bradykp

i think you made lots of good points, though i never was a fan of saab in the reliability department, so i don't think it was really GMs fault.

anyways, yes there are a lot of new features, the fog lights i forgot about, the exterior design was modest change i thought, most people can barely identify the difference between the two, except for the tail lights and the grill. the Ipod integration has proved to be garbage, but the aux input is nice feature (i don't use it that much though). i think the bluetooth and the memory seats are the key major upgrades. i'm just saying that the 2005 was a great car, back in december 2004, but not in september-dec 05, when the 2006 was being rolled out (i added sept/oct as anticipation months - worth the wait).

it's obviously personal opinion, but the fact that the msrp went up a few hundred dollars, 2005 owners could probably easily argue that the 2005 was just the same value, minus the fog lights, aux input, memory seats, and bluetooth....if they bought it a year before 2006 came out....if it was close, it was definitely worth the wait.

i don't mean to downtalk the 2006, i love mine. i just want to point out that the 2005 was a great option in it's time as well.

bradykp

well, back in december 2005, when it was just rolling onto the lot, deals were tougher...i paid 28,300 plust TTL. they threw in a $200 doc fee, which at that point, i didnt care (if you find my original posts, i had quite a hassle at one dealer, and by this time, i just wanted the car). at the time, i had one of the best deals. i got the all season mats, trunk tray, and cargo net with the deal. i was pretty happy, but i guess if we waited a few months, i could saved another $500-1000. but then i woulda missed out on months of posting on here and driving the car!

bradykp

so if ford owned mazda isn't an american car...what's the definition of an american car these days?

kristie73

It wasn't a hard decision for me. I knew I wanted the TSX but I had to research others to be sure and appease my husband. My husband wanted me to get a Civic or an Accord. We've had an Accord before, and they are great cars, but I felt it was too boring. I wanted something cool. The Civic was just not fancy enough. I wanted all the bells and whistles. I was jealous of his Honda Pilot and the leather, steering wheel controls, etc. I did test drive the Mazda 6 and I loved it. It was really nice and I loved that Black Cherry Red. I just couldn't get over that it was Mazda/Ford. I was nervous about the reliability. I traded in a VW Jetta. I will never buy another VW again. Too many stupid things went wrong in that car. I considered the Subaru Legacy. Again, I wanted the reliability and sporty feel. The TSX is perfect for me. A little more than I wanted to spend, but I feel that it's worth it.

dwest1023

First and formost, I will not buy an American car. Not since the 70's have I owned one and my dad bought that for me.

Since I was buying two new cars, the Value of the TSX was it for me. I love everthing about the car. There was no need to try anything else. My girlfriend had a 05 TL and now 06 RL so I have had access to them all. Even after a spin in the RL, I still love driving my RED TSX. It is very fun to drive even after a long spin in my Miata MX-5.
The TSX is a great car! I do not know of a better value

bradykp

I still find the american car haters amusing. i understand that with japanese cars that they are better, but there are plenty of american lines that are fine as far as quality, and don't forget, they are less expensive to fix/maintain in almost every case. i don't get messed up with comparing american/german/japanese/korean/etc etc. i pick cars i like the style and design, research their quality, and find what i like.

my family has had enough history with various american cars that have all lasted over 200,000 with no major problems (except for ford).

dwest1023

Good, I will amuse you again. If someone gives me an american car, I will GIVE it to you as a gift, and that is a promise.

bradykp

hahhahaha. fine with me. i'll take any car that'll go 200,000 miles for free!

bibby

Give him a Ford, see if he can take it beyond 200,000/or getting broke from fixing it....whichever comes first.

bradykp

didnt i say "except ford"????????????

Black_6spd

My buying experience was a good example of why folks should test drive at least twice before buying.

On paper, my choices with #1 being my favorite was:
1. BMW E46 330i
2. Acura TL
3. Infiniti G35

The TSX wasn't even on my radar when I was just looking at the shear numbers. In the end, HP, skidpad, and 1/4 mile times went out the window for the complete package.

ianS

Count me too! let's not talking about those ton of bad memory, troubles that my old GM gave me. The first time I ever driven a jap car was a 87 Accord EXi @ year 91 and I was so amazed how a 87 Accord can drive way way refine and stronger than a 1 yr old 90 Bonnieville SSE that my parents bought it for me brand new. And I felt a day & night different after I traded in that 2 yr old crappy GM for a base Camry and the trade in value is only 20% of the original purchase price! I rather get a Korean than ne big 3 and rather get a German than ne jap that made in US.

ianS

& Also I suggest to test drive from the used car lot too. Then the choose can be very easy to narrow down to Honda, Toyota & BMW only.

bradykp

yet the german car's lately have had horrible quality. interesting perspective, and proof that it's just personal preference.

my parents had a 1992 bonneville SSE and it rode great. my girlfriend had a 1993 camry, and it rode nicely, but the bonnevile was much nicer overall. the camry's quality on a large scale may be better (Defects per 100, or whatever the metric is), but our bonneville was sold a year ago for $1,000 with 240,000+ miles on it, and it's still driving around town. the alternator was replaced, but no other major maintenance on the vehicle.

it's all preference on what people like, i just think it's funny how people rule out american cars right away because of mostly misconceptions.

bradykp

and...it's almost unanimous that a used BMW is a bad bad bad idea........especially if it's out of warranty.

ianS

Yes, agree I paid almost 10 Grand to repair my E46 after warranty but it still drive like new after 6 yr. And we all bimmer owners know that once you willing to keep spending on the repair bills, the car will keep drive like brand new. You won't able to have that nice aging on other brand like Audi, VW, low end MB, Nissan, Mazda...etc. But Honda & Toyota that made in Japan are able to hold against aged without worrying the repair bill. Can't tell on Subaru since I dun much about it.

Salmoneous

I didn't rule out American cars right away. Want to see a great American car? Take a look at: http://automobiles.honda.com/models/...e=Accord+Sedan . From the first design sketch through the final assembly, it's all-American. And a heck of a great car.

But I won't consider a car from the "Big 3" until they show a sustained reliability record *significantly* better than what they have today.

bradykp

so i guess it's just opinion, which is fine, but the experiences i've had with some american cars is that the ride has stayed the same, some have not. my dad's 1989 bmw 528 definitely has not, and he has spent money on it. the thing is a money pit plain and simple.

i don't think it's right to just blanket statement on the Big 3 anymore. Ford is pretty bad, in my experience, especially the SUVs.

As for GM, my family has had great luck with the pontiac line, and the chevy line has been hit and miss depending on the model.

i think some of the BIG 3's lines are just as competitive in quality with the foreign companies. when speaking overall about the company, then you are right, the Big 3 are lagging behind, but individual models can compete fine with foreign brands.

and the larger thing to consider still is that even if something breaks on a Big 3 car, it's dirt cheap to fix. the foreign cars for the most part will also have problems down the line, and will ultimately cost more money.

in most cases, a foreign car is the better option, such as with the japanese brands, for quality. but in some cases, american cars can compete just fine.

bz268

So... how much exactly you need pay all added up at the end including the interest?

I think mine comes to $33,000 all added up.