shamr0ck

All -

Hello. I'm new to the forum as I'm in the midst of purchasing a 3rd car for the family. My eldest will be driving my Volvo XC 70 ('04 with 170K miles) so they can get to their activities and to/from school.

I drive roughly 2700 miles/month. Hold my cars a LONG time and try to take VERY good care of them. I've owned Honda products in the past (89 Civic LX and an 03 Accord LX) and currently have an Odyssey '05 in the stable so I'm somewhat familiar with the product line. I'm a stickler for routine maintenance and taking care of the vehicles.

I've test driven lots of vehicles and at the moment have two finalists -

* Volvo S60 T5 (premium, Climate, Multimedia)
* Acura TSX w/ Tech in 4 Cyl


At the moment, the TSX is roughly 10% less money than the Volvo, but the Volvo has the benefit of having been a great car for us for the past 7 years. No major mechanical issues and very reliable.

One point which the Acura sales person made which concerned me was they put the top end 'realistic' mileage for the TSX at 200K or so. I use a volvo mechanic which routinely services vehicles well beyond 300K and intend to pamper my XC70 to that it doesn't need replacing anytime soon (unless it suffers from teenage driver syndrome).

Is there some guidance available for how long I can reasonably expect an Acura product to last?

I drove the S60 last night (in the dark as I do most of my long road trips in the dark) and have pasted my findings below. Any counterpoints/comparisons from those familiar with the TSX will be greatly appreciated.

I don't mind investing 30K ± but want to do it once every 8-10 years and not again in another three or so...

Feedback from the S60 Night driving:

Observations:

• Halogens were good, bright and adequate throw @ high/low beam (Bi Xenons in the XC 70 aren't nearly as bright now as they were when purchased and they are Bloody expensive to replace)
  
• Acceleration/braking were responsive and in control
• It was a pleasure to drive and the children report a comfortable ride in the back seat.
  
  
• Nav --
• not a bad system, but clearly not at the same level as the other car under consideration. (a TSX)
• 2 map view didn't make sense - the other provided turn details upon approach and included lane positioning information. S60, in 2 map mode, did provide turn specifics, but had same view if no imminent turn and no lane guidance.
• Found it interesting that there were roads which have been in place for YEARS which the Nav system didn't know about
• Is it possible that the loaded maps/software were stale? Vehicle tested had map version 30.10.02, and S/w version. 0930
  
• Voice commands worked well
  
  
• Dash lighting - was surprised at what I found here....
• With the instrument panel lights on "bright", there was a significant glare placed on the windshield by the bottom part of both the speedometer and the tachometer
• With the instrument panel lights on "low" - how I'd normally have them set, the instruments were hard to read due to insufficient contrast
• The NAV brightness seems to be tied into the dash lighting as well which made it a bit more challenging to see the NAV
• The Compass in the Mirror seems rather bright - is there a way to dim or deactivate?
  
  
• Phone Integration
• able to upload my entire phone book ( TSX only took 1K contacts - I've 3800 currently)
• Lost BlueTooth sync TWICE
• integration into VOLUME control is very nice - over-rode both NAV guidance and Radio
• With NAV providing guidance, and needing to make a call, i could only see the LEFT side of NAV and it blocked the Phone screen (may be user error)
  
  
• Cabin
• * only 1 12V power outlet, next to drink holder
• * where do I put cell phone and have it charged
  
  
• My Car
• * very nice customizable settings
• * clock format
• * triple indicator
• * tilt mirror(s) @ reverse
• * to name just a few

Thanks in advance for any feedback, suggestions for other things to consider/check as I finalize my decision.

pickler

im not sure what your exactly asking here, are asking whether you should go for the s60 or the tsx? many ppl post here and always ask oh should i get this or shoould i get that. my answer is always the same...it depends on yourself; whether you want status, reliability, performance, MPG or looks. so what is most important to you in a new car?

if i were to guess, it would be reliability and comfort since you keep your cars for a while. In that case i would recommend the TSX. If you want to add performance and fun to drive factor, go with the 6 speed manual.

shamr0ck

Pickler ~ thanks.

I re-read my original post and while I will decide between the S60 and TSX, I am more curious about the refinement of the TSX vis-a-vis the observations and annoyances from my S60 night time drive.

So far, I've only driven the TSX during the day and the only real 'issue' i had was the limit of 1K contact upload for the phone.

I'm headed to the Acura dealer on Sunday to see if I can get a night time ride and see if the TSX suffers from the same issues or if there are other items which will fall out and become obvious.

Also - what is the consensus for the mileage I could realistically expect the TSX to support? Will it be done at 100K, 200K, or, with care, can it go even longer?

Again - many thanks.

MCDavis

In my personal opinion, if you're up to date with maintenance, you should see well north of 200k miles with the TSX. Sure its compression ratio is rather high, but if you continue to keep 91+ octane in it, fresh filters, and proper oil intervals, then you shouldn't have much of a problem.
At 6'3'' I've found the TSX to be quite comfortable for a small to mid-size sedan. I'm used to the cavern that is my F150, so besides having actually less space around me, the space I occupy in the car is nicely appointed.
We bought a '09 this week with 40k on it, and the vehicle is very tight. No rattles, thuds from the suspension, etc. Quite happy with the build quality thus far.
I have noticed the Navi glare in the '09, but this was fixed on the newer models. I would definitely recommend the TSX over the Volvo. The Volvo might get better safety ratings, but mechanically they are hit and miss, and usually more costly to keep maintained.
Have you looked at Edmund's actual cost of ownership comparison between the two?

Acura_Dude

I will also recommend the TSX, currently waitin to see what I'll do about going to purchase one. It seems I cant find anymore '11 black/black tech with a 6spd. From my experience, Honda's are FAR more cheaper in the long run to maintain than other vehicles. Same for toyotas. I agree with MCDavis, do a comparison on Edmunds between the too. Edmunds/Insideline are my fav sites, so I'm usually there.

Comparing the two (which is apples-to-oranges) the TSX has comes with a 2.4 4cyl (201HP/170lb-ft or 172lb-ft with the 6spd) or a 3.5 v6 (280HP/254lb-ft) with epa mpg est of 22/31 for the 4cyl auto or 19/23 for the v6. The 6spd is only available on the 4cyl and drops hwy mpg down 1.

The s60 comes with a turbo'd 5cyl makin 257hp/258lb-ft (09 model, may have to check those stats again) mpg est 19/28. The reason why I say apples-to-oranges is because the Volvo is in a different class per se than the TSX. Even with the v6 tsx it'll be cheaper to own, and with a lot of vehicles it's easy to get 200K+ miles. I've seen enought hondas push 300K+ or more. Im not big on volvos anyway other than the safety equipment.

Either way you have EXPERIENCE with both volvo and honda, it all comes down to what you personally need/want. I'd go with the 4cyl TSX with the 6spd, yes? Great MPG and great looks. I personally wish the TSX had a turbo or the V6 came with a 6spd like the TL, but im sure that'll take away from the TL sales.

BTW are you looking to buy a new TSX/Volvo or used? I believe for the MY2011 the Volvo comes in the T6 trim only.

Either way I recommend the TSX hands down. Cheaper, reliable, and VERY easy to maintain.

Ken1997TL

You can easily get 200,000+ miles out of a TSX without major issues.

I've had several Hondas and now a '97 TL at that mark.

The S60 IS a nice car, if you have a good relationship with your Volvo mechanic then at least you have that peace of mind. Volvos seem to be hit or miss with reliability.

s40 driver

As a former Volvo driver I'd agree that the build quality can be hit or miss. My S40 was only a '06 but I still feel better about the long term comfort of my Acura. The S40 needed a new engine wiring harness around 20-25k from what her new owner told me. This was covered under warranty, but I am glad that I got out from under it when I did. That being said, I like Volvo's and the S40 gets killed in America after this year and the S60 has had a nice run/doesnt seem to be going anywhere.

ceb

Consider these points:

The average American trades their car every three years.

Most salespeople are clueless about the products they are selling.

The salesman probably thinks that 200k miles is a lot of miles.

The 4cyl engine is pretty bulletproof. I'd expect 300k + miles before anything major goes wrong with the engine.

pickler

hmm i thought the V6 engine should last longer since it has to rev lot less than the 4 cyl? i mean i drove a tsx courtesy car for couple days once and i would always rev it up to 5k at least to get it moving. on my v6 tl i usually go up to 3.5k rpm in normal driving.

ressling

^ the TSX's engine is made to be revved.