Pick one of these. As Focus owners, pretend you are ready to purchase a new car and want to take a step up to something a tad nicer (although the Focus is a joy to own).

accord... umm... yeah


rx-8 too much maintenance and its not all that quick, not to mention ZERO cargo room and ZERO backseat


tsx, i used to want one, vtec is fun, AWESOME acura interior


no brainer for me

I hope that you're meaning the accord coupe? I'd pass on all three. sorry.

I picked the TSX but yeah all three are VERY boring

Of the three, TSX all the way. Are they offered in a 6spd?

Just finding some good deals on these three used. Not all that fancy no, but I just wanted something nicer and a little more features than my 2000 Focus. I was thinking maybe the Accord coupe or even a Altima coupe if I find one I like. The RX-8 is just for fun, but I'm not sure I'd like to be taking care of it...

Something a tad nicer.....

new Accord Coupe....6 speed.

Subaru WRX 05 or higher.

Lexus IS

Nissa 350Z

Wait another year and get the new Euro Ford Focus

Mazda Speed3 or Speed6.

Personally I would go for the Accord or 350Z. Both fast and really comfortable to drive.

I like the RX-8 personally. I love Rotatory engines, they're smooth and rev like a mother. I know they're not that practical, but if it's for fun, I'd go with the RX-8.

But no matter what you do, DON'T GET A FRIGGING NISSAN!!! I mean, I love the 90's nissans, but that CVT trans. is so annoying and the car as a whole is way overpriced.

I'd go with an Civic SI if I had to get a Honda. The Accords are nice, but only the V-6 would do it for me. Just my opinion.

Happy Tuning,
Daniel

Thanks so much for all the advice!! I do like Subarus too, so maybe I should look into the WRX. I do need a backseat and the 350z is a two seater right? I was going to wait for the Euro Focus, but I think I'm going used and I will more than likely need a new car sooner than that (100k+ miles on the Focus now).

I'm going to get an auto tranny, so that will probably change a lot of everyone's opinions (on the cars and of me!)...

Get the 350z or a rex, RX8s are slow, and i love rotaries, sure the yrev but jesus they are a pain to drive

TSX all the way...like many of you know..my dad has one and it is sooooo much fun to drive...you can do a lot of mods to them and Acura quality is the best!!!...although it isn't the fastest out of the three i bet it is the most reliable one...and it does come in 6sp.

Looks like the TSX is a hit! Not surprised there are few Honda lovers here. [hihi]

[/\] Acura baby!

would pass on all three also.

Acura, they drive great and make the other two feel cheap to me.

I love the fact NOONE has chosen the accord. LOL

Didnt vote. None of the above. Wait till the European Focus gets here later this year and get you an ST.

What price range are u looking @ rite now? I'm performance oriented so rx-8 out of those three, sure the powerband is odd to some + not posting the best #'s but I ran into a first gen tsx last year maybe it was an auto but i took him no probs. the mazda however would'nt be my 1st choice if i was looking for a used car... I think the Rex is as practical as practical gets for this class i have a subie 2.5rs primarily for the winter & hauling even w/out turbo its fun and has great grip. You mentioned needing a backseat are u looking for sedan versions of those 3? wait can we call the rx-8 a sedan[scratch] i was hurting bad after we rode up to chi-town with my friend in her auto rx-8, thank god she let me drive it for a while [whip] this was back in 05 when we went to lollapalooza's revival i believe she's traded up since then just can't remember what for...

rx-8 has a fantastic chassis and is not wrong wheel drive.

Acura,

None of the above. I will continue to try and support my country's economy by purchasing domestic automobiles.

Based on fun to drive it would have to be RX-8. Too bad there are many other factors I would have to consider as well. Two of these factors being fuel mileage and depreciation.

I would go RX-8 if it had a more fuel efficient motor but the fuel mileage is attrocious. The torque curve is really weird driving it. It accelerates briskly but the torque curve is so flat that you never ever feel like your getting pushed back in the seat. It's almost too smooth. And forget about the god awful depreciation. Buy a used one and you will laugh at the thought of anyone who would buy one of those brand new (unless they paid in full). Talk about being screwed trying to sell one that is 2 years old oweing $20k on it and its only worth $15k. Then again maybe thats why Mazda can get you out the door on a brand new one or end of the year left over for 7 to 10 grand under sticker.

Though not my top pick for something in that price range, I would go with the Acura TSX.

Didnt vote. None of the above. Wait till the European Focus gets here later this year and get you an ST.

Exactly how much later this year??? Much like the OP, I'm debating moving on to a new car, but my 3 choices are the Euro Focus, Volvo C30, or WRX.

Oh, and I voted for the Acura. Not a personal favorite of mine, but a fantastic car none the less. Accord is boring, and my friend's RX-8 was less than impressive. It was fun to drive, but in order to experience the fun, you had to hope you could actually drive it. It was broken a lot.

If I went for Acura, RSX-s maybe ?

TSX, my $0.02

The RX-8, I miss rear wheel drive.

Have to go with TSX.

Just finding some good deals on these three used. Not all that fancy no, but I just wanted something nicer and a little more features than my 2000 Focus. I was thinking maybe the Accord coupe or even a Altima coupe if I find one I like. The RX-8 is just for fun, but I'm not sure I'd like to be taking care of it...

I own an Altima coupe and they are nice. The backseat is VERY cramped if you care about that, the trunk room is minimal at best, the 2.5 is slow on the low end but cruises on the top end very well. It's smooth as silk driving and the seats fit 10X better than the Focus. Standard options on the base model are plentiful. It's nice car but a tad more boring to drive than the Focus. I'm just glad I kept my Focus when I bought my Altima.

TSX Hands down

like alot of the others i wouldnt personally buy any of those but if i had to choose it would be a TSX. Like the others the rx-8 is not powerful enough for a car with such sporty intentions and the other two are wrong wheel drive for a car bigger then a compact. I would consider a subie. maybe a G35 sedan would fit your bill. 4 doors, powerful v6, nice interior, and RWD. Good space to boot. I think thats a winner

I voted for the TSX, but there are a ton of cars I would choose over any of those three. Oh like a 2006 Ford Fusion SEL AWD V6.

The TSX is a European Honda Accord, so you all voted Accord! HAHA!!

Depends on what you want from the car. Road use only to get from A to B, the TSX for sure. Track/autocross, spirited driving, then the RX-8. RX-8s are funny in acceleration. They are quick, but people like the pull feeling, of which the car doesn't have a whole lot of. Well-balanced car though. 83 cubic inches of gas-suckin, oil-burnin fury under that bonnet!

as cool as the RX8 is, my mom had a gunmetal gray one, and took it back after a week because of the really bad blind spot.......

edit: oddly enough she's now sitting with an 06 Altima :)

tsx? snoreee. if you want a good car to get you from point a to b. tsx is good. otherwise look elsewhere. focus handles better fyi.

BTW, it's all focus for me anyway........

I voted TSX! Wish i had the money to buy one.

< none...

want space? buy a truck
want to go fast? buy a vette
want to do both? cts-v
for everything else theres the finger...

camaro 2010 = pure sex

What a range of opinions! Well, not really. It's mostly "get a TSX, but your choices suck." lol. :)

I go back and forth so much, but now may actually be a good time to buy a new car and get a great deal. Maybe I'll go Mazda. It's American enough. I think I'd prefer exercising my freedom to purchase what I want as an American. I'm not going to spend all that money on something I don't want. I don't think I could ever bring myself to buy a Chevy without crying and vomiting. hehe

COUGH COUGH... ^^ um nvm

just go wrx or a used evo
or late model 240sx with sr20det or rb26det/rb26dett

I'm a Focus owner who's not planning on getting rid of my "new" Focus anytime soon -- I just bought my Focus in September (used, had 48,000 miles on it, pretty much a loaded ZX3, the only options missing are heated seats, fog lights and the subwoofer that came with the Audiophile package).

That said, I'm still in the "young love" stage with my Focus -- it's nearly the perfect car for me: We've got 2 kids, my wife has a Vue, and this is my commuter car, and the cargo capacity, it's performance and handling, and it's ability to haul all of our family around comfortably when required makes it perhaps the favorite car I've ever owned. Love the handling, the styling, and the utility.

Prior to getting my Focus I had a Honda Del Sol Si (bought it new and put over 150,000 miles on it), followed by a Saturn SL2 (needed a commuter that would be capable of doing family hauling duties as well), and during that same period my wife had a Dodge Shadow, a Toyota Paseo, and a Nissan Maxima SE. Given my needs, my likes, and my driving style, the Focus is the best "bang for the buck" option I can imagine.

If I HAD to replace it, I'd probably have to look at a Protege5 or a 5-door Mazda3.

Looks like the RX-8 caught up! lol

If I HAD to replace it, I'd probably have to look at a Protege5 or a 5-door Mazda3.

Protege5s suck. Definitely the 3 would be the way to go of those two. It's a Mazda Focus anyway.

My Sister-in-law has a TSX ans wishes she still had her Mazda3.

I vote mazda at least its a Ford product!

RX8's are alright (not a fan of the styling) and Honda/Acura makes very nice cars. I used to have a 2000 Accord sedan, which was a great car. Started and drove like new, with 125K on it, every day. If I were to buy another Accord, I'd go for an EX V6 Coupe with 6 speed manual tranny, something like 240 hp/260 tq, in a more practical car. Lots of room, comfortable seats and Honda reliability.

I vote Accord if, and only if, its what I mentioned above. If not, then nothing on the list.

Thanks again for all the advice guys! Looks like I should look into the Mazdas and Subarus a bit more. :)

If you go Subaru, check out the new Imprezza/WRX/STI hatch's, they're really slick. Or the new Legacy sedans, they're very nice too - two of my friends have them and they're really sharp.

If you go Mazda, check out the MazdaSpeed3 hatch. But with the MS3 its a hit or miss usually - some people love 'em and some people hate 'em. Me personally, I love the looks but have never driven one.

I wouldnt get a tsx...just seems like a waste. The car really has no personality, its just a honda with a tux on and its not going to be all that fast. If your looking for some luxary why not buy a used bmw or audi. VW is actually making some fine cars now a days...just get something newer then 05. Mazdas are nice, subarus are even better. Subbie makes great cars, quality is excellent, their resale value is good, and they are safe....besides being fun to drive, in all kinds of weather mind you.

I do really want to be a proud Subaru owner, but I think the sedans are just too boxy. Then again, I like the Scion xB!! It's such a nifty little toaster! If I decided to just get something a bit more economical I might go with a Scion.

if you want a newer car and aren't into supporting the domestic market, with what you want i'd say get the genesis, for the price it is ridiculously luxurious, 4 door all with amazing room front and back, V6 if u want mileage over performance, and v8 if you wanna rule the road.

[woot] luv the look,the power ,the engineering. 1.3 & 250bhp ,build quality, them suicidal doors ,the interior. 10/10 from me. yunii

Dude all those cars are NOT anything I would ever consider. If someone gave me a new TSX I'd sell (after driving it for a few months) to fund the Focus turbo project and buy a used car for winter with the extra cash to boot.

Honda Accord COUPE. I normally hate Hondas, but out of all three I'd say it's the best balance of reliability/beauty. The RX8 is actually the best looking... but its questionable reliability history kinda turns me off. Honestly though, I think they're all kinda overpriced. Give me a GTI anyday.

Rx-8

you forgot the bugatti veyron on the poll?

had to go with the rx-8, and the honda!?!?! WTF? id keep my focus over the honda any day of the week!

The new Kia Soul. It's not in America yet, but early '09 it will be. [thumb]