I'm in the market again for a sedan and down to my last favorite entries- TLX and GS. Last time I sought opinions here, I ended up buying a 16 MDX that I still own.

TLX Tech AWD is a 2016 selling for about $27.5k. About 30k kms. The build date is March 2016. Did all the transmission problems get resolved by then, or am I in surprises here? Warranty good for another 2 years, a bit more for powertrain.
GS 350 AWD is a 2015 top of the line with about 50k kms. Selling for $38k. Warranty through end of this year and another couple of years for power train. Brand new tires. Could be a CPO.
These are all kms and Canadian dollars.
The TLX looks like a bargain, but my overriding concern is the reliability of the transmission.
My MDX is jerky enough on occasions that even my wife notices it, but otherwise, the SUV is serving us well.

 

it uses the same transmission as the 2015 with software updates......
with that being said; some say the 2018's with the same tranny and brand new software updates still suck.
Drive the car and figure out if you can live with the way the transmission shifts...if not, pass on the car.

basically can be summed up with; Test drive the car(s) (yes, multiple TLX's and GS's) to get a feel for the cars. preferably drive your commute.

 

The ZF9 tranny sucks and needs to be getting used to. It's not defective, it's working as it is designed. I drive mine in Sport mode, which makes it marginally acceptable for my purpose.
Test drive it and see if you can live with it.

 

They don't sell to many sedans and you can get a better deal. I bought my 2018 TLX Tech (no AWD) for 30k out-the-door price. Car was listed at 29k. 4,500 miles, certified car (used to be a dealer loaner). Not sure where you live but if you search DC area for 2018 TLXs you'll find good prices for slightly used cars.

 

 

Despite a few glitches of first year, the ZF9 is a solid transmission. I would trust my 2016 for longevity, no worry. Did you have concern about your MDX transmission? It is the same.

My only reserve is the potential cost of maintenance. On ZF8 we have seen crazy prices. At Acura $350-400 seems to be more acceptable, but still high.

 

Local dealer is quoting about 500$ CAD for the ZF9 transmission drain/refill... A bit steep in my opinion. It doesn't take 3 hours to drain/refill. Only issue here is that we don't have a dipstick, so the drain, refill and fluid level check has to be done from underneath.

 

The 9 speed MDX seems to be acceptable, although at low city speeds, the jerks are sometimes very noticeable. For some reason, I see that the TLX owners seem to be more vocal about the ZF9 speed problems than the MDX owners. The MDX owners expressed some concerns, but now it seems everyone has quietly resigned to the reality of their favorite SUV having this transmission. May be it's the expectations in a performance oriented vehicle that's making a difference? Perhaps MDX owners are not too concerned about the quality of shifts so long as the kids are sitting in the third row and quietly watching the large screen TV?
On a different note, in the Canadian market, 2016 Honda Accord Tourings now sell for more than a TLX AWD Tech. What a shame considering the initial $7k to $10k difference in price between these two.