Well, I test drove a TSX today with the AT (see my earlier post about MT vs. AT). I was quite satisfied with the performance of the trans in the limited drive that I took.

The one thing that I have to criticize a bit is the ride on rough roads. One stretch of road was all too common for the Detroit area: a concrete road where the slabs are a bit cracked and uneven, giving you a series of small but sharp-edged bumps. I thought that the TSX was a bit choppy and harsh over this stretch. This was confirmed when I left the dealership and drove over the same road in my A4. Big difference. In the A4 I knew the bumps were there, but there was no jolting at all. More of a "thump-thump" instead of "bang-bang".

I put a lot of this down to today's trend to the wide, super-low profile tires. My A4 has 205-60R/15's which have more sidewall than the 50R/17's on the TSX. It does put more demands on the suspension.

Anyway, my impression was favorable overall, and I would definitely be sold on the car if I hadn't also taken a look at the new TL that was sitting there. Wow!! And only $32K!

Doug