Does the lighter and smaller TSX outhandle the heavier and larger TL? I like the horsepower/brembo's of the TL but I love to straff on-ramps and scoot around in traffic. Handling is more important to me than stop light to stoplight acceleration. I haven't driven them back to back. What do you think?

 

TSX wins. Even the 6MT TL isn't quite as good.

 

Exactly right!!!!

 

I say TSX, but you could argue it either way.

We've discussed this on a few other threads too. The thing is, while we often talk about "handling" like it's a single thing, actually there are different aspects to it -- and depending on which ones are most important to someone, he could pick either car. The TSX is more nimble, which to me is the most important thing. But, the TL probably has less body roll (presumably because of its greater width). What makes it still more complicated is that factors having nothing technically to do with "handling" might come into our sense of a car's handling, or at least they do for me. For example, I find the TSX's seat extremely more "right" than the TL's seat. This very much affects everything about my sense of the car, and to me it's an inseparable part of the impression of "handling." I'd suggest that things like this might be true for a lot of people without them realizing it.

BTW the sizes of the cars are closer than most people think, but definitely different enough to make a difference.

 

I was really surprised by that when I finally checked out a TL at the dealer. Reading numbers just didn't give my feeble mind an accurate measure of how close they are... or rather, how much closer they are in size than I had mentally pictured.

 

Larch, I disagree about the body roll. I think the TL has a lot more body roll than the TSX, especially the 5AT. Even the 6MT TL seemed to more body roll than the TSX. Does anybody have the size of the sway bars handy?

 

How about, does anybody else think the TSX has less body roll than the TL?? Believe me, I'd love for it to be true -- I like to see the TSX come out ahead on anything -- but as far as I know, everybody who has commented on it seems to feel that if anything the TL is better on this.

From what I could tell by my test drive of the TL, the difference is slight, but I do think it's in TL's favor. Not 100% sure though.

 

I don't think so, but maybe it you were just confused from the TL's acceleration pushing you back into your seat.

 

although i havent driven a new TL, i doubt a comfort tuned 3500lb+ FWD car is going to outhandle a lighter, sporty tuned car.

 

They both have pretty stiff suspensions. And, the difference in weight is not huge.