Filling a market niche

BAILA LAZARUS EDITOR

I never like the idea of taking my eyes off the road in order to make some adjustment to the stereo system or climate control while I'm driving. Even if it's just for a second or two, I consider it unsafe. So it was a little disconcerting having to deal with the push-button temperature/directional controls in the new Acura TSX sedan. It was hard enough finding the button that I wanted, let alone checking to see if I had the right temperature displayed. That being said, there's really little else to complain about in this thoroughly comfortable and smooth-driving vehicle.

The 2004 TSX fits in nicely with Acura's line of cars, between the 2.0-litre, I4 RSX two-door and the 3.2-litre, V6, TL sedan. The TSX combines the roominess of the four-door (serving growing families), with a smaller, 2.4-litre, I4 engine. That gives a better gas consumption rating with an estimated 10.8 litres per 100 kilometres (22 miles per gallon) for city driving and 7.7 litres per 100 kilometres (31 mpg) highway. (That's for the automatic transmission.)

The interior has a nice, rich feel to it, without being overly appointed. The leather sports seats (adjustable eight ways for the driver) are very comfortable and the leather-wrapped steering wheel means a better grip, while giving a sporty feel to the interior. Besides front and side airbags, Acura is using the TSX to introduce side curtain airbags which cover the side windows and roof pillars if activated. Air conditioning, a six-CD, in-dash changer, stilt/telescoping steering wheel, 60/40 split fold-down rear seat and glass moonroof are all standard.

That's all very nice for the esthetically minded Acura driver. But for those wondering about power and drive, the TSX also delivers, pulling up to 200 horsepower out of the four-cylinder, double-overhead-cam engine. The TSX comes with four-wheel, independent, double-wishbone suspension, allowing smooth driving and turning, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering and a four-wheel-disc breaking system. Add to that the Honda/Acura patented i-VTEC engine, and you have as sporty a vehicle as you can get from a four-cylinder sedan. (The VTEC – variable valve timing and lift electronic control – system uses camshafts that have two sets of cams each, with one set being used at slower speeds for better low-end torque and the second set kicking in at high speed for better performance.) The i-VTEC is so advanced, after about a decade of enhancement, that the transition is completely unnoticeable.

The TSX comes as a six-speed manual or five-speed Sequential SportShift automatic transmission; the latter being a cross for those who want automatic simplicity but with an option for sporty shifting. I tried the manual transmission and found the shifting to be as smooth as silk but I didn't like the closely spaced ratios. I had to shift up to fourth just to get the rpms down to 2,000, even though I was only driving at about 45 km/h. And at 80 km/h, the car was revving at 2,500 in fifth gear! A six-speed transmission may sound fancy, but all it means is a lot more shifting, without a lot more speed to show for it. And, believe it or not, the manual has a higher gas consumption than the automatic. Now that's a first!

Aside from filling a gap in Acura's line, the TSX may also fill a niche in the consumer market. It's basically a stepping stone from those who want to move into a higher luxury line than Honda has to offer but can't afford a BMW 320. At $34,800, it's pricey but relatively affordable.

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