Rocket_man

with another 5,075 sold in Canada. Someone mentioned a 50,000 goal, they came pretty close in the US, and over if you combine Canada sales.

Temple of VTEC Rumors and News - American Honda Sets New All-Time Annual Sales Record

I think it has been a successful year for the TLX, but I think they could have done better if they stayed truer to the pre-sales concept they revealed, and of course if they addressed the transmission issues better. Hard to address it worse actually. Hopefully the MMC in 2017 will spice things up a bit.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I agree - it's a step in the right direction in a very very very competitive market segment. Consider too the buying shift from sedans to trucks/SUV's and those numbers aren't bad. I'm going to keep mine for a number of years (at least through the end of the warranty) but will be interested in direction the MMC takes.

J D Sanko

CR this month published satisfaction data. Percent that answered yes to Would Definitely buy this car again? In compact luxury group

TLX 72%
BMW 3 72%
MB C 74%
A4 74%
A3 80%
Q50 55%
MBCLA mid to low 60%
ILX 68%

Noted for TLX and A3 first year data.

Given the complaints here the 72% surprised me.

youngTL

Seems like people don't like the CLA, lol. I test drove one and it totally sucks. I'd rather honestly drive a B-class (which are all over here in Canada).

Keep in mind that the people who don't have any issues generally don't come on forums unless they are enthusiasts. It's only when people start having a problem that they seek out forums and stuff to try and work through it. I have a feeling the issues, while a big deal, aren't as widespread as they appear to be, or many people are just not as perceptive. Probably a combination of those two factors. I don't have any issues with my 2016, but I only said that I don't specifically because people were curious if the 2016's were better.

TacoBello

I'm surprised the Q50 was rated so low... I wonder why.

AZuser

60,000, unless they later revised it downward like with ILX sales goal

http://www.autonews.com/article/2014...ing-top-seller

youngTL

Infotainment seems to be the number one cause of dissatisfaction actually, especially with that car. You think our Acuras are a little slow with infotainment? The Q50 is even slower, and there have been numerous cases of 'disappearing' menu items (important things like the radio settings). Run flat tires are another sore spot for some Q50 owners. Also there have been reports of the backup camera failing to load entirely, and sometimes when it comes on it stays on for the drive forward (this happened to me on my test drive of one). Things reset to default on startup (driving modes etc). Also some complaints about poor fuel economy in non-hybrid models.


But yeah, overall, I'm guessing infotainment is something that can really lower someone's satisfaction with a car (especially when they aren't a car enthusiast). I don't love the infotainment on the TLX, it's a little bit clunky, but it's never actually failed or bugged out on me, and it's a bit sluggish but not so slow that it makes me rage. I'd rate the Q50's system as "Abysmal" and the TLX's as "Adequate - needs some improvement".

J D Sanko

I have a 2015 SHAWD which has been great. I have 3700 miles on it. I waited until June to buy it (April build) because of this forum. After about 1000 miles the transmission felt very normal. This car is smooth quiet and fast. It handles as well as my 08 3G TL and should surpass it with better tires.

Shifts from 1 to 2 or 2 to 1 can be abrupt when quickly accelerating then decelerating at low speeds. And the neutral pause when a 4 to 3 downshift occurs going down hill is different. But all in all if I had never read this forum I would find neither to be a concern. My 3 G had any number of quirks especially during slowing to abrupt acceleration scenario.

Stew4HD

YAY! That's not bad numbers for the TLX. I am not surprised to see the Q50 rated as low as it is. *shrug*

BEAR-AvHistory

Congratulations to the TLX. Outsold mine by 98 cars for the year.

Think overall this will be a record year for new car deliveries in the US. A lot of people have hard feelings toward GM over the bailout & ignition but its good to see IMHO a domestic manufacturer getting back near the top. Should finish the year second to Toyota.

Rocketsfan

Oddly enough, according to Consumer Reports, it was Acura's transmissions that helped knock it into the "below-average" reliability class. lol. Most, if not all, of the data they used was probably from the 2015's. They even mentioned Jeep's 9-speed being problematic, and of course that's the same 9-speed Acura's running.

When the Q50 was released, I refused to test drive that car because of the issues they were having. The initial release problems with that car make Acura's transmission issues trivial in comparison. Many of the things you mentioned above were there for the initial release - I'm surprised there hasn't been much improvement if it's still the same.

I agree with the above in regards to the TLX. It's sluggish at times, but overall it's been ok. The only issue I have with the NAV is that sometimes it thinks I'm on the feeder road next to a freeway instead of on the freeway itself, so the directions start telling me to make right turns and left turns as I'm going down the freeway at 70 mph. It doesn't happen often, but can be annoying when it does, especially when you need it.

Tony Pac

Great year for Acura after many years they sold close to 200,000 cars in U.S+Canada combined.


Here sales figure for the year 2015:
USA - CANADA - TOTAL
1. MB 372,977 43,810 416,787

2. BMW 346,023 35,002 381,025

3. Lexus 344,601 22,025 366,626

4. Audi 202,202 26,754 228,956

5. Acura 177,165 21,003 198,168

6. Cadillac 175,267 12,249 187,516

7. Infiniti 133,498 11,321 144,819

8. Lincoln 101,227 7,939 109,166

9. Volvo 70,047 4,788 74,835

Total sales: 2,107,898

I think in this completive market, Acura did well in 2015.

AZuser

Damn completive market....

mapleloaf

I agree to a point that some folks come to forums because they have specific issues. I also think that many car enthusiasts come to forums because they want to talk cars. Depending upon the personalities of those writing /analyzing concerns they have and those who read about those concerns, car idiosyncrasies can become problems. Pretty basic human nature…much like reading a medical or psychology textbook and finding issues that have similar symptoms to what you might be feeling. Not that problems are not often real….but the magnitude and scope of those problems may get inflated over time. I may be guilty as charged.

Rocket_man

I've notice at times this happens to me too. Since there has been a lot of highway construct around Houston these last few years, the physical location of the feeders are not where they used to be. Not sure how often they update the data on these roads. But if your position is consistently off, you can adjust it in the settings.

blacktsxwagon

I'm shocked by how close together Lexus and Acura are in market share in Canada. Is there more prestige for the Acura brand up there? Or maybe, Canadians just don't care as much.

Also, 2015 has been a great year for Acura as a whole, but Nov. and Dec. have seen big declines in growth compared to the rest of the industry.

Comfy

I want to know what were the sales of TSX and TL the year before. We need to look at the combined number since TLX is replacing both. I have a feeling the TLX has fallen much behind if you look at it this way.

BEAR-AvHistory

Its too hard to measure. People knew both cars were being replaced. No way to tell how many sat on the fence & did not buy.

Profit wise since they were only producing one model instead of two it should be cheaper to make than two separate ones. They can actually move less units but make more money.

Right now I think its only fair to look at trends. If month to month they are going up overall its a good thing.

a77

Combined US and Canada total in last full year of TL/TSX sales (2013) was 44,155. So TLX has markedly improved on this. One can look at earlier years when far more TL/TSX sales happened. But you cant really compare this as so many more SUVs are what people now buy. I think broadly speaking the TLX has met sales expectations.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I concur however one has to wonder what their marketing budget is for the car. I still see numerous TLX commercials every Sunday during the NFL football games. Those are not cheap time slots.

TacoBello

TLX hasn't improved on anything. You're comparing the end of the run numbers for a nearly outgoing model, to the numbers a nearly new model. Of course the older car is going to sell worse. If not, there's a big problem.

iutodd

The TLX improved in one sense: it's been since 2007 that Acura had a single sedan sell this many units when the 3G TL sold 58,000 units.

Also people talk about the adverts a lot - this was an all new nameplate and they needed to get the name out there as much as possible. Especially with everything being alphanumeric nowadays.

People who want to tear down the TLX always find reasons to do so. But it did very well for itself. It was the 11th best selling luxury nameplate, the 5th best selling luxury sedan and the 3rd best selling compact luxury sedan. For an all-new nameplate that's a solid performance.

Stew4HD

Well said. I am sure the TLX doing well upsets people like the one you responded to.. that seem to want the car to fail.

I am seeing TLX's all over now.

TacoBello

I'm not saying I want it to fail. I'm saying he should compare apples to apples. Compare 2015 TLX numbers to 2009 TL/TSX numbers and not 2013.

NopeNope4425

The TLX is the cheapest car in its segment, and sales and transaction prices are only going to continue to trend downward. Both Lexus models are older, more expensive, and still sell better, Infiniti and Lincoln are unleashing 400hp models, Audi is bringing a new A4, and Honda Accord is a better value, etc. The competition is too strong for Honda+. The TLX had a moderate start, but the model will wither quickly without an extensive MMC and permanant transmission fix.

TacoBello

To be honest, I think Acura knows what's up with the TLX. It's their best selling sedan, so I don't think they will let it die just like that. I expect the MMC to improve on some of the short comings that currently exist.

I also don't think we will ever see a 400hp version, but that's ok too. If the Type S does get anywhere near that, call me surprised.

youngTL

I can tell you why I went with Acura, probably a lot of Canadians share some of my points:

#1 - Cost. Lexus is expensive up here. The IS350AWD starting MSRP is $51,900. The TLX SH-AWD Elite (the top model!) is $47,790. Most are Tech that are listed at $44,190 MSRP. $7,710 is a pretty big difference for comparable equipment (in some cases better - the Acura TLX has more heated stuff than the Lexus IS350 here).

#2 - Fuel economy. The IS350AWD uses a lot of fuel. This is one of the reasons I didn't get one. It's plain bad on gas while not being much if at all faster than the TLX SH-AWD.

#3 - Lexus ONLY offers the IS350 in AWD form in Canada (and also all V6 TLXs are SH-AWD up here for 2016+). There is a hump by the gas pedal as a result and it's annoying. Not to mention you're stuck with the 6AT instead of the 8AT because the 8 speed didn't fit under the hood.


Reasons 1 and 2 are probably the big ones for most Canadians. And a lot of the Benzes that sell up here are B-classes, not C-classes. Also the CLA and GLA. Audi sells a lot of base model A3's here too. Also the TLX I4 sells really well in Canada. Lexus should pick up some sales with the addition of the IS200t, but being RWD it's slightly unattractive for price conscious Canadian buyers. They might sell more IS300AWDs (not offered in RWD). RWD in Canada is considered by the general public to be a rather large minus on resale value. FWD and AWD are preferred by Canadians in general.

weather

^^ I hear you about the hump and for some, it does have an impact. For me, it never played a factor as I can't even notice it is there....I am tall and very slim so the hump and the cramped interior is not a factor.

With respect to the AWD, I was going to order a RWD (2015) but decided against it as my dealer was not going to take me out of the lease early if I did, so I went with the AWD but for me, it was more about not needing the AWD.

The 6 speed unit is a great one....I had a butter smooth 6 speed in my TL and this is even better. For me, more speed is not always the answer, especially when it works well.

As far as the fuel consumption, on average, my fuel consumption on my IS is about 10.5L/100km which is a mix of city and highway, my 2012 TL was around 10L/100km so just slightly more when looking at the same driver and driving style. I did a trip to my parents and averaged 7.8L/100km which was amazing but drove on secondary roads at 95-100km/h. So yes, no doubt it is not as fuel efficient as the TLX, and it is more expensive to purchase, but in the end, people should buy what they really like over trying to save a few bucks - IF they can afford it of course.

I am in my mid forties with no kids...who is going to get my money when I die? I might as well enjoy it now, cause isn't that the whole point of working, to enjoy life?

Tony Pac

Lexus is huge in USA, almost like MB. Honestly, Acura has a very good reputation in Canadian market. We don't represent the market here. We care for exhausts tips and some minor details that outside of this forum no one cares.

Acura sold over 50K units more than Infiniti. Everyone talks Sh1t about Acura and FWD, this and that but Acura wins big time here. All the time, we see people write negative reviews about TLX but TLX sold more than Q50.

The point is Acura is a great brand, they did a few mistakes and now they are bounced back. I am sure they will come up with a new design soon

I am not sure if they will ever start the CDX project.

Tony Pac

Acura sold twice as Infiniti

21K vs. 11K

People still believe Infiniti is more prestigious lol! numbers don't lie.

youngTL

I don't think it has anything to do with prestige, lol.

Simply put, Acura represents the best value in the segment in Canada while checking off a lot of positives for a lot of the driving public. My mom commented on how quiet the TLX was after the first 30 seconds of her first ride in it. She's the type of person that would buy a 4-cylinder Tech.

youngTL

Yeah you have to buy what you want, within reason. If you don't, you'll just be unhappy. If I bought too expensive of a car I wouldn't be able to afford to go on vacation, which is equally important to me.

I thought the 6AT was lazy compared to the 8AT in the RWD version (2015) of the IS. When I test drove it, the 6 to 3 downshift took almost as long as the 9 to 4 downshift on the TLX, and the Lexus 6AT doesn't have any dog clutches to slow it down. I was surprised by that. Here the Lexus and Acura dealerships are quite literally across the street from each other so I used the same test drive route and drove both cars back to back. In fact for me the IS350 was the main competitor to the TLX in my cross-shopping...if they used the 8AT and had a less pronounced hump, I probably would have been swayed to it. The shoulder bolsters were also too aggressive for my back which is kind of heavily muscled.

The Infiniti Q50 was simply too unrefined at high RPM, and I wasn't about to go with the Germans (prices were over $9k more than the Lexus for the same equipment!!!).

My TLX isn't even fully broken in yet, and I'm averaging around 9.4 L/100km in mixed driving. I did one highway trip and got 6.5 L/100km between Calgary and Edmonton (not sure how that happened - Alberta is pretty flat though...).


I think now that the vagaries of the 9AT are worked out for 2016+, Acura will have it a little easier for now. I won't be surprised if they do something fairly radical for the MMC.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

^ IMHO they need to do something radical for the MMC.

Kense

Yeah you're pretty spot on here. The Infotainment update did help and the only thing slow now is the back up lines loading it takes 90 seconds but once you're driving it's fine it's just when you first start the car from that point it takes 90 seconds. Prior to the update we were pissed at how buggy the infotainment was. The Runflats are also horrible, runflats just suck all around. Same issue the BMW owners have with them. They are hated. I got 5 slow leaks in a matter of 3 months.

KeithL

One of Infinit's issues is the lack of new modern drive trains, even the Q30 is basically all MB sourced. They have some decent styling, but most of their cars are also not very practical, the EX35 or whatever they call it now is a joke, the Q50 looks nice, but its a tad cramped for many and gave up some of its sportiness with the mis-steps with the new steering and suspension. The Q70 is nice, but the engine and tranny are dated and the infotainment stack is ancient. I loved my M37S and if the infotainment were updated would have jumped back in, even with the dated drive train. The Sport package handed great for a large car.

Tony Pac

Exactly....I was sarcastic...Even in this forum, people said many times, Infiniti is seen more prestigious...which I don't believe.

In Japanese brands Lexus >Acura>Infiniti!!
This is the order for many, many years and I hope it remains

I agree that Acura represent the best value in the segment but not ONLY in Canada, in States as well. Number of Acura sold: USA 177 vs. 133. In both markets, Acura is a winner by big margin.

youngTL

It really is very different. Here's Acura's sales as a percentage of Lexus sales in each country:

USA: 51.4%
Canada: 95.4%

So basically, in the US, Acura sells only half as many cars as Lexus, whereas in Canada, it's almost on par.

weather

youngTL....I agree with most of what you said and I always enjoy reading your posts. I don't seem to experience the lazy tranny that you are referring but maybe I am not sure what to look for. The seats, for my body type, are perfect...at 5'10 and 115lbs, I fit just like a glove.

If they come out with something radical at the MMC, I would be all over it like a pittbull on a poodle....I want to come back to Acura really badly! I miss my family at the Acura dealership I deal with...the best in the world I am telling ya!

youngTL

I can't imagine switching cars that often, lol. The IS350 is a really good car and it was a close call for me. I wanted Atomic Silver with the red interior. By lazy I meant that the upshifts seem to take a longer time than the 8AT they offer with the RWD models and are slower than the upshifts in the ZF 9HP in the TLX. However, the ZF 9HP is slower to downshift across anything involving gears 8 and 5 due to the dog clutches, so that is one drawback. I also found the nav screen a little bit small in the IS, as well as the cupholders in a weird place, but those were nitpicks that I could easy live with.

weather

^^ I agree that the Navi Screen is a bit small, they should have used the entire area for displaying the info but as you said, not a show stopper.

I am likely going to keep the IS for another 2 years unless Acura comes out with something so sexy by the spring of 2017....If they do, I will dump the IS and come back to Acura. Time will tell though....