Let's Geek Out with the 2009 TSX

This is for the geeks of the world. We're going to take a closer look at the changes under the sheetmetal for the new TSX. For those more interested in the sheetmetal itself, the accompanying photos provide our first good look at the all new 2009 TSX.

On March 19th, 2008 Acura unveiled the all new TSX at the New York International Auto Show. Around the same time, the press embargo was lifted and the various car publications were allowed to publish their initial driving reviews from the long lead introduction held a few months ago.

The common thread among most of the reviews that I've seen are that the new TSX is a well crafted, well equipped sedan, that has lost some of the 'soul' of it's predecessor. Since I haven't had my chance behind the wheel yet, I cannot comment on the drive, but we're hoping to rectify this early next month.

We have received the specifications on the new car and I found that there are a lot more changes than initially meet the eye. Lets look at the changes listed and what they should mean to your experience with the car, starting with the 2.4 liter i-VTEC engine.

Drivetrain Changes: The first thing I noticed was that a new resin composite intake runner has replaced the older cast aluminum manifold. This design reduces weight and simultaneously reduces the transfer of heat to the intake air charge as it feeds the engine. The intake runner diameter has grown from 42 mm to 48 mm and the throttle body diameter is up by 4mm. Acura has rerouted the intake for a better gulp of cold air and increased the compression ratio from 10.5 to 11.0:1. The new cylinder head has the high performance 'three lobe' VTEC design that now sports thinner aluminum rocker arms. The VTEC crossover point has been reduced from a lofty 6000 RPM to 5000 RPM thus giving the driver 2000 RPM to play on the 'hot cam' A new exhaust system with 15% greater flow allows the spent exhaust gas to escape after passing through two catalytic converters.

Although down by 4 hp at 7000 RPM, the changes have increased horsepower by 5% at 4400 RPM. This is where most people spend most of their time, especially in the automatic transmission. Torque output has increased by 8% to 172 ft. lbs. (MT), and the torque curve has been flattened considerably for improved drivability. On top of this, the drivetrain is cleaner with reduced emissions AND is slightly more fuel efficient. Estimated EPA mileage is 21/30/24 mpg (city/highway/combined) for the automatic and 20/28/23 mpg for the manual transmission.

Body and Chassis Changes: The TSX continues on the global mid-sized chassis however, for 2009, the car moves to the Advanced Compatibility Engineering chassis (ACE). This design is the foundation for all our current vehicles except for the '08 TL (this moves to ACE in the fall of 2008). ACE improves occupant protection by managing crash forces and distributing them through the frame. It also handles crashes between vehicles of different size better. I have an article on this so I won't go into greater detail here.

The unit body for 2009 is now comprised of nearly 50% high strength steel, up from 39% in the previous car. This allowed the engineers to resize the car while minimizing weight gain. The new car goes from 183.7" to 186.1" in overall length, a gain of 2.4". The width is up 3" to 72.4" and the track is now 62.2" wide. In spite of these increases, the weight is only up about 140 lbs. (depending on transmission)

Some of the extra weight probably comes from the new cross braced roof structure with closed channel crossbeams. The new design reduces flex and vibration and transmits less noise to the interior. The roof crossbeams are now attached before the roof panel. This allows access to the best welding locations and creates stronger joints. The end result is a 35% gain in front rigidity and a 20% gain in the back.

Under the car, Acura has moved to internal frame rails, thus producing a smoother, more aerodynamic car. Various plastic or aluminum fairings and wheel spats help manage the airflow and new plastic fairings in front of the rear suspension mounts further smooth the underside of the car. Other aerodynamic details include: flush headlights, side glass, rear glass and new windshield wipers that sit below the hood line and thus out of the airflow. All this attention to detail results in lower wind noise and better fuel economy, something everyone can appreciate.

As in the previous TSX, the suspension is mounted to a subframe that is isolated from the rest of the chassis with rubber bushings. Acura revised the roll center of the suspension to reduce body lean during cornering and work the rear tires more aggressively for more neutral handling. The front suspension is still a double wishbone type and the hollow front anti-roll bar is larger at 26.5 mm. The rear bar is also slightly larger, 17 mm vs. 15 mm and the rear multi-link rear suspension continues with cast aluminum knuckles for less unsprung mass.   

The TSX moves to an Electric Power Steering rack for 2009, replacing the hydraulic unit from the previous generation. This system reduces pumping losses because there is no need for a belt (engine) driven power steering pump. To enhance agility, the steering ratio is now 14.8:1 (up from 16.0:1) Interestingly, this EPS system debuted in the legendary Acura NSX, but that car used a much slower ratio of 18.6:1!

One of the most talked about changes is the move to Showa designed Deflected Disc Shock absorbers. These are simpler and less costly than the expensive Magneto-Rheological fluid type on the MDX Sport, but they yield similar benefits. The "Deflector Plate Stack" remains closed during normal driving but during rapid shock piston movement, the disc deflects to allow a greater flow of oil through the damper. This effectively allows the shock to absorb an impact like a pothole more gracefully and not introduce harshness to the cabin.

Interior and Technology: Inside the TSX, there are upgraded materials and extra detail have been paid to nearly every surface. The new interior makes good use of the added width, as shoulder and hip room have been increased for all occupants. In front, shoulder room is up 2.4" and in the rear it is up 2.6".

Standard features from last year continue so this means there are leather trimmed seats, an 8-way power driver seat (with memory), and a 4-way power passenger seat. The rear seats still fold 60/40, the opening is wider by 8 inches (at the bottom) and the seatback releases have been relocated for easier use from the trunk. The trunk sill liftover height has been lowered by 3.1" and the trunklid arms are spaced wider apart and fold into recesses to avoid crushing cargo.

Other features standard in all TSXs are a Multifunction Display that allows owners to customize a number of features that are unique to two different drivers. There is a dual zone climate control and both front seats are heated. Bluetooth HandsFreeLink is standard as are other convenience items like, automatic High Intentensity Discharge headlights, HomeLink, and a USB jack with iPod or iPhone compatability (a mini-phono plug is provided for non-iPod users).

The only factory option is the Technology Package that adds a 10-speaker, 410 watt DVD-Audio sound system that was developed by Grammy Award winning producer Elliot Schiner. The ELS system adds a 6-disc CD changer and the ability to see your ipod song information on the Navigation screen. You can change tracks and manage your music without picking up your iPod.

All the speaker cones are made from polypropylene and the speaker magnets are all high energy Neodymium. There are speakers all over the place! Soft-dome tweeters are on the mirror 'triangles', a center channel speaker is above the navi screen, 6 1/2 inch speakers are in all four doors, there are 2 more 6 1.2 inch speakers on the rear shelf, and sitting between them is the 8" subwoofer!

The Tech package also adds Acuras highly regarded Navigation system. The 8" screen is slightly recessed to reduce glare and is located high on the dash to keep it in your line of sight for safer operation while driving. New voice recognition algorithms improve sound quality and reduce the 'echo effect' if the system volume is too high. The system has a 100,000 word 'vocabulary' and has 1.7 million points of interest programmed on the DVD data disc. The Navigation screen doubles as the monitor for the the standard back up camera. This safety feature automatically comes on when the TSX is placed in reverse.

Thats all for now, stay tuned for my driving review and hopefully a preview video. If time permits, we might even have this out by the end of April. If you are in Hawaii and are interested in learning more please contact me at Pflueger Acura or via e-mail at colin[at]satoauto.com.