Acura TSX Overview

The Acura TSX is a responsive sports sedan with front-wheel drive. The tip-offs for its sporty demeanor start with the name. Acura calls its sports-specialty vehicles the RSX, TSX, and NSX. Road cars are named CL, TL, RL. The TSX is Acura's response to the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.

The TSX is based on the European-market Honda Accord, which is a different car and slightly smaller than the Accord designed for the U.S. market. It's a superb chassis that's tight and fun to drive. The 2.4-liter iVTEC four-cylinder engine delivers 200 horsepower and boasts a broad torque curve. This engine is wonderfully tuned and loves to rev.

The result is immediate throttle response followed by a rapid acquisition of speed. That throttle is actually a drive-by-wire accelerator. The six-speed manual gearbox is notably sweet, smooth and quick. The alternative is a five-speed automatic with Sequential Sport Shift. The suspension dances to the tune of a European sports sedan. The brakes scrub off triple-digit speeds without drama and the pedals are set up well for effortless heel-and-toe braking and downshifting. For an enthusiast, the Acura TSX eliminates the lust for European-market cars.

New for 2005 is the A-Spec, a sport package available from Acura dealers.