Tonyware

All these reviews are getting boring and repetitive. Plus the usual corporate useless quotes and the pathetic politically correct auto-journalist's blah blah. Nothing new, just lots of wasted bandwidth. Lets seek and find the long-term reviews. These are the ones that matter after a new model has been driven (real-life-conditions) for a few months.

Stew4HD

I thought this thread is for all reviews. If there are reviews that are longer, they will be posted here too. I don't mind seeing more reviews. For some, it helps them make buying decisions. "Repetitive" reviews tend to confirm factors both good and bad.

nebula

Dated 12/1/14
2015 TLX V6 SH-AWD Review

2015 Acura TLX 3.5L SH-AWD Review

EE4Life

Stew4HD

talk about a non-committal review.. "it's just different"

EE4Life

Quandry

I am really concerned about Zack and his review. The theme was complexity (related to gear selector and different engine and gearbox combinations). If the buying public, who can afford this car, has difficulty with this then our education and society are really in trouble!

Quandry

OMG! Stop the presses Chuck, I have to look at the gear select to see what I am selecting. This is a real show stopper and will cost so so much more time in my journey and is a real distraction while driving. Oh, I forgot that I only use it when starting or finishing, maybe having to select reverse some of the time.

Sorry, my alcohol consumption made me write this.

Tushka

Savage on Wheels: Acura TLX 3.5L SH-AWD Tech offers quiet, luxurious ride

ostrich

Oh boy.... I usually like Zack, but this time I am not sure.... he should have reviewed the TLX as it is, rather than getting stuck with the "different" feel than the old TL that he could not get over.

weather

^^ Seems that Zack and I seem to feel the same way about the TLX. Zack is a huge Acura guy, in fact we have exchanged a few e-mails in the past because he loved my TSX with body kit and I had sent some pics of it, we also have a weather connection, being a former weatherman on TV (while I am a meteorologist).

Bottom line, he did point out the lack of punch/snap the TLX that I also experienced. I will say that after browsing many other car companies, I am really going to miss the Acura interior. Esthetically, the TLX has won my heart and you guys have a gorgeous car in hand.

Tony Pac

I usually like Zack's reviews. This time I have a mixed feeling. He was confused....lol

He keeps comparing it to TL and he wasn't sure what to say. At least at the end he said you have to drive it.

Momyc

I think Zacks likes more how 4g was driving and from that it's coming his conclusion "it's different" . I'm on same page with him.

Stew4HD

Well, the 4G is different that the 3G which is different than the 2G ... If he didn't like the TLX ride, why didn't he say so instead of being wishy-washy?

Tonyware

As I wrote above, reviews are getting boring and repetitive. But not this one. This Zack guy obviously knows TL. I guess he concludes that this isn't a TL. Not sure what it is, but not a TL.

PS. $1.06 for 91 oct today in Ottawa... what fuel economy?

EE4Life

EE4Life

EE4Life

niray9

Harsh

Stew4HD

That is the thing with a lot of reviews.. they aren't exactly objective. That guy didn't like the car because it wasn't this or that yet the next reviewer saw something different.

Some focus on what the TLX is not which I don't get. One should, IMO, review what the car is, what it does well and what it doesn't do well.

randomRon82

ostrich

Thanks, Random. That is a fair review by Edmunds! Much more reasonable and objective than that silly non-review by Consumer Report - when that guy said that the Jewel Eye headlights did not project and were not bright enough, I knew that he was totally biased and was out to bash the TLX....

Stew4HD

Agreed. When the guy said that I just had to laugh at how ridiculous he sounded... and it only got worse

Quandry

I am biased but I did not particularly like this review. Maybe it was his condescending tone, and the "need" for the reviewers to find fault with things that really do not matter. I have never liked the interiors of Volvo or Saab and to suggest that the TLX is not as nice as the S60, well that is so wrong.

Some like electronic shifter, me included, and others do not, but I take exception to it being called gimmicky. I wonder what he thinks of the MB's and their stick gear shift column selector, or other cars with a rotary control, or push button on the console. I rate the TLX design more highly over those.

Maybe I should just stop watching these reviews to keep my blood pressure in check.

TSX69

TSX69

Acura TLX Handling Belies Sensible Sedan Style

The Good Direct injection contributes to V-6 engine efficiency in the 2015 Acura TLX, and a torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system aids handling. Adaptive cruise control combines with lane-keeping assist for near-autonomous driving on the highway.

The Bad The cabin tech interface confuses with an LCD, separate touchscreen and a jog-dial controller.

The Bottom Line The 2015 Acura TLX is a quirky but comfortable sedan, its all-wheel-drive system and drive modes giving it occasional sports cred but lacking the connected aptitude of competitors.

Acura calls its all-wheel-drive system "Super Handling," and this is no empty boast. When I put the 2015 Acura TLX SH-AWD Advance down 1 of my typical twisty test roads, I got a little surprise every time I glanced at the speedometer. The TLX blasted through these turns at a much higher speed than I would have expected, given its sensible design.

Its secret was quick torque vectoring from the all-wheel-drive system, throwing extra twist to the outside rear wheels in the turns. I could feel the back end being helpfully shuttled around, giving the car just a little oversteer.

With the TLX's Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) set to Sport Plus, the transmission obliged this hard driving by keeping the gears low and the engine speed high, changing down fast when I hit the brakes.

Much of the TLX's sport driving performance was brilliant, except for a couple of things. The steering, despite having its electric assist reduced, still felt exceedingly numb. The fixed suspension, which felt tuned for comfort, got downright bouncy in the turns, and the all season Goodyear Eagle LS tires, wrapped around 18-inch wheels, shrieked much more than a stickier tire would.

This sort of fun can only be had in the SH-AWD version of the TLX that, when also equipped with the Advance package of driver assistance tech, goes for a price of $45,620. Acura makes versions of the TLX without SH-AWD available as well. For $35,220 you're looking at the TLX with the same 3.5-liter V-6 and 9-speed automatic transmission as the top trim. And for $30,995 there is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder version with an intriguing 8-speed dual-clutch transmission that also incorporates a torque converter. These 2 latter versions are front-wheel drive but incorporate the all-wheel-steering system we tested earlier in the Acura RLX.

For UK and Australian readers wondering what an "Acura" is, it's like a Honda, but better and more expensive.

2 modes matter

The IDS button in the TLX sits next to a novel set of drive buttons replacing a traditional shifter. The Park button is rectangular, while the Drive button is round, and reverse requires pulling up on a toggle switch. The IDS button takes the car through Econ, Normal, Sport, and Sport Plus modes. Frankly, I could have done without the middle 2 modes. Econ detuned the throttle and shifted high, but I never found it annoying to drive in this mode. Normal made the throttle tuning slightly sharper, but not appreciably more. Sport sharpened the throttle even more, but left the transmission in standard mode, so it wasn't of much use when hitting the corners. All the fun came from Sport Plus.

During a day that made the automatic windshield wipers slash back-and-forth at their highest speed, the all-wheel-drive system showed its worth. The TLX remained very composed as I navigated a winding road that was slowly being turned into a river. In fact, I didn't feel it necessary to temper my speed due to the weather, although I wasn't going to really push the car's limits, either.

On city streets and wide freeways, I was perfectly content to roll around in Econ mode. The TLX drove with ease, perfect as a suburban commute car and errand runner. The surprisingly deep trunk could have easily swallowed up 4 suitcases. The 3.5-liter V-6 under the hood makes use of direct injection to improve efficiency, creating 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers may not sound huge, but the TLX felt more ready to make its engine power available than some other cars I've driven, such as the Infiniti Q70.

Fuel economy comes in at 21 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, very good numbers for a 3.5-liter engine. Helping out city fuel economy is an idle-stop feature, which shut down the engine at stoplights when I had the TLX in Econ or Comfort modes. Idle-stop was just a little slow kicking the engine back to life when I lifted off the brake pedal, such that some people might want to turn this feature off. However, I found I could live with it, especially as I found it easy to modulate the engine's start-stop behavior with the brake pedal. Excessive use of Sport Plus mode and San Francisco's brutally slow traffic kept my average fuel economy on the low side, at 22.2 mpg.

What annoyed me more than idle-stop was the TLX's hyperactive forward collision warning system, which incessantly blinked the word "brake" at me like an overly nervous backseat driver whenever it felt I was following too closely or not braking soon enough for stopped cars ahead. However, as the 1st warning stage of Acura's collision mitigation braking system, I see the value. If I weren't to react due to distraction, this system would automatically hit the brakes.

Other driver assistance features included a blind spot monitor, which lit up an icon in the side mirror casings when other cars were in the lanes next to the TLX, and adaptive cruise control, relying on forward-looking radar to slow down from my set speed to the speed of traffic ahead. Those systems worked well enough, although the blind-spot monitor tended to come on when I drove next bridge railings. Much more interesting was Acura's lane-keeping assist feature, making the TLX nearly self-driving.

This system uses a forward-looking camera and the car's electric power steering, recognizing lane lines then actively steering the car on a course between the lines. I drove for miles on the freeway keeping a light touch on the steering wheel, and feeling it twist to follow the lane lines. Similar to my 1st time using adaptive cruise control, getting used to it was a bit eerie, but then I missed it when it was off. The system has a few built-in limitations to prevent drivers abusing it. For 1, it flashed a warning reading "Steering required" when I let go of the wheel. 2nd, Acura sets it to only work between 45 and 90 mph. The lower limit is kind of annoying, as it could come in handy when stuck in slow traffic.

Acura makes the controls around this system a little mystifying, too. When I saw the green band in the instrument cluster reading LKAS, I assumed lane keeping was active. However, that band just indicates that the system is ready. I had to push a button on the steering wheel, off by default, and check that a graphic representing lane lines was present on the instrument cluster display.

Beyond the speed limitations, lane-keeping assist only worked when the system could see clearly defined lane lines.

2 screen confusion

1 thing I can't be persuaded to like about the TLX is its cabin tech interface. Consisting of an LCD on the dashboard, a touchscreen LCD on the center stack and a jog dial surrounded by buttons below that, this system is a mish-mash of confusing controls and informational displays. The top LCD shows the map, audio and phone information, all controlled by the lower jog dial and buttons. Meanwhile, the touchscreen shows some of the same audio information and offers limited controls for music selection along with a shortcuts menu and a keypad for alphanumeric entry.

This system could be much improved if Acura did away with the jog dial and put the entire control interface on the touchscreen, with the upper LCD merely showing navigation and other pertinent driver information.

That said, I liked the navigation system, which gave me clear instructions and easy-to-follow graphics for upcoming turns. Even better, its traffic coverage was extensive, showing flow and incident information for surface streets and smaller highways. And carried over from prior Acura navigation systems, this one includes a database of scenic drives from around the country.

The TLX's main online service comes through the Acura Streams app, which relies on Harman's Aha Internet radio service. Acura Streams let me listen to a wide variety of podcasts, music services and news from around the Internet. It also includes services to find nearby hotels and restaurants, although this feature runs a bit slow and offers limited results. I would much prefer a fully integrated online destination search combined with an app like Yelp, similar to what Chrysler offers in its UConnect system, which I most recently saw in the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Audio sources include Bluetooth streaming, HD Radio, USB for drives or iOS integration and even an integrated Pandora app. I liked how easy it was to choose different HD channels using the touchscreen, although that capability didn't seem to be present when using the jog dial and LCD controls. Selecting music from an iOS device, I could view my entire music library on the upper LCD or request individual albums or artists with voice command. The touchscreen interface was more limited, however, only letting me browse sequentially from album to album.

As this TLX came with Acura's Technology package, it had the 10-speaker ELS audio system, an Acura staple for premium audio. And as with previous examples of this system I have tested, it seemed tuned for acoustic and light rock. However, turning up the bass and subwoofer made the sound profile more appropriate for what I wanted. This system did an excellent job revealing the details in tracks, raising the prominence of sounds and instruments that get lost from inferior systems.

Acura advancing

Acura's model development became a little stagnant up until recently, but the company is now revamping its models and innovating some unique technologies. The 2015 Acura TLX follows the new RLX and MDX models in implementing new features. The TLX benefits from Acura's drivetrain improvements, getting an efficient direct-injection V-6 and a nine-speed transmission. Combined with the idle-stop feature, fuel economy should hit mid-20s average for most drivers, much better than the below 20 mpg average from prior Acura V-6 models.

The cabin tech offers a useful set of features, although I'm not crazy about Acura's current connected strategy. And I really don't like the confusing and duplicative interface. As for driver assistance features, the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance are an impressive combination, but I am baffled why Acura would make the latter unavailable below 45 mph, where it could allow near-autonomous driving in slow traffic.

For me, the SH-AWD system was the star of the show. The TLX became downright ferocious in the turns with torque vectoring pushing the back end around. Sport Plus contributed by keeping the power on tap, turning the TLX into something of a sleeper sports car.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Aye - for whatever reason they don't like the TLX (in comparison) much. They don't mention the nice ride and quiet cabin at all. I've posted this before - I really enjoy their Talking Cars (click -> https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...nsumer+reports) podcasts - but they do have their biases and for whatever reason the TLX didn't impress them.

The thing I don't get is it seems everyone who reviews the car feels obligated to ding them for the dual screen. "It's not intuitive" they all say. Meanwhile - if you buy the car you're going to spend the time to figure it out (not that much time as most will do it in chunks as needed) and once you do you can understand the functionality behind it. Having the nav screen on (top) and being able to futz with the sound system at the same time (bottom) is quite functional, no?

Stew4HD

I agree 100%. It helps that I came from an Accord EX-L that had dual screen and I NEVER was confused or even thought it was bad/wrong/etc. I understood it immediately.

These guys spend 1 hour in the car looking at everything, spend no time understanding the concept and call it non-intuitive.

Quandry

The dual screen is definitely functional. On the 3G, IIRC, the screen was dedicated to Navi and the little LED part at the top showed the audio info. My wife's MB has one screen that displays either Navi or Audio, and it is inconvenient to have to switch out of guidance mode to get to Audio and then have to switch back. Yes it is just a few button clicks or control knob functions, but you loose map views while doing this. Chalk one up for Acura.

weather

I don't understand these reviewers....When Acura had a shit load of buttons, they whined like babies. Acura takes away the button for the touch screen, they whine.

LISTEN MORONS (Car reviewers): Make your F%^ mind! They haven't invented a mind reader so we need a way to get those things working, so buttons or touch screen....what do you want?!

Myself, I would have preferred the plethora of buttons Acura once had....It worked, non convoluted and it was sexy at night!

Quandry

^^ Their role in life is to find fault even where there is none (that really matter). Very frustrating.

quantum7

I like the dual screens but never actually disliked the buttons. My wife has a 4Runner and the Navi/Audio screens are horrible....can never see what is playing on audio b/c it reverts back to map after a few seconds....and you have to hit extra buttons to see artist/etc info.

Acura system is much better once you spend a little time learning the method that works for you.

wlkeel

If you think they're tough on the TLX dual screens, you should read some of the negatives about the Cadillac CUE system (no knobs). We were scared to death we'd NEVER be able to operate it.

Instead, it's been very easy and intuitive, and my wife and I have had no problems (and we're not techies).

So what Quandry said above has a lot of merit.

weather

^^ I agree which is why I think people (including car companies) should stop listening to these people and focus on what "real life people and owners" actually say.

Charlieu

I just purchased my TLX Advance, so of course I went through this entire thread beforehand to make sure I got the most from my test drive. My takeaway from the reviews was that I needed to look at acceleration, transmission buttons and the dual screen displays. The first two were not much of an issue other than having no shift knob to rest my hand on. I can see where someone just stepping into the car might find the dual screens daunting. As an owner though, a little time spent with the manual and everything starts making sense. Most of the stuff is done while parked and a lot of it is set once and then you forget about it. Taking the time to set everything up means not having to juggle the touch screen and interface dial while on the road. Coming from a Mercedes with a tiny Command screen, I really like the dual displays. One thing I didn't see in a review was any mention about the steering wheel adjustment. (I might have missed it.) I couldn't believe that a car with this much tech required me to manually push, pull and tilt the steering wheel to adjust it. Maybe they just needed something they could add to next years model to make it different.

Quandry

I agree with most of your points. Dual screens compared to the MB single is so much more convenient. As I am the primary driver the steering wheel adjustment does not bother me. It is a weight and cost saving omission. Set it once and forget it. For shared driving with two fobs it would be certainly be convenient to remember the positions and automatically set. It would be interesting to see stats for one primary vs multiple drivers.

thebluexanadu81

I really hope some of these negative reviews don't affect the sales of the TLX. Some of these reviewers are either too harsh or just in general bias against Acura.

randomRon82

2015 Acura TLX V6 SH-AWD Review - AutoGuide.com News

Colin

Kinda funny:
Really? It makes me want to ask these guys to offer an example of a similarly tech equipped car that has the 'right' amount of buttons.

Rocketsfan