Car buying: the legacy continues. (1 Viewer)

[Steve Schaffer]

I hate moonroofs. They steal headroom, rattle, contribute to wind noise, add 50 extra pounds to the highest place on the car raising the center of gravity, and the glass panels act like a greenhouse to really heat up the interior on hot days even with the sunshade closed. Not to mention the expense when/if something goes wrong with 'em.

And that's how I really feel about moonroofs, enjoy!

 

[DaveF]

Steve -- I get the sense that you don't recommend a moonroof to Brian? You're a little vague there

Admittedly, I've only had my first moonroof for a few months now, but I love the extra sunlight it lets in. Perhaps because my neck of the woods is plagued by clouds, but I want every bit of sunlight I can get when I'm outside.

But you're right, it does reduce headroom -- that was a major factor in my car selection decision. But I doubt it's going affect cg much (50 lbs in a 4000 lb car is negligible). And it makes the roof colder in the winter, and probably warmer in the summer. And it contributes to wind noise.

But so far it's well worth it!

 

[Philip Hamm]

Funny I saw the title of this thread and I just bought a Subaru Legacy Wagon to replace my Audi. Coincedence? I think not.

Anyway, I think the word you were looking for in the title is something like "adventure" or "quest", not legacy.

BTW I'm super happy with my new Subaru. Great car and an unbelievable price with the new model coming out momentarily.

 

[Jean Luc]

What baffles me about this post is how many times people have used the words style and toyota in the same sentence
I would take a serious look at the new Mazda 3 series.
I am not one for Japanese engineering (I am a VW nut), but there is definitely a lot of style in the the new mazda line, whether it is the 3 or 6 series. Great reviews on both.

 

[Eric Alderson]

I picked the RSX Type-S to replace my 90' Accord for a few reasons. I wanted a manual tranny, leather, some speed, and the Honda reliability. I also wanted a car that would have a nice aftermarket even though I wasn't planning on modding my car other than the factory body kit. There is plenty of room for me (I’m 6'1"), even more room than my old accord. Like I said, I didn't plan on any mods but the car "asked" for them. I've put in so far an intake, exhaust, Mugen pedals, real HID headlights, and the ECU has been re-flashed by Hondata for more power along with a 8600rpm redline. My car will be a year old on May 5th and I have 15500 miles on it already. Later on down the line I might upgrade the suspension and maybe get a supercharger. I'm not sure why your friend said that these cars have reliability issues since mine is trouble free. Every car can run into problems.

 

[Brian Harnish]

Philip wrote:


Oops! You're right. My bad. :b

 

[Yee-Ming]

I'd have to agree. The new Mazda 6 also looks very nice.

As usual, Japanese manufacturers all seem to be heading the same direction, the newest Accord and Cefiro both seem to have practically the same basic body shape, the slightly smoothed-out wedge shape. At least the Mazda 6 deviates more from this basic design.

 

[John Besse]

Well, this seems like the right thread to post this. Don't know if anyone has seen it or not, but it is a Star Wars Parody of buying a car. Click here.

 

[Carl Miller]

Just want to urge a word of caution on the 2004 Solara V6 SLE:

There is a known left drift issue with this model, and it has caused quite a few 04 owners, including myself, some major headaches. Check out

Solaraguy and read back in the Gen 2 topic for info on the issue.

I didn't know about this issue when I bought the car back in November, but had I known of it, it's very possible I wouldn't have bought the car. The issue doesn't severely effect all V6 SLE's, but most of them seem to have this problem ranging from mild to severe. It does not effect any other models of the car, so any 4 cyl, or even a V6 Sport will be free of this issue.

My Solara was in the shop twice for this issue prior to the TSB being issued, and is going back soon for hopefully the last time now that there is a TSB.

My dealership has been excellent in their handling of the issue in that they admitted without hesitation this problem is far more than a wheel alignment issue. They've given me loaners both times I had the car in, and they've treated me well. Still, the car ain't fixed at 10,000 miles and 6 days in the shop total and this isn't what I had in mind when bought the car.

Aside from this issue, the car is great. It's quick, handles well though it's not as agile as the Honda V6 Accord similarly equipped. The interior is Lexus-like with more integrity than our RX 300 and my brothers G35. It is fun to drive when you feel like having some fun, and comfortably mellow when you want to take it easy.

Besides the drift issue, my only beefs with the car: The 17 inch Bridgstones aren't great in wet road conditions so be careful...And, if you open your window in the rain, prepare to get flooded.

Mine is Oceanus Pearl Blue, and it's a phenominal color worth checking out if it's different than the blue you saw and available in your area.

Hope this helps some.

 

[Jason Merrick]

I'm also curious about your friend's statements regarding RSX reliability and cost of maintenance... ?

Acura's consistently rank near the top of the list in fewest problems per 1000 cars. Not to mention all Acuras have a standard 4 year / 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.

I love my RSX, but that said you are obviously taken with the new Solara, and they are two very different types of cars. Go with the Solara, any of the cars you mentioned are going to be very reliable and fun to drive. Pick one and enjoy!

 

[Steve Schaffer]

I'm familiar with the tsb on pulling with the Solaras, but haven't encountered that complaint yet from a customer so don't know how well it works. As a rule Toyota won't issue a bulletin until they're certain the cure involved will really work.

They have a dedicated Tech Assistance phone hotline, and often they will suggest cures for problems before tsbs are issued. They open a case number and instruct us on the procedure to fix the problem, then collect data from us on the effectiveness of the repair. If it works consistently they will usually issue a tsb, which we can access on our computers.

 

[Aurel Savin]

Silver is nice, but it is the hardest color to properly colormatch if God Forbid you need extensive body paint. Ask any body shop ...

 

[Scott L]

I also hear Acura dealers are very kind when something goes wrong, top-notch service. Any experience there?

 

[LDfan]

Scott L, My wife got her TSX from Radley Acura in Falls Church, Va. Absolute top notch service. Their service dept is open til 2am every night, free state inspections and free oil changes. They also give free loaner cars and if they don't have any available will get you a free rental from enterprise.
When she first got the TSX there was an issue with some wind noise with one of the windows. They were great and very friendly in getting the problem fixed. Easily the best dealership I've ever dealt with.

Jeff

 

[Jason Merrick]

I can echo Jeff's experience with my dealership (Acura 101 West in Calabasas, CA). Even with my little RSX which is the least expensive car in their line, I am treated with the utmost respect in all interactions (phone/in person). I've had it in twice for some minor warranty work and once got an RSX loaner and the other time got a TSX loaner (what a great car!). My car always comes back vacuumed and washed, even if it's a while-you-wait oil change.

Off-topic, but out of the ten cars I have purchased, this was also the easiest, lowest-pressure sales experience I have ever had.

It may have been my first Acura, but most definitely will not be my last.

 

[Carl Miller]

I've heard various results ranging from a total fix to just improvements, and am hoping mine will be a total fix.

I haven't been able to get a print of the TSB without having to pay a fee for it from a non-Toytota web site. Toyota offered me a summary of it, but as a buyer who plunked 24k on a car, I think they should make it fully accessable to me. That has been a little disappointing.

Credit has to be repeated to my dealer though...They've been excellent to deal with and I'm pretty confident this will get resolved on the next trip to the shop.