kongx7

Ok so I've been browsing around here for some time now and not sure if there is already a thread, but any response will be appreciated. Anyway, i was hoping to hold out until the 2016 models arrive. Unfortunately, my civic is exponentially giving up on me and I don't plan to continue fixing anymore. Long story short, the TLX SH-AWD has been in my radar as a possible candidate since its debut. The other is the 3rd gen IS350.

Is it worth paying extra for the advance package? Or is the tech package the better deal?
Also wonder if acura will start lowering prices soon to sell the '15 tlx. Not too many tlx are seen around the Denver area so i would assume dealers here are scrambling to sell more?

Thanks in advanced!

AZuser

Worth is subjective. Do YOU think the extra features on the Advance are worth an extra $3,000?

Advance gets you:

• LED Fog lights -- (would be cool to have but not a must have... can be purchased separately)
• Puddle lights - welcome lighting -- (worthless/pointless to me)
• Heated and ventilated front seats -- (only thing I'd really use and value)
• Remote engine start with vehicle feedback -- (worthless/pointless to me)
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with low-speed follow (worthless/pointless to me)
• Front and rear parking sensors -- (worthless/pointless to me)
• Auto dimming side mirrors -- (worthless/pointless to me)
• Front seat belt e-pretensioner system -- (worthless/pointless to me)
• Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with head-up warning -- (worthless/pointless to me)
• Road Departure Mitigation system -- (worthless/pointless to me)

Probably not until their summer sales event which I think starts in June(?)

Stew4HD

Great list! I hope you don't mind me using it to add my comments in red.

open contact

i

marklw47

For me, the ventilated seats and the Adaptive Cruise was well worth the $3000 over the life of the car. The rest was fluff but nice to have.

Hoosier_TLX

Of course these are how I value these features, but I would gladly have paid the extra money for just a few of these features let alone the entire group. The bottom line is how much you see them being worth the extra money.

Best of luck with your decision, I don't think you can go wrong either way.

open contact

Absolutely, If you spending 35-40K , might as well have all the bells and whistles. The only thing is missing from the list is heads up display. Would have paid extra grand for that one.

Too bad 4 cylinders models, advanced not offered, would have certainly got the the 4 cylinder.

mrgold35

On my 11 MDX advance, I find the extra features come in handy if you travel a lot around hwy speeds in places you are unfamiliar with the local driving habits. I get almost zero use from the adv features in my home town of Albuquerque because I'm so use to the traffic. It is mostly the cooled seats I use around town (I wish this option was a dealer add-on at all trim levels). The adv features really get a work out and saved me from potential problems several times. I've already gone to L.A. and Houston last year, plan to head to FL this summer. The road conditions vary and there are folks drive like crazy in every town, county, and state. The advance features give you a little safety cushion when those conditions arise.

I would consider a used 14 Adv TLX over a new 15 TLX tech if they were close enough to the same price.

open contact

the difference in price from 4 cyl tech to v6 advance is 7K, and i still got the advance.

open contact

unfortunately it does not exist

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Aye - I think they left money on the table by not doing so. I'm a 4 cylinder guy - wasn't going to be forced into the 6 in order to get the extra features but would have gladly paid more to get them on the 2.4 TLX.

open contact

Completely agree, I dont need the V6, 4 cylinder would have been just fine. Oh well, who knows what Acura was thinking.

crownr0yal

Abbbbbsolutely.

kongx7

Thanks for the all the input!
Only thing i really care about and would like are the ventilated seats and remote start. I've gone so many years with the civic that had absolutely nothing compared to the TLX so i don't think it really makes a difference for me about these 2 options.

marklw47

And you could always get the remote start installed by the dealer on a Tech.

Quandry

I also don't need the V6 but want all those options. Didn't think I would use the remote start but it is great in the winter. All the nanny features give me an added sense of safety. If CMBS saves me once in the 8-10 years of ownership it will have more than paid for itself.

nore03

I had my RL for 8 years and when deciding whick TLX I wanted I figured "if I keep this for another 8 years, I would hate to have went with the lower model because of what I was thinking at the time versus what I would most likely use at some points in my life." I went with the advance model and for the most part I use just about all the extra features on my daily drives. Granted I may be using some stuff just because it is there but I love having all the options.

The ventilated seats are used everyday because they are on auto and it is always hot here in Florida so even when the window is open and climate control is off the seats are on cooling my ass down.

Puddle lights to me add to the sophistication of the car.

I use ACC just about everyday when driving home tired from work. Front and rear sensors have saved me plenty of times.

Auto dimming side mirrors are just as useful as the auto dimming rear view mirror.

Front seat belt e-pretensioner system is useful and add to the safety of the vehicle. Especially as fun as the car is to drive when you put it in Sport mode. Its nice when I feel the seat belt tighten up on me.

Collision Mitigation Braking System nice that it pays attention at all times just in case if i'm not. Driving just about everyday anything can happen and its good having a car that is prepared for whatever since everyone isn't a perfect driver.

Road Departure Mitigation system is the only feature I am not 100% sure about. I use the LKAS everytime I drive the car, I don't know when the LKAS is doing its thing versus RDM but maybe I haven't gotten into a situation where I need it yet.

1Louder

Great list - I'd answer almost identically. The biggest draw to me are the vented seats. Parking sensors would be nice. Most of the lighting can be implemented later if you really want it. For me, the real problem with this package is there are a few on here I really do NOT want in any car I own, notably the adaptive cruise control and road departure system. Don't really want the CMBS either. Traffic is too bad around here to ever make use of the adaptive cruise, and I don't want the car making important collision avoidance decisions for me. I already get too many false alarms in the collision warning system in the Tech.

All that said, if I was certain about owning the car for 8-10 years, the seats might be worth it alone just because that $3K gets spread out over a lot of years of enjoyment. As it stands I'm on a 3 year lease, and while I fully expect to buy it after, there was enough uncertainty to avoid the extra cost at the moment.

1Louder

I think SH-AWD too. A 4 cyl SH-AWD Prestige would have been a no brainier.

Ero

I didn't see enough advantage in the Advance to justify it over tech.
People above are giving you their lists and as you can see they're all over the spectrum. This is the point - it's mostly subjective and personal.

For me, fog lights, ACC and vented seats were 'nice to have' but not worth it.
Everything else felt like a nanny feature that I'd probably turn off anyway, so why pay money for it?

It's funny enough when my GF gets into a fight with the car when forward collision warning flashes BRAKE and beeps on the dashboard...

weather

kongx7....I am in the camp pthat being in teh same situation as you are, I would not get the advanced either. There are more things I wouldn't want/need than the ones I would like/want/need. Would I be buying a TLX, mine would have been teh V6 SH-AWD TECH White with black interior and bodykit.

Now I have noticed that no one commented on the IS350 and while the interior feels much small than the TLX, it is still a great vehicle so yo u can't go wrong with Lexus either. Equipped with the F sport trim makes it a great car in my opinion....

enchantedsky

The TLX 2.4 base model is the better deal. You lose so much money in depreciation when you buy a V6 engine, Tech or Advance package when you want to resell your car one day. You will never see the money again.

rekx

The only thing really worth it in the advance is the heated/ventilated front seats. Some are really pointless like the puddle lights. However, if this is your family sedan and you have a family to protect, then I think the safety features warrant the extra price. Added together, they equate to over $3000 anyway. Not saying the Advance is a rip off per se, it's more the cherry on top of an already fantastic value. Even at fully loaded price, consider the TLX is still far below that of it's German competitors where you have to pay extra for even things like rear camera.

For me, since I see the car as an investment and definitely long term (non lease, 150k+ miles/10+ years), the Advance over the long term is not that big of a deal. Point is, are you going to sit in your car one day and say to yourself "Damn, I really wish I would've gotten the heated seats." or "I wish I had remote start."

Hell, I get sleepy driving at night over an hour, so the Advance features really make sense. Worth is subjective to everyone. Reviewers from magazines and blogs even say the 2.4 Tech is the sweet spot. But plenty of people don't echo that sentiment. I know I don't.

Hoosier_TLX

First off, I'm only stating my opinion as we all are, but with that said... I think it's difficult for people who don't have a feature on their car to tell someone how useful or what it does unless they have actually driven the car or personally seen it in use. I know it's a matter of justifying the aspects, but I will say that the ACC feature is so useful that I hate driving without it. It is especially useful in city driving or when you're driving behind someone who speeds up and slows down all the time. In city driving it will come to a complete stop and all you have to do to resume speed is tap the button on the steering wheel. I've set it to highway speeds while going through a small town and as long as there's a car ahead it will keep pace with them and then speed up to 55, 60, 65... when back to the highway. I do ALWAYS keep an eye on the cars ahead and my foot over the brake pedal, but I LOVE this feature.

Again, I am more than happy spending the extra money to have this feature especially, but in my climate, the remote start and h/v seats are major pluses.

I do agree that they should have offered an I4 Advance, but I think Acura was focusing on fewer models at launch and may offer that option soon.

Only the person buying the car can make the determination which is the best for their situation and finances, and there's really no wrong choice in my opinion.

weather

enchantedsky...I agree that a car is a depreciating asset but keep in mind that people buying an Acura is not doing it as a means to make the most sense from an economic point of view - That is why Honda exists. People buy Acura and other band name because they want to treat themselves for their hard work and the various trims exist because it depends on how much people want to spend or whether the trims are worth it to them.

To me, and this is just my opinion, buying (or leasing) a vehicle with missing features you want (and can afford) simply because your car will depreciate is not the way I buy a car. What is worst? Spending 600$ a month on a car you don't enjoy for 60 months or spend an extra 50$ a month to make your 650$ purchase more enjoyable?

My opinion of course and maybe that is why the auto industry loves me...Maybe I have sucker written all over my forehead *lol*

1Louder

^ I'd agree. If you are buying an Acura, you are in the "I want" category of buyers rather than the "I need". If you just need a car, no reason to look any farther than an Accord. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to look farther than a Civic.

Also, cars are not investments. You never get a good portion of your money back anyway, and your car's value is very subject to mileage and the wear and tear you put on the car. Those have a far greater impact on resale value than the presence or absence of option packages.

So I'm with weather - people buying an Acura are doing so because they want something more and are willing to pay for it, so why go to all that trouble then deny yourself an option that is of value to you over $30/month. Sure we all have our thresholds which is fine. I bypassed the Advance package over cost/benefit, but that was because all I really wanted was the vented seats and I only really need them four months out of the year.

I've always had a "coffee" rule when it comes to cars. If you are denying yourself something about your car that cost less than what you pay for coffee each month, consider less coffee and more car.

weather

^^ Were we seperated at birth?!?! I read your post and I felt I was reading a part of my frontal cranian lobe! Such wisdom

enchantedsky

I guess I'm richer than you guys. I buy all my new cars with cash. I've never financed a car before. That's why I think about depreciation and why the Acura TLX base model is the best value over the other trim levels. I understand your point though that even the Advance package adds $10 / month if you need a loan since you don't make enough money.

Weather, why are you still on this forum? You don't even own a TLX. Go back to the Toyota Corolla forum where you came from.

1Louder

Go be a troll somewhere else please.

mapleloaf

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow**
Auto-dimming side mirrors
Collision Mitigation Braking System™** (CMBS®)
Headlamp washers
LED fog lights
Parking sensors
Perimeter/approach puddle lights
Road Departure Mitigation (RDM™) system
Ventilated front seats

These are the Canadian 3.5 Elite features for the 3.5 Tech. Both the 3.5 and the 2.4 Techs have remote start, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel and keyless access for all 4 doors. Seems Acura thinks it's a little chillier north of the 49th parallel and we need to get into heated cars as fast as possible. What ever gave them that idea??

Ero

If anything it's the opposite...canadians are more equipped/used to the cold!

I've seen people down in Florida start dressing in hats and puffer coats when it hits 60 degrees F...(15.5 degrees C for you guys up there).

weather

I tend to not participate in conversation that have no purpose so I strong encourage you do as well. I find that when you start realizing that you become ignored and that no one feeds your personal attack, you just get bored and eventually go away.

We have amazing contributors on this forum and we all have so much to offer to each other so lets just ignore background noise....

Stew4HD

No need to be a Richard Cranium here. We have MANY members that do not own a TLX that post here.

Weather is one of the most polite and good guys on here. He is always welcome!

weather

^^ Thanks Stew4HD...and besides, I can't go anywhere as I can't afford a Corolla so I wasn't allowed in their forum - I am glad to see you guys on the TLX forum are so tolerant towards poor people

Stew4HD

I will start a "fundme.com" page for you.. we'll get you into the Corolla forum!

Hoosier_TLX

Stew, did you start the page yet? I was looking for the link and I didn't see it. I was going to get a coffee at work today, but I'd be willing to put it to good use to help Weather get onto the Corolla forum.

weather

*blushing* You guys are too thoughtful.....

wyliec2

For me the Advance was the only consideration... Adaptive Cruise is a nonsense option!! I had known that for years...until I actually used it on my wife's car - first use/first trip convinced me - we favored using her car for most trips because of it. No way I would have gotten a car without it; nor heated/ventilated seats or remote start. Most time at work I park in underground, very tight garage - so parking sensors are quite useful.


As for brand new cars as investments - that's laughable regardless of trim level. If outlay/return/depreciation is the primary consideration, you'll always buy used. The only worse 'investment' than new cars is electronics which are usually obsolete in six months.


If we all liked the same things it would be a pretty boring world!!!

mapleloaf

[QUOTE=wyliec2;15408418]For me the Advance was the only consideration... Adaptive Cruise is a nonsense option!! I had known that for years...until I actually used it on my wife's car - first use/first trip convinced me - we favored using her car for most trips because of it. No way I would have gotten a car without it; nor heated/ventilated seats or remote start. Most time at work I park in underground, very tight garage - so parking sensors are quite useful.


The Adaptive Cruise was the main feature of the Canadian Elite package I would have really liked. The others would also have been nice, but i like to keep the payment down to a roar

Quandry

But you don't have to take them in for regular servicing, and major parts failures are very rare. In fact often you hope that they do fail so you can justify replacing them.

The worst combination is electronics in cars. They are obsolete before they are even released, cannot be upgraded or replaced, and software updates are usually only released for a major problem. This is going to get worse when hacking becomes a common problem. Think what it will be like if something like Cryto hits you car. Maybe it is time to find and refurbish a Chevette, staying away from these cash burners like Weather. The man is looking smarter and smarter as time passes!