Friday Fleet Notes: 5.16.08

In today’s fleet notes, we take a look at the 2008 BMW M3, the 2009 Acura TSX and the 2009 Honda Pilot. Our staff offers a number of different takes on the vehicles, from their styling to the way they stack up to competition in their respective segments. After you get done reading our thoughts, check out a longer impression in an expert review for each car.

2008 BMW M3

• BMW’s latest iteration of its legendary M3 arrived at the Cars.com garage recently, and I had a chance to drive it where many owners might find themselves when not at a weekend track event: commuting to and from the office during rush hour. Even in this rather mundane situation, the M3 showed how versatile a machine it is. The M3 is one of BMW’s track-ready production cars, but it’s also rather civilized in stop-and-go driving. The clutch won’t wear out your left leg, and even on very poor post-winter roads the M3’s suspension displays an admirable degree of suppleness, which makes for a ride that’s more tolerable than what you’d get from an Audi RS 4. The M3’s sport seats also fit me much better than the bucket seats in regular 3 Series models. If you need to scoot around slower-moving traffic, a surge of power is only a jab of the gas pedal away. There is one thing I could do without on the M3: While most of the car is accented with typically subtle M cues, I’m no fan of the car’s domed hood — it’s too noticeable from the driver’s seat. It looks like there’s an alien tumor pushing up from below. —Mike Hanley, senior editor

2009 Acura TSX

• The TSX is nicer and more refined than the previous generation, but at the same time less engaging to drive. I don’t know if most drivers notice the driving experience as much as we do, but I’ve long held that the BMW 3 Series is a top seller in part because it’s so fun to drive. Consciously or not, people feel it. I don’t believe that models must grow with every redesign, as many have, but this one has a legroom problem, and not just in the backseat. At 6 feet tall, I never stopped feeling like I wanted to be farther back. In their early years, Acuras were criticized for doing many things right but lacking soul. Like I said, a very nice car, but in this regard, the new-generation TSX takes a step back. —Joe Wiesenfelder, senior editor

• The Acura TSX was a pretty run-of-the-mill sedan for me; there wasn’t anything terribly offensive about it, it just didn’t wow me. I wasn’t crazy about the navigation system, which was hard to use (no keyboard) and washed out pretty badly in sunlight. The steering felt pretty imprecise, but that’s not out of character for this segment. I did, however, appreciate the big side mirrors in a time where I feel like every new car I get into is competing to see how small they can get away with making these things. —Beth Palmer, copy editor

• I took the 2009 TSX on a 160-mile road trip from the Chicago suburbs up to the Road America race track in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The drive was easy in the TSX, and the silky smooth six-speed manual transmission was a breeze even in the traffic I encountered. The TSX’s navigation and multimedia system is easy to use, as are the stereo and climate controls. The ride wasn’t as sporty as I was expecting from a smaller car like the TSX – even with the manual transmission – and, personally, I would probably forgo a manual option for the automatic transmission in this particular car; the auto gets better mileage, too. —Joe Bruzek, assistant editor

• The great debate in the office over the TSX was whether it was “enough” for the average car buyer versus more performance-oriented competition, like the Infiniti G35 and BMW 3 Series, which Acura itself holds the car up against. My thinking is that there is a large group of people out there who just want a “good”-performing entry-level luxury car that gets them to work in style. At that, the TSX doesn’t really have a rival, especially at its well-equipped starting price of $28,960, which includes leather and a moonroof standard. That’s thousands less than the competition. Steering was adequate but not as sporty as the previous model. The brakes weren’t as grabby as a BMW, but the ride was a hundred times smoother than a 3 Series. I could see commuters really gravitating toward the TSX because of this attribute. I even liked the new-look grille. Plus, the four-cylinder engine delivers some impressive mileage numbers. —David Thomas, senior editor

2009 Honda Pilot

• As car-based SUVs go, the Pilot was pretty early to the market, offering the compromise that has made “crossovers” the hottest new category: lots of interior room and three rows of seats from what’s technically a midsize exterior. All that was good, and it still is. Perhaps it reflects on how good the original Pilot was that nothing in the new generation really stood out to me. Nicely done and incrementally improved, but not remarkable in any way that I noticed during a brief drive. —Joe Wiesenfelder, senior editor

• As a new dad, I foresee myself having to move up in vehicle size by the time kid No. 2 rolls around. Besides a minivan, it’ll have to be something like the Pilot to do the job. Unlike almost everyone else, I found the looks of the Pilot handsome, if not overtly masculine. Inside, I was less impressed. For a top-of-the-line Touring model, the leather was not as luxurious as recent Accords and Odysseys I’ve tested. The plastic also seemed bulkier on the dash and flimsier around the doors than other recent Hondas. On a lower-level trim I think it would be more acceptable, since kids will probably manhandle every inch of the SUV. Oh, performance … I thought it rode really well. Steering was nice and the engine was competent. It won’t wow anyone, but it gets the job done. I think I still like the Mazda CX-9 better. —David Thomas, senior editor