cyrus0302

Can't decide on which to Buy! Please Help!
I have had an 03' RSX for several years now and have been very happy with it (even though the dealer ripped me off) Acura obviously makes a qualitycar. I am buying a family car for my growing family, and have landed on the TSX after taking quite a bit of time considering other options as well. It just feels like the bestcar for us. This being said, we are buying this car for the LONG HAUL. I don't intend on changing my mind a year or two later. We want this car to stay in our family and be reasonably reliable for a long time. Here is the problem, we must buy used, and I am stuck between a couple options and below a fairly low price point. These are the cars I am currently between:

TSX '08 44k Miles
Overall Cost $22,483

TSX '06 33k Miles (This one is Black, my favorite color on these)
Overall Cost $22,408

For me, 11 thousand miles is quite a bit. However so is two years. Taking into account that the 06 is actually the color that I want as well, part of me feels that to spend this amount of money on anything, I should really like how it looks (especially if I am going to be driving it for a long time). But would buying the 06 be a foolish decision based on the year? Also, all of the major model improvements happened on the 06' model, so I wouldn't really be sacrificing any major improvements by going with the 06. In more extreme cases, people seem to have pretty solid opinions about these types of decisions. I think given the closeness of the years and mileage however, the solid choice is not so clear without specifics on how the miles were put on (which I don't have). Finally, as an added bonus of cutting costs, the insurance and registration will be cheaper on the 06' by a considerable amount in SoCal.

P.S. Both of these are at Carmax so they are "no haggle" prices.

mrgold35

They are pretty much the same car; just one is 2 years older (and TPMS for the 08). The price for the 06 seems too high by $2,000-$3,000, unless it has navi, a-spec body kit, a-spec rims, a-spec suspension, or some other extra not listed (a brick of coke in the trunk or aftermarket baby seal leather seats maybe).

I find the TSX is a little tight for a family car. I think of the TSX as a 4-door coupe. It is not the easiest car for getting adults in/out of the back seat, car seats in/out or baby stuff in the trunk. I wasn’t until my son stopped using a booster seat when the TSX worked perfect for him. Even if you found a TL around the same price, the TL isn’t that much bigger compared to the TSX in the back seat/trunk.

The 07/08 RDX is about the same price and it has every feature and more of the 06 or 08 TSX. The RDX is a much better family car with more power, better visibility, more space in the back seat in hatch area, more storage areas in the cabin, better tech package, back up camera, very easy to drive and park. The RDX would a bigger bang for your buck compared to the TSX.

The only downside would be your MPGs average would be about 18-20 combined city/hwy compared to the TSX 25-27 MPGs combined (my avg with 60% hwy driving). I'm not sure how much your insurance would change; my USAA insurance is $4.16 higher every six months for my 08 RDX compared to my 06 TSX.

Boulder TSX

I'd go with the 06 -- I think mileage is more of a factor than two model years, especially if you're keeping it long-term and not thinking about resale -- but I also think the cost is too high. (Is that including tax, etc?)

As for the RDX, I can see the attraction. (Personally, I don't like its styling. Also, I found it to be a very stiff, bumpy-riding vehicle)...I find that my family fits perfectly in the TSX...which makes the 34 MPG that I get on the highway icing. My TSX is black, too...love the color.

I would make a lowball offer on the 06.

mg7726

11k mile difference is nothing, my '04 given to relative just flipped 100k w/o major issues.

i would choose either of the 2 cars if i were keeping for the long term, and lean towards '08 if available warranty.

cybereclipse

there really isn't much difference between the 04 and the 06. I would see if you can talk down the price of the 06 (a bit high) and see if you walk out the door with a 06 that is the color you want, low miles, and hopefully a lower price

mrgold35

I have the A-spec suspension and Progress RSB on the TSX and Eibach springs on the RDX. Both vehicles ride the same to me and my wife. The RDX does a better job over bumps because of the longer suspension travel. The RDX also faster and smoother around corners under power with sh-awd.

For our family, the TSX is like watching a 58 inch plasma TV in standard def. and the RDX is like watching in HD. Same program on the TV; but, much more enjoyable in HD. I don't know if you can haggle with CarMax; most folk I know don't. Just from my experience, a $22,400 RDX is a better value than a $22,400 TSX. I will still keep my 06 TSX until the wheels fall off and save it for my son when he is ready to drive. We just get more use and flexibility out of the RDX.

I'll say go for what you want if you are planning on keeping the vehicle for a long time. Both cars are the same, I just don't like the price of the 06 TSX.

This is the wife's $22,400 RDX:

Boulder TSX

Nice photo. It sounds like the RDX is a great vehicle for your needs. (Certainly the turbo 4 is a very fun engine, despite it's thirstiness.) Beyond our personal tastes regarding ride characteristics, others have agreed about it being stiff riding. I recalled this review of the RDX from Car & Driver

"However, enthusiasm for those athletic responses and limited body motions was tempered by numerous complaints about excessively stiff suspension tuning."

Patrick Bedard, race driver and Editor of Car & Driver magazine said: "The ride of this thing finds and magnifies every bump, even on a smooth road."

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...om_line_page_2

In comparing the two vehicles, you can't go wrong with either. I just like the balance of ride and handling in the TSX, as well as the fuel economy. (And obviously most people on this forum, myself included, are biased -- since they own TSX's.)

I like to recall that the 1G TSX was the last Acura to win a Car & Driver "Ten Best Cars in the world" award -- and it won three of them in a row.

cyrus0302

While I don't doubt the RDX is a great vehicle (pretty much everything from Acura has been) I am not interested in purchasing one for a few different reasons. Not the least of which is that I just dont care for the styling, and I don't care for SUV type (or even cross-over) vehicles. The TSX is definitely my car.

Both of those prices are "out-the-door" everything included. part of the reason the price is a little high is that there is a shipping cost (the vehicle is across the country) although both of them have a shipping cost attached.

rhannahs19

I got a 2008 Acura TSX with navigation and 29k miles for $19,250 in October.

That being said, I hope your family consists of just you and your significant other because the back seat is cramped!

renedcruz

iTrader: (8)

I have to agree that mileage shouldn't be a factor with the TSX. I have an 04 with 130,000 miles and it's been problem free for the two years that I've own it. Regardless of what you choose, you are getting a solid and quailty car which will give you very few problems.

Good luck.

Boulder TSX

Well, given that there is shipping involved, (likely nearly $1000) and those are out the door prices including taxes and dealer fees, etc. -- they do not sound so bad after all.

I shipped my car from Florida, (only way to get a low mileage car with the exact color combination and 6MT that I wanted.) They delivered it by truck right to my door. It was flawless and more than worth the shipping cost. The car has been phenomenal.

As for the back seat, we have an 11 year-old daughter and a dog...there is plenty of room for everyone -- and the trunk holds all our luggage for long trips.

One note: I was told that the advertised internet price I saw was already lowered and firm, too. ($2,000 less than it was on the Acura Certified website). It didn't stop me from calling them and offering them $1000 less. (Nothing to lose in trying it.) After some time to think about it, they accepted my offer.

DLTSX6MT

I bought an 06 new, we had a 2 year old at the time and soon even had another on the way. Although obviously not the most spacious car around, the TSX has managed to fit the two kids through the last 5 years just fine, including all the various combinations of kid seats in the back seat, including the dreaded rear facing seat. It seems counterintuitive, but as they get older and bigger, the more spacious the TSX gets. Especially now as they graduate into smaller and smaller seats, and become more and more able to sit themselves down. Granted, it helps that mommy and daddy (me) are not tall... 5'2" and 5'6", and that we almost never had four persons in the car though, and the TSX was rarely used for family traveling - we have two larger vehicles for that. As a full time family hauler, TSX would be quite tight, but certainly perfectly do-able.

Assuming the your two car choices have all the exact same options, the only differences I can think of between the 06 and the 08 are the TPMS and the modified windshield wipers. The squeegie style wiper blades first implemented with the 06's were pathetic and were changed for 07 (I think) . My dealer wanted about $80 for a new set. We have TPMS in our Odyssey, and I really miss it in the TSX.

11k miles is not much at all, especially if you're keeping the car for a long time. The difference between 123k and 125k miles is miniscule, but the difference between 8 years and 10 years is not insignificant. For the same price, unless the black exterior is super important to you, and the 08 is in inferior condition to the 06, I'd go for the 08.

davidspalding

I didn't find the crucial words on search, but the 2006 ECU can be reflashed with Hondata, the 2008 can't. If you want a performance sedan, that's a serious consideration.

As for kids, my 8 yo daughter sits comfortably in a Britax Parkway in the back. I like the 2-psn memory driver's seat, as I can set it to move all the way forward/up with one (not the fob I carry), and she can practically walk out.

I bought my 2006 with 35,000 miles in July, 2007, for $22,225, about what Consumer Reports and my bank claimed were Black Book at that time. That price in OP's post can't be an accurate Black Book value.

Jaan Lewaa

go for 08

Boulder TSX

Several people have commented on the prices...but two things come to mind.

One, the prices are including tax and dealer fees, as well as cross-country shipping, (usually at least $1,000). That's going to be several thousand dollars over the "advertised price", which most people are using for comparison.

Two, used car prices are way out of whack right now.

In today's Wall Street Journal, there is a front page story entitled "Shrinking Supplies Mean Goodbye Used Car Bargains". Here's a quote:

"Prices for used cars hit a record high in April as production cutbacks, the recession and the more recent Japanese earthquake has made used vehicles a hot commodity. The one-two punch has added between $1,500 to $3,000 to the price of used cars..."

The owner of Lee Auto Malls said, "It can be a piece of junk--cars we used to pay $2,000 or $2,500 for, we are now now paying $5,200 to $5,500, Mr Lee said.

The story went on to say that Blue Book value is out the window. Also, depending upon what you want, many buyers are finding it is better to buy new right now.

davidspalding

... Or find a private seller who doesn't know WTF is going on.

leviathan198108

Get the 06 if you ever want to do ECU upgrade like hondata. Its available the 07-08 dont have one yet.

npolite

I bought my 07 back in 12/09 for $20,300 as a CPO with only 23k miles (no accidents on Carfax) if it helps. The 06 is over priced.