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Taking the fun of TSX along with the boring

The Acura TSX is a car you still love after a grueling day behind the wheel.

Tom Incantalupo | ROAD TEST

June 13, 2008

The Acura TSX can be a good friend, but that includes moments of boredom. (Handout / June 13, 2008)

Lots of cars make a good first impression in the showroom and on a brief test drive. But a car you still love after a grueling day behind the wheel is a special friend and, for me the new Acura TSX that arrived in showrooms in April fell into that category.

On what was the hottest day of the year up to then, for a total of seven hours in heavy weekend traffic, a portion of it lost in Yonkers after dark, the TSX did everything right: handling, ride, air-conditioning, seats, dashboard controls, trunk space. Every aspect of the car cooperated to make a tough day a little easier.

But even a good friend can get boring at times and that sentiment, too, was part of my one-week relationship with this newest Acura.

Acura's price leader, the TSX sedan got a complete redo for '09, with a new look and more torque. Some of you might judge its styling too generic to distinguish this near-luxury car from its cheaper cousins at Honda.

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Of a more functional nature, the electric (rather than the more common hydraulic) power steering provides less "feedback" than some of you will want in a performance car -- a sense of the forces acting upon the front tires. For a sporty car, there's also a surprising amount of lean in hard cornering. Yet some of you considering this Acura for its affordable luxury might find the ride too busy at times.

As before, the front-wheel drive, five-passenger TSX shares basic underpinnings with a version of the Honda Accord sold in Europe that is smaller than the Accord sold here. The '09 is 2.4 inches longer, 3 inches wider and has a 1.3-inch longer wheelbase than the '08 TSX. The cabin is roomier than its predecessor's, except for rear seat legroom, which is on the skimpy side.

The '09 begins at $29,675 with freight and has an improved version of last year's 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, whose operation is as silky as that of the six-speed stick shift in my tester. The engine's 201 hp. is four less than last year but its 172 pound-feet of torque - at as little as 4,300 rpm. - is up from 164 at 4,500 last year. Among other things, that helps make second gear starts easier for a smoother more efficient launch. Overdrive gear is lower in ratio than in most cars, however, so that the engine is turning at about 500 rpm's faster at a given highway speed.

Car and Driver said zero to 60 mph took an improved 6.7 seconds in its tests.

The Environmental Protection Agency says the '09 TSX is good for 20 miles per gallon in the city and 28 highway with a six-speed stick shift -- slightly more with a five-speed automatic -- both not bad for a 200-hp. car. But note the sticker on the gas cap: "premium fuel only." I average about 29 mpg during my days with the tester.

A complete redesign always increases the risk of new car bugs but the quality of the Honda products usually is good right out of the box and the TSX comes with a better than average four-year, 50,000 basic warranty, with the powertrain covered for six years or 70,000 miles.

There are no safety ratings yet for the '09 TSX either from the federal government or Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

2009 Acura TSX

Engine: 2.4-liter, four cylinder, 201 hp.

Fuel: Premium

Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive

Safety: Dual front, side and curtain air bags; four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock, stability control and brake assist; tire pressure monitoring; rearview camera; directional signal repeaters in outside mirrors.

Assembly: Sayama, Japan

Trunk: 12.6 cubic feet

EPA fuel economy estimates: 20 mpg, city; 28 highway

Price as driven: $32,775 with freight