Acura Refines and Polishes Its TSX Gem by Kelly Foss - www.car-data.com
I’ve always liked the TSX. It filled a unique spot in the automotive pallet of choices. I sometimes describe it as the thinking man’s entry luxury model. In the premium compact sedan segment, rear-wheel drive performance models abound and that’s OK. But for the person wanting a compact, upscale sedan that is conservative, reliable and fuel efficient, the choices are limited.
The TSX is the entry model in the Acura lineup. Acura is the luxury brand of Honda. The new TSX is principally the same size as the former model but, within the confines of that package, the vehicle has been optimized and upgraded. The 2.4 liter 4-cylinder engine now produces 201 horsepower and also delivers up to 30 miles per gallon highway driving according to the new stringent EPA calculations. That means in a real world freeway cruise, on our test drives, we were getting an indicated 35+ miles per gallon which is very good. Though the TSX is offered with both a 6-speed manual and a 5-speed automatic, I would recommend the automatic. The manual is fun for a while but is out of character for this vehicle. Besides, the automatic actually gets better economy than the manual. The TSX has a very engaging driving dynamic. It’s sporty, comfortable and controlled. With a fine suspension, excellent chassis control, it’s both comfortable and fun to drive.
The styling of the TSX has added a luxury presence to the vehicle. Its character shows through and now displays itself with confidence. The interior of the TSX is what really sets it apart. It is beautiful, expertly crafted, technology laden and functional. The seating is excellent both front and rear. The materials, fit, finish and feel are superb. The TSX offers a great seating position for the driver and all controls and indicators are where they need to be. An enlarged display screen for the Acura navigation system is still the standard of the industry. This year they’ve added real-time traffic reporting which shows congestion on the roads ahead as well as real-time weather forecasting. The climate control is GPS linked so that the system monitors the sun’s position and intensity in relation to where you currently are driving and will automatically adjust each passenger’s fan speed to compensate for it! And, of course, all of this can be controlled by Acura’s excellent voice command system.
The TSX also offers all trip computing functions, an ELS surround sound audio system with XM radio and all the modern MP3 and iPod device plugs.
So, if you want a vehicle that offers quality, reliability, upscale features and is truly enjoyable to drive and gives you a break at the gas pump, the new Acura TSX may be the right car at the right time.
