Acura - TSX (10)

What I Say: I like the TSX, but then I remember it is a 4 cylinder. A lot people want to imagine they will get all the performance from a sporting looking car, but really it is just a nice car with navigation, rear camera, heated seats, and it kind of goes fast but does better when it comes fuel mileage.

What Edmunds.com says...

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2010 Acura TSX is a compact entry-level luxury sedan available in two fairly loaded trim levels, base and V6. Standard equipment on the base TSX includes 17-inch wheels, xenon headlights, foglights, a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, an eight-way power driver seat with memory, a four-way power passenger seat, leather upholstery, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a 60/40-split-folding rear seatback. Also standard are Bluetooth and a seven-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, auxiliary audio jack and a USB port.

The optional Technology package adds a rearview camera and a navigation system with voice recognition, real-time traffic and weather forecasting. In addition, that package includes a 10-speaker Acura/ELS surround-sound system with an in-dash six-CD/DVD-audio changer.

Powertrains and Performance

The front-wheel-drive TSX is available with a choice of two engines. The 2.4-liter inline-4 makes 201 hp and 170 pound-feet of torque. Available transmissions are a six-speed manual (four-cylinder only) and a five-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel shift paddles.

Fuel mileage estimates for the four-cylinder/automatic TSX are 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined.

Safety

Standard safety equipment on the 2010 TSX includes antilock brakes (with brake assist), stability control, traction control, front seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.

In government crash testing, the Acura TSX earned a perfect five-star sweep for all frontal- and side-impact tests. The TSX likewise aced the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests, scoring "Good" (the highest possible) in both frontal-offset and side-impact tests.

Interior Design and Special Features

The 2010 Acura TSX's dash is awash with buttons, and that's with or without the optional Technology package. The Technology package's navigation system features voice commands, real-time traffic, weather forecasting and a large LCD screen with a secondary control knob. The accompanying 10-speaker ELS surround-sound system is certainly good enough to justify the extra cost.

Elsewhere inside the TSX, materials are consistent with the rest of Acura's well-built line. The TSX also has considerably more interior space than the Lexus IS 250 and a hair more than the Volvo S40. The trunk measures 12.6 cubic feet.

Driving Impressions

The 2010 Acura TSX is calm and quiet when cruising down the freeway. T TSX is an enjoyable car to drive on twisting roads, as body roll is kept in check.