GordonUSC

Hello everyone,

I am looking at acquiring a TLX within the next few weeks. I test drove a 2.4 Tech and kind of loved it. My choice is between a TLX, a Mazda 6, and a Honda Accord. The TLX was much quieter than the Mazda 6 and far less pedestrian than the Accord. I liked the higher quality look and feel of the cabin in the TLX compared to those two as well.

In order to fit within my modest budget I can either buy a used 2015 TLX or I can lease a 2017. I would prefer to own a used car with fewer than 30k miles on it, but I have heard that the 2015 models had bugs with the transmission and could have vibration issues. I am assuming that the 2017 models will be a safer bet when it comes to these issues but I don't know, which is why I decided to come hear and ask. Were the issues so prevalent in the 2015 models that I should just avoid them altogether? Are the 2017 models really a safe bet when it comes to these things? If anyone here at acruazine can provide any insight on this I would be grateful.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Hello and welcome to AZ!

The issues with the transmissions have primarily been on the V6 side (the ZF 9 sp) - and to my knowledge they haven't been of the catastrophic (i.e., complete failing) nature - but more of the buggy nature as you indicated. On the 2.4 (I've got a 15 2.4 Tech) there were a couple TSBs - mostly addressing some clunkiness in the shifting if I recall. Mine had a long delay when shifting from R to D (a couple seconds) which was fixed by the TSB as well.

I'm 90% happy with mine (the DCT) - the nits I have with it are:
1) When the temps are cold the shift from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 are a little abrupt. Once the car warms up they smooth out.
2) On occasion when slowing to a stop the shift into 1st will be a bit abrupt (but much better than before the TSB was applied!)
3) On rare occasions when coasting to a stop then getting back on the gas (before coming to a complete stop) the car almost seems to get confused about what gear it wants then it will drop down into 1 or 2 and abruptly GO. It sounds worse when reading that than it is and that rarely happens.

On the plus side the DCT shifts fast and smooth when you get on the gas and the vast majority of the time you're not aware that it's a DCT.

I'm curious as to what they want for the 2015?

wlkeel

I have a 15 2.4 Tech and agree with Cheesey (the nits he mentioned are very minimal with mine). I really like the DCT.

I wouldn't hesitate to get a used 2.4 Tech. Nice car.

wlkeel

By the way, even though I don't have a V6, I'll repeat this post I made a couple of weeks ago:

"I also don't have a 2017, but since I was just at the my dealer yesterday for maintenance I thought I'd chime in. My Service Advisor (very well respected by all) discussed the V-6 transmission problems. They've replaced four transmissions at that dealer and all were 2015 models. He said the transmission complaints have all but died out except for earlier versions of the TLX. In his opinion, Acura seems to have the major problems sorted out for the 2017. Just another bit of info to throw in the decision making process."

The actual performance of the ZF 9sp is another item, but I have no experience to share there. Plenty of info in this forum, however.

Good luck.

BEAR-AvHistory

Personally I would get the new car. The 2015 might be fine or it might have been driven to death, no way to know how it was treated. Since reliability is a concern of yours I expect the new car warranty package will be better than the used car.

All make have running changes made during a production cycle to kill 'little' things that turn up during normal warranty repairs.

Good luck on your purchase regardless of which way you go.

GordonUSC

Thanks for the welcome, and for the the information on the 8 speed, Cheesy. I feel better about that aspect of my question now. I still am a bit concerned about the issue that some people have reported on here about vibrations happening at 70 mph on the highway. That would be a deal breaker for me so I hope it is a rare problem, otherwise BEAR's advice might be the way to go.

In California, where I live, it looks like I can find an initial asking price of around 23k to 24k for a 2015 base model with around 30k miles on it, and an initial asking price of around 25 to 26k for a 2015 tech model with around 30 to 40k miles on it (again, all of these are the 2.4 version). I am not sure how much I could haggle those initial prices down, but I am sure I could get at least $700 or so off of them. Do those prices sound reasonable to you guys?

Thanks for the reply BEAR. I really like the TLX as I am coming from older non luxury brands and so to me it has nicely upgraded interior, sound system, ride quality, quiet cabin, and tech features in a price range I can contemplate affording. Anyway, I like the car and know the engine is incredibly reliable, I just worry that some other aspects of the car might have problems that cause me to regret the purchase. Based on what you say it seems like the 2015 models might have these problems more than the 2017 so it is a bit more of a risk, which of course makes sense when buying a used car of a model's first production year.

On a side note - 206 hp isn't nearly as much as the Honda V6 but its a lot more power than anything I have been driving and I like the balanced and measured feel of driving the 2.4 TLX versus the V6 Accord (the Mazda had the best driving feel but was a bit too noisy compared to the Acura).

wlkeel

Again primarily a V6 issue. I've only read about a couple of cases about highway vibrations with the 2.4. Nothing systemic. Very few threads on it, one here:
2015 TLX I4 Vibrations at Highway Speed in problems section. Not much response.

TacoBello

I too would go with the new car, especially if you're thinking about leasing it. If there is anything troublesome with the car, you can return it at the end of your lease without issues. If you still love it, you can buy it out and keep it for as long as you'd like.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I know there's a lengthy thread in the Problems and Fixes section about vibrations with the AWD (the 6 cyl) model but I wasn't aware of anything beyond one-off complaints for the 2.4. Mine is rock solid cruising on the highway - no vibrations - a very nice quiet cruiser.

Mazda makes a good car! We just traded my wife's Mazda 3 in on a new Honda CRV and I was sad to see it go. It was loud and rode fairly rough - and the infotainment system was awful - but it drove like a little go kart.

You're at the point where the two year leases for the 15 TLX are coming in so I would anticipate you should have some selection to choose from - I don't really know what they go for as I've never checked into it but the prices you listed don't seem egregious to me - at lease from a starting point of negotiations for the dealer. Good luck with your hunt!

IntegraVT

iTrader: (1)

I anticipate fairly decent incentives and lease specials on MY2017 once the MMC is announced to clear out inventory.

They're already offering 0.9% financing and $750 cash back by me...

GordonUSC

Thank you everyone, I appreciate the replies.

If the major issues are primarily associated with the V6 SH-AWD model, and from what you are saying it sounds like they are, than I feel a lot better about buying a used 2015. I will still probably look into leasing a 2017 just to see what kind of deal I can get though.

nike284

for your reference, I got mine 2015 used TLX with 5500 miles from a dealer, I have not had any issues since I got the car for 3 months so far. Mine was a loaner car so I was first owner, is fully loaded with the exception of SH-AWD, got it for 32k. If you are buying from a dealer, most 2015 issues have pretty much gone away. There are minor issues out there but not to the point where it will affect your daily drive.

mcaley15

Question for those following this thread, local dealership has some 2015 advance package v6 sh-awd on the lot and is about to mark them used instead of new, as they are not selling. How good of a deal is one of these if the MSRP drops from 45k to 35k for a used vehicle with 5 miles on it?

KeithL

Considering it is a 2 year old vehicle, I would be mixed. I paid just under $38K 14 months ago for my 15 AWD Advance. I am not sure how marking it used makes it sell better. I also think you can get a 16 or even 17 for not much more and not take such a deprecation hit day one. Also with all the issues with the 15s I see no advantage to doing it.

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

if you are interested in the refresh after a year or 2 them maybe get the '15 for easier trade value without such a gap in value if you want to upgrade to an '18 or '19

pyrodan007

Ask him if possible for a test drive of that car and compare it to a 2017. Ask him if all the TSBs were applied (written proof). And finally, simplest way to see if you should run and not walk away from it, get the production date. Anything from 2014/early 2015 must be strongly ignored for your future sanity/happiness. Price for a 2 year car is really not that great, especially considering that year is confirmed to have issues. Good luck!!!

mapleloaf

Re the 2.4 Tech, I would echo the positive comments, and the very few nits that Cheesy described very well (I lease a 2016). As far as deciding between the used 2015 and the new 2017, just ensure you drive both extensively, including lots of stops and starts. If you are happy with the 2015, go with it. Absolutely no highway issues at all. That reference is generally used in describing the 3.5 version with VCM. When I leased a 2015 3.5 Tech, this was never an issue for me in highway cruising, but was slightly noticeable when cruising around 60 - 70 km, if you tried hard to notice.

Mr Hyde

If you're buying used, drive the car. No one here can tell you what issues you will or wont have on a used vehicle owned by someone else for years, but for a used vehicle, there is absolutely no way I would buy any kind of used vehicle without taking it for an extensive test drive on local roads, and highways. Pay attention to the transmission shifts (9 speed), and any vibrations (VCM/driveshaft if AWD). If neither are issues, then go for it if you get a good deal.

Also for a CPO vehicle, you could end up with a fairly new vehicle with a warranty longer than new depending on how old it is.
I bought a CPO 5 series which was 1 year old. I saved money, and had a longer warranty than a new one which was very nice because I definitely made full use of that warranty on that car!!

mcaley15

The car is listed as new on their website still at 43,995. It has never been owned, but they are having a hard time selling it, seeing how the 2017s are now on the lot and who would pay the same money for a 2015 instead of a 2017. The car has never been owned but they are going to call it used and price it just above normal used car retail price, even though it has 5 miles driven and is not really a used vehicle. I will check on the production date as I would like to avoid any issues. I'm really just hoping the 2018 is badass and I can just lease one of those instead. Thanks for all the help!