CanadianDriver.com - First Drive: 2004 Acura TSX

[RiceBoy]

First Drive:
2004 Acura TSX
Article by Greg Wilson

Los Angeles, California - Dave Gardner, National Manager for Acura Canada, is worried that RSX, EL and Integra owners are looking elsewhere when it comes time to move up to a compact sports sedan. "We want to stop the migration of Integra, RSX and EL owners to European brands," he said at the North American introduction of the TSX in Hollywood, California.

A quick look around the Honda universe convinced Acura North America representatives that the European/Japanese style Accord (which is completely different from the recently-redesigned North American one) would make a perfect Acura sports sedan...with a few modifications. Acura threw in a 200 horsepower VTEC 2.4 litre four banger, a 6-speed manual with a lightweight magnesium housing, standard 17 inch wheels and performance tires, and added a full complement of luxury interior goodies - and renamed the car, Acura TSX.

To read the rest of the review, goto http://www.canadiandriver.com/testdrives/04tsx.htm

[AcuraTLpower]

200 horsepower for 35000 dollars thats wierd.. 2002 TL 260 horsepower sells for less!!!

[cathcard]

Have looked at the TSX (three auto shows) and drove the U.K. Accord last week while over there.

The TSX is much more like the 1.7EL (just slightly wider> the TSX is 1760 while the EL is 1715mm)) than you might like to believe in terms of interior size (but does not have the nice flat floor the EL does in the rear) and not nearly as large as the North American Accord...

Frt Head Room: 964 versus 960 in the TSX
Frt Leg Room: 1072 versus 1076
Frt Hip Room: 1300 versus 1381
Frt Shoulder Room: 1335 versus 1406
Rear Head Room: 964 versus 947
Rear Leg Room: 914 versus 868 (see what I mean)
Rear Hipp Room: 1266 versus 1382
Rear Shoulder Room: 1321 versus 1360

There is no question the TSX is a well equiped, beautfully finished well driving, automobile BUT no rocket ship. The TSX is dimensionally not hardly any larger than the EL but weights much more (1209kg compared with about 1460 for the TSX). What is questionable is its' power to weight ratio compared with competion and value for money as it looks like Honda Canada is heading for $34-35K for this card versus the $32-33k first discussed.... at $32K the car would be well positioned with others (incluidng the other Acura sedans and the Honda Accord) The V6 Accord is cheaper, slightly larger and faster. To get the increased power out of the 2.4 litre, that appears to be the same basic block et cetera also used in the North American Accord they incresaed the compression ratio to the point where premium fuel is required... why not just give us the V6????

With all of the above... the car is very nice to drive, a bit under powered (try the A4 CVT transmission car before you buy the TSX) in my view.. and it is really too bad that Honda Canada is giving us the crappy white colour while not the nice grahite... or the Indigo Blue with the black/aluminium trim (apparently we get the tan in our blue units).... if you want to have a real look at the car there is an online brochure off of the Honda U.K. site which is....

http://www.honda.co.uk/accord/

For the record.... I ordered mine with the slushbox...

[WiLz]

Originally posted by AcuraTLpower
200 horsepower for 35000 dollars thats wierd.. 2002 TL 260 horsepower sells for less!!!

35k is canadian dollars...its only about $25k US