By Kurt Gensheimer

Blings:

• Shifter feels like it’s greased with Crisco
• Excellent fuel economy
• High fun-to-drive factor
• Luxurious and high tech interior
• Comes standard with everything but navigation

Dings:

• Vague clutch pickup in first gear
• Four cylinder is a little lacking in grunt

Verdict: The car that Mr. Miyagi would drive until the end of time.

You wouldn’t know who Mr. Miyagi was without having watched the 1980’s blockbuster The Karate Kid. But to understand the analogy here, you don’t have to. The concept is simple. Mr. Miyagi, an Okinawan martial arts master, teaches a high school boy, Daniel San, the craft of Karate. One of Mr. Miyagi’s most important lessons to Daniel San was that he “musta finda balance”. Physical balance, emotional balance, mental balance - balance absolute. It is central to the mastery of Karate.

Balance is also central to making a successful entry-level luxury sedan, or any car for that matter. It must possess physical balance in its handling characteristics, emotional balance in its mechanical heart - the engine - and mental balance in the way its controls interact with the driver. But achieving the zen of balance in the automotive world is as challenging as it is in martial arts. It is a rare occasion to drive a car so balanced in everything it does that you must nitpick to find any shortcomings. The Acura TSX is exactly this kind of machine.

Driving Impressions
Honda has perfected the front-wheel-drive, four cylinder drivetrain platform. No matter the car’s purpose; performance, fuel-economy, luxury or otherwise, Honda figures out a way to make it’s venerable platform work. Although other entry-level luxury sedans in the $30,000 range boast a six-cylinder engine and rear-wheel-drive, the TSX doesn’t even flinch. After all, it has found the ever-elusive balance. Based on the European Accord - a smaller version of the domestic namesake - the TSX makes you feel like you’re driving a rear-wheel-drive car. There is virtually no torque steer, running the shifter through its six gears is absolutely addictive and the car’s suspension has poise that far outperforms its all-season tires.

The 2.4 liter, four-cylinder i-VTEC engine with dual overhead cams produces 205 horsepower and 164 lb. ft. of torque. With a 0-60 time just a shade under 7 seconds, the TSX isn’t a pavement brute, which some Americans may find unattractive, but for those seeking the balance, it’s perfect. The engine is also in equilibrium with the environment, producing up to 30 MPG on the highway and 26 MPG in our observed mix of city and highway driving.

But the pinnacle of the TSX driving experience has to be the shifter. The leather-wrapped knob with a brushed aluminum cap and CNC’d shift pattern looks alluring enough, but the second you shift from first to second gear, you’re hooked. Rarely will you ever find a shifter more buttery smooth than the TSX. It doesn’t matter if you can’t drive a manual, if you’re considering the TSX for your next car, learn. You won’t be disappointed, even if it means your daily commute consists of sitting in gridlock.

The only fault we could find in the TSX’s performance was its somewhat vague clutch pickup. Because the car is so smooth and the engine so quiet, it was sometimes hard to know exactly where the clutch engaged. But seriously, we’re really digging for faults here.

Build
Another winning aspect of the TSX is its build quality. From a safety perspective, the NHTSA awarded the TSX with a 5-star frontal and driver’s side impact rating and a 4-star passenger and rollover rating. Anti-lock brakes and Vehicle Stability Assist - which adjusts brake pressure and engine power to prevent over or understeer - both come standard on the TSX.

On the inside, quality can be seen in the brushed metal accents and electroluminescent instrument cluster, felt and smelled in the comfortable leather seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel and heard in the solid, yet not too Germanicly heavy thunk of the doors. We hate to hackney a term, but it’s for a good cause - balance abounds.

Interior
In addition to it’s quality interior, the TSX is outfitted with a slew of high tech gadgets that make you feel like you’re in a far more expensive machine. There is a laundry list of standard features, and some of them include: leather, heated seats, dual-zone climate control, sunroof, an 8-speaker 360 Watt stereo system, and a handy ‘heads up’ display on the instrument cluster. The only option on the TSX besides XM satellite radio is the navigation system, which can be voice-controlled in addition to its Bluetooth hands-free phone integration. Although the navigation system’s map interface is a bit dated-looking, the most important aspect - ease of use - is in full effect.

The voice recognition system is quite handy, not to mention safe. It has the ability to control the HVAC functions, stereo and navigation system. However, if you don’t understand the required commands, the conversation between driver and the female voice resembles a heated domestic dispute.

Driver: “Radio off”
TSX: “Air conditioner on”
Driver: “No. I said ‘Radio off’”
TSX: “Air conditioner off”
Driver: “NO! LISTEN! R-A-D-I-O OFF”
TSX: “Fan low”
Driver: “Ugh. Nevermind.”

Although backseat space is a bit tight in the legroom department for a six-foot tall passenger, the TSX boasts seatbacks that fold flat for increased cargo space. And it makes a difference. We were able to fit two bicycles laying flat inside the TSX with rear wheels still attached.

Styling
On the outside, Acura designed the TSX to be congruous with its precise-looking brand logo. The lines are sharp, exact, clean and inoffensive. They don’t shout new, revolutionary design, but they’re not drab either. Add on the standard HID headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels, the TSX advertises its -here we go again - perfectly balanced appearance.

Value
It’s easy to grasp how exceptional a value the TSX delivers because there are essentially only two states the car can come in - with navigation or without. Without, the base price is $28,000. With navigation, it comes in a shade over $30,000. Oh, and a little extra if you’re jonesing for satellite radio. A generous 4 year/50,000 mile warranty seals the deal. For $30,000, you won’t find a better equipped, quality entry-level luxury sedan.

Who Should Buy It?
Besides Mr. Miyagi, people who put well-rounded performance before brute power, have a discerning taste for luxury, technology and quality - but don’t have a bulging pocketbook to afford them all - will find the TSX to be their dream car.

Conclusion
There’s a good reason why the TSX has remained essentially unchanged since it’s debut as a 2004 model - once found, balance should never be messed with. Although the TSX’s look is getting a bit stale, Acura plans to give the TSX a makeover in the 2009 model year. Although perfection lies in the eyes of the beholder, as far as this beholder is concerned, for the money, the TSX just might be the most perfect all-around sedan available today.

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