Get their act together? Sounds like he just got the one with some problems. The transmission issues that some '15 owners have seem to be fixed in the '16. My TLX has given me no trouble and I imagine it staying that way, as many TLX owners can agree. Unfortunately some people just get the bad one in the batch. It's the first year of an all new generation, it sucks but it's expected that there will be some problems.

 

The Acura TLX hands down is the best value in the class. you can get a 4 cyl VERY well equipped for about $34000 out the door. There is not much within $1000 that even compares in my opinion. Not to mention the 4 wheel steering is awesome, its amazing how I never hear anyone talk about it. Not much of a "drivers" forum I guess. But my car on H&R springs and some big tires handles the clover leafs quite well I must say. very fun to drive

 

You're joking right? Have you been following the threads on this and other forums where the EXACT same issues that I've experienced have been experienced but many other TLX owners?

Transmissions issues (multiple TSBs and updates to address)
Vibration issues at highway speeds (TSB to address)
Rear deck rattles

Sure maybe the audio and navigation issues are one-off problems, but the others are pervasive in the 2015 model year. I'm glad Acura may have gotten their act together for the 2016 model year, but there is no excuse for the poor quality seen in my car or others built as 2015 TLX models.

 

In my opinion is exactly the opposite....the TLX is at the bottom of the pile when it comes to value in the segment if not the worst of them all.

There are mainstream midsize sedans, cheaper and more desirable from a mechanical and design standpoint than a 4 banger TLX like the brand new Optima Turbo....heck I would fork my money for a BMW 320i before a 4 banger TLX.

29K would put you in the driver seat of a AWD Chrysler 200 Sport with the same 9 speed transmission of the V6 TLX and the 295 HP 3.6 V6 Pentastar engine...and you can get more modern tech than the TLX on it.

The new Maxima starts at 32K (with a 300 hp V6 engine) and its interiors are fantastic compared to the TLX....sure the CVT sucks but a 4 banger TLX is not exactly sporty....

Sub 30k would get you the excellent new Malibu Turbo.

In the low 30s you could get an impressive full size new Chevy Impala with the 305 HP V6 engine.

Not to mention the new terrific duo 2015 Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger that pulverize a TLX pretty much across the board.

The TLX does not have distinctive performance, distinctive styling or unique tech features...the only TLX worth of marginal consideration is the SH-AWD version.

It does not even make the case compared to its Accord cousin like the TL did at its time (and when the Accord itself was decisively at the top of the totem pole compared to its midsize competitors which is not longer the case)

Sure I would prefer a TLX over a Camry....and that's about it..I hope for the TLX that Mazda does not decide to put a more peppy engine on the fantastic new Mazda 6.

Honda is cashing its checks on what is left of Acura reputation and it shows.

 

My TLX actually had two rear deck rattles, one with the subwoofer and another w/o music on. Took it to the dealer months ago and they fixed it, noise is completely gone. My transmission has the 2-3 jerk, but oh well overall I love how smooth the other shifts are. My car also vibrates when VCM is on, it seems to be happening less and less as I break the car in. I don't let these minor issues ruin the whole car for me. I knew going in that buying a first year of a new gen there would be a couple issues.

 

I still enjoy the car, but I wouldn't recommend it to others or buy another Acura. The two aren't the same.

I always thought Honda and Acura were leaders in quality and reliability, and they used to be, so not sure if it's the fact that the TLX is made in Ohio rather than Japan, but a brand new car that retails for $42,500 shouldn't need almost a month in the dealer's repair shop just to work correctly. My Lexus was essentially perfect for 9 years other than basic maintenance, and a water pump replacement at 75K miles. It had 106k miles and would have lasted 200K miles or more (and probably without major repairs), had it not met its fate on a rainy night.

 

My cousin also had an early model Lexus IS250, and had engine sludge problems that appeared while out of warranty, and a bunch of other first-year issues (trim pieces coming loose, headliner drooping, sunroof stopped working). Lexus has less initial quality first year issues, but they still exist in some cases.

My 2016 TLX has had only one small issue, a speaker needed to be replaced under warranty (was defective - couldn't put out certain frequencies). Other than that, no problems whatsoever, and I've not seen any other 2016 owners with issues. I absolutely love the car.

On the other hand, I can understand why 2015 owners would never buy another Acura after the way that Acura handled the 2015 launch and subsequent issues. That is not acceptable. Mind you, they aren't the only ones that do stuff like that, but it still shouldn't happen.

 

I'm not saying that only Acura has issues. My IS did not have the sludge issues but Lexus still extended the warranty for my vehicle for that issue without being asked. I received a warranty extension for a fuel system issue that affected some vehicles but not mine as well.

The difference for me was neither of those issues affected the vehicles when new, and they didn't actually affect me, and Lexus proactively extended the warranty to address.

I did end up with a new transmission for my TLX and new tires, so I give Acura credit for addressing, but I've just had so many little nit type of issues. An example is the rubber gasket around the rear passenger door keeps popping out. Is it a huge deal...no, but speaks to the overall quality of the workmanship.

I agree about first model year. I let a large discount override my common sense on that point. That was my fault and I'll will never make that mistake again.

 

I think the first bunch of TLXs were rushed out, and that should have never happened. Seems like all the quality issues and fit & finish issues were with earlier ones.

And yeah, I will NEVER buy a first model year car, ever. Not even used.

 

Aye - it's well documented that they screwed up. They were out of inventory (or very low) for the 2014 TL's and the dealers needed something to sell - so they trotted the TLX out despite the issues. And yes - you can't tell me they weren't aware of the ZF9 issues.

Still - in the end it's all first world problems - no? How fortunate are we to be able to complain about issues with our nice cars!

 

I'd like to put in a plug for the 2.4 Tech version of the TLX. Ours has been problem-free for over a year, and the only time in the shop was an hour and a half for the A1 service and software update. I enjoy driving it every day.

Regarding Acura in general, I've only had two Acuras - the TLX and an Integra over twenty years ago. Rushing out the TLX with the reported problems (especially the six cylinder SH-AWD) is troublesome. And the potential vibration with the VCM (which Honda pioneered over ten years ago) is mind boggling.

I guess my bottom line is I'd recommend the 2.4 Tech highly, but have some reservations about Acura in general.

 

You can look at this another way. They were out of inventory because they didn't rush the release of the 2015 TLX. At least not initially. Which is actually what happened. If you recall, the release of the TLX was delayed by at least something like 6 months. Then there was the stop sale after the release related to the TLX V6 rolling away when it was parked.

With that line of thinking, we probably shouldn't complain about anything we buy. I don't forget so easily and I sure as heck don't forgive that easily. I've soured on the Acura brand as a result of my TLX experience to-date, but I'm guessing most know that by now. I agree with wlkeel's comments above about reservations with Acura in general.

 

I want to say that for 2016 accord v6 with msrp 31595+. you can go for around 26500. negotiate it.
If you go tlx awd, go ahead. If fwd, I recommend 2016 v6 accord. I drove loaner 2015 tlx v6 fwd for 2.5 days while my 2012 TL in service, I want to say fwd tlx just a fancy accord. same suspension which is regular struct. and not floor accelerator. same dual screens. very soft fwd tlx as accord. no any impression on tlx fwd at all.

 

I went from an '03 TL-S to an '06 BMW 330i. Despite the transmission problems I had in the 03, the problems I had with the BMW were worse - everything just started breaking down after a year of ownership (I became the 2nd owner in 2010):
1. starter - this one left me stranded at work which really stung
2. 3 window alternators
3. plastic piece that housed the aux port broke and fell into the car rendering it unusable
4. side view mirrors glitched and would swivel inward everytime I unlock the car, and I would manually have to push them into place - very expensive to fix and embarrassing to explain to passengers
5. plastic trim on 2 air vents snapped off
There are still more I can't think of right now. I wwitched into a '11 TSX which I've had for the past 2+ years, and reliability has been rock solid. Literally no unexpected trips to the shop or work needed on the car. Now looking into trading up to a new TLX, which sounds like the '16 models are in decent shape.

 

I had a 14 TSX and no issues for 2 years. But I ended up hating the TSX because the tech sucked or was non-existant. Much happier now that I am in the TLX.

 

The argument that BMW has issues, therefore the Acura ones are acceptable doesn't really hold water for me. The Germans are known for electrical issues and that's one of the reasons I've always avoided Bimmers.

I know most of you are long time Acura enthusiasts, so some of this is like calling your baby ugly, but it's been a really bad experience for me, and one that has shocked me given Honda and Acura's reputation, and my own experience when I owned a trouble free Honda from 2001-2006.

Out of the slightly more than 3 months I've owned the car, it's been out of my possession at the dealer for just over 4 weeks and this is what has been done:

- New transmission
- New tires
- New battery
- New telematics unit
- New hard drive
- New audio unit
- insulate and correct severe rattle in rear deck and subwoofer
- body shop adjust hood misalignment to the extent possible.

Now, after introducing a bad navigation component while fiddling with the audio system, the dealer has the car and is replacing the navigation unit. Another week using a loaner.

I'm beyond disgusted.

 

The Sticker was 45k on my TLX SH-AWD Advance, I don't think its worth 45k. I should have bought the Basic line at 31k. At 31K the TLX is a great car, and you really cant beat it. But my TLX was not worth it and I regret getting it. For 45k i could have bought some really amazing cars that were build for real performance driving. I will say my TLX handles incredible, but this 9 speed transmission is garbage and kills the car. When i want to pass a car, i will floor my TLX, and i will need to wait 3 seconds for the gears to drop. The V6 is alright, nothing special and past 100 MPH my car will begin to vibrate. The tech in the car is kinda half assed, it reminds me of a samsung phone from 2010; overloaded with tech that does not perform well. My conclusion is the TLX SH-AWD Advance is a jack of all trades and a master of none.

 

Well I will be crossing my fingers, we just purchased the AWD advanced for $41,200.00 that will be my SO's daily driver. We pick it up next Saturday so we shall see. I really wanted the IS350 but in the end it was a bit more, a little smaller and she said it was too flashy for an old lady to be driving, I shouldn't have agreed with her, put me in the dog house for awhile.

 

Was that out the door price?

 

It was 41,660 minus a $500 (competitor Conquest rebate)
Plus TTL of about $1120.00.

 

Personally I prefer the TSX, but if your looking for a sedan with minimum road noise, great handling, great torque, but minus the sport look then the TLX is the way to go. I was able to drive one as a loaner vehicle and liked it, but am now missing my TSX.

 

Lol. That's the equivalent of the "this dress makes me look fat" trap. Hesitate for a second, and it's game over!!

 

You'd think at my age I would have figured it all out!!!

 

There is nothing significantly wrong with the Acura TLX but I don't think I'd even consider one if the Honda Accord had nicer seats.

 

I would not recommend the TLX to my mother in law or my wife, since I might be responsible for the outcome when the transmission blows up and I actually care about their well being. However, I would have no problems recommending the TLX to a coworker, since it's on his dime and he wouldn't be able to blame me for going out on a limb and buying on faith alone. In fact, I might even get a chuckle out of his transmission self-destructing if that day were to come.

 

 

So dumb. That was a 2015 problem and ZERO 2016 is impacted.

Toyota had its share of problems too.

 

I will cross my fingers for you. I recall 2015 owners being in denial, too. If the reliability of the 2016's turn out to exceed the low expectations set by other recent Acura sedans, great.

It still doesn't change the fact that recommending the TLX to your mother-in-law, based solely on the faith of fanboys, would be just a tad irresponsible.

 

An abrupt shift isn't a reliability issue. It's a quality-of-life issue (and one that should have never happened). ZF transmissions are generally very reliable, in terms of not leaving you stranded.

In any event, they're sorted out. Some people still don't like their behaviour due to the dog clutches that are there for efficiency reasons. I would trust ZF's transmission more than I trust any auto trans Honda built in the past.