Entered CNET Catalog: 02/15/2007
SKU: 100826497
Manufacturer: Acura
Product summary
The good: With a voice-recognition system unparalleled in the auto world, the 2007 Acura TSX is a car you can talk to. And it will talk back, as it has very good text-to-speech capability. Its navigation system features excellent route guidance and a great points-of-interest database.
The bad: The TSX is boring in too many ways. Its bland styling accompanies a refined but unexceptional interior. The powertrain moves the car without enthusiasm, and the stereo merely sounds okay.
The bottom line: For around 30 grand, you can put a lot more excitement into your life than is offered by the 2007 Acura TSX. But the TSX is a good value with real geek appeal, bringing in a complete set of cabin gadgets for a good price.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 03/02/2007
Photo gallery:
2007 Acura TSX
With its efficient engine, mundane exterior, and high-tech cabin electronics, the 2007 Acura TSX makes a perfect commuter car for sensible IT professionals and accountants. The small engine gets good mileage, but doesn't deliver impressive acceleration. Our test car was equipped with a five-speed automatic, which works easily and unobtrusively. And the body styling definitely won't turn any heads, unlike the Audi A3 we had in recently.
On the other hand, Acura TSX drivers can impress their geeky friends by telling the car where they want to go, what temperature they want, what radio station to tune in to, and what phone number to call. This is one conversational car, which will follow your dictates (as long as they come from the car's list of available commands) without fail. We didn't think the stereo was anything to write home about, and we're surprised that no premium stereo upgrades are available. But the car's navigation database is excellent, even including a built-in Zagat Guide for restaurants.
Test the tech: Restaurant run
The Zagat Guide gave us the idea for testing the TSX tech. We weren't going to do zero-to-60mph runs, as we did with the Audi A3, or attempt to drive to Los Angeles and back on a single tank, as we did with the Mercedes-Benz E320. The TSX's engine is neither that fast nor that efficient. Instead, we decided to navigate a route marked out by Zagat-rated restaurants in San Francisco.
And we hit our first snag. Although we could find plenty of promising restaurants in the car's database, the navigation system wouldn't let us easily program them all in. Once you input a destination, you can search for places along your route, but you can't put in way points for places that are far off your route. Nor can you put in one destination, then add more after that one. So we had to select our first restaurant, go there, then select our second, and so forth.
We set out on a sunny Friday at lunchtime, with the idea of picking up some grub along the way. The first restaurant that sounded promising in the Zagat database was Rotee, an Indian/Pakistani eatery in the Lower Haight. The navigation system calculated its route and we set off. We overruled the route guidance on a couple of streets because we thought we knew better. No problem--the system just recalculated quickly and quietly, letting us take our preferred streets. Unfortunately, the navigation system won't find you a parking space, which was the problem we ran into at Rotee.
So we found our next destination, Restaurant Gary Danko. This restaurant, and the next one we tried, Acquerello, only serve dinner. The Zagat information in the TSX doesn't show hours of operation, although we could have used our Bluetooth-connected phone to call ahead. So we finally settled on Pasta Pomodoro, a local cheap Italian place perfect for lunch. The first, and closest, location we tried, on Post Street in Japantown, had gone out of business, something we didn't fault the car for not telling us, since it appeared to be a recent change. And we made it to the next closest Pasta Pomodoro in 15 minutes, so lunch was still served.
In the cabin
With our stomachs full of pasta, we were able to evaluate the rest of the car. The materials in the TSX's cabin are nice, but not particularly luxurious. Unlike Toyota's Lexus brand, Honda isn't shooting for the stars with Acura. The refined materials all have good fit and finish, but only feel a small step up from what you find in a Honda. In fact, the interior doesn't feel much different than that found in Acura's top-of-the-line RL.
Acura has a very interesting method of packaging its cars: you either order the TSX with navigation or without. There are no real interior options, just some trim elements listed as accessories. Bluetooth with voice recognition is standard, as is a so-called premium stereo system with XM satellite radio. We're not sure if you can label a stereo system as "premium" if you're not upgrading from a lower-end version. Maybe, this being an Acura, there is no low end.
We've mentioned it in reviews for the Acura TL, but we'll make the point again: we love Acura's voice-recognition system. You can tell it to make calls, what temperature to set, and what station to tune into. As long as you use the correct commands, its voice recognition is very accurate. Our only issue with the voice-command system is there are two sets of buttons, one set for making phone commands and one set for everything else. We would prefer better integration.
One new thing about the voice system we've noticed in this year's crop of Acuras is the car holds up its own end of the conversation better. It reads out the names of upcoming streets on which you need to turn when route guidance is active, and it even read out the names of the restaurants we selected for our lunchtime tour. After we heard it pronounce "Acquerello" (surprisingly accurately), we spent some time looking for more difficult names to pronounce. It met our challenges, although Ton Kiang sounded more like "Ton Klang".
The navigation system itself is as good as we could want, although it doesn't have the live traffic reporting offered on all other Acuras. It's a touch screen system that offers excellent route guidance, showing good graphics for upcoming turns and, as mentioned above, reading out the names of streets. Its database of restaurants and businesses is as complete as any yellow pages. Our big gripe with the TSX's navigation is that it was slow, with maps taking longer to be drawn than we've seen in other Acura models.
The "premium" stereo didn't impress us. We liked its XM satellite radio interface, and it also included an auxiliary input tucked away in the center console. But the six-disc changer doesn't read MP3 CDs, a real oddity considering Acura's high-tech reputation and something that could have your geek friends making the "L" sign on their foreheads. We also can only consider the sound quality OK. It's not bad, but it didn't open up any new dimensions in our music. Separation was mediocre, especially in the midranges, and the bass had no richness, while the highs were somewhat muted.
We had no difficulty pairing our Motorola V551 phone to the car's Bluetooth system, and on subsequent pairings the car quickly connected to the phone. Call quality was very good--we found it easy to carry on conversations while in the car. The TSX has an onboard phonebook, but you have to make each entry one at a time--it won't copy over your phone's numbers, nor will it show recent calls, as in the Audi A3.
Under the hood
There is little driving excitement to be had with the Acura TSX. The 2.4-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine puts out 205 horsepower, enough to get the car where it needs to go at a reasonable pace. It's designed to be an efficient engine, so we were a bit surprised to see the trip computer calculate our average economy at just around 14mpg during our initial intensive city driving. Although downtown San Francisco will challenge any engine's efficiency, with its heavy traffic and short distance between stoplights, we expected closer to this engine's city EPA-rated 22mpg.
Time spent on the freeway soon changed our average, as we expected, giving us an observed 23.9mpg for our total time with the car. Its highway EPA rating tops out at 31mpg, a number that could probably be improved with a better transmission than the five-speed automatic that came with our car. We really were hoping for the six-speed manual, which we know and love from last year's Honda Accord. The TSX's powertrain isn't particularly green, earning it an LEV II, or Low Emissions Vehicle II, rating from California's Air Resources Board. It's not bad, but there are small sedans that do better. Check out our roundup of the 12 greenest cars for some examples.
In sum
Our 2007 Acura TSX came with the navigation system and five-speed automatic, a configuration that comes for a set price of $30,090. It's the same price with the six speed manual. Without navigation, the TSX goes for $28,090. With a $670 destination fee, our TSX topped out at $30,760. An iPod adaptor is available for an extra $214 as a dealer installation.
The Acura TSX has nothing to do with driving enthusiasm, so stay away if you want to zip around the twisties and tear off from stoplights. The Audi A3 can be had at a similar price and will satisfy all these desires. The TSX measures up as a good car for gadget freaks, for people who will never get tired of the fact that they can talk to the car and it will do what they ask. The real measure of the TSX is its value, as few cars offer navigation and Bluetooth for this price.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21out of 21 user reviews
Not very good unless you live in a major market
Pros: Big screen
Cons: Slow, menus arent intuitive, absolutely terrible at finding anything in our area (we live in a small city 250,000 people, cant image trying to use this ging through small towns on a road trip).
out of 21 user reviews
CNET Reviewer got 1995 Neon review mixed up
Pros: Bluetooth, XM Radio, Smooth Ride, Sportshift
Cons: No realtime traffic, no passenger side seat memory,
out of 21 user reviews
why is the editor's rating for the 07 lower than the 06?
Pros: fun car to drive with a 6 speed
Cons: navigation system is a little outdated
Anyways, this is the best car for its price range. BTW, I paid 28,500 OTD with nav. Also, regardless of how everyone raves about the navigation system for this car, I found it a waste of money to get it. I had a garmin gps street pilot and found it way better than the one I have in this car. Despite of millions of POI it has I couldn't find my local golf course, which has been around for several years. If you don't believe me then look up Stone Creek golf course in Oregon City, Oregon or Chehalem Glenn golf course in Newberg, Oregon. I have the 06 model and cannot speak for the 07+ model. Maybe they updated the disk. But regardless, the golf course has been around for many years. Why didn't they included in the 06 DVD? If I had to do it again I would not get the nav for this car. You are better of getting a portable one from Garmin, which is a bit better. out of 21 user reviews
Practically Perfect In Every Way -- what are CNET editors on?!
Pros: I think my care is more intelligent than I am. The only thing it DOESN'T do is teleport.
Cons: There should definitely be an upgraded radio option.
And another thing--it is EXTREMELY eye-catching. Again, the editor is absolutely insane and should honestly be disregarded. The subtle but noticeable chrome accents (door handles, trim on windows, grille in the front) look amazing on nearly every color. I have a rear spoiler on mine, and I think it makes it look more sports sedanish, but it is not necessary--this car is beautiful to look at.
I won't go on any longer--the specs are all online and easily accessible. This car, though, is fantastic. HIGHLY recommended.
out of 21 user reviews
Great Car. Editor is terribly mistaken, TSX is unbl-ble
Pros: Everything, comfort, handling, value, sound.
Cons: Not everyone is lucky enough to drive a TSX. The editor.
As far as I'm concerned, the editor may not have done proper research or may have driven a car costing considerably more than the TSX before driving the TSX.
If you're considering any car in it's class, you'll be cheating yourself out of luxury, value, style and performance if you go with anything other than the TSX.
out of 21 user reviews
a very good value at under $30K
Pros: feel of drive, luxury and simple style and value
Cons: rear visibility, sound system is lacking in quality sound
out of 21 user reviews
Best balance of all aspects
Pros: Sporty, Comfort, Looks, MPG
Cons: none so far
I first bought a 2005 TSX in Nov of 2004. Owned it a year and sold to my girlfriend. I then went looking for a replacement that was either different and/or a step up, ... but which would cost $10k more for basically the same level my TSX offered.
For a short while I owned a new: Audi A4, Jeep Wrangler & Liberty, Ford Escape, Scion XB, Chevy Cobolt, .....while all the time offering to drive my girlfriends' TSX whenever we'd need to go together.
Last month I test drove (extended) a Murano, MDX, TL, G35, LR2, all of which are very nice but do not offer $5-8k more (of ?), than the TSX. In the end I came full circle and placed my order for a new 2007 TSX (white). The 2005 TSX never gave me issues when I owned it, and my girlfriend hasn't had issues either (BTW, says she'll own it forever). This car has the best balance of all aspects that complete a package. For me, there's not much good in having 250+ hp in V6/V8 auto that can't allow evasive moves during emergency situations. IMO, straight line power went out with the 60's. Today's cars are about balance, control, mileage, comfort, and reliability.
TSX deserves a 9.0+ rating.
out of 21 user reviews
I OPPOSE CNET REVIEW!
Pros: ALL SUPER!
Cons: NONE I HAVE FOUND!
out of 21 user reviews
Another moronfest! CNET editors are on glue
Pros: Car and driver top 10, 3 years straight. Enough said.
Cons: I had to read this rating review.
out of 21 user reviews
Editor's review is a joke
Pros: terrific handling, voice recognition, very functional GPS interface, overall package
Cons: torque could be better
Anyway, here is my summary of TSX after 4 weeks of ownership. The car is perfect in almost every aspect, especially handling at corner, very very useful GPS operating interface (I won't restate all the fancy options you can find online or from the previous reviews) and my comlains are there could be more torque (but again, do not get me wrong, TSX is not underpowered) and the audio system could be better. Before I bought 2007 TSX, I was having a difficult choice between a brand new TSX with Navi and a 2004 330xi with Navi (22000 mi) for the same price. Since I was looking for a compact sports car, I do value handling as well as power. BMW was such a legend in the industry and I always want a last generation 3 series (new 3 got a bad look but better package), so, I test drove the BMW first. The handling is terrific and it cuts corner so effortlessly. But, 215 hp was not as a strong boost as I imagined (comparing with my friend's Volvo S60 twin turbo). However, the interior was a dissapointment although the exterior is as perfect as it could be. In addition, I came back home and checked the safety rating and found out 2004 BMW's side impact score is only 3 out 5 (which is really bad). So, I decided to take a look at TSX.
I test drove the car and of course, I do not feel much difference in terms of andling comparing to 330xi, and the there is enough punch to reach my requirement for a sports car, though I it won't help me to win a drag race. In my view, winding mountain road is the best place to enjoy a sports car instead of interstate highway. Finally, the strong safety rating eventually sways me to the TSX.
out of 21 user reviews
Best Bang for the buck
Pros: Engineering, craftmanship, hi-tech, safety
Cons: No hybrid versions
I owned two TSX's so far, as the first one saved my life when hit in the rear by an UPS truck.
out of 21 user reviews
Great Technology, Fun to Drive, Fantastic Value
Pros: Greatest Navigation system on the market. Hands free bluetooth, voice recognition, XM Radio
Cons: A little underpowered and a little heavy.
out of 21 user reviews
Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!
Pros: Amazing value, great nav system, nice interior, comfortable seats, XM radio.
Cons: Acceleration with 5-speed automatic, unimpressive fuel economy, no MP3 playback.
out of 21 user reviews
best car for the money
Pros: power, fit and finish, style, and interior features
Cons: stiff suspension, which will soften with time.
out of 21 user reviews
Great car, bad editor, great MPG, great features
Pros: MPG, comfort, 6 speed, looks, price
Cons: Could use more power, but would sacrifice MPG
out of 21 user reviews
I have had the most fun with my TSX.
Pros: slick manual transmission, sharp handling, HID's, low price, avg 26mpg,
Cons: a little underpowered, not a BMW, tires with low grip
handling: thicker rear anti-sway bar $150
Performance tires
Power: Injen cold air intake(15hp) $200
Tanbabe Cat-back exhaust (5hp) $900
out of 21 user reviews
The reviewer is right...
Pros: Excellent Nav/Tech package
Cons: Boring to drive
The electronics ARE great in this car. The NAV system is as good as you'll find for ease of use.
Unfortunately, the driving dynamics of this car will disappoint if you're used to anything other than a Honda econo-box. The front-wheel drive makes for bland handling, with numb on-center steering, and the usual bump steer irritations.
There's something seriously wrong with a car this size that can't get better gas mileage. They also noticed this at Edmunds; they got only 19 mpg in mixed, mostly highway driving. My wife has a much larger, faster, all-wheel drive Audi A6 that does better. Not that they're in the same class, but it's sort of ridiculous that the TSX does so badly.
Having great electronics doesn't make up for an otherwise disappointing car. I'm still looking.
out of 21 user reviews
Is this a typo - 6.6 ?
Pros: total package
Cons: low-end torque
out of 21 user reviews
Wayne Cunningham is so WRONG
Pros: Great handling! Sophisticated well crafted interior
Cons: Needs some low end power
out of 21 user reviews
cnet's rating for the '07 is weak
Pros: Best entry luxury car.
Cons: Drive-by-wire lag
The only difference between the '06, which cnet rated at 8.0, and the '07 is the addition of TPMS. Admittedly, the TSX is no BMW - which focuses more on driving enthusiasm and safety than the overall package - but with a good selection of aftermarket products consumers have the ability of customizing the car to their tastes.
The TSX completely balances interior comfort with overall driving performance. It is a high-revving car and you do need to get up to the 5000 - 6000rpm range to feel the rush but if you're doing this "spirited driving" in-city, then chances are you will never get the 22mpg you were hoping for, unless you want a Yaris!
There are 3 obvious performance related, low cost, items the car could have used 1) A decent rear sway bar, 2) a lower centre of gravity, 3) improved DBW - the lag when switching from 1st to 2nd is sometimes horrible!
In all, I think getting 17" wheels, xenon headlights, 205hp 2.4l engine, led side mirror signals, heated side mirrors, interior leather, powered seats, heated seats, bluetooth, power everything, sunroof, automatic rear mirror dimmer, speed sensing wipers, a good sound system (though the midrange is lacking), TPMS and finally the reliability of this Japanese built car and outstanding comprehensive warranty is worth the price tag!
Trying to get these TSX standards in any other vehicle and your price tag starts to go up in a hurry.
Bottom line, the TSX comes in at an excellent price offering a LOT of luxury itmes as standard, an engine that'll make passing a treat and the ability to customize, if that's your thing, a pleasure.
Now... the only beef I've got with this car is the increased price tag once it comes into Canada. CDN$37,000???? yeesh!
http://reviews.cnet.com/2006_Acura_TSX/4505-10865_7-31861505.html?tag=prod.txt.1
out of 21 user reviews
uhhh...6.6?
Pros: technology, 205hp 4cyl
Cons: sluggish until 2000 rpm
