Take a quick spin with us as we test the 2009 Acura TSX. The ’09 TSX does not feel like your typical entry-level luxury car but has an aura more like its sophisticated sibling, the TL sedan. For the feel and look of a much more expensive car, you can enjoy luxury at an affordable price because the TSX starts at $28,960 and topped out at a reasonable as-tested price of $32,060
The new TSX is the picture of refinement, both performance and design-wise. Despite the additional 160 pounds to the 2009 model, the TSX is still agile with incredibly precise steering. The motor gets the job done with 201 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 172 lb-ft of torque at 4,300 rpm. The fuel economy is surprisingly good for a sports sedan, getting 30 mpg highway and 21 mpg city. On the exterior, you may recognize the new grille that’s also found on the TL and RL. Inside, the cockpit design is new and aggressive. No more touch-screen for the nav-display but there is now a centralized wheel for control. The navigation also comes with real time traffic and weather reports.
The only gripe we had with the 2009 TSX was that the shifting in manual mode had to be done with the paddles mounted to the steering wheel, without an option to shift on the gear selector. However, with everything Acura does right with the TSX, our complaint is easy to overlook. Despite losing a little edge that the Prelude and Integra fanboys crave, the TSX will most certainly grow on them.