23109VC

I was originally looking to buy a used TL - test drove a few TL Type S models and really liked the power - but I'm ultimately decided that a TSX is a better car for "me". I already have an MDX as a family car, and a 2000 boxster for a "fun" weekend toy. I really have a hard time justifying spending more money to get a "faster" sedan when I really only n eed a car to get to/fromw ork and then have it be also usable as a secondary family car for events when we don't want to take the MDX.

I had a new TSX as a loaner when your MDX was recently in for service. I had it all weekend and was very impressed. size wise it was at least as big as the TL in terms of spaced ACROSS the back - hip/shoulder room. it maybe had marginaly less leg room, butg my kids are small, so i'm more worried about fitting three car seats/boosters across the back and not so much worried about leg rooma s they are all kids... anyway - the TSX was plenty good. it handled/cornered GREAT and it drove nice on the freeway. it didn't have tons of torque, but if you screamed the hell out of that 4 cylinder, it went fast enough.

fo rme - i have a boxster to flow the twisties on and jus tneed a good solid commmuter car. the gas mileage being so good on teh TSX vs our MDX willmake it anice choicde for longer family drives when we don't need to haul stuff and can make due with a sedan and save on fuel!

anyway - i'm not sure if I want a base or Tech. I don't "have" to ahve a tech model - but i'd like it. i can live w/out nav, but what other things do I get ain a tech? is the stereo that much better? i thought the stereo in the base TSX that I had as a loander was plenty nice....

also - i think i'll lease instead of buy. i like to change out cars every few years, and it's just easier to dump a lease vs have to sell a used car.

anyway - are the lease deals better on 08s or 09s? i would suspect there are incentives on the 08s, but residuals might be higher on 09s

patcracks

I dont think an 08 will work for you if your gonna have 3 kids in the backseat...even 3 carseats in the back seems a bit much for an 09 tsx. you could probably lease a base 09 TL for a few bucks more...check the prices see whats in your range first.

23109VC

i looked on the Acura website and essentially, for a $3k premium, you get NAV and a better stereo.

I have an MDX, I know how good the Acura nav is. for ME, this is a second car to commute to/from work and sometimes take the kids. nav would be; nice, but is NOT a necessity. I could buy a Garmin and take it with me when needed...besides, I coudl then take the garmin in my Boxster if I wanted to.....

the stereo in the base - when I had it over the weekend - was pretty darn nice if you ask me. i'm NOT an audiophile, but it sounded great. i do love music though. is the upgraded sound system THAT much better that it will blwo me away or is it just "somewhat" better and you're really paying a premium fo rhte nav???

if I lease - i'm basically looking at almost $80/month difference over 36 months to get the tech. it's a $3k jump. spread that over the 36 months, you get $83.

i think i'd save the $83/month and go get a base....

23109VC

whoops. big big typo on my part. I was looking at 08 TL's. 3g TL vs new 09 TSX.

I meant -

09 TSX vs 2010 TSX!!!

sorry.

as to fittingi three car seats in teh back of the new 09 TSX---

I had an 09 TSX as a loaner over the weekend while the dealer worked on my MDX. Yes, the MDX is FAR bigger in the backseat - but believe it or not, we fit ALL THREE kids in the back - all in carseats/boosters. it was slightly tight, but it fit! I have looked at the cars back to back - the 3G TL and the TSX - and the TSX is the same size in terms of WIDTH. you have less legroom, but the bigest kid in teh back is a 7 year old - leg room is not the priority - it's width. we drove that TSX almost 300 miles that weekend - we had two family functions to go to - and logged a LOT of miles. if you know socal - we drove from TEmecula to the Beach - then to Julian! i have to say , the TSX was actually pretty ufn on teh twisty roads. not as fun as my boxster - but an entry level luxury sedan that was ahualing three kids - it did darn nice!!!

the TL has got to be quite a bit more $$ to lease. i'm looking to go on a budget for this car - it won't have the kids in it 24/7. We have an MDX for that. my wife drives it every day with the kids. I am going to get this car to commute to/from work and on some weekends - i can see taking the TSX to zip up/down to San Diego - save some gas money, and n ot rack up miles on teh MDX..... if we drive to Arizona or some other 4-5 hour road trip, or take the bikes to ghe beach to go biking - need to haul big stuff,, we tgake hte MDX.

essentially, i coudl amke due with a little civic or other beater - but we want somethign that nis newer/safe and that we can put the kids in if need be - so small sub compacts like the Civic, Mazda3 are out as they will NOT fit three kids. you know the 3 series - which I looked at, is smaller in the back than the TSX. it was possible to get three kids /seats in the back - but it was literally cramming them in to the point that you were mashing the leather, contorting the seats - it woudl fit but it was not fun and felt like you were forcing a round peg in a square hole. on the TSX I would say it was "tight" but it fit.

I could buy a used 3G TL - like a TL-S - but i've run numbers, and I honestly think I come out ahead by kleasing a TSX for 3 years instead of buying a used TL-s and finaincing it over 6. even though the TL has a value at the end of the loan - it will be maybe 5-7k max. i figure once the CPO runs out after 60k, the next 60k i drive it will cost me a few grand in upkeep - tires,, brakes, othe rcrap that you don't have to do on a leased car - and in the end, it's a wash.

i've gone thoguh allthe ups/downs of leasing/buying - leasing works for me. i ama m car guiy - and I like to get rid of what i have and get somethign new in a few years anyway. in three years i'd be upside down on my TL-S loan. on teh TSX i can turn it in and get another new car.