Road Test: 2009 Acura TSX

Story and photos by John LeBlanc

Acura’s second generation TSX gains refinement at the expense of fun

To a certain degree, Acura’s TSX has always been in a class by itself.

Where other entry level compact luxury/sports sedans offer power to the rear or all four wheels, and engines with more than four cylinders, Acura continues to offer its TSX exclusively with a four-cylinder powering the front wheels only—a configuration that can only be found in rivals such as the Audi A4 or Saab 9-3.

For 2009, different, yet more of the same

Like the first model introduced in 2003, the second generation North American-only TSX is heavily based on the Honda Accord that’s sold in Europe, Japan and Australia. As such, it’s wider, longer, and roomier inside than before, but still smaller than the super sized U.S.-made Accord.

The mid-section of the ’09 edition has a similar side window treatment from the last TSX. Conservative sedan is its mantra. But the “Americanization” of the front and rear fascias gives the new car an awkward and forced look.

The most obvious change externally is its massive chrome tongue grille. It’s there so the new TSX stays inline with Acura’s new corporate design language that’s being applied to the entire lineup one model at a time.

Doesn’t Acura know? Nice sports sedans finish last

Although the TSX comes with the same 2.4-litre inline-four from last year, Acura has subtly massaged four more horsepower (up to 201) and eight more pound-feet of torque (now 172.)

Honda says that previous TSX customers complained of the last mill’s raucous nature. Therefore, its made efforts to make not only the engine, but also the entire driving experience quieter. Some more enthusiastic drivers, those who don’t mind hearing a bit of engine noise, may see this as debit on the character side of the ledger.

With the upgraded torque rating, there's now solid midrange punch for passing and highway onramp maneuvers. And the TSX’s slick shifting six-speed manual transmission will remind you how good parent Honda is at making snickety-snick gearboxes. Regardless of the power upgrades, though, the Acura trails most of is rivals when it comes to straight-line performance. Taking 8.0 seconds to saunter to 100 km/h, the TSX is at least 2.0 seconds behind the pack. That said, once you’re done getting up to highway speeds, the Acura sedan is quite relaxed and quiet.

My guess is, Acura thinks TSX customers are quite happy being at the tail end of the performance window. Or maybe it’s the idea that a four-cylinder sports sedan will be cheaper to fill than a rival V6 at fuel pumps? Maybe.

The new TSX’s fuel consumption is rated at 10.5 L/100 km city, 7.0L highway. I saw a reasonable 9.5L during my week with the car. Just note that a rear-drive Lexus IS250 with a V6 does about the same at 10.7L and 6.9L, respectively.

Plenty of goodies for the price

Looks aside and middling performance numbers aside, former TSX fans won’t be disappointed with the amount of standard equipment and available features that was a hallmark of the 2004 to 2008 first generation sedan. If not up-to-snuff with more powerful entry-level sports sedan rivals, at least Acura continues the TSX tradition of offering a lot of kit for about the same amount of cash.

Base TSXs start at $32,900. My tester came with a Premium package, priced at $36,200 with its standard six-speed manual. A $1,300 five-speed automatic is available.

Moon roof, driver (with memory) and passenger power leather and heated seats are all standard. While build quality and fit and finish are excellent, it would be nice have real aluminum trim instead of the plastic titanium finish to separate the Acura from the more plebian Accord.

What does distinguish the Acura is its seating. Aggressive side and shoulder bolsters are there for when you do want to treat the TSX like the sports sedan it’s advertised as. And the three passengers in the back are treated equally as well. Hip- and shoulder room are measurably better than last year’s TSX. Legroom is excellent as well, over 100 mm more than the tighter Lexus IS.

A North American version of the TSX wagon that the rest of the world gets would be a nice addition to the lineup from a utility standpoint. But for now, know the sedan’s 357 litres trunk is available, and there’s a 60/40-split rear seat as well.

More refined than rambunctious

The last TSX was renowned for its nimble and pinpoint accuracy on a back road. But the new larger model, er, not so much.

Don’t get me wrong: The ’09 TSX hasn’t gone all Lincoln Town Car-soft in its suspension. It just doesn’t have the snappy responses that the smaller ’08 possessed. There’s seems to an extra layer of distance now between the driver and the road. And when pushed really hard, it tends to lose its composure earlier than the first generation TSX.

Maybe it was the numb steering that threw me off. For a front drive car, the first TSX actually had some feel to its helm. But in the name of refinement, it looks like Honda’s engineers have dialed out some of the communication. In all honestly, today’s Honda Accord has more weight and feel.

Tipping the TSX more towards luxury than sports sedan, at least the ride is quiet and composed, especially over some of badly frost heaved Canadian roads.

Some personality would make a difference

For driving enthusiasts, it may be time to turn the page on the TSX.

Beyond its more aggressive front grille, Acura seems to have gone to great lengths to remove any sporting personality that the first generation TSX had in lieu of making the ’09 version more of a luxury sedan.

If you’re looking for a feature-laden, well-built and roomy-for-five sedan at a competitive price, get yourself down to an Acura dealer and you won’t be disappointed.

But for those willing to trade in trinkets for a more exciting driving experience, there are simply too many other offerings in this segment (like BMWs 323i or Lexus IS250) that offer more exhilarating rides.

Road test: 2009 Acura TSX

Base price/as-tested: $32,900/$36,200

Type of vehicle: Compact sports sedan

Engine: 2.4L I4

Power/Torque: 201 hp / 172 lb.-ft.

Transmissions: Six-speed manual

Fuel consumption: L/100 km: 10.5 city, 7.0 hwy, 9.5 as-tested

Competition: Audi A4, BMW 323i, Infiniti G37, Lexus IS250, Mercedes-Benz C 230, Saab 9-3 2.0T

REVIEW SUMMARY

Here are the salient points and overall rating of this new model, as established by our reviewer:

SUMMARY – 7.5 out of 10

PROS

Lots of room seating for five.

Plenty of features for the price.

Nice, quiet highway ride.

As expected, excellent Honda build quality.

CONS

Mediocre performance.

Lifeless steering.

Soulless driving experience.

More luxury than sports sedan.

Comments