I've been an acura fan for a while and own a 97 CL 3.0 (great car except for the tranny). Been considering going for a used TSX 04 or 05 to replace my CL. Wanna stick with Acura mainly for the good service that they offer.

Reading you guys threads it seems the TSX only has minor issues. Are there any Known issues relating to the powertrain (especially the Tranny) on these cars? And what cost should i expect in routine maintenance, ex. brakes, rotors, etc. ? What type of warrantee is normally offered on these, and what options that might be available to purchacing extended warrantee?

Thanks in advance..

-- CL owner from across the board.

 

If your choice is between an '04 or '05, I'd go '05. The '04s are pretty solid except for a couple of really expensive issues with the A/C and the center console lights (search and you'll see).

The normal warranty is 4 yrs/50k miles bumper to bumper, so if you get an '04, this will almost be over and I would very highly recommend getting an extended warranty for the above mentioned issues.

The brakes are ok for some people, not so for others. They tend to get the vibration stuff going on, so a lot of people (including myself) have swapped them for aftermarkets. This goes for the tires as well.

Good luck!

Oh, and no tranny/engine problems here.

 

I've got an 05 with almost 60K miles on it; only had a couple of issues. The battery (I didn't have a problem with it, but when the car was in for the 50K service, the dealer told me it was bad. They gave me a new one, so who was I to argue). 02 sensor at around 52K (replaced under goodwill so no cost). The brakes do shudder when enough force is applied, so I know there are rotor issues. This seems to be fairly common judging by what I've read here; at some point I'll just replace everything. That's it for mechanical stuff. It's a great car and I highly recommend it (so much so that I bought an 07 too)(stay away from the 04s though).

 

I would agree and say get the '05. I have an '04 and the A/C compressor just blew up at 49,949 miles. Thank god it was covered - $1500+ to fix. They fixed it from 2005 on up. Otherwise no major issues.

 

Have you considered a 06 TSX? There is only about $2000-$3000 difference between the 05 compared to the 06. There would only be a $50-$70 difference for a 4 year loan on a 06 compared to a 05 depending on your interest rates.

04 std warranty bumper-to-bumper is up in 3 months
05 std warranty bumper-to-bumper is up in 15 months
06 std warranty bumper-to-bumper is up in 27 months

06 has:
faster and updated Navi
memory seats
more hp, improved intake and exhaust
Bluetooth hands free link
Fog lights
Redesigned front and rear bumpers
Multi-Information-Display (MID) you can customize
Revise steering wheel
A crap load of aftermarket parts available (Hondata, I/H/Cat/Exhaust, suspension, brakes/pads, RSB, etc.)
Low profile wipers
Upgraded shift knob for 5AT
+2 years of corrected TSB (less rattles/electrical problems/squeaks, etc..)

The 06/07/08 are identical in looks and features (07/08 have TPMS). There are a lot of members who love the 04/05 models BUT the 06 model sold the most units because of the added features and updated looks.

 

Agrees with mrgold35. The 2006 model got soooo much more upgrades.

 

WoW sounds pretty good. I've driven one as a loaner car, not sure what year it was but it drove pretty nice. The 06 sounds like a much better deal than the earlier models. The bluetooth is a winner in my opinion. What are the normal maintenance cost associated with it though. Because for examply my CL has push rotors that cost about $400 to replace. Also do they come with the tan leather interior? I've only seen the regular black/grey interior on those.

 

The tan leather (affectionately referred to as babysh**t brown by some)(not a fan) was/is available with some exterior colors. An incomplete list includes black, the darker blue, green (rare), red, and of course white. The brown interior also includes wood trim in place of the brushed aluminum trim on the dash, console, and doors. Personally, I really like the wood trim and although I'm confident it wouldn't look too good with the gray (my 05), I think it wood look great with the black interior (my 07). I can't disagree with the 06 and 07 models having more features, but a prospective buyer would have to decide which if any of the upgrades would completely rule out an 05 if the right deal came along. I've got both, and although the visual changes were minor to the 06+, I think the 05 is much cleaner looking. I can of course appreciate the features of the newer models, but there's nothing I couldn't easily go without (and do since the 05 is mine and the 07 is my wife's).

 

^^ I agree with you. The new features on 06+ models are great and all, but if a few thousand dollars makes a difference to you, you may want to go for an '05. But, try and see what you can do for an 06+, it doesn't hurt to negotiate prices.

 

I would go with a 06. I just leased a 2008 TSX Non- Navi Auto. Colour is PWP with the parchment interior. Great car to own. Good luck.
Umair

 

... and an AUX (MP3/PDA) music input for the disc changer hiding in the armrest storage.

The MID is a neat feature, I use it regularly. Likewise the HandsFreeLink (Bluetooth phone integration). I've seen older pre-owned models for sale with Navi and HFL, but your chances of finding one are hit-or-miss.

 

I have an 04 TSX and my biggest complaint is the brakes. Full replacement at 28000km. Lots of rattles and rust on the inside of my trunk (covered under warranty). Not that impressed as this is my 9th new car and for the money not that great.

 

Personally, the only thing the '06+ models have that I think is really worth the money is the HFL, so if that's not a deal breaker for you, I'd go with an '05. IMO, they subtle styling difference is better. Of course, with that said, I am (at least currently ) an '05 owner, so I know I'm biased . Either way, you can't go wrong with the TSX. 40k miles here, and not a single problem... the only maintenance costs I've had were routine oil changes... no issues with A/C, brakes/rotors, etc.

I have had to replace a fog lens here and there (they break easy) though...