darowa

I felt all along that if you wanted a V6 TSX, Acura already made one - the TL.

A chassis designed for a I4 only will be better than one designed for a V6 or I4. There are compromises that must be made to fit a V6 and those compromises affect handling, distribution, and weight.

The other issue is putting so much horsepower through the drive wheels (on the front). Those front wheels are doing two jobs and torque steer is a real problem. AWD fixes that problem but adds complexity and weight.

The 1G TSX was a very good balanced car from a handling standpoint. Since it was based on a high-volume car (Euro/Japanese Accord), the value was good.

Some of the charm has been lost with the 2G TSX since its chassis has been compromised by being able to accommodate a I4 or V6.

I would also miss the manual transmission. It seems like these are going away (at least for the US). One hope on the horizon is a dual clutch manual/automatic transmission. I hope Honda is working on one.

tony4311

I've only bought two new cars so far in my life, both have been Acura. Even when I am looking into another car it won't be a Acura/Honda with the direction they've been going. I need some sport with my luxury. Oh that and the car can't be ugly like everything is in the current Acura lineup.(IMO)

bbbuzzy

I voted with my wallet and bought something else. I enjoyed my '04 TSX a lot but always wanted a bit more power. I've always liked Acura products but I do not like the direction they are headed. They had a chance to make a first class sport sedan with a concept vehicle they released images of (Sports4?), but the 2nd gen TSX fell short. The TL is ridiculous now and dropping a V6 into the TSX won't keep me. I wanted to buy another Acura but they didn't have what I was looking for. I bought a used 330i and love it so far. It has some ridiculous things (crappy cupholders, lack of oil dipstick, run-flats and no spare) but I knew all that going in. The ride is amazing, all that you read about the car is true. Hope it lasts. I'll reconsider Acura if they make something competitive for a sport sedan. Enjoy your 1st gen TSX's, it's still a great car.

Audioserf

No manual = not a chance. I'll keep my modded 04 6MT, thank you very much.

dom

Seems to be a common theme around these parts. But what do we know, we're just enthusiasts who apparently only make up 0.0005% of the market.

I wonder why BMW has such a great reputation? Do you think all the people that drive them care or make use of that performance? We know their quality and interiors aren't really any better (probably worse) than Acura yet people flock to them like a bear to honey. I'm sure years of enthusiasts raving about them had nothing to do with that.

Audioserf

It seems like BMW will forever offer a proper manual gearbox in their vehicles (at least, the sporty ones). When the time comes to replace my TSX down the line, that may be the factor in driving me to the arms of the Germans...

CarbonGray Earl

Put simply - Advance or Ultimate Driving Machine?

Ultimate driving machine leaves no question about BMW's intent, and it shows up in their product.

By the same token, Advance is so broad and IMO misdirected, and it shows up in Acura's product.

litesout

That's an interesting point you make there about the manual transmission. You know there's another company that does that too? Volvo. You can get anything in the Volvo lineup with a manual, and I think that's wonderful (unless you want an automatic, then you pay an arm and a leg.) I really wish more companies would do that, but realistically I can see why they don't. The majority of Americans just aren't that interested in a manual transmission.

Red@8

For the tsx we probebly do make a tiny market. It certainly shows, by the direction acura is taking not only with this vehicle but with their brand as a whole. Everyone on here was asking for awd/rwd/more power/6sp/etc. Look how acura responded - by slapping enthusiasts in the face. If you think the tsx forum on az represents accurately who is buying the tsx, you are mistaken.

Anyone who is looking for a performance luxo car is not coming to acura. That is blatantly obvious and they know it, which is why they are building for the masses. Who can blame them.

BMW has so many models that they can make ones for enthusiasts and ones for every day people. I bet most people who buy 335's, and m3's are enthusiasts. While 325, 328, 330, etc are bought by everyday folks. What models so you think they sell more of? If acura made a 420hp rwd/awd/6sp tsx or a 500hp rwd/awd/7sp tl i would be camped out in front of the acura dealer the night before they went on sale.

Its all about money. Manufacturers build cars which they think they can sell the greatest amount of. The greatest amount of car buyers are everyday commuters not enthusiasts or performance oriented drivers. The tsx is becoming a shining example of that.

valeratj

BMW is a European company and most of the people in both Europe and Asia drive stick. BMW also cares to provide u with every possible option there is, Honda doesn,t. For how long have people been asking for RWD cars? AGES !!! Honda simply wants to satisfy the majority on its major markets in Japan and US, and guess what, these are the only 2 countries where more people drive with auto transmissions than stick. Toyota on the other hand gave RWD to almost all of the Lexus car models. U cand have is-f or IS350 with stick, but at least they have RWD. I am getting tired of Honda testing its fans' patiency. Yes, I drive auto, but I simply prefer to switch with every other vehicle that I buy and I dont like it that manual transmissions are dying off.

dom

If they care enough to make a 6MT SH-AWD TL, (which they may sell 3,000 of) that means they still care about performance to some extent.

s2kneguy

No Mt = Boring...

nbtx

Three reasons to walk away:
1. No MT
2. over $30k
3. second ugliest grille - the TL beats it in ugly hands down.

arshu78

hmm,,,Just $500 away from buying a TL........

the price for a V6 tsx is the same as a TL

TSX408

i'll pass, but i'll take it for a trade for my TSX and pay 8k.