While the generally poor reception of the 2G is "good" news for 1G owners like me who were fearing buyer's remorse, it is sad to see the legacy die before it ever got a chance. What worries me is if the TSX name gets marred going forward, and if that hurts resaleability and resale value of all TSX's.


OVERALL: ** (out of 5 stars)
From hero to zero in one single redesign.


http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009-acura-tsx-review/


Reading the reader responses, there seem to be an awful lot of 1G owners frequenting TTAC. Any of us from AZ in there?

 

reviews are like assholes... everyone's got one

 

^^^Except, in this case, almost everyone agreed with the review --- even the Brits.

 

I don't trust british people

 

i think a lot of people agree with the review. I do, the car is ok, but when I test drove one a few months back to see what it was like, I was very happy when I drove off the lot in my 04 TSX. Honda is dropping the ball on the Acura brand with this "new style." What ever happened to the sports 4 concept?

 

<snicker> As sad of a review as it is for Acura, that was pretty funny though... From everything I've heard & read, they've about done away with the stuff I like most... I'm *really* glad I've got my '07!! (it turns 1 in 3 weeks ).

 

In the looks department, I think the 2G looks pretty nice. compare them:

Comparison

The 1G is still sexy lookin, but it needs to evolve.

 

I test drove the 2G twice, and have no idea how the 1G "evolved" into that. Looks aside (because that's purely subjective), they took everything that was great about the original car, and seemingly dropped it from the redesign. IMO, it's no wonder that so many of our 1G brothers and sisters jumped on '08 TL-Ss...

For me, I'll either keep the 1G a bit longer, or move on to another marque. Those latest TL spy shots are atrocious, regardless of whether or not the SH-AWD version will pack some serious punch...

 

the only design cue the 1st and 2nd gen TSX share are the shape and look for the 4 drs. looks like they just took the old doors from the 1st gen and put it into the 2nd gen body.

 

also, why does the middle person on the rear get their own headrest now in the 2nd gen TSX?

 

That's not a fair looks comparison. One is stock and one has a body kit.

 

dang i read that review, wow that guy basically says that new TSX is junk and is not advancing at all. ouch!

 

09 TSX FTL

 

i enjoyed reading the introductory paragragh.

 

lol. the front-end really is ugly.

in spite of the bashing by the author, it was a funny read.

 

As I posted on the other side :

Some reviewers are more in love with their poisoned, punishing prose than they'll ever be with what they're reviewing. Jarring and noisy? Sounds like the review, not the car. C&D has flowery, unmistakably crackling style, so I'd guess this reviewer is a wannabe C&D writer.

A web site gets more traffic from an entertaining, derisive critique, than from boring, pithy, well-thought-out discussion....
______________

Still, it was entertaining reading. The guy really didn't have a good day driving that thing. Must've scuffed his Cole Haan driving moccasins on the door sill getting in.

 

You know what..... He's right! It does look like a pissed-off pokemon!!

I don't know much about the '09s, but the review sounds a bit harsh. I do hate the fenders and the grill though. Just awful.

Won't be trading my '06 any time soon, thats for sure.

 

read the review... I actually agree with what he wrote... normally I don't...

 

does anyone know if the 09tsx has directory sync for a bluetooth option? i wonder if we'd be able to swap bluetooth units.... i know the current gen tls do... and those units should be swappable =).

 

what does this review say then of the people who have bought the 09 Acura TSX? it seems the reviewer might say they have no tastes or are blind.

 

not the first time I have heard complaints about the steering. I wonder if it is actually as bad as they say it is.

 

As an early adopter of the TSX (bought in june of '03) I was sad that I had to agree with most of the review. The 2G TSX is a decent car, just not what many were hoping for. If they had packed the same mechanicals and features into a Sports4 looking shell, we'd be all over it. If they had done that and thrown in more HP, torque, AWD and kept the handling, we'd have a 3 series competitor. As it played out, Acura made another good car, just not a great one. Oh well, the new A4 is looking pretty good.

 

Too bad they F'ed it up.

 

It doesn't say anything. Everyone has a different taste. It would seem the majority of people don't like the new TSX, however there are certainly a number of people who do. To each their own. I personally don't like the way it looks, although I saw one the other day and I have to say it does look better in person.

 

Directory sync? Suggest you post the question in the 2GEN forum. I seem to recall that the new HFL does phonebook import, depending on phone model. Take a look at the specs , and "what we know," threads.

 

yup i agree now.

 

whew, I thought I was going crazy because people around here seemed to start liking the 2nd generation. After that article and all those follow-up posts, I know I'm still the sane one.

You can be sure that the mid-cycle refresh (2011) will have major exterior changes followed by major 1G trade-in's and sales...unless if that other executive still has his way. I have fortunately not seen any 2G's around here. Granted it's southern cali, home of the automotive world....I think californians are smart enough not to buy into the ugliness. I never bother zooming into 2G pictures online anymore....if I saw one in real life, I'd look in the opposite direction and end up crashing...lol

 

All true. I would add the rear end reminds of Kim Kardashian's big fat rear end. Ughhh!


Acura really screwed the pooch on this one - so disappointed after owning 2 Acuras.


I was so pumped for a sports4 body style with 3-series dimensions. Instead we got an overweight Camry imposter with a Saturn grille.

 

I don't get the buyers remorse comment.
It's not like you went to test drive a 2nd gen (or even the 1st gen), enjoyed it enough to buy it, then came home and read a poor review (or good review on the flip side) and all of a sudden you hate the car.

Who bases their whole purchase on a car review? I thought people bought cars because they liked it for their own reasons.

 

yeah, but he's worried that the resale value will go down due to this

 

The TTAC review sounded to me like several others I've read. The car has lost some of its athletic prowess and sharper moves as it has gone from one generation to the next. I wouldn't know, I haven't driven it, but I do suspect that the target buyers for the new car don't pay attention to steering response, body lean, at-the-limit handling, 0-60 times. They're more into what it has in it, how it looks, the fact that it's a near-lux brand, and whether it's peppy and gets good gas mileage. The 2G seems to do everything but really look stunningly good, it's only "okay" to most eyes. The 1G was a much more rare balance between all those traits and sharper-than-usual driving fun for guys like us.

The looks are subjective but I think it's safe to say they're so-so. Some people like them, some don't, and only a few really love them. The grill does the car no good in this department. The bucket-o-buttons interior isn't for everyone but wouldn't turn me off nor would it turn off most potential buyers if the buttons represent cool functions. Our '07 MDX has a million buttons but once you learn them, they all do something useful or cool to please the driver and wow your friends.

Acura did what they wanted to do with the TSX, I think, but like a lot of sophomore iterations it's gone from a pleasant surprise to a predictable me-too. That said, it still looks and sounds like it'd respond well to mods, tweaks, personalization, etc. and maybe takes a little more vision to get it how you like it.

I'm bummed Acura didn't go direct-injection, but other than that I'm glad it's still a n.a. four-banger. I'd say it's a solid single but it's no stand-up double the way the 1G was. It doesn't change the game.

 

I spotted my first '09 today. It is actuallly not as Saturnish as the pictures suggest but it is still not dignified enough to be called a luxury car. In my mind a luxury car should not elicit debate or ambivalance about its looks. It should have the "wow, nice car" factor, even if only slightly so. The '09 just doesn't have it. Which is why after waiting for it, I rushed out to get an '08 once the first pictures of the 2G were published.

 

I've been thinking about doing same but also looking at Lexus IS250 and MB C300Sport.

Did your Acura dealer give a larger discount on the 08 TSX?

 

i would assume so

 

The 2G TSX is not in my future.

 

$1K incentive on Navi and a $6K incentive on the '08 model ($40K Cdn MSRP). Add in a 0.9% lease rate (my wife is self-employed) and the only stickler was that there were few MT models left so we did not get our colour of choice.

 

I ruled out the IS250 because it leans toward the luxury side rather than the sport side. Also, the TSX is more practicle with its bigger back seat - I have 2 kids. The MB does not offer as much value for money. My

 

This car reviewer either praises the car he likes or beats the ones he doesn't like a piņata. He doesn't like the simple fact that the TSX moved away from sportiness closer to luxury and so he went to town on it. In addition to his funny writing, I like his sportiness first - luxury second ethic.

I don't plan to get rif of my '07 anytime soon, but for my next car I want to buy used for the better value, so the new cars of today are my used options of tomorrow, and I have absolutely no idea where to turn. German cars shouldn't be bought used, driving a Lexus is like wearing a t-shirt with the word "snob" written on it. Maybe I'll end up with an Infiniti.

 

Lexus=snob?

 

i just drove the new tsx last week and for the most part i liked it. i found the steering to be loose, kinda like my dads honda civic. but i didnt mind it, i think they are being a little harsh on this car.