so still 190", 3600 lbs in fwd format. doesn't sound quite so revolutionary. i'll wait & see how the 4ws & 9at test, but still does not sound like an enthusiast car

 

I'm not sure they set out to make an enthusiast car. Sure there are a lot of enthusiasts on AZ that want it to be, but it looks like a luxury sport sedan to me. And I think they put more emphasis on luxury than sport. If they do release a Type-S in a few years, that would be the enthusiast car.

 

This is probably about right, but if Acura stays true to the outgoing TL SH-AWD and TSX, the I4 and AWD models will have a tighter base suspensions than the Europeans' base suspensions, and will fall somewhere between BMW's base and sport suspensions. (Actually, the 3 Series sport suspension isn't that tight anymore, and the AWD cars aren't even available with sport suspensions, so the I4 and AWD TLX variants might be very close handling-wise.) So, it might not be a hard core sport sedan, but will be sportier than the base versions of the competition. Perhaps the V6 FWD model will be soft, just like the 4G TL.

That's what I would expect anyway. Acura has gotten much better at ride/handling balance of late, so I expect great handling with a decent ride that will appeal to some luxury buyers.

 

Actually on the TOV interview they pretty much say the I4 is tuned to be more nimble like the TSX and the SH-AWD does NOT get a stiffer suspension than the FWD version. I am hoping that at least means a Type-S will come eventually.

 

We are now talking about TLX, and TLX is much larger than outgoing TSX.

People are interested in S60 T6 because it uses a new and powerful 2.0T engine. An AWD S60 with a 10 years old engine is not interesting at all.

 

Yeah, now that you mention it I remember that bit from the TOV interview. I also hope a dedicated performance variant is in the works, but in the meantime I hope the V6 models have the "medium sport" type of suspension tuning I described.

 

I think Acura missed a chance to kill two birds with one stone... they could have dumped those lousy SACHS 2 stage dampers and replaced them with active dampers that were linked to the drive mode selector. On the new Mini it is a $500 option as is a sport tuned suspension. So in a way, a Mini Cooper is more of a sport vehicle than the TLX....

 

One thing I learned from my A6, is I got it without the sport suspension, but added 20 inch wheels which helped the ride a great deal. Hopefully the TLX will have enough of a following that there will be aftermarket parts to help. I am hoping RonJon does a grille which would make this look killer.

 

I used to have a 2004 S60R... it was an inline 5, turbo. rated at 300hp, 300 lb torque. mine had decent mods and was faster than a stock model. the turbo makes big torque at lower rpms, so it pulls much much harder in lower rpms.. it would easily pull away from our TLs.. even my old 2004 car, when it was stock, woudl blow away my TL...

BUT, that being said, it was not as reliable. also, it's a smaller car, as was said before. the S60 platform is a smaller car, more TSX/3 series in size.

if I was wanting a higher performing euro car, I'd skip the volvo entirely and get a 335i or try to get into an M3. you codlu probably find a nice deal on a CPO M3 wiht the V8 for $50k... i'd take that over a new S60 anyday.

 

TLX is replacing the TSX (in addition to the TL) and competing against cars like the 3-series, A4, C-class, and IS. All of those are also around the same size as the S60. Seems like it is fair to point out it is on par with the cars in the class.

I was addressing a factual inaccuracy. It may be an older motor, but it still delivers on power and delivers similar fuel economy to the S4. Not necessarily uncompetitive.

And to be fair, Acura has been using the same basic engine architecture for well over a decade as well. It doesn't mean there weren't advances along the way.

 

This is what I'm hoping for. The look of the TLX has grown on me and I'd be willing to give it a shot. However I've become increasingly frustrated with Honda Motor Co.
From what I've researched, reliability isn't quite there with Volvo's. And since this thing is both turbo and supercharged that has me worried so I think the S60 is out for me.

The ONE feature I could really use on my 80 mile daily commute is Adaptive Cruise Control. I've seen it in action and its a pretty cool feature to have if you do a lot of highway miles. With that said, it is one feature that should be available on more fuel efficient models.

You CANNOT get ACC on the Honda Accord i4. You can ONLY get it on the Honda Accord Touring which is a V6 or the Accord Hybrid Touring. While the Hybrid is built for fuel efficiency the size of the trunk sucks because of the batteries. Also Accord Hybrid Touring hits $35,000. That's a lot for an Accord.
From what I see, the Acura TLX will have a base and Tech package. Looks like only the Advance package will come with ACC which only comes in V6.

Seriously, Honda what the F**K are you doing? You're forcing me to shop around to other brands.

The Mazda 6 has this feature. I really like the look of the Mazda 6 but the wheels and tires really turn me off on the higher trim Grand Touring models. You're stuck with crappy Dunlop OEM tires and tirerack.com only shows 19 tires available for 225/45-19 so replacing shitty OEM tires with another shitty tire doesn't jive with me. At least Accord and TLX will have plenty of options.

Ford Fusion would be next on my list that's visually appealing with ACC as an option. But I see a lot of complaints from owners that their stated EPA numbers are way off. Especially for their hybrid and turbo models.

Car shopping is so frustrating.

 

Honda is not alone here and it is frustrating that to get some "premium features" you must buy a larger engine, that makes no sense to me. Audi is the same way, the Prestige packages are only on the V6 cars. I know this is mostly a US thing since we seem to like bigger engines her, but I agree that the TLX I4 in Advance trim would be very appealing to many people. My A6 has ACC and I love it. Just did a 70 mile drive Saturday mostly on ACC set at 70MPH.

 

Yea BMW, Audi, and MB are out for me due to their maintenance costs. I drive too many miles to lease any of them as well. The new 2015 Subaru Legacy due out in a few months looks appealing, AWD with 36mpg but 0-60 at 9 seconds is anemic, that's Prius performance. It too has the Eyesight ACC system. I just dont get it with some manufacturers and their trim/option package selections.

It's not just the trim that's the problem here. In order for you to get the ACC option not only do you have to get the less fuel efficient V6 but you also have to get the most expensive model V6 with Advance which drives the cost probably around $45k for the TLX

 

It is crazy for Acura not to offer an I4 Advanced trim. I think they are afraid they will take too many sales from the V6 which probably has a higher profit margin. But what they don't realize is that they may well just loose a sale altogether to another brand. The I4/Advanced would be.. for me.. the best of the TLX. I don't care much for the ACC, but I want ventilated seats. That may end up costing me 5-6 grand. Dumb Acura... dumb. Worry about selling MORE cars, not funneling buyers to higher priced cars at the expense of losing a sale.

 

This case of certain options not being available on lower trims is the case across all cars out there, this is not an isolated Acura issue. Audi for example does not allow the sport package at the premium level only at the P+ for example, Mazda CX5 you can only get stick in base trim, etc....etc...etc...

I personally would love to a la carte stuff, and I understand the frustration paying for features you give a crap about and Honda/Acura is certainly worse in this regards, but they do offer a lot more value by doing that, good for some bad for others.

So for me I complain that I want AWD, but nooooo you have to get the top of the line model, I do not want a v6, do not need the tech package, but I want the 2.4 version with AWD, simple as that. BMW/Audi/Merc all offer AWD as stand alone option. Oh well.

What I would LOVE is if they offered a stand alone option of a special order and get 6sp stick.

 

Good post. I'm sure Acura's approach to options is frustrating for some, but I prefer the simplicity to the zany array of choices on the German marques, and as you say this helps Acura offer more value by increasing production efficiency.

Many of us would love a 6MT option, and at first I expected to see it on the I4 and V6 SH-AWD models, like we had with the TSX and TL. After watching the Matt Hartgett interviews, however, I'm thinking it's probably destined only for the V6 SH-AWD model, if at all. It seems the torque converter in the I4 model's DCT has a torque magnifying effect, which combined with the 8DCT might offer genuinely strong performance.

With this, the performance gap between 8DCT and 6MT versions of the TLX might be much wider than in most cars (like 6MT v. 8AT in the BMW 3 Series), which would disappoint the enthusiasts among us, who are almost the only ones that would consider a 6MT anyway. This, in turn, could mean a 6MT option wouldn't increase sales as much as usual. If that's the case, why bother?

Pure speculation here, of course, but it does seem like Acura went to great lengths to engineer the 8DCT to maximize performance and efficiency with the I4, so they simply might not see the point of offering MT on that version.

I'm a die hard MT guy myself, but must say I can't wait to try the I4 TLX, and I'm really intrigued by the 8DCT.

 

Just to add to the list, a more direct competitor in Cadillac only offers the "Standard" and "Luxury" trims on their ATS 2.5L. To get the "Performance" and "Premium" trims, you have to move up to the 2.0T or the 3.6 engines.

 

It's pretty interesting that there's really no new press about this car. I was interested for a bit when it debuted at the auto shows, but since Acura doesn't seem to be in any hurry to bring it to market, I've really lost interest- putting off the production date guarantees loss of at least some sales, as people will get disillusioned at having to wait to get one and will get something else. I've owned nothing but Hondas and Acuras, but I'm fairly unimpressed at the Acura offerings these days.

 

There is not much they can say... 'Fixing transmission problems today... almost there!' Or maybe ... 'Can't believe how great these new Adaptive Dampers work, now with even more auditory feed back so you know they are hard at work... at no extra charge!'

I'm not so much getting disillusioned as I am getting suspect of what is wrong with this car. I don't want to be the new owner finding out why it was delayed.

 

I'm right there with you ... lack of info ... rumors ... delays ... all these things combined aren't exactly a "plus" for Acura.

 

I am not sure what are causing the delays, and why Acura would not try and provide some information to try and squash the rumor mill. It is getting embarassing for them, seeing teh sales slide, problems rise, delays being more and more frequent. It seems that Honda has given their luxury brand the permission to go loose and create a success story....but forgot to tell them how to do it. Acura just seems unable to get any momentum going. The prototype was amazing and so well received and since then, its been hideous wheels, toned down production (which I am aware that accessories can fix) and delays. Lets not even talk about teh reactive dampers in both the ILX and RDX and the delays in the RLX SH-SH-AWD.....and with no explanations!

 

Volvo's AWD isn't nearly as good as Acura's, BMW's or Audi's.

It's a FWD that transfers traction to the rear wheels if the front wheels spin.
If you like the driving pleasure of a RWD, or of a good AWD, you could be disapointed.

 

Competitors: C&D Q50S 328HP 7AT 0-60=4.9 1/4 mile=13.5/104mph $50K MSRP as tested

 

Even with BMW (DCS I think) and Audi, I think you have to opt for a better package or the AWD system won't be the very best.

 

Volvos have the most amazing seats and they still make a 325 HP AWD station wagon. It's definitely worth a look.

 

I think they missed the boat big time coming out with an all new car without realtime dampers tied into the ECU's performance mode selections.

At the same time they also dropped the wishbones that were their claim to front end suspension fame.

 

Talking about new competitor.. I saw the all new 2015 Hyundai Genesis in person yesterday. I must say that car does not look like a typical Hyundai! They definitely step up their game. That car is pretty good looking. So I went on line and did a build up to see how much it would cost. ~50K...
Don't know how it drives but I am pretty impressed by how Hyundai has improved!! Acura... TLX better be a hit otherwise.... I don't know where they will end up..

 

They'll just limp along behind Honda. At some point, maybe there will be another shakeup.

 

I agree. A fully optioned V6 AWD Genesis Sedan is just shy of $53K, but has more features than my A6 which had a MSRP more than $12K more! The Hyundai does not have LED headlights, but it has a HUD that would cost about as much as the LED lights cost on my car. I have not driven the Genesis yet, but if the name does not discourage you then it is a great value. The advantages the Audi has is; the name, probably better resale and a much smoother slicker drive train, and probably handles a bit better. I would also give the Hyundai the edge in tech, while the Audi MMI is stellar, Hyundai's Blue Link 2 has some really sweet features.