Does anyone here daily drive their NSX or have any input on how it would do as a daily driver? Assuming your significant other has a car that seats four people comfortably and you dont have a bunch of kids running around, how would you rate an NSX as just a fun all-around daily driver. What kind of gas mileage do you generally get w/ mostly highway driving, how much do you spend on tires every year, basic maintenance costs etc? I did some reading through the FAQ but was looking for a little more information on everyone's take on these as commuters for people who are looking for a car that goes stops and turns really well.
Do NSXs make good daily drivers?
- Thread starter spotch
- Start date
spotch said:
YES!! The NSX makes a great daily driver. Mine are driven daily, and I would recommend doing the same if you get one.
I drove mine from April 01 thrugh April 03... Fuel economy comparable to any other 6 cylinder Honda on the road. Oil changes don't cost any more than a Legend, tires are a different story, but if you can afford an NSX, buying tires a tad more regularly than any other owners shouldn't be the big of a deal. My biggest problem with the NSX as a daily driver was the fear of parking lots, female drivers and people at the wheel on a cell phone. Other than that, the trunk isn't as bad as you'd imagine for such a small car with a mid engine layout. Its only a 2 seater of course, but you'll never have a problem finding someone to sit in the 2nd seatspotch said:
My NSX is a fantastic daily driver. Gas mileage is actually better than my previous FD RX-7, and each and every time I fill up at the local Sunoco somebody always stops buy and gives me props. You can't beat Honda when it comes to reliability and durability. I've had mine for a couple of months now and she hasn't let me down in any one department so far.
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Some of you may think I'm crazy, but part of the reason for my recent purchase of an '05 NSX was to lesson the wear and tear on my current daily driver; an '03 Acura CL Type-S 6MT (fully modded - see sig). I love this car cause it's a whole lot of fun to drive. But in two years, I've managed to put over 40k miles on it and became concerned that I'd wear it out too quickly. So, I pick up the NSX as a part-time daily driver; 1-2 days a week and weekender, weather permitting.
My sort time behind the NSX's wheel, I can see why it lends itself to a daily driver role and at the same time, a fantastic weekender.
My sort time behind the NSX's wheel, I can see why it lends itself to a daily driver role and at the same time, a fantastic weekender.
NSXnBRLA said:I drove mine from April 01 thrugh April 03... Fuel economy comparable to any other 6 cylinder Honda on the road. Oil changes don't cost any more than a Legend, tires are a different story, but if you can afford an NSX, buying tires a tad more regularly than any other owners shouldn't be the big of a deal. My biggest problem with the NSX as a daily driver was the fear of parking lots, female drivers and people at the wheel on a cell phone. Other than that, the trunk isn't as bad as you'd imagine for such a small car with a mid engine layout. Its only a 2 seater of course, but you'll never have a problem finding someone to sit in the 2nd seat
I already have a fear of parking lots, my gf thinks its obsessive compulsive disorder
I'm driving a 96 integra RS right now and loving it to death... almost as much as I love my friends prelude vtec. I can't imagine a finding a better car than a late 90s nsx as far as having 'the whole package' but I've been told by some that I'm an idiot for looking at such expensive used cars when new ones with warranties and such can be had for the same price but I can't help myself... I'm trying real hard to make myself believe that a used, relatively-low mileage nsx would be affordable enough to maintain and daily drive for it not to be a bad decision if you know what I mean
I hate myself for liking these cars so much lol
spotch said:I already have a fear of parking lots, my gf thinks its obsessive compulsive disorder
I'm driving a 96 integra RS right now and loving it to death... almost as much as I love my friends prelude vtec. I can't imagine a finding a better car than a late 90s nsx as far as having 'the whole package' but I've been told by some that I'm an idiot for looking at such expensive used cars when new ones with warranties and such can be had for the same price but I can't help myself...
Two things:
1.) I also have an Integra ('96 GS-R) that I love so much that I will leave it parked and drive the NSX if I am unsure of the area. Backwards to some, but oh well. The GS-R was my first ever brand new car, so it is my baby.
2.) The friends that think you are nuts probably have never owned an NSX. Driving one does not really count for the purpose of this topic. None of the people you have talked to have had to deal with the day-to-day living with the NSX. As someone who has, I can tell you it is perfectly livable and just as reliable as any other Honda/Acura as long as you take care of it.
spotch said:
The NSX is an excellent, reliable, high-performance exotic. But I'm going to go against the grain and state that I believe the NSX is not a suitable daily driver for most people. There are many reasons:
(1) It attracts attention. This can be great for a sunny weekend, but would get old for 100% of your driving. If I really desired to have my NSX screwed up I can think of no quicker way than to park it unattended for 2+ hours at a theater on a weekend night.
(2) It is very low. Potholes, surface-treated roads, steep driveways, road debris, speed bumps, heavy traffic all have the potential to *#@ up your paint, especially the nose area. I preserve my NSX driving for the best weather and never worry about these other conditions in my daily driver SUV.
(3) Rain or snow. Yes, it is possible to drive nearly any car in any conditions, but do you really want to subject an NSX to the elements? Salt is especially hard on aluminum, too.
(4) It eats rear tires. I happen to have a 36-mile commute to work. I would not want to rack up that type of tire wear with the NSX's standard alignment...nor do I want to dilute the NSX's awesome handling by having a less aggressive alignment.
(5) Wear and tear. I realize it's no 250 GTO, but I prefer not to put useless miles on my car. What do I consider useless? Mundane chores such as commuting, shopping, etc. I am extra careful when driving my NSX, from opening the door in the garage, to approaching inclines at an angle, to not tailgating. But honestly, I'm old enough now not to want to worry about all that if I want to run to Wal-Mart.
I guess it's all what you want. An NSX is extremely capable of being driven every day, but IMO it's not a practical "daily driver." It's how it stays special to me.
you lucky bastard, I'd love a little more topend and some shorter gearing
I know what you mean though... I find myself too busy to wash it as much as I should but I'm fanatical about people dinging it up more than it was when I bought it used. It's got 165k miles and it runs like a top... with almost no upkeep/repair costs involved whatsoever (that, and my friends 120k mile prelude vtec are some of the best arguments for me getting another honda/acura lol.... I freaking love his car too).
Thanks a lot for all the replies, this thread definately gives me a bunch to think about
I know what you mean though... I find myself too busy to wash it as much as I should but I'm fanatical about people dinging it up more than it was when I bought it used. It's got 165k miles and it runs like a top... with almost no upkeep/repair costs involved whatsoever (that, and my friends 120k mile prelude vtec are some of the best arguments for me getting another honda/acura lol.... I freaking love his car too).
Thanks a lot for all the replies, this thread definately gives me a bunch to think about
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Allow me to introduce you to your new best friend, the search! Just find the red bar at the top of your screen - the one that starts with User CP - and look to the right. You can click on the word Search to search previous topics in these forums.spotch said:
For example, if you click on Search, and then click on Advanced Search, you can do a search for all topics with the word "daily" in their titles. You will find 62 topics (including this one), and most of the other 61 contain previous discussions which answer your question.
The search function can be very useful. You can look through what has already been posted. Then, if you still have any questions or are looking for more posts about your topic, you can simply post your question to one of the topics that already exists, instead of opening a new topic. (That way, others, too, can read what has already been said before replying.) And the search is fun! Try it!
Well, after purchasing my own NSX I drove it for 44000 km (27000 miles) in the first 15 months of ownership.
Of which at least 10000 miles where just fun-miles by the way, going absolutely nowhere important besides just driving for the fun of it :smile:
Of which at least 10000 miles where just fun-miles by the way, going absolutely nowhere important besides just driving for the fun of it :smile:
Spotch, My cousin (polar) used to think I'm nuts falling in love with the nsx, and opt. for a early model one. He was there when I first dated my car (appointment test drive with the previous owner), kind of disapproved me while I signed the paperwork right there with the previous owner. Thinking that if I would be better off getting a S2000, S4 or something more belongs to the Millenium and he does think fast cars need six speed tranny...
The Day I got my car, I called him down to my house, give him my key, and he's word less. 6 months later, he got his 93 nsx. When you finally getting your car, do that to your friend, especially those who loves driving and disapprove you the most... Chances are, they will buy one after you.
Daily driven? I even parked it outside of the garage sometimes. (Don't worry, you just have to wash and wax more often ) With a proper alignment, your regular ultra performance tires, SP9000, Kumho MX, S-03...etc would last as long as any other lowered Honda, if not better. With Aggressive alignment and stock tires, you of course will get more tire wear.
Another thing I want to point out is that as a daily driver, nsx takes much less time to clean than any avg. cars. Small Sheet metal, a lot of glass makes the car pretty easy to keep clean.
The Day I got my car, I called him down to my house, give him my key, and he's word less. 6 months later, he got his 93 nsx. When you finally getting your car, do that to your friend, especially those who loves driving and disapprove you the most... Chances are, they will buy one after you.
Daily driven? I even parked it outside of the garage sometimes. (Don't worry, you just have to wash and wax more often
) With a proper alignment, your regular ultra performance tires, SP9000, Kumho MX, S-03...etc would last as long as any other lowered Honda, if not better. With Aggressive alignment and stock tires, you of course will get more tire wear. Another thing I want to point out is that as a daily driver, nsx takes much less time to clean than any avg. cars. Small Sheet metal, a lot of glass makes the car pretty easy to keep clean.
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I have had my 94 since last feb (44k miles). An year and 14 thousand miles later, these are my comments.
Its my daily driver. My only car in fact. I drive 25 miles each way to work. Rain or shine, the baby gets its daily exercise. Long trips of around 200 miles on wknds. The only regular maintenance I have been doing on this car are
- washing
- oil change (normal mineral) 40*5 ~ 200$ per year
- tires (RE010s lasted 9k miles ~1100$ outta door.
(Current ES100, very happy with. 570$ outta door should last longer
Grip better than the RE010 when cold, but turn in is so-so.
Will continue to use this or try the SO3s as well)
You will feel that it is a crime to let the girl go without a wash often. So the wash/vinyl/leather care will usually not figure much in the expense sheet. She eats through shoes however and thats when you feel like you are married to her.
Cost is definitely a factor in daily driving. In my kind of reasonably stressful (deadline heavy software work) work however, the grin it brings to my face and the way I feel when I drive it (twice a day) are totally worth the price. Automatic stress relief twice a day. For all I know, the saudis will stop supplying us oil in a few years or CA will end up with draconian emission laws. I plan on let it work its magic on me as long and as often as I can.
Once you get done with the heavy ticket tbelt, etc items (if any). The other maintenance should be around 1500$ per year or less.
I cant comment about other states and vandalism there. But in teh bay area (calif), I have so far had no such experiences. Ppl geenrally are nice and dont bugger nice cars as long as you dont drive like a maniac or act like you own the road. Kept it parked in malls, at the theatres, groceries etc. All kinds of places. I did pick up some random scratches. Felt miserable. But then, its a car after all. I'd much rather keep driving it and keep grinning than worry about some scratches.
I even dumped a 21 inch monitor once in the passenger seat! The trunk is reasonably useful. There is also plenty of space in the passenger footwell which I take advantage of all the time. Its a fairly practical car for a single guy.
The bigger financial hit however comes from the once in a while big ticket item. (leaking master clutch, shocks, TBelt etc). As long as you can budget for those. You should be all set. The frequency of these will prolly increase for a daily driver, but shouldnt change things too much.
You'll be driving the labor of love of superlative engineers and mechanics. The fruit of the pride of a man who said that he would show Ferrari what Honda could do. I cant imagine not driving it and letting it drive me every day. No substitute I say. I tried staying my 2000 lude for a week and driving the X only on weekends. Just couldnt do it.
-vamsi
Its my daily driver. My only car in fact. I drive 25 miles each way to work. Rain or shine, the baby gets its daily exercise. Long trips of around 200 miles on wknds. The only regular maintenance I have been doing on this car are
- washing
- oil change (normal mineral) 40*5 ~ 200$ per year
- tires (RE010s lasted 9k miles ~1100$ outta door.
(Current ES100, very happy with. 570$ outta door should last longer
Grip better than the RE010 when cold, but turn in is so-so.
Will continue to use this or try the SO3s as well)
You will feel that it is a crime to let the girl go without a wash often. So the wash/vinyl/leather care will usually not figure much in the expense sheet. She eats through shoes however and thats when you feel like you are married to her.
Cost is definitely a factor in daily driving. In my kind of reasonably stressful (deadline heavy software work) work however, the grin it brings to my face and the way I feel when I drive it (twice a day) are totally worth the price. Automatic stress relief twice a day
. For all I know, the saudis will stop supplying us oil in a few years or CA will end up with draconian emission laws. I plan on let it work its magic on me as long and as often as I can.Once you get done with the heavy ticket tbelt, etc items (if any). The other maintenance should be around 1500$ per year or less.
I cant comment about other states and vandalism there. But in teh bay area (calif), I have so far had no such experiences. Ppl geenrally are nice and dont bugger nice cars as long as you dont drive like a maniac or act like you own the road. Kept it parked in malls, at the theatres, groceries etc. All kinds of places. I did pick up some random scratches. Felt miserable. But then, its a car after all. I'd much rather keep driving it and keep grinning than worry about some scratches.
I even dumped a 21 inch monitor once in the passenger seat! The trunk is reasonably useful. There is also plenty of space in the passenger footwell which I take advantage of all the time. Its a fairly practical car for a single guy.
The bigger financial hit however comes from the once in a while big ticket item. (leaking master clutch, shocks, TBelt etc). As long as you can budget for those. You should be all set. The frequency of these will prolly increase for a daily driver, but shouldnt change things too much.
You'll be driving the labor of love of superlative engineers and mechanics. The fruit of the pride of a man who said that he would show Ferrari what Honda could do. I cant imagine not driving it and letting it drive me every day. No substitute I say. I tried staying my 2000 lude for a week and driving the X only on weekends. Just couldnt do it.
-vamsi
Mine has been my daily driver for almost 3 years now and I love it. I even surprise the wife with my willingness to drive to the store to pick stuff up just so I can get out in the NSX. I am in sales and while much is done in the office I have to drive all over and it helps with the stress of sales to enjoy the drive. Going home with the top off on Fridays makes it all worthwhile. I have two children but one is 18 and has her own civic, my son is 13 and only wants me to take him places in my car instead of the wife's SUV. Good father/son time. We have even taken on long hauls to take him to sport camps. Nothing like driving with your boy with the top off stereo on singing at the top of your lungs and windows down. Maintaining the car has been easy. Tires from tire rack make the tire situation more tolerable but that is the one hassle.
:biggrin:
:biggrin:
spotch said:I already have a fear of parking lots, my gf thinks its obsessive compulsive disorder
I'm driving a 96 integra RS right now and loving it to death... almost as much as I love my friends prelude vtec. I can't imagine a finding a better car than a late 90s nsx as far as having 'the whole package' but I've been told by some that I'm an idiot for looking at such expensive used cars when new ones with warranties and such can be had for the same price but I can't help myself... I'm trying real hard to make myself believe that a used, relatively-low mileage nsx would be affordable enough to maintain and daily drive for it not to be a bad decision if you know what I mean
I hate myself for liking these cars so much lol
My g/f has the same feeling but she just smile and admire my love for the car. She and the NSX are both keepers :biggrin:
Regarding the economic issues, I was looking into new Evo/Sti/G35 Coupe (don't like 350 ZX for some reason) and used FD-3S RX-7/NSX while I was deciding what to buy.
For any new car, you took a huge hit in the vehicle the second you drive off the lot. You lose 4-5K just by owning that car. Then regarding warranty/maintenance issue, the NSX is known for its reliability and I am not that worry about this aspect. So the depreciation factor outweights the maintenance cost factor in my book.
Lastly, I just LOVE the NSX and that counts most... :biggrin:
I can't add any more positives about using an NSX as a daily driver, as that what the duty of mine for three years and 40,000 miles. But, as a daily driver you almost don't realize how much of an exotic car it is until the car gets delegated for good weather, weekend use only. I now only take my NSX out four or five times a month, and every drive is better than the last because I enjoy the exclusiveness of owning an NSX.
BTW, the cost of ownership is well worth having one in the garage. :smile:
BTW, the cost of ownership is well worth having one in the garage. :smile:
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Mine is also a daily driver. IMO the NSX is the one of the only 'exotics' you can actually drive every day reliably and 'affordably'. Parking concerns are a problem though, if you're that type of person, which I am. Also, i'd recommend sticking with a reasonably supple suspension for daily driver duties...I drive to work every day on Tein RE's and it is unbearable for me on NY roads..then again i've been spoiled, as I was big into Lexus cars before this. Truth be told, my turbocharged SC300 was a much better daily driver...far more comfortable, much much faster, nice handling, it did everything pretty well, whereas the NSX is more purpose-built. If you dig attention though, you'll enjoy daily helpings of it with the NSX. Mine has given me no problems as my commuter car and weekend toy, but it really does depend what you're looking for...hope that helps.
- Jon
- Jon
only thing that makes me not want to drive it everyday is possible DAMAGED from parking on the street, malls, ect. I hate rockchips too.
nsxexotic said:
The car could possibly get damaged sitting in the garage, so I would rather take the chance and drive it. As for the chips.....the 3M Clear Bra takes care of that.
I sincerly wish I could provide more info for you, but Ive had my NSX for 3 months!
Since I got it, its been parked in the garage for the winter.
So, do I believe it would make a good daily driver in the winter? It *could* be fine I think, even here in Toronto, but you'd defiantely need good snows. I thought that my S2000 was a *great* winter daily driver with good snows on it.
That said, once the snow is gone, I suspect that it is amoungst the best of its class for daily driving; when I was looking for a new car, Pcars wernt for me, and compared to a 348 or a F355, I thought that the NSX was by far the better daily driver. So I got it.
Is an Accord a better daily driver? Im sure it is. But if you've resigned yourself to a 2 seater sports car and are asking, of the 2 seaters, "is a NSX a good daily driver?". The answer has to be absolutly.
Since I got it, its been parked in the garage for the winter.
So, do I believe it would make a good daily driver in the winter? It *could* be fine I think, even here in Toronto, but you'd defiantely need good snows. I thought that my S2000 was a *great* winter daily driver with good snows on it.
That said, once the snow is gone, I suspect that it is amoungst the best of its class for daily driving; when I was looking for a new car, Pcars wernt for me, and compared to a 348 or a F355, I thought that the NSX was by far the better daily driver. So I got it.
Is an Accord a better daily driver? Im sure it is. But if you've resigned yourself to a 2 seater sports car and are asking, of the 2 seaters, "is a NSX a good daily driver?". The answer has to be absolutly.
cls6sp03 said:
Join the dark side, Luke. Sell the CL, mod the heck out of the NSX, drive it every day.
The Good:
The NSX is an amazing vehicle.
Gas mileage is great, on par with my previous Miata(I4) and Z3(I6).
The NSX is a very comfortable car.
As for the parking lot paranoia that I read about above, I park the NSX the same way I park any car, which is carefully. I've gotten 0 dents on the Miata, 0 dents on the Z3, and 0 dents on the NSX. I park my car outside every night in an Apt. complex parking lot and go to a university (almost) every day. Lots of bad parkers, not too hard to find a good spot though.
It's not just a daily driver, it's a long haul driver too. I have driven the car from South Florida to Texas/Kansas City and back with my dog a couple times.
The Bad:
The color black = TeH dirtyness
The stereo, replace it.
You can't push a button and have the top drop. (Yes, I miss my convertibles)
Clutchs are VERY expensive compared to most cars. My ACT was about $1850, but you can get a SPEC clutch for less now.
The rear tires wear quickly under normal driving. (All RWD cars have tires that wear quickly when I drive though.)
Seriously though, an NSX makes a good daily driver if you avoid Acura service departments like the plague. Only go if they're giving something away (like the great warranty on emmisions components that Acura has to give some of us '95 owners)
2 Common Problems that can be solved cheaply if you don't make the mistakes I did.
A/C control panel = $2k to replace at Acura, $150 to fix by NSXPrime member.
Starter Motor = $1k to replace, it was just a loose spade connector
02 Sensors = $1.2k to replace, should have been free due to warranty, but I didn't know about it till later
So, I'm out $4k because of dirty/uninformed Acura service dept's, but it doesn't stop there. Their hourly charge for NSX service is $90/hr. My new mechanic that specializes in NSX's charges $60/hr. There's probably another grand in there somewhere.
love driving my X daily, only bad thing about it is finding a good parking spot, gotta drive around to find those corner lots. mine is red, i just realize it is LOUD (the color)!! :biggrin: if u r worry about tickets and cops, Valentine One and donatioin to the local police is your "out of jail" card. drive it often, it's a pleasure, like sex, do it as much as u can, while u can!~ :wink:
