Acura TSX Ames IA

BY AARON ROBINSON

Back when gasoline was still cheaper than Glenfiddich, Honda’s luxury division rolled the dice on a compact sedan with a wholly un-American persona. The 2004 Acura TSX, essentially an overseas-market Honda Accord, was cut narrow for Europe’s squeezed streets, firmed up for keen drivers, and armed with a no-frills four-banger to take on the turbocharged and six-cylinder competition. The only choices: manual or automatic, and navigation system or wrinkled map. Pitching this lean front-driver as the cut-buck alternative to a BMW 3-series, Acura execs seemed to have been swilling their own stocks of Scotch.

We fell in love. The TSX was compact but not cramped. It was frugal on gas but felt swift. It commuted serenely and also sliced asphalt into ribbons. It was less expensive, better equipped in base form, and when fitted with the especially satisfying six-speed stick, about 2.7 times more entertaining than most of the luxury cars then oozing across our pages. It averaged about 32,000 sales per year, twice the expectation, Acura tells us. A three-time 10Best winner, the original TSX departs us, leaving behind size-14 double-Es to fill.

Acura’s strategy? Hit the replay button. The driving joy remains in the 2009 TSX despite a few added inches and a few extra pounds. There are some improvements in cabin refinement, including additional sound insulation, and the roll call of standard features remains long. The changes are meant to address kvetches with the outgoing car by Camry and Accord leapers while retaining the core 30-something luxury newbies who like it edgy. If all hands report, Acura is hoping to ratchet up sales to 40,000 per year.

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