2004_Acura_TSX

Styling is what sold me on my TSX, but my dislikes are the horrible rattles/vibrations, power seat that doesn't work properly, and I don't really like the engine because its very underpowered. One time I had 2 other people in my TSX and it struggled on the expressway just to accelerate....my 92 Accord sedan performs about the same as the TSX and that is a 12 year old car with way less power and 189k miles!
I am gonna have to get my TSX dynoed cuz I would like to know how much HP the car is putting to the wheels.

Back to styling, I still like it..

briny319

That's strange, you should have your tsx checked by a dealer. Mine certainly isn't over powered but its not under powered either. The 200hp seems to be just right for the car, but I'd like more. I have no problem getting on any highways. I just give it a lot of gas and it really moves.

combustible1

I like the chopped off look of the TSX alot, which remind me of BMWs. The front end is boring as hell, imho. Glad a few of you like it, at least.

The back end IS very similar to the previous generation Camry. It may look a little plain, but I really like it on the TSX.

Here's my order of preference for viewing the TSX:

1~ back end 3/4 view. (best!)
2~ back end
3~ side view
4~ front view
5~ front end 3/4 view. (worst!)

As far as the TSX looking better in the long run, I agree, that does seem to make sense. But unlike most of you (probably), I don't agree because it's simply a better looking design, but because it is a safer design that doesn't take many chances.

The risk/reward ratio is greater with the more adventurous designs of other car makers.

sho-one

I think my TSX looks great and gets better every day. The only thing I'm gonna change is the front grill and maybe lower it.

I think it looks awesome for a sedan.

bowersan

The TL took the TSX design and fixed all the errors, IMO.
Jon Ikeda did a great job... why do you think that everyone is finally praising Acura for its design of the TL, and only mentioning the TSX? Because the TL is the look Acura wants. The TSX is a half-way step there... Honda designers were able to test the waters with the Accord (TSX), found out the design worked, and went head first into the TL design.

Good job on the TSX design guys... Great job on the TL.

J.

ssm_tsx

The TL was designed before the TSX, but the tsx was still released first.

bowersan

I read that on vtec.net

But how can that be possible? The TL's design is more 'put together' than the TSXs. It wouldnt make any sense to make a design 'less' appealing.... so why does the Accord/TSX 'look less complete' than the TL? Am I missing something?

OldManTSX

I think the exterior design is something I will appreciate for a long time. I have ground effects which makes me appreciate it even more. There are times though where I'm not sure if I should have gotten the rear spoiler. I had it without the spoiler for about a week and I thought it looked nice without it (spoiler).

ClutchPerformer

What were/are the errors, in your opinion?

ClutchPerformer

That statement is a little hard to believe. Hasn't the Euro/Jap Accord (which has a similar exterior to the TSX) been out for a couple of years now? Has Honda just been holding the new TL back that long?

bowersan

Okay, first off I want to take back the words I’ve used. In no way are these 'design errors', however, I consider these to be design 'inconsistencies' that I’ve noticed on the TSX that were 'corrected' on the TL.

Put the two models side by side for comparison.

Notice on the TSX the side crease. Note how it starts at the wheel well, and rises to the top of the rear taillight. Why this line is angled the way it is, I don’t know. If the designers were looking for a more fluid design, they would have made the line match with the angles of the headlights so that your eye can fluidly flow across the side of the body. As of now, the fold directs your eye below the headlight. The TL's crease draws your eyes from the line started by the headlight all the way until the taillight. (on the TL the crease is known more affectionately as the 'scar'. Personally, I don’t mind it at all.)

Note too how the scar line intersects the door handles. Note how good that looks. When you compare this to the TL, the TSX's door handles appear awkward in relation to the side crease.

Next, notice the line that droops from the taillights to the rear wheel well. On the TSX the line drops and enters the well at the top, for no apparent reason. Then see how the TL's line drops, then nicely enters the well at the exactly the same level as the corresponding body line, allowing your eye to follow the across the body all the way to the front.

On the same note, look at the shape of the 'under door' piece. Notice how the TSX's shape fails to meet the front fender in the same manner as the TL's.

Onto the rear. Now, I know people are either in love with it or hate it. Personally, I don’t think its THAT BAD, but I do find it to be rather plain. I just wish the trunk lid would have the pointed shape to it like the TL, so it could take a bite out of the gargantuan bumper (sometimes compared to J.Lo's booty), and at least ONE interesting shape in the rear. As it is right now, there are too many straight parallel lines.

Lastly, I would argue that (and this is my personal opinion) the shape of the TL's C pillar (and effectively the top rear portion of the rear passenger door) is much stronger, attractive and consistent with the rest of the design than the TSX's rear door shape. I find the TSX's door to have a weak curve, which is odd considering the complete lack of curves anywhere else in the design.

Anyways, that’s just my opinion… I’m by no means a professional when it comes to design.

And once again, don’t get me wrong. I love how the TSX looks. I think it’s a sweet looking car, and I find myself saying that every time I see one.

J.

ssm_tsx

No, the accord was released a few months before the tsx was.

darth62

Looks are a personal issue, and I have to say that I like the way the TSX and TL look a lot. I just like the TSX a bit more, because it looks cleaner and more sleek to me.

The TSX might look better to me partially because I love the color of my car (Meteor Silver) and I don't really like the color selection for the TL as much.

ortiz

I fell in love with the Navi technology and interior . I was not too happy with the exterior. But the car I wanted (G35 coupe) was taking too long to get (going on 3 1/2 months). I bought the TSX and after adding the ground effects and rear wing I can't stop looking at it.

My friends agree that it just looked plain without the ground effects but looks nice and agressive with them. Now everyone I run into really likes the look of my car . Many people stop me at stores and parking lots to ask how I like the car . I just smile and say "It OK. " and watch their envyous eye fixated on my car.

tsx-mdxman

As Darth said, looks are a personal issue. The TSX is near-perfect to me. I know this may sound like heresy, but IMHO the new TL was "overstyled" by the same geniuses that brought us the new North American Accord. I'll concede it may be one of those cars that looks better in person than in photos but right now I feel like I'm having to work too hard to like it. Radical does not always = good.
I think the new TL has gen X written all over it, yet I wonder if there are even enough gen X'ers out there right now with the means to buy a TL or its many competitors (and I don't mean this to be condescending). The TL is supposed to be a volume car, so Honda should have taken care to make it just a little less ricey looking. What's under the hood and body is great but what's draped over it is a turn off (for me). I could have taken on the extra car payment upgrading my TSX to a TL would have entailed but not with that body!
On a related note, I think this is why Bangle at BMW is causing so much controversy - he's designing cars intended for older buyers but with looks that maybe appeal to a much younger crowd who generally can't afford them (or could just be he's talentless).

Iceman

Wow, you really like the TL's looks better than the TSX? Well, I think the front end of the TL looks more muscular, as befits a car with a bigger engine. You can keep the rest of it.

Yui

I love the exterior styling on the TSX. I love the way the rear tucks under and has a shape that reminds me of a corvette, and just the side profile of the rear, how it hugs the rest of the car instead of jutting out. I love the front too, it just has a beautiful front fascia. I've decided to keep the exterior styling completely stock - I like it the way it is. I guess I'm not into the "overly aggressive" look after all.

I don't like the front end of the new TL... looks kinda weird with the two long recesses on either side of the "ACURA" branding. Same goes with the "scar" - I think it's kind of ugly, rather than being aggressive. The car looks like the TSX on steroids - I guess that's considered aggressive, but it's not my style. I like simplicity and understated elegance, as opposed to being aggressive. The meteor silver color is awesome too Darth62 =)

darth62

Yeah, its a great color and your photos of the Meteor Silver are the best I've ever seen.

jcg878

I don't think the new TL is at all, and I don't think it displays any of the 'overstyling' that some people here are describing. Honda/Acura cars are so generally conservative that it seems any departure from that is decried by loyalists as 'radical,' whereas the automotive press seems to think of it as a pleasant change.

I'm finding that my TSX's styling grows on me more every day. Originally I didn't like how plain it looked when looking at it perpendicularly from the side, but even that angle is appealing to me now. I really like it as I walk up the hill in my commuter lot, looking at it from the front just a bit to the left - it looks like an impatient sporty wedge, just rearing to be let loose. Too bad I then let it loose into 4 miles of traffic.

ryanc44

I think the TSX is one of the best looking cars out at the moment. A friend of mine said I went from one of the ugliest cars ('97 CL) to one of the best when I got my MSM TSX.

Another friend of mine commented on how (for some reason) it reminded him of a 7-series. There must be something if other people have mentioned it...

As far as the TL, I'm a fan of really clean lines, so with it's seam running along the side and it's fairly large fender flares, it's taking me some time to get used to it. I personally thought it looked reminiscent of the latest Mustang style, which I've never liked. I also think the base model should come with 18's- those 17's look tiny on that car...

Hey Darth- you live in LA? I rarely see any TSX's rolling around- have yet to see another MSM on the road...

darth62

Yeah, I live in Los Angeles. I've actually seen two MSM TSXes out here. Once, I saw one in the parking lot of a the Best Buy, right across the street form my apartment (in the Culver City area). I was also driving up to Valencia one afternoon, and I got behind another MSM TSX on the 405. IT was pretty sureal, because we drove the same road together for about 10 to 15 miles.

ClutchPerformer

But it does match the angle of the headlights! Look at the car from a front 3/4 view (like the one on the homepage of this very site). The line comes from the top of the tailight, along the bottom of the headlight, and down the crease that forms the top of the front bumper. How much more fluid can it be? The TL "scar" doesn't really connect to anything, and I don't like how the door handles are inside it.

Most of the other stuff I agree with you on, but there's many bad things about the TL's design that I don't agree with. Of course, these are only opinions, so....

1SICKLEX

This is the problem with Bangle and BMW. You see a car CANNOT have too much conformity. Or it will look ungainly and appliance ish. Simplicity is different. I think these NEW designers are confusing simplicity with conformity. Add the fact they are all designed on computers and well, a 3-D rendering of a car and CLAY are 2 different things.

I think the TL and TSX are okay, I see a new styling direction for Acura. Though my favorite designs are the 91-95 Legend, Vigor, Accords and Prelude (early 90s).

darth62

The "scar" is my least favorite feature of the TL, but I do think it is a sharp looking car.

bowersan

If you look carefully, the line may appear to match, but in reality, it doesnt draw your eye into the rear design. From the side this is actually very obvious- the side fold seems to start and end abitrarily.

However, I will agree, from the front quarter view, it look good.. if i had to rate the views of the car they would go as follows

Overhead front view (as in my avatar)
Front 3/4 view
Rear 3/4 view
Rear
Front
Side


The profile of the car from the side, for some reason or another, just looks like crap.
From most other angles, the car looks great.



J.

ryanc44

I'm over in "West LA" (around Wilshire/Bundy) I'm really suprised I haven't seen more TSX's around. It seems like every other car around here is either a 3 Series, A4, or IS300...

I can almost say that I've now seen as many '04 TLs as I have TSXs on the road...

darth62

I agree with you about the 3-series, IS300, and A4s. They are on every corner out here.

I seem to see about one TSX a week. Mostly silver, black, and CG. I've seen one blue, one red, and two MSM in the last six months.

I've actually only seen on '04 TL!

Silobear, who visits this site every now and then, is another Los Angeles person with a MSM TSX.