The sporty Acura TSX and TSX Sport Wagon return for 2014 with minor changes. The base TSX with a 201-hp I4 comes with a five-speed automatic transmission for $31,530, including destination. That’s a $125 bump from last year.
Speaking of the Technology Package, the option features an LED backlit full VGA navigation screen, rearview camera, Song By Voice (SBV) user interface, and the ability to download 15-gigabytes of personal music to the TSX’s hard disk drive.
The TSX remains based on the European-market Honda Accord, but its style is nowhere near as pedestrian as the U.S. model of the same name.
The TSX is aesthetically very appealing inside and out particularly in wagon form though it does have its low points. A "bionic beaver" snout still feels like an odd introduction from the front to what's otherwise a crisply styled yet understated form.
The dashboard is well laid out with independent controls in the center cluster for the audio and navigation system. Acura's control knob system was definitely superior to BMW's iDrive and Audi's MMI when it debuted several years ago. However, the user interface is starting to get long in the tooth both visually and functionally. Newer designs from Ford, BMW and Audi have higher resolution screens and easier to navigate menu structures, but it still serves the purpose and serves it well.
