Driving Impressions

The standard Acura TSX is an enjoyable car to drive, with a free-revving, high-winding four-cylinder engine, slick six-speed manual gearbox, a reasonably balanced chassis with good compromise on the comfort/performance continuum, and decent feel to operating controls. With 201 horsepower and just 172 lb-ft of torque the four-cylinder has its work cut out for it hauling around 3500 pounds of car and driver. It is very willing and happy to do that, and seems to rejoice in revs where others sound stressed. With the six-speed manual's shift and clutch action it's the enthusiast's choice and gets the best of the engine; figure on 0-60 acceleration in the mid-seven-second range. The new V6 significantly changes the character of the car, not least by adding 70 horses and 84 lb-ft of torque and knocking about 1.5 seconds off that 0-60 sprint. Acura's V6 is smooth and linear, and up in the higher revs makes a very pleasant growl. Good as the five-speed automatic is with paddles and a sport mode that holds manual gear selections, it hasn't the involvement factor of the six-speed manual offered only with the four-cylinder. The V-6 model also adds 210 pounds and takes 3 mpg off EPA city and highway ratings. And it needs an extra 15 inches of space for a U-turn. Fuel economy, according to the federal government, for the TSX four-cylinder automatic is 21/30 mpg City/Highway. Audi A4 gets an EPA-rated 23/30 mpg, BMW 3 Series rates 18/28 mpg, Lexus IS 250 gets 21/29 mpg. Fuel economy for the TSX V-6 is 18/27 mpg while the quicker BMW 335 and Lexus IS 350 get a slightly poorer 17/26 mpg and 18/25 mpg respectively. Audi has dropped the V6 from its 2010 A4 lineup. Both the V6 and the four-cylinder models offer composure that make for an ideal everyday ride. Changes to suspension and better steering feel do a good job of masking the extra 210 pounds the V6 brings to the TSX, most of it on the front end. Along with fatter tires on 18-inch wheels, the V-6 is the better handling model, except perhaps charging down a winding mountain road. The V-6 model is a more enjoyable drive primarily because of the vastly improved steering feel. Also, the automatic is happier behind the V6 than it is in the four-cylinder. Although the size of the brakes hasn't changed on the V-6 the braking system has been upgraded and feels every bit as stout it does on the lighter four-cylinder version. What keeps the TSX off the shopping list of most enthusiasts is its front-wheel drive. While generally good for packaging and fuel efficiency, and the next best thing to all-wheel drive for most winter traction issues, it doesn't offer the handling characteristics, agility or feel of a rear-drive car nor an all-wheel drive biased to behave like rear-wheel drive as is Audi's A4 quattro. Outward visibility is quite good forward and to the sides, the rear slightly hindered by rear headrests, a problem not unique to the TSX. The larger wheels appear to have added nothing to the minimal road noise and wind noise is muted to highway speeds.

Final Word

The 2010 Acura TSX delivers the marque's hallmark traits of smooth mechanicals, feature-rich cabin and distinctive style. It's very good at what it is, a stylish, efficient, premium compact sedan with a sporty tilt, but it isn't a true sports sedan. If your passengers aren't too tall, the TSX is a comfortable and efficient commuter car. NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Tom Lankard reported from San Diego, California, with G.R. Whale reporting from Los Angeles.