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First, my background. I bought a 2004 TSX NHBP/Ebony TSX as soon as the car was introduced. I saw it at the Dallas Auto Show and immediately loved it. I have driven that car for 11 years and put 175K miles on it... best car I have ever owned by far. About a week ago I picked up my BWP/Ebony 4 Tech - pics below. I did not like the 17" wheels/tires, so I worked out a deal to get them swapped out with the 18" that come on the 6. (They had a set in house because they put together a TLX race car inspired config with Enkei wheels.) Although there are a few issues that I will get into, I love the car so far and look forward to driving it everyday.
Pros:
* Very attractive car in person. The Acura build your own page does not do it justice... they really need to put a 360 on that. Its wider stance (almost 4 inches vs 04 TSX) results in a sportier look.
* The ride is much more refined.
* Minimal body lean... I can take 90 degree corners at 40 miles an hour and the only thing that doesn't stick to the road is me :-). This never gets old.
* Like the TSX, its shifts silky smooth 95% of the time (see below)
* Feels very light on its feet... not quite as light as the TSX but surprisingly close given its size.
* Steering wheel controls are fantastic.. being able to pull up call speed dial, history, etc. all in your line of site is great. I will be using this over voice control in most cases.
* This has probably been on other Acuras before now, but if you turn the compass on between the tach and speedometer, it shows the road name you are traveling on. It is right in your line of vision and this is very convenient when traveling to new places. I realize the Nav also shows this, but you have to look to the side for it.
* Option to automatically rotate one of the side mirrors down when backing up. I love this.. do it all the time when parking near curbs so I don't accidentally scratch the rims.
* I know we don't have an official 0-60 yet, but I can assure you the car is plenty quick enough. There is no way that Motor Week number is correct as I still have my 04 TSX (giving it to my stepson for college) and the TLX is at least as fast as it is (I have been alternating driving the two vehicles to see the differences I notice most).
Mixed Bag:
* Audio system. Connectivity options are great even for us Android users. Lacking in bass... and I am not a bass nut, but I would like more. Both bass and subwoofer are working, just doesn't bring as much as I would like to the party. The HDD for CDs is great, but would be nice if I could load from other sources. Not sure what the thought was there. I guess I should not be too critical here... at least the system remembers what you were playing last regardless of source... unlike the head unit on the Mazda 6.
* Voice control is very similar to the TSX... My Moto X has much better recognition under the same driving conditions.
Cons:
* As has been reported, there is some shift jerkiness as lower speeds. I need to run some more experiments because it doesn't seem to do it all the time. It definitely seems to happen more if you are slowing down to a stop but then don't quite stop and then speed up. I'm wondering if they have some logic like this... if you are breaking and you are between 10-15 mph stay in 2nd, and only move down to 1st when you get below 10mph... but maybe the recipicoal logic when you have your foot on the gas doesn't quite match... i.e. let's say our are breaking and your are at 12mph in 2nd... then you put your foot on the gas and the logic wants to kick it down to 1st. I have been driving in normal mode during the break in period for the most part, so I need to run more tests in different modes. Once I have more info I will definitely report the findings to my service department. Note: I don't want to make this sound like a bigger issue than it is, but I bet it would be annoying if you were stuck in stop and go traffic.
* Lack of a spare tire - Many luxury sedans (S60, ATS, etc) have gone this way to save weight for fuel economy, but still annoying. At least there is an option on this car... albeit a seriously over-priced one.
* Not a fan of the 17" wheels/tires on the 4... They should have thrown in the 18's if you get the tech package. I realize they probably did this to keep the price down, but to me, the 17"s are just too small for the design of the car.
Other Thoughts:
* I have seen a lot of discussion on this and other forums that obsess about 0-60 times. If you are truly fixated on this, I recommend you buy another car. There are faster cars out there for a lot less money. There are also faster cars in this segment for a similar price but they are smaller or have less tech or both. This car is a compromise - it balances size, quickness, ride, luxury, tech and price. To me, that is what this car is about.
* For the life of me, I do not know why Acura has not offered the paint and wheels that were on the prototype. Truly boggles my mind. I saw the prototype in person and it looked amazing. I would certainly have paid up for that.
Nice well balanced review, but I do not understand why there are so many negative posts about lack of a spare tire. It is an option. If it is considered expensive then that should be negative observation rather than there not being a spare.
* As has been reported, there is some shift jerkiness as lower speeds. I need to run some more experiments because it doesn't seem to do it all the time. It definitely seems to happen more if you are slowing down to a stop but then don't quite stop and then speed up. I'm wondering if they have some logic like this... if you are breaking and you are between 10-15 mph stay in 2nd, and only move down to 1st when you get below 10mph... but maybe the recipicoal logic when you have your foot on the gas doesn't quite match... i.e. let's say our are breaking and your are at 12mph in 2nd... then you put your foot on the gas and the logic wants to kick it down to 1st. I have been driving in normal mode during the break in period for the most part, so I need to run more tests in different modes. Once I have more info I will definitely report the findings to my service department. Note: I don't want to make this sound like a bigger issue than it is, but I bet it would be annoying if you were stuck in stop and go traffic.
Beauty! Good job on the wheels - I've grown to really like the 17's but those 18's really look great too!
I've been running in Econ mode for stop -n- go city driving and it's much smoother - no real issues actually. I suspect the jerky shits are when it guesses wrong on the best gear and has to skip one i.e., go from 4th to 2nd or 1st to 3rd as the consecutive shits should be pretty smooth due to the nature of how the DCT works.
I wish they had a knob instead of a button for changing modes. It would be nice to simply click back and forth between econ and normal as opposed to having to cycle through all the modes each time you want to go from normal to econ.
Oh and btw, I also have a NHBP/Ebony 04 TSX (only 92K which is why I'm debating on keeping it vs. trading in for a TLX). Anyway, mine is the 6-spd -was yours? You said the TLX is at least as fast as your TSX was, so I'm really curious about that as the mt vs. auto 0-60 times are quite different.
About a week ago I picked up my BWP/Ebony 4 Tech - pics below. I did not like the 17" wheels/tires, so I worked out a deal to get them swapped out with the 18" that come on the 6...
Congrats! And nice shot! And I thought I was the first to have V6 wheels on the 2.4
* I have seen a lot of discussion on this and other forums that obsess about 0-60 times. If you are truly fixated on this, I recommend you buy another car. There are faster cars out there for a lot less money. There are also faster cars in this segment for a similar price but they are smaller or have less tech or both. This car is a compromise - it balances size, quickness, ride, luxury, tech and price. To me, that is what this car is about.
Well said. This balance of virtues, IMO, is classic Honda.
Also, the 18's look great! Unfortunately, after seeing our cars pounded by rough roads courtesy of the Polar Vortex, I'm leaning away from large wheels and low profile rubber for future daily drivers. I need some sidewall!
Well said. This balance of virtues, IMO, is classic Honda.
Agree completely. And if it's as reliable as every other Honda or Acura I've owned that says a lot. These cars may not be the best in any one catagory, but do a lot of thing very well, hold their value, and still drive like new with 200K miles on them.
The wheel and tire swap cost me $1150 (installed :-) ), which IMO is too much... but the first offer was $2K so there ya go. The price on the other accessory wheels is highway robbery and I don't like them anyway.
The wheel and tire swap cost me $1150 (installed :-) ), which IMO is too much... but the first offer was $2K so there ya go. The price on the other accessory wheels is highway robbery and I don't like them anyway.
Keith
Nice ride! I was going to do the same but my dealer didn't have any take-off's. Plus I wanted a better tire. So I shopped at TireRack for some 18" with Michelin Pilot Sport 245/45R18. Cost me around $1400 US then shipping to Canada.
I am planning some 17" for winter and comparing TireRack to local supplier. How much was shipping and taxes to Canada? Did you get the TPMS sensors as well (their price is U$252)?
I am planning some 17" for winter and comparing TireRack to local supplier. How much was shipping and taxes to Canada? Did you get the TPMS sensors as well (their price is U$252)?
I didn't get the sensors. Just pick what you want to buy from TireRack add to cart and put in your postal code and it will calculate shipping, duty, other fees and tax in US dollars. Some times its worth it. sometimes not.
The wheel and tire swap cost me $1150 (installed :-) ), which IMO is too much... but the first offer was $2K so there ya go. The price on the other accessory wheels is highway robbery and I don't like them anyway.
Keith
Those do look better...
I wonder if that money would be better spent on the Aero package though? About the same cost ($2k list), and it does look pretty awesome. In both cases, I just couldn't justify paying money for nothing more than looks, but the fact that I still think about it with regret suggests I may have made the wrong choice!
In both cases, I just couldn't justify paying money for nothing more than looks, but the fact that I still think about it with regret suggests I may have made the wrong choice!
Changing the tires is not about looks, unfortunately it is about changing the entire performance and handling profile of the vehicle. A number of reviewers complained about the wimpy tires on the TLX, and I can pretty much guarantee from personal experience that you put some good tires on there and you will feel the difference right away.
The wheel and tire swap cost me $1150 (installed :-) ), which IMO is too much... but the first offer was $2K so there ya go. The price on the other accessory wheels is highway robbery and I don't like them anyway.
Keith
Very Nice!! I just ordered mine, BWP DCT w/Ebony. Love the 18's and the tint. How dark is your tint?
Nice ride! I was going to do the same but my dealer didn't have any take-off's. Plus I wanted a better tire. So I shopped at TireRack for some 18" with Michelin Pilot Sport 245/45R18. Cost me around $1400 US then shipping to Canada.
The wheel and tire swap cost me $1150 (installed :-) ), which IMO is too much... but the first offer was $2K so there ya go. The price on the other accessory wheels is highway robbery and I don't like them anyway.
Changing the tires is not about looks, unfortunately it is about changing the entire performance and handling profile of the vehicle. A number of reviewers complained about the wimpy tires on the TLX, and I can pretty much guarantee from personal experience that you put some good tires on there and you will feel the difference right away.
Good point, and I do want new tires, but I can't justify throwing away the stock ones yet. When they wear out though, it will definitely be time for an upgrade.
And I thought I was the first to have V6 wheels on the 2.4 
