2005 Acura TSX (04/28/2005)

Review: This car is great. I really like how it drives and maneuvers. I have had only one gripe, and no other problems. The one gripe is that I wish this car had a little more torque - and then this would have been an excellent car.

Review: This is my first ACURA and I love it. The standard warranty 5yrs, 100k mi is great! Smooth Ride, No Problems or Complaints. Great Speeds, Navi system with Voice recognition is fantastic. I use it everyday to everything from nearest Restaurants to local ATM's, to phone numbers for a store I am looking to go to.

Review: I am the proud owner of my second TSX. I recently acquired the 2006 model, which has cured all the shortcomings of the 2004 model. It is blue tooth capable, XM ready, IPOD aux jack. Memory Seats the whole shibang it is pretty much a mini TL. It is a must try if you are considering a 3 series or A4 it pulled me away on the way to buy an AUDI!

Review: i love this car. I was going to get a 3 series but instead i chose the TSX. I am glad I chose the TSX. Its Sporty, its a Beautiful car, Great Handling, just an all around great car.

Review: Best car I have ever owned. Will definitely go back to Acura for my next car!

Review: it's been one and a half years and i still get breathless when i walk towards my car. it has the right proportions and great, classy understated styling. i still get headturns on the street (got the nighthawk black pearl color).

while i still wish it had a bit more low end torque oomph, it "feels" faster than it is and it's rev-happy, which is always fun. i do have slight regrets about not getting the 6 speed stick, but i occasionally slip into the sport shift mode which holds the gears just long enough to rev the car and decibals up to fun level.

what it lacks in acceleration it makes up in handling, which is still fun. it's not as tight nor nimble as when new, but it's still got quite a grip through sharp turns and curves. the tires now chirp quite a bit, which is annoying, but a sign of fun aggressive driving.

my biggest issue is with the tsx's brakes. by 20000 miles, my front rotors were warped and brake fade was evident. at 35000 now, they're completely warped and the rear pad sensors are hitting! fortunately, the dealer good willed the front rotors, replacing them with brand new ones (according to tsx forums this is happening quite frequently and many dealers are taking care of it). brake feel isn't quite as grippy and i'm considering replacing them with brembo rotors and hawk hps pads in my next brake change. good reviews out there on that combo.

other issues are minor, mainly concerning the interior fit and finish, which are surprising considering acura/honda's history, but at the same time so much better than my last car, a '93 dodge intrepid es (which to put it nicely, was horrid). a couple switches are squeaking or not lighting, buzzing from bass speakers, and the leather looks 10 years old already. everything except the leather was replaced effortlessly by the dealer under warranty. otherwise, i'm still impressed by the interior dash design and logical placement of controls. it's a cabin i love to cruise in with the moonroof open in the sun.

people are still amazed by the amount of standard features the tsx possesses, it's classy-ness, and the relative bargain it can be had for. i may have some gripes, but they're nothing compared to the love i have for my baby tsx... =)

Review: Can anyone tell me the differences between the "TSX" and the "TL" ???

Review: This car goes like Mad (once it is up in RPMs), and handles like a go cart. Even with the 5 speed auto, performance is exhilarating.
I love the fact that you can take any freeway on-ramp, wind it out to 70MPH in 2nd gear, and blast past any other car in merely a heartbeat!
Also, the fact that you don't see your identical twin (car) on the road every few minutes is a plus in my book. I see Accords EVERYWHERE, but only a few TSXs.

Review: 2006 The Acura TSX gets more power, refined interior, and hands free bluetooth integration... and a high-tech maintence minder system too

Review: Given this is my fourth "Honda", my comparisons tend to be skewed relative to previous generations.

Acura (Honda) has done an exceptional job here in terms of fit, quality, features and overall performance. While styling may be viewed as too conservative by some, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, it is less likely to be viewed as dated 5 years from now.

Despite some negatives (mostly nitpicks), there is great deal to like about the TSX. Let's get one thing cleared up first, while parent company Honda markets the TSX as an Acura it really is a fully loaded "Euro Accord." The major difference being the instrument panel, the Euro Accord uses the same IP and center stack as the North American domestic Accord.

Before it ever was introduced in North America as the 2004 TSX in mid 2003, it received countless awards in Europe and Japan as a breakthrough model and European car of the year. So any misgivings concerning it's origins should be put to rest immediately. In fact, when asked what car I own, I always refer to it as a European Accord first and an Acura second.

Honda has done a realistic job hiding the car's front wheel drive layout and made the TSX into just everything a sport sedan should be. Handling and steering are linear, well centered and communicative. The 4-wheel disc brakes offer short, controlled stopping distances with good modulation and no discernable brake fade during heavy stop and go traffic.

As for the ride, though somewhat firm it is never harsh. The suspension setup is very comfortable, poised and well balanced. In fact, after several 7 hour trips we always arrived relaxed and never fatigued or beat-up. The 17" seven spoke alloy wheels and Michelin P215/50 R17 tires offer good grip with a quiet and smooth ride.

Despite many high tech features and materials including the use of lightweight magnesium alloy for the 6-speed manual transmission housing, the TSX carries a little bulk. Combined with a manual transmission and navigation system it weighs 3241 lbs (1465kg), zero to 60 times are in the 6.6 - 7.4 second range depending on which review you read.

Because of the weight, power is strong but not exceptional. With a 2.4 liter, 4-cylinder engine rated at 200 HP @ 6800 RPM torque is only 166 @ 4500 RPM. Maybe not the stuff of legends but very credible. Interestingly, off the line acceleration can come up surprisingly quick with the manual transmission despite the low torque and added heft. Where the TSX really comes into it's own is during long distance drives and mountain curves. Even serving daily commuter status can be fun too.

Don't be misled into thinking the TSX is an underperformer. On the contrary, even though the numbers tell one story, the drive contradicts those figures. It's always interesting how specs can be misleading. Reading about a car is one thing, driving it however can reveal far more than you ever thought. As mentioned, this car can handle! The 6-speed manual is smooth and precise, never notchy.

Only on rare occasions, the "drive-by-wire" system has interfered with faultless shifting. Occasionally during spirited starts in first gear, the system was unable to react fast enough to the input given by the accelerator. The net effect was engine speed might sometimes lag a split-second after you pressed the accelerator. In other words, RPMs did not spin-up quick enough to allow an upshift.

If you have ever driven a turbocharged car, the condition would compare with turbo lag. It’s the equivalent to that nano-second delay before the turbo spools up and the power comes on, as I said it is rare. After speaking with owners of other drive-by-wire vehicles with manual transmissions this condition appears widespread among newer cars. The root cause may be the use of computer-controlled servos replacing direct acting linkages.

This minor "glitch" aside, all other Honda superlatives still apply here. Switches and controls are very intuitive and well placed, they glide and click with reassuring quality. Every interior and exterior gap and seam, are thinner than you expect and very consistent. Interior materials actually do rival models that are more expensive. Example, the armrests on each door of the TSX is not only leather covered, but comfortably padded. A difference you really appreciate on long trips.

Electroluminescent LED gauges never "wash out" in direct sun and are always visible. These are far better than previous generation LCD displays. The 360 watt, 8-speaker stereo never distorts, but higher quality speakers and more advanced sound technology wouldn't hurt.

The navigation system is sort of a mixed bag. Those who do not like it or feel it too expensive will feel vindicated in rejecting it. Others, such as myself, will not understand how they lived without it. The biggest irritant is the safety disclaimer or initial screen. Warning of the potential hazardous effects while driving and operating the controls, it appears at every startup... every time.

The safety aspects become somewhat diluted if you understand how most drivers interface with the system. By mandating a long time-out (about 45 seconds), the system tests drivers' patience (which is not very long), encouraging them to skip the screen and drive off almost immediately. When the "OK" button does appear they set their destinations (or adjust other functions) at the first opportunity... usually while driving. Ironic, isn't it, sort of defeats the purpose of the warning?

This nitpick aside, Honda's previous generation of navigation systems only displayed a disclaimer for about 15 seconds, why the change?

While true many of the controls are integrated into the navigation system display screens and are too "nested" to access quickly, there are shortcuts to mitigate this. For example, redundant radio controls are available on the steering wheel for basic functions and are immediately operational at startup. As well as a secondary display across the top center of the dash indicating volume, radio stations, CD info, time and climate control temperatures.

While I do enjoy the technology, I also find some areas lacking. As mentioned elsewhere, real time traffic data would be a tremendous help. Though the voice recognition is helpful it isn't always able to recognize every spoken command and it's response time feels a little slow sometimes, this is the price you pay for being a technology pioneer

It is important to keep in mind these systems are still evolving and each succeeding generation is improving exponentially. Speaking of price, I do agree $2000 is steep for a navigation system. But in retrospect, this was true for early adopters of anti-lock brakes, HID headlight, air bags, etc.

In time as with previous technologies not only will the prices decline, but the level of refinement and sophistication will improve as well. It simply a matter of want vs. need. If you want and gotta have it now, you will pay - otherwise wait for next time.

Either way, with or without the navigation system the TSX is really one fine car. Not perfect (what is?) but far better than any previous Accord and at least equal to, if not better then competing models.

What really puts it over the top for many is the value. Power everything is standard including a pair of supportive and comfortable full power, heated, leather seats; moonroof; dual zone climate control; 6-CD in dash changer; steering wheel controls; HID headlights; folding split rear seats; stability control; leather covered tilt and telescopic steering wheel and much more.

Try comparing European car against the TSX and after you recover from sticker shock you will begin to appreciate it's value. When factoring reliability, retained value lower insurance costs it really becomes a no brainer. But what really grabs you is the ride. Drive a TSX and you will discover just how much fun and satisfying a Euro Accord can be.

Review: I love this car, but I wish it had some more power. But for >30,000 its a great car with defined lines and sleek styling. The standard features are awesome especially with the voice Navigation option.