tsxchey

Hi everyone,
This is my first time to post in this forum, so if there's a protocol or format that I should follow, apologies inadvance...

I just recently purchased an '07 Black TSX with no Navi, manual.

I am enjoying the car so much but as it is getting a bit colder here in Canada, im a bit worried on how the car will perform and handle come winter time...

My questions that I am hoping all you TSX sages and experts would help enlighten me with are:

How is the TSX on snow, frost, black ice?
Does the VSA help much e.g on a 4 way stop, your turn to go and you get stuck skidding around cause your tires cant get a grip?
Does it help you corner or stop when your on "icy" road conditions?
Is the TSX as it is good for winter driving with the stock tires? Im no speed racer and would rather drive slow and safe when ice is falling from the sky, but how good is the TSX in terms of stability and skidding avoidance?

How are the stock all season tires on the tsx? Any comments on these?
I think we have michelins on them, not sure what type though.

Is it adviseable to purchase remote car starters, was a bit disappointed when I found out that Acura doesnt have stock remote car starters for the tsx but csx's do (for all Acura US folks, the CSX looks like the japanes/euro honda civic)
Would you folks recommend Compustar? Anything special that I should ask the installer that's specific to the Acura TSX

Thanks hope to hear from all of you. tips, comments, suggestions, and enlightenment would truly be appreciated...

By the way, my other vehicle is a Honda 03 CRV so it's real time 4wd. This is the first and only vehicle i have driven in winter so far so going to a fwd sedan with more horses might be a big shift for me, hence my concern and worries...

Thanks again!

LuvMyTSX

In my experience, it's been a very good car in the snow. However, I purchased snow tires for the first time last year because I hate driving in bad weather, and for me, snow tires are just extra insurance.

TWONZ

Iv'e had mine for 2 winters in Chicago on stock tires and the car drives great. No Technology is going to save any car from spinning out of control on Black Ice, but I'd recomend keeping the VSA on while driving in snow.

lcrazyaznl

iTrader: (1)

get off stock tires to get better grip
i stuck with nokian wr all season geared towards light snow and ice.

for the most part take your time driving and no hard brakes and it handles pretty well, the front is heavy so it likes to slide foward into turns.

007TSX

+1
I purchased my TSX while I was stationed in Alaska and I went through two winters there no problem. The stock tires will be just fine.

TheDukeZip

No problems with TSX in snow / ice. I'd say the VSA helps but honestly if you're used to driving in snowy/icy conditions you don't typically drive in a style that even provokes the VSA unless something unexpected happens anyways.

nj2pa2nc

move south to a warmer climate for the winter (LOL)

curls

I am an AVID believer in buying winter tires for any car. Being in Canada you should check out www.shopcms.com (ask for Jay) or www.tiretrends.com (ask for Art or Morty). By buying winter tires and steel wheels, you are prolonging the live of your all-seasons anyhow, so they really don't "cost" you anything in the long run, but they give you tremendous handling on snow and ice, and even on bare roads, they are more flexible rubber so they have better grip where a regular all-season without the mountain/snowflake symbol will have hardened up and become dangerous.

If you haven't driven on winter tires before, you'll absolutely love it.

And just a word of advice: With 4WD you might be able to accelerate and corner better in snow, but you can only stop as good as your tires allow... meaning all-seasons still are nowhere close to ideal on any car in the winter. As my old man used to say: "4WD with no snow tires means you just get into the ditch faster".

As for the VSA, it is useful but won't make any tire more than what it already is. Having a 6-speed definitely helps in the winter because you have more direct control and if needed you can start in 2nd gear with a feathered clutch to help reduce spinning.

I'll take a FWD car in the snow any day over a RWD, because at least the weight in a FWD is over the drive wheels for 'some' traction!

Where are you located anyhow?

jswim99

I'm happy with the winter performance of the TSX, but my winter experience in it probably pales in comparison to a Canadian winter.

The stock tires start out performing ok in the snow. Last year I had to drive through a nasty blizzard we had in Denver. I made it home, although I was in second gear for 45 miles, and VSA kept kicking in. My stock Michelins had about 7000 miles on them at the time. I only got stuck in my driveway when I though it could plow my way into the garage--high centered.

Toward the end of the winter season, though, when they had more like 12000, there was definitely more slipping. I bought winter tires this year.

A useful tip is to turn VSA off temporarily if you're stuck and trying to get moving; if it detects any slip it kills power to the drive wheels. Be sure to turn it back on once you get moving though. It saved my ass on a surprise icy bridge once.

mrgold35

I've found the stock tires are fine for wet weather and snow. The VSA and anti-lock brakes do kick in a lot with ice on OEM tires. I had to start in 2nd gear on my 5AT and give extra distance when stopping.

If you have a lot of ice or hard packed snow, I would get snow tires. Wet streets with slush, OEM is fine.

Audioserf

Last year was my first winter with my 04 6MT. The car was about the same as any other FWD four-door four-banger with a stickshift. Not fantastic but if you know what you are doing and take your time you'll be fine. Biggest problem is the OEM tires. If you have the cash for winter tires it makes sense to invest. I'm cheap so I make do with the stockers. Either way you'll be good.

Golden rule for winter driving is do everything a lot slower and give yourself a lot more time to react to things. Since you have a manual, I'm sure you know that when driving on snow you want to shift a lot earlier than usual (I run my gears to 4k or so usually, but if it's snowing out I shift at around 2k) to avoid any wheelspin. That's always helped me out.

frescagod

lol, what car is good on black ice? as far as stopping on snow, the anti-lock brakes are going to help you out way more than VSA will. just coast, don't accelerate or brake hard and turn while going over icy patches or over snow covered roads, maintain a good distance, and you'll be okay.

it drives like any other FWD car in the snow that i've owned. it's predictable but it won't bail you out if you drive like a moron. you're from canada so i assume you've already learned how to drive in wintry conditions.

curls

The fact of the matter is, that by buying winter tires, you get approx. double the years out of your "all seasons", so the witners really don't cost you much more, but give you a much safer ride.

1 winter set + 1 summer set = 2 sets of tires in X amount of time.
0 winter sets + 2 summer sets = 2 sets of tires in X amount of time. But, less safe, and possibly more expensive (summer tires tend to cost more, plus added wear on the alloys from the salt/sand/snow)

afici0nad0

you'll be fine, just swap the shitty oem michelin's for dedicated snow tires.

black label

The car is great in the snow with the stock tires. It would be better with snows. If you are driving in the snow quite a bit, I'd go with the snows.

In Massachusetts, we might have to drive in the snow 5-15 times a year, to me that's just not worth it.

tsxchey

Wow! Excellent replies and advices! Thanks so much everyone!
I will be sticking with my stock tires this winter and will mos def purchase a set of winter tires for next year, im sure they go on sale when spring comes.

Thanks so much again! and im from Southern Alberta by the way, so chinooks can be a treat, today ice and snow everywhere, tomorrow slush and mud...a detailers nightmare i guess. lol!

Thanks again!

curls

You'd probably find better deals now than in the spring. Most places with halfway decent prices will run out of winter tires before the winter is over... no need for clearance in the spring.

BaByBlAcKtYpE-s

iTrader: (2)

or you can stick tofu in ur trunk and drift ur way around just like in INITIAL D lol sorry couldnt resist

DLTSX6MT

Forget about getting a remote starter. Can't do it with an MT, unless you find an installer who is willing to work around the clutch lockout - and then if you do, you'll risk starting your car while in gear.

Simba91102

Agreed. If you were to try and buy the most recommended size for the TSX (205/60x16) in the spring, you'll most likely find the good ones are sold out (some are actually getting scarce now).

curls

Not true. There are many starters made for manual transmissions. They involve a procedure you must do before exiting the car to "ready it" for the start the next time. It involves putting car in neutral, handbrake on, no feet touching pedals, and then hitting a certain button on the remote, which then runs a check. If you then exit the car, lock the doors, the car will THEN turn off on its own (proving you never put it in gear or else your car would be rolling away!). Any entry into the car after this point nulls the "ready" condition and the remote starter won't remotely start the car that next time. Sounds complicated but its really just a few wires tapped into the e-brake signal, the brake and clutch pedal signals, and then from those to the brain of the unit.

loulinjai

dont wait till spring. fixing cars are so expensive these days, it will easily be more expensive than snow tires (from an investment point of view). plus you cant put a price on your life. get snows now!