The Fast Lane Car

2011 Acura TSX video review: Do the words 'sport' and 'wagon' really go together?

Do the words "sport" and "wagon" really go together?

You bet they do.

With naturally athletic and precisely balanced steering, a rev happy 201HP 2.4-liter inline-4 mated with a paddle-shift 5-speed automatic, the Acura TSX Sport Wagon will put a huge smile on the face of any driving enthusiast.

Best of all, since the Acura TSX Sport Wagon is 1.3 inches longer and 130 pounds heavier it also carries more of it's weight further back which means it now has 57/43 front/rear weight distribution, versus roughly 59/41 for a similarly equipped TSX sedan.

The 2011 Acura TSX Sports Wagon proves that you can combine the utility of a wagon with the frisky handling of a sports car.

Check out this first drive video review as we put the 2011 Acura TSX sport wagon to the test.

The 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon is a fun to drive ride with useful cargo capacity

The 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon is a rare bird parked on today's Crossover and SUV heavy new car dealership showroom floor.

It sits almost alone on the floor with only the Audi A4 Avant and BMW 328i Sport Wagon for company and of course competition.

Yet is offers something that many of of it's heavier, taller, bigger and more popular Crossover and SUV rivals can never match.

It's fun to drive.

Actually, when the road turns twisty and the traffic thins it is very fun to drive.

Chasing the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in a Acura TSX Sport Wagon

The 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon may be the perfect car for a cross country trip chasing a professional bike race.

In the video below we check in with veteran cycling journalist James Raia in Vail, Colorado as he drives from Colorado mountain town to mountain town in the 2011 Acura Sport Wagon chasing the riders of  the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge bike race.

With a 2.4-liter 201-horsepower 170-pound-foot I-4, the 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon has adequate power to climb the Colorado mountain passes. Of course the turbo-charged engine in the Acura RDX would be even a better choice as the turbo makes up for lost power in the thin Colorado air.

Perhaps the very best reason to pick the TSX to chase a professional bike race like the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the vast amounts of room the TSX Sport Wagon brings to the table.

Review: the 2012 Acura TL goes all mainstream & the results are very good

The aggressive, blunt styling of the Acura TL has given way for 2012 to a smoother, more mainstream look.

The nicely built car’s controversial front “beak” is gone, replaced by a reshaped fascia with a smaller grille. The rear also has been revised, with new bumpers, reshaped taillights and a thinner trunk edge. The car’s front overhang has been reduced a little, which helps give the car a lower, wider appearance.

Adding to a sporty look are prominent dual exhaust outlet tips and body color door handles.

The TL is a sleek four-door sedan offered with front-wheel drive or Acura’s advanced “Super Handling” all-wheel drive (SH-AWD) system. That system prevents torque steer and helps stability. It comes only with the larger 3.7-liter, 305-horsepower  V-6. A 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 is offered with front-drive..

Mashed-up Match-up video review # 4: Acura RDX vs. Toyota 4Runner vs. Land Rover LR4

Anybody can race a Camaro vs. a Mustang in a straight line. It's been done tens of thousands of times over the years, but what about an Acura RDX  vs. Toyota 4Runner vs.  Land Rover LR4 up Lickskillet Road...America's steepest country road?

Now that's a crazy challenge that only Nathan, Sara and Roman are willing to take on.

Take a look at the video below as the three friends, automotive journalist and The Fast Lane Car reporters take a Goldilocks approach to reviewing three new off-road worthy cars.

Which one of the three cars do you think is too small, too big, and of course just right?

Video Review: The 2011 Acura MDX hauls butt...no make that 7 butts

The 2011 MDX is Acura's most popular model.

Why?

Because it seats seven and with it's super handling all wheel drive and 300 HP V6 it hauls some serious butt...even in the snow.

The MDX also comes packed with Acura's latest technology that does everything from monitor the blind-spots to adjust the heating and cooling based on the navigation system.

Check out this snow bound review of Acura's family hauling MDX.

Review: The 2011 Acura RDX has a great personality

Ever been on a blind date where your friends tell you all about your date’s personality? Yes – many of us have been there. Hell, sometimes I was the date people tried to push on others based on charm and not my appearance. It kind of sucks to be in that position.

One of the things that many automotive journalists do when reviewing a vehicle is view other criticisms of that vehicle to find common, or uncommon ground. I have found the latter with the 2011 Acura RDX, for it is better than they say it is. Okay, it does share components with the unexciting Honda CR-V… it’s true. Remember this: These are HONDA components we’re talking about, so it’s not that much of a crime. You could do a lot worse than Honda.

Video review: is the 2010 Acura ZDX new and bold or an evolutionary dead end?

The 2010 Acura ZDX is a new and bold design from a car manufacturer that's best known for building one of the most popular cars in the world: the Honda Accord.

Perhaps the closest competitor to the ZDX is BMW's X6. BMW took the DNA of a SUV/Crossover and spliced it together with a 4-door coupe to create the X6 and a new kind of car.

Acura has done basically the same thing, but the approach is much more subtle.

Weekly Drive 2010 Acura TL SH-AWD: is the TL too much of a good thing?

Here's the question to ponder as you read this review: Is the Acura TL SH-AWD too much of a good thing?

Let's start with the name itself.

Acura TL SH-AWD.

The car has not one, not two, but three (actually four if you don't count the hyphen) designations.

Review 2009 Acura TL: $40K and worth every penny

It wasn't too many years ago $30,000 was the beginning price point for a luxury vehicle. Now, $40,000 is the standard, and that's where the Acura TL has been perched for the past several years. The TL debuted with the 1996 model, was redesigned in 2004 and for 2009 has its third generation. Like previous models, the current edition is all good with the vehicle's largest engine to date and a good selection of other new additions.