Archive for Transportation

2009 Acura TSX – LTR update

First off I am quite aware that on a previous post I had promised to post an LTR and my views on the 2009 Acura TSX. Well turned out I forgot.

However off late I am slowly catching up with all points on my to-do list, so eventually that review will show up. However this blog is more of a rant.

I bought my 2009 Acura TSX in October 2008 with 4 miles on the clock, and currently it has 36500 miles on the clock. I average around 2000 or so odd miles a month.
In the 18 or so months I have owned this car, it has been wonderful except for one HUGE issue. The TSX eats brakes. I have had to replace the rear pads on my TSX twice to date. First at 13600 and then again at 35200. Needless to say I am NOT happy about this. Complaining to Client Services did not get me anywhere. Of course there was a reason, there was a lawsuit being dealt in that time frame. Now that they have lost that suit, hope something will come out of this. Its not the money as much as the whole concept of Acura / Honda reliablity. I have never had a car that wore out its rear brakes faster than the fronts. 70% of your braking power is up front, that does not explain how my rear wore out faster. Further more the wear was uneven, with the inside pads wearing out faster than the outside ones.

I know something was wrong the first time it happened despite the dealers assurances that this is common for all Acura TSX’s, but I did not really subscribe to that theory. After the second set wearing out in similar fashion to the first, I am quite comfortable in saying its a design issue since the 2008 Accords have the same problem. I believe it has to do with the single side floating caliper design on the rear brakes. It seems when you lightly press the brakes, the inside pad touches the disc but fails to bring the outside surface of the disc closer to the pad. Which ends up making the inside pad wear out faster. The other thing is that its possibly rubbing on the disc. In either case this needs to be fixed. I’ve been planning to take my feeler gauges to see if there is a difference between the inside and outside pad distances, but time is something I do not seem to have.

Alright off to bed.

2009 Los Angeles International Auto Show

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the LA Auto Show Press Day by Mazda USA for their unveiling of the new Mazda 2. It was a lovely unveiling and I had a great time. However I thought I’d write in on my Press Day Experience.

I’ve been a car nut since ummm.. 1988 or so when Jeremy Clarkson came on to Top Gear and said ‘Powwerrr’ all the while doing donuts. I fell in love with Top Gear. I still consider Jeremy Clarkson, Tiff Needles and Quentin Wilson as the dads who taught me how to buy, drive and power slide cars.

Needless to say 20 or odd so years later, I get my first opportunity to go to a Press Day event at the LA Auto Show. It was quite fun. I think its the ONLY way to see an auto show, with no crowds to fight over other than camera geeks and and press geeks. Its still better since we are much more well behaved.

Press day has its fun things. Jaguar had free alcohol and coffee for the press folks and Mercedes allowed people up close and personal look into the new SLS. Too bad the exotics were missing except for Aston Martin which Galpin Motors brought to the show (didnt see them but I heard later on).

Over all it was a wonderful experience. I totally enjoyed it. I look forward to doing it again if I could again next year.

It's finally here. The 2011 Mazda 2.

Zoom Zoom. That’s what Mazda say about their cars. I must agree ever since I’ve experienced the new Zoom-Zoom Mazda 2. I was fortunate enough to be invited by Mazda Motors US to be part of the unveiling of the 2011 Mazda 2 at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. The LA Auto Show ran from December 4th to the 13th, but my day was not with the general public. I was invited to the LA Auto Show’s press day which was December 2, 2009.

I’ve never been to a press day and that itself is a story to itself. However this is about the new Mazda 2. As sweet as the car is, the car is only going to be even sweeter when more details come out and when we eventually get to test drive it.

The Mazda 2 is well placed with its other subcompact “C” segment cars. However I think among its rivals it is quite the ravishing hunk. Sure it shares some of its innards with the Ford Fiesta, but its still different enough to say that Mazda has a winner on its hands.

The press day event did not reveal its engine size or interior, however Mazda promised it would reveal those as the days go by. I look forward to it.

I must thank David Harris of Mazda US for inviting me and Lisa Negri for being such a sweet heart even though I arrived a bit late. I also must thank Mazda for providing the sweet Flip Mino HD camera for us to help commemorate the birth of their new child. I must also thank Mazda for the sweeet Zoom Zoom Concentrated drink they had for us. I took one home to keep it in my fridge to remind me of the good times. I also must thank Jenna Britten from Rebel Industries for setting up the sweet luncheon at the ESPN Lounge @ LA Live. I really enjoyed it. I just wish I could remember who else was there. I am sorry if I forgot to thank you.

Trials and Tribulations of Buying a New Car

In May 2008 my beloved 2000 Ford Focus LX finally bit the dust. I really did love that car. She never complained once until she reached 120,000 miles. That’s when it slowly started to have problems. Even so at 160,000 miles my beloved focus was a complete trooper. It even made a trip up to central California wine country with a sticking valve.

With her final breath at the Chevron Gas Station on Corner of Tampa & Nordhoff (incidentally the same place where I got into my motorcycle accident a week before) I had to go out there and look for new transportation (remember bike was in the shop).

So in this series, I will dictate on how I went about buying my new car.