Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Acura TSX vs Acura TL

1234568»

Comments

  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,495
    care (both of them), the TL doesn't come with fold-down rear seats. The TSX does. If you want to haul a bicycle inside the car, there's only one choice.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,495
    by the way, I'd much rather drive something that there aren't several other of in the parking lot at work.

    That'd be the TSX.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,674
    Not where I work. About equal...

    But, it is amazing how many more TLs I saw on the road (much to my dismay!) once I bought my TL in '05.

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    hard to believe it has been a year since I bought my new milano red 6 speed with nav TSX. Still love to drive it after 31,000+ miles. When the car gets serviced next week I get to try out the TL as a loaner car. Have no desire for it since it does not have manual transmission but I still want to try one out.
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    still have the tl but personally would rather be driving my tsx. miss the manual transmission and where everything is.
  • dad23dad23 Member Posts: 866
    Can I ask what you're having done that you still have the loaner car?
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    my husband had a sharp object on his belt which scratched up the back of the driver's seat. The dealer is replacing it for free, The seat cover that they got to replace mine was wrong so they had to re-order it-therefore-I still have the tl loaner-08 silver/eb with 1,000 miles on it. they are hoping to get it in tomorrow.
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    the dealer replaced my seat cover-they did get the right one-While they were replacing it they discovered the my heated seats did not work. Since I live in NC I never tried them. They ordered some parts.
  • taxesquiretaxesquire Member Posts: 681
    Never tried the seat heaters?!? Even here in Fla, I use 'em sometimes. I use the passenger side heater to keep my take out warm, like a built-in sterno!!! :P

    Sounds like your dealer provides good service!
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    when i first drove the car in nov 06, i tried them. wanted to make sure everything worked. i am not into take out food so there is NO FOOD or SMOKING allowed in my car. the dealer is excellent but it is located in Pa and I live in NC. I am a former Pa resident so I still visit my family and friends there.
  • superdavidsuperdavid Member Posts: 24
    I would say get a TL if you have a family with kids, and TSX if you are single or just married couple. TL is pretty large as a family car and TSX is more agile. TL starts at 33K and TSX starts at 28K, it all depends your need. :D
  • rhody_88rhody_88 Member Posts: 21
    Since when do consumers make purchases based on need?
  • chirocatchirocat Member Posts: 73
    The TSX is nice and agile, but the little engine is a deal breaker. I had one as a loaner a few weeks ago and the little 4 banger plus an auto trans was awful. I don't like having to run an engine past 4500 rpm in my daily driving. The TL-S is almost perfect, it has enough torque to blast ahead of traffic and still keep the engine under 4500 rpm. The mileage I got was about 1 mpg better with the TSX despite a large difference in weight and engine size. If they had put a turbo in the TSX I might have bought one, it really handles and rides like a dream. Plus it feels small and agile, kinda like a go kart when going around turns. If it had some power it would be amazing.
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    I have to agree with you the tl-s has more power than the tsx- it also costs approx $10,000 more. I do not know how you drive but when I had a 08 TL as a loaner car a month ago I averaged 25-27MPG on the 500+ miles I put on the car. I average 32-35 MPG on my 06 TSX. (6spd). I personally think my tsx has enough power for me. I do mostly highway driving and have owned numerous vehicles with turbo. Looking forward to see what the 09's look like.
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    Just wondering what speed you were driving at in the tsx to run it past 4500rpm. I just came back from a 70 mile drive-60MPH-2500 rpm. You must like to drive FAST
  • chirocatchirocat Member Posts: 73
    When I say 4500 rpm, I am talking about routine acceleration. Do get the acceleration I need, the TSX needs to almost be floored to redline on a regular basis whereas the TL-S can be shifted at about 4000-4500 rpm. Yes, I accelerate hard and drive fast overall. I can't see why anyone one would by a TL-S and drive slow! :P
    My daily commute is about 4 miles of city streets at each end of a 13 mile freeway leg. The freeway part is usually at 80 mph depending on how many retards there are clogging the passing lane :mad: The TL-S runs very relaxed at 2750 RPM at 80 mph. I am ADHD (not one of those people who uses it as an excuse), so my brain will literally check out if I drive 60 mph for any length of time. By staying faster and moving past traffic my brain has to stay focused on many things, and thus it keeps me alert. It's kind of like who a kid can't pay attention to a boring class lecture but can sit in front of the computer and play Halo for 4 hours (or more) without a break.

    Under hard acceleration the poor TSX's mileage suffers, hence the small difference in overall mileage when I drive the two cars. The TSX really just needs more lower end torque. :shades:
  • chirocatchirocat Member Posts: 73
    Oh BTW, I paid $33,900 for my 08 TL-S (+TTL).
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    excellent price- I paid 25,500 for my 06 tsx w/nav. My speeding days are over-stopped on numerous occasions when I owned vehicles with turbo engines- Luckily only warnings. I now drive only 5 miles over the speed limit- too many cops on the roads near me. The speed limit on one of the highways I sometimes use is 70. I hope your tl-s has MT. What color I love the morrocan red one
  • mf15mf15 Member Posts: 158
    Well I am getting to be an old geezer but just got a TL in August, love it.
    Kids are grown so my days of the minivan are over. Did not need a big car,really wanted the TSX.
    I did quite a few test drives in the TSX and decided it did not have enough power for
    me. That being said it is a great car.
    Oh by the way, I have the Morrocan Red.
    Old Mike
  • chirocatchirocat Member Posts: 73
    I had to work pretty hard to get a TL-S with 6MT. I refused to even test drive an auto. While driving the automatic TSX loaner I kept trying to push the clutch in while stopping....and hit the brake LOL. I ended up with a CBP and taupe interior. With window tint and the dark Tl-S rims the car looks amazing. I would have also considered the Moroccan Red or Blue, but those are near impossible to find with a MT.

    Where I live in Texas the average speed on the interstate is about 75-78 unless there is a retard with a driver's license around. The cops do patrol the area but they use Lidar and are so easy to spot I could slow to 40 mph before they clock me. They sometimes try to sneak up on people from behind but I am one of the 5 drivers in Texas that has figured out what a rear view mirror is for. So far I have had no tickets in my county in the 7years I have lived here. That's not too bad considering the nearly 100,000 miles I have driven on these roads.

    The secret is to drive consistently and safely........pretend the road is the Autobahn and you are a German with a Mercedes. Interestingly, the Autobahn has a lower accident rate than the US interstates. But you can chalk it up to driver mentality and superior training. That and they don't allow beaters on the road! For such a "repressive socialist state" they sure have some nice freedoms that we don't.....such as unlimited sections of the Autobahn (when weather and traffic permits), and freedom from drunk drivers (or at least compared to us!). Driving is one area where I think a rigid and involved system like theirs is superior. Lets face it, Americans think driving is a right and we will give a license to anyone with a pulse and better than 20/100 vision. :cry: (Autobahn rant mode off) ;)
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    alot of the cops here patrol the highways in un-marked mustangs, chargers, camaro's and are in regular clothes. They also pretend they are road workers,and are working on the side of the roads. They have some kind of radar with them,and if they catch you speeding you are stopped further up the road.

    I am kinda glad the tl-s was not out when I bought my tsx- especially if it were the red with 6 MT. I probably would be owning that. I do love my tsx (paid for) I love red as you probably can tell.

    I can not believe the bad drivers here-they pull in front of you on the highway and go real slow-get up to speed a-whole. Driving 55+ when they suddenly slow down-no signals-to make a turn that takes forever. Oops I doing the autobahn thing)
    will be driving from NC to California in May-going thru Texas-where are U.
    Oh yeah I probably have some form of attention disorder-don't feel bad. It's normal (Lol)
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    great color choice-even better with ebony interior.
    after going thru the hogging the back seat phase-a mini van with captain chairs is the way to go with kids-not the tl or tsx.
    I am very happy with my tsx and glad you are with your tl. acuras are great cars.
    my 40th high school reunion will be next year sometime-if they have it. my age is revealed (LOL)
  • suba42suba42 Member Posts: 2
    I am in the process of replacing my Audi A3 before the warranty expires. I thought I was sold on a used TL. Drove several of them, pushed them hard. Thought it was a pretty darn nice car, and then I drove a TSX. No comparison. The TSX is such a much nicer driver's car. The TL is probably an awesome straight line highway cruiser, but the TSX is a much nicer day-to-day, situation-to-situation car. Anyone who thinks 205 hp isn't enough and NEEDS 270 hp probably also prefers an all-you-can-eat buffet over a single gourmet entree. More is not always better - not by a long shot. The TSX makes driving fun, while the TL makes being in your car, stuck in traffic very, very nice, I'm sure.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    "The TSX makes driving fun, while the TL makes being in your car, stuck in traffic very, very nice, I'm sure."

    While maybe not quite as nice inside as the TL, the TSX is hardly a penalty box. I think the Acura interiors are on par with VW, which is to say, outstanding.
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    I have to agree about the TSX. Acura is really a classy line. So is Honda. All Honda products are quite classy now.

    Though, I will say that the new TL is very nice, but they really need to tame down that grill. Even lowering it down a bit and make it a bit smaller, it would make a world of difference. Its not that it looks bad, but perhaps a bit odd or over the top. Its like we get the point. I happened to look on Ebay and there are several better looking grills to replace the OEM. They could be a great option for it. I would not say the TL's interior is any nicer than the TSX, but larger in scale. That is the nice thing about Honda, you can drive a base model and still feel classy and the engineering.

    With the TSX being smaller than the TL, it probably drives better, but differently than the older TSX. I so need to test drive them both!! :)
  • suba42suba42 Member Posts: 2
    Coming out of an Audi, it's kind of hard to get super excited about another car brand's interiors. While I think Acura does a very nice job in general, as does Honda, they still aren't quite up to the best of the German cars.

    The TL has a very pleasing layout, feels very nice in there, but you do get the sense of overkill and that some of the gadgetry won't get used much after the first couple months. The TSX looks a bit stylistically forced, although all the materials are nice and refined. I do very much like the TSX approach to features content, though. There is all the essential high-end stuff and nothing more - and you don't have to buy overblown options packages to get it. Try optioning out an Audi sometime. Yikes!!!

    I must say that I am very pleasantly surprised by the quality, precision and excellent driving dynamics of all of the Acuras I have driven recently. It makes me wonder why I wasn't considering them before? Maybe I just thought of them as uber-Hondas? The TSX feels like my Audi, with none of the rough edges. The TL reminds me of a high-end turbocharged Volvo sedan I had many years ago - big, plush and a little floaty, but able to get up ON IT when you mashed the accelerator. I bet I will not get to know my Acura mechanic near as well as my Volvo mechanic, though. Overall, really nice cars! I can see where everyone's enthusiasm comes from.
  • lmacmillmacmil Member Posts: 1,758
    TL sales were off over 30% and TSX up about 11%. I think this is the first time ever.
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    People are realizing a few things the TSX has going for it. The TSX is really close to the TL. I think people are thinking more realistic, with the economy.

    * 4cyl engine
    * Good gas mileage
    * convenient size
    * More bang the buck- cost effective

    Some are trying to justify why spending more to get the TL, when the TSX really offers a great package, and at a great price. People are thinking more about their wallets. I think the TL is almost like the old RL, and well the new RL, well its the mack daddy of all Honda's!

    Did the TL overdo it? or did the TSX? Not sure.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    2010 TSX will be available with a 3.5L 280hp V6.

    More details on VTEC.net.
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    no manual transmission-bummer
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    I would get the V6 in the TSX. Perhaps it might be like the Accord, the V6 or the Navi will be the same bump in price. I might opt for the V6. I have my Iphone for navi.
  • carollee3carollee3 Member Posts: 10
    Call anyone tell me the horsepower rating for the 05 TSX please?
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    Not many people know this, but there's a little website you can visit to instantly find the answers to all of your automotive questions. It's called, "www.google.com." ;)

    http://www.google.com/search?q=2005+tsx+horsepower&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=or- - g.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

    Or, since you went to the effort to join Edmunds.com (by the way, welcome aboard!), you can also find your answer here...

    http://www.edmunds.com/used/2005/acura/tsx/100449787/specs.html
  • svanpalasvanpala Member Posts: 1
    Wow, 6 years old this thread! Most people don't understand the difference from not all, but the many pages I read. This is Acuras intention to make them look like different cars competing with say the BMW 3 and 5 respectively.
    But its simple if you dont work top-down like all the comments i've read here have.
    Bottom-up goes like this:
    Honda makes 2 accords. The Japanese Honda Accord is one. And the second is the same car that they stretched out to fit larger engines and larger people and they call it the American Accord. Then they lux them both up with acura emblems and such and sell basically very similar cars next to each other in Acura showrooms.
    But their biggest difference is the important one for consumers. Price. So its easy to choose. How much honda do you want? its like buying wallpaper. If you want 9ft 1in of Honda - buy the Acura TL. Interestingly the accord is larger (as per typical epa classification of wheelbase) than the TSX.
    Which is exactly how BMW are marketed these days. They're kinda all the same, just more of it including $. Except not really since the only real Acura that is Not a honda is the RL. Just like the only Real Lexus is the LS. So if you want honest value, the accord is the best. If you want more ego get the Acura and you'll pay the price with your wallet.
    So simple.
  • robertw477robertw477 Member Posts: 188
    The more I think about, the more I think you make some valid points. Personally I will only get the TSX if they really give me a super sharp price on a leftover 09. It may be closer to the EXL Accord wplus the (tech package). I am working on a lease and do like dealing with Honda all things being equal. Right now I want the best deal on a decent car so laoyalty may not hold for me.

    Rob
This discussion has been closed.