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Acura TSX - Ride Quality
I have had my TSX for about 6 weeks and 1800 miles. The ergonomics of the car are for the most part excellent. I enjoy the looks, handling, accelleration, navi etc. I do have one major issue - the ride. I feel every bump, every shallow pothole on the highway or city street - in short everything that is not pristine highway or backroad. It almost feels like I'm bottoming out at times except the car doesn't touch the road.
What kind of ride is everyone else experiencing? Any problem with struts? Is this what "firm" means?
I've driven many cars and haven't experienced this bad a ride since the Honda wagon first came out with 12 inch wheels.
What kind of ride is everyone else experiencing? Any problem with struts? Is this what "firm" means?
I've driven many cars and haven't experienced this bad a ride since the Honda wagon first came out with 12 inch wheels.
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Comments
Replacing the tires with something else might help a little.
A Camry will have a much smoother ride.
A big part of the problem is the tires. You've got low profile tires with stiff sidewalls.
I did a lot of experimenting with tire pressure. I've now got the front tires at about 35 psi and the back at about 32 - 33 psi. That is a little more than ACURA recommends, and one would think that would lead to a harsher ride. But, it has worked out better for me thsi way.
If you want to feel a stiff ride, go test drive a Toyota Matrix. In contrast to that, the TSX feels like Jell-O.
If I had one major recommendation for Acura it would be to add a third option (after manual/auto and navi). That is a sport vs non sport suspension much like BMW does. I realize a limited production car like this may not be going after a wider audience - but this will only enhance its image and appeal.
If the tires are a big factor - is it possible to put bigger profile tires on these wheels?
Geot1 - You could not fit higher profile tires on the current rim. To maintain the height and offset, you'd have to get new rims, and move to a 16 inch tire. I think the size you would want would be 205/60 16. The folks at Tirerack.com could tell you for sure. This would not be an inexpensive change (figure on spending about $1000 for four new tires and rims).
These's a lot I like about the car and that's why I'm trying to make the ride as comfortable as possible for everyday use.
I appreciate all the feedback from the board
For what it is worth, it took me a little while to get used to the ride. Now, I don't even notice it.
This is the main reason I refused to buy the TL despite the amazing deal I was offered. The TL felt too soft for my taste, and people say the TL is sporty! If TL is a sporty car to the general public, then I understand why I always get stuck behind people who have absolutely no idea about their surroundings and the road-conditions. This is why you see mass accidents in the US a lot more than you'd see them in Europe or Japan. Cars are becoming less and less involved with the road as time passes, and one thing to be concerned about is, "At what point should we stop hiding the physical aspects of driving?"
I agree that, while firm, the TSX ride is nowhere near harsh, and that firmness inspires confidence on the road. The car feels planted. You get used to the firmness after driving the car for awhile.
My theory is that most folks in the US want to be riders rather than drivers, even when they're behind the wheel. Lots of cars in the US advertise features that blur the distinction between your car and your living room, and the emphasis is on comfort and convenience (and safety.) This doesn't really encourage folks to embrace the act of driving. Infact it sort of suggests that you can spend less time "worrying" about driving and more time relaxing, enjoying time with other people in the car.
I guess I don't really mind that point of view although when you're out on the road and see so many people driving inattentively it makes me angry. It's one thing to be chatting on a cell phone and watching TV at home; it's something else to be doing that riding on a metal object with lots of kinetic energy.
If your car is a 06, it still takes time to break in the car. Along with the engine, brakes and trans, you are also breaking in the suspension, tires, body and seats. I have 5,000 miles on my TSX now and the seats are more comfortable now. It would seem at your height/weight, the seats are made for someone in your range. The only three things that might explain the back pain are:
- pre existing minor back injury
- your sitting position putting stress on your back (leaning to the side, lumbar of seat not touching lower back, slouching in seat, etc..)
- not using the lumbar support
I’ve admit, the TSX’s seats are not BMW 5 series comfortable but they are very supportive and offer a wide range of adjustments to find a good comfort level.
Heck, maybe I'll buy it!
We also thought both V6 cars easily outperfomed the 4 in the TSX. The V6 in both our cars is a very smooth and powerful engine and we had to push the TSX to get it to perform, although for routine driving it was OK. Sad to see that Acura tunes the TSX to require premium fuel, which the Accord V6 does not require. We use 89 mid premium in the TL with good results.
These three vehicles are all different so it is for us only a personal preference - all are very well made. We are long time Honda owners and can report excellent service with all our cars from them.
You like soft-riding vehicles with what you perceive to be good performance, i.e. a car that goes fast in a straight line. That is the reality of your limited perception.
Enthusiasts will appreciate the TSX's virtues, whereas folks like yourself, who view automobiles as nothing more than appliances and with no passion whatsoever, will not.
Have a terrific weekend.
As grandparents, we look for not only high quality but a pleasant and comfortable ride in our autos. Both the Accord and the TL meet that standard, but the ride in the TL is almost identical to the TSX we drove. We live in the Midwest where there are poor roads and snow, so taut suspensions are a trade off to good handling. Both our TL and the TSX we drove handled very well, much better than the Accord. But on long drives, we take the Accord due to its comfortable ride.
In the end, we know not all will have the same feelings. We liked the TSX, however would not expect to drive it so hard as to test the limits of its fine handling. The V-6's in our cars do perform better than the 4 in the TSX and that mirrors the reports in the auto magazines that have tested the TSX.
Please take these comments in the spirit they are given.
Now, let me reinforce that I do like this car for what I paid for it. But I think Accord V6 drives nicer but is too much of a family car to my taste, I think BMW/Audi both drive nicer and are refined much better but cost much more.
Just my thoughts...
You want a more sporting ride, get the TSX, you want a family hauler, get the Accord. You should be aware of that before you purchase either car.
Your claim that the TSX may not be the most refined car may well be true, but others would argure the opposite, and tell you that BMW's have their own issues when it comes to build quality. They certainly have issues when it comes to long term reliability.
I would expect any car that costs $5-10K more to have things that a less expensive car doesn't. No revelation there.
As far as sporting ride, well, maybe it would be more sporty if it had the extra pull, but it does not. Sure, the TSX beats many cars in that respect, the new Civic feels sporty to some people, if that's sporty then TSX is sporty as well or more so.
The fact is that TSX is the cheapest 4 door Acura car on the market here, and as such is a cheap alternative to more deserving cars of the sporty label.
And yes, I love German cars, I owned BMW and Audi, and they were both better cars as far as ride quality, even the Accord V6 has some advantages over the TSX. German cars might have reliability issues, and they cost more, but we are talking very different things here, not on topic.
I like my TSX overall and think it's worth the money I paid for it, and let's leave it at that.
Obviously the TSX feels tigthter, but that's what you get from a sports car : A sport suspension!! This is a sports/luxury car, best of both worlds in my books!
The title in this forum shouldn't be ride "quality", because quality is one thing that this car is definately NOT lacking. It does exactly what it should be doing, if you wanted a smoother ride, you should have gone with the TL , the TSX is for me newer, sexier, faster, more luxurious Integra.