Potential NSX Owner

[posterchild2]

Hey guys, Robert here from Houston. My wife and I are in the market for a new toy this summer and the Acura NSX is on the top of my list. My wife cannot drive manual so it will have to be an automatic. My wife wants more of a modern sport car, like a CTS-V Coupe or a Lexus ISF. She is a little turned off by a 20 year old sport car, due to non-warranty and just age. I assured her that these things are bulletproof when properly maintained, I mean it's Honda for God's sake! There are few mid-mileage examples going for the mid to high 30's, and I think they are worth every penny! My wife is the one that I need to convince, so there is nothing better than hearing from actual owners. Any input on issues, maintenance, value, insurance, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks community.

 

[blue_myriddn]

Some practical things my wife likes about the car:

1. More trunk room than many exotics. We use the car for weekend getaways and the trunk is an almost perfect fit for 2 roller bags.
2. Top on/off is easy and painless. If she is getting too much sun or the wind is messing with her hair that day, I can pop the top back on easily. Other exotics may require you to sacrifice storage/trunk space for the top, but that is not the case for the NSX.
3. Comfortable seats
4. Cabin isn't *too* noisy
5. Bright lit cabin rather than cave feeling

As far as new vs old, the biggest argument there is the depreciation curve. By in large the NSX isn't going to see a continued drop in value compared to a newer car. The NSX will be nothing like a CTS-V or ISF, both of those are sedans that have been tweaked to be sporty - the NSX is a much more dedicated performance car that was engineered solely for that reason. Speed and driver experience are vastly different things. Just because a car can go fast doesn't mean it will be exiting to drive.

 

[TomCat]

My wife says the NSX is her choice for long drives over our BMW 850i
We attended a "destination wedding" on the Maryland shore last year and packed the NSX with everything (including wedding gifts, etc...) and we had a great time and an adventure!
She also saw me driving it recently...when she was in her own car and did not know it was me at first BUT knew (at a great distance) that whatever car it was...it has a great profile/presence

 

[posterchild2]

Thanks for the input guys, I think her biggest concern is a 20 year old car with 50K miles falling apart and no warranty, I just need to convince her that this will simply be a weekend car and the age shouldn't be a concern. My thing has always been, it's not the age it's the mileage. I'm hearing some guys getting 200K on these Acura's.

 

[ekhonda87]

I'm hearing some guys getting 200K on these Acura's.

Highest mileage NSX that I know of:

 

[blue_myriddn]

Mileage is less important than condition and maintenance to be honest. Look for a car that has been owned by someone who kept up on maintenance and treated the car right.

I'm hearing some guys getting 200K on these Acura's.

 

[zhaninsx]

This is a very simple question in my mind. Put yourself in the following situation:

You are both going to a company (hers) Xmas dinner at some swanky location with valet parking. After the dinner is done and everyone is leaving, you pass your ticket to the valet guy/gal at the front of the building. Which of the following do you want to happen:

a) Valet person takes 10 minutes to locate your car while you both freeze your butts off waiting and making pointless chit chat with everyone else who is waiting. Car eventually pulls up, you get in and no one notices you leave. You go home; or

b) Car appears in under 30 seconds since it was only parked 30 ft away in full view of everyone. As the car pulls up, the waiting crowd becomes noticeably quieter as everyone begins to wonder who owns this amazing car that no one can quite name. You open the door for your wife and she gets in while the waiting crowd realizes who owns it and starts making somewhat funny comments (eg "trade you for my mini van" etc). You go around the front of the car, tip the valet and get in. Wife is smiling, but not too much. You leave knowing everyone else is looking at you both.

If the answer is (a) then go buy the Cadillac or Lexus.

My wife doesn't like (too much) attention but she does get a kick out of going places in the NSX since we seem to get special treatment for no real reason. On the assumption you can find a reasonable mileage car with good maintenance then this is a no brainer. Life is for enjoyment, not regrets. Your wife will figure this out too when she drives or rides in an NSX.

 

[Honcho]

One thing to remember about the automatics- the auto trans is out of production and spare parts are either limited or discontinued. If your trans goes (and they do), you will be forced to find one on the used market.

 

[Cincy Jamie]

This is a very simple question in my mind. Put yourself in the following situation:

You are both going to a company (hers) Xmas dinner at some swanky location with valet parking. After the dinner is done and everyone is leaving, you pass your ticket to the valet guy/gal at the front of the building. Which of the following do you want to happen:

a) Valet person takes 10 minutes to locate your car while you both freeze your butts off waiting and making pointless chit chat with everyone else who is waiting. Car eventually pulls up, you get in and no one notices you leave. You go home; or

b) Car appears in under 30 seconds since it was only parked 30 ft away in full view of everyone. As the car pulls up, the waiting crowd becomes noticeably quieter as everyone begins to wonder who owns this amazing car that no one can quite name. You open the door for your wife and she gets in while the waiting crowd realizes who owns it and starts making somewhat funny comments (eg "trade you for my mini van" etc). You go around the front of the car, tip the valet and get in. Wife is smiling, but not too much. You leave knowing everyone else is looking at you both.

If the answer is (a) then go buy the Cadillac or Lexus.

My wife doesn't like (too much) attention but she does get a kick out of going places in the NSX since we seem to get special treatment for no real reason. On the assumption you can find a reasonable mileage car with good maintenance then this is a no brainer. Life is for enjoyment, not regrets. Your wife will figure this out too when she drives or rides in an NSX.

+1 you rarely see them and nobody knows what they are even after 20+ years. Best of luck with your decision

 

[posterchild2]

Starting to chip away guys, your comments are definitely tipping the scales in my favor! Are parts pretty relatively available for these cars? When I purchase toys, I look at a few criteria! Wow factor, which this car definitely has, cost of ownership, which includes maintenance and insurance and reliability. Resale is not something I would be too concerned about either! Thanks guys.

 

[Honcho]

Most parts are available. Like I said above, the auto trans is out of production and parts are limited or discontinued. The only other parts that are becoming rare are the interior parts. There are always random things like the OBD-I throttle body, or the 1991 wheel speed sensor that go discontinued, but for the most part, Honda still has most of the parts available.

 

[posterchild2]

Most parts are available. Like I said above, the auto trans is out of production and parts are limited or discontinued. The only other parts that are becoming rare are the interior parts. There are always random things like the OBD-I throttle body, or the 1991 wheel speed sensor that go discontinued, but for the most part, Honda still has most of the parts available.

Thanks buddy! This will definitely help my cause! I have found a mechanic here in Houston that works on exotics so got that part covered.

 

[Honcho]

Thanks buddy! This will definitely help my cause! I have found a mechanic here in Houston that works on exotics so got that part covered.

Be VERY CAREFUL. The NSX is a tricky car to work on and easy to screw up. There is a lot of stuff not covered in the factory service manual that elite techs like Mark Basch, LarryB and Kaz learned through experience. If your guy has no experience on the NSX, I would not trust him with a $25,000 engine. I am sure Houston has a NSX-trained tech either at an independent shop or Acura. Ask around Prime, I am sure someone will chime in.

 

[Aluminsx]

Edmunds did a long term test on the NSX last year. It could prove insightful to you regarding problems you may run into. Here is the link:

http://www.edmunds.com/acura/nsx/1991/long-term-road-test/

 

[91 X]

I would suggest teaching wifey how to drive a manual....much more fun to drive and easier to sell if you ever need to, but then again, she'll prolly never want to share it once she learns how fun it is to bang gears at 7000 + rpm:tongue: although you will find better prices on autos, there is a nice gpw here in so cal right now for under $30,000.

Good luck...

Btw, the dude at edmunds got a great deal....lucky.

 

[golfnutintib]

Friggin AWESOME

Highest mileage NSX that I know of:

 

[NSXonwheels]

Posterchild2, there is an NSX tech in Stafford, his name is Carl, C&M Honda. Like Honcho said, go with a mechanic that has worked on NSXs before and Carl has done hundreds if not thousands of them. He's already done my timing belt, water pump, fuel filter, coolant, belts, etc.

 

[posterchild2]

Posterchild2, there is an NSX tech in Stafford, his name is Carl, C&M Honda. Like Honcho said, go with a mechanic that has worked on NSXs before and Carl has done hundreds if not thousands of them. He's already done my timing belt, water pump, fuel filter, coolant, belts, etc.

Awesome thank you. I work near 59 and Buffalo Speedway. Will give him a buzz.

 

[Danny3]

Awesome thank you. I work near 59 and Buffalo Speedway. Will give him a buzz.

Hey I work there too. Greenway plaza. The garage entrance however, is terribly steep haha.

 

[Wick]

Thanks for the input guys, I think her biggest concern is a 20 year old car with 50K miles falling apart and no warranty, I just need to convince her that this will simply be a weekend car and the age shouldn't be a concern. My thing has always been, it's not the age it's the mileage. I'm hearing some guys getting 200K on these Acura's.

Things (cars) don't "fall apart" due to age, but rather neglect or abuse. A 20 year old car that is properly maintained will be every bit as reliable as a brand new car... just no warranty should something break. On the other hand, a 20 year old car (that brand and model) will have a reliability history, so you'll know what to expect... not so with a new car. I have a number of 20+ year old car... and I have more faith in their reliability than I do the 2 newer ones that are DD.

 

[posterchild2]

Going to meet with Carl at C&M Honda/Acura today. He has a few that he is working on and has allowed me and the wife to stop by and check out the ergonomics and put her mind at ease regarding any reliability and maintenance issues.