I dream of owning a commuter NSX, but have some questions.

[BamaFan]

Listen to Mitch! He’s the man!

I am on my third NSX in roughly 20 + years, and if you are going to commute in one, don't be a cheap azz when it comes to maintenance. People always say, "Yeah, I know. I will do all of the maintenance," but then when it comes time to pony up and pay for it they are the same people saying, "How far beyond the recommended time or mileage can I go before paying $2,000 to do the timing belt / water pump / accessory belt service? The belt looks fine to me". Or they drag out oil changes, or skip doing transmission and brake fluid flushes. Or they buy cheap parts off of the Internet instead of proper quality or OEM parts. That is when stuff starts piling up.

My 1994 NSX has around 228,768 miles on it now, and I just now replaced the original clutch, so I do not beat on the car. It is a daily driver (and has been for over 15 years) and it sees lots of track days, but it is not beat on at all. I only tell you this because even with regular maintenance, and OEM parts for almost everything, I still just spent a pile of money doing and engine and transmission refresh. So this matters if you plan to buy a higher mileage car and make it even more high mileage. The person before you probably did not spend all of the money they should have to maintain it. However, as opposed to my other cars, the NSX has been extremely reliable and affordable to maintain. Oil changes are relatively cheap and easy to do at home within 30 minutes. Most other maintenance is affordable, even if done by a professional. However, some parts are becoming harder to come by due to being discontinued or backordered from the dealer. It all becomes relative to how much you will drive it, the conditions you will drive the car in, and how much of your disposable income you are willing to spend on car maintenance.

Let me ask a question. Why do you want to buy an NSX as a commuter car? The reason I ask is to make sure that it meets the requirements of what you are really looking for that could not be satisfied by a normal commuter car. I commute in mine because I enjoy putting miles on NSXs, and it has always been a car I felt comfortable in. So, for me, there was no other car to use for commutes.

Good luck in your search!

 

[Jump_Ace]

I am on my third NSX in roughly 20 + years, and if you are going to commute in one, don't be a cheap azz when it comes to maintenance. People always say, "Yeah, I know. I will do all of the maintenance," but then when it comes time to pony up and pay for it they are the same people saying, "How far beyond the recommended time or mileage can I go before paying $2,000 to do the timing belt / water pump / accessory belt service? The belt looks fine to me". Or they drag out oil changes, or skip doing transmission and brake fluid flushes. Or they buy cheap parts off of the Internet instead of proper quality or OEM parts. That is when stuff starts piling up.

My 1994 NSX has around 228,768 miles on it now, and I just now replaced the original clutch, so I do not beat on the car. It is a daily driver (and has been for over 15 years) and it sees lots of track days, but it is not beat on at all. I only tell you this because even with regular maintenance, and OEM parts for almost everything, I still just spent a pile of money doing and engine and transmission refresh. So this matters if you plan to buy a higher mileage car and make it even more high mileage. The person before you probably did not spend all of the money they should have to maintain it. However, as opposed to my other cars, the NSX has been extremely reliable and affordable to maintain. Oil changes are relatively cheap and easy to do at home within 30 minutes. Most other maintenance is affordable, even if done by a professional. However, some parts are becoming harder to come by due to being discontinued or backordered from the dealer. It all becomes relative to how much you will drive it, the conditions you will drive the car in, and how much of your disposable income you are willing to spend on car maintenance.

Let me ask a question. Why do you want to buy an NSX as a commuter car? The reason I ask is to make sure that it meets the requirements of what you are really looking for that could not be satisfied by a normal commuter car. I commute in mine because I enjoy putting miles on NSXs, and it has always been a car I felt comfortable in. So, for me, there was no other car to use for commutes.

Good luck in your search!

I want to drive an NSX as a commuter because I love to drive. I feel it'd be a waste of money if I only drove it when, 'it didn't rain', or 'only on the weekends', etc. I want to get my money's worth by driving her all around town. Now, I do realize that the condition won't be/stay perfect, and I'm totally fine with that. She may get some rock chips, dings and what have you, that's okay (nothing big of course). *knock on wood* I haven't been in an accident for 22 years and that was a super minor one, so I think I pay attention, stay off my phone, etc. One of my bucket list items is to own this car (and drive on the Nurburgring - in any car).

But I definitely hear you about the maintenance and previous owners and that is why I need to wait a few more years when there's no more daycare ($2,300/mo. savings FTW!) Granted there will still be other expenses (upping my retirement, college savings, etc.) but I plan on making the NSX maintenance part of that so it lasts a long time.

Oh, and I don't want to have gray hair when I go to buy the car either, lol.

This seems like an awesome community though, hats off to y'all!


Jerome