2010 Acura TSX Overview Change Vehicle

This 2010 Acura TSX overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2010 TSX, and includes Acura TSX safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

This year, Acura installs an optional 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine in the TSX. Included with the more powerful engine is a revised suspension, an upgraded braking system, unique 18-inch alloy wheels, a push-button ignition, and Active Sound Control technology designed to eliminate low pressure sound and high frequency tones from entering the cabin. TSXs equipped with the Technology Package have a new screen that’s easier to read for 2010, and improved Multi-Information Display graphics.

Acura sells the 2010 TSX in a single grade of trim that includes a lengthy list of standard equipment. Buyers can choose an automatic transmission, a V6 engine, and a Technology Package as options, and any Acura dealer can install additional accessories.

Standard equipment for the 2010 TSX includes 17-inch aluminum wheels, fog lights, projector-beam high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights that operate automatically, a power one-touch moonroof, and a passenger’s side mirror that tilts down when the car is reversing. An eight-way power driver’s seat with two-position memory and a four-way power front passenger’s seat, both heated are standard, and all passengers sit on leather upholstery. Dual-zone automatic climate control with air filtration, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel with controls for the stereo and other features, power mirrors, power windows with one-touch front glass operation, and power door locks with remote keyless entry are standard. Notably, the remote can be used to vent hot air from the TSX’s cabin on a warm day, powering all four windows down and opening the sunroof as the driver approaches the car. The TSX also has an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a compass, a multi-information display with a trip computer, and a HomeLink garage door opener. The standard premium audio system includes a CD player, an auxiliary audio input jack, a USB port, and satellite radio, and every TSX is equipped with Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and Bluetooth Audio technology.

Buyers choosing to add the new V6 engine to the TSX get 18-inch aluminum wheels with P235/45 tires, revised brakes for better stopping power and a performance-oriented pedal feel, push-button ignition, and Active Sound Control. Subtle changes to the front fascia improve engine cooling, and there’s a “V6” badge on the back.

The only option for the TSX is the Technology Package. A voice recognition navigation system with a rearview camera and a Zagat restaurant review database is included with this package, along with an AcuraLink satellite communication system with real-time weather reports, traffic reports, and traffic rerouting. A GPS-linked, solar-sensing, dual-zone climate control system is also included, as well as an Acura/ELS Dolby Pro Logic II premium audio system with a six-disc DVD-Audio changer.

With the introduction of a new V6 engine for the 2010 TSX, Acura offers two ways to propel its entry-level luxury sedan. The standard engine is a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder generating 201 horsepower at 7,000 rpm. Torque measures 172 lb-ft with the standard six-speed manual transmission and 170 lb-ft with the available five-speed automatic. The EPA says that the TSX four-cylinder will get 20 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway with the manual, and 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway with the automatic.

The TSX’s close-ratio manual transmission features short shift throws for a sporty feel, and the Sequential SportShift automatic provides F1-style paddles on the steering wheel for executing manual gear changes. With the automatic, Grade Logic Control software holds a gear for hill climbs, and Shift Hold Control programming makes the TSX more responsive when driven with gusto. Both transmissions drive the TSX’s front wheels.

This year’s new 3.5-liter V6 makes 280 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque, and is paired exclusively with the five-speed Sequential SportShift automatic. The EPA estimates that the TSX V6 will get 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

Every TSX is equipped with electric rather than hydraulic steering. A double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension employs dual-mode dampers that Acura says work effectively at both low and high speeds, and the V6 model’s underpinnings have firmer springs and recalibrated dampers.

From its Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure design to its pedestrian injury mitigation features, the 2010 TSX is built to be safe. Six airbags are standard, along with stability and traction control, and antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. If the TSX hits a pedestrian, the hood, hood hinges, and windshield wiper pivots are designed to deform to reduce injury.

Based on crash-test results, Acura’s efforts are paying off. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the TSX 5-Star ratings across the board, including for resistance to rollover. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) called the TSX a Top Safety Pick last year, thanks to Good ratings in the offset frontal, side impact, and rear impact crashworthiness evaluations. For 2010, the IIHS requires a Good rating for the roof crush strength test to be eligible for a Top Safety Pick rating, and the institute has not performed this test on a TSX yet.

In addition to being quite safe, the TSX is expected to be very reliable. Consumer Reports recommends the car, and gives it an above average prediction for long-term reliability. J.D. Power and Associates agrees, bestowing upon the TSX an above average prediction for dependability.

Acura piqued our interest with the addition of a V6 engine to the 2010 TSX, so we rounded one up and took it for a ride on our standard Southern California test loop. Afterwards, we decided that there are three things that need improvement:

1.) The brakes, when heated up, begin to shudder and fade. Given that we were not driving as hard as usual through the Santa Monica Mountains on a cool, foggy day, and considering that Acura actually upgrades the braking system on the V6 model, this performance is disconcerting. Once the brakes cooled off, they bit better and didn’t shudder anymore.

2.) We’d like a stereo tuning knob, as well as knobs to adjust driver and passenger temperature.

3.) Our test car’s dashboard had an intermittent buzz and creak that made itself evident over coarse pavement at speeds below 40 mph.

That’s it. Otherwise, we’re genuinely surprised at how capable the TSX V6 is. Starting with the interior, the driver’s seat is perfect, providing excellent thigh, lumbar, and shoulder support. The front seats envelop occupants but not in a confining or uncomfortable manner. Additionally, the driving position is perfect, and the tilt/telescopic steering wheel is perfectly sized and shaped, meaty, round, fitting in your hand like a good tool.

The TSX V6’s cabin is quiet, comforting, serene, though at 80 mph occupants may need to raise voices a bit. The controls are nicely sized, shaped, and marked in English using big, easy-to-see lettering. Seems like this should be a simple thing for automakers to manage, but so few do. Rear seat space is at a bit of a premium, but we managed to haul around a toddler without her legs and feet interfering with the front seatbacks.

Driving dynamics are excellent. This car is compliant yet communicative, isolated and refined when it’s supposed to be, but amplifying exactly what the driver needs to know about the mechanicals and the road surface. Granted, we drove on a damp day and didn’t push the car as hard as we normally might, but this TSX clearly rewards smooth, competent driving with a crisp, energetic, playful nature. Yes, it’s a front-wheel-drive car, but that didn’t bother us because A.) We get our braking done before corner turn-in, mitigating problems with understeer, and B.) Who drives with a car’s tail hanging out? Honestly, all this enthusiast-demanded, rear-drive, manual-transmission nonsense is about little more than bragging rights. What this car could use, however, is Acura’s SH-AWD, which would balance it a bit better and prove appealing in cold-weather climates.

The 2010 Acura TSX is a car we recommend. With either engine, the TSX is a delight to drive, but especially with the more powerful V6 that Acura has added this year. Successfully blending safety, reliability, and fuel efficiency with comfort, luxury, and technology, the Acura TSX seems to have it all. The TSX’s styling might turn off some people, but now that Keen-Edge design themes have been deployed on the TL and RL sedans, the TSX appears tame by comparison. And that’s a good thing.

-- By Christian Wardlaw