NSX Reliability

[MPowerKai]

I'll be in the market to buy a car around May or June and 1 of those cars is the NSX an NA1 NSX thats white or black. I was just wondering just how reliable these cars are, are they as reliable as an S2000? I'm going to college right now so I don't want something that will die on me too easily.

How much does this vehicle cost to maintain per year? and how much would I be looking to spend for a 91-93? Thanks everyone.

 

[NSXGMS]

I'll be in the market to buy a car around May or June and 1 of those cars is the NSX an NA1 NSX thats white or black. I was just wondering just how reliable these cars are, are they as reliable as an S2000? I'm going to college right now so I don't want something that will die on me too easily.

It's a Honda and it's hand-built. You can do the math. :smile:

How much does this vehicle cost to maintain per year? and how much would I be looking to spend for a 91-93? Thanks everyone.

You can find the average maintenance costs here.

You can find the pricing guide, which is quite accurate here.

All of which can be found in the FAQ. Familiarize yourself with it. It's the most comprehensive collection of NSX info on the internet.

 

[ETLMD]

The NSX is very reliable. My '91 NSX is just as reliable as my '00 S2000. I'm not afraid of getting stuck somewhere.

 

[pvmike]

I'll be in the market to buy a car around May or June and 1 of those cars is the NSX an NA1 NSX thats white or black. I was just wondering just how reliable these cars are, are they as reliable as an S2000? I'm going to college right now so I don't want something that will die on me too easily.

How much does this vehicle cost to maintain per year? and how much would I be looking to spend for a 91-93? Thanks everyone.

Reliable, yes. But remember, an NA1 is an 11-16 year old car. Therefore, there are certain things which may need attention: mileage related maintenance (timing belt/water pump, clutch, etc.) and normal wear and tear (window regulators, shocks, speakers/sub/amp, climate control unit, etc.). Unless you know exactly what to look for, I'd include a few thousand dollars in reserve for miscellaneous repairs.

Yearly maintenance, aside from repairing wear and tear parts listed above, is reasonable. It's a Honda.

However, I would discourage you from buying one if you do not have money to put into the car. Otherwise, read through the links provided by NSXGMS.

 

[Diablo360]

Well, since you're already driving an E46 M3 you can probably afford to maintain an NSX. It'll be a LOT less. No more dealer services every 5-10k miles BS. It's more of a go with the flow type of thing. Fix something when it needs to be fixed, etc...... The only thing I plan ahead for is oil changes. Heck, even with my car having 108k miles (1993) I wouldn't hesitate driving it anywhere....... Just be ready to dump up to $2000.00 into it as soon as you pick it up for various maintenance/wear and tear items. 90% of the money i've spent on my car has been on mods.

 

[91 X]

hand built Honda....says it all:biggrin: take of it and it will take care of you

just be careful with your driving record..insurance isn't cheap if you have more then one ticket(point)...

 

[NSXGMS]

Well, since you're already driving an E46 M3 you can probably afford to maintain an NSX.

Indeed. You'll definitely be in for a pleasant surprise when it comes time to work on your NSX. If you can afford an E46 you can handle an NSX, and then some.

Also, yes, if you buy a 91-94 be prepared to drop around $2,000 for misc. expenses and/or deferred maintenance that needs to be done. After that just worry about oil changes for at least 30K miles. :smile:

 

[MPowerKai]

The thing with the M3 is it's still under warranty at least for a couple more months. I found an NSX that I really like right now it's berlina black with ivory interior with aftermarket rims and stock rims 78k miles for 26k dollars and it's close, it's a 91 but unfortunately my savings is still in a cd until april

Would you guys recommend an NSX or an S2000??

 

[Diablo360]

The thing with the M3 is it's still under warranty at least for a couple more months. I found an NSX that I really like right now it's berlina black with ivory interior with aftermarket rims and stock rims 78k miles for 26k dollars and it's close, it's a 91 but unfortunately my savings is still in a cd until april

Would you guys recommend an NSX or an S2000??

There's nothing wrong with buying a 91. It's still a badass car and has a lot of potential. If there is one bit of advice I can give you, being a recent buyer myself, know what you want (in terms of price, year, color) and buy it only when you find that exact car. If you want that 91 then go for it, it sounds like a good car and 78k miles is nothing for these cars.

As far as the s2000 vs. NSX debate although i've never driven an s2k the consensus among NSX owners who have owned or driven s2k's seems to be that the NSX is a better car. Coming from an E46 M3 I myself would think that you'd be dissapointed with the s2000. In that case i'd rather keep the M3, but that's just my preference.

 

[nsxtcy85]

Its more reliable than my dailey driven integra if that says anything.....

 

[MPowerKai]

There's nothing wrong with buying a 91. It's still a badass car and has a lot of potential. If there is one bit of advice I can give you, being a recent buyer myself, know what you want (in terms of price, year, color) and buy it only when you find that exact car. If you want that 91 then go for it, it sounds like a good car and 78k miles is nothing for these cars.

As far as the s2000 vs. NSX debate although i've never driven an s2k the consensus among NSX owners who have owned or driven s2k's seems to be that the NSX is a better car. Coming from an E46 M3 I myself would think that you'd be dissapointed with the s2000. In that case i'd rather keep the M3, but that's just my preference.

I daily drove an S2000 before, I kind of accidentally killed it and almost myself in the process. It wasn't pretty, I ended up with a scratched cornea :frown:

I really miss having a 2 seater but I wasn't too fond of always worrying someone would slash my top.

 

[NSXGMS]

The thing with the M3 is it's still under warranty at least for a couple more months. I found an NSX that I really like right now it's berlina black with ivory interior with aftermarket rims and stock rims 78k miles for 26k dollars and it's close, it's a 91 but unfortunately my savings is still in a cd until april

Would you guys recommend an NSX or an S2000??

Black/Ivory is a great color combo. If the car is in very good condition with no deferred maintenance $26K is a very, very fair price. Other than some easily correctable little glitches which you can read about in the FAQ a 91-92 is virtually as good as any other year. It will be older, of course, but that's why it's cheaper. But believe it or not a 91 NSX should be just as reliable as your E46 M3.

My good friend had a heavily modded Civic for years, and then an S2000. He loves it. It's everything he wanted. Until I started to let him drive my NSX. Now he's selling the S2000. :wink:

One word of caution--you'll probably have more fun and run better times at the Autocross with the S2000, if that's what you're into. On a real track the NSX is king. My friend is a big AutoX guy but I think he feels as most do that the NSX is just a better all-around car. And you don't get nearly as much attention in an S2000. :biggrin:

 

[WingZ]

I daily drove an S2000 before, I kind of accidentally killed it and almost myself in the process. It wasn't pretty, I ended up with a scratched cornea :frown:

I really miss having a 2 seater but I wasn't too fond of always worrying someone would slash my top.

I've always thought this was a great combo having the M3 and S2000. If your replacing the S2000 with the NSX understand the NSX is a larger heavier car than the S2000 and drives like a larger heavier car. Also you noted that you were concerned about someone slashing your top if you worry over stuff like that the NSX might not be the car for you. The car draws an awful lot of attention much more than I was prepared for. Funny for all the ragging the NSX gets on the M3 sites more and more E46 M3 owners seem to be asking questions and joining the prime site:biggrin:

 

[Synthesis]

i don't know how good a college car an nsx would be..... if you're the type of person that will worry about door dings and that sort of thing - it might be better for you to have a different car..... there's already enough stress when you're in college. i remember when i was trying to buy a supra and it fell through- i was kinda glad when i realized i really did need a 4 door car to move stuff around and not really care so much when somebody put a ding in it.

but it might be different for you (i don't know your living situation,etc.). in terms of reliability - it's very reliable. like others have said, though, the car might come back and remind you of how old it is. you need to keep up on the maintenance and sometimes do maintenance on stuff just because it's old. and that can be rather expensive at times. But, the best way to get around it is to do your homework in the beginning - don't get too excited; wait for the right car.

personally, i think the M3 would be a better college car (hauling people, random objects, etc.), but if you think the two seater will suit you, go for it.
reliability wise, don't worry about it. money wise, be ready to dump random bucks all over it.

 

[Meeyatch1]

I'll be in the market to buy a car around May or June and 1 of those cars is the NSX an NA1 NSX thats white or black. I was just wondering just how reliable these cars are, are they as reliable as an S2000? I'm going to college right now so I don't want something that will die on me too easily.

How much does this vehicle cost to maintain per year? and how much would I be looking to spend for a 91-93? Thanks everyone.

I would suggest doing a search, as there have been several informative threads on this topic. The short answer is that it is as reliable as your maintenance allows, just like most cars. If you care for it properly, or even about average, the NSX will put several hundred thousand miles of reliable driving down. If you neglect it, expect to get bit.

I see you have an M3. I had one as well, and can say the NSX has been about 100 times more reliable than the M3 that I had. All cars have problems, but I think my M3 was built during Germanfest. It was a shame because the M3 is a really great car to drive. Anyway....I think you will be pleasantly surprised with how usable an NSX is. :smile:

 

[Meeyatch1]

...Would you guys recommend an NSX or an S2000??

Drive thme both back to back and you decide. People have different tastes, so while one person may love the S2000, someone else will hate it. I have both and love both for their individual reasons. I will tell you than when it comes time to go for a long trip I almost always take the NSX. My wife on the other hand always reaches for the S2000 keys as her weapon of choice. Just personal preference.

 

[Floyd]

Drive thme both back to back and you decide. People have different tastes, so while one person may love the S2000, someone else will hate it. I have both and love both for their individual reasons. I will tell you than when it comes time to go for a long trip I almost always take the NSX. My wife on the other hand always reaches for the S2000 keys as her weapon of choice. Just personal preference.

Knowing that the S2000 is a chick car, the choice should be easy:biggrin:

 

[MPowerKai]

Knowing that the S2000 is a chick car, the choice should be easy:biggrin:

hahahaha :smile:

 

[MPowerKai]

So the general consensus is to stick with the M3 while in college?

 

[MashimaroNSX]

It's a good suggestion that you at least use the M3 while in college, depending on where you go you may be paranoid of someone vandalizing the NSX. In terms of comparing it with an s2000, I can definitely tell you that the difference between the 2 cars are like night and day. The s2000 feels extremely like a go kart racer while the NSX feels like an exotic race car if that even makes any sense. The s2000 is easier to break its traction in the rear especially during rainy wet days while the NSX feels much more rock solid and has tons of grip on the rear because of its mid engine layout. The s2000 lacks low end torque and thats when you feel the sluggishness of the car while the NSX doesn't have that problem at all, it just keeps on going smoothly and when you compare it to all the cars Honda has ever made it definitely is the fastest car they've ever made for the general public to buy so far. Since I own both I can tell you that I love my NSX more then the S2000 and my fiancee shares the same feeling with me.

 

[Gman]

You are getting good advice from the guys here. I just recently purchased a 94 NSX and have had it (him :smile: ) for a little over 1 month. I researched EVERY night before bed for an entire month BEFORE finalizing my decision. I tried to talk myself out of paying for such an old car when I could have purchased a brand new Acura TL or slightly used 05/06 Acura RL for the same price without worrying about maintenance costs for a while. But no matter all of the "reasoning" that I did, THAT 94' NSX just kept grabbing my attention! It is just a car, BUT driving it has grabbed attention that I wasn't fully aware of...good, bad, and scary! Leaving it parked for a few minutes at the store is one thing, but for a few hours at a college campus is probably not in your best interest...nor the NSX's! Do as the others advised and buy ONLY the NSX that you want and buy with little emotion/excitement so that you make a sound decision. As for the maintenance, be prepared to purchase new tires and brakes from the jump. Also be prepared for the timing belt and water pump since most people don't send the car off with nice parting gifts. (I am in the same process of taking care of these things myself). Overall, a great car that deserves to be cleaned, maintained, and garaged until driven. Good luck with your decision!

 

[Doc308]

Something to watch out for in '91's and '92's is the potential for a faulty transmission counterbalance shaft snap ring. Be sure that the car is not in the faulty snap-ring range or, if it is, that it's been repaired. See the Prime FAQ section for specifics, transmission numbers, #'s, etc. If it is in the faulty range and hasn't been repaired, a failure could cost you around $2k or more in repair bills. Overall, however, the NSX is likely the most reliable of all exotics.

 

[Meeyatch1]

Knowing that the S2000 is a chick car, the choice should be easy:biggrin:

LOL!! Like I said....I drive the NSX more.

 

[Meeyatch1]

So the general consensus is to stick with the M3 while in college?

Parking an NSX at any college campus is a bad move.

 

[Synthesis]

you're looking for something "reliable", but to tell you the truth any old car is not going to be as reliable as a newer car - like everybody was saying, it's reliable, but the maintenance could be a whole nother headache.

you would probably do better for yourself ot extend the warranty on the M or buy something that comes with a warranty- even new cars get problems, but they'd be covered, and you'd be able to focus on school rather than problems with your car (mods, now that's a whole other story :wink: )

when i was in college, i would've made justification for any situation just so i could have a nice sports car... and i did. i'm kinda glad i came up just short for that supra i was about to buy though, because if you take note as to when it's acually nice to have a "regular" car, you'll see it's nicer to have practicality in school and hold off your urges.

i say wait till you graduate and you'll already have a nice daily driver.....
just my opinion - again, i don't know your situation
just keep in mind what happens to cars in school (dings, beer/beer bottles, haters, pranks, too many girls to fit in an nsx :wink: )