Comments: 1-15, 16
The 1991 and some of the 1992 NSX's have a transmission problem which stems from the snap ring. Mine fell into this category and cost me $2,000 to fix. The problem causes the car's shifter to wiggle around and pop out of gear (very annoying). For more info see www.nsxprime.com.
The car also has faulty window regulators which causes the power window to cease from working. Also very expense ($500/regulator). Other than assembly problems, the car has run like a gem.
The reason why I bought the car was because of its Honda reputation. The NSX does lack some acceleration put it handles like no other and gets excellent gas mileage. I am planning on buying a newer model sometime in the future.
I find it strange you had "acceleration" problems, but great nonetheless.
When you say acceleration problems, I assume you are the person who says "My other car is a Porsche" but even then, my 350 hp Nitrous Powered Civic will only do 60 in about 5.1-5.2 sec, so unless you drive an F1 car every day, it seems that the acceleration is a problem comment, is for those who are quite used to being pinned into their seats. I guess for the daily driver, it's way more than enough to keep the average person happy.
OK, nowhere in this review does he say, "acceleration problems." He said, "assembly problems." Are we blind here? Not paying attention? What? The NSX is quick no matter how you view it. And he is only suffering from build problems that plague most cars in their 1st to 2nd year production runs.
The car was 11 years old when you got it and any gearbox problem would have been resolved long ago (unless you just like spending money).
The review also states that it does "lack acceleration". But I do say that anything with a 0-60 time of under 7.0 sec is quick.
The NSX was never meant to be a "sprinter" car, granted it can do 0-60 in about 5.5 seconds which is sufficient enough to beat about 90% of cars on the road.
Keep in mind, this model you're talking about is rated as having 270hp (252hp in actual tests) and has roughly 210ft/lbs of torque due to the engine being over the drive wheels; a figure that's relative to a comparable FWD car. But it more than makes up for that with the 2900lb aluminum body.
This car was created to give dreamers a chance to actually own an exotic sports car without the hefty price tag; granted the NSX has been considered by many to be more of a domestic auto with an exotic shell.
If you're looking for an older NSX 3.0 with acceleration, supposedly, the '94 was the fastest 3.0 NSX made (this may be circumstantial however); keep in mind, all NSXs' made before '95 are devoid of power steering.
The acceleration of the NSX is indeed tepid for a car in its class. Only owners with ego problems would dispute this fact, as it has been mentioned by every automotive journalist, performance enthusiast, auto industry wag, and most experienced NSX owners. There are of course some good ways to solve the problem without a significant loss of reliability and/or driveablilty of the vehicle. Chief among them is probably the combination of a Comptech supercharger and headers. Regardless, it's still a wonderful and balanced car, that was not meant for drag racing ;)
ANY car that only has room for two, costs more than 70 large, looks fast and claims to be exotic, should go like hell. Reliable or not.
I recently purchased a 91 with low miles. I read all of the "normal" problems such as regulators and stereo speakers. There are fixes available as needed if you want to do it yourself.
What I have found is one of the best balanced cars I have ever owned. I have owned Jag, Benz and Alfa, to name a few. The bonus is great gas mileage and reliability. There is no doubt in my mind that I would reach the limits of my driving ability before I hit the limits of the car. More power would be fine after I figure out how to use the power provided in the first place. The right gear and the right rpm range and I am lifting on the throttle to get the fronts to bite a little harder or stepping on it a little more because the front still is hanging on and both cheeks are tighter than... well you fill it in.
In my opinion the NSX is the best overall performance value on the market today.
I think that the comment regarding acceleration is relevant, not that it's slow, but with the amount of money this car costs, coupled with the fact that it's regarded as a "supercar" by many, one would expect it to have a little more power.
The '86 944 Turbo with the chips and suspension bits I have would probably easily hang, if not be passing, early NSXs on the track, and one could expect to pay $9-10k for a 951 as opposed to $40k+ for an used early NSX in the same condition (70k miles, shiny, no mechanical problems).
If I stuck the difference in my car it'd run around with new Ferraris, and probably turn just as many heads (if you're into the whole conspicuous consumption thing).
Whatever you want to say about comparing the NSX to other super-cars must take the following into account: I've owned my '91 NSX since new; paid $60K for it; have driven it at 155+ mph and logged 165,000 miles -- that's right, not 1,650 or 16,500 you might see on a Ferrari. And I dare say any of the other cars mentioned that will out-perform it from 0-60 wouldn't still be running or look nearly as well as my 16 year old with 165K on the clock and heading toward 200K.
P.S. I've only had 2 tune-ups (at 60K and 120K, next scheduled at 180K0. Put that into your zero-sixty calculus. Oh, and while I'd lose in a zero-sixty drag race to some American iron, I guarantee that none of those cars will (a) stay with me when I up shift from 3rd to 4th at 110 or from 4th to 5th at 145-150, can't handle worth a darn at triple digit speeds (where the NSX really shines) or stop when you have to like you just dropped the anchor for the Queen Mary out of your trunk.
I would agree about American "Iron" being at a disadvantage.
The Z06, however, uses a light weight V8 AL engine weighing ~450#, which is equal too many I4's w Turbo weight. At 3100# total (NSX weight), 50/50 weight balance, double-wishbone SLA suspension, and 1.0 G cornering, the Z06 is a great NSX competitor in the corners.
The NSX is unique for its looks and exclusivity for sure. I'd suspect quality is marginally better on the NSX.
Compare this vehicle to the Viper not the Corvette on this pricing level.
I agree that it should be compared to a Viper instead of Corvette, but Z06 is a different story, it's price is very similar to the NSX when it was still being made.
The Vette handling is not on par with the Viper with its race inspired frame. The new Vette acceleration is quick however. The NSX had great mid engine balance. I have driven all 3. Comparing just on price is not the only issue.