kst123

Hi guys! I am looking at a 2007 CPO Acura TSX in Central California. The car is a base, automatic TSX with 14K miles. The dealer has it listed at $ 21985 + TTL. Is that a good price for this car? Also, any point in even looking at an extended warranty beyond the CPO warranty? And finally, is premium gas absolutely required? I have seen some posts here where people have been drviving on regular and have had no problems. I do have a daily commute of 70-75 miles, so it is an important factor although not deal breaking. Thanks!

frescagod

decent deal, though my friend found an '08 with 33k miles for somewhere around $21,800. also, the used car market has tanked in the past ~2 years so don't rule out haggling a bit more.

for an '07 TSX, an extended warranty that costs ~$1500-2000 is probably not a smart investment, though it depends on the shape the car is in and if the previous owner did anything bad to it (but how would you know?)

as for premium gas, do a search. there are tons of people looking to save ~$5 per fillup by using regular gas, and apparently it is okay to use it, at the cost of slightly decreased performance.

if you're spending $22k (~$24k+ if you're paying CA sales tax), you can probably afford to pay $52 per fillup instead of ~$47. then you can take comfort in knowing that your TSX is operating at its optimal level.

if you want to save that $5, buy an accord, or a gas-sipping civic or fit. you can also save another $5-10k on the purchase price too.

Simba91102

Good points all. I have an 07 (actually my wife does, I drive the 05) and you'd be very happy with the car. She insists on using regular gas (to my chagrin) since with her commute (140 miles a day) the price difference actually does make a difference. I run nothing less than 91, but there are plenty of guys here that use 87 on regular basis (no pun intended) with evidently no ill effects (you don't miss what you never had). You'd already get an extended warranty with the CPO, so anymore would be a waste I should think. As far as the price goes.... I've preached the opinion that used car prices tend to be quite regional, so being in Mass., I won't comment on the deal. Better someone from your area might have some insight.

Nogard13

$22K seems a bit high to me, but I don't live where you live so it's hard to gauge the used car market there. Just do a search of nearby dealers and you might find a better CPO deal.

I don't think you need an extended warranty. The CPO warranty should be good enough. I have an 07 with 36K miles on it and I have had absolutely no issues with the engine, transmission, or electronics. My only issues have been tires (after market Yokos) and a small tear in the driver's seat (which I think was caused by a tech at the Acura dealership, but I can't prove it). You'll really enjoy the TSX.

JahWobble

I recommend not Driving 70-74 miles every day on 87 Octane. I wouldn't think using 87 every now and then would hurt, but filling up with it twice a week will most likely kill the engine prematurely. If your trying to save money, putting only 87 in you car may save you money in the short term, but in the long run it's only going to cost you. I'm not even sure you would really save much money anyway, since your miles per gallon would go down as well. I use only 93 Octane

Nogard13

I don't think it will hurt since the computer will retard the ignition timing to correct for the composition of the gas. However, when you think about it, Premium fuel is only about $.25 more per gallon than regular (at least it is here in North Carolina). If you pump 10 gallons (which is normally what I pump since I refuel before I hit 1/4 tank), you're talking about $2.50 each fill up. I fill up every 9-10 days, so it's really not worth it to me to save $6-7 a month and get the decreased performance from my engine.

For those gassing up every week, that's a $10 a month savings. Is it worth it? I think so.

Simba91102

The engine is so reliant on computer control that I'm sure there's really no concern about the health of the engine (using 87), but I'll assume there is a minor performance loss in mileage and output (but if you don't know what you're missing, you're not missing it). That said..... The $300 or so per year my wife may save by using the cheaper gas (700 miles per week, 48 weeks, 30 mpg, $.25 cheaper gas) would not be worth it to me (and isn't, since I use mostly 93 with a short fillup of 89 occasionally, and drive 20K or so miles a year myself). In short..... If Honda wanted us to use 87 octane gas, they would have recommended that. They specify 91 (not readily available in Mass, so it's 93), so that's what I use.

npolite

I wonder how much of a loss in MPG you would get using regular over premium? Would the regular savings counter out the higher cost of premium? I also fill up every 9-10 days so it doesn't bother me...$2.50-$4 more isn't that much even per week.

I paid $20,300 for my 07 CPO just after Christmas and it had 23,500 miles. Make sure you get new floor mats, 2 keys and a valet key as I'm still in the process of trying to get the dealer to give me mine. I have an appointment and a signed paper from the sales manager so I should get them next week.

The leather isn't the greatest but I knew that before buying the car. Everything else is great. I only wish Honda designed their current TSX as well as they did the 1st gen.

kst123

Thanks for all your input. After doing the math etc., premium fuel is not an issue.
As far as the price goes, I did get some numbers from KBB- $ 24K for this car (miles,color,area) and Edmunds TMV came to $22,234 for a CPO (although their computation had $900 for excellent condition and then $1700 for being CPO). To me, being in excellent condition is redundant if the car is a CPO. Am I correct? So, looks like there is certainly some room to haggle based on the TMV. The dealer's price is certainly the best I have seen in this area- Sac/Pleasanton/Modesto.

808havok_tsx

CPO owner here...

basically CPO means nothing more than another year of warranty from the date the car initially went into service. acura's 150 point inspection is largely meanginless as its mostly visual checks...

they give you another year of warranty and charge you a bit more since its "certified". if the car runs well, looks clean, don't make any abnormal sounds, buy it but be aware that doesn't mean its "new"...

Simba91102

This has been my experience too. I think it all depends on the dealer. They make the determination what cars will qualify for being CPO. I'm sure there are Acura guidelines, but also sure that most dealers pretty much go with whatever they think they can sell. I think I've even read of CPO cars that have been in an accident (that would be a huge deal breaker for me).

Boulder TSX

They also give you a 7 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty, (maybe the most valuable part of the CPO)...as well as a year of roadside assistance and the Acura concierge program.

As for accidents, my understanding from the two dealers I spoke with is that cars that have been in accidents are not eligible for certification.

808havok_tsx

i would imagine that's only true if the accident is big enough to have a carfax report or an insurance claim of some sort.

if its a fender-bender with cosmetic damage and the previous owner decided to get the work done himself, there is absolutely no way the dealership would know if the car got hit...

i say this because my car's right-side rear bumper clear coat started to peel/flake... the local dealership repainted the bumper as a goodwill gesture. they did it because 1)obviously something was wrong with the paint, but more importantly 2)nobody could prove conclusively that the car was in a fender-bender and it was shoddy paint job... there was no paper trail to prove it. dealership guaranteed that factory flex paint would not peel/flake like it did... but they couldn't prove it so they ended up repainting.

like i said - caveat emptor.

Boulder TSX

Yes, you're probably right about much of that. Anything that does not show up on insurance or a police report could go under the wire. But in my mind, a major accident is the main concern.

According to the Acura dealers I talked with, a high percentage of the cars Acura certifies are low mileage cars returning from lease, so the dealers have a pretty good record of the cars and an idea of how they were cared for.

From the Acura Certified website "Only well-maintained, late-model Acura vehicles are considered...a thorough appearance inspection scrutinizes fit and finish-inside and out-to ensure that every vehicle upholds the luxury and sophistication of the Acura name."

To me, if the car passes that, as well as my careful inspection for paint variations, etc., it's not likely going to an issue of consequence. In fact, I was told that if some cosmetic defect shows up later, they would address it. You even have 30 days to bring the car back and trade its purchase price toward any other CPO car, at any Acura dealer.

There's always a risk that something could go wrong in buying a car...new, used or CPO. But the odds are low when you are buying from an Acura dealer, rather than a private party.

nj2pa2nc

just wondering how many miles per gallon do you average

npolite

The one thing I forgot to mention was that it took me a very long time to find the one that was good enough for me and at the price I wanted to pay. You should have seen some of the "certified" TSXs that I came across. In Jersey there was one with the entire exhaust system was very rusted. Another car has a load of scratches everywhere and had one of the black pieces around the fog light broke and dangling.

You still need to visually inspect the car and even then you'll still miss something. I didn't know until after I read the CPO inspection that they were supposed to give me the valet key and a new set of mats if the car is not the current generation sold. I went back last Sat to get the ok from the sales manager and even another salesguy didn't know that was in there.

I can't say much about each dealership but I get the feeling that their 150 point inspection is more like 50 point.