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While the dashboard is suitably squishy, some interior plastics are less than luxurious. Haptic quibbles aside, the color palate is what gave me pause. Our tester looked as if it was carved out of a single black piece of plastic. Admittedly it is a nice piece of plastic, and the attention to detail is worthy of any luxury marque. However, I found the monochromatic interior oppressive after a while. The only way to avoid this black-on-black-on-black theme is to buy a red or white TSX (they come with a “taupe” interior). 

Although the dashboard remains black, the lighter leather makes the TSX a far more appealing place to spend your time. Want a red car with a black interior? That’s not on Acura’s menu. The TSX redeems itself with a low starting price of $31,360, undercutting the 328i wagon by over six-grand. For the price, I’m willing to overlook some less-than-swish door trim. Speaking of trim, base model TSXs get fake wood trim while the upscale “Technology Package” add fake metal trim. While neither faux option is “fauxin” anyone, the wood trim makes the interior a touch more upscale by helping break up the vast expanses of black.

For Acura duty, the only change made to the “Accord Tourer” was grafting the Acura beak onto the existing front bumper molds. Since bumper itself didn’t change, the TSX wears the smallest beak of the family, and honestly, looking at pictures of the enormous logo the Touring wears, the TSX is more attractive. The overall form of the TSX is thoroughly modern, in an angular Cadillac-ish kind of way.

The slanted hatchback and rear windows that decrease in size as they head rearward attempt to distract from the fact that the TSX is indeed a station wagon. Acura added a splash of chrome trim around the windows and roof rails so you’ll look trendy and sophisticated on your way to the board meeting with your surfboard on top. While the BMW 3-Series wagon is decidedly handsome, the TSX provides firm competition in the looks department.

The 2012 Acura TSX Sport Wagon sees no major changes following its introduction for the 2011 model year. This front-wheel-drive wagon is based on Acura's entry-level model, and TSX shares some of its basic design with the European-market Honda Accord. 

The Sport Wagon's standard engine is a 201-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder. It teams with a 5-speed automatic transmission. Standard features include a sunroof, wireless cell-phone link, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and automatic climate control. Safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain-side airbags, and front-side airbags. An optional Technology Package includes a voice-activated navigation system with real-time traffic and weather information; a hard drive for storing digital-music files; a rearview camera; and a 10-speaker, 415-watt surround-sound audio system. Versions so equipped are priced as separate models.

Specs and safety for the 2012 Acura TSX Sport Wagon include detailed information on everything from fuel mileage to seating capacity. NHTSA crash-test scores for the 2012 Acura TSX Sport Wagon are provided as well as manufacturer warranty information.