Acuric

I had a dream for a long time to have a V6 accord, it was the ultimate Honda to me and I knew I could get my hands on it one day, and my dream came true. Its amazing, but two months into the V6 accord, I start thinking about TLX v6 SH AWDs and cant even begin to imagine how much better than the Accord an actual ACURA would be. Is the difference in real life really that big, or is it pretty similar to the accord in driving quality and luxury? Is the TLX amazing enough to be my new ultimate dream in life?

Hoosier_TLX

Well, I'll go first with the standard answer: Test drive the TLX and make your own comparisons. I have a V6 Advance SH-AWD and my brother had a 2014 Accord and he works for AHMC and based on his opinion there's no comparison. But that's his opinion, and he has actually driven both cars multiple times. The TLX is virtually an entirely different car than the Accord even though people say it's only a gussied up Honda.

The only way for YOU to know is to put your rear end into the driver's seat of a TLX and see what you think.

Best of luck! (I think you'll find the TLX to your liking )

CPR

No knock on your ride, but the new TLX/SH-AWD/Tech, is by far, the best ACURA, of the previous 6, since 1998.
Noise isolation, ride comfort, technology, handling, build quality, & MPG far surpass, any of my previous rides. The Navigation, buries my previous SH-AWD/TL Tech
Sort of like comparing Nissan/Infinity, or Volkswagen/Audi
Go test drive it on an open highway, for 15+ minutes, then make up your own mind

Acuric

My only fear of test driving the TLX is I might not be able to take my accord seriously after driving an all wheel drive Acura, and at the current moment theres no way in hell i can afford it. I would love to test drive it if I knew I could afford to get it lol

Acuric

How does the TLX compare to RLX? RLX has the most beautiful headlights ever but its too big I cant imagine it handles as drives as sharp as the TLX

phil30

I drove a 2013 Accord Coupe EX-L (6 cylinder) before I got my TLX 6 with tech, just last week. I loved the Accord and it is a great car.

I'm not sure if your Accord 6 is a sedan or a coupe, but I can tell you this much: there is no comparison between the Accord Coupe EX-L and the TLX 6. If you are only 2 months into owning your Accord, you might want to wait to test drive the TLX, because it's going to be hard for you to ignore the differences and it might not make financial sense to make a change this fast.

I had originally gone to the Acura dealership to scout things out well before the lease on my Accord was up, with no intention of moving as fast as I did. But I was so blown away by the TLX that I agreed to a deal that included the dealer buying out my Accord lease, which still had 14 months left on it. That added a little to my final cost, but it was worth it to me, and remember, I loved the Accord, I just loved the TLX a lot more.

Acuric

I got the sedan but I test drove the coupe too- the coupe obviously drove much better, but there was not much visibility out of it... I am too used to full clear visibility of sedans, the only thing the sedan lacks is paddle shifters. Otherwise I like the look of the sedan better

phil30

The main reason I was even looking at a new car while I still had 14 months left on my Accord lease was exactly what you said about visibility. There were too many times where I felt I was the lowest car on the road. I was originally thinking about an SUV, which was how I ended up at Acura in the first place. But the TLX's visibility was a significant improvement over the Accord coupe, and that made my decision to get the TLX earlier than I had planned all the easier.

Acuric

How are the TLX jewel eyes compared to the accord halogen projectors? I am particularly obsessed with lights, which is why I like honda and acura in the first place- they make the most beautiful lights ever. And my halogen projectors are actually really great- how much better are the LED jewel eyes?

accord1999

The RLX forum has a thread that goes over the pros/cons of each car in detail here:

https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...arison-922016/

phil30

I'm glad you mentioned the headlights. I liked the way they looked, but since I was test driving during the day, I didn't get a chance to see how much difference they make as far as visibility. My verdict: the difference is night and day. (Sorry, couldn't resist).

Seriously, it's a big difference, and it's not just in the clarity and quality of the light, which may not be the technically correct words, but they're the best I can do. Besides doing a better job of illuminating everything in the road ahead, they cast a wider arc of lighting, so they provide much better visibility along the sides of the road, and you see things that you just don't see otherwise.

The bottom line: night visibility is noticeably better (and I feel safer), particularly along roads that don't have much illumination in the first place, but even on a freeway with lots of traffic and adequate lighting.

And they look really cool, but you can see that in the photos.

Acuric

do the fog lights even make sense in the TLX in this case, since the low beams already cast a wide enough light? I looked at the fog lights on higher end TLXs and they seem to be halogens, which would get overtaken by the power of the LED low beams?

accord1999

The OEM fog lights are LEDs but when I turn them on, I can't tell the difference at all. They are primarily for looks and do give a more aggressive look at night.

phil30

Good question and I am sorry that I cannot answer it, since I haven't driven an TLX with fog lights. With the Accord, I kept my fog lights on all the time, because they helped, but even without fog lights, my TLX provides far better visibility than the Accord.

Majofo

A lot nicer cars for $50k.
Also.. thoiboi, I'll kick you in the ladyboi nuts.

SilverJ

The Accords a very nice ride. But the TLX, like the TL before it, is in another league in every category except price.

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

Can someone tell me why the TLX doesn't come in a manual?

Because Acura?

Majofo

That's the whole point no? If we're going to compare price.. there are better options IMO. In some categories the TLX does excel in price but for a nicely optioned TLX V6 SH-AWD Advance.. I wouldn't even consider it.

hddnav

Back when I was in the new car market, I seriously compared the 2013 TL SH-AWD to the 2013 Accord Touring (same generation as now).

After several testdrives, I decided that the extra $7.5k (over the Accord Touring) for the Acura was well worth the premium, as the Acura felt substantially nicer, firmer, and more performance-oriented than the Accord. I have no regrets about my decision; as a matter of fact, the only Accord that I would now consider is the Accord Sport, because it's such a strong value statement.

There is no reason to not expect the TLX to continue this trend.

nore03

It is much better......

Quandry

My bean counter speculation.

1. Profit margin calculation from bean counters say "limit manufacture to 3 configurations for first 3 years, and re-evalute after adding one more combination for next 2-3years if first year sales exceed projections". Select from:
- SH-AWD V6 9-speed auto (#1 selected - meets or exceeds competition)
- FWD V6 9-speed auto (#3 selected - excellent middle ground)
- RWD V6 9-speed auto
- FWD V6 manual 5-speed
- RWD V6 manual 5-speed
- SH-AWD i4 8-speed auto (potential future addition)
- FWD i4 8-speed auto (#2 selected - critical entry point)
- RWD i4 8-speed auto
- FWD i4 5-speed manual
- RWD i4 5-speed manual

So RWD never going to happen. Manual market is very small for "old time enthusiasts" and not new upcoming driver, little or no profit. SH-AWD with paddle shifters is the future for performance drivers. Just get over it.

2. Also, 3 trim levels variations on the 3 top configurations:
- Advance on all V6
- Tech on all V6
- Base on all V6 (would compromise sales of Tech on V6 or i4)
- Tech on all i4
- Base on all i4
- Advance on i4 ( maybe 2016 if market pressure demands)

Majofo

We know why they don't. Acura has no passion anymore. They've really lost touch with their fan base. I'm sure their van will be a big hit.

Stew4HD

Manual TL sales were roughly 2% of all TL sales. It would cost more to R&D, add the line and parts than what is cost prohibitive. Don't forget that Acura's car sales have been dismal. It wasn't because they didn't offer a manual that hurt sales, the car(s) just were not hitting the target with consumers.

Sooooo, IMO, Acura needs sales and $$$, the best way to do that, as Quandry illustrated, was to cut their losses and keep it simple..

wyliec2

Wholly agree - niche market; miniscule, albeit vocal minority.


Having owned multiple Hondas including three Accords, there is no comparison to the Acuras I've had.


I really think the TLX SH-AWD Advance is a sweet-spot for performance + technology + comfort + quality + value.

Stew4HD

It truly is! I haven't used much of the tech the car has but will!

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Ultimate dream in life??? That's asking quite a bit.

I drove a 13 Accord EXL for two years and now the TLX for about 7 months. Is the TLX nicer than the Accord - very much so - in almost every way.

Is it "worth it" to pay the extra $$ to move from your V6 Accord to the TLX SH-AWD? Probably not.

That's not a slam on the TLX but rather a statement on the value of the Accord. For what you get it's a superb value and an all-around really good car. People don't upgrade to a 40k car because it's "worth it" - they do it because they want to and they are able to. Quite frankly you would be better served to "love the one you're with" as one Crosby Stills and Nash once said.

Stew4HD

^ only if you can't be with the one you love

CheeseyPoofs McNut

^ Right, right, you're bloody well right!

Stew4HD

^ you've got a bloody right to say! Right!.. Nice Supertramp reference! Love it!

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I test drove both an Accord V6 EX-L and a TLX Tech V6 AWD before. Here are the differences from my perspective:

- TLX has a slightly nicer interior
- More informative dashboard in the TLX
- I like the dual screen setup
- TLX is much quieter and slightly more comfortable
- Paddle shifters a big plus to me in the TLX
- TLX can launch properly with SH-AWD even when it's raining hard. No stupid wheelspin when I punch it
- I like the TLX styling more, especially the rear

I'm not going into the features since you can read about them online anyway.

erdoc48

My advice to the OP:
-The TLX might be a nicer car than the Accord (which is a very good car), however, there will always be something better with better features, etc. If you just got your Accord 2 months ago, the depreciation on it to trade up to a TLX will not be the most financially sound thing to do. The bulk of depreciation percentage wise is early in the ownership period. You would no doubt lose a decent amount of money since your Accord is now considered used and even if it's low mileage, the dealership will take you to the cleaners if you trade in. If you sell yourself, the same rules apply, but the depreciation hit might not be as severe. If you then get a TLX at an upper trim level, you're talking in the $40s K range, and with loss of value on your Accord (not sure if you bought it outright or are paying a loan) the financial loss can be substantial, and it's generally bad to roll over a loss on trade in into a new loan (for the TLX).

Cliff notes: you bought the Accord, so drive it.

phil30

I agree, and there's also this: any car, even one that you love, can lose some of its appeal over time, especially when you're driving in bad traffic, the weather is miserable, the car is dirty, gas prices go up, or you've got other things you'd rather spend your money on than your car payment.

2012wagon

You should ask this question also on the accord forum

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

DA would be the only one to come to mine. It's somewhat active...

MisterZDX

Very well said. I question everyday why am I paying so much when I can have an Accord EX-L navi with more tech, much better gas mileage, cheaper insurance, and cut my car payment in half.

To the OP, I say keep your Accord. The Accord is one hell of a car. If you're financing the Accord, I'd keep it until there's no more negative equity on the loan and then trade for a low mileage used TLX.

hddnav

Haha, there are days when I ponder trading in my TL for a Honda Fit EX-L. The Fit would be such a smarter buy for commute traffic, when there really is no difference between driving a car with 300hp or 100hp.

I also honestly feel pangs of envy when I see nicely equipped Prius' in traffic too, just like the one I used to have. In comparison, my humble TL seems like such an emotionally immature and wasteful decision.

In the end, the important long-term decision is to choose a car that fits your lifestyle... if you like to go to the mountains all the time, a low-clearance sport-sedan is not going to make you happy (even with SH-AWD). That's when a do-everything car like the Outback has a lot of appeal.

phil30

I agree, and I'd include financial situation along with lifestyle, because if you end up having buyer's remorse, the car will just make you unhappy.

Having said that, I have never had a Honda (and now Acura) that gave me buyer's remorse. I didn't even mind buying gas for my Accord coupe when it cost over $4 a gallon. I'm not saying I was happy about the price, but I didn't let it interfere with my enjoyment of the car.

mapleloaf

Really, you know why they don't….hmmm…actually you don't know why they don't. You have an opinion, period. This isn't the arts world where an organization can subsist exclusively by catering to a select few. I think you are discrediting a group of designers and engineers who have produced 3 excellent cars - the new ILX, the TLX - in the last year. I'm pretty sure they were passionate about their work after watching a number of videos and driving the finished products. However, that is my opinion, and others will not agree.