2014 Honda Accord Sport vs pre-owned 2011 Acura TSX?

Looking to get a new car or a certified pre-owned entry level lux car. I've set my eyes on new 2014 Accord Sport or a used 2011 Acura TSX Base. The TSX has 30k miles, is a returned lease vehicle and the Carfax turned out good. The lowest OTD for the Accord has been around $24k so far. For the 2011 Acura TSX, the dealers says an OTD for $25k. Fair price? Obviously the Accord is newer. Feature wise, TSX has leather seats, better sound system(Accord only has 4 speaker system), HIDs, 17" rims. Accord comes with 18" and rearview camera which TSX does not have(don't care much for it anyway) . Any thoughts on which way i should go. I know i can get the Accord new but i thought i would see what pre-owned luxury i could get a good deal on.

2014 Honda Accord Sport

If there are vehicles that are well made and last a long long time then I have to point out Acura. I have owned one and it was absolutely trouble free for six years I owned it. When I sold it it was for the dream sports car that I had wanted since seven years old. I keep my cars well taken care of and when a person came to see it, of course, the question was "Why are you selling such a perfect car?" and I showed him my 2001 Audi TT Roadster in the garage. He did not even argue the price. Acuras from lease are as good as new unless the car shows obvious abuse and neglect issues. If the vehicle is a Certified Acura, I see no problems, again, it pays to know what to look for or to pay a mechanic, if allowed by the dealership, for an inspection. Be advised that luxury cars tend to be an excellent buy at the three year point. All cars depreciate at a given rate. By the four year point they are close to 50% of the original MSRP. I purchased a 2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid at that point with only 23,000 miles. I has been an excellent car. At 55,000 miles it needed a coolant pump for the hybrid battery system, a known issue for this model vehicle. A simple repair on one of the brakes ABS sensors was the second one. No other issues and I'm on a 6,000 mile road trip at this moment, 2,300 miles into it, with total confidence. Perfect. Oh, a body rust issue on the rear quarter panels was resolved earlier this year. Yet another Ford issue on this model and Ford Escape models. I would recommend the Certified vehicle and save the money on the difference. Do note what is what is not Certified. Item by item. There are many exclusions you need to be aware of. Also get 100% informed as to any warranty terms remaining. Lastly, learn the service schedule of the vehicle. If all checks out to your satisfaction, get the car insured and enjoy the drive. As this is a performance vehicle I also recommend advanced driving school for you. Most of us know about 10% of what we should know about cars and handling and emergency situations. It is the driver that is safe and not cars. Too many distracted drivers running lights and stop signs and doing crazy things. These lessons either with AAA or at track near your are of immense value for the money. I have attended such classes and I can testify of their value. No accidents, no moving violations, etc.

Yes, buy from a private seller who is private selling for a reason, then pay a mechanic to do WHAT THE CERTIFIED USED CAR GUARANTEES ANYHOW!

You seem to be a very smart and informed shopper. I wonder why you are not looking at a used Accord, the 2013 has the same features as the new ones. However, it sounds to me like you have made up your mind already. The certified Acura would be a safe bet. 30K is nothing for an Acura, the car is still practically new. That car will give you many years of worry free service. The certified program gives you a 3 day exchange and a 1 year warranty. That's pretty good insurance about your choice.

If you are concerned about the price, see if the car is listed on cargurus.com. They will list the car as overpriced, fair deal, or good deal by comparing it to what it would be worth to sell. I don't shop often for luxury cars often and do not know where you live, but that price sounds fair.

Used is better than new. Certified=jacked up price.

Buy used from a private party and have the car checked by a mechanic for mechanical condition and ANY paint or body work.

Any paint or body work reduces the value.

Honestly both really good cars. I have a 2009 Acura tsx. It's a 2.4 engine that kicks out 200hrp stock. I happen to have turbo charged engine so it pushes just over 300. The tsx comes with a built in sub woofer and a great sound system. I have just over 75k miles on it and haven't had a single problem with it yet.