By FRANK A. AUKOFER
Scripps Howard News Service Lately it seems as if Acura has been magnetizing its automobiles, drawing them ever closer together.
Though it never fielded an extensive lineup, the luxury division of Honda at least had cars that were distinct from one another.
That started to blend with the 2009 TL, Acura's mid-size sports sedan. As recently as 2006, the TL was a single model with all the best that the company's designers and engineers could build into one car.
On the high road above the TL was the more expensive, all-wheel-drive flagship sedan, the RL. Situated below was the TSX, a compact, entry-level luxury sports sedan.
Then the magnetic contraction started. The 2009 TL, in its top-line version, mimicked the RL by offering Acura's sophisticated SH-AWD all-wheel drive, leading observers to question why anybody would spend more money on an RL, which is certainly more luxurious but about the same size.
Now, with the introduction of the 2010 TSX V6, the lineup is contracting further, blurring the distinction among the three models.
The new TSX, with a six-cylinder engine for the first time, is a fine piece of the automotive art and was perhaps necessary for Acura to compete fully against the likes of the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and Lexus IS. But it also means that the TSX V6 now also competes against the base TL.
The TL is larger, more accommodating and comfortable, with substantially more room for back seat passengers. But the two front-drive cars share the same engine, a 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6, and they have price tags that are not far apart.
Meanwhile, TL SH-AWD substantially undercuts the RL on price and offers 305 horsepower compared to the RL's 300 horses. Acura officials argue that the RL's host of luxury features set it apart for its potential customers. But the RL has not been selling well.
As for the TSX, in 2004 it was a feisty contender in the entry-level luxury class with a happy-revving four-cylinder engine and a choice of a six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed automatic transmission.
It was upgraded and mildly restyled for the 2009 model year and now boasts a 201-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-banger and an EPA city/highway fuel consumption rating of 20/28 miles to the gallon.
The combination made it a lower-priced competitor of the Audi A4 2.0, which like the TSX has front-wheel drive and a four-cylinder engine, as well as the BMW 328i and Lexus IS250, which have rear-drive and six-cylinder engines.
With the addition of the 280-horsepower engine, the new TSX V6 takes on the more powerful Audi A4 3.2, the BMW 335i and Lexus IS350.
One shortcoming is that the TSX V6 comes only with a five-speed automatic transmission, albeit with a manual-shift mode and steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters. A stick shift is not available.
There's a lot to like about the new TSX V6, and not many demerits. It has a taut, substantial feel augmented by a fat-rimmed steering wheel and superb, supportive sport seats.
The driver's seat has a multitude of power adjustments and the steering wheel telescopes as well as tilts. But the sun visors do not slide on their support rods and the center stack is busy with buttons. Thankfully, Acura has resisted the fad of pushbutton starting on this car, where the simple ignition key serves quite nicely, thank you.
The V6 does not have the nimble handling feel of the four-cylinder TSX, likely owing to its 240-pound weight increase, much of it over the front wheels. In fact, it feels more like a smaller version of the base TL.
Yet the engine and transmission deliver a fluid surge of power to the front wheels without torque steer -- that tug at the steering wheel while turning under hard acceleration.
Straight-line acceleration, at slightly more than six seconds to 60 miles an hour according to independent tests, is competitive but only half a second quicker than the four-cylinder stick-shift TSX.
The tested TSX V6 with the technology package, while undercutting competitors on price, still had a sticker price of $38,760. That was fully equipped, including a navigation system with voice recognition, satellite radio and communication with real-time traffic and weather reporters, a 10-speaker ELS premium sound system, and solar-sensing dual-zone automatic climate control.
Even the base TSX V6 without the technology package, at $35,660, has a full complement of luxury equipment, including stability and traction control, antilock brakes with brake force distribution, side air bags and side-curtain air bags, active head restraints, tire-pressure monitoring, leather upholstery, remote locking, motorized sunroof, and iPod and USB connectivity.
Bottom line, the TSX V6 poses a dilemma for Acura fans because the alternatives are both tempting. For about the same money, you can get the base TL with more interior room and about the same power, though with a bit more weight and somewhat less sporty handling, or order the four-cylinder TSX with either a stick shift or an automatic transmission, which has a lighter handling feel, is nearly as quick and a lot of fun, and save $5,560.
Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service. For more columns, go to scrippsnews.com
