TheAcAvenger

As some of you already know, my sister wrecked my TL a couple of months ago. Ran a redlight, and the other vehichle hit my back right wheel. It was fixed, and after alot of pondering, it took it back. It was sitting at 98k, and there was no way I was letting her go without me hitting 100k! So, recently, (i'm already at 103k now, after having the car back for 4 weeks, hahaha), i've been hearing this weird metal noise coming from the back wheel. I just assumed it had to do with the camber kit they put on my back wheels to keep them balanced/aligned. Sunday, I throw a CEL, and took it in for service (out of my father's pity, he let me take his daily driver RL since he kindly handed my keys to my sister in the first place. I'm really loving that RL by the way ).

Diagnosis: Rubber in fuel tank. No biggie.
What they found... bolt missing from suspension, and a cracked strut! Apparently the bolt missing would require them to take the whole thing apart, to get to it. My car's being taken back to the shop that did the repairs as we speak and they're going to have to fix it. I'm at the time now for my 103k service, and I can actually feel my tranny starting to slip. So as painful as it is for me to say it, I thinkits finally time for me to part ways with the one I love

Unfortunately, this leaves me in kind of a bind. I've got a nice sum of money in my hands from the college/med school fund that my dad and I split (i've gone on full scholarship undergrad and post grad). I'm not really interested in buying a house or anything like that, because I dont know where the career's going to take me. I have a girlfriend, but marriage isnt really on the horizon, and i'm not trying to start a family. So I was planning to spend some of my loot on a 335i. I was going to keep the TL until may, then take the leap. The reason for waiting is that I do not have a place to park my 335i that i'd be comfortable. I'm relocating in may, and I will have a nice covered park, in a nice complex. But as for now.. I don't. Its not the kind of town where you have to worry about your civic si's getting its engine dropped or your TL coming back without headlights, but it is the kind of town where you might come out to see your bmw gone because someone stole it, or vandalized because someone hates you for it.

So... I need something to drive in the meantime. I'm definitely planning to stick to the honda family. I figured it'd be best to buy a used car that'd already bared the big brunt of depreciation, so that I wouldnt have to deal with it 6 months from now when I sell. The majority of my driving is spend driving up and down 95 for 3 hours+ (around campus, town.. I just walk, or make little 5 minute trips. No big deal). So i've narrowed it down to a used TSX, a used RSX-S, and a used 06 Civic Si. I like the TSX because its the best car for the job, no doubt, but I really feel like this little detour along my car map provides me an opportunity to have a little bit of fun and "downgrade" for a while. I loved the RSX-S, and if I didn't have a TL-S, that's the car I would have today. But it's hard to convince yourself to get an RSX-S when the new Civic has everything and more. When someone on the forum was debating b/w a cl-s and an rsx-s, I told them to get the new Si.. but now that i'm in their shoes, i'm not so sure of that idea. So basically, I'm just going to go out there and throw out a poll. You guys always give good feedback, so here it goes

JediMindTricks

of the listed options, i voted for a used tsx. i think it's the best car (other than obviously the 335). but it sounds like you really favor the civic si. i see no problem with that car. but i wonder how easy it is to find a pre-owned civic si.

Yumcha

Voted for TSX as well...if you can find a used Civic Si, more power to you!

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Voted TSX as well. Buy the used car, save your money, and get the BMW when you're more settled career and home-wise.

The Civic SI is sweet as well, but I think in the long run, the TSX is the way to go... especially when you start getting into the corporate world.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I would say the TSX or just get the 335i now.

Moog-Type-S

335

MJMeucci

I know this isn't one of your options but what about holding on to the TL-s for a few more months. I know that diminished value may be an issue due to the collision but the money you would lose purchasing a car for the interim now, vs. the decrease in value that would be incurred over the next few months of owning the TL. I had to make the same decision with my CL, my daughter had been driving it and complained that the tranny was slipping but I was waiting for the '07 RX350's to come out before trading the CL in. I ended up having the tranny flushed and babied it for a few months until the RX that I wanted came in.

Another alternative you may want to consider is swapalease. com, you may be able to find someone who has a few months left on their lease that you can take over (and sometimes even get an incentive for doing so) and attempt to sell your CL privately.

If neither of those options are feasible I would probably go for the cheapest car, given your 3 options, that you can find. I know that you said you are not planning on buying a home or anything, but having money in the bank is always provides a great sense of security, or it could but an additional option on the 335 that you had not considered. Just my two cents.

TheAcAvenger

I just thought about keeping my TL-S today. It seems like a viable option. I mean, its only 6 more months. My only concern is that anything that happens to it at this point is out of pocket. I wish I had put that on the poll as well. My original thought was that on buying a used car at a good price and selling it private sale, I wouldnt lose more than 2-3k tops. The service on my TL is 1300, which is less than 2-3, indeed, but anything else pushes the envelope. And I guess its more of a reassurance thing driving up and down I95 knowing that the car you're driving didnt have its suspension slopily put back together (although you never know with a new car).

Thanks for the tip on the swalalease, that sounds like something I'd consider.

What becomes an issue with the 335i is that since its my first major expense, its really important to me to special order it and make sure everything is exactly how I want it. Picking it up with the dealership with 5 miles or less on it with the plastic still on the seats. Its how I've always imagined it. The downside, is that people are waiting 1.5 to 2 months for them! That pushes it into the end of december, early january. I dont know about you guys, but there's just something unexciting about buying a car in dead winter. Especially a RWD car. Not that we get much snow or anything, but geesh, treating my car to a christening salt'n'snow bath isn't quite how I envisioned it!

Surprisingly, I have found a few 06 civic si's with less than 10k miles going for under 21k. I must admit though, that if I found a TSX for the similar price, I'd probably get the TSX, just because it serves the function of highway car better than the civ or rsx do. They both really sound enticing. I think I will look into keeping my TL for a while longer though. I'm picking her up from the shop hopefully this weekend. I'm going to take it by my mod guy to see what he thinks, and i'll go from there.

It's mainly a matter of number crunching, and forcing myself to base my decision more on needs than wants (because lets face it, its impossible to deny that part of this dilemma comes from my desire for an rsx-s or a civic si, knowing well that those times have probably passed me by, and knowing that now I have an excuse to get one. And I must admit that whenever my TL is in the shop and I get that TSX loaner, I probably have a bit more fun than I should. And, it would be pretty cool to go 6MT again to figure out what I really want on my 335. We'll see where the road takes me.

Thanks for all the responses, folks.

stangg172004

Bavarian Motor Works FTW

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Tsx

Got_3.2?

iTrader: (2)

how bout an is300?