crfortin

> the TSX has been the #1 sports sedan (not sports luxury sedan... that's the BMW3) since it first came out. Can't go wrong, really... unless you choose one that doesn't meet your needs and desires!

I find Car & Drivers classification kind of funny here. Shouldn't the TSX with all the std. gismos be the (small) luxury sedan and the BMW the "sports" luxury sedan ?

TSX is a great fun to drive car, but outside of the snow the BMW is definitely more skewed to being the definitive statement on the sportiness side (albiet at the expense of your checkbook, NVH, std. interior fittings and potential reliability)

Rocket_man

When I drove the Accord V6 the amount of torque steer drove me nuts. It may not be a deal breaker for some, but I'm coming from a rear wheel drive car and I have no torque steer (of course). Puttting ~260hp to the front wheels I think is reaching the limit of FRD. The handleing on the AV6 is not as sporty and tight as the TSX. The TSX is a slightly smaller car and I like that actually, easier to put it where you want to. The AV6 is a nice car but aimed at a family sedan, the TSX is aimed at the sports sedan shopper. I think both cars hit their mark pretty well. Besides the list of features mentioned above, the Acura has a longer warrenty. The Navs in both are the same for the 06 models I believe.

ChasC

Well guys, I drove an '05 today, just put $100 down to hold it 'til my loan comes through. Total price w/navi and destination, before taxes $27,295 which is good for my area (only one dealer with 90 miles), I think.

Now, I liked the Accord and the power of the V-6, but the TSX has a ride which is -- simply put -- more refined. I am wary of the "Acura snob appeal" thing because I am a very down-to-earth person, so tried to factor that in, but the car just had its way with me . . so sweet on the turns! I also have to say I am impressed with the navigation/voice recognition system. I really don't need a map to get to work, but occasionally I need assistance and the TSX has it. Besides, let's face it, it's f'g COOL!

I take delivery next Thursday. Will let you know.

bradykp

Not a bad deal ChasC. congrats on the purchase. i'm still waiting for delivery on mine. supposedly 1-2 more weeks

themayor

Congratulations! Honestly, I'm the same way as far as being wary of driving a "luxury" brand. But it is still an extremely practical car, very safe, great gas mileage, and get this, the insurance is cheaper on a TSX than an Accord V6 Coupe.

I have had my '05 for just about a month now, and I am constantly looking for excuses to drive it.

heyitsme

Think its up to a test drive, both cars have nice interior, and the looks of the refreshed accord exterior are decent yet not quite as refined as the tsx. Find a lot of times what people call nice handling or in touch with the road is a harsher suspension and that could very easily be a deal breaker for a long travel commuter car.

PG6886

Hmm, insurance is cheaper on my AV6 coupe than a TSX would be for me.

peter_bigblock

[QUOTE=ChasC]Well guys, I drove an '05 today, just put $100 down to hold it 'til my loan comes through. Total price w/navi and destination, before taxes $27,295 which is good for my area (only one dealer with 90 miles), I think.QUOTE]

Congrats, man, and welcome to the club.

BusyShifter

No worry about the "snob appeal". I tell some of my friends it is just an Accord, an european Accord.

Congratulation on the purchase.

waTSX

Congrats, dude.

ninjamyst

you sure you don't want the '06 TSX? The '05 TSX is actually almost the same as the '06 Accord in terms of features...

ChasC

I am happy with the '05 TSX, thanks. While there are many similarities, the TSX held the edge for me.

Incidentally, my 1996 Accord saved my life tonight. I hit a Chevy truck broadside at 40 mph and the Accord deployed its airbags which -- coupled with the seatbelt -- enabled me to walk away from the accident.

My wonderful Accord is a total loss. I truly feel a great friend took a bullet for me, and will grieve this car for the rest of my days. On the other hand, I am convinced that Honda makes a terrific and safe vehicle, and have confidence that I could rely upon the TSX in a similar situation.

May what happened to me this afternoon never happen to you, but have faith that if it does, you are driving one of the safest cars on the road.

I mean this with all of my heart, and will notify Honda appropriately.

DMBand0026

Wow! Glad you're okay! Sorry for the loss of your Accord, it's a hard thing to say goodbye to a car that you love and has served you so well, I know from experience. It's especially tough when it's torn away from you to quickly like that.

The one good thing about this (other than the fact that you're alive and all in one piece) is that you can now get a new Acura.

Really though, I'm very glad you're okay.

majorbike

ChasC,
Glad you were able to walk away from it.

I'm still going back and forth with the 6 speed Accord & the 6 speed TSX. Due to the property tax laws here, I don't have to decide for a while.

Something that I hope others can answer here as I can't remember from the short test drive in the TSX is how fast the engine is turning in 6th gear at say 65 or 75.

ChasC

Thanks for your expressions of concern. I really feel fortunate to be in one piece, and credit Honda for building a fantastic automobile.


The Accord-TSX dilemma is a real one, and I appreciate your quagmire. I looked for the rpms for gears in the dealer's advertising brochure, but couldn't find any information there. I do know the Acura likes high revs which suits my driving style.

BTW, I can claim to have been a very safe but fast driver only up until today. The accident I had was partly my fault. I will drive my new Acura very carefully, I think. You guys be safe too.

BusyShifter

ChasC, good to hear that you were able to walk away from the accident. It sounded pretty bad. Hopefully you get your TSX soon.

peter_bigblock

I want to say it's turning around 3,200 or so at 70 -- that's from memory.

Chas C, it's sure good to hear you walked away. It's unfortunate that your car's a loss. Honda sure makes a hell of a car; I don't know of any better value in terms of safety, reliability, comfort, engineering, and fun. We're all lucky to be in positions to choose between one great car (TSX) and another (AV6).

peter_bigblock

I did the math, it's turning 2700 at 65 and 3100 at 75.

themayor

Hmm, I guess 5th in the AT is a fair amount taller. Last night I had cruise control set, it was 2800 at 78mph. Which blows my mind for a 4 banger.

ChasC, glad to hear you are OK!

rb1

A common complaint in the 04-05 models was that the 1-2 gear spacing was so large it made it difficult to make this shift smoothly.

Does anyone know if any of the gear ratios have been tweaked for 06? (I've seen Acura do this before in the middle of a model cycle, lest anyone accuse me of being nuts... )

sc1

For those comparing the AT versions of both, the Honda Accord 5-speed auto does not have SportShift while the TSX does.

I've ridden in a friend's 2006 Accord EX V-6 and was shocked at how much the interior had improved over previous generations and how much closer it was to the TSX. A lot of the switches and buttons are the same and in the same location (including unfortunately the moonroof controls).

I also noticed that the CD player displayed track information for a CD my friend was playing, does the TSX radio do that as well?

vidgamer

I rode in someone's Accord Coupe (new style -- 05 maybe?), and I was shocked at how similar the whole center console looked. The interior looked extremely similar! (You'd think that if they're going to make it that similar, they might as well just make the parts interchangable, but I couldn't tell how close they were...)

I do like how similar the controls are to other Hondas, as my last car was a Honda...

No, the TSX radio hasn't displayed any cool track info for me. But maybe I have really lame CDs.

03CoupeV6

Honda makes great cars that are very safe. It's too bad that everyone isn't so lucky.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news...89/detail.html

A TL-S split in half and two kids died.

Arcticcl9

Lampposts are deadly. You smack any car at such high speed into a lamppost and it will snap in half

Ellas9

I had the same decision with the Accord V6. Here's what sold me to the TSX:

1. The Camry is slightly less ugly than the Accord! Okay the coupe has a nice rear but the front...bruttle!
2. Leather quality, vinyl quality, fit and finish
3. More responsive handling and only slighly less smooth than the Coupe
4. Better fuel economy in real driving situations
5. I don't need a V6, the TSX is one of the best 4 cylinder sedans in the world.
6. In Canada, I paid only 2K more for the TSX with an Aero Kit versus the best offer I had available on the Accord V6 coupe with spoiler and side mouldings.

If you want lot's of power than buy the Accord or a Maxima (by the way, that will then be the last front drive car you buy when you realize you cant keep the front end on the ground and you have unusable power). If you really love to drive, I personally think that the TSX is in the same league as the 3 series and A4 - but a great discount. Our friends at Car & Driver agree.

peter_bigblock

I agree with that. Car & Driver continuing to name the TSX as their top sport sedan for it's combination of value, performance, amenities, and pure fun in a field rife with excellent competition is amazing.

I also concur on the engine; I get a bigger kick out of driving the world's sweetest I4 rather than just another iteration of the now-ubiquitous 3-odd-liter V6.

dozorca

If you're very down-to-earth, you should have taken a Mazda3 for a test drive.
Handling is same or (some may argue) better on the Mazda3 GT (17" wheels and perf. tyres).

It's about the same size as the TSX, similar 0-60, nice interior, nice exterior.

Enjoy the new car!

dozorca

2. Leather is the same. And so is the fit and finish.
4. Depends how you drive. I kept my TSX in the higher (4500-5000) rpm range to move around the city, getting similar milage to a V6 accord which moves along nicely at 2500-3500 rpm.
6. You were getting a very higher then normal price for the V6 coupe (even if it was a 6-speed).

You have unusable power when you turn off traction control. Seriously, If TSX came with a 240-260 hp FWD v6, nobody would be complaining about "unusable" power or torque steer.

majorbike

ChasC,
How's the new TSX doing? WHat are your impressions now that you've had it for a weekend?

MB

ChasC

Major,

I am still breaking the car in, so posting is a bit premature, but so far . . . so good! I am very impressed.

I plan to write a comprehensive review of my experience purchasing and driving the TSX. I'll probably post it within one week.

Best to you.

killerdc

I know you have already purchased your car, but here is my two cents in case someone else reads this.

First, you stated in your first post you were looking for a Manual Transmission EX. Someone posted that accords are essentially a dime a dozen. While this is partly true, the 6speed EX coupe is a VERY rare car. For every 100 accords that are made, only 1 is a 6 speed coupe. I waited to try and purchase one in 2004 and by August, there were only 4 in the whole state of texas and they were all white. (Ugly color for that car), so I had to wait nearly 9 months to get the one I wanted. I have owned my accord coupe 6 spd for a year now and to this day have only seen 3 other six speed coupes and none in the color I own. The resale value on a six speed coupe is incredible.

My step mom owns a TSX and if I am not mistaken, you have to fill it with premium gasoline. The Honda dealer tells you not to put anything but regular in the accord. With gas prices rising every day, that 30 cents per gallon really really adds up. I get 28 MPH in my 6 cyl coupe and go through a tank and a half a week. Meaning every two weeks you save 15 bucks. Might not be much, but thats a car payment every year.

Dont get me wrong, the TSX is actually a very nice car, I just think love my accord. The TSX feels more luxury while the coupe feels more sporty. In the end individual taste is most important and most likely you cant go wrong with either choice.

calgary2800

A couple of weeks after buying my V6 EX Sedan 6 speed Sedan I went to another dealer after close to see what they have in my body style and trim. To my surprise they had 4 to 5 as I remember of the V6 6speed sedan.

I didnt see any coupes in that trim. This was at Lynnwood Honda in Wa State.

paranode

Acura Civic?!?!? Blasphemy.

That's an RSX.

Washington

Earlier post had it right. Can't get out of my driveway without seeing an Accord.

SlayerGTR

pricewise, one can bargain more $ off of a accord.

I was able to get my 6MT NAVI for 4000-5000 off of sticker, which was a few hundred - 1 g under invoice. Can Acura top that?

I was close to gettin a TL... but the sales person bsed about the price, and tried to rip us off. I ended up gettin the accord since I called up dealer, immediately they offered me under invoice pricing.

Magic Man

I'll never understand why people care so much about what others drive. If you like the Accord who cares who else has one? The TSX is not rare & I see several of those a day as well. Retards.

calgary2800

For my area Seattle getting a V6 EX s- 6speed for invoice or under is not easy to do. I paid halfway between invoice and msrp.

I've check carsdirect.com and edmunds tmv value for the car and the dealers here make a fair profit.

The Seattle market has strong Honda sales so prices are up especially for a V6 MT.

calgary2800

For rare cars under 30k that cater to the performance side look at the Altima SER

I've only seen 2 in the 2 years its been out.

Once at the Canadian border and another one on I-5 freeway.

kenzo

+1

Some people are very insecure and want others to be impressed with the car they drive.

If someone designs and builds a car, that's impressive, but if you just bought it, well...
(yawn).

Mokos23

If you care about speed get a 350Z or a G35 coupe.