ressling

Hey Aziners,

Been forever since I've been on here, and I felt compared to share some thoughts on my loaner vehicle. My 2012 TL SH-AWD is in the shop for an issue. I'm not quite sure what is going on, but let's hope all is well there.

Anyways, car on loan has 151 miles on it.

2015 TLX 3.5 V6 9AT P-AWS
CBP Exterior
Black Interior

First Impressions:

I honestly had no preconceived notions about the TLX, mostly because I'm not in the market for a car. But now that I'm able to compare two relatively newer vehicles (mine and the one on loan, plus my 09 TSX I used to have), there are some drastic differences in what I've seen, both cosmetically and driving-experience wise.

Acuras I've owned:

2009 TSX base 6MT CBP (sold)
2012 Acura TL 6AT SH-AWD CBP (current)

Cosmetics:

Exterior styling on the TLX is actually warming up to me quite nicely. I love the side markers near the headlight housings that is so reminiscent of the 1st gen TSX. The jewel eye headlights are pretty neat, and the stock wheels are much nicer than what you'd get, even on the older SH-AWD TL models (I have since swapped mine out with the 19" diamond cuts). Body size is just about perfect; plenty of trunk room, spacious enough in the back, and definitely a good feel up front as the driver. I'm 5' 8" average build 30yr old, so use that as a reference point if you will.

Noticeably different than my TL is the TLX's distance from the windshield to the beak of the front of the car. I haven't checked the specs, but it's clear as day that the TL's front is bigger/longer (that's what she said). The "beak" appears narrower/slimmer as well. For some reason, Acura just can't get that beak right in my opinion. I think the '12 TL's beak is actually one of the better ones out of the entire Acura lineup.

Trunk space is more than adequate. Interior is very "techie"... more than I care to deal with. This is weird considering I work in IT as my profession, but I long for the days when cars used to be CARS. The damn controls up front are just beyond confusing to me. There is haptic feedback on the dash control which is kinda neat (I guess), but ergonomically speaking, nothing is very intuitive comparative to my former TSX or current TL. Interior lighting has some great touches though. Subtle blue lights coming from the door handles, and after getting used to not actually having a shifter (automatic or otherwise), the push button transmission stuff is pretty cool. I also love the design of the instrument cluster -- very well thought out especially when you're using the paddle shifters. Unfortunately, they definitely cut corners on the dash material. Man, I thought my TL's side door molding was cheap... then I touched the TLX...

Driving Experience:

So I wasn't planning on driving all that much, but then I opted for running a quick errand that required me to get on ATL's crazy fast highways... perfect opportunity to push the boundaries a little bit.

First off, sport mode or sport mode+ is an absolute must. I tried driving on economy mode and it was a night and day difference. Insane. Economy mode, the car feels like driving a Camry Hybrid...

Paddle shifters work very well, and compared to my TL, the steering wheel being a little bit smaller/thinner is actually a good thing. Downshifting works much better than my TL, presumably because the TLX is lighter? Not sure but that's how it felt. The instrument cluster helps guide you through all 9 speeds if you will, but I certainly experienced a lot of downshifting issues/lunges that many AZiners have described. I also noticed some weird amber warning in the instrument cluster that read "BRAKE" when I may have been pushing it too much. Kinda freaked me out. Bottom line: it takes a little getting used to.

With that said, if you drive it right, the car can be a LOT of fun to drive... admittedly more fun than my TL... ESPECIALLY in-town. The TLX though, sits a little higher than I'd like. I would definitely opt to try driving it lowered a few inches, and see what happens. Little to no body roll comparative to the TL though.

Overall:

To each his own. I'm not going to bad mouth the TLX like I thought I might. And surprisingly, I've really enjoyed driving it. That said, I will hang on to my TL until they work out the kinks with the next gen TLX. I'll likely want to try out the SH-AWD TLX as well

Cheers

Momyc

Good you like the TLX.
If you want we can switch with mine...I kind of wish to get back my TL...

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

nice write uP!

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

Very nice write up.

It's always good to read these.

ressling

Glad to hear and appreciate the feedback. Just turned in the TLX this morning and got my TL back.

Turns out the issue with my TL was the dreaded propeller shaft. They replaced it due to "premature wear". $1150 job all covered under warranty

PreludeVTEC01

Awesome review! I noticed you said Atlanta... what dealership did you get the loaner from? Acura Carland?

ressling

Jackson Acura. My experiences with them have been nothing short of awesome.

DEman19901

I miss the navigation interface in my TL. My TLX is slow as molasses and somewhat handicapped. I think I did read somewhere on these forums about some sort of software update.