volvo/BMW and the likes....

dzuy

well i also looked at the accord before purchasing my tsx. i actually looked at the v6 coupe though. the finish of the tsx is a little nicer, the nice little touches make it more appealing. but you can see the similairty of the two interiors. the motor of the accord v6 is definetely more powerful, and delivers that power very smoothly. i just couldn't deal with the appearance of the acoord.

there are some minor bugs, i have taken my car in several times. once for a misaligned trunk, once for my center console light going out, which took fountain acura over a month to fix b/c they ordered the wrong radio, and now my car is in the shop for a seat track that does not hold the seat in place.

i have to admit, for an acura, i was fairly dissaoppointed b/c i have to take my car in so many times. my parents had a 2000 tl that they also had to take in several times. on the other hand, their 1996 honda accord has never returned to honda for any type of small bug.

and the accord is not in it's initial year of production.

but both cars should last quite a long time. and i believe that acura (well, honda really) has realized some of these issues midway through the production cycle, and have implemented some minor changes to fix the common problems. you can do a search to find out more.

and if you're that nervous, the 2005 should be right around the corner. but all in all, i'm totally satisifed with my car and i wouldn't buy another car if i had to.

gfxdave99

I have just over 6700 on my car and here are the problems i had

1. rattle that i found under the dash and was able to fix by giving a piece of trim a quick whack
2. i get a slight shift in the drivers seat under hard braking

other then that nothing really, i think they have made some changes in production from the earlier models..

Coupe/sedan question though..

How often do you drive other people around? Just think about it if its every day, the coupe might be a bad idea..

503TSX

I have had many cars in the last few years, among them a '00 Civic EX, '02 Trailblazer, '03 Accord EX, and the '04 TSX. The TSX handles 10x better than the Accord, in all aspects. I personally havent had much problem w/ torque steer(except after the drop, but an alignment will fix since it didn't have this problem before)... but the V6 I have driven and does have a pronounced torque steer, most likely due to the v6 engine in a car most likely designed for a 4cyl.

The more accurate comparo is the '04 Accord EX-L 4cyl Auto vs. '04 TSX Auto. They are about 4k apart in MSRP, but in the TSX, you get the 17's, better warranty(4yr/50k w/ roadside assist & free loaner) VSA, HID's, Tiptronic(or 6sp vs 5sp in manual), better suspension(from experience), and nicer looks...

Of course, if you have some extra $$, IS300 and G35 also make god candidates.

DoubleA_RENAMED

It gets really simple... if you want an auto with 2 doors... get a V6 EX accord. If you want a 6 speed, 4 door and the 'driver experience', get the TSX. Same company, same reliability... 2 different choices. I often wonder if I should have worked out the accord coupe V6 instead of the TSX but then, I already have a 2 door...