Gevor said:
.....The interior quality is not as good as on european cars (comparing to my previous Alfa for expamle), not that it's bad or anything, I like it a lot. The design is nice and ergonomic, but it's lacking that feel of class like in BMW 3-series or any other european similar car.
The engine is not as revy and as in K20A (Civic type R).
Overall the car is very smooth and sporty at the same time. Honda found a very good balance.....It's just maybe I was expecting a little bit more performance and quality wise......
P.S. Does anyone know if the central locking system function as an alarm?
Interesting post, Nick.
I wonder what you'd think of the "real" TSX. (Which, I know, is a strange way to put it, because probably it is more correct to think of the Euro Accord as the "real" car......)
People often say that the TSX is "just" an Accord. They say that for different reasons, one of which is to be provocative. But one of the reasons they say it is because the TSX is "basically" a Euro Accord. Which is true.
BUT.....as I've pointed out many times,
there are real differences. And some of them relate to what Nick doesn't quite like about the Euro Accord. I think that if there were no TSX (and also no TL), but if the Euro Accord were available here, that's the car I'd get. But I'm not sure -- because while the differences are small in the minds of some people, they might be significant enough to make a difference to some people.
INTERIOR, GENERAL QUALITY, "FEEL OF CLASS": I think the differences between the Euro and the TSX are just enough that Nick wouldn't have any complaints about the TSX.
Obviously we can't know this for sure unless Nick has a chance to get into a TSX (and by the way pictures wouldn't solve this with any certainty; you have to get in the car).
But for sure we can say this: There have been literally thousands of posts on this subject on the various TSX sites, including hundreds by people who aren't exactly fans of the TSX. And I don't recall anybody ever saying that the TSX's interior was lacking in comparison to BMW or most other European brands. It is sometimes noted that most of the Lexus interiors are better, but even among people who have made this comparison, I don't think anybody felt the TSX's interior was not very much to their liking.
PERFORMANCE/POWER: It's quite possible Nick might be disappointed in the "actual" TSX too, because a lot of people are. But there ARE differences in this department between the Euro and the TSX. And, taken together with the increase in "feel of class" (which we know makes a big difference for Nick and which probably affects his impression of everything else about the car -- by the way that's called the "halo effect"), someone like him might really find the TSX's performance A LOT better.
The TSX's hp is rated at 10 greater than the Euro (200 vs. 190), which might not sound like a lot, but let's put it this way:
How would you like to lose 10 hp from your TSX? It's funny -- people say so often that there isn't any significant difference between the two cars, but how do you think they'd react if they picked up their new TSX and then found out that Honda/Acura had a mistake on their batch, and the hp was only 190??? They'd be crying bloody murder. (I think.)
And there's more: Although details about the suspension are hard to find (impossible actually), there are differences here too. As best we can ascertain, the TSX's suspension is firmer and sportier. And of course this produces an additional "halo effect." I would bet that even if two cars had exactly the same "power" but one had a firmer/sportier suspension, that one would SEEM to have more power.
It would be really interesting if Nick ever got a chance to try a TSX.
I hope he makes it over here some time. If he does, I think we should arrange for someone to meet him at the airport -- with a TSX.
About the "central locking" and alarm: I don't think most of us can answer, because we don't know if this might be another area of difference between the Euro and TSX. Also I'm not sure exactly what you mean.
If you mean, when you lock the car does an alarm get activated, for the TSX the answer is "yes" -- but (I think)
only if you lock it using the remote fob, and not if you lock the car manually (i.e. the "old-fashioned way). Sorry that I don't know this for sure. But most people always or almost always do it with the remote fob anyway.
Maybe one of the other Euro owners will see this and help us out.....
