coolio

I just wanted to know what age group you think the TSX is made for? Just curious to see your opinions.

fdl

25-35

combustible1

35-45.

give or take 20 years on either end.

AcuraFan

Who it's made for? 30 something married males making about $80K.

Who's buying it? Probably late twenties-early thirties guys making about $50K. But that's just a guess.

dnl2ba

I think that's what Car and Driver said.

civic4982

30 something males making $80K? Those guys either 1) drive minivans/SUVs or 2) drive $30K+ sports sedans. At that salary I think one can comofrtably afford much more than a $26K sublevel sedan.

vitocorleone

civic4982 - not necessarily either of those options you listed (tho I'm only 29, married in 15 days and make more). the sexx/age/salary was listed by Honda as the target market prior to the release. i'm happy to see it appealing to so many more people; honda prob did a good job on the targeting, but i think it's only a slice of the actual market

Crazytree

most 30-something males making $80K are less concerned with driving a $30K+ sports sedan and more concerned with buying or maintaining a home.

XPLORx4

That's an easy one! It's made just for us, silly!

XPLORx4

Hahah. That's pretty funny. Was that Thomas Guide a dealer-installed option, or did you do it yourself? How many hours did it take?

Brad

Just by having participated on this forum since only July, it's very clear to me that the TSX has amazingly very broad appeal, from the teens through at least those well into their 60's. This past Saturday I saw two TSX's:

- one driven by a senior citizen

- the other one driven by an underage maniac who thought the freeway was appropriate for slalom testing and who was close to causing accidents until he saw the Highway Patrol ahead.

The target? I would guess 30-39 plus or minus 10 years either way with lots of leeway beyond that.

Crazytree

I bought it myself.... $20... but the dealer charged me $80 to install it in my backseat.

tehCOW

I'm sure acura made the TSX to target certain buyers, but there will always be those buyers who are not targeted that buy the TSX. This isn't a bad thing for acura, and certainly isn't a bad thing for us. Having a wide age group driving a car is nice. I remember when only old people drove cadalaics, but thats changed now. If i see a old woman driving the TSX, its cool with me, if i see a young kid driving a TSX, its fine...

adam fiooz

dnl2ba
A-TSX Member

Registered: Aug 2003
Location:
Posts: 32

quote:
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30 something married males making about $80K.
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I think that's what Car and Driver said.



lol "Car and Driver" is a joke if they said that!

icey

You guys honestly think that it is made for 25-almost 40. I think the car is made for anyone who can love the car. Im only 18 and i can fully appreciate my TSX. Age should not matter when it comes to owning a car.

moda_way

One thing you have to understand is "TARGET MARKETS". Certainly Acura was not intending to sell a sport sedan to 70 year old women just like they wouldn't target a $26k car to a 16 year old. This isn't to say they would turn either down, but just that as they begin to market and continue to market their cars, they must identify with a population that looks for the qualities of TSX.

It has been known for quite a while that the TSX's target market is the recent college graduate, turned professional, looking for a car to be both sporty and able to carry the kids. Additionally, it is also targeted at the person who's income and family situation would think to look at "Accord like" cars, but wants a little more sport and luxury.

Now I'm sure you can dispute that the USDM Accord has plenty of luxury, but the fact remains, Acura is supposed to be the prestigious Honda brand whether or not you have seen it.

kenbiddulph

I would say the TARGET audience would be men, ages 25 to 35.
Acura assumes that it will be their first new car out of college, they're beginning to make some money and want a mixture of luxury, fun and value.

There will be some who are younger and some who will be older, but the vast majority I believe will be in that age range. I think it will be 60/40 for the male/female ratio as well.

dabuda

yup, i'm 27 and thinking about buying a 2nd home for rental income. could i've bought a more expensive car? sure, but wouldn't make economical sense for me right now. read this and it'll make sense... http://www.buy.com/retail/books/prod...p?sku=30607749

Santacruz

I don't care what ya' all say the TSX was made just for ME! Everyone else got leftovers!

chinoz

This was me... first car out of college.. value was defintely high on my list. Most people my age (22-23) seem to like the car. I think it's the age where people are out growing the rice age and into some luxury features.

myfirstacura

I'm 28, married with no kids. Could I have bought a different car for an extra 7-10K. Sure. But I'd rather spend more money traveling or in the house than on the car.

The TSX is a 'tweener' car. Luxurious enough to compete with the euro's and practical enough that more people can afford them than the Bimmers and others. Honda made a great new car and it saved from buying an overrated 325

dnb

I have a question for all you TSX-owning teenagers and twentysomethings. Did you consider the Element? The Scions?

kenbiddulph

Good question. The Scions are ugly and have that AWFUL center dash idea. The Element is a "unique" vehicle. I'd buy it if I would actually USE it, its not a bad vehicle. On the other hand, it sticks out like a sore thumb, I want something that is attractive but subtle at the same time. Also, I have no need for an SUV.

I prefer 4 door cars (the Prelude being the only exception really).

You'll find that most Element owners are actually older, have kids and wanted a "playpen on wheels". Basically a vehicle where the kids can spill, throw up, smear McDonalds all over and just wipe it all up.

Smart marketing move on Honda's part. Claim that the vehicle is for young men, active and unemployed (I'm not joking either, that was in official Honda literature). When you market a vehicle to them, you'll get people who wish they were younger, girls who want to be "one of the boys", inactive people trying to be active and employed people

fdl

So who is the RSX targeted at? And the TL? THe TSX will be right in between (which is why I thought 25 - 35 seems reasonable). Obviously there will be people inother age groups buying...but we are talking target buyer.

And the early 30's 80k thing is something that ACURA said..not c&d. Althogh they may have meant 80k as a household income.

bbbuzzy

If you want to know who the TSX is targeted at, just read the press release from Honda:


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.


http://www.hondanews.com/Forms/acura...ia***-***acura(directory)TSX(directory)***.ws4d?acura/TSX/results(r)_text.html

dnl2ba

My friends and I joked about it, but I never considered it seriously. I'm 22.

onenonlieTSX

im 20, married, two kids, and make under 40 a year. I am very content with this car. It suits me PERFECTLY.

AcuraFan

I think C&D got that directly from Honda...I can search for the Honda source if you'd like. See the problem here is, this board (though representative of a wide range of buyers) is primarily made up of the under thirty croud. That's great, Acura is glad to have these buyers...but the board doesn't represent the 13,000 TSXs sold so far nor does it represent the demographic that Acura had in mind when they built the car. And that's no big deal.

Someone said that if they're making $80K, then they could afford a more expensive car. That's true, but just because they can that doesn't mean they want or need to. My parents pull in a quarter of a million a year and they drive and neither of their cars exceeded $35K.


I'm 26 and doing the same thing. I make over $50K (combining day job with rental income) and am currently driving a $9K Accord because that's all I really need. I'm waiting until my income reaches $65K-70K before I buy my Acura.

BTW: That's a good book but try to move passed Kiyosaki...his books are pretty limited, IMO.

dabuda

this if off topic but what books do you recommend? a CPF recommended his books and it certainly puts a different perspective on handling you money. i'm also reading "One Up On Wall Street" by Lynch

AcuraFan

Check your inbox.

Crazytree

Kiyosaki made up most of the "facts" for Rich Dad, Poor Dad... personally I find him distasteful but his basic ideas are sound. In fact over at one of the financial boards I participate in... all the Rich Dad, Poor Dad people freaked that I bought an Acura... all of them claim to be pretty wealthy and drive nothing better than Civics or Saturns... but then that's a whole 'nother issue.

Count Blah

This thread took an interesting turn. My dad recommened the Rich Dad books to me and I've read/enjoyed a couple of them. I do get the impression though that they're "beginner" books looked down upon by people more interested in finance. I know it would have been a better 'business' decision to get a used car for under $15k or so, but that just wouldn't have been as much fun. 8)

I just turned 23, young professional, it's my first car after college, I'm single with no kids. The RSX would have been ok for me if it's interior was nicer. I seriously considered the Mazda6, but figured I could afford the TSX and would enjoy it more. The Element and Scions never were an option.

moda_way's description fits me to a tee, minus the kids. (I wanted the four doors to carry around my friends and stuff, though.)

fdl

How is buying a house in a sellers market like this a good idea?

AcuraFan

Well, in most parts of the country, the real estate market is slowing down...it's not so much a seller's market anymore. Besides, if you're not buying the house to flip it, then it doesn't matter as much what market you buy it in as long as it cashflows. I bought a duplex during the peak of the seller's market and after I refi in a couple weeks, the place will be cashflow me $700+ a month (even though I missed out on some of the best rates ever). The moral of the story, any market can be a good market if you know how to work it.



Yeah, his are decent "beginning reader" books. I call them "primer" books. They get you thinking. You may not agree with what he's saying but I think they get you to realize there's more out there than the popular conceptions about money. I thought they encouraged the reader to do some critical thinking. Once you've out side of the box though, you really need to move on to better books or personal experience.