hambone

Hi guys I'm new, first post. : )

I've been looking around in the gallery and reading several threads about this Acura TSX. I didn't pay too much attention to the car originally when it was launched(when ever that was). But last week I was in Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario and saw six or seven beautiful red, black and silver ones. Hmmmm.... It got me thinking. I've got a 2000 Pathfinder SE that will still fetch a handsome dollar especially if I sell it privately which I plan to do. So I've been reading reviews of the TSX in magazines and haven't found a negative review yet. So last weekend my wife and I dropped our 11 month old son of at grandma's to go for a test drive.

WOW.

I said that many times during the test drive. I was astounded how tight the chassis felt, so composed and refined. The steering was precise and the wheel let you feel the road perfectly. Not too much but just enough to make the driving experience more pleasing. Especially when you hit an 'on ramp' or a snakey corner. At first I didn't bother with the sequential sport shift but after about 15 minutes when we got outside of town I let her have it with some manual shifting. I still would rather push a clutch and shift my own gears but hey, it's a small sacrifice. The engine was the single handed biggest surprise of the day. The torque wasn't great off the line but I found after 3000 rpms or so this engines torque really kicks in. Great for 80km/hr zones were passing can be risky, especially in an SUV.

The switchgear is top notch. BMW is my favorite for interior quality and switchgear but this TSX is the real thing. An instant contender in the quality and finish department, to know one's surprise that is familiar with Acura reputation for quality. One other note was the LED lit speedometre and tach plus the information LED in between. Sweet. I love a well executed interior but when I saw the speedo I was in love. The sounds of a pretty fuel efficient 4 cyl VTEC inside this car seems like a good economical choice for the long term owner. What isn't there to like about this car? Next year I'd drool over a 240 hp version. Oh, mama.

The main reason I wrote here today was to ask a few owners and enthusiasts what advantages the TSX has over the Accord. I came up with a small list so far but I imagine there's much more.

Side curtain airbags -standard
200hp VTEC 4 Cylinder -standard
Leather (perforated)-standard
HID lights -standard
17 inch wheels -standard
5 speed automatic sequential SportShift -standard
4 Wheel Disk (Front Ventilated) -standard
Dual exhaust (not 100% sure if Accord doesnt' have this)
LED Speedometer

Does anyone know about I wonder if you pile all these options into an Accord if it's price is similar?

larchmont

CAN you really exactly pile all these things into an Accord? I would have thought, "Not exactly."

Besides, you'd still have an Accord and not the TSX. Sounds like you LOOOOOOVE the TSX. Me2. I like the Accord, but I love the TSX.

The things on your list are the kinds of things that a lot of people mention as the main differences/advantages of TSX, but many of us just feel the car is better put together. (And, some people don't.) We've had threads where the differences are debated and argued, and a lot of people don't think that TSX's (or any Acuras, for that matter) are "better" than any Hondas. Most of us disagree with that, although there is a wide range of opinion on HOW different they are.

To me, probably the main difference is just that the size of the TSX is different from the size of any Hondas that are available here, and it's a size that I much prefer. If there had been a Honda of this size, I probably would have gotten it. Most people on here don't quite agree on the importance of "size," but to me, it's the main factor in determining the nature of a car. The TSX is nimbler, sportier, and more fun. Part of it is the different suspension. But I think most of it is just the fact that the size is sportier.

tehCOW

there is an 03 accord and my tsx in the garage

Lets say you are talking about the v6 accord ex sedan for comparison sake....

both have same amount of air bags
both have homelink
tsx handles better
accord v6 is a little faster going in a stright line
accord has 16 inch rims, tsx has 17
both have LED gauge cluster
accord does not have sequential sportshift
accord sedan has trunk pass though, not 60/40 split like TSX
accord is larger, although the tsx is built on same frame
tsx looks better IMO
TSX comes with lifetime roadside assistance
TSX's interior is better than Accord, but both are very similar
TSX's gas pedal is larger
TSA has side mirror blinkers
TSX has higher red line
TSX has better weight distrubtion
there's a lot more to say, but i can't remember

BTW, nice first post, i hope u get a TSX... i you need more picks of the car, check out the gallery section of the forum

larchmont

Well, you remembered a lot. Great post, Cow.

Hambone, for some more stuff -- although not with any clear list like what Mr. Cow did -- you might want to take a look at the last couple of pages of this thread, where we were duking this out:

http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/show...5&pagenumber=5

There's a considerable noise-signal ratio on there (and I was responsible for a lot of it ) -- but we really got into the guts of this issue, and there's some good stuff.

Lung Fu Mo Shi

My only correction is the following.

It should be "build on a similar frame". It's still the "Global Midsize Chassis Frame" that most Hondas use, but it's the small variant, not the medium that the Accord has.

fdl

I dont think anyone has mentioned these...


TSX comes with VSA ... a very cool feature espeacialy in areas where it snows.
TSX is built completely in Japan.
TSX looks better than the Accord (subjective yes, but most will agree).
TSX just FEELS so much better to drive. It cant be quantified.

dnl2ba

Honda has a nice comparison thing on their website to compare specs.

dom

Thats the key here hambone, go drive both. If you can't determine a significant difference after driving them, then you should probly get the Accord. I think the Accord is better or at least equal value IMO but the driving dynamics of the TSX are just so superior anyone remotely interested in superior handling will find this an easy discesion to make.

Good Luck, and another Canadian member. Keep em coming. Pretty soon we'll outnumber the yankees.

inkytawney

I traded my 03 Accord EX V-6 bought on day one last year and just bought a black on black TSX.
1. The TSX fit and finish is outstanding.
2. The less common look due to low production is intangable.
3. Accord V-6 is smooth and nice but suspension lacks, TSX with that engine and a six speed would be super nice. Maybe in a few years on that. I did love the Accord V-6.
4. I will say again, I was very disappointed with accords fit and finish. having bought one of the first it may have gotten better.
Luckily I paid $23,900 last September for the car and sold it for $21,000. Not a bad hit for one year of driving.
5. yes my Accord rotors did warp and were turned under warranty.

Jim

larchmont

Hey Inky Jim -- Great deal on your Accord! I got hit big-time when I traded in my "old" '03 TL-S. You did great. (I had pretty high mileage.)

A couple of things: I think you meant 6-cyl?

Also: Did you mean '02 Accord? I don't see how you could have gotten the '03 on day one last year. Also the way you describe it, it seems to apply more to the '02, although I know it could have been either one.

BTW I've made mistakes several times about the year that I say for Accord models. It's confusing, and I'm still confused -- for example, maybe there were '03's on both the old Accord and the new Accord???

dom

Larch, he probly means day one from when the 03 was available ?

larchmont

I guess that's probably right -- but then, I'm still confused.

Isn't the "new" Accord called an '03? And, I thought it didn't come out until this calendar year -- in which case he couldn't have gotten it "last year" at all.

So -- what's the story? (Knowing you dudes, I think we'll have the answer in about 4 minutes.)

dom

Larch much like the TSX in fact exactly like the TSX the 2003 Honda Accord (fugly rear end Accord) was available in the spring of 2002 as an 2003 model. Honda will now (this fall) start offering the 04 Accord.

hambone

Thanks everyone for all your great responses. I'm going to test drive an Accord this weekend hopefully. I'll be sure to write back and tell of my experience driving both within a week of each other.

I already know what I REALLY want though...

nuke

I would buy the TSX on looks alone however to give a different perspective the Accord does have a few things going for it that you should consider depending on your situation and you really have to be comparing the EX-V6 Accord with the TSX:
The Accord does provide more road isolation and a quieter highway ride (esp the 6 cylinder)
The Accord does have extra rear seat space if you need that
The Accord Sedan has body side mouldings if you are concerned about garage/parking lot dings
The TSX may cost a couple of thousand more than the EX-V6 Accord and the Accord would likely be discounted more than the TSX as well (well worth the extra cash to drive a car you really enjoy, however!)
TSX loses out on that V-6 torque and power
TSX runs on 91 Octane or higher fuel where the Accord takes regular
All these considered, I believe that the TSX is by far the more enjoyable car to drive and own.

ucsdtriton

One thing the Accord has that the TSX should...

the combined Key/Keyless Remote!

I hate having two seperate things, just more crap in my pocket, plus they're almost identical to my MDX keys.

darth62

All of this is true. There really are good reasons to go with the Accord. I'm not unhappy that I didn't, but all the points you make are good.

hambone

I agree. They were all good points...

Which makes me think, "more decisions". D'oh!

One thing though. Assuming I put about $15,000(Canadian) as a down payment I could have a really nice, low monthly payment considering the sticker price is about $34,500 here in London, Ontario. If I do get an Accord or TSX it'll be for the long run. I'll be financing over 3 or 4 years. I wonder how much insurance is? I also wonder how much$$ (Canadian) it will cost to fill her up? This could be a long-term factor (more with my wife than I). I'd live comfortably with having to use high octane because I enjoy every second I'm behind the wheel (in a TSX that is).

I'm totally smitten with this car. Kind of the same way I was after I took my first Altima 3.5SE 5speed out for a spin. The thing is, I lost that 'feeling' about three days after the Altima because of the low quality level of the interior without the leather package. One other thing - I don't need to worry much about the backseat space. We're probably getting a Caravan to replace my '03 Corolla S in a year so that will be our 'carrying stuff or cottage' vehicle. We only have one child now (11 months old) so back seat space for short trips won't be a concern.

dom

hambone I only put in 94 Octane Sunoco which is usually 12 cents a litre more than regular. I've never put more than 55L in the TSX even with the needle below empty. The car has a 65L tank so there still about 10L left and the car is showing empty. So basically you can expect to put between $40 and $45 per fill up.

I use 94 Octane as its apprently the only gas in Canada that does not contain MMT (forget what it stands for). The TSX user manual specfies that some Canadian gas has MMT and it is not reccommended for the long term health of the engine. Hope that helps.

Lung Fu Mo Shi

I like two small items rather than one HUGE friggin' key to poke a hole in my sack.

hambone

This is by far the coolest most informative forum I've joined. Everyone is so friendly! I also belong to Car & Driver forums under the same name... There are too many trolls at C&D though.

hambone

Thanks for the excellent reply!

Just out of curiousity how many kilometres would you average with city driving on a full tank? I imagin highway is pretty good but the city fuel consumtion is something I would be dealing with more often. I'm not a crazy driver or anything but I do like to drive a sporty car in a sporty manner.

dom

I drive mostly city also. I'd say 80% City and 20% Hwy and I usually get between 550km and 600km, typically no less than 550km. Whe I fill up I again put no more than 55L in so if we figure 550km = 343.75 miles and 55L of fuel = 13.75 US Gallons that works out to 25MPG. I hope the math and conversion is right.

The best I've done was 750KM which was 80 Hwy and 20 City. Again I still put in only 55L of fuel so there were 10L left. Then again sauceman reports that he has gotton over 1000km on 71L of fuel which is extremly good. Its not a bad car on gas at all and if you look at the big picture you'll probly spend about $5 a tank more compared to the Accord (maybe less) which works out to about $260 a year.

Brad

Some of the very same Accord issues you clearly stated above also readily apply to the 4-cylinder Accord EX model too, namely the ones I left in this message reply (above). Afterall, the 4-cylinder Accord EX and TSX share the same K24 engine, but with a slight difference in HP. The Accord 4's ride has more road feel than the cushy syrupy Accord V6. (Some people like syrupy road feel; others do not.) That is, the Accord 4's road feel more closely resembles the TSX's. Vtec.net has some excellent articles on the TSX and the 4 and 6 cylinder Accords, but I cannot locate the URLs to them at this moment.

larchmont

You may be interested to check out this other thread:

http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/show...&threadid=2217

(What it means is, you've been sort of immortalized, Hambone!)

darth62

I wouldn't call it a "slight difference in HP." Its about a 25% difference. There is a "slight difference" in torque, however.

The handling on those 4-cyl Accords is really underrated, btw. Competitive with cars that cost a whole lot more.

Iceman

The Accord is a family sedan. Bigger interior, bigger trunk, lower price, hundreds of thousands sold every year in the US. The TSX is a sports/luxury sedan. Seating for 4 adults, useful trunk, sportier, more luxurious, yada yada. Go ahead and fall in love. You won't regret it.

inkytawney

larch

Day one means day first 03 V-6 to my dealer last September . I was long time mega referral customer so I got their old $316 over invoice deal. The Accord sells for invoice now and will so the rest of its life. What did you get for 03 TL-s $$ and why did you dump it. I like those cars. 34 mpg on highway is common.
My Accord was the now discontinued NOble Green.

INKY-

larchmont

Thanks for clarifying. I didn't know that the new Accord was available as soon as that.

About the TL-S: Are you sure people get 34 mpg highway with it? I never got anything close to that. (With the TSX, I average about 30-32 highway. TL-S was probably about 26-28.)

I was looking to replace the TL-S almost as soon as I got it. I did A LOT of research before getting it, and was disappointed in what was out there. I felt the TL-S was by far the best, in terms of my preferences and needs, but not at all what I wanted. I wanted a more nimble and fun car, also preferably a little smaller. When I first heard about the TSX, I realized this might be just what I was looking for, and basically it was. As to what I got for the TL-S (with Nav): Only 22K (trade-in). What hurt it a lot was that it had 17,000 miles. The dealer sold it pretty fast, probably for about 26K. If I had sold it privately I might have gotten maybe 24K, but I wouldn't have come out much ahead, because (complicated story) by trading it in, I saved a lot on sales tax. No regrets.