benth

I am in the market for a new car and I am really struggling to find the right match. I have owned Acuras before (2, in fact) and so I have a certain comfort level with them but there are a couple things about the TSX that are holding me back. First is that I could spend a bit more and get a lot more power in a car. I am not a tuner so while I appreciate that the TSX may have great potential I am not really interested in getting into mods. A few more K can get you a lot more car these days!

Second, and probably more important, is that during my ownership of this next car I will pass the 40 mark and I honestly don't like the idea of seeing a 25 year-old everytime I look behind the wheel of every other TSX I meet on the road. No offense to the younger members of the board, but the TSX does seem to be targeted at a younger crowd and I am not sure I fit into that crowed anymore.

I love the looks of the car and it handles pretty well, it's just this emotional hump I am trying to get over. If I were buying a second car, the TSX would be a slam dunk, but as an adult, the TSX just doesn't seem like the more mature choice. The TL is an amazing looking car but just bigger than I am comfortable with. Perhaps I am overthinking this and I should just look elsewhere, but there is something soothing about the TSX that makes it difficult.

Anyway, has anyone else gone through this same dilema?

ClutchPerformer

What other cars are you looking at? Most of the others with more power in the price range you describe are also bigger (G35, etc.). Have you driven the TL?

I suggest a BMW 330i if it has to be in the same size range as the TSX.

TSX 'R' US

If you want a more mature TSX...don't get the spoiler, no underbody kit, and get Parchment interior....

Ok....jokes aside, if you're looking at Acura, might I suggest the TL...or possibly the new RL when it comes out (depends on when you need the car).

germanconvert

I’ve been lurking on this board for a while because I had been going through the same thing as you. I think I am a bit younger (35) but I had the same reservations. When I got over what other people thought about someone my age driving a younger car (it’s not like I was buying a Civic!) I looked at the money I would spend and decided that the real problem was that the TSX, nice though it is, wasn’t worth the money.

You’re right- for a little bit more money you can get a car that at least seems like a lot more. I ended up with a Passat 4Motion V6. Drives great, feels like a luxury car and doesn’t have the stigma I fear the TSX has. The Beemer was too $$$ and the Audi A4 was too small. Now I must admit to being a little worried about wandering out of my Japanese car comfort zone, but I am loving the VW. Besides, when I am ready I can buy a T or RSX turn that into my weekend car.

MarkPinTx

On power: from a standstill, stoplight or stopsign, the TSX suffers a bit. On the highway or once you get past 20mph, you will not notice any power deficit. None.

On age: I'm 38. I live in Dallas. Most of the ppl on these boards are considerably younger (a great number of them are Torontans and Vancouverites). I have seen fewer than 10 total TSX in Dallas, none driven by Ricers or anything approaching them. It's a refreshingly rare vehicle (Dallas is the city of cars). I've seen more M3's lately than TSX's and more of em driven by lil whippersnappers. The act of driving such a crisp sedan is age-reducing.

To counter the above (with all due respect), like Jettas and Beetles, Passats around here are driven almost exclusively by young or youngish women, so going that route wouldn't accomplish your objectives. And, you can buy a good bit more power for a lil bit more money, but not more CAR. Plus, its a VW

So, depends what you want, but the stereotypes one can gather from here don't really apply in the larger world (mine anyway).

Dan Martin

You are correct sir: http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11105

benth

wow, just read the "What Age Are You" thread. I think it made up my mind. I may need to reevaluate the TL. It is pretty swanky.

Clutch- looked at a 325 (the 330 was just to expensive) but finding one in a manual is next to impossible and even then it is still a bit more than I want to spend. Awfully nice though.

Germanconvert (ha ha)- I had thought the Passats were in the mid 30's so I never really considered them when a BMW was not to far away- can I ask about what you paid? If they really are just a couple K more I would probably be stupid not to give them serious consideration.

Who knew growing up could be so expensive!

ClutchPerformer

Be careful about that "What Age Are You?" thread. It'll be extremely biased towards the low-end of the age range because older owners are much less likely to be online browsing web forums for their car.

The TL is a nice car.

germanconvert

I can't deny there is some truth in that. VW certainly does seem to attract a slight crunchy demo, but around here the V6 seems to remove that element. Funny thing is once I drove one and found what I could get for my money I didn't care so much about the image. And now I love it more every time I drive it. Can't really ask for more than that in a car.

I don't want to seem like a TSX basher- I just think it would be worth it for $23-24k and not the $27k they are asking for.

germanconvert

Amen to that. I suppose most people my (our) age have real jobs and real resposibilities! I am one of the lucky few that doesn't!

bob shiftright

Hmmmmm. When did you see my car?

In it's JDM Accord incarnation, the TSX is a 4-door family sedan. It's kinda interesting because if you crank it down just a notch, say to the Honda Accord or Camry, the buyer's age goes up! In fact, Camry buyers are about as old as Methuselah. The little Toyota Echo buyer's average age is reported as 57. Seriously.

The youngest buyer age of any marque is VW's. The average Harley-Davidson buyer is 46 and the average Porsche 911 buyer is 52. Do you see any pattern here? Because I don't!

I like a car with a firm suspension and a stick shift is a must. Most in my demographic seem to like a soft riding car with an automagic. The demographics of most of the competitive models like the Saab, 3-Series and V40 are similar to the TSX. If there were no TSX, I'd probably buy an Accord and add firmer springs, struts and shocks, thicker anti-roll bars and a strut tower brace like I did with my Volvo. With the TSX all that stuff is already done.

If you like the TSX and like the way it rides and handles, then buy it. There are much worse things in life than a passerby you'll never see again thinking you're younger than you actually are.



Geezer's Wheels, 2004!

benth

In the case of VW I think they offer incentives to first time buyers. I would be interested in seeing how the demographics change between the bug, the Golf and the Jetta. As for the Harley and the Porsche- the pattern is easy- most people are middle age before that can afford them!

If I am honest I am actually only satisfied with the "out of the box" TSX, not wowed. I have an aging Integra now so the feel of the TSX is nice and familiar. But is that really criteria for buying a new car?

Thanks for all the input!

ricecake

I promised myself that I was going to never grow up, and I was always going to see the world as if I was 12 years old. But frankly, "staying young" is just as expensive as growing up.

If your concern with a more "age appropriate" car is the result of what you see other people "your age" driving, or whatever your peers seem to have, then I doubt that you would have considered the TSX, so there is something subjective about the TSX that you just subjectively really like, or you wouldn't take the time to post here. Fwiw, most of my peers are driving X5s, a 3 series, or an Audi A6, and I could not "see" myself in any of them. Not to sound hokey, but sometimes it's a subjective thing.

Master47

No TL owner I know calls their car "swanky." As a matter of fact, if you are looking for a "swanky" car, you might want to reevaluate the '57 Chevy, or Bel-air.

All jokes aside, who cares what age the other drivers are. Tint the windows (so no one sees the grey-haired guy in the sporty sedan) and enjoy your car, whatever you decide on. Nothing wrong with extending your youth.

Viking

Got this from Hondanews.com:

TARGET BUYER
Young. Hip. Technically astute. Raised on Japanese cars. Aspiring to own upscale brands. They are all of this and much more, but these terms perfectly define the buyers that are attracted to the distinctive styling of the TSX, its advanced engineering and sporting handling. Today's leading automotive designs are sporty and aggressive, and TSX buyers will recognize these cues in the newest Acura sedan immediately.

Acura TSX target buyer demographics:

percent male
Median age 33 years
55 percent married
85 percent college educated
$80,000 median household income
These young and affluent buyers have an emotional attachment to their cars, but require a rational base to support their purchases. The TSX supports both needs with its outstanding handling, strong engine performance, distinctive overall design character, and the world-class quality inherent in all Acura products.

benth

When does one stop aspiring to own and upscale brand and acutally own one? A strange comment I think!

Master, I am not sure tint helps the situation!

germanconvert

I hate to be the bad guy, but while he may be drawn to the TSX, Bent also seems equally repelled. Nobody can tell you want the right choice is, and at the end of the day your age shouldn't matter, nor should anyone's opinion. All I can share is what helped me make up my mind: I was interested in a little more luxury, a different handling car (I won't say "better" for fear of retribution), something different that what I had owned before (a Civic and an Integra) and in the end, value.

TheDuke

I fully understand your problem. I am 42 and have driven and evaluated just about every other car in this category over the past 2 months. This includes MB C230 & C240, BMW 325i, Lexus IS300, Audi A4 1.8T, VW Passat GLX, Volvo S40 T5, Volvo S60 Turbo, and the TSX w/Navi. I could give you a breakdown of each one but it's enough to say the bottom line is this... you simply can not buy the same or more car for your money than the TSX. Even if you look at the TL and match it on interior space and storage room you will find the TSX is about the same and even has a bigger trunk than the TL. Sure, I could get a "better" car with all of the equipment on the TSX; for about 10 to 12 thousand dollars more. Since I pay cash for my cars (no payments for me thanks), the simple value of a TSX is impossible to beat.

As for the age thing; yes if you only go by the forum, you are outside the common age group (like me). However, in the last 2 weeks I have seen 3 TSX's in my area of town, all of which had drivers older than me (appearance anyway).

So buy the car that fills your wants & needs within your budget and don't worry about how you look in it.

kenji4861

Acura TL, G35, ES330

jimby

Well, I am over 40 as well, and I took delivery of a TSX Nighthawk Black Pearl/Ebony 6MT w/Nav a month ago. I work for a large entertainment company and we probably have 500 cars in the company lot. Mine is the only TSX. There are tons of BMWs, Mercedes, Jags, Lexus, etc., including at least 2 or 3 TLs, but no other TSX.

All my friends (also over 40) lust after my car. While they are stuck driving Volvos and Camrys, I am having all the fun. Even the BMW 500 series owners love the car and check it out all the time.

Don't worry about the age thing. Buy what you like. Buy what's fun.

jim

JeffTSX

Why not the 2004 S4 or 2005 M5?

jcg878

Clutch has an excellent point.

I am 27. Most TSXers on here seem to be younger than me. Most TSXers I see on the road seem to be older.

germanconvert (lol) has a good brief description of the difference between Passats and TSXs (I post on this too much!). I'd speak out against the stereotype about Passat drivers... but it's my wife's car

benth - I don't think you should let the age thing deter you from a TSX, but you don't seem enamoured with it. Don't try to talk yourself into it - move on (IMHO).


jcg, who also drives a parchment TSX with no kit

dom

I'm 27 as well.

75% of TSX's I see on the raod are driven by women. Not young girls but women 40+. The remaining 25% are mainly older men at least 30+. I see very few young people driving the TSX.

The age thread has maybe 1 female respondant which supports the fact that not many older folk, mainly female will be surfing the web answering polls.

On the other hand, I haven't seem anyone under 40 in a TL and they were all men, so?

Viking

Well Acura is an upscale brand. So if you purchase one you will no longer have to aspire:-)

Most of the Japanese Automakers for North America developed the seperate divisions to establish brand recognition to compete with the upscale european models.

TSX noob

I'm 39, my daily commute car is a Subaru WRX (slightly modded), my wife drives the TSX with a front lip and rear wing, on weekends we use the Tahoe with the kids (ages 5 and 7), so I guess age doesn't matter on what type of car you would like to drive, its what you're craving for.

Nobody can tell you what car to get, it's all up to you and however you want to use it.

sleeper

don't let age be an influential factor when buying a car. my brother is 30, has an '00 TL, and likes my car more than his. and he loves his car! my dad's 63 and is considering getting one too. also, i feel more mature and distinguished by driving a TSX even though i'll be 25 shortly. i wanted to buy the TL originally, but after looking at the TSX i was sold immediately. it's beautiful, costs much less, handles great, and still has plenty of power.

if power is dissuading you from buying it, take a look at the TL, IS 300, or G35. honestly, i don't think the TSX is right for you (not yet anyhow). keep looking around and then come back to it when you have a very short list and see if you still feel the same way. if you're having some serious reservations about the car, go with your instincts.

germanconvert: the tsx IS worth the price (most, if not all TSXers would agree), so i'm sorry you feel that it's worth considerably less.

theduke & jimby: reps for you!

as you can tell, we are passionate about our TSXs i haven't met anyone yet who isn't.

biker

germanconvert

Value is a relative thing. In several more months when you don't have to pay almost full sticker for the TSX, maybe, but with the incentives VW has been offering this year that actually make the V6 Passat less expensive than the TSX the choice was easy for me. Had the TSX been closer to its invoice the choice would have been more difficult. It may be a bit like comparing apples to oranges.

yuhoo22

Don't let this forum fool you into the age of the TSX owners....while there are many "distinguished" TSX owners here, the majority of the fanatics that are willing to search online for info is limited to the 20-30 year olds.

Actually I have been seeing a lot more TSXs on the road here in NYC/Long Island, and I must say that they seem to be all in their 40s. (Believe me, I look everytime trying to find someone from this board that I could recognize from the member's pic thread)

I am 24, and own a BMW X5 as well as the TSX...As ricecake has mentioned, the X5 is probably driven by people older than me, but I wouldn't say that I am too young to have one, even though some people think it must be my parents' I crossed shopped the 330, the A4, the Passat, and the G35 which I would guess is what you are looking at also. The TSX by far is the best value, best interior, and best looking !!! Sure there are a few things that I wish the TSX had, but given the 6MT, the Navi, and the fuel consumption alone, it separates itself from the rest of the class. Even the 5AT which I have (due to NYC traffic) is better than any other I have ever tested.

Honda/Acura is in my opinion the best in reliability, which is definitely a positive in my book, should also be a factor. I believe this to be the reason why I see their fleet driven by people of all ages. Which is more than I can say about other companies like Cadillacs and Dodge. Parents and kids can interchange car without suffering a blow on their egos.

This is just IMHO, so you can take it with a grain of salt if you like.....but I hope it helps you in your decisions. Good luck on your search and let us know how it turns out.

bob shiftright

The "Target" ain't necessarily what they hit! (Although Honda seems to have hit a bullseye with the TSX!)

Younger buyers are a group that automobile manufacturers covet. Cadillac is ecstatic that it's average buyer's age dropped from 63 in 1999 to 59 last year. The problem from the manufacturer's perspective is that sometime soon after they turn 63 they stop buying new cars.

"According to market research provided by New York-based Mediamark Research Inc., buyers of new Honda Accords are typically 40, have household incomes of around $59,000, live in homes valued at $167,000 and hold at least a bachelor's degree. Most think they dress more fashionably than the general population."

"The median age of a BMW 300 series owner is 40.9 years and their median household income is $54,000. BMW owners are twice as likely as other motorists to believe they dress more fashionably than most people. Fewer Beamer owners prefer making things from scratch; for them buying ready-made products is more likely. And they broadly interpret the Bible, says Mediamark."

I think it's pretty darn interesting if BMW 3-Series buyers earn less than Honda Accord buyers!

I just consider the TSX a 4-banger Honda Accord with goodies like a strut tower brace, leather seats, bigger brakes, HIDs, a 6-speed, stability control and 17" wheels and it's mostly the kind of stuff that I'd be inclined to either add to an Accord as an option or as an aftermarket part. I'd also guess that a lot of other TSX buyers also came to the conclusion that it's cheaper and easier to leave the work to Honda than to do it themselves. Plus doing it this way it adds to the car's resale value rather than subtracts from it.

Stokeless_TSX

you know its all on preference, you cant let what other people drive influence your decision. You have young guys in thier early 20's driving S class benz's does that mean olders guys shouldnt? And others are right young gents like myslef will be more online looking for stuff for our cars. Dont let ages of other car drivers push you away from buying the car you like. If you don't like it dont get it. Go for the TL or RL its your choice no one else's.

benth

Hey guys, thanks for all your input.

I got an early start this morning and hit my neighbor up for a test drive. He bought a Passat sedan earlier this year and I figured I should give it a go. First the car handles and feels a lot like the 325. Guess it must be the German engineering. I have to admit to really liking it. I wouldn’t say it felt as sporty as the TSX but it certainly felt just as fun. The interior was a lot nicer than I expected for the money and felt a tad more upscale than the TSX (maybe not the TL). Nice leather, great looking dash and the seats are very comfortable. For the money this is a great deal.

One big problem though, and I guess it might seem shallow: My elbow doesn’t rest very comfortably on the door while I am driving it. I feel like an idiot basing my decision on something so trivial, but unless my elbow fits I am just not interested. So I guess I will learn to live with the ricer image, paying sticker price and the fact the turning on the AC will suck the life out of my acceleration- the TSX is the car I am most comfortable with and I think it’s the one for me. I wish the back was a little roomier, but my elbow won't be riding in the back seat!

Now my only remaining hope is that the TSX can attract the same class of lady my Integra has for all these years!

germanconvert

Yeah, too bad this doesn't come in a hatch. That would be a great use of space!

Good luck with the TSX, man!

jcg878

Definitely - I have been thinking this a lot lately.

iamhomin

Then how about the Accord EX?

TSX 'R' US

TSX hatch:

robert_tsxgeek

If you are having so many concerns.....I think you should just skip the TSX & move on & don't look back and ,it sounds to me you've already reached a psudo-decision, go for the Passat

rb1

You can't go by board membership (especially this one), as it will be disproportionately skewed to the younger crowd, probably significantly so.

I'm 40, which makes me an old fart here, and the TSX is high on my short list of next cars. It has a simple, classic, understated style that will hold up for a while. Meanwhile, I've already decided I don't like the way the new TL looks (among other things, it screams "mid-life crisis"... )

Incidentally, a new Passat is due out next year, and the unofficial pics of it look hot.

EDIT: Hold on a second. According to your profile you're only about 32 and you're worrying about 25 year olds driving the same car? :sqnteek:

McGriddle

I agree with rb1. Don't go by what's on internet forums. Since younger people are generally more technically inclined (and have more free time), forums tend to attract them more so than "older" folks.

Myself: I'm 29 and am just about to buy a TSX. For me, the TSX happens to have the best beldn of the features I want and at a cost that is at least 5 grand less than a comparably equipped BMW or Infiniti. $27K for auto with navi sure isn't too bad and it's a wise choice for the target demographic.

93Kewl

Hey Benth.....you could always go the route I did.....take a look at the Saab 9-3 Sports Sedan. If you are even considering a Passat, you owe it to yourself to take a look.