Ok i know i kinda sound like a snob or whatever. But owning a TSX with the bodykit, i think the base TSX is kinda nasty looking. It sits to high and it just looks like its missing some trim especially on the front. My buudy works for Acura and he agrees. And his dealership will rarely get any tsx's with the body kit pre-installed. So i ask you fellow board members.....whats your opinion. I know i am gonna attacked on this subject but i think the TSX should come standard with the body kit. This might prompt a poll ????

 

Lowering is a must for the TSX... it's wayyyy too high up there... not to mention with lowering, handling is gonna be even better than the already-impressive suspension. In my opinion, the stock ground effects will look real good only coupled with larger, sportier wheels and tires, again... definitely have to lower it as well... Why the hell is the TSX so high up there in terms of ground effect? i always have a hard time getting out of the car... have to "jump" out ... maybe i just have short legs or the car is just too damn high

Kevin

 

Well, everyone is obviously entitled to their own opinions... but I like them both. I'm not planning on getting a body kit for mine, I think it looks great stock.

With the OEM body kit on my SVT Contour, I always had to pay attention when pulling into driveways, etc. to avoid scraping the bottom... I don't know if that is a concern with the lowered TSX or the body kit, but it's nice not to have to worry about it.

-Matt.

SSM/Ebony 6MT w/ Navi

 

yea, that's always the #1 concern on lowering ur ride... scraping the bottom and everything over bumpers or driveways... it's just another sacrifice to improve your handling i suppose, there's always a bit loss for every gain

Kevin

 

Definitely NO to the body kit!!!

Here's why: on my wife's just-traded ML-320, we did the whole outside works -- bumper guard, fogs, wheel flares, step bars, etc., etc. Those wheel flares were about $590 "installed" for 4 pieces of clip-on custom plastic.

And they wound up getting replaced 3x during the 6 years she drive the car -- twice because of 3rd parties. But you couldn't replace just _one_ fender, you had to buy all 4 each time.

So: skip the spoilers and side skirts, unless you really intend to drive the car hard enough to need ground effects. (And then you probably need a different car. The "bling" effect isn't worth it, next to what your out of pocket will be.

John

 

 

Its funny, when the TSX first came out last spring, the majority on the boards seem to feel that the stock body kit wasnt that great, and that the car looked better without the body kit.

Personally I still feel this way. The body kit has grown on me, but something about it still just doesnt work for me.

 

i agree with nj. personally, the tsx with its oem body kit is what made me fall in love with this car. made the car look much sportier. i then took a look at the interior

 

I like the car both ways. I didn't get the kit because the roads are so bad here and my driveway is too steep.

Acura never pre-installs the body kit. It is a dealer installed option.

 

i like the TSX with and without the body kit. personally i'd rather spend money on other mods other than a body kit. plus with the car lowered i really don't feel like having to stress about scraping. here in MA i think it would get ruined.

 

I personally don't like the body kit. I think that it makes the car look really tall and skinny and looks (like all Acura/Honda body kits) like a tack-on. Acura needs to make the kit integrated with the rest of the body...the hard edges to the body kits are really tacky...

But that's not to say it makes the TSX bad. I PERSONALLY wouldn't opt for it...

 

sorry i worded that wrong. The dealership will not install any body kits on their TSX's unless the customer wants it. Where i bought mine numerous TSX's on the lot had bodykits. They had different options on their cars; bodykits, spoilers, fogs, sunroof visors, etc....

 

PW

i also feel the same about the accords and a4. They just need that extra trim to make the car look a tad better and sportier. Oh and by the way the TSX will have a a-spec package and i'll let you know when its definate and we can get any of the pieces.

 

I personally would love the body kit, but the road conditions in NJ/NYC won't permit it.

 

When the demand is really high, dealerships will pre-install options and mark the price up accordingly to force them on very interested buyers who really want the car. As demand drops, the dealer won't do this because it eliminates some buyers who don't want the options and would otherwise go to another dealer to get the non-optioned car they want.

They can always install the body kit and spoiler upon purchase, but it can't be easily removed once installed.

 

if i add body kit a lower it.. my car will be a snow shovel car for winter Toronto.

 

These are EXACTLY why I did not get a body kit. Everytime I see another TSX on the road with a body kit, it looks like a Jeep.

 

I agree. The front end looks naked without the lip.

As far as the dealerships go when I got mine they had to testers. One auto and one stick one of which had the kit so people could see both.

 

Tell me about it bro, i got the body kit and havent had any scraping problems yet, but if I were to Lower it i might as well have a stockpile of front bumper lips in the garage. Also there are so many F'ing potholes in the northeast, getting 19's is out of the question because you will need a stockpile of them too. But i have to agree that i do like them both with and without the kit.... I think it separates the two breeds of people. Some people bought the TSX for its heritage in the acura name while others bought it for its performance heritage in the accord euroR. I myself am the latter of the two, but thats just me. With or withour the kit, still a damn fine looking ride!!!

 

yeah, i've been really careful but i've already scratched the underside of my front lip about 3-4 times...

 

Personally, I think the car looks pretty decent without the body kit. The lines are clean and the car looks menacing enough from the front (though I don't know how much of that is due to the dark color). From the rear and side profile, the car is clean, simple, and classy. I much prefer the understated styling compared to the "look at me" styling of some new performance cars. The underbody spoiler kit is good looking, but detracts from the upscale look of the exterior, which is what I liked about the car.

 

I think my TSX is beautiful w/o any kit. It is a little high, but I think that's better offset with springs than a kit. That being said, I will probably get a body kit other than the OEM one when I have the cash. Way too many OEM ones out there.

 

I think the car looks great stock and even better with the bodykit, but for me I couldn't justify spending the extra $$$. The bodykit just seems terribly expensive.

 

IMO, I think the front and side look nice.
but I don't like the rear one...

 

I agree, I think the side skirts look fine, but the front and rear don't integrate well with the body. I'm quite disappointed in that because I thought my accord coupe's oem kit looked great and was expecting a nicer look from Acura. I won't be getting the body kit for my tsx based on this.

 

Its not as expensive as you might think. I think its a good buy. You can get the whole kit for $912 from hondacuraworld.
Consider this, it's OEM, meaning it will fit perfectly, and comes painted to match. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

I'd hate to get an aftermarket one, trial fit it, hope it fits, take it off, bring it to the body shop, get it painted, install it again, and hope it matches!
John

 

I like the rear and side skirts but the front lip does not fit the TSX at all, it looks like it doesnt fit it at all it sticks out to IMO.

 

i think acura did a nice job with the body kit. kinda subtle, kinda not. but definitely makes the car look better.

only thing is, if you have the kit, you definitely need to lower the car. if you don't, it'll have a "4x4 look" to it, which is just nasty.

 

But by your logic, why buy an expensive car at all? If something gets damaged it will cost more to repair/replace.

As for the OEM kit, I like everything except the two vertical pieces in the front lower grille area that don't match up right with the stock pieces behind it and make the whole front of the kit not work for me. I can't stand when a kit piece doesn't line up right, and even though all the outside edges of the kit are right, those two vertical pieces not looking right bother me enough that I wouldn't buy the kit.

If anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about, check out pics of the front end kit piece on the TSX and look for the two vertical parts that overlap the stock vertical splitters in the lower front grille. Ewww.


Also, the point of the ground effects kit is looks, not performance, so saying "get it if you drive hard enough for it" is wrong. Get it if you like how it looks, that's all.

 

I think the OEM kit looks great overall. Aftermarket kits are always way too gaudy for me, anyway. I actually don't like the way the rear part overlaps the reflectors and stuff, but the rest makes up for it.

Plus it separates me visually from the million other CG TSXes around where I live. :P

Edit: That being said, the kitless TSX is not that bad.

 

It occurred to me that I will have about the same or more than the cost of the body kit "invested" in the Valentine-1, police scanner and laser jammer (and mods to hide all of this) in an effort to make my TSX invisible.

To each his own, I guess!

 

I prefer the TSX without the body kit. Lowering is good but I don't like the body kit.

 

not from me sucka :P

 

I don't like the body kit. Looks like someone riced up the TSX.

 

I like the style of the bodykit, but I dislike the stuck-on look, especially the front. It would be nice to see an aftermarket vendor create replacement bumpers that are as tasteful as the OEM kit.

That aside, one must admit that the stock TSX body doesn't have that rolling, curving bottom look that alot of other cars have. The lines on the bottom of the car are rather sharp and distinctive.

 

I like the car as it is but it needs to be lowered and inch and the tires needs to be 215/45/17. The Euro R body kit is available and I think it adds an agressive look. The Kenstyle body is wonderful.
I want to decide which one.

 

The body kit was a must for me. Without the kit it reminded me too much of an accord. The kit gives it more of an agressive stance and just plain looks good.

OEM ground kit =