Probably the best 4cyl car you can get

Author's Rating:

Pros: Handles good. Good fit and finish. Refined drivetrain and good, but not great mileage.

Cons: Little noisy inside I still keep looking up for the sunroof switch MP3 jack placement

The Bottom Line: 
Worth a test drive. You won't have to give up much to have a 4 cyl car.

Author's Review
Having changed jobs and needing to do a longer commute, I was looking for a car that was comfortable and got decent gas mileage.

The Camry will get you from point A to point B in relative comfort, but it was lacking a little excitement.

After many test drives and doing the research, I got the TSX. Having driven a TL, the TSX sits more upright and doesn't feel as low. It is also much easier to get in and out.

Acceleration is peppy for a 4 cyl, and the engine sounds refined along with the auto trans. You notice this when compared to a Jetta.

Gas mileage is good, but it can really go down fast if you like revving the engine. Getting 30mpg is possible is you drive steady on the highway.

Handling is responsive, but the TL does feel quicker in the turns. Driving is a lot more fun in the TSX than the Camry.

While Toyota engineers have figured out how to isolate noise from the cabin, the TSX can get a little noisy on rough roads. Honda engineers have figured out how to make a refined reliable 4 cylinder engine.

Put this into a car that feels solid and handles well, you have one nice ride.

You have to do some searching to nitpick this car. Feeling around the dash, you will see hard plastic below. On the door panels is more hard plastic. It does look good and the seams are tight.

Most of the switches are where you expect it, except for the sunroof switch. You look up and its not there (look down and to left).

Rear vision is a little blocked with the high door line and trunk lid, but it is not as bad as the TL.

It is surprising that a car with techno gadgets omitted an MP3 player (excluding the optional $400 player). As an after thought, putting an AUX jack in the center console that is hard to reach makes it a little frustrating.

The Hand Free access is very intuitive. Without reading the instructions, I was able to pair the phone and create the phone list. Since the inside can get a little noisy, you will find yourself repeating who to call.

There are many posting on premium vs regular fuel in the TSX. Having tried both, premium fuel has a slight difference when driven hard, but in traffic you will hardly notice. I'll take other people's word that gas mileage is better with premium. Maybe mid-grade is the way to go, if it is available.

Overall, I feel that the TSX is a car that if well taken care of, will last 100,000 miles and still feel solid.