CheeseyPoofs McNut

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, shots rang out!

I've had my TLX for just over a year, rolling up 9,500 Imperial miles over that time span. For the life of me I can't think of a better use of the Internet than another car review so lets proceed.

Appearance:
I've picked up a couple stone chips that needed to be filled in with touch-up paint. A victim of the famed thin Honda paint or just bad luck? I never follow closely behind cars/trucks however stone chips are part and parcel of driving a car every day so I tend to think it's bad luck. I scraped the front of the car on a curb which left a couple very small gouges on the plastic. That's one thing to be mindful of - you don't have much clearance up front and if you misjudge a parking lot curb you're in for a small scrape. Otherwise the exterior (garaged at home and at work) looks like new. Or better than new as I polished it and keep it sealed up nicely with my elite detailing skilz. Sure, I STILL don't have exposed tailpipes but much like Fermat's second to last theorem I'm quite certain anybody who is anybody doesn't really care about that.

Interior:
The plastic covered leather is showing some fine signs of wear which is normal if you actually sit on the car seat like I tend to do while driving. I keep all the hard surfaces (and leather) clean and protected so they still look (and smell) like new. The touch screen does tend to get smudged up a bit but cleans up easily and shows no sign of wear. The carpet has a little sign of wear where the all weather mats didn't cover it but it's minor enough that you would have to be bent over studying the carpet to notice it. There is nary a rattle to be found and the fit and finish remain superb.

Driving:
I find myself still very happy with the overall driving experience. The car has plenty of low end torque for a 4 cyl for any driving I do (mostly daily commute stuff) and when you stomp on it to pass some loser in a Ford it drops down a handful of gears (which takes a second or so) and woosh - away you go. You won't impress any of the motorheads in your shop class with amazing burnouts or acceleration but I find the 4 cly mated with the 8 speed DCT exceeds my need for power. The ride is still very nice - I can't tell where it's loosened up at all over the last year and I'm very happy with the quality of the ride on both the highway and the war torn side streets near my humble abode. The car handles nicely and from time to time I'll push it a bit on the on-ramp and she carves it up like a champ.

Infotainment:
I'm very happy with the ELS audio. It sounds very very good for the type of music I play (classic rock and jazz and the like) and DTS CD's (Big shout out to Stew!) sound superb. My only nit would be the nav system. It's slow and sometime it's maddeningly obtuse when it comes to understanding the names of some roads. I confess it may be user error (Do you say East one forty nineth or east one four nine or east one hundred and forty ninth etc etc) in some cases but I don't have that problem with my crappy Garmin or my superior iPhone.

Tech:
I find the LKAS feature to work great on the highway and is very helpful when I want to knock back a couple beers while texting my wife on the drive in to the office in the morning. Other features like the rain sensing wipers and the BRAKE warning that comes up when I'm supposedly going to rear-end some rube in a Volvo don't work so well. The rain-sensing wipers seem to be contrarian at times - they will go SUPER DUPER FAST when three drops of rain hit the car and barely come on when it starts to rain the proverbial cats and dogs.

Issues:
Other than the few nits that I've documented above the car has been issue free save for the quirky DCT. I've had the "lunge" happen twice (the car will LURCH forward just as you are coming to a stop) and during the cold Winter months the shift from 1 to 2 is a bit more abrupt than I would like. It also can behave a bit odd when coasting to a stop then lightly getting back on the gas (look - the light turned Green - no need to stop after all!) and she will want to take off like a rocket instead of softly accelerating. I've gotten in the habit of sneering at the people who run for their lives while I blast over curbs in a wild fit of acceleration as if I'm doing it on purpose. That said - would any of this stop me from buying the car again had I known what I was getting into? For me, no.

Rating:
I give it a sold A- at this point. A couple more TSB's and we may creep into the A territory over the next 12 months.

blacktsxwagon

Great review!

Do the 8spd quirks ever feel unsafe or just annoying? Have you had any other Honda automatics? How does the DCT compare to the feel of those? I ask because my 5speed automatic TSX is really not the smoothest. Trying to decide if I would actually notice a difference.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I don't recall ever feeling unsafe in the vehicle and rarely annoyed. I've come to grips with the quirks/flaws of the DCT and it's now part of the charm of the car.

I had an Accord with a (yawn) CVT and the CVT was certainly smoother overall however when the DCT is warm it's nearly as smooth save for the occasional slight blip on a downshift or when coming to a stop. If you get on the gas hard the DCT snaps the shifts off fast and smooth and you don't feel them at all. It's only when cold and in sedate driving that I feel them and again - it's not egregious at all IMO.

That said - I expect another TSB to come out in an effort by Acura to further smooth it out. The tech guy at my dealer hinted this would be the case ("they know about it and they're working on it") when I went in for my A1.

le^2

I'm jealous of you guys in the states. Canadian dealers have no idea what the 8/9 speed transmission issues are and we have no TSBs available for our tranny issues.

mapleloaf

I used to feel that way, but i wonder if the TCBs have really solved anything and have perhaps worsened the problem by creating expectations and other issues. As I have posted in other threads, I wonder if simply letting the transmission adjust to you and vice versa (speaking about the 9 specifically) and learning how to use the throttle isn't the best approach in the long run. It's tough to tell, because people seem to have significantly disparate issues….from none to lots. Is this due to differences in perception or reality?

Like you, my dealer has no information about these TSBs, but my former concern has melted away. Starting in ECO and then adjusting to Normal or Sport depending upon circumstances has helped me to really get the best out of my transmission. Perhaps a quirk here and there, but minor, and like the Professor, not a deal breaker. Particularly when you consider the overall transmission performance.

datadr

Great write up. I'm two weeks into mine and loving it. The biggest thing I've noticed is how much easier this is to drive long distance than my 2008 TSX. The quietness is astounding (particularly for a Honda), and LKAS makes easy work of keeping in the lane. I just did a 4 hour drive from Jersey to MA on three hours of sleep and wasn't even tired. Really big difference over my last ride.

LOL... literally laughed out loud at that. :-)

TLXVanquish

I give your writing style a solid A. Comprehensively hit all the key areas, deftly infused with humor, a stellar review.

Coronado111

I agree with your A- rating for my TLX.

Since the latest transmission software updates my car is so much more fun and smooth to drive. I now drive in Sport mode and love it.

Don

Stew4HD

I am jealous of you guys with no transmission issues... If they could and would fix my transmission, I'd give the car an A as well.. but I can't give it much more than a D+

nebula

Great review, I pretty much agree with with everything you said. My biggest complaint is the quirky DCT, jerkiness and lunges. I hope your dealer is right and more updates for the tranny are coming. However, because of the tranny issues I give the overall grade a B-, of course my opinion.

iesu3423

why is it that both DCT and ZF 9 speed people complain about the same issues? These are two completely different transmissions...

Stew4HD

Because we like to whine and don't like it when an 8 DCT upstages the 9 ZF.

Ah, who needs a smooth shifting transmission?

Seriously though, the statement you made says a lot about the TLX, and for that matter, Acura in how they moved forward with this car. I cannot. I don't believe that the testers of this car didn't notice the shift issues. Maybe they just thought we wouldn't notice. *shrug*

It's good to see some people not being affected all. Me, I'd dump this car in a heartbeat if I wasn't so upside down...

CoquiTSX

Great review.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I'm almost certain that will be the case. I see people complain that they think Honda/Acura doesn't care about the issues, I think they *do* care but rather are having a hard time making it right.

There's no way they didn't know about the issues. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if software tweaks for the transmissions wasn't the reason for the delay when they first rolled the car out. I think they were in a tight spot, they stopped making TL's and TSX's and they needed something to sell so they had to push the TLX out.

I wish things were better for you Stew - after everything you went through it's pretty poor that they can't make it right for you.

Gary325TLX

I had to retrieve my password just so I could reply to your great post.
Thanks for the great read.
I enjoyed it thoroughly!

mapleloaf

Stopped in at my Acura dealership for a coffee and to pick up a donation from my salesperson for a charity golf tournament I helped organize. I was chatting with our excellent Service Manager about the transmission debate, specifically regarding the lack of TSBs authorized by Acura Canada. He ventured the opinion that Acura Canada will not authorize anything until they are allowed to do so by head office USA, likely when and if they are confident that they have a legitimate fix for whatever ails some of the trannies.

It's a mystery to me how some of the in house 8 DCTs and the outsourced 9 ZFs can be so bad and so many others are fine. Similarly, the vast majority of formal reviews for both make no mention of jerky shifts. For the sake of those with significant issues, I hope this has a happy ending. I feel fortunate that my 9 speed and I have come to an understanding and as I can echo most of the our respected reviewer's comments above, a solid A is in order.

wlkeel

Great review, Professor. I admire you're writing style! I've had my TLX (build date 2/2/15) for about 6000 miles and agree with the A- grade.

However, I no longer have any issues with the DCT. I thought I did at first, but either it has done some "learning" or subconsciously I've altered my driving style. Or, most likely, maybe I was looking too hard for any jerkiness (no matter how small) after reading all the stuff on this forum. Now I just drive it in Sport mode and enjoy it.

Agree completely on the Collision Warning system - totally unreliable. Enjoy the Rain Sensing wipers, however.

Again, thanks for the review.

advan031

Nice review!

I bought my car in May 2015 and I just hit 11k miles. I've had ZERO issues with the 8DCT.

Warrior 6

Thank you for an excellent review, enjoyed the read.

My TLX I4 Tech is now 10 months old, at about 7100 miles. Outside of the DCT issues, car is solid.

My dealership and Service Manager and Service Advisor have gone above and beyond to make it right. Transmission has all TSBs applied, and now operates excellently.

Very much appreciate the time and detail you put into your review!!

crownr0yal

*bows* This was spot on!

neuronbob

Great review, Cheesey. I'm glad to see the TLX is surviving Northeast Ohio's treacherous roads. If not for the teeny back seat, I'd be in a SH-AWD, myself.

The shocking thing in this thread is Stew doesn't like the TLX he waited all those months for? WTF? What's this about transmission trouble for you? *shock*

I obviously don't spend enough time in the TLX forum....

tlxsteve

CPM,

Great review. Sorry I did not read it sooner.

I just went over a year of ownership myself but with a few more miles. At the anniversary, I had 17,800 miles on the odometer.

The car rides great and is still a joy to drive everyday.

iesu3423

Driving that many miles, did you get a chance to really test LKAS thoroughly? Did it work for you most of the time? You ever try hanging a bottle from the steering wheel so that you aren't forced to put your hands on the wheel?

tlxsteve

Yes I have tested LKAS extensively. Works great. Most of my trips are to and from work. That's a minimum of 37 miles each way, each day, 5 days a week. Most of the trip is over high-speed turnpike and highway. When I get to the city around work, traffic gets bad. I have taken long trips of about 400 miles and LKAS works great as well when augmented with cruise control.

I haven't tried the bottle trick. Sounds like an interesting idea. I have only taken my hands off the wheel to open a can or bottle of Mountain Dew. I usually leave the hands rested on the steering wheel and go along with the ride.

nebula

It has gotten maybe a little better (maybe it's still learning?). I hope that the tranny breaks in more after the update and it smooths out. I still think the biggest test of the DCT is the upcoming winter months. I'm crossing my fingers the R to D clunk doesn't return, I swear it felt like the tranny was going to fall out, or it would break something.

triax37

iTrader: (1)

Since no one commented on this - ha!

Nomad346

Thanks for the review. My TLX is now approaching 6 months, with 13,000 Kms (8,000 miles).

I would agree with your A- rating. The car is still a pleasure to drive everyday even with a few minor issues, the most annoying being the slight lurching when approaching a stop. Throughout the summer months, I had experienced zero issues with the DCT, but with the cooling temperatures, it seems to be rearing its ugly head again. I am convinced it is all temperature related. Unfortunately, us poor Canadians have no remedy. I took it to two separate dealers with US TSB in hand to no avail. The service managers keep saying they won't do anything without a directive from Honda Canada.

The only other annoyance I have is with the sluggish performance of the NAV/Radio system. At times it feels like I am tapping away at a slow computer because the system doesn't respond immediately.

Macau Park

Would you get the tech package again considering the infotainment? How about the 2.4?

vgr926

Great review, thanks. I have done about 20K miles in mine over the last year and here is my summary.

What is great:
1) Good power (in the "Sport" mode, which I use exclusively): feels about the same as my old V6 Accord. In any case, it is more than sufficient for my daily commute and occasional spirited dash up steep hills here in LA area.

2) Very quiet: feels about the same as my wife's Lexus RX.

3) Great suspension: the ride is on a firm side but all the bumps and potholes are nicely absorbed without too much rattle. In fact, the stability of this suspension works very well in long commute. I actually prefer the TLX to the Lexus SUV for long-distance driving.

4) Amazing fuel economy! I get 20-30 mpg in the city, which is nice but the highway mpg really blows my mind: I get 42-46 mpg without even trying hard, at speeds around 65 mph. My personal best, on a road with no elevation change and going at 55 mph, was 55.8 mpg! My overall fuel consumption (city+hwy) is about 35 mpg.

5) LED lights: look nice and work well.

6) Transmission: I both loved and hated the DCT initially, for well-known reasons. Now that the temperatures are warm, and perhaps some gears worn out a little, I practically feel no jerks. There are still occasional signs of roughness at low speeds, in the first few minutes of driving, but after that I can't notice the presence of the transmission at all.

7) Electronics. The stereo is good, I especially enjoy the HD radio. I find the lane change sensor very useful. LKAS is mainly used as a conversation starter with my passengers ("See what my car can do?"). The nav system I only use for map display. As far as the directions are concerned, my iPhone with Waze beats it hands down.

What is not so great:
1) The curved mirror on the driver's side initially made me dizzy but I learned to ignore it. It's still annoying though.

2) The phone operation via Bluetooth is pathetic: it picks up way too much noise from the road and A/C fans. Sometimes, the people on the other end of the line practically can't hear me. I tried to find the resolution of this problem with the dealer - but no luck so far.

3) The layout of the instrument panel still does not make a lot of sense to me. For example, why are the climate control functions divided into hard and touch-screen keys? But these issues are manageable.

So, overall, I agree with your A- grade.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Yes (I like the ELS - sounds very good for my music selection) and Yes. Truth be told if the V6 had the DCT or if the ZF 9 speed was flawless I wold likely get a SH-AWD (at today's prices) if I were going to buy again today. But, that's not the case so I would purchase the exact same car.

I really don't think about it much anymore but you're correct - the temps are starting to cool off and it won't be long before Winter rolls around. Cold temps definitely seemed to play a part in the behaviour of the DCT.

Thank you kind sir!

Stew4HD

Every time I see this thread name, I think of The Beatles song: "A day in the life"

atl7

I too would give my TLX V6 Tech an A- rating. The car is awesome but I basically have two main gripes. One is that the bass is really weak in the ELS sound system. Coming from my '09 TL Tech whose ELS system sounded just as clear but had awesome bass, it feels like a step down in the new TLX. The other is that tire spin is pretty bad. I have the FWD model so I expected spin sometimes, but almost anytime I try to take off from a stop it spins. My '04 TL is FWD and almost never peels out, although I usually don't feel torque steer in my TLX which I like. Other than those 2 things, the fuel economy is great, it feels just as powerful (not as aggressive though) as my '09 TL AWD, and it actually feels luxurious on the inside. My 2009 TL felt very premium and sporty on the inside, I just didn't really associate it with luxury. I'm not saying it felt cheap, it was a very nice car but it just felt really premium. The TLX just feels more luxurious with the wood grain and chrome on the inside, it almost seems like Acura was trying to be like the Germans with this car. Overall just a great ride and would recommend to test drive one if you're skeptical, your mind will be instantly changed.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

what a fantastically written review...
i really hope this isn't the only place you bother posting, it would be a shame.

Great great read. I had a TLX loaner for a day which wasn't long enough for a full on review, but I agree and had noticed some of your points. I did enjoy the paddle shifters (I like driving manual cars) and the fact that it was the first car I didn't feel automatically tried to override me from driving the car hard. It let me downshift hard, and rev to redline like a traditional manual.

About the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in in a car, too.

boblinthewild

Terrific review! Glad I wasn't drinking or eating anything when I read the LKAS bit.

Question - what did you use to clean your touch screen (ODMD)? I've read on other car enthusiast sites some horror stories of scratching similar screens, so I've left mine alone. Same question applies to the Navi screen, which isn't a touch screen but I assume has the same type of surface.

While I'm at it, do you have any advice on cleaning the glass (plastic?) covering the instrument panel? Similar horror stories about easily scratching that on other cars.

Thanks!

PS - I'm quite happy with my TLX, too. Coming up on it's one-year anniversary in a couple of weeks.

jswift2000

You can clean the screen with a very good microfiber towel. Just check autogeek, detainers domain, etc.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I use a quality microfiber towel (click -> and at a good price) with a little glass cleaner (click -> .

Spray a little window cleaner on the towel then lightly wipe off the surface, then take a dry mf towel and give it a quick wipe to dry and you're all set. Use very little (hardly any) pressure and there's really no way you're going to scratch the surface provided the towel is clean.

Cheers!