CanadianDriver.com: First Drive - 2009 Acura TSX

[RiceBoy]

http://www.canadiandriver.com/testdrives/2009-acura-tsx.htm

Looks like in Canada, we get an actual "base" model with no leather seats (but front seats are still heated), no XM satellite radio, no HID headlights, no auto headlights, no fog lights, and no driver's memory seat. This all comes as a "Premium Package".

[Mystery Guest]

Crazy Cannucks!

[Saad]

That sucks, it used to be all included in the "base" model.

Maybe they noticed that Canadians are willing to pay extra for these options or that we don't like leather because of our winters.

[HoRRo]

That sucks, it used to be all included in the "base" model.

Maybe they noticed that Canadians are willing to pay extra for these options or that we don't like leather because of our winters.

If given the choice, I would've taken sport cloth over leather any day of the week.

[pcdawg]

So by getting rid of the CSX, they offer a base tsx with no leather to compensate.

[narci]

Well...technically we don't have full leather seating either for the first gen :p

Is it me or when I opened that link, the first thing I thought of looking at a white 09 TSX is that it was a mazda 6?

[RiceBoy]

The offer of a "base" model in Canada is nothing more than the fact that Canadians generally don't spend as much as Americans do on cars, and a de-contented TSX might actually have a market here. For instance, the Civic is the best selling car in Canada, and in the U.S. it bounces back and forth between the Camry and Accord. That also explains why Canada has the Civic-based CSX as the entry model for Acura, which does sell well, and the U.S. doesn't. When the RSX was first introduced, Canada also got a "base" model that had cloth seats, 15" steel wheels with covers, and a few less options.

[Mark]

What a joke, it's almost like they're trying to go "look we lowered the price of our cars so it's more like the US!! oh btw you have to pay extra for leather and HID's now..."

[tsx4life]

that sucks...instead of upgrading which was not my cup of tea..they down graded...even worse now i really just hate the 09 tsx

[ChinchillaX]

So by getting rid of the CSX, they offer a base tsx with no leather to compensate.
Are they getting rid of the CSX?:donno:

I guess with the base model TSX it will probably be priced close to a CSX, but IMO it would be dumb move to can the CSX. They maybe should do the same with the CSX decontent it, however, then it might be priced too close to a Civic EX. :squint:

I too would rather have cloth over leather...

[RiceBoy]

I would be surprised if they discontinued the CSX. I think it's still Acura Canada's best seller. I think the availability of a base TSX is just something more to draw people into the Acura brand. There are people who won't get a CSX because it's too much like a Civic, but perhaps would get into a more affordable TSX.

[Kanon23]

saw it @ the dealer today...I am sure its eyes of the beholders, but lets just say its not my cup of tea :(

[TSX69]

TSX Continues to Move Along Smartly (http://www.autonet.ca/donut/content/search/testdrives/2008/04/21/5348661.html)
Harry Pegg
Published: 23 04 2008

There are times when the theory of evolution plays with one’s emotions and driving the second generation Acura TSX is one of those times.

The 2009 version is slightly larger and a whole lot more fun to drive. On top of that, it’s more comfortable and contains more safety features.

Acura says its “entry premium” sedan is aimed at young professionals in their early to mid-’30s. In other words, they’re after the “look-at-me-crowd” with an eye to performance.

Demographic-setters be damned. This car appeals to me, too, and I’m well past the mid-’30s. I’m also not a look-at-me, attention seeker. Neither is my wife, who also likes the car.

Why?

Well, it looks good – a well-proportioned wedge shape with sharp lines and a solid stance. On the inside, the test car’s leather appointments are well crafted, the seats are comfortable and the passenger gets power seat adjusters. Both up-front seats get heat – which for my liking could be hotter, especially in the lower back area.

The test car came with everything you can put on, or in, a TSX. The company bills it as the Technology Package and it brings the price tag to $40,300, still not bad considering the equipment.

The base car, which starts at $32,900 brings considerable bang for the buck as it is. You get a moonroof, power passenger seat, remote entry, power everything, heated cloth seats, premium 7-speaker audio system and Bluetooth HandsFreeLink cell phone interface.

A premium package adds leather seats, XM radio, driver seat memory, and digital media auxiliary USB jack. The technology package gives you Acura/ELS Surround premium audio system with note feature for XM radio, navigation system with bilingual voice recognition, and a rearview camera.

Honda does manual transmissions so well, and that’s the basis for gear selection for all TSX models. It’s the kind of transmission that has you running up and down through the gears just for the fun of it.

The five-speed automatic offers steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters which work well enough, if you’d rather let electrics handle the job. The slushbox moves through the gears easily and smoothly and doesn’t hunt around for the right gear on long inclines.

To access the manual mode with its paddle shifters, you pull the gear selector straight back – no wacky gate system. Once there, you find this is a true sport shift – the transmission will hold the gear right to redline.

I have no problem with that nice bit of work, I just don’t like the left hand/right hand upshift/downshift system. Seems I’m always crabbing about this, but I’d rather be able to shift up or down with either hand.

But I certainly have no problem with what that transmission is connected to: Honda’s i-VTEC system that gets 201 horsepower out of a 2.4L 16-valve four-cylinder engine and it gets those horses moving with 170 lb.-ft. of torque (172 with the manual shifter).

Step on the gas and the car responds instantly, whether you’re passing on the highway or getting off the line at a traffic light. Power is there when you need it.

It’s not often you get even close to Transport Canada fuel consumption figures, but the test car did it. I didn’t believe it after driving 300 km, so I reset everything and had another go at it around town and on the highway for another 300 km…8.9L/100 km combined with the automatic transmission. That’s the combined figure for TSX with the manual transmission.

No, I wasn’t babying it, either. I was having too much fun playing in corners. This car loves the bendy bits.

On dry roads, stability control with traction control jump into the fray only when you get the car considerably out of shape…and that’s not an easy thing to do. When roads get icy (and I had this thing when a spring blizzard belted the Calgary area), the system ensures you maintain course.

The new generation has developed better manners on the road. The ride is smoother and the cabin is much quieter than before, a nice place to enjoy your music on the 10-speaker surround sound system. The only time I noticed wind noise was in a howling 60 km/h crosswind and even then it wasn’t unbearable.

Cabin space is good for four people and the trunk can swallow a rather impressive amount of gear. If two people are on a road trip, the split/folding rear seatback drops down to increase the hauling capacity.

Here, in short, are some other highlights about this car:

Headlights provide excellent illumination. You don’t find yourself straining to see ahead in the dark.

Navigation system is easy to get along with and the mapping is quite up to date.

Phone interface sets up easily and works well.

The switch for the power moonroof is on the overhead console (and about time, too!).

Backup camera provides a good rearward view and stays cleaner longer when the roads get crappy.

If you’re looking for a car in this category, be sure you put the TSX on your to-look-at list.
Summary:
Year/Make/Model
2009 Acura TSX
Price as tested
$40,300
Trim level
Technology Package
Price range
$32,900 - $40,300
Freight
$1,725
Options
Technology Package ($6,100) includes 10-speaker surround sound audio, DVD-audio, Acura navigation with bilingual voice recognition and rearview camera; TSX Premium Package ($3,300) includes leather seats, XM radio, automatic headlights, drive memory seat, digital media auxiliary USB jack, HID headlights and fog lamps; 5-speed automatic with paddle shifters ($1,300)
EnerGuide fuel economy ratings
9.6 L/100km city; 6.5 L/100km hwy
Observed fuel economy
8.9 L/100 km combined over 600 km
Warranty (basic)
5 years/100,000 km
Warranty (powertrain)
5 years/100,000 km
Competitors
Audi A4; BMW 3-Series; Lexus IS
Strong Points
* - solid feel
* - excellent handling
* - small appetite for fuel
Weak Points
* - left hand/right hand paddle shifting can get you out of sync

Editors Rating:
Fuel consumption 4.5/5 *
Averaged 8.9L/100 km combined ... checked it twice.
Value for price 4/5 *
Technology pack is the full-meal deal and decent value for the buck.
Styling 3.5/5 *
Slightly conservative on the outside but with understated elegance inside.
Comfort 4.5/5 *
Good head and leg room (unless rear seat passengers are tall), comfortable seating.
Performance 4/5 *
Nice launch off the line. Good acceleration across wide torque band.
Overall 4/5 *
If you’re looking at this segment, put this one on your list.