Test Drive: 2010 Acura TSX V6

April 19, 2010

That’s a shame, because there is a lot of good in this car. The ride is just about perfect – never floaty at speed and yet never punishing over rough roads – and while the engine’s power is impressive, this is an eminently pleasant car to cruise along in. Braking feel is very good, aside from a pedal that’s too soft at the top of its travel, which doesn’t inspire confidence in spirited driving; steering response is great and feel is good, save for the wheel being too light at highway speeds.

2010 Acura TSX V6. Click image to enlarge

The TSX’s fuel consumption doesn’t suffer significantly with the larger engine; the six’s official ratings are 11.3/7.4 L/100 km (city/highway), compared to 10.5/7.0 for the standard four-cylinder with a manual transmission (the four-cylinder/automatic’s ratings are 9.6/6.5). In a week of tooling about Ottawa, my six-cylinder tester averaged 12.2 L/100 km.

Inside, the driver and front passenger get lovely seats, and my only complaint space-wise was tight headroom created by the sunroof, a standard feature across the TSX line. The rear seat is certainly not palatial, but is roomy and comfortable enough to accommodate a pair of passengers tagging along on a road trip. The trunk’s 354 litres is within a stone’s throw of the larger TL’s cargo capacity, and it’s a more useful shape; note that the TSX’s rear seatback folds, while the TL’s does not.

There’s my usual gripe about Honda/Acura dashboards of late, mostly to do with far too many buttons, many of which are related to the navigation system in my top-line Tech Package tester. Another ergonomic complaint is with the buttons for the power locks and power window lockout, which are tucked beside the forward door pull; try finding the unlock button in a hurry while someone is waiting, outside the locked car in the rain, to get in. Also, I wouldn’t complain about the climate controls being higher up on the centre stack. I must say, though, that I like the trick speedo and tachometer needles, which wrap around the gauge faces so that they appear to float.

General interior fit and finish was good, but not perfect: the panel fits around the top of the centre stack and air vents were shoddy.

The TSX’s starting price is $32,990 for the base model four-cylinder car with its six-speed manual transmission. The V6 version starts at $39,790, and jumps to $42,790 when the Tech Package, with its navigation system, backup camera and six-CD stereo, is added. That’s an attractive price compared with the benchmark 3 Series, which rings in at more than $50,000 in 335i form, with a 300-horsepower turbocharged six-cylinder engine. You’d be missing out, too, if you didn’t compare the TSX to American sedans like the Lincoln MKZ and Cadillac CTS.

Things start to get foggy, though, when the TSX V6 goes head-to-head with Acura’s own TL. That larger car comes standard with the same V6 as the TSX, but costs just $200 more in base form; add to the TL the similar Tech Package that my TSX had and the TL is still less than a grand more expensive; if that’s not enough of a what-were-they-thinking, the SH-AWD model, with its more powerful 3.7-litre V6 (but missing the Tech Package), is only $2,200 pricier than my TSX tester. To me, that decision’s a no-brainer.

Six-cylinder power makes the TSX a better car overall and a good value next to its European competitors, but Acura needs to rethink the car’s pricing and the availability of a manual transmission and all-wheel drive if it wants the car to be taken seriously.

Pricing: 2010 Acura TSX V6

Base price: $39,790

Options: $3,000 (Technology Package of six-CD stereo, reverse camera and navigation system)

A/C tax: $100

Freight: $1,895

Price as tested: $44,785
Click here for options, dealer invoice prices and factory incentives

Specifications

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Acura TSX

Competitors

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Audi A4

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 BMW 3 Series

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Cadillac CTS