yeefuchew

Yesterday, I finally got a chance to test drive the 2006 TSX at Keyes Acura in Van Nuys, CA. I tested a CGP, 5AT, non-navi. Stepping into the driver's seat was an experience. With the big collection of dials and buttons so close to me, I felt I was climbing into an F-18 fighter jet. Only problem was, I also felt cramped, like I was actually in a fighter jet. And I'm not a big person.

The seat felt relatively soft and comfortable. Working the mirrors was a little confusing as the knobbing was not intuitive. But with coaching from the sales guy, I quickly got it.

I will say this car feels solid from the get go. The steering was very responsive. Once on the road, I felt immediately at one with the car. Unfortunately, I also felt at one with some of the bumps on the road. Though the handling and cornering are tops, the ride falls short in the smoothness department. Overall, the brakes were not as sensitive as I would've liked, but, though they were a little soft, they bit down well when depressed far enough.

I must say, the accelerator lag (what's the technical term for this?) was definitely noticeable. The sales guy said and did something with the techtronic transmission shift mode to make it more responsive. However, being a life automatic guy, doing something like that scares me. Maybe the MT version does better. But for us automat folks, this one falls a little short here.

Once on the freeway, I felt pretty much power, despite the fact that I knew full well I was riding a four-cylinder. Thanks to the short stretch of non-rush houred road, I never got a chance to take advantage of the full 205 horses, but I could sense they were there. I have to say it was a bit noisy at higher speeds. Don't even think about highwaying and talking with the moonroof open.

And maybe I expected a little more for a near 30K car, but there was just so much plastic in the interior. Maybe it's not so much the amount of plastic, but the quality--looked like they raided a few 99 cent stores.

In sum, this isn't an automotive revelation and doesn't blow me away in perfomance or styling. But it'll do for it's class, and, if it lives up to its Acura badge, the engine should perform well for a while. Eventually, I think I'll walk out of the showroom with one.

If you've had any of your own experiences, please feel free to chime in.

gsclifton

iTrader: (2)

What vehicle are you coming from?

JayRoam

just my 2 cents, but it sounds like you would be more in the market for a 4-door Accord or Camry

GIBSON6594

Does a car exist in which you could do that?

BusyShifter

Yeah, Camry or Lexus is definitely a better fit for you.

dom

Thats the first time I've heard someone complain about the plastics in the interior.

ASIMO

Surely he means the liberal use of hard plastics on much of the doors and bottom half of the dash. The hard plastics on the doors and single piece molding of the pockets are definitely equally cheap looking and feeling when compared to even the TL. But it's not that big of a deal to me.

LuvMyTSX

I do it all the time in my TSX and don't have a problem.

LuvMyTSX

You don't sound all that enthused about the car. Maybe you should look for something better suited to your tastes.

HoRRo

bleh, sorry, but, you gotta be either claustrophobic or are indeed "big" and don't realize it. There's many members here over 6ft and don't feel cramped.

swirlie

Was pretty intuitive to me. I'm not sure how much MORE intuitive it could be?

Jason

yee, I wouldn't buy the TSX if that's how you felt after the test drive. Maybe a Toyota Avalon or Buick Lucerne might be a better fit for you. Those are very nice cars.

jlukja

swirlie

Continuing my line, every power mirror control I've used has been the same... with minor variations on the theme. They all use the same "d-pad/joystick" type of control. About half the manufacturers use a 2 or 3-position toggle switch to select the mirror under control, while the others use what's in the TSX (rotate the stick left or right). That's the biggest difference I've noted.. aside from where the control is placed, of course.
Again,

West6MT

hans007

i'm going to say the original poster is probably used to driving some sort of large boat like car, like an avalon.

that he's saying its cramped, and the suspension is well i guess too communicative probably means he's used to softer, with a larger interior.

i think the suspension is actually pretty supple compared to my last car (g35 coupe) and i tend to think it is just about right for the well more or less ruined roads of los angeles. it does tend to make the car more quiet and smooth.

i've driven some camrys before and i agree its not floating on air smooth , but obviously not numb like a camry either.

LannyM

The review is mostly negative, and you're still planning on buying one? "It'll do" won't get me to part with 30K........

whynot

Can you be more specific, what could he have done to make it more responsive, shift into a lower gear?

waTSX

Just when you think you've heard all possible complaints about the TSX, here comes the mirrors. I can't say as I've ever had any issues with mine. They seem pretty straightforward to me. And, really, how often do you need to set them? Hell of a lot easier than the old school way.

As far as the cars cabin being snug, I find this to be an advantage. It keeps you from sliding around during spirited driving

Ghahary_21

get a g35 sedan

swirlie

I know. I'm still struggling to understand the mirror complaint.

I like the size of the cabin. It's roomy enough and definitely not small. But then again, I'm a 5'8" 130lb Asian.
If you want something with a LARGE cabin, try the Altima. My sis-in-law drives one and I feel like I'm swimming in that interior it's so huge.

And I agree with LannyM. Why get the TSX if you won't be happy with it? Unless every other vehicle you've tried is 10x worse... But in that case, I'd just keep looking and not "settle" for the TSX, like it sounds you are doing.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

If he was complaining about the quality of the plastics in the TSX, he's gonna be even more disappointed with the quality of the G35 interior.

yeefuchew

Well, this is all pretty funny so far. I should have titled my post "Honest Impressions," which is what I was thinking about doing in the first place. I realize that I am in a TSX forum, which I've been studiously scouring for weeks to learn about the 2006. I knew some people would be defensive about it, but the post here have been borderline hilarious. I hope we can also have more posts that weigh *both* the positive and negative. I realize that some people have absolutely fallen in love with their TSX, which is great. But, as in all things love, wouldn't it be best to jump in with boys eyes open?

I have listed both the positive and negative because I think a candid write-up will help all of us who are considering it. I hope we'll have more posters with this in mind.

My current car is a Toyota Corolla, btw.

Keep those posts coming!

LuvMyTSX

Well, it's perfectly fine to be honest about your impression of the car, but to buy it because "it'll do" just sounds kinda dumb to most people, no offense. If you're not crazy about the car, don't spend the money on it. Find something that you DO like a lot. Our feelings won't be hurt....

Also, coming from a Corolla, I think it's kinda odd to say the TSX seems cramped, when they are both pretty similar in size, and maybe the TSX being slightly larger? Not sure about the size comparison, but it doesn't seem like there'd be much of a difference.

My advice: find something you ARE crazy about.

BusyShifter

Right, you're entitled to your opinion, and there's no point to get negative or upset on what you posted. But as many posts have suggested, you should keep yours eyes open and keep looking for a car fit you more.

Honestly, I hoped you won't end up becoming a TSX owner. Good luck on your search. And about this thread...

GIBSON6594

I think he took it pretty well, didn't get upset.

No point to locking this thread it is a good discusion and on point with the TSX

yeefuchew

Thanks, Gibson! Honestly, lock this thread?!?! Just because I point out some dislikes? Wow, I guess that's what you get when you criticize someone's love. You learn something new everday--the adage applies to cars, too: love is :blindfold

Most can't tell that I actually like this car. There most likely will be none better in its class, as I said. So how will I find another that I'm *crazy* about? Sure we can all find something that we'll all fall madly in love with. But if you're not on the football team, what's your likelihood of dancing with the prom queen? Gee, I'm sure the Bentley Arnage wouldn't have as much plastic on the interior so...

LuvMyTSX

Fine, if you can't see why people said the things they did, then you must be :blindfold too.

You came off sounding like you really weren't a fan of the car, and people noticed that and were just trying to say that maybe you should find something you like better, that's all. If you DID like things about the car, you should have made that more clear, because the way you wrote your impressions made it sound like you didn't really like it that much. All I'm saying is people picked up on your negativity and were trying to help you make the best decision for you.

vidgamer

Hey quit dumping on the guy, it's just his opinions. On the other hand, if I love the TSX and say so, I'm not necessarily being "defensive". Er, or maybe if I'm defensive, that still doesn't make the TSX a bad car? Or something like that.

The TSX is roomier than most of the cars I've had. You might try again, and fiddle with things like the seat adjustment, steering wheel, etc.

When I was test-driving, I often had to take a lot of time to adjust each car. It's a pain, but I'm tall enough that I gotta make sure I fit.

I will cut you some slack for not getting the window control. Sometimes you get used to one style in all of the cars you use, and you get a new style presented to you, and it isn't always obvious at first. At least they put the gas pedal on the right in all cars.

I love the seats.

The driving feel is good. Isn't that kind of a trade-off? Comfort vs. road feedback? I dunno.

I'm not sure about the brakes. They are fine, but I can't help but wonder if an upgrade is in order.....

I dunno, others have posted about some sort of lag. Either my car doesn't have it (MT), or it's the same as other cars I have had so I don't know the difference. If you want Instant On power, you gotta be in higher revs! Don't be at 2500 or even 3000 RPMs, step on it, and expect a lot to happen.

I don't have the moonroof open that much. With all of the windows closed, it's fairly quiet. Easy to hear the stereo then.

I thought the interior looked really good. But I like Toyotas interiors as well.

I also looked at the BMW 325i, and I really preferred the TSX's interior. I'm not kidding. I think the BMW exterior styling has an edge, but I really expected better for a luxury car. When I get into my TSX, I feel like I'm in a really nice car. Maybe even a luxury car.

You might check out the body kit -- it gives the car a bit more of an edge.

But Honda/Acura doesn't usually try to blow away anyone -- they are fairly conservative. The good part about it is that the styling will still look good years from now.

Maybe if you check out the competition, you'll realize how tough it is to have an overall package as nice as the TSX, if you want a sporty sedan. If you want something a bit more comfortable, you have a lot of choices... I compared against other sporty cars, so the TSX seems much roomier than many of them!

Jason

I don't know who's dumping on him. I for one don't have a problem with criticism of the TSX. Let him think what he likes. But what I (and everyone else) was saying was since he doesn't love the car, why buy it? There are many other cars out there (Avalon, Lucerne) that may be a better fit for him (no pun intended).

whynot

don't forget the mercury grand marquise and the lincoln towncar, they both got plenty of room and the mirrors are so easy to adjust...

peter_bigblock

Where you found the interior a bit snug, I found it cozy and sporting -- strictly a matter of opinion, to be sure. Coming from a truck, that's something I like about the TSX interior -- it feels rich and sporty. Certainly, another person may feel cramped (my wife does, and she's half my size). The driver's seat is certainly more of a cockpit than a cabin.

I disagree that the mirror is counter-intuitive (in other words, pushing the joystick forward doesn't make the mirror go down), but, again, my wife asked me to clarify how it works the first time she drove the TSX. It isn't hard to use or anything, but it isn't obvious if you've never encountered this style before.

I like the interior materials, even the hard plastics. I think they provide complementary texture differences to the interior. I don't like the silver plastic faux-aluminum spanning the ebony interior -- I'd prefer Acura had used real aluminum or aluminized plastic. It has aged, in my opinion, into a shiny greyish-silver plastic.

Other than the play on my sentimentality -- it's the Honda way -- I don't care for the odd sunroof button placement at all. They should be near the sunroof.

I find the ride to be exceptionally smooth and comfortable, given the car's athletic ability. Several passengers of mine have remarked at how smoothly my TSX rides (my suspension is stock except for the RSB). Still, ride is subjective and the TSX is firmer, say, than my brother's '99 Accord and certainly than my mother's '01 TL, but not as firm (or harsh) as my dad's '02 RSX.

I did find, at first, that the seat bottom was uncomfortably firm on longer trips (over two hours) but that has gone away as the seat has worn in (to my butt, I guess).

In all, I love my TSX -- it's a car, after all, it does have shortcomings -- and wouldn't have bot any of the other cars I considered (BMW, Audi, Lexus, Mazda) were I to do it again. I hope you buy one, and I hope it gets even better with age as mine has.

vidgamer

Y'all weren't really that out of line, I'm just messing with ya. (Sorry, it struck me as funny anyway. I don't care if noone else is amused, I'll amuse myself. ) HE seemed to take a bit of offense, tho, with his comment about " love is :blindfold ". I think that's kind of funny too.

I realized this a long time ago -- if you aren't real happy, keep shopping around and just buy what you want. You know, it might also apply to those of you who buy a car and then put thousands of $$$ into various mods. Some people would have been better served just getting a different car with a bigger engine to satisfy their need for speed.

(Although, I realize that most of the time, it is more complicated than that. Sometimes it's a fun hobby. Sometimes you want a "sleeper" car that faster than it looks. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you start with, because you're going to customize it anyway. But I still think there are some people who don't care about the suspension and just want it faster. ;-) )

But why post to a TSX board unless you want to hear some pro-TSX comments? Yeefuchew asked for both the good and the bad, but the thing is, when you like something (a particular car, computer, speaker/stereo system, etc.), it's probably because you don't mind or don't care about the negatives and really like the positives. Or you'd hope that's how it works out.

Ok, bad points about the TSX:
- The styling could look more radical/sporty.
- The engine could have a bit more power.
- The stock tires could be a LOT better.
- The suspension could be even more sporty.

Three of those things can be enhanced pretty easily (2 from factory parts). Adding engine power is more expensive/difficult/warrantee-voiding.

I think the styling is still really good, I love the interior, I love how the car handles. I can sympathize with the need for speed, but the vast majority of the time, the car has plenty of power. I'm sure the MT helps. The manual tranny is awesome -- very smooth. Wow, there's so much to LOVE about this car!

So, am I blind with infatuation, or is the car pretty much what I'm looking for in a car?

vidgamer

But that's looking at it from my point of view. Looking at it from, say, an average consumer's point of view, this might be a list of bad points that I wouldn't use:
- The suspension is too stiff.
- The interior is a bit tight. It's a squeeze to get 5 people in the car.
- Premium gas is more expensive.
- 200HP isn't enough.
- It doesn't waste so much gas, and I like high gas prices.... whoops, that's not right!

If I were more of the average consumer, I would have had a wider range of cars to look at, although, some of the luxury vehicles are a lot more expensive, so maybe more conventional sedans are in order (such as the V6 Accord and I think someone mentioned the Camry). Actually, I rode in an Accord coupe recently, and it is very TSX-looking inside, in how the dash and center console looked. (I couldn't tell that it had any more room, but I would have expected that Honda wouldn't have redesigned the Accord for the US market for no good reason.)

(Sorry for the multiple posts, but I'm on a good ramble now...)

SoonToBeTSX'n

You're 38, and you're Dad drives an 02 RSX? That's......AWESOME!
Wish my dad drove something cool and not a Pontiac Bonneville.

IlliNorge

Let me preface by saying I have not driven the '06 yet, just an '05 5AT....

For those concerned about FWD, I drove a Subaru Legacy AWD (30k MSRP) 5MT yesterday. Very quick off the line, but sluggish once past 40 mph. Traction is good, but Potenzas get most of the credit. After that it's all downhill. The interior is terrible. The car had 41 miles and the LED's were already fading. The seat warmer dial was somehow already worn down. The audio was poor, in fact the salesman turned it off, claiming it would be easier to hear us talking with it off.

Interior is important to me and the only car that even compares to the TSX is the Lexus IS (those gauges are cool). There simply is no comparison for the audio. My A4 radio is nice, but in the TSX I feel like I should be paying for the concert tickets. My father drives an RL and the DVD audio is unreal (but that's a thread for the rich boys). As for the navi, once again it is tops IMO. And it comes in the 6MT! Why no navi in the Legacy and Maxima AT ? I guess they think the sporty stick-shifters don't care where we are?!

Anyway, Continental can't keep a '06 6MT long enough for me to test-drive, but I will eventually. And one for the road: NO other manufacturer's blue color comes close in person to the pics of the RBP I've seen on this site.

yeefuchew

Actually, as for dumping some have been backing up to this forum with a truck It's funny how emotional some get over their cars. Some of my negative reactions during the test drive probably came as an indirect result from reading all these raving posts about how great the TSX was from those on this forum who it. I should have tethered my hopes to the ground before stepping into the showroom. My expectations had become so high I guess I was in for a let down. Kinda like how I felt after I saw the first Spiderman...after all my friends did. Ok, that was nice I guess, but...

In terms of ramping it up, I thought about the A-Spec or skirt packages, but it seemed to add so much to the cost. I mean if it's really more power, sleekness, etc., why not step up to an IS250 for the price? And, though I think the ride's rough, I'm still planning to get bigger wheels--which will mean an even rougher ride. I forgot to say that those stock wheels do look better in the flesh...er, the metal...but still not sexy enough for my tastes. For me, it'll be a choice for form over function. Vanity over serenity...

But anyway, I appreciate the well-thought and informative responses of vidgamer and peter big block. This discussion is for sharing your own test drive impressions, not other's honest or negative ones. I hope we'll have more of the former.

rpcmx

For Pete's sake...

People here have been extraordinarily nice... try going to an Audi or Bimmer forum and making a similar post. Think you'll get even one truly honest response? I admire the people here who can see both the good and the bad in what they purchased... If a perfect car existed for the perfect price, do you think anyone would be driving anything else?

Well, that was your own fault... you should have gone in with an open mind, and with your own desires first and foremost. Again, like I said, if the perfect car existed, we would have all bought it by now.

And by the way, I was shocked with the totally honest "maybe this car isn't for you" responses... those were spot-on. If you don't love it, why drop $30K for it? It's not worth it to settle in this case.

If you're really choosing form over function, then I would say this car *really* isn't for you; the TSX is a great car but it leaves a bit to be desired in the looks department for most people. I like the looks of it, but that's my opinion. It's not as dashing as the A4 or as svelte as the old 3-series (the new one looks awful, again IMO), so those cars might be more your style.

Good luck with the car search.

-rpc

cobo7243

I have a 98 bmw m3 very fast, and i have 04 tsx that has got me a 204.00 ticket plus 30.00 for school. Dont know how much you know about cars, But the tsx will get you a ticket just as fast as in my case it was faster, no tickets with m3 never got caught.,

hellspare

Most have said what they've needed to say. I also noticed how nice people were in here. Much different than gaming forums I've been at for the last 325236235 days.

Don't get us wrong, we love our cars, but we aren't getting "emotional" over it for nothing. Most of your opinions were just really shocking to most of the members who read it, simply because not many people have experienced what you have in this car.

What I don't understand MOST if the fact that you came from a COROLLA, and criticize the TSX on interior. That just doesn't make sense/add up in my brain. Unless you test drove a bentley right before you drove the tsx...

We understand your opinions and thoughts, but we can't help but wonder how you've come up with them.