x09 TsXx

I don't want to insult anyone with this thread, but it is really bugging me lately when I read a review on the 2009 Acura TSX and they call it or when it is referred to as a European accord. The final straw was yesterday when Motor Trend Magazine dubed it a "European Accord with some added flash".
Not to rip on the Honda Accord or anything but I'm 19 and my idea of a luxury sports sedan is definitely not a Accord. Its just hard for me to think of my 09tsx w/tech as being a Accord. I know they look similar but something has to be different/ more sporty about the american tsx. I guess to put it bluntly; dose this bother anyone else? Or should I just suck it up and accept the fact I basically am driving around a $32,000 accord?

rex.

wackura

If you want a luxury car that can't be in any way compared to a fully loaded commuter you're talking $55k and up.

But it is a luxury car. Think of it this way, there is no Acura in Europe, only Honda. The RL is sold in Europe as the Honda Legend. The Euro Accord is meant to compete against the Audi A4 and other extry level luxury sedans. Deriding the TSX as an "Accord" is like deriding the Acura RL as the "Honda Legend".

cyberbro

If you love your car whats the difference what a magazine writes? It could be a Ford Pinto in Africa and I would still love my car.

wackura

It's sort of like placebo effect. Believing a luxury car is luxurious is half of what makes it such.

spurfan15

It actually doesn't bug me at all. Quite frankly it's true, and there's no shame in it. The Euro Accord is a completely different car than the US Accord. They share a name, but so what. The US Accord is a family land yacht... a fairly nice, safe, reliable one, but it is what it is. Europeans drive a different type of car, and since Honda has no luxury brand in Europe, their cars are more upscale there. The Euro Accord is great IMO and is quite luxurious. No shame in mentioning that the TSX stems from the more upscale, sportier Euro-spec Accord.

Mokos23

I'd rather them say it's a Euro Accord vs. a luxury Civic.

x09 TsXx

Thanks for the replies, I didn't quite mean a luxury car but more that I dont think of a U.S. accord as a "Sports Sedan" thats all...

miner

Well, it is a Euro-Accord. Plain and simple. 'Acura' is only in North America.

dom

Deal with it.

HKevF

Just be extra-thankful that you even get to drive such a nice car at your age and move on. IMO, no 19 year old should be driving anything more than an old, but reasonably safe, used car.

fritoLay

you took the words out of my mouth...my first brand new car(altima SE-R) came 3+ years ago, when i was 32 years of age and now i feel blessed having a 09tsx.

when i was 19 all i had was a beat-up 86'maxima
suuuuuu

LukeaTron

I've got less restraint than the above two posters.

Shut your pussy ass whiny little bitch mouth child.

I'll leave it at that. Stupid fucking kids thinking they're entitled to everything anymore...

LuvMyTSX

Use more restraint, please.

wackura

They have dealt the sports sedan title a blow with the electronic steering but it's still a reasonably small car with many sporty attributes and it's a lot of to drive in its own right even if it's not competitive on a track. Public roads aren't tracks afterall, and do 100% of my driving on public roads.

LukeaTron

I don't see how that's a blow to the car's sporting intentions. It's just using an electric motor to turn the power steering pump that would otherwise be turned by the accessory belt. But then I've not driven one yet so I can't say what sort of visceral effect it has on the driving experience.

wackura

The stearing is not as exact as the 1G TSX or the late Integra. Sports enthusiasts describe the steering as numb because the resistance and feedback you used to feel from the tires interacting with the road is largely gone.

The electronic steering is actualy pretty bad on the highway. When you first drive the car and are unused to it's sensitivity and quirkiness you drift all over the road in a zig zag pattern and it will make you quite queezy. It has taken me a couple weeks to learn the fine art of steering the 2G TSX and I know I'm not all the way there yet. When my wife drives I feel like losing my lunch because she hasn't quite got the hang of it yet. On back roads the steering is actualy fun. The car feels weightless.

So far what I've learned is that if you're drifting out of your lane you have to make microscopic adjustments and not expect the car to correct right away, you have to give it a second to respond.

hcshao

It's a nice car. If you like the car then that's all that should matter. But a 19 year old driving a luxury vehicle? I grew up in an upscale neighborhood and my parents made me drive a '91 e mercedez benz with crack leather and 200k+ miles. It was dirty and air conditioner was broken but Oh did that inline engine was smoooooth.

wackura

I think it might actualy be a good motivator for a kid to have an entry level luxury car. Get them hooked on a lifestyle they can only maintain with a college education or an entrepreneurial endeavor. At least they won't stay in the mail room forever.

LukeaTron

That or clinging to the parental teet well into adulthood. From my observations, this is by far the more common outcome.

I have two thoughts on the steering/handling issues you're describing. Firstly, the delayed response you're describing is very symptomatic of overly cushy suspension and/or tire sidewalls. The steering wheel is still mechanically linked to the wheels via the rack and pinion mechanism so it just isn't possible for there to be any delay in the steering response introduced by the electronic power steering pump. You turn the steering wheel and the wheels follow along instantly. It's not a drive by wire sort of setup. The delay is most likely coming from the time it takes the "slack" in the suspension or tires to be taken up so that the torsional force is carried between the road and the car's body. Better tires will likely remove a lot of this behavior.

Secondly, since the steering boost pressure is totally variable and controlled by a computer (the ECU?), it should theoretically be possible to alter the software to deliver more 1st gen like boost levels. It's just a question of if any one feels like doing the R&D necessary to create such a module. It does sound like it could be a fun little project.

CybrRdr

Being mentioned as the "Euro Accord" is not a slam. The Acura divison currently is only in North America. So the TSX is known as the Euro-Accord in Europe. Over there, the "Euro-Accord" diesel is targeted against the likes of the Audi A4 and BMW 3-series.

The North American Accord is not considered the Accord anywhere outside North America. It is known as the "Honda Inspire" in other parts of the world.

Btw, when I was 19... I drove a "hand me down" old Buick with a rusted floor pan. My shoes would get wet when it rained and always had to keep a windows cracked open even in the winter due the leaking exhust fumes. I went to college and worked my butt off to get my Acura... So being only 19, I'd just be happy with such a nice car and Enjoy the ride!!!!

Sclass88

Who cares, man...

x09 TsXx

Wow LukeaTron, you call me a child at 19? Yet at 30yrs old your talking like that to a 19yr on an Acura Forum? I think your the one whos needs to grow up, and stop acting like the CHILD. And secondly, I worked my ass off to save up for my car, and continue to bust my ass at work so I can have such a nice car, on top of being a full time student in college I assure you its not easy. But I suppose at 30yrs old you can judge someone on a car FORUM because your so old and wise, but i guess you still havent learned that arguing online is like winning the special olympics... even if you win your still fauckin retarded.

But anyways I am in no way trying to come off as spoiled little kid who is upset with the car mommy and daddy bought me, I LOVE MY TSX to death, i was just saying it erks me when people/magazines call it a Accord. Thats all, thanks to everyone who had a nice productive response to my inquiry, and didn't have to act like an infant.

LuvMyTSX

Back on track, people. Stop the personal attacks. Last warning.

LukeaTron

Guess what? You did anyway!

Sure, the bulk of my disgust is aimed at the average 19 year old punk kid who had the car handed to them and you'll note that I didn't imply in my response that this was the case with you (because I have no idea). But you're still acting like a brat getting all huffed up over a title - factually accurate at that - which you arbitrarily find offensive. Get over your god damn ego already.

And you can blow that tired special olympics joke out your ass. You've got your ridiculous opinions and I've got mine. If you don't want to face criticism for you views, keep them to yourself.

Addendum in lieu of the above post which came in as I was typing: I'm done here.

wackura

Why are ages posted in the first place? I dream of a day when we judge each other by the content of our character.

dlee74

When I was 19, I drove a beat up pickup trunk. Be happy you are driving this car at a young age.

human668

One reason I like the TSX is that it is an European/ Japanese Accord. I just don't like the American style US Accord.

Perhaps I'm from a different culture background, the name Accord doesn't bug me. I'm more into the car itself.
Actually for me the Japanese Accord is the original Accord. The US Accord should be the one have a different name.

LukeaTron

It does everywhere that's not North America. It's the Inspire. The Euro Accord is only called the Euro Accord here in America. There's just no way the average fat American could look at the Euro Accord as a family sedan so they don't even bother marketing it here. The only way it sells here is when it's touted as sports sedan which excuses its lack of accommodations for five 4 foot wide asses.

StonedCL

iTrader: (1)

to tell you the truth if i ever got a tsx i would rebadge it as a accord

human668

Huh? Yes, I know the US Accord V6 Sedan is called Inspire in Japan. Euro Accord in America? Isn't it Acura TSX? And then Honda Accord Euro in Australia?

Well.. overall it's just a name for selling cars and marketing. I'm more down to the car itself. CL9, CU2, CM5.

LukeaTron

Yeah, the TSX is the Acura branded European Accord but when people are talking about the Honda branded version available over seas it's called the Euro Accord. I didn't know Australia called it the Euro Accord. Do they have both down there? The Ozzies have to do everything weird.

human668

Yes they have both. Accord as the US style Accord and Accord Euro. They have the hatchback Civic Type R too. Make me so jealous.

x09 TsXx: You should be glad that you drive the sportier (or better) version of Accord. Feel it when you drive.

kharateez

First of all, your ignorance is unbelievable....the accord is a phenomenal car...driving an accord isnt an insult...its a genius move to buy an accord..second of all the TSX is a more luxurious accord...but SO WHAT???? it has the same chassis and the same engine...and the TSX is not much more expensive than an accord...if you go to a honda dealership and find a fully loaded honda accord coupe with tech....you will not be walking out of there for under 29,000 for the K24....so to answer your question, YES, you should suck it up and accept that fact that you are driving a $32000 accord...or better yet you should go sell it back to the dealership you got it from because the way u think u dont even deserve to drive a TSX

CL6

So what?

Craig-D

You have to understand a big difference between European cars and North American ones. They really don't do the family sedan thing over there. Even their non-luxury nameplates are pretty luxurious and sporty. Consider this: the Euro Ford Mondeo can directly compete with a base Audi A4 or BMW 328. If they imported the Mondeo here as is, it would start at close to $30k. The Euro Ford Focus is a small car like here, but it is not an economy car like here. No Audi, BMW or any other nameplate of similar size can touch the top spec 296bhp, 325lb ft Focus RS model. The base Euro Focus would start in the low to mid-20s if imported here as is (which is why they never have - Americans won't pay that for what they think should be an economy car). So understand that when someone tells you that your luxury nameplate car is based on a non-luxury nameplate Euro version, it's still pretty high-end by North American standards. The North American Accord and Euro Accord aren't in the same league. Europe doesn't do family sedans and they laugh at the thought of driving any car with an automatic transmission.

invisiblewar

you need to understand that the accord in europe is a different car. thats why the magazine does not say accord it specifys that it is a euro accord.

darmok

Or by selling no-documentation mortgages to people who can't afford them...

HeavyDuty

HEY! I resemble that remark.

Oh, and StonedCL...I'm with you, when I get bored in a couple weeks, I'm going to do the JDM "H" emblems just to make Joe the plumber wonder WTH it is.

cyberbro

I can feel the love on this forum, it must be the holidays.