I've been looking for a new car recently, and I decided I wanted to look around for fun - I decided I wanted the TSX, and for the fun of it, I test drove the Lexus IS250, Mercedes C300, BMW328i just to compare. Well, this is what I decided.

Acura has all three cars beat on price and options. Every one of the cars that I test drove seemed to be an extra $3,000 minimum for all the options the TSX had.

IS250
Pros: Wow. Was like sitting in a couch! Very comfortable seating. Decent power.
Cons: No manual, wtf? Non-existant back seat. If I was driving, there would be NO WAY someone could sit in the back - their legs would be crushed.

C300
Pros: Steering. Steering was very responsive, drove pretty decent. Power was OK.
Cons: Gas pedal was very tight. A lot of money for something not very impressive. Out of all the cars, the C300 seemed like the biggest rip-off.

328i
Pros: Where to start. Power! Drove very strong. Steered like a charm. Stopped on a dime. Loads of interesting options (run flat tires, 4yr 50,000 warranty where maintenance is covered... impressive)
Cons: Seemed to have a little hesitation in the gas pedal. Steering wheel seemed to block the gauges... although I could have adjusted seemed kind of annoying. Also, $46,000 (with tax, delivery) for the car... (with options TSX came equipped with) I'm sorry, but damn.

Does anyone have any comments that would agree or disagree with me? I hope this sparks a lot of debate - I would love the BMW - the car is fantastic, and the test drive I went on was awesome. I got up to 95 and the car drove FANTASTIC. Performance... really, they call it the ultimate driving machine for a reason.

Additionally, how does the TSX perform under high speeds? Anyone have any comparison?

Still heavily leaning on the TSX. I found a dealer I think I can get around $27k with 6spd and Nav (without tax and title)... is that a good price?

Anyway, happy driving TSX people! Can't wait to get rid of my junky Hyundai Elantra...

Brandon
Teomcdohl@gmail.com

 

If it is a 2008 with Nav, it is $500 more than I paid without Nav. I don't think it is the car that the BMW is, but is also about 20K less. I have only had mine a couple of weeks and am happy. I bought it to drive to work and winter. I drive the Corvette when I want speed and the LS when I take people, so the TSX is the perfect car for what I wanted. Good millage and equipped like a "big" car for not allot of money.

 

The TSX is extremely stable at high speeds, don't worry about that.

And yes, that is a good price for a TSX.

 

I think you've summarized what's been discussed very well. For the money, the TSX is the hand-down best value. So the question becomes are some of those few advantages in the other cars worth the price tag that comes with it. All those cars will do 1-2 things better than the TSX, but none will do all thing as well - especially for the price.

 

Good Luck, Great car to get

 

Thanks for all the replies. I'll be getting my car in December, can't wait to post pictures

 

I've had my TSX up to 100mph and it was smooth as butter all the way. Relatively quiet, too. Take that, Bimmer.

I've heard a lot of folks comment that the added price to the BMW is simply you paying for all that "free maintenance" in the sale price.

Price comparison ... my 2¢ ... subscribe online to Consumer Reports, one of their special "car buying kit" subscriptions. You can get price reports and negotiating tips until the cows come home. I got a good deal by virtue of having bought a used car price report for the model year I was buying. $14 saved me $750 or so.

Consider getting a 2006 or 2007 CPO (certified pre-owned). Pretty much the same as a new model. You can save a little money, and with an extended "wrap" warranty, the money you save (really, some of it) goes to covering EVERYthing until 6 years or 7 years and 100,000 miles. I bought a 2006 with 35,000 (I know, heavy, but it's what was at hand), and it's covered until 2012. Got it for ... ahem ... thousands less than others pay for a new one. 'Nuff said, off the soapbox.... Happy hunting!