Yet another test drive review of the 2G TSX (Long read)
05-22-2008, 10:38 PM
#1
Yet another test drive review of the 2G TSX (Long read)
After a long day at work today, I decided to treat myself to a test drive I had been waiting to take. Earlier this evening, I stopped at Radley Acura in Falls Church, VA and took a detailed look and test drive of the 2nd generation TSX.
Exterior
I spent much time going over the details of the exterior. The vehicle in the showroom was Alabaster Silver Metallic with an ebony interior. In person, the car seems nondescript and plain from most angles. The tail is probably the best angle of this car. The exaggerated and overwrought fender flares are largely hidden by the lighter colors and seem ever moreso exaggerated in the darker colors when up close. The car's stance is not particularly menacing or sporty, largely due to the wheels appearing too small for the openings and too sunken in. Acura would do themselves many favors by equipping this car with substantially larger and wider wheels with a lower offset. Anything to fill out the wheel wells.
And of course, the front end of the car is a total mess. The bulging headlights look odd up close. The pointy bits on the lower part of the bumper seem out of place. The grill looks extremely cheap, especially the lower honeycombed patterned area. And the large silver portion feels like it is going to look terrible after about 50,000 miles. Overall, the front of this car just is wrong on so many levels.
Interior
Having owned two TSXs and driven basically every competitor in this class, I must say that while the interior of the 2G TSX is good, it is far from great. The layout is fine, if a tad dull and felt somewhat lacking in cohesiveness. The center console seems too flat with a little too much matte plastic, albeit of what appears to be really high quality plastic. Most of the upper panels feel good to the touch, but I was surprised by how much hard plastic was used for the lower panels. Not only that, but the texturing that was applied to it seemed odd and really unappealing. The brushed metal looking surfaces are once again plastic, but are in a darker shade, which comes off looking a little bit cheap.
Notable features include the new placement of the sunroof controls, which is marred only by the fact that the button is sunken rather far in, making it a tad unnatural to use. The more flush mounted button in the TL and RL seems to make more sense. The absolutely plethora of storage space is appreciated, though I suspect that some of it will prove difficult to get to whilst actually driving. The smaller diameter but thicker padded steering wheel felt good and is greatly appreciated.
The seats are very comfortable and the seating position is typical Acura, meaning it is easy to find a comfortable position. Speaking of the seats, the leather seems to be of good quality, similar to the materials that were used for the more expensive cars. One of the first impressions I had while sitting in the car is that while it is comfortable, I am not sure what happened to all of the extra space that was promised. It felt tighter than my TL-S and honestly about the same as my 1G TSX, even the back seat, which I spent a bit of time in soaking in the ambiance. One really important thing to note about that back seat is that the door opening seems unnaturally small, especially considering how large the rear door appears on the outside.
Gauges are simple and easy to read, though the lack of balance with the MID placed only within the right side gauge is a bit irritating. I do with they had done something to get the MID to be more attractive and placed to best provide a symmetry to the entire setup.
Overall, I must say that I am let down by the interior as I was really expecting more, given all the talk of bringing more luxury to the model line. It doesn't feel as well laid out as an Audi, who seem to get away with using more hard plastics and less high quality materials by making the design too attractive for you to notice or care.
Engine
Peeking under the engine bay, it is clear that there is a lot of space. Definitely enough space for the J-series V6 or a turbocharged motor. In fact, there is enough space that I question why Acura didn't do themselves a favor and set the motor back a bit further in the engine bay to improve the weight distribution of the car a bit. And given how well tucked away the TL motor is behind swaths of black plastic covers, I was a little surprised that Acura did not see fit to do the same with the TSX, giving the car a more premium look when the hood is open.
As for the motor itself, I must admit that it is a good engine. Actually, it is just about as good as the old engine. It revs willingly and is smooth as silk. No undue vibrations seemed to be transmitted to the cabin, not that I ever really felt that they were before. The overall sense I get is that the engine feels slightly peppier, requiring fewer revs down low to get the car moving comfortably.
The one thing that I am still trying to decide if I like or not is the engine note from within the cabin. The 06 TSX that I most recently owned had a pleasant mechanical strum when it was revved. Never sounding rough or intrusive, it provided adequate aural feedback but sounded damn good doing it. The new motor sounds more muted, but busier. The intake note is raspier and somewhat raucous at certain speeds. Perhaps the fact that the cabin as a whole is quieter, with much less tires noise, contributes to the sense that the engine is more prominent. Whatever the reason, I am not totally sold on the engine sound, though I am not going to say it sounds like a cheap blender either.
Driving experience
Okay, let's just get this out of the way: the implementation of EPS is absolutely ruinous to this car. The on center feel is virtually non-existent and feels strange and eerie. Turn-in is quick, but feedback seems non-existent. It felt like I was steering a Lexus and I hate the way that Lexus cars steer. Grip limits were certainly very high, but I would not feel comfortable searching for the limits until I had substantial seat time behind the wheel of this car. The car does not necessarily feel any less nimble, meaning that the added weight did not affect the car nearly as much as one would have expected. The chassis is excellent and the suspension tuning is well-sorted, but the EPS completely saps the feedback from the driving experience, making it feel completely disconnected from the car. Not to generalize, but EPS totally ruined the TSX.
Other aspects of the driving experience were very typically Acura. The suspension is well sorted and grips well while delivering a relatively comfortable ride. The clutch is light, but precise, though the engagement point is a bit vague at first. The shifter is typical Honda/Acura, meaning that is is still one of the best in the business. Visibility is actually improved with slightly thinner A-pillars.
The drive-by-wire throttle is not as intrusive as it was before, seeing to have been retuned to be similar to the profile used in the TL-S. The long lags and delays are gone, which also resolves some of the head-snapping antics when quickly engaging or disengaging the throttle. A definite improvement that was actually much needed.
Final thoughts
Overall, it is still a good car, and is still the car to buy over a Lexus IS250 if you care about driving (just goes to show how bad a drivers car the IS250 really is). But the character of the car is now completely different. No longer is it the engaging, tossable, fun and affordable sport sedan that many of us driving enthusiasts fell in love with at first drive. Instead, this is the car gone through a low quality finishing school that polished up some aspects of the car, but totally drained it of any character. While I am saddened by this revelation, I completely understand how this car will continue to sell extremely well. There is much more mass appeal to this car now, instead of being a car targeted at enthusiasts.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that Acura will still introduce a model that has everything re-tuned to be geared towards the enthusiast. But until that time comes, the TSX will not be getting a second look from me.
Anyhow, I hope that was informative. A special thanks to Mohammad Khan from Radley Acura for letting me just drive, without interference. It really gave me a chance to get a good feel for the car.
Exterior
I spent much time going over the details of the exterior. The vehicle in the showroom was Alabaster Silver Metallic with an ebony interior. In person, the car seems nondescript and plain from most angles. The tail is probably the best angle of this car. The exaggerated and overwrought fender flares are largely hidden by the lighter colors and seem ever moreso exaggerated in the darker colors when up close. The car's stance is not particularly menacing or sporty, largely due to the wheels appearing too small for the openings and too sunken in. Acura would do themselves many favors by equipping this car with substantially larger and wider wheels with a lower offset. Anything to fill out the wheel wells.
And of course, the front end of the car is a total mess. The bulging headlights look odd up close. The pointy bits on the lower part of the bumper seem out of place. The grill looks extremely cheap, especially the lower honeycombed patterned area. And the large silver portion feels like it is going to look terrible after about 50,000 miles. Overall, the front of this car just is wrong on so many levels.
Interior
Having owned two TSXs and driven basically every competitor in this class, I must say that while the interior of the 2G TSX is good, it is far from great. The layout is fine, if a tad dull and felt somewhat lacking in cohesiveness. The center console seems too flat with a little too much matte plastic, albeit of what appears to be really high quality plastic. Most of the upper panels feel good to the touch, but I was surprised by how much hard plastic was used for the lower panels. Not only that, but the texturing that was applied to it seemed odd and really unappealing. The brushed metal looking surfaces are once again plastic, but are in a darker shade, which comes off looking a little bit cheap.
Notable features include the new placement of the sunroof controls, which is marred only by the fact that the button is sunken rather far in, making it a tad unnatural to use. The more flush mounted button in the TL and RL seems to make more sense. The absolutely plethora of storage space is appreciated, though I suspect that some of it will prove difficult to get to whilst actually driving. The smaller diameter but thicker padded steering wheel felt good and is greatly appreciated.
The seats are very comfortable and the seating position is typical Acura, meaning it is easy to find a comfortable position. Speaking of the seats, the leather seems to be of good quality, similar to the materials that were used for the more expensive cars. One of the first impressions I had while sitting in the car is that while it is comfortable, I am not sure what happened to all of the extra space that was promised. It felt tighter than my TL-S and honestly about the same as my 1G TSX, even the back seat, which I spent a bit of time in soaking in the ambiance. One really important thing to note about that back seat is that the door opening seems unnaturally small, especially considering how large the rear door appears on the outside.
Gauges are simple and easy to read, though the lack of balance with the MID placed only within the right side gauge is a bit irritating. I do with they had done something to get the MID to be more attractive and placed to best provide a symmetry to the entire setup.
Overall, I must say that I am let down by the interior as I was really expecting more, given all the talk of bringing more luxury to the model line. It doesn't feel as well laid out as an Audi, who seem to get away with using more hard plastics and less high quality materials by making the design too attractive for you to notice or care.
Engine
Peeking under the engine bay, it is clear that there is a lot of space. Definitely enough space for the J-series V6 or a turbocharged motor. In fact, there is enough space that I question why Acura didn't do themselves a favor and set the motor back a bit further in the engine bay to improve the weight distribution of the car a bit. And given how well tucked away the TL motor is behind swaths of black plastic covers, I was a little surprised that Acura did not see fit to do the same with the TSX, giving the car a more premium look when the hood is open.
As for the motor itself, I must admit that it is a good engine. Actually, it is just about as good as the old engine. It revs willingly and is smooth as silk. No undue vibrations seemed to be transmitted to the cabin, not that I ever really felt that they were before. The overall sense I get is that the engine feels slightly peppier, requiring fewer revs down low to get the car moving comfortably.
The one thing that I am still trying to decide if I like or not is the engine note from within the cabin. The 06 TSX that I most recently owned had a pleasant mechanical strum when it was revved. Never sounding rough or intrusive, it provided adequate aural feedback but sounded damn good doing it. The new motor sounds more muted, but busier. The intake note is raspier and somewhat raucous at certain speeds. Perhaps the fact that the cabin as a whole is quieter, with much less tires noise, contributes to the sense that the engine is more prominent. Whatever the reason, I am not totally sold on the engine sound, though I am not going to say it sounds like a cheap blender either.
Driving experience
Okay, let's just get this out of the way: the implementation of EPS is absolutely ruinous to this car. The on center feel is virtually non-existent and feels strange and eerie. Turn-in is quick, but feedback seems non-existent. It felt like I was steering a Lexus and I hate the way that Lexus cars steer. Grip limits were certainly very high, but I would not feel comfortable searching for the limits until I had substantial seat time behind the wheel of this car. The car does not necessarily feel any less nimble, meaning that the added weight did not affect the car nearly as much as one would have expected. The chassis is excellent and the suspension tuning is well-sorted, but the EPS completely saps the feedback from the driving experience, making it feel completely disconnected from the car. Not to generalize, but EPS totally ruined the TSX.
Other aspects of the driving experience were very typically Acura. The suspension is well sorted and grips well while delivering a relatively comfortable ride. The clutch is light, but precise, though the engagement point is a bit vague at first. The shifter is typical Honda/Acura, meaning that is is still one of the best in the business. Visibility is actually improved with slightly thinner A-pillars.
The drive-by-wire throttle is not as intrusive as it was before, seeing to have been retuned to be similar to the profile used in the TL-S. The long lags and delays are gone, which also resolves some of the head-snapping antics when quickly engaging or disengaging the throttle. A definite improvement that was actually much needed.
Final thoughts
Overall, it is still a good car, and is still the car to buy over a Lexus IS250 if you care about driving (just goes to show how bad a drivers car the IS250 really is). But the character of the car is now completely different. No longer is it the engaging, tossable, fun and affordable sport sedan that many of us driving enthusiasts fell in love with at first drive. Instead, this is the car gone through a low quality finishing school that polished up some aspects of the car, but totally drained it of any character. While I am saddened by this revelation, I completely understand how this car will continue to sell extremely well. There is much more mass appeal to this car now, instead of being a car targeted at enthusiasts.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that Acura will still introduce a model that has everything re-tuned to be geared towards the enthusiast. But until that time comes, the TSX will not be getting a second look from me.
Anyhow, I hope that was informative. A special thanks to Mohammad Khan from Radley Acura for letting me just drive, without interference. It really gave me a chance to get a good feel for the car.
05-22-2008, 11:34 PM
#2
CGTSX2004;
Nice review. One question. What is EPS? Is this electric power steering? Does the new TSX have a combination of hydraulic power steering( with power steering pump and fluid) with an electrical assist?
Nice review. One question. What is EPS? Is this electric power steering? Does the new TSX have a combination of hydraulic power steering( with power steering pump and fluid) with an electrical assist?
05-23-2008, 06:33 AM
#4
CGTSX2004....Thanks for the write up. Its always appreciated when people take the the time to write thorough write up of the car. Although I do agree with some of your comments/observations, I don't share all of them either. Thats totally OK though, no one ever said that we all have to agree on the second generation TSX 
I do wonder alot though if we'll ever get something other than the 4 banger and the diesel in this car or will Acura bring a new car altogether to be more on the sportier and more geared for driving enthusiast. My gut feeling tells me that since the TSX has grown in width and a wee bit in length, they'll leave that car with both engines (diesel and 4 cylinder) as an option for people that wanted a bigger car (than the prev TSX) more economical than the TL and they'll come up with something completely new in a year or two and geared for those who really enjoy pushing their car to the limit....All speculation off course
I do wonder alot though if we'll ever get something other than the 4 banger and the diesel in this car or will Acura bring a new car altogether to be more on the sportier and more geared for driving enthusiast. My gut feeling tells me that since the TSX has grown in width and a wee bit in length, they'll leave that car with both engines (diesel and 4 cylinder) as an option for people that wanted a bigger car (than the prev TSX) more economical than the TL and they'll come up with something completely new in a year or two and geared for those who really enjoy pushing their car to the limit....All speculation off course
05-23-2008, 06:35 AM
#5
Safety Car
Thanks
Originally Posted by CGTSX2004
The car's stance is not particularly menacing or sporty, largely due to the wheels appearing too small for the openings and too sunken in. Acura would do themselves many favors by equipping this car with substantially larger and wider wheels with a lower offset. Anything to fill out the wheel wells.
05-23-2008, 07:24 AM
#6
Originally Posted by Miamicarfan
CGTSX2004;
Nice review. One question. What is EPS? Is this electric power steering? Does the new TSX have a combination of hydraulic power steering( with power steering pump and fluid) with an electrical assist?
Nice review. One question. What is EPS? Is this electric power steering? Does the new TSX have a combination of hydraulic power steering( with power steering pump and fluid) with an electrical assist?
05-23-2008, 07:36 AM
#7
Originally Posted by godfather2
for the million dollar question, what would it take for you to step outta that type s and into the 2nd gen tsx?
-Retuned steering with feel of the 1G TSX
-19x8 inch forged wheels in a design similar to the RonJon Legends
-Brembo 4-piston fixed calipers on the front and 2-piston sliding calipers on the rear with 12-inch+ 2-piece brake discs all around
-A-Spec body kit
-Redesigned wheel arches
That's pretty much all I can think of right about now. I would be willing to pay around $35k to around a max of about $36k for a car outfitted with all those goodies. Given that they were able to offer the TL-S for only a $2k premium over the standard TL with nav, I see no reason why they can't step it up a bit on the TSX in the coming years.
My lease on the TL-S ends in 3 years so at that time, if the new TSX offers something along the lines of what I noted above, they might just keep my from looking elsewhere for my next car.
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05-23-2008, 01:51 PM
#9
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Nice write up...
I tried to appreciate the 2gen grille but really can't get past the cheapness of it.
I am really glad we bought a 1 gen. before they were all gone.
I tried to appreciate the 2gen grille but really can't get past the cheapness of it.
I am really glad we bought a 1 gen. before they were all gone.
05-24-2008, 01:41 PM
#10
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the only different things i like in the new TSX are:
1. better navi, real time traffic, weather, dvd audio
2. better throttle response than the old TSX
3. a little more room inside.
1. better navi, real time traffic, weather, dvd audio
2. better throttle response than the old TSX
3. a little more room inside.
05-28-2008, 07:01 PM
#12
Three Wheelin'
very nice review, I actually had a chance to stop by the dealership to look at it, Its weird to say but some days the car doesnt look that bad but other days its the typical 1st gen reaction to the car. The interior is somewhat of an improvement over the 1st gen. Im just annoyed by the number of buttons. I dislike the shifter but I see that Acura is trying to be like all the other car manufacturers with their automatics and the shift boot. Anyways one thing that may sound stupid on buying this car is that on the driver side near the VSA button is that they finally put in that little tray where you can put coins and small stuff in it. I wished that the 1st gen had that.
I would disagree with you on the Lexus IS250 though but its an objective thing though. I drove my friends IS250 Manual RWD and I love the car for what it is. The handling is great in my opinion. But I guess im a sucker for RWD.
Heh with the TSX, or with any FWD, poor entry, great exit
RWD-great entry, poor exit.
I would disagree with you on the Lexus IS250 though but its an objective thing though. I drove my friends IS250 Manual RWD and I love the car for what it is. The handling is great in my opinion. But I guess im a sucker for RWD.
Heh with the TSX, or with any FWD, poor entry, great exit
RWD-great entry, poor exit.
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