Esprit to an NSX... Please Help..

[eg9]

Esprit to an NSX?? some help please..

I currently own a 2000 Esprit and I really love the car. My biggest problem is that I live 3hours from the nearest authorized mechanic and no longer have warranty and don't feel like traveling 6hours up and back for an A or B service. Lotus was thinking of opening up a dealership in Fresno Ca but have decided not to. I am currently selling my Espirt and am contemplating the purchase of an NSX since there is an excelent dealership in town. My most important question is... what are the MAJOR issues I should look out for when purchasing an NSX. Which model year would be the best for reliability and what mechanical part is the weakest? Any advise will do.. Yes... I've read the FAQ and was surprised at how it is not as reliable as I thought before but I still want to hear from some owners if possible.

Thank You in Advance

 

[Tantheman]

Reliability factor of a Turbo car to a normally aspirated car in my opinion is that an NA car would be more reliable. Are you going to get a new NSX or a used?
My 2000 has been trouble free.

Tan

 

[Number9]

If your car has been reliable for the past three years, then using standard bathtub curves and/or conditional probability, you might want to keep it. NSXen are generally more reliable than similar year Esprits, but obviously that's not true in every case. Ultimately, it depends on what you want to use it for.

Both are capable weekend cars, but the NSX is a much better "only" car. I considered a V8TT Lotus as a second car but got a Dinan S3 M3 instead, since for a weekend car, the SC NSX was faster, more reliable, and had MUCH better visibility than the admittedly gorgeous V8TT Lotus that I was considering - indeed, the Dinan S3 M3 was both faster and more practical. The incredibly rapid depreciation of the Lotus should tell you something about the statistical reliability/value proposition of that car. The open rear diff makes it useless as a track car and the weak gearbox makes it marginal for power upgrades (which it needs, as does the NSX). It's a beautiful car in the eye of this beholder, but not much else...

 

[welles]

An Esprit owner deriding the NSX as "not as reliable as I thought" - that statement deserves the Irony of the Year award.

I don't remember if the 2000 model Esprit is pre- or post-V8, but either way, the only possible advantage it has over the NSX is that low-end turbo rush. The NSX, on the other hand, has superior handling, ergonomics, build quality, reliability...etc., etc. You get the point - buy the NSX and don't look back. Assuming you find a well cared for example, there really aren't any problems of note. The early models have the coupe's more rigid structure, the later models have larger wheels and tires, slightly more power, power steering, and a six speed. Let your wallet be your guide.

 

[eg9]

Thanks for the info guys. Just to answer some of your questions.... Esprit went to the V8 in 1997 for the US market. My 2000 is wickedly fast and the handling is second to none but the major reason for selling is no warranty anymore and no service department within a 180mile radius. Welles, I agree with almost everything you said. There are lots of issues to my Esprit but handling is NOT one of them. I drove a 92 NSX a few years back and it did not surpass either my old 89EspritSE or my 2000 Esprit in handling(opinion). The 92 did have similar performance to my 89Espirt but not my 2000 V8....close but definately not the same. The NSX did have much better interior than my 89EspritSE but the interior of my 2000V8 is superb. It is much more updated and there is English leather around everypart of that interior... I don't want this to be a who is better discussion...I'm the one thinking of moving away from an Espirt so that should tell you something... If there was a dealership in town we would not be having this discussion. It will be difficult to not own an Espit as I really fell for the car despite its weaknesses. I am very impressed with the NSX as of lately and would like to get into a 1999 - 2001 NSX. It would become my daily driver and I would have a great service department about 3 miles away. I was looking for info on any "issues" I should look for when searching for any 99-01 NSX's....and.... Will they still be producing them next year and beyond? Lotus, for one, will no longer build the current Esprit . Production stops this year and the Elise will be around next year(not a big fan of the Elise look) and then they will bring an all new Esprit in 2005-2006..

 

[Lud]

Honda continues to be silent on the future of the NSX. There is no indication that they are going to stop producing it though. There is also still no word about if/when the much-rumored 2nd generation may be released. Honda is typically very secretive about things until they are ready to make an official announcement.

Overall the car is quite reliable. There were some issues with earlier model years, but the '99 - '01 cars you are thinking about don't have any except maybe the weak Bose stereo system (amps tend to die after a while). As for what to look for on a used one, see http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/BuySell/nsx_purchase_process.htm

 

[Number9]

Most of the bugs had been ironed out for cars in the range you're looking at. The Bose amps are supposed to still fail regularly, though mine haven't. I haven't had any issues since day one and when the warranty expired last month, I didn't even consider getting an extended one. If you get a 2K or later, the warranty will still be in effect (for peace of mind). [Ed. Note: Sorry, didn't previously see Lud's post which already convered this. Apologies for the WOB]

As for the driving experience, you will DEFINITELY notice that the car is down on power/torque vis-a-vis the V8TT. Smog legal FI choices are pretty restricted right now - just Comptech. Lot's of better non-smog-legal solutions, though not worth the hassle for many of us in CA. With FI, you can get the RWHP up to the crank HP spec of the TT. Since you are apparently considering this as a daily driver, you'll find that the overall cockpit visibility is much better, so lane changes won't be such an adventure. Also, the overall pedal placement is somewhat better, e.g., proper dead pedal, though the distance between brake/throttle is worse. Shifter precision is incomparably better. Relative to the TT, the NSX is pretty quiet, even at WOT. Those are most of the differences that I recall off the top of my head...

 

[eg9]

Thanks guys. I appreciate all of your info and help with this.

 

[akira3d]

Re: Esprit to an NSX?? some help please..

I have a friend who went from an '94 NSX to a '97 Esprit and then to a '00 Esprit (both V8 turbos). He had no problems with his NSX, but has had quite a few with his Esprits. He loves the torque of the Esprit, but misses the overall quality (especially fit and finish) of the NSX. The '00 Esprit was definitely nicer than his '97...especially the rearward visibility.

 

[ebaybrad]

I had a 89 1/2 esprit SE years ago. I had no problems with the car. They do not have a good rep, however, they are not bad cars if they were treated properly in their lifetime. That is the biggest disconnect, because most have not. The purchase price point on the car is pretty low, however the maintenance is not. Basically, on the Esprit, if it says turn this screw, you better turn it. The fit and finish is not up to Acura standards. The interior is definitely european and materials are more plush and special feeling than the NSX. The car, in my opinion, is absolutely breathtaking in person. But, it is a fiberglass car, and is British. I had a lot of niggly things that drove me nuts. I had a squeak coming from the moonroof. When I fixed it, it made a squeak in the dash prominent. When I fixed that...well, you get the idea. I had asked the dealer what the deal was with the quality of this hand built machine. His reply was hillarious and sticks with me to this day. He said "let me tell you a little something about hand built. Sometimes hand built means of the finest quality and workmanship. Other times it simply means that they could not afford machines".

Nuff said.

If I did it again, I would probably do a later 4 cyl s4 or s4s. They were the most sorted and somewhat univerally known as the best and most reliable. The early v8's had their problems and the later ones have at least the potential for higher upkeep. The interior of the 98+ cars is a definite major improvement.

I do have to fight myself not to do it again. The handling was great, and you really feel special in it.

With that said, I passed on a perfect 94 s4 and decided the NSX is what i need next.

 

[DocL]

Do you realize the this thread is almost 12yrs old. LOL.

Just to keep this on topic, I went from a 1994 NSX to a 2004 Esprit. :biggrin:

 

[BATMANs]

I've never had any reliability issues with my 1993 NSX.

All of my work was maintenance or upgrade related.

 

[Logonzojls]

Grave digging!

 

[docjohn]

Do you realize the this thread is almost 12yrs old. LOL.

Just to keep this on topic, I went from a 1994 NSX to a 2004 Esprit. :biggrin:

.....and your AAA membership has never looked so good:biggrin:

 

[DocL]

.....and your AAA membership has never looked so good:biggrin:

During the 14 years I owned my NSX I never had to call AAA. I haven't owned my Esprit for one year yet and I've already had it towed once with AAA. It does look good on a flatbed though. :biggrin:

 

[docjohn]

hahaha looks all exotic up on that bed...as do you standing next to it on the side of the road....baller...:wink: