Originally Posted by iansanderson

hi. i thought i would chime in on this because I was in the same position you were in

i'm 27 years old and trying to get a career started. I bought a 2001 BMW 740i with the 4.4 V8 282HP, 329 lb-ft torque 3 years ago. It was a beautiful car, with lots of features and a lot of power, but when gas climbed over $4.00, the 80 dollar fill-ups were absolutely killing me. I was spending about $400 a month in gas. i'm about 90% city driving and my CONS1 was reading 13-15 MPG every time I filled up, and it was dead on. Highway was oddly high at around 24-25 MPG. well, then the warranty ran out, so the $500-1000 repairs started. Same crap, radiators, water pumps, thrust arms, alternator.. I performed the labor about 90% of the time and that was getting old.

so ya, i made a mistake and got too much of a car but some nice lady bought it over the weekend so now i'm free from it though slightly scarred.

I am getting a TSX because i've owned 4 honda's before the BMW. i miss the rock solid reliability and the great gas mileage. I tried to get into the TL, but the TSX just appeals to me more in my opinion. It would have made no sense for me to have two cars since I am single with no kids. The TSX is sort of a "downgrade" on a few levels especially when it comes to torque and things that are heated (i had heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel) but i know i will love it and get my money's worth out of it. I plan on saving $100+ per month on gas and $100's per month on repairs and maintenance.

Originally Posted by JimHolloman

Buy a new 740i today, sell it in 7 years, and the depreciation alone would have bought you two new TSX's. Add in taxes, gasoline, insurance, and maintenance, and you could probably could have a fleet of TSX's.

If the TSX satisfies your requirements for a vehicle (and it is a small vehicle with a firm ride), then the value is nearly impossible to beat; a perfect balance of power, efficiency, reliability, low maintenance, safety, handling, amenities, and residual value (if traded or sold). The American public now realize that they do not need a 300+ HP, 5,000 pound, V-8 powered, SUV to have self-worth. And, more and more of them are realizing that they do not need a $50,000+ luxury vehicle with a heated steering wheel to have self-worth. I call that "progress".

Originally Posted by davidspalding

1. Well, for one. Stop guesstimating your gas mileage, and use explicit measurements. Based on your guesstimate, it looks like you're getting 17.1 MPG, while driving 60% city driving like grandpa. Time for a new car, and clearly a 4-banger that sips rather than guzzles is a good idea. Added value if the new car uses affordable gas (regular versus premium) -- and that points me to either an Accord 4-banger, or an Accord V6 if you still crave the horsepower and torque. I dunno, maybe the Civic will qualify there, too. But Acura strongly recommends premium fuel (91 octane or better) for the K24 engine in the TSX, and there's conjecture that the mileage as well as performance are improved using the recommended fuel. (You can run 87 or 89, some of us do, but the anti-knock sensor may retard performance so that you think all's well, but you get less oomph per RPM.)

2. Don't buy another car that is known for requiring lots of maintenance. As mentioned, MDs depend on good decision-making, start your education early. .... BMWs are popular/highly regarded for their looks, their driving experience, the social status ... but NOT for being low maintenance. Sell it to Dad for FMV and get something that will last you 10 years. If you put a lot down on a 2006, 2007 certified pre-owned, you could possibly finance for 3 years, and then have that out of the way in time for med school.

3. Still addressing your original inquiry ("how much will it cost me per month to fill-up").... My price lately for "top tier" premium (93 octane) is $3.77, less a 5% discount from the vendor (Shell), so a "fill-up" like I did this morning (9.875 gallons) was only $37.32, with discount about $35. Mileage from last fill-up, a mix of city and highway on the holiday weekend, about 26 MPG. So I guess the entire tank would've lasted me 444 miles. Unless my algebra is all abracadabroken, a "fill-up" with 5 miles range left in the tank would cost me $60.84.

Originally Posted by miked8887

2006
fill up: around $50
mpg: I get 20.2 mostly city driving. When i get on the freeway, it starts to increase but levels off around 30mpg.

I just want to say, after deciding to get a TSX, I had to decide which year. After careful consideration, I chose a 2006. The 04 has issues with the AC. People on this forum mentioned something about "the dreaded 2004 ventilation system problem." I wouldn't get the 1st year of the 1st generation. I don't know how true this is, but I also read that the 06 is slightly faster than the 07 because of I think the cam shafts are larger (or something). If it matters to you, I've heard the stereo auxiliary doesn't work right in the 04's or 05's. I'm justing giving a heads up, google this stuff for more details.

Originally Posted by stylin

not to mention 06 has hondata. i have an 07... =[

Originally Posted by miked8887

... I've heard the stereo auxiliary doesn't work right in the 04's or 05's.

Originally Posted by Kid_Again

an '06 TSX auto, DIC maximum was 42.8mpg whereas the actual is 40.1mpg max

Originally Posted by davidspalding

Might be because there isn't one. They introduced it with the 2006.

Originally Posted by R.Tosh

I recently got 41 mpg on my 580km trip home from Vancouver. I used 40 liters on 580kms. Equals 41 US mpg..or 46 Canadian MPG. I kept it under 3000 rpm the whole way and basically coasted down all the mountain passes (just used brakes and sportshift to keep it in 5th, not lower gears). I also have a AEM cold air intake if that may help MPG. Its the best mileage i've ever gotten.

Originally Posted by djflex167

wow thats crazy, and i want to buy an 05 because i don't like the 06-08 front bumper, unless someone here tells me that u can switch the front bumper from a 06 tsx to an 05 front bumper? is it possible? would it fit flush?