My Experience

I test-drove an Acura TSX 6-speed at a local dealership. My test drive lasted about forty-five minutes and covered city streets, freeways, and an isolated parking lot where I got to drive the car hard, away from traffic.


Performance

I liked the TSX's efficient and responsive four-cylinder engine, but it never let me forget that there were only four cylinders under the hood. On my test drive, it provided surprisingly quick acceleration over an impressively broad spread of revs, but it never delivered that satisfying shove in the back to make me think, "wow, fast car!" Instead, the TSX is one of those cars where you find yourself going faster than you intended.

For example, at one point in the freeway-cruising portion of my test drive, I gave the gas pedal a nudge to test the TSX's passing power. I felt little sensation of forward thrust, but then I looked down at the speedometer a few moments later and realized I was going 90 mph. The speed creeps up on you--I never felt like I was accelerating very hard.

Part of this impression has to do with the engine's unstressed demeanor. Throttle response is fairly flat at low revs, although it's flexible enough in gentle driving. It's not until the tachometer passes 4000rpms that the engine comes alive and pulls the car with some eagerness. Once it does, the pull remains consistent all the way to 7000rpms and beyond, but the TSX's engine never feels frenzied or flustered.

The exhaust is almost inaudible, vibrations are nonexistent, and while the engine emits a snarly sewing-machine whir when pushed, it's not especially thrilling (or musical). The fact that I could rev the TSX's engine up to 7200rpms was exciting, but the rest of the engine's qualities were a bit of a disappointment for my inner thrill-seeker.


Transmission/Clutch

I may have been more-or-less indifferent to the TSX's engine, but its transmission was nothing short of amazing. Few cars, front-wheel-drive or otherwise, can match the light, crisp action of the TSX's shifter. Its throws were short, quick, and rifle-bolt solid, with a satisfying, mechanically direct feel as I snicked through the gears.

The clutch was slightly less brilliant, with an unnecessarily long throw that detracted from the sporting mood, but it was still light, smooth, and easy to coordinate. Clutch complaints aside, I haven't experienced a transmission this sweet since the 1995 Miata I used to drive.


Steering/Handling

The TSX's handling isn't as hard-edged as a sports-oriented enthusiast like myself would prefer, but it displayed an exceptionally intelligent compromise between sport and luxury, putting equal emphasis on both. On my test drive, the TSX's handling never felt overtly sporty or exciting, but it was extremely confident, assured, and light on its feet in all situations.

The car felt solid and planted in moderate driving, and its steering feel was excellent for a front-wheel-drive car. The steering's weighting was perfect--firm, with medium-high effort and a natural-feeling resistance to turning--and its quick ratio made for eager turn-in response. Road feel was muted to a minimum, and there was a trace of on-center imprecision that took away that last bit of sharpness, but the overall feel was commendable nonetheless.

When I took the TSX into the wide-open parking lots of an abandoned army base, I found that while the TSX is no BMW, chassis-wise, it still retains its composure when pushed to its limits. When I threw the car hard into corners, there was a fair amount of body roll, and noticeable traces of understeer from the front tires. But the TSX gripped hard, held on, and clawed through the turn no matter what I asked of it.

Back on the freeway, quick lane changes also induced noticeable body roll, but the car never felt flustered. The TSX was especially reassuring at high speeds--100mph felt no different than 80mph, a rarity in any class of car. While the TSX's handling is too much of a sport-luxury compromise to satisfy die-hard enthusiasts, it impressed me with its overall competence and capability. It was never edgy or thrilling, but the TSX always remained quietly confident.


Ride

The TSX's ride was smooth and satisfying, with almost no impact harshness to speak of. Ride motions were firmly-controlled, but not especially stiff. The suspension went about its business in relaxed, confident fashion, in keeping with the rest of the car--although, again, the sensation of smoothness detracted from any feelings of sportiness or immediacy. But the TSX still managed to keep me in touch with the road, smoothing out the pavement without totally isolating me from the road surface.

The ultra-stiff body structure was also satisfying. I'm a stickler for body rigidity, and I felt not a single quiver or rattle throughout the entire test drive. Noise levels were low, as well. The engine and tires were nearly inaudible on the freeway, with nothing but wind rush to be heard at low revs.


Interior

The TSX's interior was undoubtedly one of its high points. The car's sticker said $27,000, but I'd be happy to find an interior of this caliber in a car costing twice as much (assuming I had that kind of money). The look, feel, and layout of the interior was simply superb.

The driving position struck a nice balance between "sport" and "sedan"--upright, but reclined and sporty enough that I wouldn't feel irresponsible blasting down a twisty road (some sedans' "sit-up-straight" postures have that effect on me). Outward visibility wasn't as open and unimpeded as I've experienced in past Honda/Acura designs, due to the relatively high beltline and gun-slit windshield, but I didn't find that the least bit bothersome. The seats were extraordinarily comfortable up front, and thoroughly decent in back, with room to spare.

Materials quality was outstanding. Everything I touched in the TSX was rich-feeling, slick, and nicely padded. The controls operated with the silky smoothness that's typical of Honda/Acura, but with a modern, upscale look that I had never seen in the company's cars before. The ambience is understated, but sleek and fashionable--and unlikely to age poorly, unlike the tech-looking accommodations of the Infiniti G35 and Lexus IS300.

There's only one odd quirk inside--a floor-hinged accelerator pedal! Very strange, since the only car I've ever seen that had floor-hinged pedals was a 1970's Porsche. But it takes only a few seconds to get used to. Otherwise, the TSX's interior is an amazing piece of work.


Practicality

The TSX scores more points in this area, mostly for the usual reasons. There was lots of room up front, and pretty good room in back. The trunk was surprisingly large, and a split-folding rear seat comes as standard equipment (something that can't be said for its more-expensive sibling, the TL). But these weren't the only reasons I found the TSX so practical. Part of the reason I was so smitten with this car is its exquisite efficiency. It's not a big car outside, but still has a roomy interior and a luxurious feel to the cabin that shames many more-expensive cars. In city settings, this car's smaller size (yet equal luxury) would be a boon in parking situations.

Then there's the engine. Despite the fact that I wasn't overly thrilled with its power delivery, I love the fact that this car can keep up with most of its six-cylinder rivals using a low-emissions, high-miles-per-gallon four-cylinder. Being a liberal-minded car enthusiast, I love seeing cars that do more with less--and the TSX's brilliant engineering solutions seem uber-practical and very endearing to me.


Reliability

There is no reliability data from Consumer Reports yet, but given Honda/Acura's flawless reliability record over the years, it's highly unlikely that the TSX will be troublesome. The TSX has been sold for years in Europe as their home-market Honda Accord, where it's built up an enviable reputation for quality and reliability in the automotive press overseas. You probably won't be taking a risk here, despite the lack of hard data.


Overall

Although the TSX wouldn't be my first choice in a sports sedan, I came away deeply impressed by what Acura has achieved here. This car feels confident, agile, spirited, and all-of-a-piece--perhaps the best-balanced, most well-integrated car I've driven in recent memory. Its interior is fantastically comfortable, well-designed, and luxurious, and its smooth and quiet ride makes it an appealing alternative for near-luxury buyers. At the same time, its high-revving engine, capable handling, and sweet shifter make it appealing to those with sporting sensibilities.

Although I personally prefer my sports sedans harder-edged and less compromised for comfort, I think the TSX represents the best balance of comfort and athleticism for most buyers out there. I'm sure the BMW 3-Series does it just as well or better, but I've yet to see one anywhere near their purported low-$30Ks pricetag on a dealer lot. The TSX, on the other hand, is packaged with nearly everything standard, and hardly any options to run up the bill, so that every car on the lot was, astoundingly, well under $30,000.

For the money, I would personally pass up the TSX for harder-edged sport sedans like the new Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT, but then I'm a bit of a performance nut--for buyers looking for an intelligent compromise between sport and luxury at a reasonable price, I would suggest hitting the Acura store first.




Feel free to check out my reviews of some of the TSX's competitors:
Acura TL
BMW 325i
Infiniti G35
Lexus IS300
Nissan Maxima SE
Saab 9-2X
Subaru Impreza WRX
Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT
Volvo S60 2.5T
Amount Paid (US$): 26,490