Overview

The Acura TSX is a four-door, front-wheel-drive sports sedan with a superb chassis and a wonderfully tuned engine that loves to rev.

The TSX gets more power for 2006 and there are significant but subtle revisions to the exterior styling.

The 2.4-liter iVTEC four-cylinder engine boasts a broad torque curve and is rated at 205 horsepower for 2006. The result is immediate throttle response followed by a rapid acquisition of speed. That throttle is actually a drive-by-wire accelerator. The six-speed manual gearbox is notably sweet, smooth and quick. The alternative is a five-speed automatic with Sequential Sport Shift.

The TSX is front-wheel drive, but it's tight and fun to drive. The suspension dances to the tune of a European sports sedan. The brakes scrub off triple-digit speeds without drama and the pedals are set up well for effortless heel-and-toe braking and downshifting.

Model Lineup

The 2006 Acura TSX ($27,890) offers a choice of six-speed manual gearbox or five-speed automatic with Sequential Sport Shift at no extra cost. A navigation system is optional ($2,000), and has been revised for 2006.

Standard equipment includes perforated leather seating, moonroof, HID headlights, and a 360-watt Acura premium audio system with six-disc CD changer and eight speakers. XM Satellite Radio hardware is standard, but requires a subscription. Standard 17-inch nine-spoke alloy wheels come with V-rated performance tires

Safety features include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control and side curtain airbags.

The optional A-Spec package ($4,330) adds high-performance shocks and springs, lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot all-season performance tires, and an aero kit featuring an air dam, chin spoiler, side skirts and a choice of deck lid or wing spoiler. The kit is installed by dealerships. The suspension is available separately ($800).

Walkaround

For 2006, the Acura TSX gets a revised grille, bumper fascia, headlights and foglights. Styling cues add to the sporty looks. The nose is clean and sharp. The headlights are narrow, horizontal slits that wrap around the fenders. New side sills for 2006 extend further outward, enhancing the car's already aggressive stance.

The TSX is a four-door sports sedan. It shares most of its sheet metal with the European-market Honda Accord (which is different from the Accord sold in the U.S.). True to its intent as a sports sedan, the TSX features shorter overhangs than the Accord, featuring a relatively long wheelbase given its length. (The overhang is the part of the car that extends past the wheels.) To get a picture of the scale, the TSX is 183 inches long with a wheelbase of 105 inches; the Honda Accord is 187.6 inches long but also with a wheelbase of 105 inches. The RSX coupe is 172 inches long with a wheelbase of 101 inches.

Invisible to the eye are aerodynamic undertrays, strategic bellypans that help bring the coefficient of drag down to an impressive 0.27 for the TSX. The backlight (rear window) slopes to meet a short trunk lid, which helps air separate cleanly off the back of the car at speed.

The nine-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels complement the clean lines, and the P215/50R17 tires are low-profile but not radical. Discreet business-like chrome exhaust tips are tucked under the redesigned rear fascia at each edge and give the car attitude. Dual exhausts on a four-cylinder are cool.

Interior Features

The Acura TSX interior feels graceful. Satin-finish or simulated wood trim wraps from door to door, across the center console and steering wheel.

The driver's eight-way power seat offers good bolstering for comfort and hard driving, and features a two-position memory. The seat fits great and there's good legroom. Your companion will also be comfortable. A four-way power front passenger seat is standard. The TSX is a technically a five-seat sedan, but it's better suited for four.

The rubber-coated pedals feel good, and there's a solid dead pedal. The 8000-rpm tachometer is as big as the 160-mph speedometer because the TSX is all about using the tach. The faces of the gauges have been revised faces for 2006. The bright red needles give it just the right neon touch. There's a tidy three-spoke steering wheel, wrapped skin-tight in perforated leather, just small enough. The shift knob is right, blending function and style with leather and polished aluminum, without compromising the function. You've got the E-brake lever at your side, a nice deep console bin, your cupholders and changeholder right there. A fingertip away is a 360-watt sound system with a six-CD player, with a new audio-in port for portable music players (think iPod). You've got a moon roof, you even have heated seats and heated outside mirrors.