New car decision

@texases
Does that make the TSX wagon the Crosstour? Either way, there’s nothing I consider about anything from Honda to be “sporty”. Sure they had the Del Sol and S2000, but they killed them off.

All I know is that the TSX wagon with tech package cost(MSRP) about a grand more than what I paid out the door for my AWD CX-7.

@bscar2 - confusingly, it’s not that, either. When Honda greatly increased the size of the US Accord, they came out with a somewhat smaller Accord to sell in Europe and elsewhere. That’s the basis for the TSX. The TL is based on the US Accord.
Here’s a great commercial for the ‘other’ Accord wagon (our TSX), no special effects involved:

@bscar2

You’re forgetting the S600, the CRX, and the Prelude. Remember, “sporty” is not “muscle car” or “sports car,” and “sports car” does not always mean “fast car.”

The TSX wagon is the Euro Accord wagon. The ZDX is the Crosstour.

(All that said, I’m not overly thrilled with anything Acura is selling right now. They keep offering me 2 grand plus over book if I trade in my 07 TL, but nothing in their current lineup comes close to appealing to me as much as my car does)

+1 @shadowfax - your model TL is one of the best looking sedans on the road. Its replacement? One of the worst, IMO…

@texases I couldn’t agree more. The new one looks like Gillette won the design contract for the grille :wink:

… Which is a shame, because I had one of the new ones with the SH package as a loaner when my car was having some warranty work done on the nav system, and I have to say. . Damn. That car out-handles mine by a very large margin. I’d love to upgrade to the new drivetrain but. . .I do have some sense of style, opinions of my SO notwithstanding.

$1000 for a spare tire? Seriously? I noticed that they are an option on GM vehicles, but only a $100 option. You are only buying the tire, wheel and a few hardware pieces, the spare tire well and other provisions are already there.

Negotiate down teh price of the car and when you get the best price, then tell the dealer that you want the spare and you will not pay more than $100 for it. They will take it.

Oops, I am so out of my depth here. Spinster Latin teacher among people who know way more about cars than I can imagine. Of course, that is why I came here-to get expert opinions.

I just researched the spare tire on the Internet and got the prices from the Acura website. I think they put a plastic cargo liner in the well where the spare would be–so one needs some kit to replace the plastic cargo bin in addition to the tire, wheel, jack.

I have not yet decided on the Acura, not yet decided on anything!

I probably should have explained at the beginning that I need a car larger than a sedan for the dog but I am trying to go as small as possible. I have decided to finally give up the manual transmission due to my age, illness, and the traffic here but I started the car search process thinking I wanted the manual option so the Acura was an after thought.

Thanks again to everyone.

Hello Madam,

I have two VWs and, actually, I am considering a TSX to replace the oldest. I would steer clear (very, very clear) from VWs as they age frightfully, and are quite expensive to service as, alas, I can attest to. If you go VW, the Jetta diesel seems to have better reliability than the Tiguan (in my opinion, this car is overpriced too). If you are worried about the spare tire issue (I don’t like that myself), consider a 1 - 2 year old certified pre-owned. It could be that, with what you save, you would still come out ahead after you pay for the spare tire kit.

Hope this helps. Good luck and congrats on your new wheels, whichever they end up being!

PS: With your yearly mileage, as someone else suggested, I don’t think diesel is the best choice for you. It is more expensive than the gasoline equivalent and it would not pay off.

Another thing just came to me. All Acuras, I do believe, require premium fuel to run. So if you’re thrifty on gas, you’ll want to look at something that’ll run on 87 octane.

The Chevrolet Sonic has a spare tire and is available as a hatchback. Go for a test drive.

She wants something bigger for the dogs. So a micro car like the Sonic would be no good

Maybe the decision as to which vehicle to buy should be left to the dogs. I’ll ask my dog Midnite about these vehicles. He is pictured with his girl friend, Catherine, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Midnite has good taste in female friends–perhaps this also extends to cars.

Maybe I should spread pictures of cars out and let Roxy pick?

I am ashamed to admit I added a new wrinkle–for many years I wanted a Saab and have discovered a very gently used 2011 9-3 SportiCombo at a dealer in town. So I am test driving that on Monday despite all the bad reviews it got . . .

I am sure Midnite has excellent taste in all things and would welcome his opinion!

“have discovered a very gently used 2011 9-3 SportiCombo at a dealer in town”

I hope you do realize that this car would not come with a manufacturer’s warranty, and its parts availability as it ages will be…not very good.

Indeed I do realize all these things about the Saab . . .it was never on the original, rational carefully researched list . . .

Thanks, though, for reminding me . . .

@littleoldlady
This past week I’ve lost 2 high school classmates. Both died suddenly. One classmate had been a colleague in my department at my university since 1968. I retired a year ago this past May with 44 years of service as a teacher. Through the years, I’ve lived economically and watched my pennies Our major expenses are now over–we have no mortgage, our son is on his own, etc. Within reason, we buy what we would like to have. Nine years ago, my wife decided that she wanted a Toyota 4Runner. We had gone through some really heavy snow to get to a nursing home 50 miles away where her parents resided. She also had responsibilities that necessitated her being at work even if the university was closed. Now one could argue that the 4Runner wasn’t the most rational purchase, but we like it and we are the ones who fill the gas tank and ride in it. I drive a Toyota Sienna minivan. One could argue that I should have purchased a Prius or a Corolla, but I play in different musical groups and am frequently have musicians with their instruments, music stands, and sometimes folding chairs to go to our various gigs. I’ll gladly put in the extra gasoline over a compact car to maintain my musical interest. If I didn’t have this interest, I would probably own a Mazda Miata.
You have taught for a number of years. If you have no major obligations, drive the car you want. You drive 5000 miles a year. A car should last quite a long time. If an independent mechanic gives the o.k. to the Saab, why not enjoy it? It should cost less as a used car than the other vehicles you listed would cost new. If, after you own it for a while and don’t like it, trade it for something else. You are the one who will be driving the vehicle, not the rest of us. I think you are in the position to drive what you like.
That said, Midnite is eating house brand dog food and has cut way back on dog biscuits. The money he saves is going for a nice jeweled collar for his canine friend Catherine.

@Triedaq

You’d probably own a Miata, but would you be able to get in and out of it to drive it?
Weren’t you the one that almost had to purchase an older MG because you had some trouble getting out of the car at the dealership?

@bscar2–Weren’t you the one that almost had to purchase an older MG because you had some trouble getting out of the car at the dealership? Yes, that’s me. Back in the early 1970s when I weighed about 160 pounds, my next door neighbor in the duplex where we lived worked as a salesman for a dealership that sold MGs. Once a month, my neighbor had National Guard duty and would leave his MG Midget demonstrator for me to drive. He said that MGs needed to be driven every day. I, being a good neighbor, was glad to help him out. A yeat ago, I was about 235 and had a difficult time getting the wheel of a Miata. I’m now down to 215, so maybe I have a chance. However, a friend of mine has an Excaliber kit car he built on a Chevette chassis. He took me for a ride and I could barely get my legs under the dashboard. He offered to let me drive it, but there was no way I could fit behind the wheel. Even if I drop down below 200 pounds, I don’t think at my height (6’ 2") and my age (70) I would be very comfortable in a Miata for long distances. I really prefer sitting up in a vehicle. We had a 1993 Oldsmobile 88 with all the options, but even with the power seat, my thighs would ache after about 50 miles. We sold that car and bought a 2003 Toyota 4Runner. I can drive that car 360 miles to visit my son and not be worn out. The firm seats in the 4Runner along with the upright seats are perfect for me.
However, if the OP finds the Saab comfortable and it checks out o.k. by an independent mechanic, maybe she should buy something she enjoys driving, especially if she drives only 5000 miles a year. The Saab doesn’t appeal to me, but I have different tastes in cars.

It is clear to me that Midnite has his priorities straight when he cuts back to do the right thing for Catherine! My animals are the place I splurge–fancy vet far away and organic food. We all spend our money where it matters, I think.

I am sorry, Triedaq, for your losses. I also appreciate all your ideas. As I mentioned in my original post, I love my car and am very used to it after 17 years. If I could find a car that feels just right, I would follow that intuition. But so far nothing has seemed right. And this is only my third car ever. So I am trying to go rational and practical. I came to high school teaching a bit late and have only been doing this for 25 years. That being said, I try to be frugal and do have some resources for a car.

As for fantasy cars I’ll never own–a Porsche Carrera (no space for dog and high performance would be wasted on me); MG TD (no space for dog). Actually, as I am far from petite, I might not fit in either! (The little in little old lady refers to my annual mileage!)

“The Saab doesn’t appeal to me, but I have different tastes in cars”.
Triedaq definitely has a different taste in cars from the general population. His list of great cars would include the following:
1946-48 Willys Jeep Station Wagon
1957-1958 Studebaker Scotsman
1960 Austin Healey Sprite with side curtains instead of real windows
1965 Rambler Classic 550–he actually owned this bottom of the line car
1970-1972 Ford Maverick–he had one of these as well.

After he purchased a 1985 Ford Tempo, I decided after a couple vacation trips that I had better have more say in our automobile selection. Triedaq’s excuse has always been that the simpler the vehicle, the less there is to go wrong. However, the 2003 4Runner that I drive has had nothing go wrong and it has a 4 wheel drive. The 1993 Oldsmobile 88 with all the options didn’t give us any trouble. On the other hand, the window cranks broke on our 1978 Oldsmobile. He was able to get new cranks at the auto parts store, but we have never had a power window fail. My advice to you is not to “Triedaq out” for the sake of economy.

Mrs. Triedaq