hey guys. ive been a long time lurker (as i originally wanted to buy a tsx a few years back, but went with another choice instead). long story short, i am back on the car hunt again, and again i am looking towards a tsx. i am looking between a 04-07 (and at the current moment am leaning a bit towards an 06). now all that aside, let me get to what i am asking of you guys.

i really want to get your input (esp on those who have had their tsx's for a few yrs now) on how you still feel about the car. and the comparison in each yr from 04-07. ive read the small improvements of each yr online, but id like to hear from the actual car owners. was there any REALLY big substantial difference between those yrs? is there one of the years thats more recommended than the others? did one have more issues than the others? has anyone found the mileage got really bad over the yrs?

lastly, ive read alot of ppl complain of the tsx turning radius. part of the reason im selling my current car is because of that (obviously not the only reason why .. but i find it irritating). are all of the 1st generation tsx's bad with this? is there any way around it that anyone has found? most of the threads i searched on this topic were very old, so im not sure if they are still relevant today.

i know i just asked a lot, but i would really appreciate any help or insight anyone can offer. i really like the tsx, and would love to be a regular on here.

thanks guys

 

Bahhhhh, and for my first post I already made a mistake in the topic lol. My appologies everyone. I ment to say "1st generation". Not 2nd

 

Well as far as years go, I think the big decision is whether or not you plan to use HONDATA to reflash your ECU. Or order KPro. You can only do this up to model year 2006. The 07 and 08 ECUs cannot be reflashed and no you cannot simply swap ECUs.

I have an 08 and I love it. I wouldn't mind re flashing, but its not really a car built for speed or tons of HP. That said, a suspension some wheels and maybe an intake will eb a lot of fun. The 07 and 08s had some upgrades like Bluetooth, and the face lift came in 06 i think.

 

thanks for the quick reply.
and im leaning towards the 06 right now so im sure i would reflash with hondata. (if it hasnt already been done).

i read up on the few added extras in the 07 and 08 and niether of them was enough to sway me towards one. while they do seem nice, im sure an 06 would do me just fine.

 

Jimmy is right about reflashing...only possible through 06.

In 05 the TSX added XM radio.

Actually, the big change with a host of added features was in 06...

Some of the upgrades:

-MID (Multi informational Display)
-Heated Mirrors
-Power Passenger Seat
-Illuminated Steering Wheel Controls
-Bluetooth
-MP3/ipod AUX Jack
-Foglights
-Memory Seats
-Slight gain in HP (Five More)
-New front and rear bumpers/fascias, revised headlights and taillights

07 & 08 just added TPMS (Tire pressure)

I have an 06 with MT and love it.

 

now i dont want to jump the gun here, but i havent decided yet if i will use premium or regular @ the pumps. knowing me, i'll prob stick with premium though. i know there is much debate on here about that topic, so i wont get into it. but just lets just say i use regular (for arguments sake) .. do you think it would make the reflash useless?

 

It might negate much of the gain in HP. But I think the reflash would give you gain over the same car running regular unleaded, if that makes sense.

BTW, take a look at my post above regarding the list of upgrades in 06 -- your target year -- I think it would suit you perfectly.

 

i did see it, thank you. i had read up on most of those changes online. i just figured asking in here, people might notice other changes.

my other problem is ive only owned manual trans. cars my entire life. and this is the first time im considering an automatic. mainly because i drive a lot for work as well, and im getting a bit tired of messing with the clutch in traffic and on long drives. i hope i wouldn't loose anything by taking the tsx in auto. esp because i would be considering the 4cyl and not the 6. i think it will be a bit hard to give up the stick shift .. but i also think the time has come .. *sigh*

 

IMO there's no good reason NOT to get an 06+ and a few reasons not to get a pre-06.
Besides the lack of new features listed above by Boulder, the pre-06 had higher rate of problems with regards to dash lights, headlight condensation, brake rotor warping, AC unit, and probably a couple more issues I missed.

 

sounds great. thanks for the heads up.

 

Well, I can understand thinking that way if you have to contend with traffic...but the 6MT in the TSX is special. It is a true joy to shift and a perfect match for the high revving engine with VTEC.

Go to CarAndDriver.com and look at the reviews of the 1G TSX...they specifically say in every review that this is one car that you must get with the stick. They also call the manual transmission in the TSX one of the best ever made.

On top of that, the magnesium transfer case makes the car lighter than the auto version, and it is quicker 0-60. Many threads in this forum have discussed this subject, and there is no right answer for everyone, but if you like driving a manual, you will love the one in the TSX.

 

+1 for the 6 speed. Totally different car that the auto. 06 6 speed withj Navi is the ticket - no annoying TPMS but all the goodies and you can reflash it.

 

+2 with 6MT. I enjoy driving the car manually. The 06 TSX is the best choice in getting aftermarket upgrades. If you can, get the 6MT with Navi. I wish I had a Navi with mine.

 

well im still very torn on MT or AT .. like i said ive only ever owned MT. so it would def be hard to give up. but i also feel like im at that point as well. and im sure if i reflash the AT it would help it where its missing out. and i would def be looking for one with the navi.

 

It would make the mod pointless. Running on regular fuel will make your car retard its timing and lose performance. You won't be able to push the car hard, which is what the reflash is for (it changes the air/fuel ratio table, lowers the vtec engagement point, and raises the red line). If you were running on regular fuel, I wouldn't push the car hard, or else you might cause damage (the car has a really high compression ratio, so it needs premium fuel if you're going to be spending time in the higher RPMs).

The auto is fine, but you will definitely miss out on the MT. The MT was rated one of the best out there (although the drive-by wire system is quirky). The TSX's engine works best when kept in the higher RPMs.

People with an auto do notice the reflash. It might not be as big as what the MT experiences, but it is decent (from the reviews I have seen). The navi system is also one of the best out there. I like it better than the 2G TSX as well.

 

I am the proud owner of a 06 6MT/wnav. tsx. I do mostly highway driving-I now try not to go more than 5 over the speed limit. Learned my lesson in VA with a speeding ticket. It was an expensive lesson. I love the car just the way it came and since I drive conservately regular gas works for me. My car now has almost 121K problem free miles.

 

The 06 TSX is the "sweet spot” if you can find one with reasonable mileage and was service regularly. The 06 give you the most potential for performance mods with reflash or comptech supercharger and have all the modern techno gadgets (Bluetooth, updated Navi, memory seats, XM, etc…). The 06 model has the refreshed styling compared to the 04-05 models and the majority of the service issues were addressed by the 06 TSX.

I’ve had my 06 5AT since new (74,000 miles now) and the car still looks and drives like new. The only engine mod is K/N air filter and Mobil 1 motor oil. I always use premium fuel; I sometimes have to use lower octane when I visit the in-laws in the eastern part of the state (91 octane not available out there).

I went with the 5AT because the TSX is mostly a commuter car and I don’t like rowing gears every 10 seconds in stop and go traffic. The 5AT may be slower compared to the 6MT; but, the taller gearing will reward you with higher mpg average overall ($3.60 a gallon for gas, every little bit helps).

I would go for a TSX with Navi. The price difference is not that much now between a Navi and non- Navi TSX. It is about the same as a good system from Garmin. You don’t need the latest DVD disk; you can pick up last year or the year before for about $50 or less. I update my disk every 3 years because there are so little changes.

 

I would not have bought this car if it were not available in MT. That's how bad my experience with the auto during the test drive was. It saps all the power and fun from the car.

However, I do have to add while the shifter is regarded by many as one of the best ever, it is not an easy car to drive smooth.
The DBW and very finicky clutch can make for a frustrating drive sometimes.

 

Just be forewarned that Acura didn't produce many 6MT, especially 6MT with Navi. You might have to sacrifice high mileage for a 6MT and finding a 6MT with Navi is slightly on the rare side.

 

how are they once they get into the higher mileage? at all like the old honda's? i ran my early model accord for as long as possible. sold it with over 300k on it. not that im really expecting the see the same out of this, but has anyone heard of bad issues once it gets over 150,000? i dont want to get one @ 100,000 or more, and can only put a few miles on it myself before it becomes a problem and a reg @ the mechanic.

 

The last 6 Hondas I've had in the past always made it past 175,000 miles before I sold privately or gave to a family member. The only problem I had was my 97 Accord LX. I had to replace the 4AT at 140,000 miles; which, I think it was my fault (did a 99% trans flush and replaced oil with non Honda ATF and the 4AT died 6 months later).

I think the engine, trans, suspension, rotors, and power seat/windows will be fine to +200,000 miles. You might have to replace an alternator, A/C compressor, and have a few oil leaks at +150,000 miles. I think most of the problems will be all the luxury items like the Navi system, CD/DVD player, Bluetooth module, automatic climate control, memory seats, etc... A lot of these features are new to Honda/Acura and they are constantly being upgraded with newer models. The hard drive Navi systems on current models are much better, faster, and completely different compared to our old DVD based systems. While the 2.4L engine has been used by Honda/Acura for about +8 years.

I don't have any supporting evidence to my assumption; but, I'm expecting all the cool extras to die first as I try to exceed my 175,000 mile goal with my TSX.

 

I was going to stay out of this, but...... what the heck, I won't. I have an 05 and an 07, and actually I prefer the 05 (especially the looks, and it has the power passenger seat and the heated mirrors, contrary to what is reported elsewhere in this thread). The rest of the 06-08 changes I don't really care about (memory seat is nice, but I'm the only one that drives the car, the maintenance nanny is for people that need it, the fog lights are to annoy the guy is front of you, and you'd never notice the power upgrade). The MT is one of the best I guess, but I wouldn't suggest buying one used unless it was super low miles. Both of my cars (actually the 07 is my wife's) are AT and fairly high miles (140K on the 05, 110K on the 07). So far, so good with nothing but maintenance and normal wear and tear. The 04's are the only ones to avoid. That's the only model year (especially in Canada I guess) that has had a number of issues. The rest (05-08) have been pretty bullet proof.

 

i wonder if there is a big price difference in the 06 in the states, in comparison to here in canada. i would gladly take a drive over if i could get what im looking for, esp for a few grand less. but im not sure what problems i may have @ the border. i guess i need to look into that a bit more. is auto trader as big in the states as it is here in canada? i wouldnt even know where to begin my search

 

The '06 is indeed a worthy upgrade to the '04.

The turning radius is a little wide considering it's a compact car. I find myself doing 3 point turns more often than in similar compact cars. It hasn't lessened my enjoyment of the TSX.

 

I would also go with an 06-07. The difference in price is only around 1-2k between them. It might be easier to find a 07 with lower miles than a 06.