If you're Canadian, I'm sure you know the Acura EL very well. Instead of continuing to use the Integra Sedan like the US, Acura decided to keep the Integra coupe but offer a different entry-level sedan and they called it EL. Before I get into further detail I'd like to let you know about the CSX. It's the replacement for the EL and the name as many would guess sounds like a level down from the TSX which well, it is. The EL since day one has been a rebadged Civic (Cadillac Cimarron sounds very similar). It essentially is a Civic with an Acura name, a few luxury goodies like Leather Seats, but costs a lot more, in fact it costs about the same as a typical midsize sedan like an Accord or G6 but has 127 HP! While it wasn't really a bad car, I don't think it probably acheived the sales that they probably hoped but since the Civic is so popular, it probably didn't worry them. Now that there's a new Civic, there's a new Acura version as well and instead of calling it EL (usually includes engine size which has been 1.6 and 1.7 EL) they called it CSX mainly to fit into the typical Acura name designation and the fact that it uses a 2.0L engine now, it made more sense to rename it.
ACURA EL
Acura CSX
As you can see it's quite good looking, especially compared to the sinister looking Civic sister. While I'm sure it won't win any beauty awards, it's still quite attractive and offers some pretty sweet features. Power comes from a 2.0L DOHC i-VTEC L4 with 155 HP and 139 LB-FT TORQUE with available Paddle Shifting Auto Transmission. The paddle shifting feature is generally found on more expensive vehicles like Ferrari's, Pontiac's and Saab's to name a few. It's a welcome feature, however there are drawbacks to all this fun. #1 is price, the CSX starts at a rather high $25,400. Essentially your paying $26,000 (almost $10,000 more than a surprisingly well equipped base Civic) for a Civic with an Acura name. Will it be a hit, well at those prices you can get more powerful, well equipped and larger midsize sedans like the Accord, G6, Sonata, Fusion, Malibu and Camry. The CSX isn't obviously a family car like the above mentioned and will definetly be for those who wan't the Acura prestige without the extra cost, but for those who can live without the Acura name for those prices, I wouldn't be surprised if they head over to their Honda dealer and check out an Accord or go to other dealerships. The G6 is a good alternative at those prices because it does offer more power for the same price and at times even less and isn't really a boring design. Still I would find it rare that a person looking at a small Acura would even dare consider a midsized Pontiac.