Is it practical for use everyday?

[Sicarrie]

Yet another prospective owner question...

The NSX has made it onto the short list for one of our cars (chief competition Intergrale or Elise). I'll print off and digest all the buyers guides but what I really want to know is - does anyone use there car everyday?

If we do this, it would be a short (4 mile) commute every day, plus the occasional weekend blast. Would be grateful for feedback from anyone doing similar or how you think it will cope. I expect higher than 'normal' running costs, but how high.

Or feedback from anyone looking to sell! :D There's one on eBay right now that interests me.

Last Q - insurance - evil or not?

Thanks
Si.

[Greybloke]

Mine is a everyday car, used on my 150 mile round trip 3 to 4 days a week. Used all year round ( It's actually quite good in the snow :shock: ) But..... it's serviced on the button, and anything needed is done. I also clean it without fail every week, to keep it tip top.

Av mpg is about 22 and I do have a heavy right foot :wink:

Servicing costs are very reasonable, my last interim was about £140, but expect some large ones, i.e. Clutch, belts etc. Tyres are about £400 a set if you shop around and my current Toyo's are lasting very well.

I would sugest you drive one or two to see if it will meet your own needs. I changed from a S2000, and whilst I do mss the open air, I think the car is in a different league.

Insurance for me is reasonable ( I got a refund from my S2000 premium when I changed) although I'm over 45 and in a so called "safe postcode"

I find it a practical car (can get a weeks shopping in the boot) comfy (wife and I went on a European trip last summer) and enough performance to keep me entertained :twisted:

As they say, a practical supercar :D

[frostos]

You should have no daily use worries. I have started to use my car most days now that I have been posted to the sticks.
My NSX probably has less HP than the average central line tube but is a lot less crowded :D

Seriously - You should not worry about ease of daily use. I do about 30 miles a day and blast to wherever I need to get at the weekend. Boot space is better than my old S2000 (which I thought was plenty adequate) even for trips abroad. So, commuting is fine; Like the S2, the NSX will happily potter around town / the ring-road like an accord.

Concur with Greybloke on all the comments on Honda servicing costs (though this is from S2 experience) etc.

Insurance wise, I also got a lower premium for the NSX than the S2. I think this is partly as I had to find a more specialist insurer (see plenty of threads on this topic) but also perhaps as the S2s attract more 'hothatch' type premiums.

On the e-bay sale - I would carefully search around here for comments. I am sure there are good deals like that out there - but the "be warned" examples that come up seem to get spotted by those around here in the know.

Anyway, good luck hunting.

[Ian.M]

I use mine every other week to go to school (thats where I work) 40miles round trip. Checked MPG last week and got 28.

When it stops raining I will go back to using the bike that does over 45 MPG and is a quick to 80 as the NSX (R1200GS).

Now I just need to buy some winter tyres to fit my 15'' and 16'' wheels. The bigger wheels for summer have just arrived from Dali :-)

[blue5]

Si,

We used ours everyday for the first 3 years, get 32-34mpg on a run and the insurance for us is about £650 in London. Nothing goes wrong and servicing is cheap compared to our volvo and A class.

I might also add, especially if any employee of Mercedes engaged in customer service is reading this, the customer experience is exemplary (from Norton Way at least).

Watch out for neglected examples.

[Sicarrie]

This is great stuff, thanks - I knew this would be the right place to ask! Still interested to hear more opinions...

Thanks for those of you who have PM'd me - will get back to you over the weekend.

Thanks again.
Si.

[simonprelude]

The times when I have used the NSX as a daily car there were no problems what so ever.

At the moment it's a garage Queen though :D

[markc]

While you most certainly can use an NSX as an everyday car I prefer to keep mine for those occassions that I really want to use it rather than have to.

I ran a Porsche 993 for 5 years before switching to the NSX. Like the NSX, 911's have a reputation for day-in, day-out usability and it was purchased with a view to use everyday but after a while I started to feel guilty about using it on dull town commutes and on filthy winter roads. :(

I decided to buy "a beater" to do the boring stuff, initially a Saab 900 but now I'm on my 3rd 5 Series Touring.

The NSX might be a bit cheaper to run than the Porsche but you'll still rack up the bills if you use it everyday. Both eat tyres and brakes, have 9K service intervals (6K for earlier NSX's) and certain parts that are inexplicably expensive... eg £300+vat for a new NSX clock!

Having a beater also helps keep your NSX extra special as the times that you do use it will be when you have a journey and weather conditional that will allow you to really enjoy it. 8)

I realise that this extra car thing is rather a luxury for most people but when you get to be an old git like me it should become easier.

Cheers

Mark

[Flinty]

Blimey, you guys must drive gently to get 32mpg.

From my 1996 3litre manual, I get about 250 miles off a tank on a run, max 220 if having 'fun' or short hops. Think that's @ low-mid 20's.

Do you get more MPG from the newer cars - ie. is the post 1998 3.2 slightly more frugal, despite more power ?

On the use every day question. Yep, totally agree with previous posts. I drive to work once or twice a week - round trip of about 26 miles. It's an enjoyable run whether youre stuck in traffic accumulating admiring glances or on the open road.

Buy an NSX.
Integrale's rust badly. (or do you mean Intergra ?)
Elise - fantastic fun car, but damned tiring (noisy, cold) for every day ?

[britlude]

I've been using my '91 as my 'daily driver' since I bought it in september, no major issues/problems, costing the same to run as my old fifth gen prelude. I have another car for weekends/fun!

[Sicarrie]

Britlude - we would fall into the same category as you - we have another car for serious fun / trackdays. However, we can't bring ourselves to spend our money on a dull car that we get no joy from - I've been there (ie 'beater') and it's no fun. We have my company hack for all the mudane stuff. Having 'several' cars does put a stretch on the budget though.

I did mean Integrale, but I'm worrying over the running costs.

Si.

[Mr_Spanners]

I think the day-to-day 'running costs' of the NSX are comparable to running any two litre 'Sports Coupe' UNTIL something breaks - if you're budgeting for more frequent cam belt changes, clutch replacement, tyres etc. then the 'real' cost rockets.... I'm definitley one of the many people on here who prefer to run a 'beater' as a daily driver and keep the NSX for 'High Days and Holidays'.

It would be nice to see a cost comparison though - I'd hazard a guess that running two cars is the cheaper option, although it'd be hard to factor in the reduced residual value of the NSX when 'wracking up' the miles by using it as a daily driver.

~Phil.

[Rob_Fenn]

I would have to agree with Phil there, if something does go wrong then it's no longer comparable to a repmobile as a daily runaround!

It is basically a Porsche in terms of what is capable of, but far more interesting :D

[NSX 2000]

Just driven mine across London and its a breeze to drive, even over speed humps :shock: speed humps in the other halfs mini are a real pain :evil: .
Sister use to have an elise, always arrived with a headache :lol: . But when I did borrow it, it was fun if not noisy, and you never look cool getting out of it :? .
Intergrale great car but like the elise loads of trouble usually serious :P
Get it :lol:

[Senninha]

I ran an S2 Elise 135 for 18 months as my daily drive and covered 20k miles in this time. Loads of fun, mostly roof off motoring and only required routine servicing (still had OEM tyres when sold).

Being vertically challenged, 5'7" it proved comfortable and accessible and with careful packing could get a reasonable weekly shop in the boot.

A good friend of mine had an Integrale during the same time and only managed half the mileage as the rest of the time it was off road emptying his pockets!!

I shall soon be collecting an NSX but have to admit that it will be a bit of a garage queen, the company hack catering for the mundane journeys.

From owners I've spoken too, reliability wont be an issue, neither will comfort or practicallity, but if you're unlucky, the un-expected bills could be high.

If I was considering the NSX as a daily driver, I would look for an early car with low mileage as you would then be averaging out the mileage and potentially not suffering to hard on depreciation.

Just my thougths but hope they help.

regards

[britlude]

in the overall scheme of things, which other super-car would you even consider asking the original question...!

(and no, I don't consider a porsche a genuine supercar,
1. it has 4 seats,
2. it's a triumph of perserverence over design, did they really want to spent 40 years tweaking to get it to handle, when all they had to do was move the engine! I'm gonna get SO flamed!)

[NSX 2000]

britlude
Your dead right! Honda got it right at its first attempt. Porche took 40 years :shock:

[simonprelude]

And still trying :)


britlude
Your dead right! Honda got it right at its first attempt. Porche took 40 years :shock:

[Sicarrie]

Well - we've been to see one.

Generally quite impressed considering the age (K reg, 105k miles). A few concerns, mainly over the cranking time to start (a good few seconds until it really caught) and it did seem to 'tick' a bit on idle - but I have no idea what it's meant to sound like. Seemed to go okay and sounded fine on the move though.

Hard to know what it should be like when you have nothing to compare it to. I'm realistic that on our budget we are looking at the early cars/high-milers/both and there is likely to be a few issues. But it's working out the minor issues from the expensive issues!

Oh - and the stereo wasn't the Bose OE system as that had given up the ghost. Shame that.

[britlude]

I'm sure if you give your location, there'll be someone who would like to show their car off to you...

they do seem to be a friendly bunch on here!

[Sicarrie]

Yeah, that would be pretty useful actually.

I'm near Welwyn Garden City in Herts, but work in Dartford, Kent. Any help graetfully received!

[Kevin]

I live in Welwyn village!

Ticking is normal on idle. They do make some 'alarming' noises when starting up, and when cold, but they should pass when the engine is warm.

[simonprelude]

There is an S2000 meet at the Red Lion in Welwyn on Thursday from about 8pm, occasionally a few NSX's turn up.

If you are going to be there I can take mine, Kevin could come as well.

Greybloke has been known to turn up also.

[Sicarrie]

That's handy - looks like we'll be along on Thursday then!

- Red Lion - that's the one at the top of the hill next to the A1, up the road from the BP Garage, right?

Si.

[simonprelude]

Erm, yes, I leave 2 junctions after Hatfield tunnel (north), then first exit on the roundabout, past the garage and it's there.


That's handy - looks like we'll be along on Thursday then!

- Red Lion - that's the one at the top of the hill next to the A1, up the road from the BP Garage, right?

Si.

[Greybloke]

Will try to make the S2000 meet on Thrsday

[Flinty]

I will try to make it for an hour too.

It's a good run down the A414 from Stansted area. Hopefully see you guys about 8pm.

Flinty

[Sicarrie]

Thanks for the advice and help - especially Greybloke for taking the time to talk to us last Thursday.

Result? We bought an Elise at the weekend. Sorry! This is more a reflection on our bank account than anything to do with the NSX, which means that it is now on the 'next year' list when things have recovered a little.

Thanks again and cheerio.
Si.

[Greybloke]

Thanks for the advice and help - especially Greybloke for taking the time to talk to us last Thursday Result? We bought an Elise
Si.

ok, so we'll agree I'm not a good salesman then :x

Still we did have a mini meet (Flinty and myself) infiltrating the S2000 meet :lol:

Good luck with the elise, I'm sure you will have fun.