The Detroit Newspapers's view

I’ve met a lot of automotive journalists. It comes with the job.

If we, as a group, had to recommend a single vehicle for America, one to please the greatest number at the same time, we’d stand before the nation, open a giant white envelope and announce the winner: a diesel sport wagon with a manual gearbox.

Cue the orchestra, run the credits, the world has been saved.

Of course, that choice is completely disconnected from reality. Most Americans dislike diesels and think that neither cars nor bicycles should have more than two pedals. So forget the diesel engine and the silky smooth manual transmission. It’s going to take some convincing just to push Americans into wagons.

But Honda Motor Co.’s luxury Acura brand may do just that with its 2011 TSX sport wagon. It’s not a diesel, doesn’t have a stick shift but provides all that wagon utility, a luxury ride and arrives with a new grille people won’t laugh at when they see it.

It’s a wagon that provides enough sportiness to get most drivers in trouble and have the car mentioned in the same sentence with German Avants and American Cadillac CTS wagons. With a starting price of $31,000, it’s cheaper than all of them.

Acurauses its sporty-enough TSX sedan as a starting point, adds four inches to the body, and drops its ever-efficient 2.4-liter DOHC with variable valve timing I-4 under the hood. The engine provides 201 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque to keep up with most anything on the highway, though it lacks the power of its rivals — which use six and eight cylinders.

Its independent suspension shies toward a smooth luxury ride. But the wagon still holds itself well through corners with excellent steering feel through its electric power steering with variable assist rack-and-pinion.

Really, the TSX sport wagon is a very good ride through and through. It keeps the same 106.4-inch wheelbase as the TSX sedan — this is pretty common for the few sedans converted to wagons; all of the changes happen from the rear door back.

There were a few times during my week-long test drive that I wished the Acura had a little more juice to pull the car from a standing stop. The engine would whine for a moment until it found its groove and peak torque, then catch up. This seemed to happen when heading up a hill or when it was loaded with more than two people. No telling how it would perform if you folded down the second row and filled the 60.5 cubic feet of space with bags of cement.

That little engine, however, did provide some good fuel economy. According to Acura, the TSX wagon gets 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway — 1 mpg better in both categories than the TSX sedan with a manual transmission. While that mathematically comes out to an overall average of 25 mpg, I managed 28 mpg with a mix of city and highway driving. Rarely do I beat the combined number. I’m just not that kind of driver.

The TSX sport wagon only comes with a five-speed automatic transmission, which is too bad, because the smaller engine might feel sportier if it had a six-speed manual. At least I think most auto critics think so. There are paddle shifters that allow for some gear holding and downshifting, but it’s just not the same. As soon as you realize they’re there, you forget about them.

Puts a better face forward

Acura has cleaned up its exterior to provide a good-looking wagon. Acura has tacitly admitted that its original new face was so deformed and ugly the carmaker should have issued a recall in the name of public decency. New Acuras have a thinner and less sharp grille. It’s still distinctive, but not as bad as before. (Even the TSX sedan has benefited from the new fascia, fog lamps and chin spoiler.)

The rest of the exterior is nicely done with sharp lines and elegant folds. See how the A-line moves from the sculpted fender through the door handles to the back. There’s symmetry, there’s order, there’s a true athletic stance.

Then there’s inside the TSX sport wagon.

The instrument gauges look as if they are set within well-machined gears. The dash looks as if it’s a single piece with nice curves that flow around the deep-set 8-inch VGA color screen. Mounting the screen deep into the dash reminds people they don’t have to touch it or leave fingerprints on it to make it work. It’s operated with a slightly confusing knob that juts out of the dash and looks like you could hang your hat on it.

But it does work and provides for all the functionality a driver would want, from hands-free phone operation via Bluetooth to iPod connection via a USB connection. While the navigation system offers high resolution, some other functions are still displayed in dated-looking graphics.

My biggest complaint with the TSX Wagon is the center stack. If this Acura has a knob to control everything, why are there so many buttons surrounding it? It creates a confusing space in the middle of the car. Then there’s the steering wheel that has nearly as many buttons. If you’re not careful, you can call your mother, set cruise control and change radio stations when all you wanted to do was honk your horn.

But there’s rarely a reason to blast your horn. The seats are extremely comfortable and I glided from place to place in it. Adult passengers in the second row are nearly as comfortable in the leather seats.

This wagon is a welcome addition to the Acura family, and, maybe, it can go a long way in showing America the goodness of a wagon.

If only consumers could realize how wagons were the first crossovers, before there were crossovers. If they just knew wagons can ride like sports sedans and, in a pinch, offer lots of cargo space.

Then, they might start to see the light. They might see the enlightened logic automotive journalists apply when selecting them as the true all-purpose modern vehicle.

Now, about diesels …

sburgess@detnews.com (313) 223-3217

2011 Acura TSX sport wagon

Price: $30,960

Type: Five-passenger FWD wagon

Engine: 2.4-liter DOHC,

iVTE inline 4-cylinder

Power: 201 horsepower;

172 pound-feet torque

Transmission: 5-speed automatic

EPA gas mileage: 22 mpg city /

30 mpg highway

Report Card

Overall: *** 1/2

Exterior: Good. Crisp lines and new front end make the TSX sport wagon very nice looking.

Interior: Good. Well laid out and very functional. The center stack is crowded with too many buttons but versatility of cargo space is good.

Performance: Good. Smooth ride, good performance. Engine underpowered at moments, but quickly recovers.

Pros: Excellent for people who want luxury amenities along with a vehicle that offers versatility.

Cons: Many people shy away from wagons and the people who drive them.

**** Excellent *** Good ** Fair * Poor