Acura fans, long have they mourned. The Legend, the Integra, the RSX and perhaps even the then-unloved five cylinder Vigor haunt their memories as they scan the fleet of anodyne automatic-only blobs currently on offer. Market forces have not been kind to the brand’s core virtues and their lineup has pivoted severely to compensate. Though the Integra is long gone, Acura kept its traditional spark well into the mid-aughts with the first generation TSX.
This lithe mid-sized sedan was apparently the perfect fusion of trim-and-light 1990s Honda with modern near-luxury and there is nothing currently quite like it. The ILX is a similar formula on paper, but one look at its unfortunate proportions reveals it to be the reskinned frumpy Civic-based economy car that it is. There’s simply no comparison; the TSX is still gorgeous 14 years after its debut and I wish more car companies would release such clean designs.
The car magazines adored the TSX, pouring praise upon it like a child drowning his Saturday morning pancakes in syrup. I had never driven one and had long been curious if the machine’s qualities matched the sheet metal and enthusiast opinion. About two years ago when I was seriously considering used compact sports sedans, I randomly spotted a 2006 TSX at a car dealership and thought it was time to find out. I impulsively pulled into the lot. What I learned was that the wrong transmission and prior owner can rub the shine from any automotive jewel.
Image credit: Edmunds
I walk up to the Acura and see that I probably should have looked at the inventory listing on my phone before getting out of my car. This example was an automatic with 155,000 apparently hard miles, judging from the paint condition. Not a winning combination. Oh well, the salesman is already bearing down on me so let’s make him get the key. Duck inside and the seats are snug, which I like, but rather hard and use has made them a bit lumpy. The interior design is very clean and attractive with a low cowl, no styling nonsense, and fantastic forward sightlines. I like it immediately.
But the materials were never very premium here despite their flawless, scrupulous assembly. Better than the contemporary Accord for sure, but things feel a bit thin and cheap in operation. Everything that looks like fake metal and fake carbon fiber was indeed fake, and now the veneers are peeling and rubbing off to demonstrate that fact. Compounding this, the prior owners did little to care for the interior. The once-invisible passenger airbag hatch lines are cracking through the dash surface and the soft-touch plastics are ossifying. Ten years of unmitigated UV damage, I suppose. My ’96 Camry never saw the inside of a garage in 14 years and the interior still looked new, but I spent the big bucks for a sunshade.
Image credit: Motortrend
The outlook improves when analyzing driving position and adjustability, and when gripping the thin and tactile leather wrapped wheel. Honda knows how to make a driving position. Things degrade again when you turn the key and the signature starter bark of a 1990s Honda precedes the familiar buzz and vibration of a 4 cylinder kicking noisily to life. I’m swept back to the days of our 1993 Civic even though it’s been nine years. It sounded and felt exactly like this. That is not a compliment. The vibration doesn’t fully dissipate as it idles, creating a high frequency ripple through the cabin. Refinement is badly lacking, and while that level of aural and tactile engagement works for a cloth-lined Integra, it clashes with this leather-lined visually refined sedan.
Image credit: Motortrend
Pulling out into traffic, I notice the throttle and transmission response is quite agreeable. The throttle is linear and responsive without being overly sensitive, and the transmission is alert. Shifts are firm but not harsh. The 2.4 liter four cylinder engine is very smooth when revving, but is loud and doesn’t sound as refined or exciting as the magazines led me to believe.
Making a strong 200hp but weak 166 lb-ft, this engine is saddled with a narrow power band concentrated above 5000 rpm and a short-lived kick in thrust between 6000 rpm and the 7000 rpm redline. This V-TEC (yo) peakiness doesn’t mesh well with the five broad ratios in the automatic. Several times on my drive I floored it only to catch it between gears, where it struggled pathetically beneath the power peak but was unwilling/unable to shift into a lower gear. This car is pretty damned slow when this happens.
It’s not all that quick from a stop either, I’m guessing 8-9 seconds to 60. That’s too tepid for this class of car even in 2006. I wasn’t able to find a review of an automatic-equipped TSX on Car and Driver, and I can see why–it wouldn’t fit the narrative. The TSX absolutely needs the manual transmission if you want it to be anything more than a sleeker-looking 4-cylinder Accord.
Image credit: Motortrend
The steering is less tactile than the RWD G37 I had driven before but an improvement over much of everything else. Turn-in is a bit lazier than I expected given the car’s reputation, and quick transitions provoke noticeable roll but the car still felt light and lean. Brisk passes through the roundabouts near the airport did not feel very secure to me, with subtle shifts in grip and composure felt through the body and wheel. One must keep in mind that the neglected interior condition of this car nearly guarantees it is running on original front end components that may be overdue for replacement.
The ride quality and auditory environment of the TSX are also viscerally reminiscent of that 1993 Civic. The firm but ultimately yielding suspension provides information about the road surface without abusing you and this is a balance I generally like. But tire noise creeps in early to make the car feel like a bit of a tin can by 50 mph, and memories surface of the dull headache I’d get from that old Civic on coarse interstate. This would be a fatiguing car on the freeway regardless of the transmission and that is not a good match for our intended use.
This poor car. I want to like it and in some ways I really do, but this particular Acura didn’t draw the proper cards and was ridden hard and put away wet. And then verbally abused and denied its oat bag. It certainly didn’t deserve it, I get the impression of a very well-built sedan astutely targeted to excel at a certain mission profile. Abuse and wrong transmission notwithstanding, I don’t think it would quite be for me. I find myself on the German side of what I’ll call the Acura-Audi Divide. Light, nimble, high-strung and loud vs. solid, planted, refined, and powerful. Lexus and Infiniti straddle this line with their RWD models and provide the reliability I’d want as second owner but neither is a home run for me. Everything’s a compromise, but the Acura TSX isn’t quite the right one.
I returned the keys to the sales desk with a curt “thank you” and ambled out. The salesman hadn’t accompanied me on the drive, which was nice for me because I could analyze the car in peace, and nice for him because I’d probably have been asking uncomfortable questions about where precisely they found the nerve to ask $500 over clean Blue Book retail for such a battered car.
This exercise was disappointing. The TSX didn’t get a fair shake here and I still don’t have a full grasp of this finale of classic Acura. But I saw enough to suspect this car would come alive with a third pedal and likely deserves most if not all of the praise. So have at them, Acura fans. Scour the classifieds for the nicer examples, baby them and appreciate them. Mod and slam them into some kind of Frankenstein’s monster that turns passengers into bobble-heads if that’s what you need to do to keep them on the road. Perhaps one day when the vogue trends of crossovers and flame-surface styling have passed, Acura will look back on the purity of this sedan and bring forth a worthy successor.
I’m not surprised at the lack of “luxury” refinement seeing as though this is literally a non-U.S. Honda Accord, but with leather seats and a different grille. The buzzy four cylinder and NVH shortcomings give away its downmarket roots. These do have super attractive and clean styling though… I can’t believe the design is now 15 years old.
I’ve had similar experience with ’00s Acuras… they never seem “luxurious” to me and have too much Honda DNA baked in. They feel more like a high trim level of a standard sedan than a true luxury vehicle. I drove an early-’00s RL when shopping for a used car once (which is even nicer and much larger than this), and it also had that same starter sound from a Civic/Accord, shared a lot of switchgear and components, wasn’t that quiet or smooth for a large sedan, and just didn’t feel very special. It was a perfectly fine and well-built car, but compared to a Lexus or even a Buick it didn’t have that “nice” feel over any other mass market sedan. I didn’t really see the point. Perhaps their newer offerings are more premium, but the beak era killed any interest I had in them.
Acura was always a half-step down from Lexus and Infiniti. The original Legend was aimed where the “junior” models from the other two would land; the Integra was the car the GM N-bodies should have been, and probably sold just as well as a Honda.
Coming to market five years sooner meant making less of a reach and ending up in the Buick/Oldsmobile space (albeit with a demographic a generation younger) rather than the Cadillac/Lincoln one..
We had a same-era RL, and our experience was similar: the right luxury toys, but not the luxury refinement. To be fair, it was much cheaper than a Lexus.
Too bad. It sure has a pretty interior!
A coworker has a 2004 owned since new approaching 200K, only fixes were the instrument cluster recall (shared with Accords of the time), wheel bearings, and a bigger bill for timing belt (or chain?) and water pump while your in there. Still on original clutch and suspension, no symptoms. It burns a quart every oil change since new, dealer said it was within tolerance. Less slow with the manual, but he doesn’t deny its noisy though. He zero interest in today’s Acuras.
K24s have a chain, but closer to 200k I can see where a chain or tensioner could need replacing.
Great review Petrichor! I feel like we have a lot in common in how we think about cars. I grew up around Hondas but once I moved to a metro area in the Midwest they lost a lot of the appeal that they held back when I lived in a small town with fun roads in Central NY. These days I favor a cushier ride and less NVH, things I have found in Toyota/Lexus products, along with very good interior quality. My Audi is an interesting experience for me as someone who has only owned Japanese cars before. It has more plushness than a Honda, much better feel than a Toyota sedan, and holds the road better than either of the Japanese reference points. The interior is a combination of high initial quality (real wood, nice smelling leather, good feeling switchgear) and excellent ergonomics but it has all aged like old milk. 2001 and 130k miles and it looks much worse than my ’96 ES300 did with 209k miles.
Early 2000s Japanese products started to really feel the cost-cutting knife, I’d take a 1990s Legend or Vigor interior over this TSX any day, although the TSX is at least better than something like a Maxima of that same era. Lexus seemed to hang on to good interior quality longer than any of the other Japanese brands, although after 2007-2010 they too succumbed.
I know, when we gonna get a V6 Toyota that emulates that solid VW/Audi feel going down the road? If VW can do it in a $22K Golf…
I remember outrunning a car like this about 8 years ago. It looked awful and I assumed it was from the 90’s. I was driving a then-twenty year-old BMW that did 0-60 in 10 seconds, and I beat it off the line.
Today I realize that the car I saw was only a few years old. The paint was faded, the exhaust note was loud and did not reflect the weak nature of the engine. From what you’ve described here today, it seems the TSX ages like milk.
A sign of progress for new cars I suppose, but in my stick shift 2.8L 30 valve A4, a yuppie’s aspirational sporty car back in the day, I barely edged out a base 2.5i Legacy (a CVT I assume) last night into a merge lane that he was intent on me not getting into. I didn’t really launch from the light seriously, but still, it put things into context.
Ah kids, complaining about visible wear lack of refinement in a 155K car, especially one that has received little love from its prior owner. I’m always amazed that decently cared for Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus products can last well over 250K miles with no rust and no major issues, to the point where drivers now expect this level of service. Of course I came of automotive age in an era where 100K cars were rare and the few that existed were tired and shot. These may have a few shortcomings (what vehicles don’t), but are fine cars. Petrichor, find a manual transmission version given a bit more attention and go for it. Now, get off my lawn!
“complaining about visible wear lack of refinement in a 155K car, especially one that has received little love from its prior owner…Petrichor, find a manual transmission version given a bit more attention”
I cannot be certain, but I believe the effect of transmission and ownership history was almost the entire point of this writeup 🙂
Reskinned Civic, nope just rebadged, thats all Acura is simply a badge.
Accord! Rebadged Accord!
😉
I have only purchased a fiew new vehicles offer the years. I always like to look at the used versions to see how thay hold up and where the where spots are.
I always liked these but its smaller inside than an accord yet weighs more (3300 lbs). 3300 poinds is too heavy for a 4 banger sport sedan. V6 accord is a better bet.
A big four without balance shafts is going to have NVH issues. My bottom of the American Honda line Fit engine feels smooth mainly because it is only 1.5l. That being said, my aunt had a sixth generation (when the US model became big) with the 2.3l four that was surprisingly smooth and silent, especially compared to the Toyota products I was more familiar with.
A big four without balance shafts is going to have NVH issues.
Quite true. Which is why the Honda four and every other modern medium-big four has them. The last big four not to was the infamous GM Iron Duke. And we know what a shaker that was.
We have essentially the same engine in our 2013 TSX, and it’s a smooth as a big four can be. I suspect the motor mounts or something was wrong with the tested version.
Could be motor mounts. I guarantee no one spent money replacing something like that on this particular car. Engine vibration was only noticeable at idle. When on the move and revving high it was admirably smooth.
Hondas seem to have struggled with automatic transmission and motor mounts for decades, my ’90 Civic had a serious shake at idle when in reverse/drive and standing, my friend’s ’92 Accord had the same issue (an early implementation of an electronically controlled mount), Odysseys with VCM are notorious for motor mount issues. I wouldn’t be surprised if that used-and-abused TSX had some kind of mount issues. A K24 on its own is a pretty sweet and smooth 4 cylinder when in good working order.
I’d really need to compare with a new one. The vibration at idle wasn’t a shake or pulsation or strong enough to make something rattle, just a low-amplitude background jitter that I wouldn’t think twice of in an Accord or Civic. It revved out with no vibration.
just a low-amplitude background jitter that I wouldn’t think twice of in an Accord or Civic.
Given that this is just an (European) Accord, it sounds like it was just doing what all Accords do.
Let’s all remember that these TSXs are just that, and not anything other than that.
This is probably true. It is not intended as a luxury car, but rather a tidier Accord with additional features and a stronger 4 cylinder, and it’s good at that.
I have a similar BMW review in the works from the same cross-shopping exercise, but this one is newer and in better shape.
The Iron Duke received a balance shaft in 1988.
I don’t have the factual evidence to back this up, but I’m almost certain that your assertion the Duke was the last ‘big’ four-banger without a balance shaft is incorrect.
Presumably we’re talking about fours with a displacement larger than 2.0 that were sold in the U.S., I know offhand the Ford HSC didn’t have a balance shaft. Neither did the Toyota 22R. Both of these engines were in production until 1994.
Did the Ford Lima engine, or the GM 122 have balance shafts? Again I’m uncertain but I don’t think so, and both engines were produced long after 1994.
the Iron Duke received a balance shaft in 1988.
At which point it was no longer called the Iron Duke, but the “Tech IV” engine. 🙂
And you may well be right about some other non-balance shaft engines being built longer. I wasn’t attempting a full historical review of the subject, just to point out that this engine along with other modern bigger fours do have balance shafts.
“the Iron Duke received a balance shaft in 1988”
Which begs the question – after that experience why did it take GM until 1995 to add a balance shaft in order to address Quad-4 NVH issues
Apparently the Nissan KA engine, which debuted in 1988, also didn’t have balance shafts.
Yep. You also often see them in 90-degree V6s. The 90-degree angle isn’t ideal for a V6, but is often seen in engines derived from V8 architectures, like the GM 3800 or Jaguar/Land Rover’s current V6.
I have a 2004 TSX with the better 6spd manual gearbox and the A-spec package. It is certainly not fast enough to throw you back in your seat with acceleration but certainly does not feel slow for around town. The vtec power band is a little narrow and the fuel shut off kicking is at around 7,300 or so. But it is a very sensible car. The interior is very logical and straightforward. No crazy screens, knobs, or any other strange stuff like modern Hondas. The exterior styling is handsome without beaks or massive grills of a lot of modern stuff. It is also a nice size. I must be getting old fashioned because I can’t think of too many new cars I’d want to replace it.
It is a big four cylinder but mine at least is very quiet and not at all buzzy. Maybe the one you tested was in need of engine mounts.
I need to get around to updating my COAL series.
I wouldn’t get rid of it, it’s very handsome inside and out and if you like the niche it is in there doesn’t seem to be anything else like it. I’m sure the 6spd is a far better match for the engine’s peakiness.
My engine NVH impressions are going to be subjective. First, I prefer quieter cars and the engine noise and tire noise compound to make this a pretty loud car for a luxury segment. Regarding the engine specifically, I found it noisy at startup and when revving compared to some of the nicer small V6s and thought it was out of place for a near-luxury car. It revved very smoothly, though. The vibration at idle wasn’t paint can-shaker, just noticeable enough that it again seemed out of place for the price point and compared to the more refined I-4s and V6s I’ve experienced. Although, in this age of 2-liter turbo-fours showing up in every sport sedan, the TSX may now be ahead of the curve in engine NVH.
How do you like your car´s handling? I was looking for an european MT Accord 2.4 (I live in Spain) a few months ago. Finally I bought a BMW 530i E39, which is not a bad car, but I miss the “chuckability” of my old Nissan Primera GT and Prelude VTEC. That´s why the TSX/ european Accord was at the top of my shopping list.
By the way, I read a couple of great reviews about the TSX Gen I in Car and Driver, but here in Europe that Accord Gen got a tepid reception (except for the then new 2.2 DI Diesel engine, a very refined one for a diesel). I suppose our magazines were too busy waxing lyrical about every VAG TDI-engined product.
Thanks for capturing the incongruity of Acura. Honda’s light-and-brisk formula — so magical in the first generations of Accord — didn’t scale into the luxury market. Reminds me of the once-carefree young entrepreneur who, long since grown up, still insistently wears his tennis outfit for all occasions — extra pounds, receding hairline, and serious business meetings be damned.
Every Honda I’ve driven – going back to an ‘80 Civic – has evidence of that basic light-and-brisk dna. When it’s right, it’s delightful. When twisted into the service of some incompatible goal, it’s sort-of obnoxious.
“…didn’t scale into the luxury market”
For me, I think this is the heart of the matter. I also have tried a well-kept 2012 Acura TL with the wonderful V6, with half the miles and twice the perceived ownership care as this TSX and that underlying DNA was still present within the first 10 mph. Elevated road noise and a bit of brittleness to the suspension response that doesn’t quite endear me, though if you want some of that Honda feel with a more upscale wrapper it would probably be just the ticket. The interior of that generation lost all of this TXS’s design cleanliness and incorporated some pretty bad materials, though. Still, that V6…
Except that these cars were never in the “luxury car market”. The only Acura that ever was was the Legend and its successors. Acuras were more about light, lithe sporty cars than luxury cars. The Integra made that quite clear. I see the gen1 TSX as a spiritual successor to the Integra. And an Integra with an automatic wasn’t exactly all that brilliant either. 🙂
I don’t understand why folks perpetually try to lump in Acuras as “luxury cars”. They mostly never were or still are. They were/are to the Honda brand as what Pontiac was to Chevrolet back in the 60s. They are not Buicks or Cadillacs.
As the happy owner of a 2011 MDX and a TL before that, I too never considered Acura to be a luxury brand. Perhaps an Oldsmobile to Hondas Chevy. A bit more upscale level of trim, with more powerful engine, better transmission and more prestige. More of a sporty, BMWish personality when compared to Honda. Very nice, but certainly no Cadillac, BMW or Lexus.
The wife has a 2010 Lexus ES, whose fit, finish and level of quality materials may be slightly better. The ES does have a better ride, but it’s a sedan, not a large SUV. Both have been dead reliable with zero repairs. Sure the Acura is a compromise, but what car built in any number isn’t.
Yeah, Paul, I guess that’s why I said it “didn’t scale into the the luxury market.” They couldn’t be luxury cars, and never impressed as such. Just don’t tell me Honda didn’t wish for it to be so.
Comparing a nicely-outfitted and more refined Accord to a car designed as premium from the start is — and has always been — a stretch. That inveterate jauntiness gives the lie to any upscale pretensions.
As owners of a 2013 TSX Sportwagon and as one who rather lusted after its predecessor (the one tested here), this review is interesting.
First off, the condition of this particular car makes it difficult to asses what are issues as a result of excessive wear and tear and how would a well-cared for example feel. The engine vibration experienced at startup makes me strongly suspect that either the motor mounts are not good anymore or something else is wrong, because ours is quite pleasant at start-up and any other time. Sure, it’s a big four, but it’s as refined a big four as any I’ve ever experienced. Sure, a nice V6 is silkier, but under most conditions it would be hard to tell that it’s a four. It idle, it’s apparent but not intrusive, and of course at the upper reaches of its power band it makes its configuration known, not in vibration, but in a rather delightful ripping-of-fabric snarl as it eagerly winds up to its 7000rpm peak. I rather enjoy it; it’s actually a more soulful sound than a 60 degree V6, which I find can be a bit lacking in character. Give me a straight six, a good big four, or a V8.
The acceleration of the TSX with the automatic is of course not going to be class-best, but I’m pretty happy with it. The K24 was re-tuned for the gen2 TSX to widen its powerband, so maybe that makes a bit of difference. Of course I only normally drive it on longer outings or road trips, and it goes well enough. In the wide-open spaces of Nevada, CA and Eastern Oregon, I’ve found it to be very happy at triple digit speeds. There’s more to life than 0-60 stats.
The handling of our TSX is at a very high level. I have yet to find it lacking, no matter how hard and fast I’ve approached a sudden curve. It’s a consummate high-speed tourer, which is what we bought it for. And the seats are excellent.
Admittedly, I don’t get much seat time in competing products from the Germans, but I was looking for something reliable for the long haul, as we usually keep our cars 15 years. So far the TSX has been impeccable, needing nothing except a new battery. It’s never been to the dealer except for one oil change. I’m very happy in that regard.
I wouldn’t want it as my DD, as it’s too big for city driving, in my opinion. But I’m spoiled that way from my little xBox, whose visibility and maneuverability makes any normal car feel too big, low and wide.
This difficulty in squaring a well-used example with a newborn is a big part of the reason I wanted to post this here. The dilemma of the used-car shopper.
The TSX is an interesting case even in perfect condition. It wasn’t as expensive as most entry-level luxury/sports sedans, so my grousing about the road noise, engine performance, and interior materials may be a bit out of place. However, you could get smooth & powerful V6s in an Accord or Camry for a similar price without sacrificing much in semi-premium feel. I get the impression it was targeted to a specific buyer who wanted something a little different than an Accord and was willing to pay a bit (but not too much) of a premium for it. It seems to do very well in that regard but doesn’t quite align with my particular wants.
I agree that 0-60 isn’t everything, my main problem with this TSX was the driveability issues I experienced from the mismatch between the engine’s narrow power band and the automatic transmission. I’d just personally prefer more power from a vehicle in this class. It’s the same problem I had with the more expensive Lexus IS250, although with six ratios in the automatic it seemed to always have a useful gear to drop into.
I’m actually quite curious as to how the current TLX drives with the 2.4 and 8spd dual clutch. I’ll bet the additional ratios and shift speed do wonders. It is the one Acura that interests me most since the V6 AWD TLX is so expensive.
I’ve never driven a TSX, but I drive an ‘08 TL (base) and drove a TLX 2.4 as a loaner around 2015. The TLX basically drives like a slower and quieter TL. I didn’t realize the transmission was a dual-clutch unit – it felt like a good automatic. I’d miss the V6, but I was amazed by the adaptive cruise.
TSX Sportwagons jump out at me on the road, aka the “CC effect”, and I think “There’s Paul N’s wagon”
It was a shame that you couldn’t get the V6 or the manual transmission in the TSX Sport Wagon, but I drove one back when it was new and was thoroughly impressed.
I think you know exactly what would have happened if you’d have bought a German premium wagon. It’d have been more expensive to start with, and would have incurred pricey repairs with increasing regularity. And I say that as a German-car fan.
Paul, your impressions of your 13 TSX are very similar to my 11 TSX sport wagon. I’ve had the car for two years in two days, and I absolutely love driving it. I’m so glad I got this car, and it’s only needed the wheel bearings to be replaced, other than some wear items because I got it with 47k and it now has 74k on it.
My mom has a 2007 V50 T5, and the two cars are very comparable. Out of the two, my preference is for the Acura. The seats are more contoured, and the sound of that VTEC motor is simply amazing.
Funny, I tend to like Hondas but Acura vehicles have seldom made it onto my radar. Perhaps it is because they are too much of a compromise – they are not nice enough to tempt me when I am looking for a “real car”, and are too expensive (and few in number) when I am looking for a “value car”.
NVH has always been higher in Honda products than it should be, road noise in particular. I have everything you note in my Honda Fit, but it is paid for and in good condition (and carries a lot more stuff). The bigger V6 Acuras could hold some charm, but the Honda transmission woes snuff out my interest. Maybe I am getting old but the Avalon is starting to look good to me.
Thanks for the great car review! The magazines and other websites would never review a car like this…that is to say, one that I would actually buy. For those of us who will never buy a car new, the magazine reviews are almost useless.
All that said, I object to your use of the word “gorgeous.” That’s just, like, your opinion man. To me (and I believe I speak for the majority) it’s a slightly sleek beige midsize sedan. It’s fine, a well styled example of the genre, but basically boring.
As long as this face is sitting on Acura showrooms, I’m going to stick with “gorgeous”!
I mean, the RLX isn’t exactly pretty from any angle (but neither was my Lincoln MKS, and I bought it anyway). Still, your point stands: Acura’s designs right now are decidedly inferior to what they were doing 15 years ago, perhaps more so than any other premium brand.
I took delivery of a new TSX when they were first introduced in the Spring of 2003. I kept the car for 4 years and loved it. I was drawn to the car by its styling, size, and sport sedan spec. When I see a TSX go by now, I still think this is one of the cleanest designs of the last 20 years. The flush taillights, headlights and grille and the sides with no creases and perfect greenhouse…to me the car has always looked like its design was heavily influenced by wind tunnel testing. The interior was just as perfectly executed.
This generation of Acura was once a common sight, but now it is unusual to see one. I’m not sure what did them in so quickly. Was it the rust issue that many Hondas seem to have, or were they boy raced straight into the ground?
Currently drive an 07 which I’ve had for a year & have much praise for it in spite of occasional issues popping up which one might associate with a 150k+ mile example (one issue caused the engine to be noisier than it should but not enough where it didnt seem normal, it certainly isnt as smooth as a V6 regardless though) I am a huge fan of the overall package & wish Acura would release more vehicles like it, feeling as if the brand is quickly becoming one that is overly reliant on crossover sales to stay afloat.
I test drove one and was somewhat disappointed. I would have been just as happy with a well trimmed Accord as with the Acura based on the test drives. Eventually the Camry V6 won me over so I went with the Toyota. If I had toy money I would have an RSX to play with.