A friend of mine just got a TSX Loaner. He owns a CL type S.
Aside from the massive difference in power and his disappointment of that..(0 to 60 in forever...) he claims that his CL handles way better than the TSX. In fact, he claims that the car is just an underpowered 3rdGen TL. Is this an accurate statement? I thought the TSX handled way better than the CL or is he in denial?

 

He's in denial! The CL-S is a nice car, and it handles well, but it's nowhere as precise as the TSX. Simple math should help illistrate this point. 3520lbs car on 215/50R-17s vs. 3200 lbs car on the same tires. 63/37 weight dist vs. 60/40. 107 wheel base vs. 105. 192 in length vs. 183. The list goes on.....

 

You might be able to find some slalom numbers for both cars to back that up too.

 

Jeez, don't make me do all the work here.....

 

Your friend is crazy. It's that simple.

 

Thats fine with me

 

He's madly in love with the CL.

 

The TSX or at least my Accord EURo R, has a little too much body roll on the curve, other wise it handles decenty good

 

my TSX is in service and i got a non-navi 05 TSX loaner. the weird thing is this one seems to drive better as the steering wheel is a lot heavier and stiffer to turn and the brakes are more touchy... is it because this one has less power steering fluid in it or am i just imagining hthings??

 

I'm glad for the guy.

 

Do you think its possible to make the TSX better balanced then 60/40
?

CF hood? Light wieght flywheel

 

You would need to shave off close to 800lbs from the front to attain a 50/50 weight distribution, hehehe.

 

I am responding to this thread with a bit of caution. I want to say upfront that my TSX is a great car, as I am sure all of your TSX's are, however in all honesty and fairness I have to post this.

IMO my car does not seem to handle very well. The steering wheel has a bit of play and the car has too much body roll at times. Under heavy steering, like when a truck cuts you off on the turnpike, the car doesn't respond with 100% precision. The tires lack grip as well.

Now, this could be my car, it could be the OEM tires and I originally thought that it was a lack of air pressure. (I double checked the air and it isn't that). So I guess that it just is the way that my TSX responds.

Overall the car isn't a bad ride, but not as precise as it can be.

Again, this could be my car only...so I hope that everyone doesn't take this as a rip on their TSX because it isn't meant to be that.

 

or throw a couple of bodies in the trunk

 

he is in denial, i owned a 2001 CL type S. completely neutral, no bias cause i own tsx now. I took both car through same turn, handling, everything, TSX handle much better than the CL and CL type S. just imagine, CL is front nose heavier than TSX and it is overall much heavier than TSX. both wear 215 50 17.. how is CLS gonna handle bertter than TSX? ...... I had integra, old generation CL, 01 CL-S and now TSX... your friend is in denial..either that or his mid ear is not real balanced

 

wow. sucks to hear that, i driven acura for over 12 years now. all models.. i can pretty much confidently say my tsx has zero play in steering wheel.. not much under steering.. turn and twist are very very precise.. and its running factory michelin.. and i have used Toyo, Yokohama and diff tires before.. so i more or less know the difference.....did u check alignment? they can check alignment and tighten the steering wheel a bit....

 

Tires and firmer suspension are very much needed. I had the same problem with my GSR - the OEM Michelins sucked and there was too much body roll. Type R springs, adj. struts and suitable tires make a tremendous difference. Additionally, most cars need more air pressure than factory spec to handle well, at some penalty to ride quality.

Funny thing is that I had a Gen 2 integra and I thought it handled much better than my current gen 3.

Note - steering play is adjustible, at least on integras. Ask your dealer to do the check-out procedure and adjust if necessary.

 

Just an update... My friend got a chance to push the car a little harder, and he says he now has new found respect for the cars handling.

 

Well don't get me wrong here: I think the TSX has too much body roll, is under tired, under powered, slow to respond to steering inputs and driven by the wrong wheels when compared to my S2000! However, compared to the CL-S, it's a track star. These things all depend on your point of view and where you're coming from. In my line of work I always remember that I can offer opinions but at the end of the day, I'm not the one who's going to drive the car. Everyone needs to decide for themselves the worth (or lack there of) of any car they decide to own.

 

IMO the TSX has two stage handling. Its feels somewhat floaty and the wheel isn't as precise I'd I'd like it at low speeds.

But when pushed hard into corners it totally transforms as if its on rails. No roll, precise steering and and very stiff.

I can't think of another FWD Sedan that handles better

 

I totally agree, but the point was to show that this type of comparisons are purely subjective. IMO the only FDW car to outhandle the TSX is the Type-R Integra. I suspect you already know this and this is why you qualified your statement with "sedan" in the description.

 

The three things I've done to correct all of the issues you mentioned were 18" wheels, coilovers and rear sway. I think for a 3200 lb car its pretty close to perfect now. I just today installed the Spoon strut tower bar, so I have yet to see what that changes.

I hated the stock rubber from day one. Stock suspension was somewhat stiff, but not enough to kill body roll through the turns, and the stock sway is just too small to keep the back end tight.

I think its fine for the everyday driver, but a lot of us here always want something more. So, ~$3K later, I've got it

 

Are you talking about a stock setup? I'd have to disagree what that...On long, tight sweeping turns, the stock suspension gave enough body roll to notice IMO.

Now, this was when I had the 18's on, with stock struts, so I might have been hitting higher speeds with the stickier rubber...

 

Just over a year ago I test drove a TSX back to back with a CL on the same route.
I thought the TSX handled the drive brilliantly but the CL was effortless. It seemed to glide thru the corners.
I have no regrets about going with the TSX though.

 

Except maybe for the roll. But pushed at it's limits is where you'll find the true character of the TSX's chassis.

 

Sorry, I forgot not everyone has the rear sway