Ok so I am currently a college student in nyc and plan on getting my first car. When I saw the 07 TL-S, I said to myself that I had to have it! I was having a conversation with a friend who told me to not to get this car. His argument was: why pay ~25k for a 3 year old used car when you can easily buy, say a 2010 honda civic for instance, for ~18k.

What are your guys thoughts? What makes the TL-S that much better than a new 2010 car?

 

They are both Honda vehicles, with proper maintenance they both will last a very long time. Of course though you are asking a bunch of TLer's if you should choose between what we have and a Honda civic... well I'm sure the vote would be unanimous.

NOW go to a civic forum and ask the same question...



oh ya get a new friend.

 

As a college student, you could pay $3K for a POS beater (or reliable '90s Honda/Toyota) until you start working, after which you may have a better choice of vehicles.

In a public transit-friendly place like metro NY or San Francisco, I wouldn't even bother with a car.

Otherwise, the TL-S is a different category of car from a Civic, is faster, has more features,

Welcome to AZ.

 

Sit in, and drive the TL type S, then sit in and drive a new Civic. Then come back and tell us why you want the TL.

Nothing wrong with the new Civics, but after you test drive them and see the difference for yourself, you'll know why.

 

The Civic isn't even in the TLs class.

The TL has more power, more features and a lot more luxurious.
The Civic on the other hand is smaller and better MPG.

and another thing, the TL already lost the first few years of depreciation. The Civic hasn't yet.

 

Doesn't the civic have a 1.8 liter engine? Thats enough for me to stay away lol

 

Come on now.

This is like saying if I should get a 2006 M3 or a 2011 Corolla.

The Type-S may seem older, but it has a high resale value for one. Secondly, the Type-S is faster, more luxurious, faster, and nearly the same in MPG (highway). At the end of the day, choose whichever you like. Don't listen to your friend, his brain operates at a minimal level.

 

you need a new friend .... he's just mad that he cant buy one and u can

 

 

Tl is the way to go.

 

Your friend sounds like someone who considers a car a mode of transportation only, something to get him/her from A to B. Those types of people will always buy cheap cars and tell everyone else to do the same thing. I'm not saying to complete ignore his/her suggestion, but use it with other opinions and with your budget.

Joe

 

x2

 

First, a car is the worst investment one can make. A ‘04 with Nav was around $33K when new and now can be had in the mid teen range. That $18K drop in value is more than the entire cost of many new cars. If money is no object, go for it, but of it's going to create an uncomfortable situation, or you just want to be the big guy on campus with a nice car, get something more economical. Later in life you'll be able to enjoy the car of your choice. Just remember, the TL maintenance isn't cheap, maybe you'll see 17 mpg city with recommended premium fuel, and the TL-S Brembo brakes require frequent repair.

 

I fully agree...

Both cars would be reliable but don't put yourself into a financial hole if you don't need to. I love my TL but I am so glad that I waited until I was in my 30's to get a car as nice as ours. My first handful of cars I didn't take the best care of because I was young, stupid, and immature. I didn't keep up with my maintenance because I rather have spent the money going out with my friends and so forth.

With that said, if you are ready to keep up with the maintenance, have the money to spend, and want to be spoiled by what the TL has to offer... then do it. If not, save your money, get something cheaper and enjoy.

 

this is like comparing apples to oranges.

 

All the guys have great points here. If you're really set on buying a car, the Type S is truly a step up from the Civic. And pound for pound, dollar for dollar, you won't find a better buy than the Type S (as opposed to other car options in it's class).



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your friend sounds like an idiot. Sorry but wtf kind of logic is that? why go with a 18k civic when you can save more and go with an Accent for 12k? or a used 2000 POS car.

If you like the tl and have money to get it and maintain it, then go with it. If you can't afford one, stay away from it. Simple as that

 

I have an 08 TLS and a 94 accord beater. Going to work I drive the beater while on the weekends I use the TL as the family car. Both does basically the same thing going from point A to B. The only difference is that TL is so much nicer and sexier. The downside is that it loves GAS! So you have to factor in what you really need. I remember when I was a poor ass college student, I was driving a POS mazda, but it was a good car that gotten me where I need to go. So something you really need to think about when you are ready to buy.

 

^ same as above- I have a '96 Accord with well over 200k on her and a 08 TYPE-S- I dont know what kind of person you are, characteristics, wants, what you demand for your mode of transportation...ect. I will tell you that the S, or any 3G TL for that matter is an awesome car to own, drive, and work on. If it fits in your budget and you "have to have it" then just pull the trigger, you will not regret the decision. However, if you are just a college kid looking to purchase your first car...might want to go the civic route, then upgrade when you complete school. BTW, I had my Accord all through school, and planned on buying a 3G when I graduated. GL

 

you choice is obvious in your case.
my options were between a used 03-06 g35 07 is250 or a used 03-04 M3 and a 07 TL-s. all of them priced around the same and mileage similar except i think the M3 had like 10-15k miles

i ran into a super great deal on a TL-s for 20k it had fair milage for what it is but condition was outside and inside was immaculate

my question to you is if you were in the civic and u rolled up next to a TL-s how would you feel? id know how i would feel

 

Ggesq, you seem a bit disgrunteled with the car you had in college buddy

I personally lived my car in highschool, (provided my mom and dad ofcourse) though it only lasted 4 years and repairs became unbearable so I ended up with an 8 year old maxima (great car, just wasn't my highschool sweetheart).

Ok to the point about the civic vs tl: the civic if you buy it new, you'll have more warranty so you can potentially keep it 7years 100k miles under warranty. The tl would be used so your warranty coverage will be different. I personally find it lame to buy a car as the "ego" booster. I don't really care what car I'm driving or what car pulls next to me at a light. I buy a car or appreciate a car for what it is, the civic and tl are both very good at slightly different things.

Lastly, I'll agree with ggesq, in NYC why get a car, it'll just get dingged and scratched up and barely used. If you went to college in Atlanta like I did, I'd probably get a tl, you spend more time in it and you'd 'use' the luxury it provides a lot more. In NYC, I'd get a used cheap civic, save up and get a cool car after graduation.

 

I say TL Type-S! Test drive one and you will understand why...

I'm a college student too, I was looking for a beater car for $3-$5k this past summer...but then I found & fell in love wih my TL for a super great price!

I say if you got the $, then go for it! If not just wait till after college!

 

women like to drive civics
but they like to ride in TLs

fact not fiction

TL>Civic

 

It's a civic....
Need I say more?

 

im also a college student....you don't wanna know what i drive as a beater/everyday whip.... a 87 acura legend coupe with 254K miles on her..... a little smoke out the pipes here and there but it gets me where i need to go. and it has some bangin a/c and heat when i need it.... but next year around this time i hopefully will have a 08 NBP TL TYPE-S off of lease


but i say go with what you can afford....

 

+1

 

Why don't you look at a used Accord Coupe? It's a nice looking car with more features and power than a Civic, and wouldn't be as expensive as a used TL.

 

my wife has an 04 accord coupe V6 [that she bought new back then], and honestly, I thinks its a fairly useless car. It's not sporty, but it lacks the convenience of 4 doors. The ride is a bit more bouncy that my TL-S, and I don't find the seats as comfortable. Anyways, I think the accord is a good car between the civic and the TL, but in my personal opinion, the coupe is a waste.

 

TL>Civic.

 

Go with what you can afford and think about where you'll be in 3 - 5 years. You'll always find a car but won't find your way out of debt easily.

 

^ yep, Live within your means my friend.

 

hello, like a lot of people have said, you are talking about 2 different classes of cars. compairing a 2007 TL (espically a type S) to a brand spanking new civic is not going to help you with your choice, the TL is a much better car hands down, even if its 3 years old with a few miles on it. but yea, like everone else said, test drive both and youll see what everyones talking about. it just comes down to how much you want to spend, and if you want a tl your going to have to pay for it, no way around that.

 

OH MY, don't LISTEN to anybody, go test drive them. You CAN'T compare a Type-S TL to a Honda Civic, what a joke. Get what YOU WANT.....

 

My argument would just be completely opposite: Why buy a new 2010 Civic for $18k when you can buy a used TL for $24k?

 

I bought a 2007 Civic brand new and felt really good about it at the time. I had wanted a TL ever since the first day I laid eyes on the 3rd gen when they unveiled it for 2004. I said "that will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine" straight up Wayne's World quote. At the time I thought I wanted something economical and blah blah blah. Acceleration was miserable and I even had a 5 speed manual - I know the car isn't supposed to be fast, but you don't even get DOHC unless you get the Si, so it really has a limited band. I felt like I had to floor it just to keep up with traffic as everyone else accelerated off of a stoplight.

I sold the Civic 1 year later. I test drive cars for fun pretty frequently, so one day I went to the stealership and saw they had 2 used TL's left. I traded in my Civic on the spot because I couldn't pass up a clean TL for 15k. The car has been flawless for me for the 50k miles I've driven it and I haven't looked back. I feed it nice fluids and maintain it religiously and feel that it has been just as reliable as any Civic ever would be.

My wife bought a 2008 Civic which I occasionally have to drive. I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns. Going back to driving a Civic after driving my TL is utterly miserable to me. My wife likes her car but she loves driving my car so much more - take that for what it's worth.

I also owned a V6 Accord before I bought my Civic in 2007 - the car was ok but the gearing is awful. It makes my 5 a/t slushbox TL look like it's the cat's meow.

The TL is arguably (everyone has an opinion of course) the best blend of luxury and performance money can buy when you stack it up dollar for dollar against the competition.

The Civic is arguably the pinnacle of reliability + economy-class driving quality.

both are hondas and are buttoned up tight as can be. I've owned 4 Hondas including my TL, and 2 of those I drove over 100k miles and had no problems. To me the reliability is negligible when you're comparing one Honda to another.

So it really then boils down to what you can afford and what you care about most in the car.

I'm a driving enthusiast who had to settle for an a/t TL because my wife refuses to learn how to drive stick (I know, I know, but divorce is costly so I deal with it ), so I can't really be happy in a Civic unless I had no other options. I like driving too much and the Civic isn't a car that is very fun to drive for someone like me.

If you don't have options and don't have disposable income to make the scheduled maintenance on your TL and keep it in ship-shape, then don't buy a TL. You will be sorry because you will be in debt and be miserable.

If you believe like I do that we all just go around once and need to make the most of it (meaning you can *reasonably* afford a TL even though you'll have payments on it), then buy a TL and realize you are enjoying a true wonder of modern engineering and aesthetics. The car is a beautiful work of art.

 

+1 well put. This is why i bought mine.

 

I'm also a college student in NYC and got my TL at 19. I love the car but looking back at it now it wasn't the best investment. Roads in new york are absolute shit, 75% of the people can't parallel park, my bumpers are all scratched up and it drives me nuts.

I feel like I wouldn't stress half as much if I bought a beater. And I could have invested the 10K I would have saved.

Don't put too much money into your first car because you're bound to run it to the ground and in 3-4 years it won't be hot shit anymore. Save your money, graduate, get a job and then look for a whip.

 

get a type s if you could afford it because at the end of the day the car looks amazing stock if u mod it even better, its faster then a civic, civic's are common and old, Tl S are more luxurious

 

Why spend $300,000 on a Ferrari when you can have a $70K Corvette?


Because. We. Can.