Very good points boof!

Alot of people tend to think Gas is the only cost to driving a car.

That money saved in gas literally pays for the insurance/and or registration of the car yearly!

 

I think the IS300 automatic is more fun to drive then the TSX automatic. I've never driven the manual version of either car.

I'd say the TSX is a better DD because its more practical. Its larger (seats four nicely), fwd > rwd in bad weather, and it gets better gas mileage. I also like the TSX interior way better then the IS300. Depending on the year IS300 it can have a pretty cheap interior. Later models got a lot nicer materials for the interior.

TSX (Auto) 20/28 vs IS300 (Auto) 16/23 (fueleconomy.gov adjusted numbers to 2008 standards) Thats a pretty big difference in mileage. ~20%

 

I personally LOVE the K24, but I prefer RWD for the track... if its a daily commuter, TsX...

I had two is300's way back and liked them alot... toss up find the best deal you can and buy it....

 

I'm leaning toward TSX.
any common issues with them?
certain years to avoid?
most of the ones that I was looking at were 2004 I think.
and when did they change the exterior? like the rims and the bottom of front bumper?
thanks

 

had a TSX for three years. we love it. neither car is quick, but IMHO the tsx is nicer inside and out, and more fun to drive.

 

k24a2 for the tsx you guys are referring to.

 

I've had an IS300 (sportcross, automatic) for 4 years. Astoundingly reliable, fun to drive, and I still find the interior to be really nice. I test-drove a TSX, thought it was nice, but the engine felt weak by comparison and I actually thought it handled less crisply. But it's a nice car to be sure -- in the end the balance was tipped to the IS300 by the sportcross (wagon) option that I still dig, both for utility and appearance.

 

i wasn't comparing the two; i was laying out the fact that you can get upwards of 33-34mpg on strictly highway driving, but that if you drive in the city all day, it drops dramatically down to 22-23mpg.

as people have said, the fuel economy of the IS300 is significantly less on both fronts.

is namecalling really necessary? wtf is your problem? you are a complete moron who didn't get a single point of my post. go away.

 

even though money is an issue, i would look into buying a 2005 or 2006. i had a 2005 for awhile and it had zero problems whatsoever. the 2006 received a significant refresh, both in the engine and in other features, and they might be worth it to you. from what i remember, 2006 was also when they tweaked the body style and gave it those ~9 spoke wheels. still, the 2006-2008 TSX looks better than the 2009 that they just came out with.

the 2004, as with first year models of many cars, had its share of minor annoyances, namely the entire center stack lighting going out (and being very costly to replace out of warranty).

 

good points, but how many people track a TSX? very few. actually, how many people track an IS300? the IS goes 0-60 in around the 7-7.3 sec mark, and the TSX goes 0-60 in about 7.2-7.5 sec, depending on who drives it. the acceleration figures are really much closer than some people here would have you believe. i am more of a honda person myself, so i don't mind revving a four-banger up to get it to move. if you don't like revving a car up to 5, 6, 7 thousand RPM, then the TSX probably isn't for you. when the car is carrying 4 people and luggage and the A/C is on, it is very sluggish off the line and significantly slower when passing at highway speeds.

i've never driven an IS300 that was full of passengers and cargo, but i'm willing to bet that the extra torque helps it along more so than the TSX.

that said, i'd rather see the TSX's 26/33 mpg city/highway in my daily driver than 17/24. that's just me, though.

as for the FWD/RWD argument, you really don't notice that the TSX is FWD that much. it understeers a little if you're driving it like you stole it, but other than that, it holds its line pretty well when accelerating out of corners. i don't think i would base my purchase solely on the IS being RWD (and therefore, arguably, superior).

good luck!