Acura TSX Review

2008 Acura TSX Sedan

The Acura TSX is a relatively new vehicle in the entry-level luxury sport sedan segment. Consumers who want a sedan, there are traces remain silent and a little more upscale than the typical family sedan will find plenty to like. Acura's least expensive sedan is an ideal choice for daily use given his entertaining driving characteristics, high-quality interior and generous level of standard features. And like most Acura vehicles, TSX boasts a high degree of refinement, a reputation for above-average reliability and good value for the dollar.

One drawback to the Acura TSX is that we suspect many people do not perceive it as being as prestigious as owning more established cars from European carmakers. It is probably a function of car news, his Honda roots and its four-cylinder engine. But overall, our editors keep it very high, and suggests that entry-level luxury sport sedan buyers to give it consideration.

The Acura TSX has room for five passengers. Almost all of the car's high-end features come standard. This includes such topics as 17-inch alloy wheels, HID headlamps, heated power-adjustable driver and passenger seats with driver memory, leather upholstery, an eight-speaker, 360-watt audio system with XM Satellite Radio and an in-dash CD changer; Dual -zone automatic climate control, and a sunroof.

Anti-lock brakes, stability control, front side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags for all outboard passengers are also standard. An impressive DVD-based navigation system with voice-activated software is the only option.

To power the front-wheel-drive TSX is based on a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. Compared with the six-cylinder engines found in other entry-level luxury sports sedan, this four-cylinder comes up somewhat short in terms of torque output, but is competitive in terms of horsepower. From TSX road tests, we found that the engine will be revved a bit higher to get sufficient acceleration at low speeds. Buyers can choose either a smooth-shifting six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic.

In consumer reviews, Acura TSX owners often say that they were in the market for other premium-make models, but ended up with Acura because of its reasonable price and generous feature list. They also liked the car's high fuel efficiency and fun-to-drive character. But they will also note that the four-cylinder engine to be revved often and believe that this quality may turn off some potential buyers.

These buyers researcher purchase of a used Acura TSX will find that only small changes have been made since the car's 2004 introduction. For the 2005 model year, Acura added XM Satellite Radio, heated door mirrors and a four-way power passenger seat to the standard features list. The steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise control also been backlighted lighting.

2006 Acura TSX features smaller engine, function and styling changes. The 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine was modified to produce slightly more power and navigation system achieved faster processing and additional points of interest. Bluetooth connectivity and an MP3 player auxiliary jack was also new. Exterior enhancements for the 2006 TSX include redesigned front and rear fascia, new side thresholds, foglamps and new alloy wheels.