f23power

ive officially gone through the first month of ownership of my 2006 alabaster silver TSX with navi after totaling my s2000.

before:


after:


now:


my impressions of the acura TSX after one month of ownership is mixed. coming from the raw, edgieness of the s2000...i can appreciate the extra room, pampering and the automatic transmission in day to day driving. i average about 400 miles a tank versus the 240 miles a tank i got on the s2000.

i picked up my 2006 acura tsx with navi at the start of august with approximately 18xxx miles on it for 27xxx out the door. what was attractive was the fact the original warranty still existed and that it was certified as well.

here are some annoyances ive noted after one month:

-the aux mp3 jack:
even with the volume turned up nearly all the way up on the mp3 player itself...i need to have the volume on the headunit set at least 28 to comfortably listen to music. CD's an radio isnt a problem; thats usually set at 12-15

-bluetooth:
i love this feature that i use daily. my issue is that on some calls where i can barely hear the other party and turn the volume..then end the call...the "double beep" notification of the call ending rattles my speakers unless i remember to turn down the volume right after the call. i wish i can turn the beeping off

-driver's door
i think the hinges were over-engineered. they can be overly stiff. and unless you use the softest touch to close the driver's door....its shuts with a very cheap, hollow sounding 'clang'

-navigation:
i question the intuitiveness of the layout. if i type in a name of a restaurant chain...i expect to be routed to the location closest to me; not somewhere else 5000 miles away. and the screen is a magnet for fingerprints and dust

-headunit:
im sure this is probably a grounding issue..but even with entire audio system off(navi, bluetooth, climate control)...theres a intermittant 'tick' that comes through the speakers. just a single 'tick'. its more frequent when the radiator fans powers off or the a/c compressor turns on or off.

-drivetrain
I.
is it just me or does the automatic transmission on this car tend to have a jerky 1st to 2nd gear transition? all the other gears shift very smoothly.

II.
another issue is when i go from "p" to 'reverse" or "drive" theres a rattling noise that sounds like its coming from the firewall area until the car is in motion. its intermittent and it tends to happen when i turn the steering wheel ever so slightly. the noise goes away once the car is in motion.

-interior:
i absolutely depise the sunvisors. they do nothing to protect me from the sun because they don't extend out nor do they have extensions. the 2003-current honda accord has visors that extend out covering the entire length of the driver's/passenger side windows. check out my proposed modification here:

http://www..com/forums/showthread.php?t=21201

CONCLUSION:
i understand that the TSX was brought to compete with the 3-series and other cars in that class and i expect some cost cutting to make it more budget oriented. but for a 'premium' brand..i'm a bit disappointed. i have owned a 2002 honda accord, 2006 honda accord and a s2000; none of which ive experienced so many quirks. i have an appointment at my acura dealer to have most of the issues addressed so hopefully they can be taken care of.

coming from numerous forums (www..net, www.s2ki.com, www.gen7accord.net) i am familiar with forum etiquette and used the 'search' feature. ive searched most of the above issues...most of the results werent helpful.

-a

AZN.M3NACE

looks clean =)...




how did you total your s2k? you havent been street racing have you?!?

wackura

Most of the gripes seem trivial, definately not becoming of a "mixed" review. For a months worth of bad impressions this list is highly complimentary. It's simply odd that you fault the car for a brief rattle it sometimes makes under certain conditions while at a dead stop while saying nothing about the handling, the ride the comfortable seats, the leather, etc, etc. I'd think you'd enjoy the car more if you put things in perspective.

As for the nav screen collecting dust and fingerprints; that seems like a technology specific complaint rather than a TSX complaint. If there's a figerprint resistant touch screen that thwarts dust I haven't seen it.

And here's another person taking the time to express disapointment with the sound of the door shutting. The whole event lasts fractions of a second. Maybe it's not the sound that bothers people, but the impression it gives that the body is thin and hollow. If that's the case, the door is just the messenger, it's not the problem.

nj2pa2nc

I am the proud owner of an 06 6spd/w nav MR/eb tsx,bought new 11/17/06, with 23,600+ miles. My nav does collect finger prints and dust because I prefer not using the voice command feature. I have a microfiber towel in the car that I use to wipe the screen. My computers in the house seem to be magnets for dust and finger prints-no big problem. I had an 05 honda civic ex-se-disappointed with it- sold it. The tsx started getting some rattles at about 18,000 miles. I mentioned it to the service advisor the last time I was at the dealer for service-they made some adjustments-no more rattles (knock-on-wood).

frescagod

wow, what happened to your S2k? i went the other way, from an '05 TSX to an '07 S2000, and i'm glad i did. the TSX, while it has more room, the backseat, the bigger trunk, etc....i realized that i didn't need all the room in the first place. you know what else bothered me about the TSX? the straight-line tracking on highways....it seemed like the car kind of danced around, even though i would keep the wheel perfectly straight ahead (and not on grooved pavement). the S doesn't have that problem at all...it feels super solid.

anyway, just wanted your thoughts.

davidspalding

I can confirm most of your complaints, but I don't lose sleep over them.

Drivetrain I: yep, but the gear ratios let me really zip around like greased lightning (I credit the powertrain and the suspension), so I don't mind.

Drivetrain II: nope, haven't noticed this in my '06 5AT.

AUX: Yep, t'is a bit quiet. My biggest complaint is that seeing the hole is impossible the way it's mounted, so I have to poke around until I find it. If I leave the cable in there all the time, then AUX is a stop on the way from XM2 to XM1. :P I also worry that my commuter mug in there will bend the jack by bumping against the plug.

Door: I learned to let the door close on its springs. It takes practice, but stick with it. I find I can close the doors with hardly any force at all. I hope I never have a passenger who tries to slam it. See my posts in the "Satisfaction" thread; I've found that the door is weighted so that it can (and often does) close by itself. Nice.

Sunvisors ... oh, the things with the vanity mirror in them? I hardly use them. My windscreen has an upper border tint which does a fine job. And I've been driving in 100+ weather since I bought it in July.

These are annoyances, indeed, but I don't think any car is perfect for any single person. Enjoy the fun driving enough, and I think you'll start to forgive these little gripes.

f23power

perhaps i was being a little harsh. coming from a s2000 that had an extremely modified suspension to a for a fwd drive platform...the car handles exceptionally well. ive reached the limits of the handling of the car...i think some falken rt-615s will eliminate some of the tire squeal. and yes..the interior fit and finish is top notch.

in regards to what had happened to the s2000...for you so. cal people..i was in GMR...(angeles crest national forest) doing canyon runs...and i lost it on a hairpin turn and flipped upside down. thankfully...the carbon fiber hardtop saved me. yes yes...no need for the flaming.

-a

Nogard13

Maybe you should get an iPod interface rather than use the Aux. That's what I did and I absolutely love it.

As for the door, if you don't close it so hard, it won't make that sound.

The tranny issue is one I have, too. I end up letting off the gas right before it shifts to second and then hitting the gas again. It's a pain, but it works.

acn684

as for the door, dont keep anything in the side panel really, tahts went it makes a nasty clank.. If its clear of stuff it'll shut nicely.

vitocorleone

If the doors really bother you, invest in some dynamat or equivalent and then they'll sound nice and solid.

The oem tires are among the worst excuse for tires ever. Dump those things as soon as you can and get some real ones - just beware the rated weight rating of the TSX... given that I haul my family around I wasn't willing to stray from it (which drastically limits the tires options), but I've no doubt many others have and have had zero probs.

Think you may also want to consider buying the A-spec suspension as well to get some improved handling (lowers it and stiffens it a bit - reduces nose dive during hard braking, etc.) and if that doesn't cut it for you, maybe a new sway bar as well (though I've read about a lot of squeaking/creaking probs on this board with new sway bars so ymmv).

wackura

Everytime I get my tires changed out I'm never asked what kind I want. How do I got about getting nice tires?

msmching

woo... danger ..

Luckily that u didn't get convertible.. @@

ck123

oh yes......this is what i hate most of the tsx, followed by DBW. this tranny is pretty stupid too. when i get to under 10 mph, its still in 3rd gear!!!!!!! so when i apply gas, it will be slow and all of a sudden change to second gear and cause me to thrust backwards.


i do this sometime too..i notice if you drive really realyl slow or somehwat kind of fast, it will not be as noticeable, but if you drive normally it will be noticeable.

im deciding whether or not to change the fluid, but i think its just the nature of these trannies.

does anyone else notice how much activity is going on with these trannies when you let off the gas? its always bouncing around.

Overtaxed

How satisfied you are with the car is hugely dependant on what you expect from it, and also what you came from, IMO.

I'm not sure the TSX is ultimately the car for you.

It doesn't really compete directly with the 3 series IMO. It's considerably less expensive (okay, well at least here in Canada, for the same options it's almost 44 K (non-navi, taxes in) versus something like 60K for the BMW 328i, taxes in). It has almost as good handling, it's practical, and a whole lot of value for money if you are looking for excellent handling, some luxury and technology. That's what it's good at. Other cars will be better at other things, worse at others.

Thanks for your thoughts though, and the write-up.

Simba91102

It would be interesting to hear from various model year owners on this point. The doors on my 05 (the drivers door is most noticeable) have a much more substantial sound when closed than those on my 07. I wonder if it's the luck of the draw?

Simba91102

The rattling noise sounds like maybe a loose heat sheild.

Simba91102

How often do you get new tires? Do a little research and you'll find that there is quite a variety of tires to chose from (and most better then the OE Michelins, which are pretty much universally despised)(here anyway).

Trip

Headunit: In regards to the intermittent tick you hear, I bet its your cell phone. Since there's always power to the head unit (NAVI, HFL standing by) the amp is never really OFF like it would be wiht a radio. Sometimes electronic equipment will pickup cellphone signals and if speakers are attached, you'll hear a "tick" or small noise over speakers of attached.

If my cell phone is near my PC on my desk, I can tell I'm about to get a call because my PC speakers will "click a few times" before the phone lights up and rings. Every so often I'll hear a single click or two, I just assumed that my phone is sync'ing or something. My old phone didn't do this and this doesn't happen when my new phone is in another room.

Try leaving your phone out of the car and going for drive to see if it goes away.

f23power

thanks for the reply guys...in regards to the rattling..i think if figured it out....my hood latch is a little bit loose...so its not tightly securing the hood..its allowing about 1mm of play so when my motor is idling in drive...its the hood thats rattling. that was my major concern out everything i listed..

the little tick noise i hear...i'll live with it...the convenience of having a bluetooth enabled car...is a thumbs up for me.

yah..the michelins are crap...im trying too shred those tires as quickly as i can....ive always had positive experiences with the falken RT-615s

-a

bradykp

wow. 27xxx for a 2006 with 18,000 miles on it? that's awesome to hear. i have a 2006 with 32,000 miles on it, and i'd love to see it keep holding it's value at that rate!

great choice on car. i'll respond to your post when i have some more time

bradykp

i would say the following:

for your navi screen, a nice sunglass cloth goes a long way at keeping fingerprints at bay. i wipe down after every trip. i'm super anal though.

the navi is kinda crazy with giving you destinations from further away. this is a database problem that i think a lot of navis have at this point, since we're still new in this technology. i don't know if getting an updated disc would help at all, or if it's just how our navi software searches.

you can search for places by distance though. keep in mind, it doesn't have all points in it, so it may just not have the locations near you in the database.

i don't have the same problems with my bluetooth. my volume is usually around 15-20, only slightly higher than my radio. also, my aux input i don't have volume issues. i keep my mp3 at about 60% volume. if you turn it up higher, you get distortion usually.

i disagree with the interior compared to a 2006 honda. i compared both, and it's far superior. but that's personal. hopefully your dealer will fix the problems you have. i have no interior problems

timd38

I bought 2008 withou Nav for 27K and 2.9% money.

bradykp

i agree, the complaint is about the body structure, and i agree with the complaint. the body could be stronger. overall, it's a great car, but it can't take too much light abuse. i'd still buy the car again though!

bradykp

oh god, don't go to the dealer for tires!

i called and asked price, i think it was $260 per tire. i went to sam's club and got some goodyear tires, forget the model, but they are much better gripping, and quiter, and were $175 each including tax. plus sam's will rotate them for free, and fix flats for free.

bradykp

yeah, i got my 2006 brand new in december 06 for 28,500 with navi, all season mats, trunk tray, and cargo net. i'm very happy to hear that a 2006 with navi went for 27k with 18,000 miles on it.

holds value well.

davidspalding

Ditto. Monitors, speakers, headphones all hear a little bzz-ZT, bzz-ZT, bzz-ZT when my 6682 is either a) getting a call, or b) initiating an EDGE connection to check e-mail. Very annoying when I'm playing music on it. The cure for EM-created buzzing on nearby speakers is to move the phone > 18" away. YMMV, depending on phone model.

BTW, I like this (this would work, too) for wiping glasses, screens, etc. Good quality sunglass or lens cloths from a eyeglass store are good too. The best I've had (and can't find another) was a Tyvek cloth I got at Brookstone once upon a time. ... I find the "not an ashtray" is good for keeping the cloth in.

An afterthought about the AUX input ... different MP3 devices output different levels so a system that connects has to find a compromise. E.g., my Bose Triport headphones are such low impedance, that my phone and Inno XM radio need to be at near silent for comfortable listening. But connecting to Logitech or Bose computer speakers, the volumes need to be higher. I think that may explain the higher impedance of the Pioneer audio system in the TSX. Just guessing....