Episode 29

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Published on:

8th Dec 2022

First Gen Acura TSX Sedan - Your Daily Dose of VTEC

00:00 - INTRO

Today's feature vehicle is a sports sedan with a jewel-like, high revving engine, a slick-shifting 6-speed transmission, agile, planted handling and a comfortable, stylish interior that provides just enough refinement to a feel special. It’s a car that I highly recommend if you’re looking for a fun, engaging driver-oriented vehicle to haul up to 4-people on your daily adventures.

00:45 - THE FIRST GENERATION ACURA TSX SPORTS SEDAN

The focus of today’s Better Than New episode is the First Generation Acura TSX sports sedan, sold in the US from 2004-2008.   

01:20 - 3 REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT WANT A TSX:

  • You like cars that are fun and rewarding to drive
  • You enjoy shifting a near-perfect manual transmission
  • You love Honda's high-revving VTEC engines

03:15 - WHAT IS VTEC & WHAT MAKES IT BETTER?

  • Honda's VTEC system uses 2-3 camshaft profiles and hydraulically selects between those profiles at certain RPM under acceleration to increase power
  • Unlike some Variable Valve Timing systems that only vary cam timing, VTEC also varies lift (which opens the valves further) and duration (which varies how long the valves remain open)
  • The result is an intoxicating rush to redline at high RPM under acceleration

06:15 - NOTABLE HONDA & ACURA VTEC CARS:

  • Acura Integra Type-R (1997-2001)
  • Acura RSX Type-S (2002-2006)
  • 6th Gen Honda Civic Si (1999-2000)
  • 8th Gen Honda Civic Si (2006-2011)
  • Civic Del Sol VTEC (1994-1997)

09:20 - TSX WITH VTEC - THE NEXT FUTURE CLASSIC?

  • Prices on cars approaching classic status can "pop" and go up dramatically in price in a very short period of time.
  • Examples of enthusiast cars whose prices have "popped" recently include the 1990-1996 Nissan 300ZX and 300ZX Turbo, the Acura Integra Type-R and the 6th Gen Honda Civic Si from 1999-2000

14:20 - WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN AN ACURA TSX?

  • Get the manual transmission model
  • Get the manual transmission model
  • Get the manual transmission model (subtle, right?)
  • Next, focus on vehicle condition
  • Finally consider features and exterior paint colors you want
  • Avoid cars that have been modified unless what's been done

16:30 - ACURA TSX PRICING WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION

  • $8,000 to $12,000 - Private party TSX in good to excellent condition with 80K to 120K miles, minimal owners, no accidents
  • $10,000 to $14,000 - Dealer examples in good to excellent condition with same mileage, etc. as private party example above
  • Occasional outliers with really low miles ($50K) for $18,000+, but the market doesn't support that... yet
  • I wouldn't rule out a higher mile example if it is a one or two-owner car with regular service and maintenance records for backup

18:10 - ALTERNATIVES TO THE TSX SPORTS SEDAN

  • Honda Civic Si Sedan (2007-2011) w/197-hp K20 4-cylinder VTEC engine & similar slick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission
  • 3rd Gen Infiniti G35 Sedan (2003-2006) w/Manual transmission, rear drive, V6 and available all-wheel drive

19:40 - CLOSE

If you are looking for a fun-to-drive, 4-door sports sedan that offers great value, plus the engagement of a slick-shifting manual transmission combined with one of Honda’s outstanding high-performance VTEC 4-cylinder engines, the choice is simple: The First Generation Acura TSX sedan from 2004 to 2008.   

It’s an affordable VTEC experience for now, but don’t wait forever if you think you want one. 

And do get the manual… you’ll thank me later. 

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!