I've had my 07 Type-S for about 2 1/2 years now and am considering getting something cheaper/more economical. Now the car is paid off but I drive quite a bit and have to fill up once a week minimum. Also my insurance is high even though I have good credit and a good driving record. I also don't need this big of a car. Anybody ever downsize from a TL? If so what did you get and are you happy with it?

 

Get a civic. Solves all the problems you mentioned!

Oh, and how old are you? Cause at 36 you shouldn't have problems with high insurance unless you have a bad record. Maybe its time to make switch in companies if its as you say it is.

 

So sounds like your only factors gas, insurance, and size since your car is paid off.

Sounds like you might want to look into a compact or sub-compact. Early 2000's Civic or maybe a Fit? They are smaller, drink regular, go farther on less gas, cheaper to insure, and offer the same reliability and relatively the same "feel"

 

Civic Si sedan. The last gen one, not the new one.

 

Civic Si 4dr or Honda Fit with HFP lip kit, I saw couple teenager drove around town with nice catback exhaust and lowered it look pretty hot.

 

insurance i recommend esurance gave me the best price when i was shopping around.

civic is good step down, even a 4cyc accord. I was former owner of WRX before i got my TLS, I moved away cause i wanted something bigger but if i were to go back down it would be another WRX.

 

I was considering getting base 2011 WRX before but found out that nothing really special about the car EXCEPT for 0-60 and 1/4 mile impressive time. Do you have any pics of the WRX? or link?

 

yes the speed was great, but also the handling was awesome could really corner well, AWD was great for me in chicago snow. loved the turbo and boxer engine note. i do miss it, it was more fun to drive. so if i were to ever step down would WRX again. but i was ready for more room and comfort so am happy w/ TLs but sometimes nights on the open road wish i was back in wrx haha.

here are my pics, i had the limited ed so had leather/sun roof

 

2006 RSX type S. Awesome mpg, quick, Fun! Hatchback.. Way better than an SI. Insurance on my TL through the same company is $400/ year more than my rsx type s and I have a base TL!!

 

I haven't priced out insurance in long time but when i first got my wrx allstate and state farm wanted to rape me.. esurance was half for same coverage and been with them now for 6 almost 7yrs.

 

uh i would not go WRX if you dislike TL-S mpg, just sayin.

ditto civic or fit if mpg matters to you. ^rsx died because the 8th gen civic si was too competitive.

 

I leased a 2010 Subaru Impreza hatchback with Premium package before I got my TL. I also owned a highly modded 05 WRX. The 2010 rode really smooth, had ok power for what it was and had a lot of nice creature comforts such as heated seats even with cloth interior, a heating element under the wiper blades so they didn't get stuck to the windshield in the snow/ice (which I'm kinda disappointed the TL doesn't have especially for a luxury car), fogs, sunroof, 6 disc cd changer as well as decent room inside, and as said AWD. Gas mileage was also very good. I probably filled up about once every week and a half to 2 weeks. I would say I was close to 300 miles every tank and that was with more city than highway driving. I would recommend looking at a Subaru if you are thinking of downsizing.

 

I'd say too, that a Civic can cure what ails you.

 

Civic.

 

if mpg is important i'd say civic. if performance is more important i'd say WRX.

 

Civic seems to fit you more, but why is your insurance so high and your 36? They're raping your wallet. I'd shop around.

 

I seriously must be blessed....only paid $587 for 6 months full coverage with the near highest I could go on every aspect.

 

i pay $498.00 for 6mo. 2 cars full coverage 500 deductible

i'm 29 wife 28
2007 TLS
2010 Subaru Forester

 

I'm 21. 2007 TL type-s. $587 for 6 months

 

WRX no thanks. Interiors are so gross looking, and it also sucks to know that your driving every 16 year old boys dream car.


To the OP not sure why you are having insurance premium problems. My 07 6mt Type S is dirt cheap I think I pay like 400 bucks every 6mo (or around $67 a month) for my Type S and my wifes Accord for full coverage.

Also, as far as economy I think the TL's are great. I know my Type S is 6mt which is measurably better on fuel than the automatic version, but my last tank I averaged 26mpg without any highway miles.

 

Wait just one minute. Did I mis-understand you're trying to save money? Let me scroll back to the top and re-read before I continue... Okay i'm back. I read correctly and it seems none of you caught it. You're trying to save a buck by going back in the red on a newer car over fuel costs. You do understand than more money will be coming out of your pocket in the end after you add car payment which you don't have now, a civic SI (just one car listed in thread) which will def have higher premiums than you have now and the SI almost carries the same MPG as the TL. Wanna save some money? Eat out less, shop for store brands in the grocery store. Find others means to keep money in the bank rather than getting further in the red with a car payment. It doesn't make sense.

 

Try a legacy GT or the WRX. Btw my insurance is 116 / month for 2 cars fully covered (wife and I both age 28)....farmers

 

i would wholly disagree on the LGT. Those things in stock form are unreliable and quite frankly money pits. and OP is looking for improved MPG and cost savings, stop recommending turbo awd cars. Are people not reading the OP?

You cant break 30 mpg in an LGT if you tried..and that's "better" than the TL-S? please.

the most fuel efficient suby is the non-turbo 2.5i, and i wouldnt even really consider that if mpg was on my mind.

/rant

 

Thanks guys. Maybe I'll go test drive a few civics.
Yes I am old, have a good driving record and great credit. I had USAA insurance that used to be the cheapest I could find but its gone up in the last few years so I switched to Infinity. I've been told by the insurance companies it's where I live. Miami-Dade County!!!

 

You will regret it. (if you get rid of your S for a Civic)

 

^^ This.
Getting rid of a perfectly good car (at a loss especially) for something cheaper makes no sense (unless your car is 'used up' and ready to be replaced, which I doubt yours is). Cars are continually depreciating assets and if you sell, you will lose, big! I recall when gas became very expensive a few years ago that a lot of people were trading in their paid in full SUVs to get a Civic or equivalent. On the news, a cost analysis was done, and basically, it paid to keep the car/SUV you have unless gas hit something like $6-7/gallon (for a poor mpg vehicle like an SUV- I assume the price per gallon of gas would need to be higher to make it worth selling the TL-S since it gets better mileage). Personally, I'd keep what you have. Buying a different car even if it's more or less a direct trade for the TL will be a step down, and I assume you will have seller's remorse. For me, even if gas hit $10/gallon, I'd still be better off keeping what I have vs. selling and buying at a minimum, an $18-20K economy car (as that's the price floor with decent equipment for an economy car these days). If you sell, someone's going to get a nice TL-S at a decent discount.

Also, price shop around for insurance. Raise your deductible to lower the premium. Enjoy the benefits of no car payment.

 

I guess I just hate civics.. Or I love rsxs, I don't know.

A civic cannot handle as good as my rsx.. I dont care what anyone says I refuse to believe that!!

If u don't care about size why not a mini Cooper S?? They are awesome and get 33/37 mpg! I was a BIG hater until I drove one last summer... Very cool

 

My son has a 2004 WRX Turbo & it sucks gas BIGTIME. I've never seen a car inhale so much gas, they are horrible. I'd get a Civic SI.

 

Either a lightly used civic hybrid or a VW TDI of sorts. Either car will have you in the 30-40mpg+ range. If you get a TDI you can at least reflash it and get gobs of torque for almost nothing. A friend has a jetta TDI wagon and consistently gets 46mpg.

 

Buy a used 08 Civic LX manual.

Or if you love a manual get the 06-08 Civic Si.

I had one and LOVED IT !!!!

 

Used or new Civic ? Used Civics are VERY expensive due to the tight supply of used cars.

Also, you will generally be selling your Acura at wholesale and paying retail for the Civic. Easily a couple thousand dollars will be lost in this switch. Let's not forget sales tax unless you can get a credit at the dealer (New York dealers do).

How many miles are you driving annually ?

 

I have a Toyota Corolla S (the S stands for slow) as a second car. Handles pretty well, and is great on gas.

 

get a cheap used hybrid if gas is your main concern?

 

my 06 wrx was ok. it wasn't as good as a civic, but also gave me extra 50HP and AWD so i wouldn't expect it. I think its all relative what one considers good gas mileage and its what your getting for the gas mileage.

but it sounds like civic would be good fit for OP. or a sentra if you really wanna save money.

 

civics have a smaller tank at ~13 gal .. you'll fill up just as often as the TL.

might as well get a prius:

• Fuel tank capacity: 11.9 gal.
• Range in miles (cty/hwy): 571.2/535.5 mi.
• EPA mileage est. (cty/hwy): 48/45 mpg

 

^^^^^ honda Fit or CRZ they look hot with HFP lip kit. If he picked these then he would get gas mileage between civic and Prius but not compromise performance of a civic.

 

Yes, so get a civic which every 16 yr old already has a slapped a huge fart can muffler on, lol!

Yes, this is true, a 2.5i is your only option in the suby lineup to get you good mpg. However, the OP could still keep it in mind for a car that's good on gas. I have a 2010 2.5i and I was getting close to 300 miles per tank and that was without highway driving. Guess it just depends on how many mpg he's looking for.

I don't know, maybe I'm just biased towards Subaru since I've come from having 2 of them, but I'm not quite sure why everyone keeps suggesting he get a civic, like that's the only other car with good mpg out there. I guess it's because Honda makes our cars or most of you have come from one of them at some point or another. I just view the civic as a very over priced car for some of the options and power that you get. There are like 10 different trims for it which is kind of ridiculous and it's just another way to nickel and dime you for certain options you may want. Hyundai has really stepped up their game, why not look into an Elantra? Those cars come with a ton of options standard (which you would probably have to get a Civic EX just to compare options), are pretty nice looking compared to the old days, are great on mpg, and have a better warranty than any Honda does.

 

I upsized and upgraded from a 2003 Honda Civic to the 2005 TL

Based on how I drove, which was from home and school and pretty much local most of the time, I would get about 300 miles per tank, which is pretty damn good. I used to fill up every 2, 2 1/2 weeks again, depending on how I drove.

Now I fill up every other week, which is besides the point haha

But the civic is a really good saving green option, not only in the air but in your wallet

 

You know, just because you would only upsize, it's not totally out of the question to eventually want to downsize. People downsize from bigger home to smaller homes when they no longer need a bigger home.

What's the big deal with someone going from a TL-S to a Civic? From the way some of you guys are talking, it's almost as if it's an insult to get a Civic. It's not always about getting something bigger and faster and not everybody is a car enthusiast. Different people have different priorities...

 

You should really consider a used TSX. It's smaller, easier on gas, and still sporty. Any model before 2007 would be relatively cheap to insure. I wouldn't go for a Civic Si because it's not a wise choice for someone older than 25. It is a good car, but it's still a car that screams "teenager". As nice as the Subaru is, they aren't very economical. Mom had an Impreza before her TL and hated the thing to bits. Got terrible mileage and once we moved to Florida, the AWD was just a useless gas guzzling feature.