Been car shopping for a couple months. I've heard some things about this new TSX, so I figured I'd pop by the dealership and see what all the hoopla was about. I'd have to say, this is the only car I drove that didn't score a 10 in at least 1 category, but it's also the only car I couldn't honestly give less than an 8 in any category either.

Balance. That is the best word. This car is just balanced. Not fast, but sporty. Not flashy, but stylish. Not a Lexus inside, but just about as close as you can get under $30,000. The car just feels incredible. Not as razor sharp as the bimmer, but sharp enough that you almost forget it's FWD...how'd they do that?

Looked under the hood...damn. No turbos, no gimmicks, just a good ol' Honda 4-banger.

I just had to buy it! $28,500 + TTL. Black on Black 6-speed with NAV. Damn thing was fresh off the truck, wrapped in plastic and covered with that sealant stuff. 9 miles on it...

 

Good Choice. You won't be sorry...

 

9 Miles? mine had 1.5 haha and no sealant crap on it =D Delivery (after they drove it around to wash it was like 3 miles). Good job /w the TSX, for what its worth, its bliss baby =D.

 

nice color combo. and welcome to AZ.

 

No, it has 9 miles on it NOW...

thats what I thought too, but if that weren't available I would have definetly went with the Royal Blue Pearl. Thats a pretty hot paint job...

BTW I was just talking with some other Acura owners, they say that Black/Black 6spd +NAV is hard to find in some areas. Is that true? I did notice that there were hardly any manuals around. I did not drive the AT, but this car just seems born to have a close-ratio manual in it. I know Acura did the same thing with the TL manual was tough, manual + NAV was damn near non-existant (here in Dallas at least)

What can you guys tell me about the paint quality on my new sled? Is it decent?

 

WHERE???
My dealer has been searching forever now for that exact combo.
I've been waiting since Thanksgiving

Oh, just noticed you mentioned Dallas in your post afterwards.
They told me a special order is needed and it will take another 8 weeks

 

That's the same thing I feel about the TSX, although I'd rate the look of its interior a 10, at least over the rest of the Acura lineup. Handling for a FWD a 10 as well =)

I have an 06 NBP/Ebony/6mt/navi too =P Too be honest, if anything, it's one of the more popular color combinations I've been seeing people get here on AZine. Although some of the others may have an AT. RBP seems to be the other popular color this year.

As far as paint quality goes, it's kind of thin, so get the clear bra. I hated the highways in Dallas because of all the semis and loose debris flying around. Wash, clay bar, wash, polish, seal, and then go get the clear bra on it.

Yes, 6mt/navi is quite rare. Congrats, that's a pretty good price!

 

Yeah, I think what I liked best (visually) was the aluminum trim. Compared to say, the bimmer, the trim in the TSX is much more appealing to the eye. It is a very sharp interior, especially with the navi keeping the dash so organized. Also, I have always loved Japanese cars for the ergonomics. I love it when, in a car I have never driven before, my hands just go to where I think the controls should be...and there they are. Anybody here drive the new MB C230? What the HELL were they thinking putting the CC stalk there??

Thanks, I kinda thought so. My friend has a black G35 that looks like it drove thru a warzone...which, I guess it did (Dallas is sort of like a NASCAR race where they allow anyone to run on the track).

Guess I just got lucky, right place right time. The dealer could have screwed me, I was totally unprepared, but when the dealer went away to go do whatever it is they do over there, I got on his computer and went to edmunds and looked up the invoice price. I'm sure I didn't get the greatest deal ever, but sure is nice to have info like that available.

 

The whole reason I went from an 04 to and 06 despite trying out just about every other car in the price range was because of the balance. The TSX is all about balance and no other car out there has that same balance at this price range.

And for the record, the paint is not thin. It is probably more brittle because of the newer paint processes that require a water soluble paint system for cars. Just about every new car uses this paint process so it doesn't matter who you buy from, your paint will be about the same on new cars.

And yes, MT are much rarer than ATs. Reason being that Acura determined that about 70% of its buyers would be more likely to get the AT and only about 30% of its buyers would be purchasing the MT. In the real world, these numbers are probably not a whole lot off. In the AcuraZine world, we're more likely to be enthusiasts so you'll see a lot more MT owners than you would in real life.

BTW, excellent choice of color combo on an excellent choice of car. I have the same one.

 

It really is quite amazing. I looked at so many different cars, not just competitors to the TSX. The TSX just gives you something from every car I looked at, without really compromising in too many places, all for under $30k.

Whomevever it was in Japan who had to come up with the cost-saving methods to get this car to the price point it sells at...that person needs to be promoted up to VP level at least. I saw the fake wood trim in the lighter interior. I know it's fake, but damn, it looks better than half the REAL wood trims on cars that cost thousands more.

I wish I would have driven the TSX first, it would have saved me so much time and effort. Oh well, it could have been worse, I could have bought another car THEN drove the TSX...I'd be sooooo mad at myself.

Think I'll go for a drive, I'm still trying to learn how to talk to my navi...

 

Congratulation and welcome aborad. "just had to buy it" ..., how it sounds irrational. However, you made a choice you wouldn't regret. Good call!!

 

Yes, congratulations on your purchase, you'll enjoy it for sure!

I did TONS of research and many, MANY test drives before making my purchase, and the TSX started very low in my search rankings. But, you hit the nail on the head, this car has balance. I enjoy it every time I get in it and don't regret it for a second. Hope your experience is the same.

 

 

The handling on my Prelude (previous car) was better, stock vs. stock. So, I don't think I could rate the TSX a 10! I think part of it was that the Prelude is lower to the ground, and maybe a slightly stiffer suspension. Maybe if I upgrade to the A-spec, I might consider a "10" upgrade to the rating!

But yeah, Honda/Acura has a way of doing everything pretty well, and not trying to do one thing "the best" but letting other things slack off. I like their philosophy.

 

Prelude was a great handling car (4WS Si), really fun to drive.
My wife made me get rid of it because it lacked safety features like airbag & abs.

 

I should have qualified that statement, as I was comparing the TSX to the TL in my mind. I guess there aren't too many FWD sedans out there to begin with. But yes, I've heard good things about the Prelude handling (and while you're at it, other small coupes like the RSX) but they're smaller cars, so it's a different class

 

Hmm, I probably should have made that assumption myself! It's not like you'd be comparing the 3-series to coupes either. I was just knee-jerk reacting to FWD comments. I guess the main point is that Honda seems to be making it part of their mission to do as much as they can with FWD....

Luxury/sport-sedans you mean? Surely there are FWD sedans out there? Camry, for one, is kinda popular. ;-)

It's funny the different cars I test-drove before buying the TSX. I tried not to limit myself to sedans, or even to a narrow price range, but they just don't allow much rear seat room in coupes, so size/space was definitely a factor. I guess I'm saying that it doesn't bother me to compare the TSX to things not only in its class but out of it, as I'm nutty enough to maybe drift between different classes.

 

Mines on the way!....I've got a delivery date of Feb. 27th. from Los Gatos Acura. Glacier Blue/6sp. non navi. The long wait...begins.......