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Just forget about buying Acura TSX's navigation system
June 15, 2003
By Kenn Peters
Staff writer
Let's get to the bottom line first.
The 2004 Acura TSX is a great car that's fun and comfortable. For $26,490, anyone who wants a true sports sedan can't go wrong. This thing is good looking, and it's a blast to drive.
Just one thing: Skip the $2,000 voice-activated navigation system, and you've got a car for $26,490. Order the navigation system and the car's price is $28,900.
The navigation system has a couple of downsides. It doesn't seem to activate every time it hears a voice, it seems complex, and it includes a touch screen that's also home for the stereo controls.
So youknow what that means: the touch screen is hard to see during the day, and each time the car is started an audio button has to be pushed to bring up the stereo's controls. Forget it and keep the cash.
With or without the navigation system, the TSX includes a load of safety equipment, such as side air bags and curtains, vehicle stability control, traction control and four-wheel disc brakes.
It also has a load of luxury equipment, such as a power moonroof, tilt and telescopic wheel, stereo and CD, wheel-mounted controls for the stereo and cruise control.
Throw in Acura's reputation for quality, and what's not to like? You've got a car that looks sharp, drives like a larger car, has an understanding suspension that can be firm when it has to be and offers a good deal of trunk space.
In the minds of many consumers, and correctly so, the TSX will take up where the old Integra dropped off. The fact is the Integra isn't half the car the TSX is.
Where the TSX is smooth, the Integra is rough around the edges; where the TSX rides well, the Integra is harsh.
So the TSX is positioned nicely to take up the slack left by the Integra and give people who want a little more dash in their Acura ride, another option.
Remember, theAcura CL coupe is departed, and that was the last sporty entry Acura had, until now.
The TSX also gives Acura a shot at holding onto customers who might jump ship and go to one of the European brands.
So the question becomes, is the TSX good enough to prevent that from happening?
The answer is yes.
The TSX may not have the cache as some of the European brands, but it's got the mechanical goods. It may not have the same type of ride quality as the Europeans, but it has more interior room, and the engine is as sweet.
The TSX is powered by a 2.4-liter, 16-valve, 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine, and it's available with a six-speed standard or a five-speed automatic at no extra cost. Acura believes most TSX owners will opt for the automatic.
The 200-horsepower four-cylinder will fool a lot of people into believing it's a six-cylinder. It's ultra smooth and quiet, but it's capable of kicking up its heels.
If it's shy anywhere, it's at the low end, but within a tick it comes alive and has a strong finish.
At thesame time, it turns in up to 32 miles per gallon on the highway and 23 mpg around town, so it allows drivers to have their cake and eat it too.
What's nice is the TSX is available with only one trim level, which includes just about everything. The interior is immediately pleasing and comfortable, and the controls are exactly where you'd want them. Everything is there, cupholders, nooks and crannies, covered areas for valuables such as sunglasses or phones. The seats are heated.
The TSX is front-drive, and it's equipped with fairly aggressive tires. That means snow tires are going to be a must for people who want traction without hesitation during the area's bad weather.
Finally, back to the bottom line and the question of whether the TSX is as good as its competition. Check the real bottom line, the one that says $26,490, then check the competition.
http://www.syracuse.com/business/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/business-0/1055320691201860.xml
June 15, 2003
By Kenn Peters
Staff writer
Let's get to the bottom line first.
The 2004 Acura TSX is a great car that's fun and comfortable. For $26,490, anyone who wants a true sports sedan can't go wrong. This thing is good looking, and it's a blast to drive.
Just one thing: Skip the $2,000 voice-activated navigation system, and you've got a car for $26,490. Order the navigation system and the car's price is $28,900.
The navigation system has a couple of downsides. It doesn't seem to activate every time it hears a voice, it seems complex, and it includes a touch screen that's also home for the stereo controls.
So youknow what that means: the touch screen is hard to see during the day, and each time the car is started an audio button has to be pushed to bring up the stereo's controls. Forget it and keep the cash.
With or without the navigation system, the TSX includes a load of safety equipment, such as side air bags and curtains, vehicle stability control, traction control and four-wheel disc brakes.
It also has a load of luxury equipment, such as a power moonroof, tilt and telescopic wheel, stereo and CD, wheel-mounted controls for the stereo and cruise control.
Throw in Acura's reputation for quality, and what's not to like? You've got a car that looks sharp, drives like a larger car, has an understanding suspension that can be firm when it has to be and offers a good deal of trunk space.
In the minds of many consumers, and correctly so, the TSX will take up where the old Integra dropped off. The fact is the Integra isn't half the car the TSX is.
Where the TSX is smooth, the Integra is rough around the edges; where the TSX rides well, the Integra is harsh.
So the TSX is positioned nicely to take up the slack left by the Integra and give people who want a little more dash in their Acura ride, another option.
Remember, theAcura CL coupe is departed, and that was the last sporty entry Acura had, until now.
The TSX also gives Acura a shot at holding onto customers who might jump ship and go to one of the European brands.
So the question becomes, is the TSX good enough to prevent that from happening?
The answer is yes.
The TSX may not have the cache as some of the European brands, but it's got the mechanical goods. It may not have the same type of ride quality as the Europeans, but it has more interior room, and the engine is as sweet.
The TSX is powered by a 2.4-liter, 16-valve, 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine, and it's available with a six-speed standard or a five-speed automatic at no extra cost. Acura believes most TSX owners will opt for the automatic.
The 200-horsepower four-cylinder will fool a lot of people into believing it's a six-cylinder. It's ultra smooth and quiet, but it's capable of kicking up its heels.
If it's shy anywhere, it's at the low end, but within a tick it comes alive and has a strong finish.
At thesame time, it turns in up to 32 miles per gallon on the highway and 23 mpg around town, so it allows drivers to have their cake and eat it too.
What's nice is the TSX is available with only one trim level, which includes just about everything. The interior is immediately pleasing and comfortable, and the controls are exactly where you'd want them. Everything is there, cupholders, nooks and crannies, covered areas for valuables such as sunglasses or phones. The seats are heated.
The TSX is front-drive, and it's equipped with fairly aggressive tires. That means snow tires are going to be a must for people who want traction without hesitation during the area's bad weather.
Finally, back to the bottom line and the question of whether the TSX is as good as its competition. Check the real bottom line, the one that says $26,490, then check the competition.
http://www.syracuse.com/business/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/business-0/1055320691201860.xml
