Need some advice on this one...

I may be taking a year and a half long position 75 miles away from my house. Currently I work about 10 miles away. The drive is all highway, no city driving, no heavy traffic. I would be working 5 days a week about 47 weeks a year.

So my option is to drive my '04 TSX that currently has 55K on it. Or buy a commuting car. I need something reliable. I'm 6'3" and don't fit in some real small cars. Need it to look professional.

If I drive the TSX, after the time I figure I'll have over 100K on it when I'm done. But I will be comfortable and I won't be paying for insurance on another car (about $450/yr).

So should I stay with the TSX, or buy a commuter? And if I buy, what should I get. I'd prefer it to be cheap (less than 10K). The cheaper the better. And better gas mileage would be a plus.

Ideas?

Thanks!

-Patrick

 

Stay with the TSX. Save the 10K and insurance money you would have spent on a commuter car to get another car to replace the TSX later.

 

Sounds like you should just stick with the TSX.

Comfortable, looks professional and not bad on gas.

 

I agree with the others. It sucks to put all those miles on, but I don't think it's worth it to purchase another car, especially one for $10k that would probably leave you stranded somewhere, lol. Plus I can't think of one car around or under $10k that would be big enough for you or look professional. I'd just stick with what you have and replace it when the time comes.

 

The one I saw that caught my eye was an '02 Camry SE with 100K. Sticker price is $9200. Current KBB PPV is $7100 and with 60K more miles it's $6150. Has a 4 Cyl and 5 speed manual. Not my favorite car, but should be reliable. I know I wouldn't be attaking the corners, but the ride should be nice and cushy. Oh wait, I might fall asleep driving it then

 

I live in Wisconsin as well and took a position at the beginning of the this year that is 75 miles from my house each way - how about that? I drive my '97 2.2CL. It's been paid off since 2001, already had 120K miles on it when I started this commute so it didn't much matter adding more miles to it, plus it gets 27 mpg for me, is very comforatble for the long commute and as a plus still looks damn good.

See you on the highway!

 

Remember that you have no idea what a used car has been through, especially one at over 100K.

I would use the TSX. Save the money you would spend on a beater. You have no clue how much it may cost to maintain the beater. I would think you can get about 3 years out of the TSX with that type of mileage per year.

 

Yeah, I don't think it's worth it to buy a car with 100k already on the clock, and use it for a long commute. You said you need reliable, and I know I wouldn't feel comfortable driving a car with that kind of mileage all that way, especially if you buy it used so you don't know how it's been treated.

 

Stick with the TSX.

 

TSX - I wouldn't want to buy a "commuter car" and be in that car for 75 miles one-way when I wish I was in my better car/TSX.

 

If you take care of the TSX, there's no reason you can't get 300k miles out of it. Your commute looks like 35k miles a year if I did the math correctly.

35k + 10k for other use = about 5 years before you hit 300k. I think by then you might hate the commute

My buddy was a courier and put 497k on a Civic VX and 300k on a '92 Prelude before it was totalled in an accident. He definitely would have gone over 500k on it.

If you don't have XM/Sirius you should get it. Or buy one of those "Learn Spanish/French/Tagalog on CD" things ... You'll be fluent in 8 languages after your first year

 

Good advice! Depending on where you live and where you are commuting to, this 75 mile commute could be a 2 hour drive!

I drive from Milwaukee to Hoffman Estates and on a good day it's 1.5 hours. It's taken as much as 2.5

 

Like all the others here have said, TSX. You don't need more car related payments (insurance, registration).

Also, if you already comfortable with the TSX, then that's over half your need right there.

 

Thanks for all the replies... I'm surprised no one is on the commuter car side, I expected a few.

I don't have XM/Sirius, but will get it.

My drive will be easy. I live in Central WI and will be traveling to the Appleton/Oshkosh area.

So, I was planning on getting some Goodyear F1-GS D3's for summer, but with all the miles, now I'm thinking I might look for some cheaper ones.. any suggestions. I was looking at the Kumho ECSTA SPT's. Or maybe just get some long wearing all seasons again.

 

+1 for the tsx...

 

Keep the TSX and enjoy the drive. Those Goodyear don't come in OEM size, but I'd suggest 225/50-17's (+1.6%) instead of the 45 series, for better cuising. And even if you have snow tires, that's a fair distance, and weather, well, it changes, and changes from place to place: I'd also go for all seasons.

 

Stick with the TSX. Its comfortable. I had a bitch of a commute and I was much happier in my TL than when I was in my old Integra.

 

If you do your homework you actually may stand to gain a lot from getting a commuter car that you may end up keeping long after your position at this job is done.

civics are cheap and easy to maintain. They aren't the biggest on the interior though. Althought i do know someone that is abotu 6'1" and he drove a civic hatchback and was just fine in it. I don't know how, but he was.

The TSX would be a great car and can definitly handle the mileage just fine.

Again, if you do your homeowrk and spend some time looking for a used car before you decide, you may find one that is in good condition and won't require extra $$ to maintain it. And you'll only prolong the life of your TSX and get another car out of it. An older civic should be cheaper to insure as well.

I'm neutral on this one, can't say +1 for the TSX or +1 for the commuter car until you've done your homework on used cars.

 

The tsx is serving the purpose you purchased it for. To make a long commute bearable.

 

Turn it around and buy the beater to use around home and drive the TSX to work.

Keep the TSX, but more importantly, use it exclusively for work, claim it as a business expense, depreciate it, and use the savings as a down payment on the new car you're going to want 18 months from now!

 

at first I thought of a Honda Fit. its little over $10K range but it'll save you whole bunch on gas plus reliability. but you need to look professional, won't fit in small cars, and likes to save gas... staying with tsx will be the best choice than.

 

Just ran across a '99 Acura Integra LS 2 door 5 speed with 97K, but a new Acura installed motor with 12K on it. Asking $6,000 obo.

I used to own a '98 Integra GSR so I know I fit.

Thoughts?

 

why was a new motor put in? and on top of that, was the car ever modded? If so, check the tranny for abuse. For an integra to need a motor replacement at only 97K sounds like poor use or poor maintenance on the owners part in all honesty. My 97 Integra GS-R was going strong at 150K with the original motor. In fact, when it was totalled due to a hit and run, the insurance adjustor and the dealership both stated that the motor was surprisingly in great shape even with so many miles.

That's the one thing that scary about buying integras. So many of them have been modded, you don't know how it was treated.

Don't let that discourage you, I have found some great integras from people that took great care of them. Just have to keep looking if this one doesn't work out.

 

I thought we decided your going to stick with the TSX?

 

I know. I just keep thinking I'll run across a great deal. And I'm worried that I'm going to kill my resale value. I've seen how people view cars with over 100K, even though they can go much more. My original plan was to sell before 100K but I was thinking that would be after 6 years, not 4.

 

So instead of taking a hit on a car that has 100K + you'll take a 5 to 10K hit immediately?

 

keep the TSX. so what if it has over 100k miles. by the time your long commute job is over the next gen TSX will be out so you can trade in on that

 

Stop looking for a "great deal"- you've got one: the TSX!
As an Integra owner, I have to say that they are light, responsive and economical, but too noisy for a comfy commute over an hour, especially if you have a GS-R. That $6k-10K you spend now will greatly exceed any savings from greater depreciation on the TSX due to higher mileage.