every day use ?

[Peter]

Newby question i am afraid !!

I have always liked the NSX and wondered if it is as usable as people say, i do 30 plus miles per day and whilst its mixed motoring sometimes i can sit in a jam for a while.

I guess in theory every car can be used every day but im sure you understand my point of view, also what if any annoying faults do the early cars have, as this my expected price range.

regards to all that have helped so far with my prattlings :D

[DamianW]

From a driving point of view absolutely. Visibility is excellent, the driving position perfect and all the controls are well weighted. The steering is on the slow side for my liking, but you get used to it.

What you might have to bear in mind, though, is that running costs can be high. My 3.2 will drink petrol for Britain if I drive friskily, it will also consume the OEM tyres at an alarming rate (I got something like 3500 miles out of my last set of rear tyres). Parts prices are astronomical, most owners source things from the USA because of that. However servicing doesn't seem ridiculous so far, and the insurance wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Someone with more NSX owning experience will hopefully be along to say something more helpful!

[trackdemon]

Emphatically yes. I like to think of the NSX as "the thinking mans 911"

"What the devil does he mean?"

Well, much has been espoused of what a great all round / sensible / useable / reliable machine the 911 is, how it represents the pinnacle of its breed. I beg to differ - the NSX is better looking, better built, cheaper to run, more reliable (oh yes it is!). If you don't need the rear 'seats' :roll: and sitting 10" lower doesn't bother you then an NSX is the way forward. Round these parts the 911 is far too ubiquitous for my liking too - and NSX is different, which in my book is always a good thing.

Admittedly I don't use mine every day, but even so I've managed to cover 15k miles in 15 months. Not a problem. not a murmour, not a squeak, just 2 services costing a total of £400 and some new tyres.

Sitting in traffic? Wonderfully comfortable seats, great driving position, decent climate control, adequate stereo. And the clutch is light (just don't ride it). Not it's raison d 'etre but perfectly capable without TVR style histrionics.

Only potential worry is milage affected residuals, but the NSX takes milage far better than just about anything else in its class - buyers tend to know that these cars are built with 100k+ lifespans a given so don't be put off by 70k on the clock. As is so often the case, condition and provenance are key.

[Peter]

thanks for the replies guys, all info is gratefully received.

Best i start saving for the tyres (aswell as the car) that im sure im likely to use, do the fronts last forever then ??

I also noticed details of tuning parts, is tinkering frowned upon or is it a case of each to his own. Remembering this issue from my lotus days there seemed to be as many that though improvements were good as well as those who thought it bad ??

regards

peter

[charlie:one]

Hi damiam.w
3500 miles for the rear tyres dosent seem alot I had my new GP white nsx in march this year I have done 7000 miles and there good for at least 1500 miles. is there something your doing that Im not ? they come with dunlop 8070 nigel

[DamianW]

Hi damiam.w
3500 miles for the rear tyres dosent seem alot I had my new GP white nsx in march this year I have done 7000 miles and there good for at least 1500 miles. is there something your doing that Im not ? they come with dunlop 8070 nigel

Think you're on wider Dunlop something-or-others though? Mine is on Yoko A048. Next time round I'm going to switch to something harder wearing.

Don't think I'm driving particularly hard.

[michaelw]

My car lives outside, is used daily and I leave it parked at the station daily as well. I have had it for 18 months and so far not even a niggle apart from possibly the heater doesn't demist as quickly as it could but that could be down to being a Singapore import. I think the economy is OK and very good considering the performance - about 23 or so I think. It is comfotable, quiet and very civilised IMHO - even compared to some sports saloons.

As mine is quite an older car '95 and worth about 20K I would expect to loose less money than a most newer cars which should make up for the cost of parts. I have only needed a water pump so far although that was pricey and have done about 20K miles I think (I think I may need to shell out for the compliance adjusters eventually though). The servicing is pretty cheap too apart from the cam belt one but that is every 6 years or 60K miles I think.

My rear tyre wear isn't as bad as I was expecting either, although it is not great, about 8000 miles I think.

Go for it, I haven't been disappointed at all.


Michael.

[MattS]

Peter,

I've had my '98 NSX for about a month now and have been amazed at how useable it could be as an everyday car. 85000 miles and no rattles so far and everything seems to work.

My concerns regarding everyday use would be: 1)Car park scrapes/malicious damage - I wouldn't take mine down to the local supermarket etc. 2) Insurance could be much higher if not on a limited mileage policy or insured as a 2nd or 3rd car. 3) MPG. I haven't found this much of a problem yet (done about 800 miles so far) - I can easily trundle along in 6th gear at 30mph if need be. All depends how much you hoon it! 4) I think the same thing goes for tyres. Although reading some earlier posts here, if you do eat the tyres, decent cheap replacements from Kumho etc. can be had which are < half the price of the big names.. 5) Everyday use will mean more frequent servicing, which can be quite reasonable by all accounts, just make sure you don't skip the 6000 mile services otherwise the resale value will shrink - take this into consideration when/if you buy one. Short journeys aren't supposed to be good for any car.

All in all, I think the NSX is a surprisingly excellent and rare supercar, that can be used everyday, although I would be tempted to have a second car for supermarket trips and times when driving any car, let alone a supercar, is no pleasure at all eg. commuting.

My advice would be to go for it, but to take your time. Age and mileage don't seem that important, but always look at the service history (receipts as well as stamps) and check out a few examples as there are a few baddies out there!

Matt

[Welshman]

Well you can use it everyday but I don't although I like to take it into work once a week just to keep it turning over. As others have said it's a doddle to drive in traffic - in my case 25 miles into central Birmingham - but I have a secure car park to leave it in - I'd never leave it outside. In Birmingham it would be coined in no time. As someone said to me - it's really an A to A car isn't it.

[SimonB]

I do 75 miles a day return trip from Stansted-ish into central london in my 1 year old car. No problems at all. Happy to leave it on the street or wherever. 27 mpg in mixed use. Tyre wear is a bit silly but it would be better if I could refrain from using all the grip when appropriate (ahem).

The only niggle: the radio has RDS but no EON so if you're listening to radio 1 you can't get the traffic from bbc london etc.

Yes it really is an everyday car!!

[DamianW]

Simon mentions the radio - that is a bit of a weak point. The sound is pretty rubbish and its never been updated, so despite owning a 2001 car it still looks like its powered by valves. Its perfectly useable so long as you're not too demanding, and the engine noise certainly makes up for it!

[Peter]

been looking at a few cars (ads only) and the wheels seem to have changed, am i right in thinking that this is just a minor facelift and doesn't extend to anything other than an appearance mod ? my budget is likely to point me to an early car, with the five spokes which i quite like anyway, but are wheels a common upgrade any case ?

cheers to all that have responded so far

peter :D

[trackdemon]

Slight changes:

91-94 had the 'chunky' 5 spokers in 15" front & 16" rear sizes, after that you go to the 'sebring' (I think) 7 spokers in 16" F 17" R. I may be wrong but I believe there was a minor upgrade to the brakes at the time also. Probably the biggest difference from a driving POV is the addition of PAS - some swear by the early non-PAS cars, some prefer the later PAS equipped cars. I'm quite happy with the PAS setup in my car, but then again have never driven a non-PAS car (anyone want to do a swap drive? :lol: )

[blue5]

I have entered my 8th year of ownership of the same nsx.

I remember saving hard and waited until the right car came along, it was a silver and black 3litre coupe, late 1995 which came with the later type 16+17 inch rims, I think its the last 3L coupe made, one owner, never tracked and not an ex demonstrator. My wife loved it and she snatched it off me an used it as her everyday car for 3 years.

Since the day it was born it has cost just about £2k in servicing at Norton Way honda in letchworth including the cam belt so not bad for 71k miles! "basically" nothing has ever broken or gone wrong!

Mine dosnt eat tyres, I got 18k from the last set of dunlop fronts and usually 6.5K from the rears, (even though we tend to drive in a straight line most of the time) and the price of tyres has dropped.

Having retired from being a boy racer many years ago i get 32 to the gallon and SWMBO regularly gets 34.

I have had to limit her use of the car as it attracts too many young men.

I dont know about the rest of you but i noted from this years MOT that 900 miles use last year probably doesnt justify keeping her (the car that is) but the thought of not having her (the car again) dosnt bear thought. What i have noticed is that if i havnt driven her for a while (i have a volvo estate) when i do she becomes the same horned beast i fell in love with all those years ago and i would also like to add as a final point ownership is cheaper than a mistress and the effect is the same. :wink:

[ctrlaltdelboy]

blue5

excellent write up - thanks for that , I really enjoyed reading it!

trackdemon

the 1st release of the 7 spoke wheels were called 'Solaris' and were a quite dark almost gunmetal colour, however I had mine refinished in 'Sebring' which is the colour of my car - most who have seen the combo have confirmed that it does look much nicer than the dark Solaris.

later on they changed to 'Blades' which was a skimmed and laquered finish - much shinier!

Peter

there have been many changes to the spec of the NSX over the years, some minor, some major - here is a list


1991

First model year for the car
Engine model number is C30A


Changes for 1992

none


Changes for 1993

Added Passenger Side Air Bag at the expense of glove box space
Changed Rear Alignment to 2mm less toe-in to improve tire wear
Reconfigured center console (gives you the illusion you have more space but not really).
Improved warranty coverage from three years or 36,000 miles to four years or 45,000 miles
Switched A/C system from CFC-based R12 to ozone-friendly R134A


Changes for 1994

New Color: Brooklands Green Pearl
Keyed roof color to body color in late-year green cars (first 20(?) greens were with black roof)
Dropped Color: Sebring Silver
New Interior Color: Tan
Dropped Interior Color: Ivory
Removed "DOCH VTEC badge" on center console cover
Changed wheel design from 5-spoke to 7-spoke
New wheel color: Solaris Silver, paint code NH-536M (a gunmetal gray color)
Increased Tire/Wheel Sizes to 215ZR45 16" Front and 245ZR40 17" Rear
Gear cut method changed to reduce gear noise
Color-keyed the rear wall of the interior tan for tan interior cars (previously black on ivory interiors).


Changes for 1995

Added targa top version: the NSX-T
Roofs now all body colored
New color: Midnight Pearl
Black interior changed from interior code E to code J. It's a little lighter.. a dark charcoal color.
Sportshift "Tiptronic-style" shifting for Automatics
Power Steering becomes standard for Manuals as well as Automatics
Modified airflow to brakes to improve cooling
Traction Control Light no longer shines green when activated, still shines yellow when inactive
Throttle-By-Wire
Limited Slip Differential Changes on manual transmission cars. Went from Torque Control Differential to a Torque Reactive Differential - when combined with Throttle-By-Wire, increases speeds out of a corner by 10%. Automatic cars keep old differential.
Bumper reinforcements were changed to extruded aluminum instead of the stamped steel
Approx. 100 lbs heaver than 1991/1992 models due to reinforcements for targa top, including: The base of the B pillar where it joins the rocker panel, larger rear bulkhead crossbar, thicker trunk leading edge panel, a redesigned and thicker-walled rear roof section, a redesigned front roof rail section, additional rib in the center rear bulkhead section, a completely redesigned and thicker upper A-pillar. There's also a redesigned and thicker upper dashboard cross member and a redesigned front lower floor section. The extruded aluminum side sills were extensively reinforced - wall thickness of the vertical center web of the 5-sided extrusion went from 2mm to 6mm.


Changes for 1996

none


Changes for 1997

Three new colors: Kaiser Silver, Monte Carlo Blue, Spa Yellow
Coupes can be special ordered with either a black top or a body color top; -Ts still have body colored roofs
New wheel color on all wheels: Blades Silver (a bright machined/brushed looking finish)
Larger front and rear brake rotor diameters and rotor thickness. The bracket and the rotors are the major change
Front caliper pistons went from 40mm and 34mm to 40mm and 36mm.
Larger engine displacement (bore increased from 90mm to 93mm) from 3.0L to 3.2L on manual transmission cars. Model number for new engine is C32B.
Horse power increase from 270 hp to 290 hp and torque increase from 210 lbs-ft to 224 lbs-ft (manual tranny)
Different exhaust manifolds, now stainless steel and free breathing
Different cylinder linings, fiber reinforced (FRM)
Larger intake valves
Different head gaskets
Larger connecting rod bearings
Numerous emission control system changes
Six speed manual transmission - 6th gear is engaged by a solenoid. The gearshift activates a switch to change gears.
Double synchros on 3rd through 6th gears
Lockout of reverse gear above 12mph
Dual-disc clutch changed to a single disc clutch
Dual mass flywheel
Stronger, thinner aluminum body panels
Heat absorbing glass instead of bronze glass
Immobilizer anti-theft system with coded key using an electronic transponder. No more all-metal keys.
Ignition switch light went away to make room for the immobilizer antenna.
Improved NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness)
The final gear ratio does not change, so 6th gear in the 1997 NSX results in 6.9% higher vehicle speed than 5th gear in the 1996 model.
New aluminum alloy in selected body areas to reduce weight and increase rigidity
Larger spare tire size (from 15 in to 16 in diameter)
Refined electronic power steering control
Revised shape of the front spoiler
Refined ABS braking system
Improved Traction Control System (TCS) with new control logic


Changes for 1998

No official changes, though throttle computer was changed.


Changes for 1999

none


Changes for 2000

Discontinued colors: Kaiser Silver, Monte Carlo Blue Pearl, Formula Red
Introduced colors: Silverstone Metallic (slightly lighter than Kaiser Silver, darker than Sebring Silver), Monaco Blue Pearl (slightly lighter than Monte Carlo Blue Pearl), New Formula Red (slightly darker than Formula Red)
Seats, door insets, and steering wheel get perforated leather
Improved anti-lock brake system (ABS) (computer software change)
Improved manual transmission shifting
Added onboard fueling vapor recovery system
No scheduled tuneups for 100,000 miles
4 Year / 50,000 Mile Warranty

Changes for 2001

none


Changes for 2002

New Colors: Long Beach Blue Pearl, Imola Orange Pearl
Discontinued Colors: Monaco Blue Pearl
Added Interior Colors - Available with matching exterior color only: Yellow, Silver, Blue, Orange, White. Red is available with both red and black exterior.
Press release from Honda before 2002 model introduction:

"The NSX has earned its status as one of the world's premier exotic sports cars with a combination of head turning performance and contemporary styling. For 2002, the NSX's styling has been updated to modernize its look and its chassis was refined to ensure its competitiveness as a true world class sports car. The NSX features all-aluminum construction and is powered by an advanced 290 horsepower DOHC, VTEC, V-6 engine coupled to a 6-speed close-ratio manual transmission. When equipped with the optional 4-speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift(TM), the NSX engine generates 252 horsepower."


Changes for 2003

none


Changes for 2004

Now standard equipment instead of options: Keyless entry, CD changer in boot
Redesigned shift knob


thanks to nsxprime for the list - I have edited it according to US only chnages and stuff that I am aware of to make it more relevant to us UK guys

[DamianW]

"the 1st release of the 7 spoke wheels were called 'Solaris' and were a quite dark almost gunmetal colour, however I had mine refinished in 'Sebring' which is the colour of my car - most who have seen the combo have confirmed that it does look much nicer than the dark Solaris.

later on they changed to 'Blades' which was a skimmed and laquered finish - much shinier! "

My 2001 car has the gunmetal wheels. I don't think we ever got the 'Blades'. I like the gunmetal finish myself, works with the red quite nicely (pleasantly anti-bling).

[Welshman]

For those interested in a bit more history here is a document that Honda UK sent me about 18 months ago:

"Honda NSX History

Jan 1991 Introduced with 2.0litre V6 DOHC VTEC 276 PS Man – 256 4 Speed Auto
All had Leather trim , air con. Auto had electric power steering
Cost new £55,000 (£3000 extra for Auto)
Oct 1992 Drivers airbag
Apr 1994 Passenger airbag
1994 Model Year changes 16” wheels and brakes
Adoption of electric power steering for manual
1995 Model Year changes
• Option of “open top” NSX-T model (We cannot use the word “Targa”as it is registered by Porsche) Removable roof available in body colour instead of Black
• Adoption of “F-Matic fingertip stalk for auto model
• Adoption of “Drive by wire” throttle linkage – with integrated TCS (Traction Control System) and cruise control
• Adoption of Torsen LSD (Limited Slip Differential)
• Leather trim choice increased to 3 – Black, Red, Tan

1998 Model Year changes
• 3.2 Litre 280 PS ENGINE (Auto retained 256 PS engine) Power up by 4 PS but
10% torque increase to 298 Nm)
• 6 Speed manual transmission
• Wheel size up from 162 to 172, with larger brakes – up from 282 mm to 298 mm at front plus new calipers
• Revised front spoiler
• Changes to power steering ECU to improve “stability weighting”
• ECU transponder immobilser
• 9000 mile service interval
• 3 year 90,000 warranty from 1999

2002 Model Year changes
• Fixed headlights to meet Euro legislation
• Partial change to bumpers, spoilers and skirts
• Front tyre from 215/45 R16 to 215/40 R17 (Rim 7JJ X 17)
• Rear tyre from 245/40 R17 to 255/40 R17 (Rim 9JJ X 17)
• Various detail changes including interior surface upgrade

UK Sales to date:

Year Sales
1991 125
1992 41
1993 47
1994 19
1995 55
1996 38
1997 35
1998 10
1999 17
2000 11
2001 8
2002 23"

Ignore the reference to a 2.0l V6 - clearly a typo.

[trackdemon]

Blimey, so my car is one of "only 19 sold that year". I'd guess from that list there are no more than 450 "proper" UK cars then.

Interesting about the change to the PAS ECU for imprved weighting - if this is just an ECU update presumably I can have a firmware update applied to my late 94 car?

[ctrlaltdelboy]

I'd guess from that list there are no more than 450 "proper" UK cars then
thats assuming that none have been exported or written off - I don't think we can assume that, so there are clearly less than 450 but how many less I wouldn't know

Damian, thanks for your note re: the Blades - I think you're right and that they only ever got those in the States. Sorry for confusing matters :oops:

[Welshman]

I'd guess from that list there are no more than 450 "proper" UK cars then
thats assuming that none have been exported or written off - I don't think we can assume that,

Correct :oops: since I wrote off my 1996 Targa so that's at least 1 gone, akthough it may have been rebuilt as I was notified by the DVLA that someone had applied to re-register it.

[Peter]

Guys....

many thanks for all this info, i truly appreciate all the pointers passed so far. Im convinced im going to have one of these babies !!!

bring on the right car !

regards and thanks again

Peter