while my car is in for service, they gave me an 09 tsx.

I know there are alot of people on this board who tend to cross shop the RDX & TSX because of the $$, or just want an acura and really dont care whether its a truck/sedan.

overall, i give it a D.

let me start with its few good points: i like the sheetmetal alot more than the 2nd gen tsx. I also like the rims, the car's overall look, i think, looks better in person than the new TL (which i saw in the dealership and ill just reserve my thoughts). It rides very nice, good suspension, mostly quiet except for a little wind noise.

now,

new tsx couldnt be more different from the car it replaced. i flat out dont like the 09 TSX. i have one with black interior....and the only way i can describe the dash/door paneling is......water dried nerf football... ever leave a nerf football out in the yard and it rains, then it dries and cracks up and all that? that is what the dash material etc looks and feels like in this car. absolutely horrible. I've had 4 diff ppl in it, and when trying to figure it out, i hit them with the nerf football idea and they go OMG yea thats it!!! hahahha

tsx has now lost me. NO POWER. car feels so slow. it is slow. the engine is a joke. it may rev, big deal, the revs dont equal power. the steering has awful feel. its dead center is wobbly. you turn beyond dead center there is way too much feedback and the car darts into a corner unexpectedly. the sport mode works ok, but the shifts dont feel as exact as the RDX.

the rest of the interior, i get the feeling they wanted people to think they were getting a TL, except they failed miserably. its like a TL shrunk down a scale...u know when you wanted that lego set but had to settle for some store brand building block set? thats how i feel in the TSX. I would get a V6 accord ALLLLL DAYYYYYYY over this car. i dont see the upside, the Acura badge does next to nothing in terms of elevating this car up a notch over a honda. I actually think the Honda's interior is nicer and has better feeling materials. Also, everything feels just so cramped, there are overlapping interior panels it just seems like layer upon layer of stuff. if they dummed it down a bit i think it would work alot better and give a much more elegant effect.

so...for those of you who might be ready to downsize or are considering moving down the ladder and saving some money, compare some other cars first, more importantly, look at a loaded V66666666666 accord and make your decision. also, the v6 takes reg fuel.

my overall impression of the TSX was very Mazda 6-ish. call me crazy.

 

Making a car bigger, heavier, softer, not increasing the power in it equals that...I am(was) a big fan of the TSX, but the new one is just too radical...and apparently it doesn't do the trick...I heard from a TSX owner that you must go with the stick shift if you want some fun....

 

the 4cyl in there now is flat out dead unless u pin it..but also, it just doesnt have any power so u get a moderate kick but it dies out pretty quick....engine makes no sense in a supposed premium brand lineup.

also, not that this may be important to some, but the steering wheel adjustment lever is almost unreachable. its literally under THE DASH trim, not attatched in any way to the wheel itself. honsetly, im 27, i had a hard time actually getting to it...cant imagine what an older person add in maybe an ailment or 2 ....found it really awkward, but just a little thing that put me out about the car.

also, the base stereo screen is a joke and almost unreadable. pencil thin leds and a screen that is maybe 2 inches in hight. Theres so much stuff crammed onto it and add the pencil leds that are not close to bright enough, i dunno...and seriously, why TWO KNOBS for the stereo? does it really need a fake menu know like it had the nav system? one knob JUST for on/off & volume, then a big knob....thing has me thrown thru a loop.

i guess as the end of the day....tsx doesnt deliver anything more than the older one, and the older one executed much better than the newer one. the RDX feel & handling is just not comparable. the elec steering in the tsx flat out sucks, i think i forgot that it was an elec system but man does it have a long way to go.

 

All I know is the 05 TSX 6 speed I drove was slow as hell.

I understand the point of the 4 cyl engine, but they should really offer a small V6 or the turbo 4.

 

The steering feel is the same problem everyone reports with the new electric steering. I dont know of any car maker that has yet to get it right with electric steering.

 

Owned an '04 for about 2 years. Was the 6sp non-navi. It was fairly fun to drive, but definitely was a downgrade in the fun category compared to the RSX-s we traded in for it. Haven't driven a new one yet, but I guess I'll find out when the RDX goes in for another TPMS sensor in the near future. Everything I've heard about the '09 thus far is pretty much exactly what Mike had said previously in this thread. Fugly is one word to describe it's outside appearance though.

 

I can definately vouch for the horrible steering and lack of power. It revs, but it really doesn't go anywhere. My civic with a b16 was a blast to drive, compared to this new creation. I have no further comments, other than the latest TSX is disspointting.
Im also sure that, within time, aftermarket support will provide enough options for additional power.

 

Now that WRX's and MS3's have navigtion, etc. and pretty nice interiors, I don't see why anyone would opt for the TSX. Pretty much every vehicle in its price range runs rings around it performance wise. I'd be rocking a 2009 WRX with navigation for about the same price. The 2009 is supposedly way way better than the 2008.

 

yep...unless they come out with a type s or something that moves, dont understand the vehicle at all. everything in that price, including non-premium brands, will blow its doors off...i know thats not the main point of the TSX, its really a bundle of everything, but still....it should have a more powerful engine to be a serious contender

i mean...seriously, a tsx w/nav = a car with a price tag that should not have an engine that belongs in a base model altima, accord etc. even if they put in the accord v6...it would rank in 30+hp shy of the TL...thats a decent gap, but at least it makes the TSX more than a 4 cyl accord with a few extra gadgets

 

My wife's '08 Fit Sport electric steering is very, verey good, much better than my '08 RRX, which is wobbly at dead center.

 

Owned an 04 6 speed MT and it rode on 20" rims, I thought the car drove and handled just fine with enough power.