2009 Acura TSX

To call it a freak snowstorm would be a major understatement. It was mid-February in, not northern or snow belt U.S., extreme Southern California, a few short miles from the Mexican border. That was where Acura chose to hold a press-drive for its all-new 2009 TSX. This is normally a great choice: Start in San Diego, drive some great roads eastward into the hills, stop for lunch, and hightail it back. We were enjoying the car’s crisp handling on the way out and had just switched drivers when the snow began, flurries at first, an amusing area novelty that wetted the road but didn’t accumulate. We assumed it would soon blow by.

But by lunch at the Warner Springs glider port, it was getting really serious. We scarfed down a few bites and hit the road, hoping to get off the high ground before the way was blocked by tire-spinning, ditch-diving, California snow-driving neophytes inexperienced and ill-equipped for ski-resort weather. We did fine at first, making good time, passing slower cars when possible. The TSX was terrific in the fast-deepening snow—good front-drive traction and easy-to-modulate throttle response. Then, as feared, the road was blocked. After a time, it opened then stopped again. And again. And again.


More than five hours passed before we finally found our hotel. A lot of folks (none from our Acura group, thankfully) spent the night up there, stuck in their cars in the cold. The freak storm (worst they’d ever seen, some locals said) cut short our opportunity to evaluate the car—but we would get more time in one back home. Sitting for hours in a seemingly endless snow-covered traffic jam, though, we did get very familiar with the interior.

Styling and Interior

This second generation of Acura’s entry-luxury sedan improves on the well-respected original in nearly every way. Somewhat larger, more powerful and more expressive-looking, it retains the earlier version’s sporty, nimble Euro-style traits and raises them to a new level. The exterior is more crisply sculpted, with a rising line from below the grille to above the taillamps, muscular fender flares, a large lower air intake and Acura’s bold new chrome-ringed grille.


The interior is tight and technical, with premium materials throughout and a healthy array of buttons for the car’s many functions and features. Big, round, three-dimensional gauges with floating needles dominate the driver’s side. A large, recessed central screen displays navigation maps, iPod (or alternative) playlists, the view behind through the available rear-view camera, and a whole lot more. The standard leather-trimmed seats, console and steering wheel are complemented by a choice of wood- or brushed-aluminum-look accent strips that boldly flow along the console’s edges, upward into the center stack, then outward to the doors, nicely dividing the upper and lower instrument panels.

Economy and Performance

Acura, Honda’s luxury brand, has taken some flack through the years for engines smaller than its competitors’ (V-6s vs. others’ V-8s, fours vs. their sixes) in fairly pricey cars. But now, with gas at $4.00 a gallon and climbing, and even luxury buyers looking for better fuel efficiency, Acura may get the last laugh. Competitive six cylinder cars making less horsepower than this Acura’s 200+ hp four-cylinder does, makes the TSX a pretty astute choice for its carefully tuned balance of low emissions, good fuel economy and impressive performance—at a reasonable price.