KILRIK

I'm from Tennessee and I'm currently going to Auburn down in Alabama for college. Right now I have a built up rock crawling Jeep Wrangler and let's just say...it's not the best experience on road trips. Around town, it's great and that's why I bought it in high school but getting 12mpg on a good day on road trips just isn't worth me keeping it. Round trip when I go home on break I'm looking at about $250 and my girlfriend lives in Kentucky which is a $200 round trip.

With that said, I'm looking into something else to replace the Jeep. As much as I love working on it and rock crawling, it'll have to wait until after I graduate.

I know I'm going to get a bias opinion here but theses are my two choices:
'06-'08 Acura TSX w/ MT if I can find one in my price range, otherwise, AT
'06 IS250 AT (Those tend to be the easiest to find in my price range)

Price Range is 9,000 and under
Goal with both cars is to get over 30 highway and try to push 35 if possible
Mileage on both I'm looking in the 120k range but I've found TSX's in the 90-100k range

Like I said, I'm a college student that doesn't have a ton of money to throw around. I live 5 minutes from the school so mostly city driving but I'll need the good gas mileage whenever I go home or to see my girlfriend.

I'm mainly looking for something that has a nice interior since I'll have to be in it for a while on trips, something that has a sporty look on the outside, and won't require a lot of maintenance.

Whenever I'm home, I normally drive my mom's '05 Corolla (basic trim package) and my Dad's '06 Camry (Luxury Trim package) so the 200hp of both cars will be fine for me. If I wanted performance I would build up something else...

Thanks in advance for the help!

mililani00

iTrader: (1)

Is250 for 9g? Gotta be high miles. Is300 or civic for 9g is good.

jst17

Hey man,

I used to own a tsx in high school, and now im in uni. I would say get the tsx as it is some what cheaper to maintain than the lex. 120k miles is quite a bit high for a lex, and you will be expecting repair bills that can range from $500-2000 as it obviously has no warranty. I wouldn't risk it considering 9k is your budget, unless you are ok with the occasional repair bills, then go for the lex.

By the way, make sure the tsx is properly maintained, some owners reported burning oil issues, and timing chain issues which costs upwards of $2000. 06 and up is a wise choice.

Any questions let me know.

KILRIK

Thanks for the input on the TSX. I've been looking at them for a while and the other day when I was back home on break I saw an IS250 drive by and I really liked the body lines so I looked it up. Come to find out it's RWD, V6 and really nice which were all things I had been looking for. Found a few in the 9k range but from everything I read high mileage was scary once out of the warranty.

Main question I have is: Lexus is the luxury brand of Toyota as Acura is the luxury brand of Honda. With Acura, most Honda parts swap over with the exception of some things but not all. Is this not the case as much with Lexus? Are there more Lexus brand parts that make it more expensive outside of the warranty?

Really like the look of the IS250 but if that's the case I'll stick to the TSX and invest in a body kit.

Thanks again for the info.

darkdream

Even with the IS250 you will not get the mileage you want unless you really try. You stress you are a college student with little money, so I think you should get a lower mileage car so in the case that something happens you will not have to pay thousands to get the car running. I doubt you will get a IS250 for under $9k with a warranty.

darkdream

Many of the parts are shared.

ICU2

I have a 2nd gen TSX (It's actually sold as a Honda Accord Euro in Australia). I find the steering feels better than my 2IS - feels a bit heavier but the quality of the Lexus is a notch above.

KILRIK

Yeah, most everything I'm finding are 2006's with 130k on the speedometer. The TSX gets 31 highway and I've been seeing numbers on forums of around 35+ if you drive it right on the highway. I'm trying to find a MT with 120k or less in my price range but I've found plenty of Auto's with 90k or so within my price range. Prefer a stick so I can have a little fun since I'm having to give up my current toy (the Jeep).

My biggest thing is repair costs whenever something does go wrong. I don't mind having to foot the bill for a repair occasionally and not have to worry about it for a while but if it's a common occurrence, I can't do it.

With that said, stick to the TSX?

If I stick with the TSX, my biggest thing is deciding between getting one with higher mileage (120-130k) and a stick shift vs lower mileage (90k or so) and an auto with paddle shifters. I'm finding with the MT they normally go for more since they're harder to find. I found one that had 90k but they wanted 11k and wouldn't budge. Auto's I'm finding with 90k miles for 8-9k fully loaded. That's what's making me consider skipping the MT. I'm curious though, will repair costs be higher on the AT if it goes out vs. the MT. I would assume so but wasn't entirely sure. I have a vast knowledge of Jeeps but not so much of luxury cars with electronics and sensors everywhere.

As far as I've read too, gas mileage is pretty much the same between the MT and AT (anyone want to chime in on that?) but I'd prefer the MT so I can be more in control.

darkdream

If something goes wrong outside of normal wear and wear, the MT will be cheaper to repair than an AT. MT are simpler than AT. Outside the transmission there will be no difference. You need to make sure the clutch is in good condition or you will be looking at a $600-$800 clutch job at a private mechanic (probably cheaper in your state).

jst17

Get the manual PERIOD

In those years, Acura tsx and tl has a notoriously bad issue with their auto tranny. Always get a manual if you can. My tsx's auto transmission started to slip, and that's when I traded it in. It is very dangerous sometimes, as it lags 1-2 seconds after you hit the gas pedal in 1st gear. Otherwise, an auto tranny replacement is $1000-$1500 for parts + $$ for labour.

P.S. 06-08 auto tsx do not have paddle shifters.

KILRIK

I was reading on the bad transmission issue and from what I read it was only a problem in the TL's and not so much the TSX (not saying that they didn't have problems but it wasn't a common occurrence like the TL).

Forgot about no paddle shifters. I was thinking of the 250. It has the sport shift or whatever though.
Either way...manual it is!

islandbeef

Unless you're a trust fund baby, I'd stay away from the luxury brands until you're graduated and are making good coin. Don't bury yourself with luxury costs of a luxury car when you're still in school.

Pay your dues first.

jst17

^ Agreed.

Hope you find a well cared 6sp manual tsx, honda makes the best 6 speeds. On a side note, the paddle shifters on the is250/350 have a 1-2 second lag...personally the sport shift in the tsx was quicker. lol

getafewliv

I had a 2004 TSX 6 speed for a few years. Fun car, zippy 4 cylinder, fun shifter and overall felt decent.

Doesn't compare to the IS350 though.

Avoid 2004 TSXs, a lot had common issues with oil blowing past the pistons and out the exhaust.

KILRIK

I'm by no means a trust fund baby so no worries there. Paid for my first vehicle, paid for my current vehicle and I'll be paying for my next one too.

Looks like I'll keep looking for an Acura 6 speed then. Thanks for all of the information guys, really helped me make a decision.

I know all about the '04-'05 problems so I've pretty much crossed them off my list unless someone with an '04 has replaced the engine and the A/C failure issue has been addressed. Otherwise, sticking to '06-'08