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| 2006 Acura Tsx Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Road Test | |||
In a smart decision, the TSX evokes memories of another Acura (to an automotive journalist, anyway) before anything else. As with the TL, the TSX's first impressions are dominated by the aggressive tuning of the primary controls. The accelerator pedal is stiffer than in any competitor, the brakes take a bit more pressure to apply, and the steering wheel involves less hand motion after having its range wound down to 2.7 rotations. Honestly, it's a little unnerving to keep stomping on the gas pedal just to maintain speed and to jump so easily into the next freeway lane, but it's good to see consistency among a car's controls and among Acuras in general.That consistency pushes the TSX towards the life of an athlete, and its underpinnings give it some further pointers. Honda's long-standing double-wishbone suspensions filling each corner give the TSX the means for good poise and wheel control when sweeping through bends, with slightly firmer valving keeping the body more level and upsized P215/50R17 Michelins providing higher-than-Honda road grip. The TSX's tidy size certainly doesn't hurt any of this, and the ease with which this front-wheel-drive car can rotate its tail is an unexpected delight (or fright, depending on your perspective). The steering doesn't convey as much information as it could and the nose feels as heavy as it is, but on the Acura scale, the TSX is second only to the RSX in handling enjoyment. The engine is its closest claim to exclusivity. Using the Accord's K-series 4-cylinder as a starting point - and tweaked for 2006 for more airflow on both the intake and exhaust sides - Acura's version cranks out 39 extra horsepower thanks to more compression (9.7 vs. 10.5) and 600 extra revs of breathing room (7,100 RPM). 205 horses is hot stuff for a 2.4-liter block that's been adjusted for sedan duty, and Acura made it sound as rich as a big 4-banger can hope to be. Best of all, even though the iVTEC valve timing is a variable-type system (on the intake side), it still summons a bonus kick in the back at 6,000 RPM like all the happy hyper Hondas. But do all you want; 2.4 liters is still 2.4 liters, and the TSX's legions of 2.5-to-3.5-liter competitors make its 164 pounds-feet of torque seem a bit wanting. There's just never that feeling of instant punch awaiting your call. This does have a direct reward in fuel economy, of course, which jumps as high as 32 MPG on the freeway and only levels off to 25 (on premium octane) over the course of a week. By a hair, best in class. The 5-speed automatic compliments the engine well. The Accord's carryover tendency of eager downshifting gets mitigated by the TSX's faster shifts. Another advance is the TSX's exclusive access to SportShift, whose promise of never shifting against your will makes it one of the best manual-override systems out there. But the TSX couldn't shake all Honda habits. For one thing, even the stiff gas pedal couldn't mask the jumpy throttle calibration that sometimes has you chirping the tires from standing starts. Then there's the worse-than-a-Ford-freakin-Explorer 40-foot turning circle. Lastly, this test car had an engine vibration at idle (when at rest, in Drive) that's most unbecoming of a Honda. Were those counter-rotating balance shafts not working? Also, some of the [modest] increases in performance took [modest] tolls in comfort. The TSX has the same basically smooth, occasionally choppy ride of the Accord, with a trace more head toss and firmness. Noise suppression is almost as good except for the thinner-and-wider-tired TSX's slightly more acute case of Michelin mayhem. The TSX does have a stiff structure, however - more than the BMW 3-series and Audi A4, says Acura - so at least the shakes never make it past the shocks. In any case, call the TSX's isolation skills solidly good but not quite great. Come to think of it, call the TSX the same thing. |
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