Acura TSX

[vectorg]

I'm wanting to trade my '99 Camry in for a car that is more exciting, fun, and stylish, yet still do some hypermiling. The one that looks the best to me so far is a Acura TSX. It's just the right size for me as I'm still single, and it seems to have the potential for great mileage if driven properly. I love the looks of the car.

Please give me your opinion of the TSX. There is a 2008 at our local Honda dealer listed at around $27,000. If I get it, I'll sell my Camry myself and make an extra 2 grand over a trade-in.

Am I on track with this car selection?

[GasSavers_BEEF]

what about the RSX. if you are single and only need room for a single lifestyle, why not go with the coupe vs the sedan.

I will admit that acura is a good name and I knew a guy that drove the crap out of his RSX-S though he did modify the crap out of it (blew the first one up). he drove almost an hour each way to work and always had a beautiful car. after he messed the first one up, he got the second one and when I left that job he hadn't done anything to it or planned to.

there was a guy there with a VW jetta 1.8 turbo that had done quite a bit of work to it and dynoed it at over 300hp. he was keeping up with him and over reved the engine, floated the valves, and the rest is history. he still tells that story and says he was right there with him. the other guy says the same thing so I believe it but it was an expensive price to pay. that one was about 2 years old when he did that. he ended up trading it in for a new one.

if you really don't care about space (car size) you could hypermile a honda s2000. just keep the revs down. I think they redline around 10k to make the power they do. if you kept them down to hypermiler standards you may be able to get descentish mileage out of it and be able to impress the ladies.

I see the TSX as a good family car (though maybe a bit higher end).

[theholycow]

Acura recommends 91 octane, which should be a consideration in your fuel cost calculations.

At 3400 pounds and EPA rated 20/28 it's a little porky for a Honda/Acura.

At $27k, you might want to check how much it will really cost vs. a brand new one at $29k that comes with incentives and lower interest rate.

[vectorg]

Thanks holy. I will now look at the TSX, RSX, as well as the TL, which I love the looks of.

It would be great to get a car that would run on regular gas. I've been talking with the Calabasas dealership and I like the people there.

I'll gladly accept any info you have on the RSX, TSX, or TL.

Please suggest something else for me if you like, and I'll check it out!!!

[GasSavers_BEEF]

TSX is 20/28 mpg 201hp (for comparison)

the BMW 128i gets 18/28 mpg but has an impressive look and has 230hp to boot. just under the $30k mark.

the new camarro (the V6 version) is rated 17/29 with over 300hp and the start price is around the 22k mark

the honda accord coupe is sweet looking and has 190hp in the 4 cyl model and is rated 22/31 starting at $22.5k

sadly, there is no RSX anymore (at least I can't find one on the site). I liked the RSXs but I guess everyone has to move on. I do like the TSX but think with a purchase this large, you should weigh all your options. here are some that I like and they all seem to be around the same mileage range. I personally would stick with a 4-cyl as I think the potential for higher mileage is better but that is more up to you.

[trollbait]

Premium is recommended for my parents' 2004 TL, too, but they use regular without problems. Claim 30 mpg highway with it.

[vectorg]

Most people drive with a lead-foot, and premium gas (91) would apply to those drivers for sure. Can regular gas actually damage an engine that is recommended (not required) to use premium?

Once in a while, I try to accelerate from a stop light with the other traffic, but even the average driver accelerates faster that I have ever accelerated, ever. In 40 years of driving, I have never had to "power out of trouble" as some say.

I just want a car that looks good, makes me feel better about myself, and will hold its value. I would consider a crossover or something like that.

[theholycow]

A modern vehicle will not suffer damage from using 87 when 91 is recommended. It will suffer a minor hit to performance and fuel economy.

[GasSavers_bobski]

Originally Posted by BEEF

sadly, there is no RSX anymore (at least I can't find one on the site). I liked the RSXs but I guess everyone has to move on.

Yeah, it got bumped off by the current Civic Si. The drive trains are nearly identical with a similar suspension setup and similar overall size. The big difference being the body style... The RSX is a liftback vs. the Si's coupe/sedan body styles. With so much in common, I guess Honda/Acura saw the RSX as superfluous and a waste of production resources... It's undoubtably more cost effective to tweak the Civic coupe/sedan design to make the K20 drivetrain work nicely, rather than producing a whole different car.

[IndyFetch]

My 2005 Civic Si is basically a base RSX powertrain in a bigger box. One difference: The Si engine incorporates a balance shaft, whereas the base RSX's does not. Smooth, plenty of power, and I am averaging 31-33 per tank (60% interstate, Indianapolis traffic). The RSX has two 2.0-liters: a 160-hp mill with a 5-speed auto or 5-speed manual and a 200-hp (Type S) motor with a 6-speed manual only. The Type S has leather and premium sound. The TSX has a 2.4-liter with 200-210 hp. It gets poorer mileage, and the performance is way down on the RSX Type S. The VTEC cam on the TSX only activates from 6,200 RPM - 7,100 RPM - not much of a power band.

The new Accord is a great car. You only give up 10 or so hp to the TSX, and it gets better mileage. The handling is not quite as crisp, though. The Altima is sportier than the Accord and can get excellent mileage, especially the CVT. However, the interior is vastly inferior to the Accord's. The Malibu is great-looking and gets good mileage with the 6-speed auto, but it makes less power than the Accord and Altima. I have yet to see a Malibu with the front fenders, hood, and bumper put on straight. Also, the interior door panels (even the armrests) are made of rock-hard plastic. The trunk opening is tiny (try getting a laundry basket in there). The interior bits and pieces seem brittle; the demo car had two broken interior bin lids. There is significantly less headroom than the Accord, especially in sunroof-equipped models.