Sunday, February 27, 2011

2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon

2011 Acura TSX Sport WagonHonda hasn't brought Americans a station wagon since 1997. We quickly forgot about the slow-selling five-door Accord when the CR-V, a higher car-based SUV with all-wheel-drive and a collapsible picnic table, came out that same year. It's still one of Honda's most popular models, and one of the top-selling cars in the small crossover segment.
2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon

Toyota dropped their Camry wagon in 1996. Ford's venerable Taurus and Mercury Sable wagons disappeared in 2005. Its compact Focus wagon went in 2007, the hotrod Dodge Magnum and more practical Mazda 6 wagon in 2008. Saturn threw out the midsize L-Series, which included a wagon, in 2003. And the plastic wood-paneled Buick Roadmaster and Chevy Caprice wagons were last seen when gas was a dollar per gallon. That last part makes me weep.
2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon
Few automakers have remained faithful to wagons. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Saab, Volvo, Volkswagen, and Subaru have sold wagons every year in the US since the early 1990s, some for decades. There are roughly 100,000 sold each year, about 1 percent of the US market — that's less than the share of hybrids. Americans, apparently, have been happier with higher ground clearance and a few extra millimeters of headroom, despite the fact that most five-passenger crossovers and SUVs offer similar space and cargo capacity as a decent station wagon.
2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon

So has Acura taken a big risk by launching a luxury sport wagon in a small market of stubborn holdouts? No, Cadillac did. They brought a spanking new CTS Sport Wagon last year and the maniacal 556-horsepower CTS-V for 2011. Acura imported the European-market Honda Accord Tourer, flipped the "H" logo upside down, and called it a day.

2011 Acura MDX

2011 Acura MDX
The 2011 Acura MDX is a seven-passenger, three-row luxury crossover vehicle. It puts its best foot forward with strong acceleration, a comfortable cabin and in great safety performance--while downplaying any extreme off-road ability.
2011 Acura MDX
However, it's also an entertaining vehicle to drive and, despite some odd exclusions on the features list, a supremely confident family vehicle with a stellar safety record.
2011 Acura MDX
Pricing begins around $43,000 and reaches beyond $50,000 for fully outfitted versions. The MDX competes against luxury crossovers like the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT; the Volvo XC90; and the Buick Enclave.
2011 Acura MDX

The Acura MDX is one of our top-ranked large crossovers. Contenders include the handsome Buick Enclave, with great safety and sex appeal, as well as a prettier interior with a piece or two of less-appealing plastic trim than the MDX. The Volvo XC90 has three rows of seats, but seating anyone in the third row is an awkward exercise, fuel economy is relatively poor, and initial quality has been less than exemplary. The new Lincoln MKT takes the fundamentals of the roomy, capable Ford Flex and wraps them in distinctive sheetmetal—and fits in a 355-horsepower turbocharged six-cylinder engine for class-leading power.