You'd think that after so many years of lamenting all the awesome, new family-friendly, station wagons that don't come to the US, automakers would wise up, or I'd give up.
In truth, it's a very little of both. The Acura TSX Wagon is an honest-to-goodness rebadge of a sweet European Honda Accord Estate, and it's here now. And according to Dan Neil, that is generally a good thing:
nd the car? Oh, excellent, thank you. If General Motors built it I would be expecting the Sun to turn to sackcloth and the fig tree to cast its untimely figs, for the End Times would soon be upon us.Of course, he's also right that it'd be better with the TSX sedan's more powerful engine, and with its AWD system, it'd be flatout awesome. Maybe if just 4,000 of you a year buy the TSX Wagon as it is, they'll make it better for the rest of us later? Please? Thanks....
If you've got $35,000 to spend on a wagon, this is the most wagon you can get.
A Distinctive Wagon [wsj via dt reader and new wagon owner! rolf]
If this thing had a rear-facing third row, it would probably be my dream car.
As is, it's probably still close to being my dream car, since I can't imagine affording an M-B E-wagen. Either this or a used V70.
Now if I can just figure out how to afford owning ANY car in Manhattan...
Consider me intrigued. This just might be in the spirit of my long lost Subaru Legacy GT Wagon. Albeit with more luxury and tech but a whole lot less power, no AWD and a slightly less usable interior. Maybe it's closer in spirit to the old Mazda6 wagon.
This car has to have the most obstructed "unobstructed" cargo floor I've seen. In a concession to what better be a fantastic rear suspension setup there are some pretty significant towers eating up some of that pass through space. When you fold down the "40" side of the rear seat it looks like you're only left with about 20. Fold em both down and how much width to you actually have on the floor? Definitely not the best wagon for IKEA runs.
Neil misses the V6 but if I recall, this engine did not get the best reviews when it first appeared in the TSX. It adds power and refinement but the added weight over the front end supposedly makes it a lot less fun to drive. The enthusiasts choice is the 4 cylinder with the manual (also not available with the wagon).