Joscreven

Can someone please help me understand how the interior dimensions are so close for the 3rd Gen TL and the 1st Gen TSX? I'm looking at "new" cars and considering a G35, TL, and TSX. Having a little one the space is somewhat important. After researching on Edmunds, Autoblog, etc. I was shocked at how similar the interior dimensions were for the TL and TSX. the TSX loses maybe an inch of headroom, a half inch of front legroom, and maybe an inch in the back. However, the gain is considerable in weight and mpg savings.

I am not here to argue which is better, I'm really just curious given the outside dimensions, how the TSX and TL are so close on the interior. The TSX even has an extra foot in the trunk? Can anyone confirm this? I don't have them side-by-side to sit in. I can see the TL does have more overall space so maybe the cabin feels significantly bigger even though it doesn't show up in the standard head/foot/hip measurements?

Any help in understanding this would be appreciated. Thank you.

Joscreven

I am leaning toward the G35 primarily due to the value of it. I love the TL Type-S but they still command a considerable price premium despite their age. I started looking into the TSX, and size-wise there doesn't seem to be much downside. Major downsides are I assume a less luxury feel with the reduced weight and reduced HP. Maybe worth the trade off for the family.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

The interior area where the 3G TL pays significant dividends is in width (shoulder and hip room); the TL also benefits from the inherent smoothness of a 6-cylinder versus a 4-cylinder engine, however, both of those attributes translate to an extra 250 pounds of weight for the TL to haul around. For my tastes, I'd have the TL all day, every day, and twice on Sunday. I would recommend you drive both and make your decision from there; they really are two different cars from a driving perspective.

Jackass

It has been many years since I have been in a 1st Gen TSX....but I don't recall it having nearly the same amount of rear seat leg room as the TL. Also to note...with a little one around....losing an inch of space to the rear seats is HUGE. I am 5'10" and my front seats cannot be in the position I want/prefer without making contact with a rear facing child seat.

csmeance

Lack of A/C in the rear was a dealbreaker for me when looking at the TSX; the TL gets it! The TL is going to be a much better value for the money imo.

Joscreven

The TSX and TL are measured only .5 inch difference in front and rear leg room. But I think the overall point is that regardless the hip and shoulder room (front & back) is significantly more, coupled with the small gains in legroom and elsewhere makes it bigger. What was the thought in the trunk being smaller in the TL?

All fair points above. I wish I had decent specimens local to me, but with a small family that is likely to grow in coming years I can't justify getting a TSX when a TL or G35 is available. I think I like the idea of a smaller car then I would living with a smaller car!

Thank you for all the responses.

paekshin

I owned 3rd gen 2005 TL(UA6) for 15years(still own) and my mom owns 1st gen 2007 TSX(CL9). Yes both cars are great cars with similar interior dimensions(in real life though, I feel TL has much more room than TSX). And TL is positioned a notch above TSX in Acura line up. Therefore, it has few more features. Although, if I were to go back 15years before I purchased my TL, I would definitely(now that I have experienced both cars) wait and purchase TSX(CL9 not CL7). I'm not trying to say TSX is better car, but, I do believe it is better built car overall with better reliability than a 3rd gen TL(Maybe it is just my case). TL over the years have given me some headaches(but, I still love my TL dearly). Whereas my mom's TSX have never given her any problems(just routine maintenance). However, I'm surprised some of the parts of TSX are more expensive compared to that of TL's. Don't know why. But, they are. So I think you should also consider part prices as well. But, like I mentioned, both are great cars with great looks even in today's roads!

hondeducation

damn paekshin, both of those cars look to be in excellent condition! you really prefer the tsx over the TL though? i always go back and forth between the two. over the years, i'd have a TL and then miss the TSX, and then go back and forth between the two... until finally i decided to have both at the same time.

it really depends on my driving mood. the TSX is more zippy around town and good for errands. TL is better for cruising, longer drives, taking the girlfriend out for a more comfortable ride. the GF says the TL feels much more premium and roomier, which it is. if you get into a TL despite what measurements say about it being marginally larger than the TSX, it feels MUCH larger in reality. there is also more sound dampening in the TL. for your growing family, the TL would be the wiser choice. more comfort, more space (except trunk), more power, AC for rear passengers, less road noise, etc. the MPG difference isn't much different either.

paekshin

Yes I definitely prefer TSX over TL. However, like I mentioned above, I'm not saying TSX is better car than TL. I prefer TSX because it has been much more reliable than TL(it may just be my case). Also, road conditions(traffic etc.) in Korea(where I live currently) are much more suited for TSX. As parking spaces are much narrower than Cali or Las Vegas.

Joscreven

Thanks for all the feedback team. I have written off the TSX on family needs alone. If I already had a TSX, I would be keeping it....but given I'm looking to get something more family friendly, I'm sticking with the TL vs. G35 as those just make the most sense.

My understanding on the reliability/parts difference on the TL vs. TSX comes down to the fact that the TL shares parts with other USDM/CAN cars, while the TSX shares parts with mostly overseas models (Euro Accord/Rest of World Accord, etc.). So what that translates to, is parts are more expensive even though its the cheaper smaller model because they supply of parts is more limited in the US compared to the TL. That's what I heard and it makes sense to me!

On a separate note, I've heard a lot of horror stories about the TL and the G35 for that matter. Not anything insane, just more issues than you would think given the reliability of Acuras. Maybe because it was made here in Ohio vs. the TSX being made in Japan?

90foxnotch

I dd an 07 type S 6mt in the summer and I have 2 kids, one seat is forward facing and the other rear. They have plenty of room and so do I. It is the perfect dad car

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Other than the automatic transmissions and the cracking dashboards and seat leather, I don't think there are any horror stories regarding 3G TL reliability. The seat leather is relatively easy and inexpensive to replace, the cracking dashboard can be a righteous pain in the hind parts and annoying, but functionally a cracked dash will not impact the car. That leaves us with the transmission; there are two ways to approach this, if you want an auto, allocate money for an AV6 swap, or buy a manual transmission.