Rueruerue

Leasing a 2015 TLX:

I am conflicted on which size engine to get, I am not opposed to any at this point. I have seen the issues with the v6. Also I have seen positive reviews for the 4 cyclinder. But the v6 is an extra 15 bucks a month.

Also I am torn between the espresso and black interior. Any thoughts?

Going tech though. Any input is much appreciated!

JSkip58

I recently started to look for a new car. I currently drive a 2006 TL and still LOVE IT! In addition to the TLX, Infiniti Q50 and BMW 3 or 4 series are candidates.


Over the weekend, my Acura dealer gave me a V6 TLX with the tech pkg as a loaner.


The V6 is amazing. I did not notice any of the issues with the 9-speed tranny. Although I am not sure I need 290 hp, the $200 more per year in gas is negligible.


I have had a silver car for 15 years. Unfortunately, the TLX "silver" has a blue tint....not for me. I am leaning towards graphite.


My guy at Acura, who drives a V6 TLX with AWD and the adv pkg, suggested the AWD and the tech pkg.


I like the black interior over espresso.


Good Luck

spoiler900

I would test drive them both, back to back. Do an "extended test drive" meaning maybe 15-20 minutes in each one, not a 5 min around the block test drive.

Personally, I only drive V6 cars (previous ride was 2001 TL V6) and cant stand 4cyl, but if you dont mind the lower power then youll save money at the pump.

As far as color I personally bought a 2015 TLX SH-AWD Advance pkg and went with Graphite Luster Metallic exterior and Ebony interior. If you like the espresso and are leasing the car then go for it, it is "different", but since I purchased mine and plan to keep it 15 yrs or so I wanted the black.

Oh, final thought if this helps at all, the 18" rims on the V6 are so much nicer than the 17s in personal opinion. So if thats a look factor then maybe the V6 is worth the extra few bucks.

datadr

I have a V6 AWD Tech and love it. I too have had no issues with the transmission or vibration issues. Solid car.

I considered the espresso interior, but went with black. I really wanted a change (my TSX also had a black interior), and liked the gray interior, but considering I keep cars for a long time, black will hold up better to time. The espresso interior seems a little weird in person - I think they should have made more of it espresso than just the few parts they did. Doesn't look complete to me.

FYI - I get the SAME mileage in this AWD V6 that I got in my I4 TSX (2008). The power is awesome.

I went Tech instead of Advance due to cost... 3300 more for Advance, and the only thing I REALLY wanted was the ACC... I can live without it.

ConradValmont

I'm on day 63 with the SH-AWD Tech. Previously had a 05 TSX driven for over 10 years. Originally planned to upgrade to the TLX 4cyl, however...never ended up even test driving it. Went with the V6 SH-AWD because of the silky smooth J35Y6 engine, active torque vectoring & yes the ZF 9HP transmission which I have had zero problems.

If you want smaller wheels, -300lbs, more MPG, diminished launch thrust velocity then get the 4cyl.

If you want to take corners hard as if on rails without any mods (SH-AWD), hear that J35Y6 engine growl in Sport/Sport+, get more than 35MPG (on the freeway), get the SH-AWD.

Skip the V6 FWD.

a35tl

I have only driven V6 models since 2002 and wouldn't consider going back to a 4 cylinder. Personally, I love the Espresso interior. Very rich looking color to me but you're the one who has to be happy with your choice at the end of the day. Get the one you prefer. Just answering because you asked for opinions. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Macau Park

I am leaning toward a 2.4 Tech white or black with espresso interior. Espresso is the nicest interior IMO. It will hide dirt but you get that nice two-tone look, very luxurious looking. It is a little reddish in direct light but overrall looks pretty brown.

I want the 2.4 because i think it will end up being the better tranny and have less issues, gets a little better mileage and cheaper to maintain, still pretty quiet and enough power unless you like driving fast all the time and racing around.

I don't mind the 2.4 wheels on certain colors (especially black/white) and don't think the V6 wheels are that much of an upgrade (size wise they are better but not crazy about their design either). I can always use the 2.4 wheels for winter tires and get some summer wheels/tires if I grow to hate them which I doubt would happen.

Also considering a Audi Q3, it is a small CUV, turbo AWD, slow, but I love the style and it sits up high. Comes with massive wheels/tires and handles/brakes great and good ride.

iesu3423

Anyone compare the TLX to used Mercedes E or C class cars? The price is about the same for 2014 E class compared to a fully loaded TLX (SH-AWD, Advance).

Quandry

If money is an issue get the i4. If you are a hard driver get the SH-AWD. I think the black interior matches the rest of the interior best (roof liners, etc).
Excellent choice. This was on my very short list, but was dropped because it did not have the nanny features (ACC, LKAS, and CMBS) that I wanted. If it had those that is what I would have been driving. The dealer was also 35 minutes away vs walking distance to my Acura dealer.

MisterZDX

If I were in the market for a TLX (and with all the great deals out there, I just might be), I'd go for a Black Copper Pearl 4 Cylinder Tech with espresso interior. A close second would be Graphite Luster Metallic with ebony interior.

iesu3423

Any thoughts on the classic CBP and Ebony?

wlkeel

I agree - it will be a personal preference. I liked the "nimbleness" of the 2.4/DCT combination, and didn't need the increased acceleration of the V6. The 2.4 is fun to drive on mountain roads in Sport+ mode. And at highway speeds, it does just fine - the DCT seamlessly puts you in the right gear for whatever you want to do.

Regarding color, I didn't care much for any of the dark colors (just me), especially with the 2.4 wheels. So I went with BWP - and the Ebony interior just appeared more "luxurious" to me.

By the way, gas mileage (and to a lesser extent cost difference between the 2.4 and V6) didn't enter into my decision making.

Like I said, personal preference. You probably can't go wrong with either, and the color combo is up to you (just don't get a second choice combo just because if a few bucks).

mapleloaf

I'll let you decide on colour, as there are so many nice combos. I am very pleased and get a lot of positive comments about my SSM with grey leather interior.

As for engine, I love my 3.5 SH-AWD and have learned how to handle the 9 speed transmission. However, I was originally going to get the 2.4 PAWS as I had previously driven only 4 cylinder cars. I found it more than powerful enough for my driving style, so really it's about how you drive and the conditions you typically encounter. If most of your driving is city, the 2.4 would be great….and vice versa. If you need the extra traction of SH-AWD, then 3.5 SH-AWD it is.

wlkeel

I forgot to mention, most of my driving is around town. I agree with mapleloaf.

MisterZDX

Not really. Had an 09 Accord V6 Coupe with that color combo and swore I'd never do it again.

datadr

I right there with mapleloaf - driven 4 cyl all my life, and the I4 had plenty of power. I was pretty set on getting the I4 PWS Tech, but then I made the mistake of driving the V6 AWD. I was sold on first drive. :-)

Just know this - regardless of which one, they are all great cars.

CaliAtenza

Oh come now, the FWD is still quite good. P-aws really keeps the car in line on the tight sweepers . The tires could have some more grip though.

9SpeedTran

Really depends on where you do most of your driving. We do a lot of highway driving, and live in the Mid-Atlantic where we get a bit of winter but not 5 months of it, and for me the SH-AWD was the only choice. We absolutely love it. I did definitely tell the dealership that I was not driving the car out on the stock tires, so I put on the 19" wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires, and it grips like crazy.

I did drive the i4 as a loaner, and it seemed noisier and definitely lacked the smoothness and sophistication of the SH-AWD even if it seemed more "tossable". But when you get into hard corners or high speeds, it cannot keep up with the SH-AWD. My wife drove the V6 FWD and hated it, said it felt wobbly (probably the tires and the torque steer).

She got to pick the color and wanted BWP, and loved the Espresso interior (not the least because "it matched the wood"). I could have gone with the black, and I really liked the grey but I knew it wouldnt show wear well, so Espresso it is.

Quandry

V6 P-AWS

Another perspective. It is good to have choices.

What you need really depends on your driving style and preferences. What you get depends on your budget. I live in a moderate winter zone with no real hills. We get snow and occasional freezing rain, but not usually less than 6" at a time. For me a FWD car with winter tires was quite sufficient. I do not need a car for hard cornering, high speed maneuvers or tossing around, and would be comfortable driving around my insurance agent. The stock tires are fine for 6 months of the warm part of the year, but do squeal if jack rabbit starts are performed. The capabilities of the P-AWS with stock tires exceeds my cornering and road handling needs.

I enjoy the features of the car, and could have spent a lot less for transportation from point A to B. This car will not be the choice for everybody, but in the Elite trim it was right for me.

Macau Park

This car is impossible to decide on due to the completely different powertrains that both have their strong points and pricing of the tech package. Both trannies are complete ? marks too. The base leatherette looks quite good IMO and has stitching, just like the crap in lower BMW, Audi, and MB.

Someone just decide for me:

2.4 Tech or Base V6? I don't want to spend more than 36k.

datadr

2.4 Tech. Those features are well worth it.

youngTL

Tech all the way. Especially if you're buying now, there are really good deals to be had. And the price difference is really worth it for the features you get. You could get a Tech V6 for less than your budget at the moment. However, I did NOT like the V6 FWD. I test drove each powertrain, and this is the order I liked them in:

1. SH-AWD V6
2. P-AWS I4
3. P-AWS V6 (very distant third!)

Because it's missing a limited slip differential, it has worse off the line and cornering feel/behaviour under acceleration than my 07 TL-S. My advice is skip the FWD V6. The SH-AWD V6 was amazing though.

a35tl

Based on your comments in this post, I would say go with the 2.4 Tech. Obviously, the V6 isn't a top priority to you so get the 4 cylinder and enjoy the Tech features.

kchemist

Just purchased TLX AWD with advanced package for 36910.

joneswood

I'm about to purchase this weekend, and will choose between the 4 cylinder and the V6 FW. The AWD is not a consideration based upon price point and the fact that I do a good amount of city and high traffic highway driving (50 minute commute each way). I drove the 4 cylinder and really liked it. I have an 09 M35X and enjoy the power, but the handling and size are sluggish. When I test drove the TLX 4 cylinder I was impressed by its zippiness, handling and pretty solid power. The tech features were the real selling points. All that said, I haven't test driven the 6 cylinder, but don't know that I need to.

Any thoughts?

Comfy

I would prefer a new car whatsoever than a used E class at the same price. The MB may have better build quality, real wood / metal in interior, better ride, and less NVH levels, if you care about those. But for equal money you get much more features in the TLX. A loaded E class will likely be more expensive or have more miles / older if price is same. Consider the price of maintenance as well which is likely more.
And about a used C class versus a new loaded TLX???? You are kidding..... right?

superblast

I've driven the 2.4, the V6 and the V6 SH-AWD. I really didn't care for the V6 FWD. The torque steer was noticeable and it didn't have the fun factor or handling of the AWD. I would love to get the SH-AWD but my commute has changed to mostly city and it's not supposed to get very good mileage in that case. Plus, the ZF transmission has me concerned. I might just wait to see what the refresh brings.

jim256

My wife and I had the same opinion, but did drive the V6 as well before choosing the 4.

joneswood

I pulled the trigger no the 6 cylinder. When I drove it I didn't notice any transmission issues and the engine was smoother than the 4 cylinder. I got a 2015 CPO with 1600 miles at right about $31K. Thinking this is an OK deal.

Rocket_man

I don't notice any torque steer on my V6. Maybe you were feeling the crown of the road where ever you test drove the car.

If you get a late 2015 build, or a 2016 build you should not experience the transmission problems some have had.

I get better gas mileage in my V6 than I did on the 06 TSX 4cyl.

superblast

I think I'm just used to the SH-AWD in my RDX so it would be hard not to notice torque steer in certain situations. It wasn't like I noticed it at all times or anything.

I've been following the threads on the transmission issues and it sounds like they've gotten past most of the bugs. I never noticed and issues in the test drive or the loaners I had so that is reassuring. I guess resale value is the main concern for me with regards to the ZF but the general car buyer probably has no clue anyway.

I've seen lots of praise for the gas mileage on the V6 but it's usually discussing long trips or mostly highway driving. What kind of MPGs are you getting in city driving? Driving the V6 was a blast so I'd love to make it work.

Saintor

I am still on the fence about my new TLX V6 AWD.

With our Civic I get EPA combined mpg...31mpg.

For the same commute, I don't even get EPA city mpg, that was the case with my I6 Bimmer as well. I was expecting better than 12L/100km (20mpg) for my Acura. For now it is not a significant concern.

superblast

See, that's what I'm worried about. My previous job had my driving about 75/25 hwy/city so the V6 would've been a no brainer. But now that's reversed. Maybe even closer to 10/90. No biggie with today's gas prices but who knows how long that'll last.

youngTL

Yup the 2016 has no trans issues.

Note that Acura Canada ditched the FWD V6. The only ones are now I4 (Base and Tech), and SH-AWD V6 (Base, Tech and Elite). The guys at the dealership said they sold VERY few FWD V6 models (like less than 5 in a month in a busy month).

The V6 even with SH-AWD, is amazing on the highway. I get between 33.5 and 37.3 MPG on my highway trips and I have the SH-AWD (I converted to MPG for you Americans).

City trips are a lot worse, but my car doesn't even have 1800 km on the clock (~1200 miles I think it would be), AND it's winter with very cold temperatures. The TLX I have noticed runs rich fuel mixture until the engine is at operating temperature. So if you have short trips with lots of stop and go, you can get as bad as 17-19 MPG in the winter (3 mile trips are a bad idea in the winter if you want to save gas). If your commute is longer you'll get 22-25 MPG. I'm sure when the weather is warmer it's better.


If you do a ton of city driving and very little highway driving, I think the I4 model is the better choice if you're concerned with fuel. It has adequate power for zipping around the city You can't use all that V6 power anyway in the city...and this is coming from someone with a V6 model - the only advantage is the SH-AWD launch which is amusing, and the SH-AWD handling around onramps and offramps and in bad weather. I personally couldn't give up the opportunity cost of losing SH-AWD. I love it THAT much, lol. But not everyone cares about it that much.

But if you mostly just commute I really think the I4 is the better choice.

wlkeel

^^^
Good, objective summary - should be useful to prospective buyers.

HondaOwnerForLife

BCP/Espresso = Love this color combo. Had to go to KC from Omaha to find it. V6 SHAWD Tech. Could not live without the SHAWD, though the stock Goodyears are not capable of supporting what the SHAWD can give when cornering. As soon as the tread life is gone, I will put the DWS06 on the car and 235/50/18's rather than the stock 225/50/18's.

Good luck with your decision. Your car - you choose what you want/like.

And no issues with rough 1-2 and 2-3 gear shifts. Noticeable? Yes, but aren't most lower gears shifts more perceptible than higher gear shifts anyway? Not rough and no complaints really with the ZF tranny at this point. VCM vibration? IF I focus on only that, yes I can tell I'm on 3 cylinders but I really have to focus on the "feel". And I don't because, well, there are more important things on which to focus when I am behind the wheel. A passenger in the car would never be able to tell that VCM was active.

Almost 1,700 miles and not even at 4 weeks yet. I like the car and liking it more everyday. I have to say that the BCP looks stunning with tinted windows. That's my only mod until I can put the DWS06 on the car. Had them on the 2010 6MT TL and can't wait until the Goodyears have run their course.

le^2

As a current 2015 SH-AWD V6 Elite owner, my advice would be to take a very thorough 2-3 day extended test drive. I absolutely hate my transmission to the point where that one negative out-weighs all the positives of the car. I would gladly trade it in if there was no hit to my pocket - heck i'll even take a break even and they can keep my deposit, as long as no negative equity haha.

quantum7

2016 owners/test drivers: Is the delay on acceleration still an issue?

That is what I noticed the most on my test drives of the 2015.....cruising at 30 mph, stomp on the gas to pass or merge.....pause.....pause......pause.....accelerat e. Just wondering if the software/hardware has taken care of what I saw as a deal breaker for me.

youngTL

It depends what you are doing and what gear you're in. If you're going through a dog clutch gear (8th and/or 5th), it'll take longer than if you're not. So if you're in 5th, and you want to downshift to 2nd, it'll take about 1.5 sec (one dog clutch engagement). If you're in 9th on the highway and want to shift into 4th (2 dog clutch engagements) it'll take about 2 sec.

That has nothing to do with Acura (besides them choosing to use this transaxle) or any kind of bug, it's simply how it had to be designed to fit 9 speeds into a transaxle-type layout. Dog clutches require the disconnection of power, which is why it takes some extra time to engage them.

However, this engagement time is less on the 2016 than the 2015 transaxles, at least as far as I could tell in test driving them back to back. And the 2016 one doesn't get confused as to which gear to be in. And there's no hesitation when leaving a parking lot, which the 2015 seemed to do.

It does the following, which is why a 9 to 4 shift takes some time:

9th gear: C-brake not engaged. D-brake engaged. B-clutch engaged. E-clutch engaged. A-dog clutch not engaged. F-dog clutch not engaged.

4th gear: C-brake not engaged. D-brake brake not engaged. B-clutch not engaged. E-clutch engaged. A-dog clutch engaged. F-dog clutch engaged.

So the thing is releasing the D-brake, releasing the B-clutch, engaging the A-dog clutch, and engaging the F-dog clutch.
It's doing FOUR (4) things, 2 of which require cutting power for a short time (dog clutch shifts).

Either you can live with it for the benefit of the huge ratio spread (insane 1st gear for good off the line, and insanely tall 9th gear - you can destroy the EPA highway estimates), or you can't. If you can't, you should look at another car, or the I4 model.

I personally don't need to gear down 5 gears to pass. I just go from 9th into 6th and that's more than enough with the V6 to pass at non-illegal speeds. If you're doing a crazy fast pass, you probably shouldn't be doing it anyway in my opinion, but you can. If you do want to do that, you just need to pre-plan a bit by pressing the gas all the way down before you leave the lane (I would downshift in my 6MT TL-S from 6th to 4th BEFORE I left the lane to pass, and it took me about 2 seconds to complete the downshift, so really the 9AT isn't any slower than I was).

quantum7

I am familiar with the dog clutch arrangement and where those shifts occur. I am encouraged by the 2016 improvements to the 9 speed.
I am not racing my car each day, but I drive about 100 miles per day on a crazy highway in CT where rapid accelerations for passing and merging are essential (at least if I want to keep my commute to under a couple of hours). On my test drives with the 2015 one of the first things I noticed was a very long delay in the TLX finding a proper gear and responding to my need to accelerate....to the point that I felt that it was dangerous for my commute.

Again, thanks for the feedback. I am encouraged and will have to try a 2016 for a test drive. Very interested in what Acura may do with the MMR in 2017.