I am choosing between two 2008 white with black TSX's. Both look to be in extremely nice shape. One is a manual with nav and has 45,000 miles on it. The second is an auto with nav and has 58,000 miles on it. I know I can get the manual for $16,000. I have a slight preference for the auto just because the auto is rated to give a little better fuel economy. Is there other reasons to justify paying a little more for the auto or should the lower mileage of the standard offset any advantage that the auto might have? My gut is telling me that both should be worth the identical amount, yet I am doubting that the owner of the auto will accept $16,000. How many miles are people generally getting out of a clutch.

 

From personal experience-love manual transmission, average over 30mpg, have 150k+miles doing majority highway driving on my 06 tsx.

 

If you are any kind of auto enthusiast, you should get the manual trans.
The TSX with an auto trans is a dog. The stock manual trans TSX is approximately 0.5 second faster 0-60mph than the stock auto trans TSX.
This is a large amount.

A used auto trans is also a riskier purchase than a manual trans from a reliability point of view.

As the 1st Gen TSX's age, I would think that the manual trans models will be in greater demand and command higher prices than the auto trans models.
This is common for any "sporty" car as it gets older.

For example, no one wants an older auto trans RSX or Civic.

 

Manual and it's not even close.

TSX overall isn't a fast car at all, but the auto is an absolute dog and much slower. I have a 6MT and driven the auto before, and you can really tell the difference.

 

Agree with everything except for the riskier purchase part - he should expect to replace teh clutch before replacing the entire auto trans. That said, buy the stick shift , an automatic TSX is as soft as it comes.

 

The manual is an absolute dream to shift. I actually had no intention of buying a TSX until I randomly decided to take one for a test drive one day and happened to get the manual. The smile I got from rowing through the gears sealed the deal.

If you do almost all of your driving at sustained highway speeds, then you will get better fuel economy with the automatic. On the other hand, if you don't do much sustained high speed, the manual will give much better economy if you know how to drive it efficiently. I get the same mpg (31) in stop and go traffic as I do at 65mph.

The manual will last longer and require less maintenance and I believe it weighs less. Clutches are a minimal concern and should last a very long time depending on use.

 

I will buy one of the cars today. Last night I was about ready to deal on the standard. There is a couple little things that bother me about this deal. One is that the car was advertised.as female driven yet it turns out it was his car - a young man. The auto was driven by a female middle aged proffessional. The condition of the auto is absolutely like new. The standard is like new inside with a few rock chips on the hood and worn out tires. The original brakes are still in good codition on the auto and the tires were just replaced. The auto is $500 more at 16,500. The other thing that is causing me to second guess going standard is the fact that a remote engine starter would be a nice addition for these cold Canadian winters. The auto works better for a remote starter.

 

I would agree the 6MT would be for fun to drive, especially in the TSX. I've started out in life driving manuals and I think it make you a better driver (more engaged) when you have a manual.

There were two reasons why I gave up on manuals and switched to Autos:

- I'm 6'3”, +300 lbs, and with size 14 shoes, most cars are not large enough to fit my frame or feet without a little compromise on my part. It was like someone moving the seat up 5 inches and wearing clown shoes while driving some times. I find it is much easier to drive the TSX on long/short trips in any weather or traffic with my 5AT (I travel a lot).

- I used to live in Seattle and Phoenix with a manual in the 90s. Those two cities had some of the worst traffic during rush hour (plus some pretty steep hills in Seattle). Stop/go traffic with a manual for 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day would drain me. This was the first time I traded my 5MT Honda for a 4AT Honda and haven't looked back since.

Maintenance wise, I just change the auto trans fluid every 30,000 miles if it needs it or not (some times the M.I.D. goes up to 90,000 mile before changing the ATF). I’ve gone +150,000 miles on every Honda MT and AT I’ve owned over the last 20 years, I think they are both very reliable. Resell value, Auto generally fetch a higher price for the same vehicle compared to manuals. Every Honda/Acura person knows the 6MT is one of the best 6MT on the road today; unfortunately, only Honda/Acura enthusiasts know this fact (reason why the price difference between MT & AT in most resell books).

Both of the TSX 5AT and 6MT cars are one of best used cars on the road. Most folks don’t believe my TSX is 6 ½ years old with +95,000 miles and still looks like new. With my driving habits, I would only go for a 6MT if it was a weekend driver and/or 2nd or 3rd car in my family.

 

Well, we bought the 6 speed. So I now own two TSX's with the automatic and one with the standard.

 

Congrats. Hope you enjoy your tsx's as much as I do mine. Still get many compliments on how nice my car looks, especially after I tell them how many miles it has.