Hi, I am new to the forum, GREAT SITE!

I'm about to sell my 2001 BMW 3-series and have been looking at the Jetta GLI 6 speed, Accord sedan EX V6 and the Acura TSX. I got quite excited about the TSX after reading many great reviews, but after reading some of the horror stories on here and edmunds, I am having second thoughts. The two big issues that seem to stick out are the numorous creaks and rattles coming from different areas on the car and the quality of the paint.

1. Rattles - This can be annoying, but often can be fixed. Are you guys able to get these things fixed through your dealer under warranty?

2. Paint - This is very dissappointing as it keys into resale value. No one is going to want to buy a used car all stone chipped up. Typically I have found that SILVER is more forgiving with chipping and showing scratches. How is the silver holding up?

3. I would think these same issues would be present on the accord....no?

4. Oh one more thing.....is the stereo really as bad as everyone says? I read posts where people are replacing the speakers and subs because of major distortion on BASS. I wonder if the system is in fact fine and these people are running it as if they had a kicker box installed? lol

Thanks for your thoughts...

 

Welcome to the forum

1) Rattles ... most cars have them, the TSX is not nearly as bad as it seems. Most folks don't just post to say "I don't have rattles" ... or "I had rattles, but they were easily fixed". You are going to hear/see the more drastic stories. And most of the known ones, take them to the dealer and they know what to do at this point.

2) Honda/Acura is no BMW as far as paint ... but neither is any other car maker The TSX will be on par with the Accord. Not sure on the Jetta ... other folks can comment there. But yes ... my sillver TSX is holding up very well. This is my 3rd Acura/Honda in that color for the reason you mentioned as well as holding its color over time. Don't sweat resale too much ... the TSX is in the top of the class in that area like most other Acuras.

3) Yup

4) Audiophiles will rarely like a stock system ... and will never like a stock system in a sub-30K car. My suggestion is this is an easy one to see for yourself. Head to the Acura dealer ... have him put your CD in there and give it a whirl. Test driving is not just being behind the wheel

Good luck in your search ... and don't forget to test out the handling on your test drive ... that's where the TSX shines

 

Thanks for the insight....I hope to test drive one this week. The dealer has 2 on the lot with 10K+ miles so I will be sure to drive them to check for squeaks, rattles, and paint chips. I'll try out the stereo like you said.

One other thing.....is the wind noise as bad as everyone makes it out to be at FAST highway speeds? What is your take on this? Just in case I don't get the opportunity to bring it up to 75 mph on the test drive.

 

I have a bmw 328i (E46) and a tsx too and I am very very satisfy with my tsx and already kick my bimmer as a beater

Wasn't you already get used to the rattles on your E46? I did! My E46 start rattling since day 1, so the small rattle from tsx shouldn't bother you too much (if it has any rattle and mime has no rattle at this moment, touch wood ).
Paint chip is always easy to fix, have you heard lankga? but also I dun have a single paint chip up to now. I dun think stone chip will affect the resale that much but the repaint will.

Audio? I am ok with tsx audio and love the in-dash 6 disk changer. Well if I am ok with the haman kandon from bmw then I should have no complain on tsx.

And yes you will impress how the tsx handle and you will be more impressive for the a-spec suspension. The a-spec tsx handle and ride even better than my E46 with M-sport package (at least on everyday traffic but dunno about race track). The 6sp manual is the most impressive part of the tsx.

 

Actually the TSX's paint might be better than a US Accord's paint simply becuase the paintwork was done in Japan versus the US. At least, several years ago this was indeed the case. This is according to someone who did paintwork at a local Ford plant; he said Japan's environmental laws were less strict than here in the US which allowed Japan's paint process to be better. Can anyone confirm or deny if this is still the case?

 

my good friend has a 330ci and my father has a new 5 series.....both have said they liked the stock TSX system better than theirs....my friend even begs me to take out the car instead of his when we go out cause he likes my system so much more.....360 watts is the best stock system i've come across for cars in the TSX price range unless i'm wrong

 

If you're concerned with paint chips, I'd suggest getting either the clear bra or the black bra. I saw a SSM TSX with a black bra the other day. It really looked great!

I think the stock sound system is more than adequate for my expectations. It actually has a palpable bass....

 

1. Some rattles you can fix yourself, but some you have to take it to the dealer. Recently however there were very few complaints on rattles. Also, if rattles concerns you a lot, you should wait for the 05 TSX model.

2. I don't know, because my paint's fine.

3. I don't know, my friend's accord had 0 problems while my TSX had 2 major problems. ( in regards to rattling, tranny, chip paints, center console, etc.)

4. It's a 26k car, so you'll get a sound system that's worse than 30K+, but better than 20K- cars, obviously.

 

IMHO there is very little wind noise but a bit of road noise. This is becasue of the the tires. You really notice it when on the highway and the pavement changes. Its very quiet on asphalt but a bit noisy on concrete. I've read where folks who replaced their door speakes and added dynamat to the inside of the doors reported having a much quieter cabin. I've been toying with the idea of spraying some sound deadening material in the wheel wells. What do you guys think?

 

I'm rattle-less at 2700 miles (knocking wood). I have a creak or two over crappy pavement, especially with moonroof cracked, but I expect that from a car with a rigid chassis. The stereo is alright.

Wind noise is not a problem. Tire noise kind of is. I'm of the understanding that the stock tires are noisy and that different ones alleviate the problem (assuming quiet tread pattern).

 

Welcome, Bill!

1. My car doesn't rattle, so.... Not all of them do.

2. You're right about this. I'd look into ClearBra as a solution. A lot of owners have it and love it. People have also mentioned the OEM leather bra. One thing to note with that is if you plan on getting the OEM body kit, the leather bra will not fit.

3. My best guess is "yes"

4. The stereo is actually very good. The people who complain about it and change components immediately would probably do so on any car they buy, regardless of how good the sound system is. Provench's suggestion to "test drive" the sound system with a CD of your own is an excellent idea.

Good luck choosing!

 

We are married 20 somethings and got our TSX last week. We dont plan on racing it or doing any add ons. So far it has been great!

1. Rattles - Had ours a week with no rattles

2. Paint -Don't know about this

3. I would think these same issues would be present on the accord....no? -Don't know about this either

4. Oh one more thing.....is the stereo really as bad as everyone says? I think the stereo is great. Great quality and I love the disc changer.

 

About the rattles...after 2000+ miles, im pretty convinced that some of the rattles I've heard are just from the car "settling in", much like a brand new house. I'll hear something, and then a week or so later I'll never hear it again. Dont know if this is normal or not, but I can tell you that any rattle that I might have had is no longer there.

 

Rattles - have on on the passenger side door and my rear Eibach springs (damn springs!). I'm going to Northeast Acura sometime next week to get my first oil change and I'll ask them to look at the problems.

Paint - I really wouldn't be that concerned with the paint. I had my Civic for 6 years and never had a problem with the paint. Just don't neglect the car and it'll be fine.

Stereo - It's not bad. I ended up doing the Alpine type-S swap for all my speakers and it sounds better.

 

Agreed, the tires SUCK. They squeal like pigs on any moderate to agressive turn. Hate them. I went to Vegas a couple of weeks ago and there was a stretch on the 15 about 20 miles out from Vegas where I though there tires were going to explode it was SO loud. It was a very high pitched whine.

 

I have CGP TSX. I don't see any chips. I've only had it for two months. I have a co-worked who has the Milano Red TSX, that had many chips. My co-worker got the dealer to repaint the front for free. They used several coats, with a more expensive clear coat. So you might consider yourself lucky tif you get some chips!

I am not sure if different colors are more prone to chipping, but my CGP looks good so far. I am still debating about the clear-bra.

The sound system is fine. It sounds pretty good with a CD.

I don't have any rattles. The car runs great! I got my car on May 26, 2004. So it was probably produced a month or two earlier. I think if you brought your car at this point you would probably be fine.

-Peter

 

The problem with the paint is one for all new cars (at least those from car companies concerned about the environment). Newer cars tend to use water soluble paints that just are not as strong as the older organic solvent paints. Volvo has been using this paint for a while and their cars seem to hold up okay.

As for the sound system, it's more than sufficient for a $30k car. I don't think you'll find a better, unmodified stock system in this price range. Plus, this system is included in the base price of the car and is not an epxensive upgrade.

 

I've put over 3,000 miles on my three-week old TSX on every road surface available between Philly and Boston, including dirt. No rattles yet. Quiet in comparison to my old Jetta (more on that........)

I have the same experience as many other drivers; car is very quiet on asphalt, thrums on concrete. Will listen to other sound abatement tricks posted on this website.

Sterio - probably not of a quality to satisfy a true audiophile, but decent enough for my needs, better than the one in my old VW GLX ..... and the CD changer lived in the trunk, since VW has not mastered the complex technology required to put the damn thing inside the cabin. Made changing the "cassette" a lot of fun in wind, rain and snow. Before you buy, see if the current VW has the same inept system.

Paint chipping - I live in the city, so parking lot dings, dimples and road gravel are a fact of life, so I can't comment - I just live through it and endure.

In comparison to a VW - I turned in a 2001 VWGLX V6 with 17" tires and a sports suspension (no longer made) with every option I could stuff into it. Road noise was appreciable (more than the TSX by a long shot), rattled like a delivery truck carrying tin boxes after two years and the sterio system was not as good as the TSX's by any stretch of credibility. Moreover, the electrical system in VW's have been historically very bad; my own experience parallels that - coil problems, ignition problems, mysterious shorts, idiot lights on/off for no reason (dashboard looked like a Christmas tree sometimes) and finally, a problem, reputedly with moisture under the distributor cap which caused the engine to stall out randomly, sometimes at 85 mph on the Garden State Parkway. I turned the beast in a month early on its lease just to be done with it. The car was fun to throw around, and in truth, had more low-end torque than the TSX, but it was not nearly as well-bred in handling. High-speed handling could be more risky than fun. The real disaster for me was the maintenance - had the car towed three times. Somewhere else on this web are threads that have converted VW drivers (like me); most of us have the same tale - fun cars, well designed but poorly executed with high maintenance demands and - a poor dealorship support (mine required a reservation two weeks in advance before they would breathe on the car). If you are really serious about the VW, scan those threads before you buy..... My VW consumed over $3000 in unintentional repair costs in the last three months of its lease - repair, towing, rental car, yadayadayada........ which didn't fix all of the problems - and sure took the fun out of driving it.

The Honda Accord V6 will be more powerful an engine, but is "interpreted" as a solid, stable family sedan with classic Honda rep for sturdyness, clarity of interior design, performance. The TSX is tighter in handling, and a slicker interior. My wife claims that Acuras are Hondas in evening clothes, but there is more than that - the TSX will have sweeter handling in addition to a more stylish interior. BOTH the Accord and the TSX, in my experience, will feel/live larger than the Jetta, although the stats show minor inches of difference in the interior dimensions.

If you want a sporty car with four doors, the TSX will be a great solution; if you want a sturdy family sedan that routinely shleps four folks around, get the Accord, and if you want electrical trouble wrapped up in a car that deteriorates quickly, get the VW.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself ric! Great post!

I too have suffered through the electrical and mechanical gremlins in my old VW. Great cars to drive but I'll never buy another one.

 

I have had my TSX for about 6 weeks, and no rattles at all!!! The car has been super solid, you can hear it when you close the doors! I also got the clear bra at time of purchase, it is a $1000 option though. I bargained it down to $650, a well worth it investment. I can already see where it prevented rock chips, and you can hardly see it at all. As far as the stereo, I am an audiophile, and it will do just fine. If you don't need huge subwoofer bass, and you don't listen to a lot of high end audio equipment, it is definitely up to par.

 

Ric...awesome post. This sums up my experiences with my old VW GTi. Needless to say that cursing at your VW for breaking down is part of the series of emotions from driving a "drivers wanted car." You feel great when driving the car, but once a problem hits...bam, you're dropping F-bombs towards that old VW left, right, and center.

And don't forget about feeling robbed after you see that repair bill that the dealers give you.

 

Cabin Size------------>
I know what you mean...the jetta does seem so narrow inside, although actual numbers are quite close.

Performance------> Have not driven the TSX yet. I was impressed with the 2003 Jetta GLI. The ride quality was nice, handling was great with the sport suspension and 17" wheels. The car felt HEAVY as it went over bumps, solid, rigid...I love that feel I have grown to love in my BMW. Steering was also tight, quick, and restistant...just as it should be. The engine VR6 now puts out 200 HP which is about 20 more than your 2001. It is mated with an AWESOME 6 speed (same used on the audi 3.0) and it matches up really well. That car is QUICK.....quicker than my 2.5L I6 in my 325i BMW 5 speed. GOBS of low end torque too. Thx for the heads up on the electrical problems on the VW, I'll definatly look into it. I can get a 2003 GLI 6 speed loaded with 10K miles for about 17K and sticker is 26K....good bang for the buck. I thought the monsoon stereo sounded good, I'll compare with the TSX when I go see one over the weekend. Oh also, VW now offers a 4/50K waranty.........

I look forward to driving the Accord EX. I would miss the manual shift, but the power seems to be just what I am looking for. Perhaps some springs and 17" wheels would liven up the handling....I just don't know. What gets me is that the TSX from the rear looks a lot narrower than the accord.....aren't they the same platform?! What else bothers me is large wheel gap in the fender wells......they seem to build most cars like off roaders lately. I don't want to go lowering the car, btu the accord seems to have this to a greater extent than the acura. I saw a silver accord with 17" wheels and full tint on my way home tonight and it looks nice with the large rear clear lights. As for the interior, they look very similar to me....more on that later.

Thanks again, all your input has been a great help!

 

Bill97Z, the TSX does not share the same platform as the USDM Accord, it shares the same platform as the JDM Accord. Your eyes are right, it is narrower.

 

The newer VW V6 is a more powerful engine than the one I had, and the low-end torque will leave folks gasping at stop lights and your passengers with whiplash; no doubt about the gutty power of the V6 to thrill and chill - even the older model had enough power to excite me, and was the reason for my getting the thing in the first place. The six-speed may make a difference; I'm required to have an automatic transmission since other folks drive it. Unless they have changed the essential handling, the VW handling will be smooth and responsive, but subject to understeer. I find the TSX to be much sweeter in handling - gotta take your test drive out on some curvy roads to get the feel of the TSX. Have driven the Merritt Parkway in both the VW and the TSX; the TSX was far more fun at mid and high speeds where the engine torque comes into its own. Gas mileage on the old GLX was 24 highway 14 city; the TSX is running 33 highway, 24 city. Forgot to mention - check the thickness of the distance between the wheelrim and the road on your VW GLI; mine required tires with very little depth to the rubber. Made the ride unusually "Eurpoean" and I blew three tires in three years on potholes - even at low speeds - with concommitant damage to the tie rods; repairs (including new tires) ran about $1100/1500 per incident. The TSX also has 17" tires, but the amount of rubber is substantially greater. By now you can tell that I'm not a VW lover any more - The electrical problems began to surface after about 40,000 miles and plagued the car till I turned it in. Since one of my partners had parallel problems with his Passat, we don't lease VW's any more as a policy. And I forgot to mention the two separate days that the windows in the front doors disappeared into the door panel, cracked into smithereens and left me driving wtih no window until I could get it in to the dealer's - but I digress.

In retrospect, the Jetta was a fun, rowdy tossaround car deceptively packaged in a compact body (fun to dragrace at streetcorners with unsuspecting folks) with a sensitive electrical system and gradually deteriorating body systems; the TSX feels much more urbane and polished in its allaround performance. The only way for you to see the TSX at its true best is to toss it around on curved roads, midspeed and highspeed - I find the understeer control of the TSX makes a lot of difference in the pleasure of driving. Midrange torque is more impressive than my old VW, actually, compensating for my lack of ability to patch out at stoplights any more.

But if your comparison is between a used VW and a new TSX, dial in the exhorbitant repair costs you may well be faced with for the electrical system over the life of the car; it will bring the two total "capital investment" prices much more in line with each other; it will depend mostly on when you want to dump the money and how much you will feel incovenienced the second or third time the car needs towing......I really wish my experience with the Jetta was unique, but I'm afraid it isn't.

 

I've got to say that when I was looking at getting a new car, I also cross-shopped the Jetta GLI, Accord EX-V6 Coupe, and TSX.

The Jetta was a nice little car and the 6-speed was nice - but I've heard too many horror stories about VWs and couldn't be bothered with fixing this and that. So, that left the Accord. I chose against it because 1) I thought it was too large to be a 'sporty' car 2) Everybody and their mother seems to have an Accord 3) The V6 was nice but drinks quite a bit more gas than the I4 in the TSX. (I drive about 100 highway miles/day for work and get around ~31ish MPG with the 6MT)

Also to consider between the Accord and TSX. Although the TSX is a bit smaller, you make up for it in better handling characteristics, a much nicer interior (which includes a nicer stereo than the Accord), and the big plus in my book - Acura's better warranty. The price of a TSX w/o Navi and Accord EX-V6 are very similar...so the TSX has more bang for the buck IMO.

My TSX has no rattles as of yet, haven't had any door dings or rock chips (yet) so can't say anything about the paint, but then again I've also got the carbon grey. The stereo is quite sufficient for me.

 

Thanks - If it had failed only once or twice - I could have been more forgiving; the car was a lot of fun to bash around in. I think it was the second time that I had the car towed from the highrise parking garage that I park it in at nighttime that did me in......Philly has two towing services that tow from parking garages, and they let you know their pain. And you're right, the repairs are staggering and my local dealer was rude, inefficient and sloppy - after the warrenty was up, I took it to my corner gas station and found my bills to be 2/3 the cost. Since the VW didn't have loaner cars............. I had to add in rental car costs at $100/day (center city Philadelphia) to the costs in either location, so convenience was hardly the issue. You're right - it was a driver's car until it became a handyman's special.

 

Thx guys....I'll post a full review after my test drive....your right there is more to a car than straight line acceleration.....if that was the case...I would of never sold my 13.5 second 1/4 mile '97 Z-28 lol

 

As far as any concerns you have about the stereo of the TSX, rest assured that it is quite impressive. I listen to alot of punk and metal and have found the 8 speakers and 360 watt amp to be quite sufficient. The clarity is very good (I even understand lyrics that I had previously not been able to make out in my 'lude).