seurat

I happened to catch a bit of NPR's "Car Talk" yesterday, and a caller mentioned that he was considering buying a TSX. One of the hosts (I think it was Ray) said he had just test-driven the TSX. When the caller asked what he thought, Ray replied, "I loved it!".

Not that exciting, really, but I'm using that bit of news as an excuse to introduce myself to the group. I've had my TSX for a little over 2 weeks now, and I absolutely love it. It's the first new car I've had in 9 years, and my old ride was a Corolla, so you can imagine what a step up this is.

Here are my quick impressions after about 700 miles (I drive a lot):

* I love the feeling of solidity throughout the car, from closing the doors to driving over potholes.

* The engine is wonderfully smooth and quiet. If there's a difference in engine noise between 20 mph and 80 mph, I can't hear it.

* The interior makes me smile every time I get in the car. Refined, classy, but not at all stodgy.

* The navigation system has already saved my butt a number of times. So far it has worked flawlessly, and for a guy like me who can get lost on his own street, this is a godsend.

* HVAC and audio systems are primo.

* Love the trip computer.

* I can finally accelerate when going uphill!

I do have a few minor complaints, some of which I've seen from others:

* The sightlines aren't great. My daily drive to work takes my through a Y-shaped intersection where I have to yield to oncoming traffic behind me and to my right; I have to crane my neck forward and backward several times in order to see everything, which I never had to do in my old car.

* The lumbar support is too high up in the seat back (or maybe I'm just too short).

* There's very little room for the seat-belt buckle between the seat back and the side pillar. If I'm not careful when I let the belt retract, the buckle will scratch either the seat covering or the plastic molding between the front and rear windows. Again, this may be because I have short legs, and have to move the seat up relatively far to reach the pedals.

* Moon roof controls -- put 'em on the roof!

Other than those little annoyances, I'm completely thrilled with the car. I almost bought a Maxima because of the extra hp, but I decided the TSX had higher-quality materials and was just more fun to drive. Boy, did I make the right choice.

larchmont

Actually quite exciting. When one of those guys says "I loved it" in that kind of way, it equals ten thousand usual words.

About the sight lines, I know what you mean. But I like them, because it depends what you're coming from -- they're an improvement over the TL-S that I had before.

I also know what you mean about the comparison with the Corolla. My wife has one -- I helped her pick it out, a few months before I got the TSX. At the time, I really liked it. But since getting the TSX, I feel the sacrifice big-time when I drive the Corolla.

KC 2004 TSX

That is exciting!! I love mine too! Welcome to the club...!

majormojo

Welcome, seurat! I'm glad you like your TSX. We like it too. Mostly. You'll encounter the exceptions here sooner or later, but don't take them too seriously. I think your assessment of some of the TSX strengths/weaknesses are right on. Looks like you're past the breakin period for your car too. Open 'er up and have some fun! Then you'll really be happy you chose it.

larchmont

BTW -- I've never actually heard the show, but I've heard a lot about it -- and I wonder why we don't see more about it on this board? I don't recall any prior mentions at all, including on the old site.

Maybe us "site-people" get all the car-confab that we need right on here?

captainjack

Because it's mostly for people with car PROBLEMS. So Honda/Acura drivers don't have lots of reasons to listen.

I love the show too. The only cars you hear about on it are American and/or REALLY old.

Tom and Ray are terribly self-effacing—you'd feel right at home, Larch.

fookie

Click-and-Clack from Car-Talk usually have different priorities with their cars than I do. They go for the Toyota Camry's of the world and praise them with god-like titles because they are reliable as a Maytag. For me however, I prefer a little driving excitement and asthetics. Though their mission is fantastic for 80% of the people in the world that drive cars, the other 20% of us who really love cars enough to post on Electronic Forums and do Group Meets, usually think their suggestions are without enough performance merit.

This is really news however, as we might have a good balance of performace and reliability in one complete package!

Buff-Daddy

I wonder if you would have admitted the same thing if he would have said the TSX was "average at best". I'm guessing not...

And what do you mean by "one of those guys?"

jcg878

I didn't know they commented on new cars. I've only heard them talk about how to fix that 'leak in your '82 Corolla'. But it seems to me that praise from them would be like praise from Consumer Reports - just a comforting reassurance.

Brad

Welcome, seurat! Say, how do you pronounce "seurat", please?

darth62

is that seurat as in "dot dot...."

Yui

I loved this comment, cause I totally agree. It's well laid out and definitely gives you a sense of class and refinement without making you feel 50 years old.

Why the hostility Buff-Daddy? Do you have nothing better to do with your time than search for posts to launch personal attacks off of? I wonder if you'd have bought a BMW if their cars weren't plastered all over the pages of Motor Trend... I can say that that wasn't the reason I bought my car, or the reason that I love my car, can you? And I know what you're thinking but price really wasn't an issue when I bought my car.

seurat39

"soor-AH", or something close to that. After the French painter, Georges Seurat. I'm not much of a French speaker myself -- not since high school, anyway -- so I probably pronounce it with an accent that would grate on Gallic ears.


That's the guy! Created the technique that was later dubbed Pointillism.

larchmont

Well -- Que sera, sera.

(Well somebody had to say it......)

larchmont

I promise you that I would have. What I meant was that when "one of those guys" says anything, and says it with emphasis, it's heard by lots and lots of people, and it gets the word out. And if they had said that the TSX was average at best, I'd think the same thing, but it wouldn't be such good news for the TSX.

P.S. Are you serious about not knowing what I meant by "one of those guys"?
I knew you were controversial, but I never thought you were stupid!

(j/k, I think)

majormojo

I was playing the song in my head, does that count? The Holly Cole version, though the Doris Day one is nice too...

Buff-Daddy

Well, you said that you have never actually heard the show, so praising someone that you have never actually heard speak seemed a little strong. So, I was wondering if you were saying "one of those guys" referring to anyone that was in the automobile industry or "one of those guys" specifically referring to the guys on Car Talk radio? Simple clarification question.

Brad

Thank goodness. I mulled SOY-rat (eu = oy) and sewer-rat. What a relief since neither soy-rat nor sewer-rat sounds appetising or pleasing.

Buff-Daddy

Can you show me where there is any hostility or a personal attack? You have to realize that there are different ways of reading the same sentances, you chose to read it as if I was trying to start something, I was just asking Larch a question.

FYI - I bought a BMW because I got a great deal on the exact car I wanted. I would have probably bought the TSX if that deal wouldn't have gone through. They are both great cars in thier own way. I just like to challenge people to see if they can admit faults. BMW has a terrible reliability record, I can admit that, but sometimes people here cannot or will not admit to any faults of the TSX. It will be interesting to see if people step forward and admit that they should have waited for the 2004 TL...

larchmont

I guess not all of you are up on Stephen Sondheim.

P.S. Before Buff-Daddy asks: No, I never heard Stephen Sondheim on the radio either.

larchmont

Yeah, actually I think "hostility" was a little bit the wrong word -- "skepticism" and "negativity" would be more on target -- but Buff, ya gotta admit he was pretty close. Yes, you just asked a question, but you were questioning something that was just a casual and obvious observation, which I don't think anyone would have questioned unless they were being somewhat skeptical and negative.

But, I personally don't have any problem with it. The way I saw it, you were having fun with us, and I tried to have some fun back. And, as they say, it's all good.

Yui

Your post in this thread has a pretty sarcastic tone to it Buff-Daddy, so I took that you just being a wise guy again. That whole "I'm guessing not..." addition implies that you're saying that Larchmont is only emphasizing the importance of this kind of publicity because it was a positive comment. That is, Larchmont's appraisal of these guys is based on the fact that they agree with his perspective, and not based on any foreknowledge of these guys. Anyhow, that's how I read it.

You got a great deal on a car that was marked up to begin with, I paid for a car that was priced right to begin with, we leave the BMW people alone, why can't y'all do the same?

dnl2ba

I love my TSX, but I'm with Buff-Daddy here. He hasn't said anything offensive in this thread.

Being defensive is understandable, since car choice is such a personal thing. It's like if you got attacked over how you dress, but you spent $31K after tax and fees for your clothes. It's your sense of style, your priorities, your income level, your pragmatism, and your intended outward image, all rolled into an icon (an avatar, if you will) that represents you. When your car is attacked, it's almost like someone's noting that your standards are low enough to accept the car's shortcomings.

At the end of the day, the TSX is a good car, but just a car. It has its faults. If I had a gajillion dollars, I'd get a 7-series or an Aston Martin or something, and I bet you all would, too. But the TSX was right for (most of) us. That's why we picked it, and that's why we don't need to worry that our collective sense of what's cool is being undermined.

dnl2ba

IIIIII aaaaaammmm veeeeerrrrryyyy sloooooowwww, and others have posted before me.

Yui

Anyhow, just been a bad day for me so I guess I'm just reading too much into things. If Larch didn't make anything of it then I shouldn't have bothered, since your question was directed at him and that's up for his interpretation...

Buff-Daddy

Marked up to begin with? Ha, too funny... I guess you have to tell yourself that in order to sleep at night. I set out to LEASE the best car I could for under $400/mo. I live in Minnesota, we have snow 6 months out of the year and that takes a lot of the fun out of car shopping. I don't even consider rear wheel drive an option, so that takes out a lot of the competition.
I like all-wheel-drive so I don't have to worry as much about the wife & baby and so that left me with BMWxi, A4 Quattro, Volvo S60 AWD. How much is that option on the TSX anyway? Oh, that's right, they didn't give you that option, they decided for you that it wasn't something you might want, nice customer service.
Anyway, as I have stated before, my vehicle was $34,540 and yours was $26,990. Here are the leases below.

Acura TSX BMW 325xi
MSRP = $26,990 MSRP = $34,540
Down Payment = $2,500 Down Payment = $3,500
Monthly Pymt. = $354 Monthly Pymt. = $389

You got xenons, 360 watt stereo, I got all-wheel-drive, fog lights, free maintenance. After you factor in the oil changes and standard service intervals involved with a lease, it boils down to about equal money. So then, you just pick which car you like and I like the look, feel, handling, brakes and all-wheel-drive that BMW had to offer. If you switched the Acura and BMW symbols, then I still would have chosen the features that I did. 9 out of 10 times the TSX is going to be a better value, this is the 1 out of 10 that it was not.

larchmont

Well, I wouldn't say I didn't make anything of it -- after all, I did call him "stupid."

Buff-Daddy

It's kind of like when you call a fat guy "slim" or a tall guy "shorty". Larch loves me like, he just has trouble expressing his feelings...

captainjack

Buff,
Sure, tone can be misread but your choice of words seems pretty caustic.
1) "Admitted" implies there's something wrong or embarrassing with Larch's (and our) car choice.

2) After framing Larch's "admission", the "I'm guessing not…" thing seems awfully condescending.

I'm glad you kissed and made up, though.

Buff-Daddy

Admit means to confess or acknowledge

"I'm guessing not" is teasing...

"The TSX F'ing sucks and so do you" is condescending... And I never said anything like that, never would...