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It’s easy to forget
about the TSX when looking at fully-loaded mainstream family sedans because of
its premium badge. But the TSX, sold as the Honda Accord outside of North
America, comes nearly fully loaded at its base price, which is in the vicinity
of the others here. It brings premium-level interior quality and driving
enjoyment to this group without sacrificing interior space, ride comfort, and
refinement. It’s not as roomy as many competitors, doesn’t have an especially
absorbent ride, and comes with a naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder against
like-priced V6 and turbocharged I4 competitors. But its blend of poise,
interior space, and luxury, it’s hard to beat south of $30,000.
The TSX has a firmer
ride than most competitors, and while it is very well-controlled, it is not
especially absorbent. And despite this, while the TSX handles very well, its
handling alone does not feel as overtly sporty as some mainstream-branded
competitors. But the alert, precise, and communicative steering overcomes that
slight to make the TSX the most rewarding car to drive in this group, and the
car never wavers in routine driving. The 2.4-liter I4, the only available
engine, is lacking in power compared to most of the others here, but is
adequate at highway-speed passing. It can get a bit noisy, but never sounds
strained. Wind noise is very well-suppressed, road noise a bit less so. Gas
mileage is excellent for obvious reasons.
Inside, the front seats
are firm and comfortable, and offer good lateral support. There is no excess
headroom below the standard sunroof, however. The rear seat is comfortable
enough, but far from spacious by this group’s standards. The nicely-angled
cushion helps make the most of the available legroom, but it could be longer
and higher. The interior’s luxury-level materials fit together very well. The
gauges are clear, and the instruments are logically arrayed. Drivers don’t sit
as high as in many competitors here, but still have good visibility in all
directions. The trunk, while good compared to Audi A4s and BMW 325is, is small
compared to most of the others in this group.
The TSX has done well in
crash testing. It earned five stars for both the driver and for the front
passenger in NHTSA’s frontal crash test, and five stars for the driver and
four for the rear passenger in NHTSA’s side crash test. It was Good in the
IIHS offset crash test, and Acceptable in its side crash test. Its head
restraints were rated Poor, however.
The TSX reviewed here
came in with no options (everything but a navigation system is already
standard) at $26,801 with all of this group’s expected features, as well as a
memory system for the power driver’s seat and a wireless cell phone link.
Overall, the TSX is a
luxury sports sedan that is priced alongside mainstream family cars. It has
its drawbacks, such as unimpressive engine performance with the automatic
transmission, a firm ride, and a somewhat small interior, and it’s one of the
more expensive cars in this group. But it offers a blend of luxury and driving
enjoyment along with adequate family sedan qualities, a blend that is unique
in this group.
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