New Member Looking for Advice

[Jack High]

I'm considering buying an NSX for a retirement car. My wife and I plan to travel through the U.S. and Canada, taking three and four week trips. Does anyone have experience with this in an NSX? Is it comfortable after six or seven hours on the road? Can you easily carry on a conversation or is road noise high? If you break down on the back roads of Arkansas, do tow trucks trash the car? We already know about trunk space. We took a test drive in a 2005 at a local Acura dealer. The sales manager is a professional racer and he gave us a thrill.

We have owned Acuras since 1988 and would love to own an NSX if it is at all practical for a main traveling car.

Thanks for any advice. I started out on E Bay looking for an NSX and eventually found this sight. I like the knowledge and good sense found here. I hope to become a part of the community.

 

[gdae]

Welcome, Jack High!
I haven’t driven across the continent, just 4-5 hour trips, and the fatigue is not much different than that of any other car. I have read of others making long hauls and the reviews were positive. It’s probably just a matter of time until one of those members chimes in.
Comfortable? Very much so, the seating position has been labeled as an ideal one. Provided you aren’t at the extremes of human size, you’ll find the seats provide excellent support.
Road noise – I haven’t noticed any difference from regular cars, unless you do something to the exhaust system or really stand on the gas.
If you break down, better insist on a flat bed. Really, it’s the only way.
So just play with the search button, explore the Wiki, and you’ll find enough info here to keep you busy for a very long time.:smile:

Edit: P.S.: One post and already a gold member? Wow!

 

[UnhuZ]

Hi,

what i can tell you is my personal experience.

my first big travel in a NSX was a 2400kms one, about 1500mls. We did it in about 19 hours. It was from Dusseldorf (Germany) to Lisbon (Portugal) and was for my friend to buy my current NSX.

since i bought it from him, i've done about 63000kms, about 40000mls, in it. Daily driven. Awesome confort and i have coilovers in it since almost when i bought it (only 2.5 months with OEM suspension).

Buy one and drive all arround... you can't be wrong, and you WILL enjoy both the drive and the travel :biggrin:

Nuno

PS - i don't even go to the reliability issue :wink:

 

[Cozmo]

I think if you're going to be driving it that much you'll probably want a newer one with power steering. One concern I would have is where are you going to be parking it while you're travelling around? I'm pretty sure I read a story on here where a guy's NSX was stolen from in front of his motel room along with the trailer it was on when he was bringing it home after buying it.

Driving it a lot is going to cost you in depreciation and maintenance, but if you can afford it and don't care then nobody is going to stop you. :biggrin:

As for the storage space, I can't imagine fitting enough stuff for my wife and I just for a weekend trip in that little trunk, let alone several weeks. You must pack light! :wink:

 

[davidf]

Great seats. With the proper service it should be as dependable as any other Honda on the roads, only much better looking.:smile: And with the right exhaust, you should'nt hear a single word the wife says, LOL.:wink:

 

[docjohn]

seats are generaly accepted as very comfortable.Extremes in body habitus present some issues ,head clearence for those over six ft with long torsos being one group.The steering wheel is height adjustable and the seats have a lot of travel.That said I have done a 6 hr stint and was fine.There have been days on club events where it seems like everyone is in the saddle all day ,and you never hear complaints about discomfort.Noise depends on exhaust mods and also on how old-dryed up the rubber seals are,and if the windows are properly adjusted.

 

[Olyar15]

I bought my car in Dallas and drove it to Vancouver, Canada, a total of almost 3000 miles. Overall, the car is a decent long-distance tourer. Engine noise is reasonable, seats are reasonably comfortable but the cockpit is "cozy." There is not a lot of stretching space, so I tended to get a bit restless after a few hours of driving. With stock suspension the ride may be quite good. My car has Fightex coilovers which I found was reasonable on relatively smooth roads, but quite harsh on rough roads.

However, if I had to choose a car to take for long distance travel, it would be my M5 in a heartbeat. That car simply devours miles, and is a supreme cruiser. You might look into that. The prices have fallen on them. You can get a 2000-2003 model for around 20K. They are not as flashy, and probably won't be as reliable though. Better yet, pick up both.

 

[Dtrigg]

My longest trips were Santa Barbara, California to Raleigh, North Carolina via Dayton, Ohio and then Raleigh to San Francisco. Tons of fun. Extremely comfortable. As someone mentioned, I don't know how you and your wife will handle the luggage for extended travel. That being said, I am in the process of planning a trip around the world for a few months, and I am sure I'll figure out my luggage thing.

On both my trips it was such fun to meet new people. Everyone always wants to know about the car, or what it is, etc. Wait until you pull into a gas station in Alabama. You'll get the, "What the hell is that thing? Bobby, come over here and look at this thing." It's great.

I remember a gentleman asking me if he could take a photo of his son standing beside my car. I said, "Why don't you take a photo of him in the driver's seat?" Well, the guy was really pleased and his eleven or twelve year old son was over the moon. Made me feel good as well.:biggrin:

Great idea you and your wife have. Good luck and enjoy.

Regards,

Doug

 

[jorligan]

I bought my car in Boston when I was at a meeting and subsequently drove it home to MI, around 15 hours. I have since driven it down on multiple long drives of over 10 hours without any issues. My wife was amazed at how quiet the car was even with the top off. Of course this was with the stock exhaust. In regards to packing, we were able to pack a suit bag, carry on bag and a back pack as well as 2 computer cases. The bags went into the truck without any issues and the computer cases went behind the drivers seat (I am only 5'8").

 

[NSX2398]

I routinely do 350 mile trips and my longest has been 1800 miles in about 28 hours .. without being a cripple .. but as someone said, there's not a lot of room to move around. And the subwoofer in the passenger footwell seems to take away some of the space so if your wife is tall, it may feel cramped.

OEM exhaust makes for a reasonably quiet cabin; watch out for aftermarket exhaust.

 

[tosugrad]

I did 1900 miles in 6 days with my wife last fall. GREAT trip and a GREAT car for it. I got almost 30mpg, the trunks (plus behind the seats) holds a ton, and the seats are super comfortable.

DO IT.

 

[mskrotzki]

The NSX is a fabulous long distance car! <O
<O
The seats are superb. <O
<O
When I first got mine in 2004 I drove it for 15 hours straight, covering ~1000 miles (someplace in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on">Illinois</st1:State> to <st1:City w:st="on"><ST1lace w:st="on">Denver</ST1lace></st1:City>) in one day. I was on two lane roads the entire time. It was late June, with 16 hours of daylight plus a time zone change. I didn’t realize I had gone so far. I could have gone farther.<O></O>
<O
I’ve had the car on both coasts, and in 20 states – all but <st1:State w:st="on">Arizona</st1:State> in the west, and the trip East to the <ST1lace w:st="on">Atlantic</ST1lace>. I was on two separate trips to the Pacific last year. I drive it a lot. To hell with 5000 miles per year.<O
<O
It could be quieter but it is not too bad. I have a set of headers and the OEM exhaust. Ride (on Bilsteins) is firm, but fine. A pair of airline roll-ons fit perfectly in the trunk with enough room left over for a laptop, camera and daypack/jackets, etc. I have an artists’ case, ~15” X 28” X2” that I carry on the engine cover to hold maps, reading material and all sorts of junk that stays in one place. I can see over it through the mirror with no problem.
</O
You do need to be aware of where you park it, and be ready for lots of questions. It attracts lots of attention. I turned 149,000 miles today, and I think it may just be getting broken-in. (See the thread with the NSX with 361,000 miles – on the original engine! http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118745)
<O
In short – it is the perfect retirement car for long distance trips.<O

 

[javajohn]

Better check with your wifes. My wife would take our Infiniti G35 while I would take the NSX.

 

[Daedalus]

I'm definitely in the minority when I say I can barely get out after a 5 hour drive (even then it's usually with a grin ). 3 hours is about my limit. I've driven 5-16 hours in a day in 5 other cars, and sadly the NSX is the worst for my back. Maybe a simple cushion in the lubar area would fix it for me, but I don't go on long drives all that often.

 

[Sarge]

I have done a trip from So-Cal to Arizona and then on to Washington and I never ached once. Pull the trigger

 

[Jack High]

Thank you all for sharing your experience with long distance driving. The general sense I got is that an NSX would be a ton of fun, but think about parking on the road, the kind of shocks, the exhaust system, power steering, and be prepared to meet a lot of people who will notice your car.

Great advice. Thanks, again.

 

[ChopsJazz]

Jack, get the car and drive it. Don't worry about exhaust, parking, steering, etc. When I first got my car I drove it from San Francisco to Denver with my wife. It was the most memorable drive of my life. Worry-free, fun as all hell. Just do it.

 

[damthatbeaver]

My only worry would be towing...you need a flatbed...the car is amazing for long journeys...comfortable and the road noise is fine...if you go for a higher end - louder exhaust...well then...lol...your entering the realm of Ferraris and Lamborghinis...which is ok with me:wink: I cannot wait to power through a tunnel sometime in July...lol...its way phat!

Join the family and purchase a true exotic...and...welcome!


Dam

 

[oldnews]

Wait until you pull into a San Fransico gas station, you''ll get "...ohhh Stephann, come look at this adoooorable car, can you say YMCA!..."

 

[syam]

the only thing that would concern me is if you get a flat somewhere far from home. finding tires the right size for the nsx can sometimes be a little bit tricky if the tire cannot be fixed. also the towing situation as already stated.

i think the hardest part would be figuring out the luggage situation, but then again, if it was me, i always tend to pack light for trips.

hope you end up with the nsx...