MikeMa

Well, my first car was an '85 Toyota Camry that I shared with Dad. I bussed to and from High-school and to and from College. Once I got a FT job after college, dad got a Maxima, so the Camry was all mine. After about two years of saving up, I bought myself my first new car--2001 Acura EL.

My personal opinion on this whole "$35K CAD" car for a 16-year-old is this: If you're 16 and you've saved up the $35K or you have a job that can make the car payments, then all the power to you. If your parents are basically paying for the car for you, then you should have no right to own a car that expensive. I see too many kids around (I see quite a few since I work in schools) who have wealthy parents who buy their kids everything and anything. IMHO, they are screwing up their kids by teaching them that you can get what you want without having to work for it.

Anyway, that's just my $0.04 CAD....

AcuraFan

I agree 100%. If you're going to school, keeping your grades up and busting your butt to pay for a car, then rock on! THAT, builds character. But daddy buying the car just trips my trigger. My parents are loaded but they worked for every cent of it and felt we (their kids) should too. So they bought us a run down Cougar to share between the three of us. And when I have kids I can buy them a modest car and tell them "if you want more, work for it." w00t!

larchmont

Great and interesting subject. Of course different people feel differently about this. And even among people who basically agree with you, they won't all agree about what this applies to. Like, they might feel it's OK for the parents to pay totally for college, but not for a car. Or maybe not even for college. Or maybe for college and a car, but not the kid's social life. Or.....

But it seems a lot of people in this camp feel that a new luxury or semi-luxury car doesn't come in under that cap. And I agree. College, OK. Modest car, no objection. Old luxury car, maybe. New luxury car, no way.

I wouldn't condemn anyone who draws the line in a different place. But I do know they're going straight to hell.

ricecake

a part of me thinks that nitrus should ditch buying a new model car altogether, and then buy a Civic or CRX shell and then mods that would total up to $35,000. you could afford so may fun things, and get the value of learning more than you ever wanted to know about autos. it's more impressive to me at least to talk to a 21 year old who has done his own engine swap--and financed the entire thing himself by saving up his own hard-earned $$$$.

nitrustwinturbo

Ok heres the thing. Like I said, Im going to be driving this car for a good 7+ years. I am a 4.0 student, Quite honestly, Im not really looking for a racing car. My other choice was a Ford Explorer, but I want something more refined and that will last longer. Acuras have the best reputation I know for longevity and quality. My parents are paying for PART of the car, but good stock investments and a job are also helping me. I think deep down I like the TSX more, Im just trying to justify getting it. The problem is if I get a beater, its not gonna last me 7+ years, meaning Im gonna haveto get another car. IMO, I think its pointless to keep sticking money in beaters when in actuality you can have a 10 time nicer car for the same price (With acuras resale value, I know 8 years down the road it wont matter but it still will be somewhat better. I figure a few thousand extra is nothing in a lifetime, and if worse comes to worse I can easily get a loan from my parents interest free. This is why I am not too much concerned about the initial cost, but more about insurance, gas, etc.

Zippytsx

Since when did the Mazda come with xenon anything! Almost razor sharp, is that like pretty awful fast. Your comparing a run of the mill Mazda, which by the way, you have to buy the "boyracer" spoiler pkg. to get a real stereo. To an Acura. Next your going to ask why not the new Malibu. Almost razor sharp styling, almost world quality.
Does anyone think anymore?!

AcuraFan

Very true...if you buy a $15,000 car now and in three years get a TSX, essentially your car purchases end up costing you $42,000 (or whatever) instead of just the $27,000 for the TSX to begin with. But if you're worrying about reliability, any Honda/Acura should last you 7+ years with plenty of resale value to spare. But honestly, the TSX is a great car. If it makes you then get it.

tony4311

You sound mature enough that the car will survive. Since you plan on keeping it for awhile you might want to stick with the TSX then because once its used for college and such it'll be better for hauling stuff.

James

all i have to say is i'm 16... and this car is the sh!t. but sometimes i wish i would hae gotten something sportier like an RX8 or something but hey i'm happy with my TSX.. I have to take it to college too and I'm pretty sure itll make it through then.. aite late

LeMasseHammer

I've had some experience in this area, so I'll chime in:

My parents let me pick out my brand new car for my 16th birthday (in 1991). My short list consisted of the Accord, Camry and Nissan Stanza. I wanted a sedan so I could carry my friends around. I went with the base Camry because it was the only one that came in 5MT -- cost was $15,125

My little brother had the same deal when he turned 16 in 1996, except his short list came down to a Toyota Avalon and Ford Explorer. He got the top-of-the-line Avalon for about $34,000.

I was never really jealous because I was grateful for my Camry and realized I was lucky to have it. I was a responsible driver and never crashed or anything.

11+ years of saving later, I bought my TSX myself, and I love it that much more.

My li'l bro was a little more spoiled than I was, but he's done fine too -- headed to grad school, no chargeable accidents, and the Avalon is still his trusty ride.

BTW, we're not filthy rich, but dad trusted his sons. I think a lot of kids aren't ready for the responsibility of a (new) car at age 16, but it's possible to turn out OK.

At least our young soon-to-be-TSXer has good taste, and maybe the modest power will keep him out of trouble

Spud

I think every 16-year old has a God-given license to not have to worry about value-for-dollar and life 7 years down the road. You sound like an exceptionally smart and mature 16-year old, but I would envy you more if you told me you were getting a Civic to modify and cruise around in with your friends. Enjoy your youth and put off worrying about all the practicalities of life until you have to. You obviously have the financial support (in addition to your own income) to make a frivolous decision or two, so take that opportunity.

The TSX is fun (for a family sedan), practical, quality-laden, extremely well designed and will retain its value very well. Except for the fun factor, you should stay far away from a car with any of these qualities until you need them. Forget about investments and income and value for dollar and BE A TEENAGER. If I could back up 17 years and be 16 again, I would... and, as much as I love my car now, it wouldn't be in a TSX!!

Take my advice: do less analysis and HAVE MORE FUN!!!!

I don't believe the TSX is for you....... yet...

dom

A 16 year old buying a Toyota Avalon? Please explain.

Was your brother trapped inside the body of a 67 year old retiree?

kiteboy

Heaven forbid that he's already got some of it figured out, or he wants to think things through before a major purchase.

budzzz

A 16 year old with a TSX? My 20 son wanted a WRVSI real bad but after a few chats he has turned a 180 is is saving every dime he can get his hands on to buy a home in Las Vegas. He is driving a beater until he gets this done.

I think the older you get the more you will appreciate the value of $$$.

Spud

I'm not advising him to abandon all reason, but the TSX (to a lesser extent that a Toyota Avalon) is a little too responsible and practical for the life of a fun-loving 16-year old. To each his own, I guess...

ricecake

you can still be a 4.0 student and be interested in race cars. there are a lot practical applications of basic physics and engineering that go into car mods. i guess it's not so much the financial issue as much as a personal growth and learning issue.

There is no guarantee that you're going to keep any car for 7 years. You do a lot of growing and changing between being 16 and 17--let alone 16 and post-college.

I personally would keep the stock holdings. I would never trade stock for a consumption asset--this negates all of your financial growth, given the immediate depreciation of vehicles as assets. You are going to have to pay (or someone is, for that matter) taxes on your earnings as well.

STC

iTrader: (1)

Nice name nitrustwinturbo, Im hoping fhat your last car was a Supra, 300z or something twin turbo..........

Junkster

I hear ya, and you sound like a pretty smart person for your age.
In the end, it's your money and your decision, as you probably know. But consider some other things as well...

Yes, it is nice to have a nice car, but the initial cost is not the only thing you should consider. To make a car a true 'investment' in the long run, you need to maintain it pretty well, which might be hard to do while attending college. I don't know, but when I was in college, my Integra sat outside in Colorado weather all year, other students had the grace to ding it all over (a keg run dent in the trunk area was my bad though), and someone actually tried stealing it when I caught them (bastard!). I don't know your exact circumstances, so it might be different to you.

I also believe that in dealing with money, you might rather enjoy keeping the money that you have saved up for other things. Personally, I like to have some liquid assets that I can use in case of emergency, splurge, coke addiction... I mean...

If resale value is so important to you, the 6 should be off your list. Mazdas don't do so well in this aspect. But it would probably be a good college car, since the cost of ownership is probably lower if not as low as a Honda Accord.

Junkster, who thinks we actually have a thinking 16 YO amongst us.

Junkster

oops, cake already said what I wanted to say about his money deal. Totally agree with this one.

Junkster, who is always tempted in spending his "nest egg".

Junkster

Dude, I can't make sense of your second sentence...
(is it suppose to be a sarcastic question?)

Anyway, I think you forget that in terms of 'world' quality, I think it is. The 6 was sold in Europe for quite a while now and there has been no negative comments about the car in most terms. I have to agree that it might not be in the same class as a TSX, in terms of size and sportiness, but it is a formidable car. In Europe, they even have a AWD version of this car, introduced last year, and have extended their model choices due to demand. When I drove one (FWD), it handled pretty well in terms of how big the car was. Of course styling is always a subjective opinion...

Plus, the 6 won the car of the year in europe over the accord/TSX, which says alot of how far Mazda has come around with this car (the previous 626 was a bore to drive).

Junkster, who is looking forward to seeing the Mazda3.

rudedawg

04 TL comes w/ bi-xenons

LeMasseHammer

Close. My dad was in the market for a car himself, and it came down to the Avalon or Mercedes E320. Even with my Toyota loyalty, I convinced him to go with the E320. I think he felt guilty (he's Mr. Practical -- "a car is just a way of getting from point A to point B"), so he offered to buy it for my bro. As a 16 year-old, I think my bro figured he'd take the most expensive car he could get

Also, my dad wasn't real excited about getting my bro an SUV (it was between a 4-Runner and a Ford Exploder I think)

It wasn't long before my bro had that Avalon with large chrome wheels and blue interior lights etc., in an effort to make it more youthful.

nitrustwinturbo

I know, this is all very true. The thing is, I dont want to get a car and add 10k in mods. This may sound a little weird but I am greatly worried about getting the attention of that highway patrol car parked where you cant see him. I want something thats a somewhat low profile. What do you think a cop is gonna pull over, a luxury sedan, or a civic with a body kit, etc. Im 16, and if I get in one accident or get a ticket, you can pretty much say goodbye to insurance and the car. The RSX is also a higher profile car then the TSX. I know I have been complaining about the lack of power in the TSX, but now that I think about it, I think its better for me because I dont want to abuse power that I would have. When I test drove a nissan altima 3.5se, I was amazed and the off-the-line power the car had, but it was too much, and I could just see myself down the road getting into trouble with it. I think the TSX is a good value, and being on car and drivers 10 best list for 04 isnt a bad thing either, not to mention its one of the highest rated cars on edmunds.com

LOL888

lol i was thinking the same thing as you when i was getting my car, my brother has a tl-s and he has a run in with tickets. I knew if i got a car with alot of power it would be tempting haha

Ravenwoods

My TSX is the first car that I have ever purchased for myself. The only other car I have ever driven on a consistent basis was a 1995 Nissan 200SX-SE. I have been shopping for a car for the past 2 years and nothing really jumped out and grabbed me until I found the TSX. Needless to say, I did a lot of research before spending my hard earned money. I had also seriously considered the Mazda 6 as an alternative.

I can honestly say that I love my car from top to bottom and although there are slight flaws (and there always will be no matter what car you get), I am very happy with the decision that I made for myself. That is what is most important here. There will always be cars out there that may have this or that different/better/worse than what you are looking for, but what matters at the end of the day is that you are happy with your decision or else you will be stuck for 6+ years thinking that you made the wrong choice.

HKevF

Do you think its a possibility acura may up the hp or somethin on the TSX for the 05 model year? I might as well come clean with you guys. Im not thirty or 40 years old. Im 16. I know what your thinking, what is a 16 year old doin lookin at a 27k car? Its a long story. Cars are my first life to me. No one else I know has as much passion for cars as I do. I want something that can fill that feeling. I may be a little pedal happy which is why I was looking for a faster car. I dont know what I should do. If the TSX came out with a slightly faster model for 05, I definetely know what I would get. BTW gregor, TL's are xenon in both low and high beam

There already is a V6 TSX of sorts. It's called the '04 TL. If you want awesome balance, though, the TSX is what you should want.

ImportsRhot

I think luxury sports sedans are perfect for college students. I'm a college student myself and envied those who drove a car in this category when i didn't have my TSX. When i was 16, i coudlnt' figure out why anyone would buy a 4-door car (i drove a two-door honda civic and thought i was the sh*t LoL), but now i get why: to carry friends around, more comfortable for road trips, it is a stress reliever for a college student. Imagine a day when u are stressed out by exams and stuff, would u rather hop into your bumpy, noisy, small sports car or would u rather hop into a sports sedan that is comfortable and sporty at the same time?

jdibella

I personally do not think that you need a 27k car at 16 years old.

As far as the acceleration of the car I agree with you. I was in the market for a TSX a while back and I test drove one and was not impressed just as you. The handling was superb and the car over all was very nice, but i coudln't get over the acceleration. I ended up buying a Accord V6 6MT.

I agree with others though, at 16 years old you dont need a nice car like this. I started off with a 89 Cavalier and then got a 00 Accord brand new at almost 18. Yes I was very lucky but I also worked my butt off for 8 years working about 50 hours a week while going to school and saved up a hefty amount to put down on the car when I was ready to buy one. My parents co signed forme and thats it. If this is the case for you I think you would respect the car much more than if your parents are buying it for you. I know alot 16 - 18 year olds that have mommy and daddy buy them a expensive car and they end up crashing it. Responsiblity has not set in for you yet and that takes time. As someone else mentioned I would look at maybe a SRT-4 (although that may be high in insurance), Civic, Integra, Protege, etc. Good luck.

Lung Fu Mo Shi

Around here, cops pull over the beaters.

LOL888

I'm 17 and I have a tsx, I think you just have to acknowledge the responsibilities you get when your parents get you a car. Theres 16 year olds at my school getting SLk32 AMG's and M3's its pretty crazy, I think that is going overboard. But when I grow up if i have the oppurtunity to buy my children nice cars I would, plus therse the safety issue when you get your kids some old junk car.

fdl

I think a kid would be much safer in a an old junk car than a 333 hp rwd M3. Any parent who buys a car like that for their 16 year old is just a bad parent.

oo7bondgrrl

Exactly. Driving an all wheel drive twin turbo to campus through construction zones everyday was driving me out of my mind. The TSX is like therapy for me after driving several sports cars. I can't even bear the thought of owning another sports car as a daily driver, and I am only 19.

jcg878

Agreed. I think that when I have kids and when I choose to help them buy a car, one of the foremost factors for that car will be crash tests.

Come to think of it, the 3-series has pretty good crash tests, but they're not getting anything that encourages them to drive that fast anyway.

Spud

It's character-building, my friend.

I'd rather have a mansion, five servants, a top notch wardrobe and a five car garage with a Ferrari, Porshe an SUV and a couple of Bimmers, no debt and a pile of money in a well diversified portfolio of lucrative investments. That would be a stress reliever for me and is just about as attainable, for me, as a TSX for 99% of college students. I think all need some perspective here. The vast majority of North Americans will NEVER own a car like the TSX and likely couldn't (or won't) afford to.

So let's not all get to carried away with the idea that luxury cars (even entry-level ones) are perfect for teenagers and college students. Unless I'm really off the mark, any teenager that owns a $27K (USD) sedan are either very well supported financially, extraordinarily talented in making and saving $$, or are in serious debt. There are a lot of things that are perfect... if you're in the 0.01% of the population that can afford it...

Jab31169

I wouldnt say bad parent...just not very smart. I know the last thing I would of needed was a 300+HP car to tear up. I drove a 86 Acura Integra 4dr all the way though high school

majormojo

Very true. There's also the segment of the population that can't afford it and spend the money anyway. I can understand a parent's desire to provide the best they can for their kids and if they have the means, to buy them top-quality cars. OTOH, doing so can cause those young people to have some pretty unrealistic expectations. Having never had to "do without" or work hard and save for something leads to a lot of people accumulating large amounts of consumer debt after they leave the nest. One of the symptoms of the so-called "affluenza" problem.

Spud

I was far from deprived as a teenager. I had a used Honda Accord (1982 hatchback) hand-me-down from my mom and my parent provided generously from school to clothes and so on...

I couldn't have imagined owning a new car, let alone a costly one. As a teenager, for sure I would have accepted it with glee. But in retrospect, I'm glad that, as an adult, the joy of driving a really nice sports sedan still feels like a privilege and not an expectation.

Unfortunately, some of the teenagers that will have TSXs and the like won't really have an appreciation for how good they have it and will regard this fantastic car as their minimum expectation. I'm not into bashing people for having more than I do (I'm pretty happy with what I have anyway), but sometimes you have to do without something to appreciate what its like to have it.

onenonlieTSX

I share your views completely! My first car was an 87 Civic DX Hatch w/ duct tape on the seats!! Talk about luxary! Anyway... I greatly appreciate and value things I work hard for. Those who are more fortunate and get handed things on a silver platter (im not hating) should realize value it holds.

nitrustwinturbo

Guys you have really good points. I understand that by getting an expensive car I wont have an appeciation of the good things in life. I just want something thats reliable, safe, fun to drive, and has a good resale value. I know that seems like a lot. I would get a cheaper car, but like I said, I dont want to invest 15k in a car that will have a crappy resale value and will break down. Im better off paying 27k for an acura, which has a higher resale value, so in theory im saving a good few grand there over a mazda 6 which brings the price to the same level. I am also lookin at a ford explorer XLT right now, because the way I figure is Fords are so plentiful that if next year I get an 04 model say late in november, I can prolly bargain off 4-5k and also late in the year ford usually has a 4k incentive for buying the previous year model. But the problem is Fords are not the most reliable cars on the road, their resale value SUCKS (43% after 3 years) and its a gas guzzler (15/20) This is why I was lookin at a TSX or an RSX, but with an RSX im concerned about having too much of a sports appeal on the car that cops will pick it out of a pack of cars on the highway. This is why I still think I should go with the TSX.

Spud

Nitrus, I'm not trying to rain on your parade. You seem like someone who is weighing options and taking this decision very seriously. And like I said, if I could have when I was your age, I probably would have. You seem level-headed enough that, when you finally get such a fine car at such a young age, you'll likely appreciate it and make the most of the experience.

My comments are more directed toward people who lose perspective and don't appreciate the good fortune they have. Based on most of what you've posted, you don't seem like one of those people. I hope you enjoy the car you choose and, my $0.02: the TSX is a great car!!!