[Woblin_Goblin]

I'm 6.5". Got a chance to sit in a TSX, RSX, TL at a car show yesterday. Didn't get a chance to play around with the seats but it seems like the legroom will be an issue. Head room is probably ok as I suspect the seats could have been lowered. They all just seemed very snug. I sort of expected the TL to have more room. It looked like the seat was pushed too far back. I'll have to try mess around with the seating positions some time but it doesn't look like they'll be an Acura in my future Damn nice cars.

 

[larchmont]

I'm 6.5". Got a chance to sit in a TSX, RSX, TL at a car show yesterday. Didn't get a chance to play around with the seats but it seems like the legroom will be an issue. Head room is probably ok as I suspect the seats could have been lowered. They all just seemed very snug. I sort of expected the TL to have more room. It looked like the seat was pushed too far back. I'll have to try mess around with the seating positions some time but it doesn't look like they'll be an Acura in my future Damn nice cars.

Yeah -- It's a very individual thiing of course, and you tried all 3 a little bit and they didn't work, so......
But maybe if you had more of a chance to play with them, especially the TL, maybe even the TSX too.

Actually quite a few pretty big guys have found the TSX to have plenty of room, including some people your size, while some guys about my size (5'10") have felt it's too small!
It hasn't seemed to be correlated that much with the person's size, although somewhat correlated of course.
I agree about "snug" -- and I love it.

About your saying that you think the seats could have been lowered -- maybe not. Even though I'm a lot smaller than you, there are a lot of times that it can't be lowered even as much as I'd like to. (I use different positions.)

BTW if we ever get a B-ball game together, I pick Woblin_Goblin.

 

[Woblin_Goblin]

"White Men Can't Jump"

I definently do plan to check out the cars again closer to the time when I'll be buying. I'm not used to the cockpit style, which is probably why they feel so cozy. All the old beaters we have, have tons of room in the inside. I think it's safe to say the RSX is a no fit though.

I really liked the guages in the TL. So blue!

 

[bob shiftright]

I'm a big guy. I find it "easy" to go from my Volvo to the TSX but when I switch from the TSX back to the Volvo, the cockpit feels "tight".

Try fiddling with the steering wheel and seat controls.

I think Honda took us 'mericans into consideration when it designed the TSX cockpit, Australians, too. (Big as we are AND they're not ashamed to wear Speedos! But that's another rant!)

 

[hot4carz]

I'm 6-foot 3-inch and find the headroom in the TSX to be better than in other larger cars I test drove while shopping for a new ride.

The TSX fits me as well or even better than the TL, G35, RX-8, and several other new cars.

I recently drove my mother's Volvo S70 after owning my TSX for a couple weeks, and I have more headroom in my TSX.

Ergonomics was #1 during my car search, and the TSX came out ahead of all others.

 

[larchmont]

.....Ergonomics was #1 during my car search, and the TSX came out ahead of all others.

Yes. I'm a little off the subj here because I'm barely tall enough for middle-school b-ball but yes, I find the TSX driver seat to be the most ergonomically satisfying car seat I've ever had.

My old BMW 320i was a close second.

I also had the Acura Legend and TL-S. Very good too but not quite as good for me personally.


As we're seeing, interestingly it doesn't necessarily correlate with height.

 

[netoperek]

I am 6'0 and i find the RSX a very nice fit for me a far as the front seats go.

 

[sponge]

I'm 6'3," 225 lbs. and headroom was a huge issue for me. Many of the cars I looked at included a sunroof with other options I wanted. You probably know that the sunroof takes out a few inches of headroom, so I had to eliminate many cars from consideration or else look like Alfalfa all the time. The previous generation TL did not have enough headroom, so I figured the smaller TSX would not be any better. The salesman and I were amazed to find that the TSX has enough headroom(just) for me. I've never found the leg room to be a problem, and I am very comfortable in the car. Other cars I looked at that had enough room were Saab 9-3 and Accord. Good Luck.

 

[larchmont]

I'm 6'3," 225 lbs. and headroom was a huge issue for me. Many of the cars I looked at included a sunroof with other options I wanted. You probably know that the sunroof takes out a few inches of headroom, so I had to eliminate many cars from consideration or else look like Alfalfa all the time.....

You mean like this?

Funny, he looked a lot bigger and older when I was a kid.....

 

[Whatchamacallit]

So what do the tall people drive since most car manaufacturers don't cater to them? :easter:

Anyone else notice the incredible Front Headroom figure of 41.9" in the Honda Pilot? In comparison, the Acura MDX has 38.4". The TSX has 37.8". (All figures are from carsdirect.com)

 

[Woblin_Goblin]

I had the same problem in pretty much all the vehicles (all kinds of different brands) I sat in at the show. They all felt the same.

I think the biggest issue for me is the legroom. The seat (in the TL) seemed to be pushed way back. So much that there didn't seem to be very much room in the back seat at all. I don't know if it could have gone further. It was very tight. I don't think I could work the clutch very well in the dynamic package TL or tsx manual. Might be able to get away driving an automatic but it probably wouldn't be comfortable in the long run.

Had I been able to adjust the height of the seat I probably would have had at least 2 inchs to spare in both the TSX and TL. I assume since they are power seats the key would have to be in the ignition to operate them. Also, can the seat be tilted back a notch or two?

Like I said before I plan to go to a dealer sometime and see if I fiddle with the power seats and get comfortable.

Maybe its time to start drinking coffee. Have to stunt my growth! That or I'll have to start looking at trucks and SUV's. I don't want a gas guzzler though.

 

[larchmont]

.....I assume since they are power seats the key would have to be in the ignition to operate them. Also, can the seat be tilted back a notch or two?.....

Both the TL and the TSX have power driver seats, and in the TL the front passenger seat is power also.

And in both the TL and the TSX, you can tilt the seat back as far as you'd like.
I usually like to have the seat tilted so far back it looks like I'm water skiing or something.

 

[larchmont]

Doh!!!! :ikno:

I've got it!

Yes, maybe he has it.

Yes indeed, I've got it.


We've seen before and we're seeing again that despite the TSX being a relatively small car, tall people often like it.

Why? I've got the answer, or at least a big part of it.


Digression/Introduction: Many phenomena are multidimensional. Take "handling" -- it isn't just one thing. That's why some people might feel that the TL handles better than the TSX, even though most by far feel the opposite. The TL probably has less body roll, and of course it has more power. So if those things are a lot of what you consider "handling," then you could feel that the TL's handling is better.

And obviously the "size" of a car isn't just one thing. To take the TL as an example again, the TL is a car of extremely unusual proportions; to me that's the single most remarkable thing about the car. It's unusually WIDE relative to its other dimensions. I notice things like that because I happen to be very sensitive to a car's size. The difference between the TL and the TSX is only about 3", but to me that's extremely noticeable, in a negative way. But of course it adds to the seating space, and if you're a "wide" person or if you just like lateral space, it's a plus.


Back to the subject: The TSX is a relatively small car, and so we wouldn't think it would be very good for tall drivers.
HOWEVER -- and we hardly ever mention this, but -- What's the most unusual thing about the TSX's size?

The height.

The TSX is a VERY HIGH car. Not counting wagons and SUV's (etc.), it's higher than any other car that's anywhere close to its other dimensions except for the VW Passat and the Infiniti G35, which are very slightly higher (and I bet those cars also are more comfortable for tall drivers than we'd expect). The TSX is higher than the TL, and it's even higher than the RL. It's also higher than the Audi A6, BMW 5-series, Cadillac DeVille and Seville, Lexus GS300/430, Mercedes E-class, and even the Volvo S80.

I'd guess there's our main answer.

 

[Woblin_Goblin]

Now is there any way I can s-t-r-e-t-c-h the TSX? 1blue1.gif

 

[bob shiftright]

I usually like to have the seat tilted so far back it looks like I'm water skiing or something.

"gangster lean", larch????

You may not have a car at all
But just remember brothers and sisters
You can still stand tall
Just be thankful for what you've got
Diamonds in the back, sunroof top, diggin the scene
With a gangster lean ooh ooh ooh
Though you may not drive a great big cadillac
Gangster whitewalls tv antenna in the back
You may not have a car at all
But just remember brothers and sisters
You can still stand tall
Just be thankful for what you've got
Diamonds in the back, sunroof top, diggin the scene
With a gangster lean
1blue1.gif

 

[larchmont]

"gangster......"

Best thing I've been called all day.

 

[Carlos8542222]

Larch:

How much taller is the TSX than the TL? Are we talking about the current 2004 TL or the 99-2003?

The TSX is very deceptive. It doesnt look that big until you do direct comparisons. I drive a 1990 Honda Accord. There was one time when I came out of the movie theater and walked to the parking lot. Parked next to my car was a beautiful black car. I thought to myself, "Man, I didn't think the new TL was this nice". I wasn't until I looked in the back that I realized it was a TSX!!.

Comparing both side to side, lenthwise, the TSX is a little longer. But in terms of height. It was a HUGE difference. My 1990 Honda Accord looked like a midget compared to the TSX. I looked like I had a lowered car!!

Carlos

 

[larchmont]

Larch:

How much taller is the TSX than the TL? Are we talking about the current 2004 TL or the 99-2003?

The TSX is very deceptive. It doesnt look that big until you do direct comparisons. I drive a 1990 Honda Accord. There was one time when I came out of the movie theater and walked to the parking lot. Parked next to my car was a beautiful black car. I thought to myself, "Man, I didn't think the new TL was this nice". I wasn't until I looked in the back that I realized it was a TSX!!.

Comparing both side to side, lengthwise, the TSX is a little longer. But in terms of height. It was a HUGE difference. My 1990 Honda Accord looked like a midget compared to the TSX. I looked like I had a lowered car!!

Right -- but not exactly! (Not your fault -- this is hard!)

The TSX isn't longer than the new TL, it's 2.9" shorter. But I think you're more right than most other people because you realize they're close. Most people just assume the TL is a lot bigger, because "that's just the way it is" or whatever. The cars are quite close in size. Unfortunately for me, the extra width of the TL (either 2.8" or 3.3" depending on which figure you want to believe for the TL; there are two different "official" figures floating around) is enough to make it just not a good size for me. In fact, the width of the TL is kind of out of line for a car of that length, and I'm not sure it was a good idea on Acura's part.

About the height difference: First of all, as to which TL I meant, I was talking about the new TL ('04), but it's also true about the old one, in fact even more so. The TSX is just a little taller (0.6") than the TL. It's A LOT taller than the '03 TL (3.6").


So.....am I on to something?
Is the fact that the TSX is such a "tall" car the main reason that a lot of tall people find this "small" car comfortable? I think it is.

 

[Woblin_Goblin]

I was suprised at how close in size the TSX and TL actually seem. Sitting next to each other its initially hard to tell the difference. I thought they were the same car but with different paint until I looked a bit closer.

 

[Whatchamacallit]

When I first visited an Acura dealer to check out the TSX (which btw later became the place of purchase), the first batch of the new TLs had rolled in. I had the chance to compare the two since they were parked at the dealer lot side by side.

The TSX was indeed taller, but by the slightest of margins. However, I thought this height advantage was also somewhat exaggerated by the curvature of the roof on the TSX. The roof on the TL was flatter, where as on the TSX, it was more curvy (but not as curvy as the Altimas or the new VW Beetles).

Just my personal observations.