Which Driving Mode do you use?
Banned
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: MTL, Canada
Azine Jabroni
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 9,245
Likes: 2,226
From: Austin, TX
I usually let the car shift on its own. I do use the paddles if I am running someone. React quicker then the shift handle. They also have a slick feature if you hold the downshift paddle in at WOT it will jump to the lowest possible gear that will not over speed the engine. Not sure it the Acura has it but its pretty standard across the 8ZF line with the sport programmed gear box.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,674
Likes: 2,600
From: Raleigh, NC - USA
Column mounted paddles are nice but wheel mounted are still quicker then the console stick plus your hands stay on the wheel where they belong. You can make very violent maneuvers & never remove your hands from the wheel with most quick ratio steering systems.
During track days, & a number of performance driving schools don't ever remember taking my hands off the wheel to complete a turn. The Rat Race in the signature vid is an example. Quite a bit of shifting up & down but hands stayed on the wheel.
Right is up left in down so as long as you hold the wheel you will not get disoriented & pull the wrong paddle.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; May 28, 2018 at 11:45 AM.
Banned
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,905
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From: MTL, Canada
Taken on the web
I never drove a column mounted set-up, but wheel mounted is totally fine to me.
Wheel mounted:
BMW - 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 series
VW - Golf, GTI
Porsche - 918
Audi - R8
McLaren
Acura - TL
Cadillac - CTS-V
Column mounted:
Subaru - Outback
Ferrari
Lamborghini
Nissan - GTR, Maxima
BMW - 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 series
VW - Golf, GTI
Porsche - 918
Audi - R8
McLaren
Acura - TL
Cadillac - CTS-V
Column mounted:
Subaru - Outback
Ferrari
Lamborghini
Nissan - GTR, Maxima
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,920
Likes: 1,095
From: Kansas City
Hello to fellow 5th gen owners.
So by a very interesting luck I was able to snag a 2018 Acura TLX 3.5L FWD with no SH-AWD and no Advance/Tech package (otherwise base model it seems, no nav) as a rental car (it's a long term rental so I can basically have it for months until I exchange/switch out for another).
I'm usually in eco mode but can tell the throttle response is quite delayed/slow...especially from a stop.
But one thing I was curious is I could not see any launch control in the owner's manual. It seems like it's not a built in function? I guess what we can do is just put it in S+, traction off, stand on both pedals and go?
So by a very interesting luck I was able to snag a 2018 Acura TLX 3.5L FWD with no SH-AWD and no Advance/Tech package (otherwise base model it seems, no nav) as a rental car (it's a long term rental so I can basically have it for months until I exchange/switch out for another).
I'm usually in eco mode but can tell the throttle response is quite delayed/slow...especially from a stop.
But one thing I was curious is I could not see any launch control in the owner's manual. It seems like it's not a built in function? I guess what we can do is just put it in S+, traction off, stand on both pedals and go?
Super Car Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Ohio
Suzuka Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,674
Likes: 2,600
From: Raleigh, NC - USA
Hello to fellow 5th gen owners.
So by a very interesting luck I was able to snag a 2018 Acura TLX 3.5L FWD with no SH-AWD and no Advance/Tech package (otherwise base model it seems, no nav) as a rental car (it's a long term rental so I can basically have it for months until I exchange/switch out for another).
I'm usually in eco mode but can tell the throttle response is quite delayed/slow...especially from a stop.
But one thing I was curious is I could not see any launch control in the owner's manual. It seems like it's not a built in function? I guess what we can do is just put it in S+, traction off, stand on both pedals and go?
So by a very interesting luck I was able to snag a 2018 Acura TLX 3.5L FWD with no SH-AWD and no Advance/Tech package (otherwise base model it seems, no nav) as a rental car (it's a long term rental so I can basically have it for months until I exchange/switch out for another).
I'm usually in eco mode but can tell the throttle response is quite delayed/slow...especially from a stop.
But one thing I was curious is I could not see any launch control in the owner's manual. It seems like it's not a built in function? I guess what we can do is just put it in S+, traction off, stand on both pedals and go?
The thing to remember is the 9 speed is just a place holder till the Honda built 10 speed is available. Also on a FWD would most likely slow the car down since hard acceleration just unloads the front wheels & allows them to spin.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; Jul 2, 2018 at 07:54 PM.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,172
Likes: 740
From: Atlanta, GA
I have not seen any noticeable difference with Sport mode over Normal. My guess is it will depend on your driving style and traffic. If you are in my stop and go I would think it would ding it a tad. My driving is suburban Atlanta and on my 15 was getting around 21 average and since I had variation tank to tank I saw no difference with Sport. It does hold then occasional gear longer, but if I sense that I up shift with paddles. My 19 is too new to tell, but sine it is so far behaving like my 15 I do not expect anything different.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 695
Likes: 57
From: Central Ohio
Finally managed to get the feeling of torque that I wanted from my car
Now, it really is a blast when you're going 10 - 20 MPH from the light, then you find an open lane and paddle shift down to raise revs up to the TLX's power band (also know as the V-TEC ZONE) above 5K RPM and punch the gas pedal to the floor. Feels like a whole different car than it did w/o paddles, w/TC on, and in "Normal" driving mode...
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 118
Likes: 13
Turning traction actually made a difference? I use paddles and sport plus for the best experience but never thought about turning trac off since I’m AWD V6?
i agree with others that driving in Normal or even just Sport the car lugs the gears badly and has a huge delay when you go WOT for it to react.
i agree with others that driving in Normal or even just Sport the car lugs the gears badly and has a huge delay when you go WOT for it to react.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 695
Likes: 57
From: Central Ohio
Turning traction actually made a difference? I use paddles and sport plus for the best experience but never thought about turning trac off since I’m AWD V6?
i agree with others that driving in Normal or even just Sport the car lugs the gears badly and has a huge delay when you go WOT for it to react.
i agree with others that driving in Normal or even just Sport the car lugs the gears badly and has a huge delay when you go WOT for it to react.
Yes, I want the safety of ABS, and the computer to save my ass if I'm losing grip in a turn at speed, but, when it comes to 0 - 30 MPH I want me to be in control - I want to feel instant response to my input. I don't want throttle lag, reduced torque, etc. I want to feel a direct connection between my foot, and that 300 Hp. I don't want to feel like my grandma is sitting in between my foot and the engine - as if when I press the gas my grandma says now hold on sonny, let's take it easy and speed up slow.
The paddle shifters are also key, of course - this Acura TLX is my first dive into the world of V-TEC. I didn't know about the car's lack of low end torque when I bought it, and I was fairly disappointed to experience it until I got the hang of using the paddles to downshift and kick the revs up to ~5K when I wanted to have fun with the car.
Last edited by Christopher.; Jul 21, 2018 at 09:25 AM.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 118
Likes: 13
I will try that but damn that’s a shit ton of buttons to press each time you get into your car?
my start up sequence is like the back to the future car. I press start, turn of that auto stop crap then turn on brake hold, turn off parking brake, put car into drive, select sport plus and then click the paddle shifter. Oh, and now turn traction off lol.
my start up sequence is like the back to the future car. I press start, turn of that auto stop crap then turn on brake hold, turn off parking brake, put car into drive, select sport plus and then click the paddle shifter. Oh, and now turn traction off lol.
Keep Right Except to Pass
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,411
Likes: 45
From: Kingstowne, VA
The TLX belongs to my wife. I generally have it in Sport when I drive it; she has it in Normal. We've both found the AC to be not nearly cold enough in Eco mode, especially with the very hot weather we had earlier this month. On Thursday night I drove it in Normal (we had my '04 TL towed due to a flashing check engine light and she followed the tow truck to the mechanic and then I drove the TLX home using her remote) because she had it set that way and I felt like with my customary driving style I was flogging the car a bit. I thought about changing it to Sport but didn't because I knew I'd forget to change it back for her.
I use the paddles, especially on hills where they're about the closest thing to the lockout device some automatics used to have. One of my pet peeves, as someone used to driving manual shifts, is people (particularly women in minivans) who don't know how to force an automatic to a lower gear and consequently crawl up anything more than a minor hill because the transmission selects too high a gear. I also use the paddles when passing on two-lane roads or when I reach the bottom of a loop-around on-ramp entering the highway, mainly just because I'm not all that comfortable with the kickdown feature that's normal with automatics. (Every car I've ever owned has been a manual, including my current two.)
I use the paddles, especially on hills where they're about the closest thing to the lockout device some automatics used to have. One of my pet peeves, as someone used to driving manual shifts, is people (particularly women in minivans) who don't know how to force an automatic to a lower gear and consequently crawl up anything more than a minor hill because the transmission selects too high a gear. I also use the paddles when passing on two-lane roads or when I reach the bottom of a loop-around on-ramp entering the highway, mainly just because I'm not all that comfortable with the kickdown feature that's normal with automatics. (Every car I've ever owned has been a manual, including my current two.)
Pro
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 667
Likes: 108
From: Ontario (Canada)
2018 TLX AWD Tech. I can confirm that disabling Traction Control does seem to make a noticeable difference in the way the car behaves when accelerating. It actually makes the car closer to being "normal".
Normally, traction control will start intervening as soon as it detects some slippage. In our car, it's really cutting power way too soon, causing most of our issues with acceleration delays etc.
Maybe most of our problems are due to poor traction control programming...??
Normally, traction control will start intervening as soon as it detects some slippage. In our car, it's really cutting power way too soon, causing most of our issues with acceleration delays etc.
Maybe most of our problems are due to poor traction control programming...??
Suzuka Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,674
Likes: 2,600
From: Raleigh, NC - USA
Pretty sure thats what its supposed to do. They want no slippage in comfort mode to scare the troops. Sport & sport+ are programmed to allow varying degrees of slip to keep the revs up.
Problem with anything driving through its front wheels is it unloads traction on acceleration. IMHO if this happens to an untrained driver pulling out of a side street into traffic it will scare the crap out of him/her & they might do something dumb. Despite the advertising the TLX is not a car whose hardware/software is oriented toward sporting drivers.
Problem with anything driving through its front wheels is it unloads traction on acceleration. IMHO if this happens to an untrained driver pulling out of a side street into traffic it will scare the crap out of him/her & they might do something dumb. Despite the advertising the TLX is not a car whose hardware/software is oriented toward sporting drivers.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 667
Likes: 108
From: Ontario (Canada)
^ Hum - My TSX and other Toyotas and Audis that I have owned / driven do not do that... Traction control only intervenes once active slippage occurs, not before... It's borderline dangerous, as when you're trying to accelerate to avoid something.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,674
Likes: 2,600
From: Raleigh, NC - USA
Mine must be more sensitive then some. In comfort mode I can see the warning light flicker on occasion although I have no seat of the pants or aural sensation that I have slippage. So its sensing threshold slippage that is not yet high enough to make the driver aware.
Its a pretty broad system in I can drift the car in Sport+. You can see a full drift in the Rat Race vid which I ran in sport +. I can slip the tires on a hard launch in sport but a drift would be hard as I would be fighting some stability control intervention.
My normal drive mode is sport+ stability partially off, except in rain or high speed on the highway. There is one more level, suicide mode, sport+ stability fully disengaged.
Its a pretty broad system in I can drift the car in Sport+. You can see a full drift in the Rat Race vid which I ran in sport +. I can slip the tires on a hard launch in sport but a drift would be hard as I would be fighting some stability control intervention.
My normal drive mode is sport+ stability partially off, except in rain or high speed on the highway. There is one more level, suicide mode, sport+ stability fully disengaged.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; Jul 22, 2018 at 05:01 PM.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 329
Likes: 111
From: Ontario
Im wondering if the TCS limits power being applied along with modulating the brakes to control wheelspin? Turning it off could feel like full power is being used and thus make the car feel quicker.
I use Sport and + exclusively. Cant say Ive ever even tried the lower modes.
I use Sport and + exclusively. Cant say Ive ever even tried the lower modes.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 286
Likes: 77
From: Farmington, UT
I just learned how to not only turn off traction control but the elusive stability control too. When off it is a flashing light right next to traction control off. The steps are under the problems section and traction control. It has to be done exactly as shown in the video. From my understanding the traction control is for under 40 kph and stability control is over 40 kph according to the video
Pro
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 667
Likes: 108
From: Ontario (Canada)
From my analysis, it looks like the Traction control programming in the TLX is poorly designed. Normally, traction control will only intervene when wheels start slipping - that' when it cuts power and selectively applies the brakes to reduce wheel spin. Most useful in snow. I have never driven a car (well, other than the TLX...) where the traction control preemptively limits power when it determines that the acceleration pattern would lead to wheel spin.
Turning traction control off basically "fixes" most of the TLX driving experience issues (in my case anyway). All it takes is a competent Honda engineer to revise the software.
Stability assist is different, and I would not turn it off (will likely have little impact on the driving experience). It is a key safety system designed to keep the vehicle stable by correcting oversteer and understeer issues we all experience. Below is a description of the VSA of our car:
Oversteer Suppression Control
The oversteer suppression control outputs a brake pressure signal that is optimally distributed between the outside front and rear wheels through the VSA modulator-control unit when the vehicle goes into oversteer. This generates a moment that suppresses oversteer and stabilizes the vehicle.
Understeer Suppression Control
The understeer suppression control outputs a brake pressure signal that is optimally distributed between the inside front and rear wheels. This generates a moment that suppresses understeer through the VSA modulator-control unit when the vehicle goes into understeer. During acceleration, an engine torque down signal is also output to the PCM, which increases the cornering force of the driving wheels in order to maintain steerability and improve line traceability.
Note the reference to "During acceleration, an engine torque down signal is also output to the PCM..." in "understeer suppression". While this is another situation where the system appears to intervene to cut engine torque, but i haven't noticed this yet.
Turning traction control off basically "fixes" most of the TLX driving experience issues (in my case anyway). All it takes is a competent Honda engineer to revise the software.
Stability assist is different, and I would not turn it off (will likely have little impact on the driving experience). It is a key safety system designed to keep the vehicle stable by correcting oversteer and understeer issues we all experience. Below is a description of the VSA of our car:
Oversteer Suppression Control
The oversteer suppression control outputs a brake pressure signal that is optimally distributed between the outside front and rear wheels through the VSA modulator-control unit when the vehicle goes into oversteer. This generates a moment that suppresses oversteer and stabilizes the vehicle.
Understeer Suppression Control
The understeer suppression control outputs a brake pressure signal that is optimally distributed between the inside front and rear wheels. This generates a moment that suppresses understeer through the VSA modulator-control unit when the vehicle goes into understeer. During acceleration, an engine torque down signal is also output to the PCM, which increases the cornering force of the driving wheels in order to maintain steerability and improve line traceability.
Note the reference to "During acceleration, an engine torque down signal is also output to the PCM..." in "understeer suppression". While this is another situation where the system appears to intervene to cut engine torque, but i haven't noticed this yet.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,674
Likes: 2,600
From: Raleigh, NC - USA
I just learned how to not only turn off traction control but the elusive stability control too. When off it is a flashing light right next to traction control off. The steps are under the problems section and traction control. It has to be done exactly as shown in the video. From my understanding the traction control is for under 40 kph and stability control is over 40 kph according to the video
Car can be very loose with stability off.
Performance School Rat Pace vid is driven in Sport. If you think you can run this hard on the street with the systems shut down God Bless.
BTW be interested to see a link to the vid. Could be different programming but I found stability control has enough flexibility to let the car drift. You can still dump the car if you overdrive it but it does extend you range of control.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; Jul 25, 2018 at 09:40 AM.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 286
Likes: 77
From: Farmington, UT
You are probably right. I noticed the difference when accelerating hard into a turn. All the power was there but yea it did feel less controlled(less smooth). It was fun to play with it just to see what it would do. But yea for safety sake i should just leave it be.
Last edited by ultrapogi; Jul 25, 2018 at 09:40 AM.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,674
Likes: 2,600
From: Raleigh, NC - USA
Just a frame of reference. The cars are M3 425BHP advertised 430WHP DynoJet dynamometer 7DCT 3.9 second to 60MPH. The vid is the short track handling course. Max speed is around 90MPH & the drift IIRC in in the 45/50 range (not really sure). You can see the cars getting out of shape coming off the skid pad even with the nannies on. With the cones out the straight section is longer & you can get over 120MPH before very hard braking to turn onto the skid pad. Had a ride with a pro driver in a prepared M5 620WHP & he was topping 135 on the straight. It's a really fun weekend.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,674
Likes: 2,600
From: Raleigh, NC - USA
Try a big box parking lot early Sunday morning or a local Auto-X & find out for yourself. It's generally the driver that is the limiting factor & different people in the same car will see different capabilities.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 438
Likes: 77
Sport mode for most around town and short highway driving. Normal mode for stop and go commuting and long highway drives.
I hate Eco mode. It neuters the vehicle. Does Sport+ also cut the A/C like Eco mode?
Also does turning off traction control make the car more responsive from launch 0-30 if you want to have fun?
When they tested ~5.7s 0-60 for the V6 FWD PAWS TLX, was it in Sport+ with T/C turned off?
I hate Eco mode. It neuters the vehicle. Does Sport+ also cut the A/C like Eco mode?
Also does turning off traction control make the car more responsive from launch 0-30 if you want to have fun?
When they tested ~5.7s 0-60 for the V6 FWD PAWS TLX, was it in Sport+ with T/C turned off?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 843
Likes: 404
If you have the V6 anything less than sport mode why buy it? Sport is where you at least get some of he power, sport + is where it actually shows it's power but most of the time I want that I have to look for the button and it's not an instant change so unless you know ahead of time it's not practical to switch over and the rev's are too high as the engine won't switch to a higher gear even when leveled off in speed. The ideal mode would be in between those two modes. Sports + does make it a different car but it's running full time at a higher RPM than needed most of the time so for me is a once in a while mode for a few minutes of fun when I have the road to myself.
If you want mpg then the 4cyl should be the choice.
If you want mpg then the 4cyl should be the choice.
Last edited by jhb31; Oct 12, 2020 at 08:51 PM.
Banned
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 329
Likes: 79
From: Kansas
I believe for longevity of my car, I start each morning in NORMAL mode. After about 5 minutes, I may change to Sport or Sport+. I do this because I want the engine to warm up before I rev it too high. I don't believe in revving a cold engine. That is a recipe for disaster.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 438
Likes: 77
I believe for longevity of my car, I start each morning in NORMAL mode. After about 5 minutes, I may change to Sport or Sport+. I do this because I want the engine to warm up before I rev it too high. I don't believe in revving a cold engine. That is a recipe for disaster.
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MattViperTLX
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