As a sporty, 4-cylinder luxury sedan, the TSX is hard to beat. Despite its recent redesign and slight increase in size, it offers a dynamic driving experience in an elegant, if a little conservative, package.
But now, the TSX seems to be butting into the TL’s territory with the addition of a V6 engine. And since the new TL’s looks take a little getting used to, it might be a tough choice between the two.
The 24-valve, 3.5-litre V6, which is also found in the base TL, develops 280 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque and is bolted to a 5-speed automatic with manual mode and wheel-mounted paddle shifters. This powertrain provides the TSX with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds.
Now, is this engine really necessary? We think not, as the 201-horsepower, 2.4-litre inline-4 is enough for us. With the last redesign, the base engine also gained a more linear torque curve. As the peaky 2.4-litre in the old TSX probably offended a few potential customers, they might think that the new generation has the same shortcoming. Is the V6 a form a damage control?
Whatever the reason, it adds a little extra smoothness to the car, and nobody could complain about that. Obviously, fuel consumption goes up, and our average of 11.2 L/100 km is about 2 litres more than with the 4-cylinder engine.
On the highway, the car is as quiet as a tomb, as the engine revs are low and road noise is well-absorbed. Driving from Montreal to Quebec City and back is as tiring as heading to the corner store for a quart of milk.
In typical Honda and Acura fashion, the centre stack is littered with buttons and switches, although in the TSX, the climate control buttons are located in a separate section. The 10-speaker, premium surround sound system is excellent, by the way, but the navigation system’s display and graphics could really use a more-modern look.
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| The TSX is well-equipped, but it lacks certain techno-gadgets that its competition offers. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
But now, the TSX seems to be butting into the TL’s territory with the addition of a V6 engine. And since the new TL’s looks take a little getting used to, it might be a tough choice between the two.
The 24-valve, 3.5-litre V6, which is also found in the base TL, develops 280 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque and is bolted to a 5-speed automatic with manual mode and wheel-mounted paddle shifters. This powertrain provides the TSX with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds.
Now, is this engine really necessary? We think not, as the 201-horsepower, 2.4-litre inline-4 is enough for us. With the last redesign, the base engine also gained a more linear torque curve. As the peaky 2.4-litre in the old TSX probably offended a few potential customers, they might think that the new generation has the same shortcoming. Is the V6 a form a damage control?
Whatever the reason, it adds a little extra smoothness to the car, and nobody could complain about that. Obviously, fuel consumption goes up, and our average of 11.2 L/100 km is about 2 litres more than with the 4-cylinder engine.
On the highway, the car is as quiet as a tomb, as the engine revs are low and road noise is well-absorbed. Driving from Montreal to Quebec City and back is as tiring as heading to the corner store for a quart of milk.
In typical Honda and Acura fashion, the centre stack is littered with buttons and switches, although in the TSX, the climate control buttons are located in a separate section. The 10-speaker, premium surround sound system is excellent, by the way, but the navigation system’s display and graphics could really use a more-modern look.
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| The navigation system’s display and graphics could really use a more-modern look. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |