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article details
Author Jeff Palmer
Categories TOV Road Test, TSX
Create Date March 01, 2003 01:00
Last Update August 26, 2003 21:34
Introduction
Los Angeles, CA - January 24, 2003

Let's try to forget for a moment that Acura has left upwardly mobile enthusiasts out in the cold for the last decade or so. After baiting us with such great rides as the Integra GS-R, Integra Type R, and RSX Type S (not to mention the Honda CRX and sporty Civic models), they've pretty much left us to our own devices when it was time to buy a larger car. Of course, we're selfish people. We want to have our cake and eat it too, so to speak. So that means we can't give up all the wonderful qualities that endeared us to our Acuras or Hondas in the first place.

There are basically two choices within the Honda/Acura family for the up-and-coming person who needs to move out of their Civic/CRX/Integra/RSX into a more practical 4-door: the Accord or the TL. Due to its clearly mainstream intentions, let's skip the Accord part of the argument for now and go straight to the TL. The TL is a great car and it's plenty potent with a 260hp motor available in the Type S, but at 3500+ lbs it offers a vastly different feel from any of the smaller sporty offerings. Beyond the "beep beep beep beep, beep beep beep beep" that greets your key in the ignition and the styling of some of the switchgear, there's little about the TL that reminds you of any of the sportier Hondas/Acuras. Add the lack of a manual transmission (a requisite for almost any enthusiast) and ho-hum styling that makes your grandma do a double-take, and it's no wonder that Acura's been losing a large portion of the customers it captured with the Integra or RSX to the likes of Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, and increasingly, Infiniti (thanks to the G35).

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Date Thread Starter Thread
03-08-2003 06:26 Minimal octane rating?   (Score: 1, Normal) Revenent
03-08-2003 11:00 Moshua
03-09-2003 21:23 JeffX
03-10-2003 01:26 Revenent
03-10-2003 02:53 Lung Fu Mo Shi
01-05-2004 14:47 michael_koz77
04-27-2003 16:33 TSX vs. GSR 4dr - Fun factor   (Score: 1, Normal) iou
05-07-2003 17:27 JeffX
03-03-2003 00:18 I think Honda is targeting VW   (Score: 1, Normal) Karl O.
03-04-2003 09:58 iceman6
03-04-2003 10:58 StretchSJE
03-04-2003 13:38 Classic
03-04-2003 20:39 iceman6
03-04-2003 21:44 StretchSJE
03-04-2003 22:10 Karl O.
03-04-2003 22:59 iceman6
03-05-2003 01:35 toddysan
03-06-2003 00:51 iceman6
03-07-2003 00:01 Karl O.
03-07-2003 12:40 Classic
03-14-2003 01:52 SoR
03-22-2003 12:18 LAXtypeR
04-12-2003 15:25 yaadie_68
03-21-2003 07:01 My pics...   (Score: 1, Normal) Civic
03-21-2003 09:02 kevlar1
03-07-2003 15:58 iPod input jack?   (Score: 1, Normal) Mark J
03-07-2003 19:18 Lung Fu Mo Shi
03-09-2003 13:55 NSXman
03-09-2003 16:30 Lung Fu Mo Shi
03-09-2003 17:48 ivtec105
03-15-2003 19:44 NSXman
03-01-2003 09:19 www.canadiandriver.com   (Score: 1, Normal) bobski32
03-02-2003 23:10 dydx
03-02-2003 23:17 provench
03-03-2003 00:19 iceman6
03-05-2003 00:49 JeffX
03-11-2003 15:13 LAXtypeR
03-12-2003 00:06 Lung Fu Mo Shi
03-01-2003 18:51 Heated mirrors?   (Score: 1, Normal) tnkgrl
03-05-2003 00:51 JeffX
03-05-2003 20:24 The_Ultimator
03-05-2003 23:48 dydx
03-06-2003 00:05 YetAnotherPoster
03-06-2003 05:25 dydx
03-06-2003 08:41 Moshua
03-09-2003 20:31 Spencer!
03-10-2003 21:24 dydx
03-09-2003 20:22 Thank you Honda/Acura   (Score: 1, Normal) Spencer!
03-09-2003 22:41 iceman6
03-08-2003 18:31 Seating Position   (Score: 1, Normal) corloc
03-09-2003 21:19 JeffX
03-08-2003 18:36 Jeff, TSX-S possibilities?   (Score: 1, Normal) MatthewSU
03-04-2003 10:10 jeff thanks....   (Score: 1, Normal) kevlar1
03-04-2003 13:45 YetAnotherPoster
03-05-2003 02:02 kevlar1
03-05-2003 03:13 toddysan
03-05-2003 09:59 kevlar1
03-05-2003 18:22 toddysan
03-05-2003 20:10 kevlar1
03-05-2003 20:32 JeffX
03-05-2003 22:29 toddysan
03-05-2003 22:47 kevlar1
03-05-2003 23:13 dydx
03-06-2003 15:39 toddysan
03-06-2003 17:01 kevlar1
03-05-2003 22:40 kevlar1
03-08-2003 11:44 kevlar1
03-02-2003 20:53 TSX vs. WRX   (Score: 1, Normal) Classic
03-04-2003 01:22 notyper
03-07-2003 22:11 emgarf
03-01-2003 05:12 Hey, they gave George some credit in here   (Score: 1, Normal) NSXman
03-01-2003 11:50 dodole
03-02-2003 10:16 xspeedy
03-07-2003 19:48 NSXman
03-05-2003 21:18 Interior LED Colors   (Score: 1, Normal) Xavi77
03-06-2003 09:43 RyanDL
03-06-2003 10:17 JeffX
03-02-2003 15:03 Noise Levels   (Score: 1, Normal) brunt954
03-02-2003 17:39 JeffX
03-05-2003 12:55 99SI
03-05-2003 14:04 JeffX
03-03-2003 22:21 Jeff -- TSX vs Passat 1.8T?   (Score: 1, Normal) burr
03-04-2003 08:39 JeffX
03-04-2003 10:21 burr
03-04-2003 09:46 iceman6
03-05-2003 02:53 HappaSaiyan
03-01-2003 08:57 Jeff, can you clarify the driver seat memory?   (Score: 1, Normal) Moshua
03-01-2003 09:46 JeffX
03-05-2003 00:54 JeffX
03-01-2003 18:30 Integrated keyless entry?   (Score: 1, Normal) MatthewSU
03-03-2003 02:35 JeffX
03-05-2003 00:44 JeffX
03-02-2003 00:37 brake   (Score: 1, Normal) jjpcat
03-02-2003 08:49 JeffX
03-02-2003 23:30 NealX
03-05-2003 00:42 JeffX
03-02-2003 01:17 Jeff, regarding "bolt-ons".   (Score: 1, Normal) jfunk
03-02-2003 20:37 JeffX
03-04-2003 22:55 jfunk
03-05-2003 00:21 JeffX
03-01-2003 09:02 No guts No glory   (Score: 1, Normal) shiftright
03-01-2003 09:18 kevlar1
03-01-2003 10:40 notyper
03-01-2003 11:22 TonyEX
03-01-2003 15:24 KenB
03-01-2003 11:39 dodole
03-01-2003 12:01 notyper
03-01-2003 12:30 JeffX
03-01-2003 22:40 shiftright
03-02-2003 01:38 Rikoshade
03-02-2003 03:08 HappaSaiyan
03-02-2003 10:02 notyper
03-02-2003 16:27 shiftright
03-02-2003 16:52 jfunk
03-02-2003 19:49 notyper
03-02-2003 13:03 TonyEX
03-03-2003 02:16 JeffX
03-03-2003 09:37 TonyEX
03-04-2003 23:26 dydx
03-03-2003 00:57 Daxtor
03-01-2003 14:00 shingles
03-02-2003 03:21 ym1
03-02-2003 03:22 HondaHolic
03-02-2003 17:01 LAXtypeR
03-03-2003 02:05 OpenWheelRacing
03-04-2003 22:36 Edmunds' First Drive: 2004 Acura TSX   (Score: 1, Normal) Szklanny
03-04-2003 22:47 dydx
03-03-2003 22:08 Sport-luxury or premium blend?   (Score: 1, Normal) StretchSJE
03-03-2003 23:47 toddysan
03-04-2003 00:02 dydx
03-04-2003 00:21 StretchSJE
03-04-2003 17:02 dydx
03-04-2003 00:43 Tuan
03-04-2003 00:54 toddysan
03-04-2003 09:34 StretchSJE
03-04-2003 03:55 notyper
03-04-2003 09:21 StretchSJE
03-04-2003 09:53 kevlar1
03-04-2003 10:53 StretchSJE
03-04-2003 11:31 notyper
03-04-2003 15:21 TonyEX
03-04-2003 15:45 evanskhan
03-04-2003 16:00 StretchSJE
03-04-2003 17:05 dydx
03-04-2003 18:02 iceman6
03-04-2003 20:18 JeffX
03-04-2003 20:53 JeffX
03-03-2003 11:24 Auto on headlights?   (Score: 1, Normal) provench
03-03-2003 16:26 JeffX
03-04-2003 12:07 02TL
03-02-2003 23:16 Underrated HP/Torque?   (Score: 1, Normal) provench
03-04-2003 01:24 notyper
03-01-2003 12:14 I really like it but...   (Score: 1, Normal) EXV6
03-01-2003 13:08 notyper
03-01-2003 13:48 NealX
03-01-2003 14:38 TonyEX
03-01-2003 19:48 jfunk
03-03-2003 18:59 SirHill
03-01-2003 19:30 Gas Pedal   (Score: 1, Normal) mad_ox1
03-01-2003 19:40 JeffX
03-02-2003 09:53 xspeedy
03-02-2003 13:56 mad_ox1
03-02-2003 17:13 LAXtypeR
03-02-2003 18:05 xspeedy
03-03-2003 15:43 LAXtypeR
03-01-2003 11:28 Any Chance of a 2-door   (Score: 1, Normal) LaCerne
03-01-2003 11:45 dodole
03-03-2003 12:55 MugenDX
03-03-2003 15:17 MChilli
03-02-2003 20:47 Jeff's been busy huh?   (Score: 1, Normal) TonyEX
03-02-2003 22:10 iceman6
03-03-2003 12:54 MugenDX
03-03-2003 02:30 Thanks for the insightful review Jeff.   (Score: 1, Normal) Lung Fu Mo Shi
03-03-2003 06:09 Szklanny
03-03-2003 09:04 JeffX
03-01-2003 17:38 wood trim?   (Score: 1, Normal) tramont
03-01-2003 17:50 iceman6
03-01-2003 17:58 JeffX
03-02-2003 20:44 TonyEX
03-02-2003 21:48 dydx
03-02-2003 22:38 JeffX
03-02-2003 23:07 dydx
03-02-2003 14:44 Any Photos of a White or Meteor Silver TSX?   (Score: 1, Normal) kjc
03-02-2003 17:47 JeffX
03-02-2003 19:13 kjc
03-02-2003 20:20 JeffX
03-02-2003 22:56 kjc
03-02-2003 21:53 K24 vs H22?   (Score: 1, Normal) SirHill
03-02-2003 22:27 JeffX
03-02-2003 22:19 GUYS!! - Stop feeding   (Score: 1, Normal) dydx
03-02-2003 21:57 how many steering turn lock-to-lock? (no-text)   (Score: 1, Normal) SirHill
03-02-2003 22:06 MardiGras
03-01-2003 20:56 Error in Gas Mileage   (Score: 1, Normal) MardiGras
03-01-2003 21:06 Lung Fu Mo Shi
03-02-2003 20:41 JeffX
03-01-2003 11:18 My beef with the TSX and Good Job Jeff!   (Score: 1, Normal) TonyEX
03-01-2003 14:42 JeffX
03-02-2003 13:12 TonyEX
03-02-2003 14:58 iceman6
03-02-2003 19:43 TonyEX
03-02-2003 17:41 JeffX
03-01-2003 23:02 Read the article by Autoweek.....   (Score: 1, Normal) shiftright
03-02-2003 17:08 T-R
03-02-2003 10:14 Artfull discription ...thanks   (Score: 1, Normal) onecrx
03-02-2003 03:23 when do they go on sale?   (Score: 1, Normal) HappaSaiyan
03-02-2003 03:39 MugenDX
03-02-2003 02:49 I like it...   (Score: 1, Normal) toddysan
03-01-2003 09:14 solid review jeff thanks!!   (Score: 1, Normal) kevlar1
03-01-2003 09:24 constructicon
03-01-2003 09:51 JeffX
03-01-2003 10:55 kevlar1
03-01-2003 12:05 JeffX
03-02-2003 00:49 kevlar1
03-01-2003 15:15 swmtam
03-01-2003 09:52 iceman6
03-01-2003 13:55 Excellent Review Jeff!! Handling Question?   (Score: 1, Normal) TheAnswer
03-01-2003 14:36 JeffX
03-01-2003 15:08 TheAnswer
03-01-2003 15:23 JeffX
03-01-2003 17:45 iceman6
03-01-2003 18:51 xspeedy
03-01-2003 23:18 uoiea
03-02-2003 00:31 F1nut
03-01-2003 15:25 UPDATED Drivetrain section   (Score: 1, Normal) JeffX
03-01-2003 08:15 Only one surprise 4 me...memory seating!   (Score: 1, Normal) 02TL
03-01-2003 11:48 dodole
03-01-2003 11:38 mp3/wma player question   (Score: 1, Normal) santa rita
03-01-2003 11:45 dodole
03-01-2003 02:19 power delivery   (Score: 1, Normal) pongkai
03-01-2003 10:05 JeffX
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