Just returned from a 2500-mile road trip in the TLX (V6 Tech), and all went well. I won't do a review, since those are old hat and boring, but I have a couple of comments:

38-39 mpg is a snap on the highway, even at 80mph. Very nice.

Ride comfort, seat comfort, noise levels, etc. are top-notch.

Handling is very good, even in very tight hilly terrain and on mountain switchbacks.

Passing power on 2-lanes is impressive ... from 60 or 65 I'd be over 100mph by the time I passed a car and got back in my lane.

Trunk space is good, too - two roller bags and the wife's big overnight case took up so little space the stuff slid around back there, and I could have gotten two more roller bags in.

All systems - A/C, etc., worked as advertised.


The TLX makes a heck of a good road car IMO, and I'm very happy with it.

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I to went on a rather long road trip and had a similar experience.

My wife and I drove to Vegas From LA. The one thing that stuck out though to me was the LKAS system. In my old car by the time we got to Vegas I was dog tired. This time I was OK and good to go when we got there. It makes driving long distances less of a chore.

 

Finally purchased my SH-AWD Tech today. Drove 50 miles home from the dealer at 70-80mph, averaged 35mpg. Anticipating even if I rev to 90-100, I'd still average over 30mph on highway. Incredible since my TSX averages 30mpg on the highway, but with aggressive revs drops to 28-29mpg.

 

I'm not sold on the advantages of LKAS. I tried it several times, and since it prompts you to steer about every 15 seconds, it ended up being more disruptive than helpful.

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That is not usual behavior. Mine only prompts if I take my hands off the wheel. But it does try to sense if you are steering. Maybe your touch is too light for it to detect.

Anyway, I find it (and ACC) makes highway driving more relaxed.

 

Just did a round trip from NYC to Myrtle Beach in my wife's MDX, and LKAS was great on that long 12 hr drive. I didn't end up using the smart cruise, but definitely used LKAS as it just made the drive a little more relaxing.

Don't use it on the normal daily drives, but if you want to sit back, and relax, it works great.

 

It's not an autonomous, self-driving car. They don't want you to climb in the back seat just yet.

Maybe the 2018 model will have it.

I guess the idea is that it takes your mind off of staying in the middle of the lane. It's like cruise control for your hands.

With both cruise control and LKAS, the drive seems a lot easier on the body.

At least you can turn it off if you don't like it.

 

I'm talking hands off the wheel. With hands on, it seems like it's kind of squirming, sort of trying to resist my inputs or something.

I know it's not intended to make the car driverless, but if you have to do something with your hands for a minute, it holds you to a short 12-15 sec. sneeze attack or sunglasses adjustment.

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Maybe its telling you that you are not driving in the center of the lane and is trying to train you. I had the same experience at the start byt hardly notice the correction effect now.

 

I found that what I consider to be the center of lane is not what LKAS thinks is the center of the lane. I found that LKAS wants to be closer to the left side of the lane, vs. my "dead" center of the lane. So I found myself correcting a lot in steering. If I let it "train" me to what "it" thinks is the center of the lane, all will be fine. (Having to teach three kids how to drive and stay in the center of the lane, and each kid has their own definition of the center of the lane, I can see where each driver will have a different opinion of LKAS).
It is those long straight runs on the interstate that although I am steering, it thinks I have not provided enough, so it warns me!

All-in-all, I really like that feature. But would prefer to know when I am not at my set speed with LSF (Low Speed Follow).

 

I tend to use all the "nannies" and for the most part I feel that they aid in the drive and I feel less fatigued after a long drive. I used to hate following the yo-yo drivers that would speed up and slow down, but with the ACC I don't seem to notice them nearly as much even though they are still there. I do also agree that the system sometimes applies the brakes very aggressively and I know that's how it's supposed to work, but it does seem a bit drastic.

Overall, I like all the features and I only think they'll get more refined and seamless in the coming years.

 

Actually, it seems to me like it's wandering around from one side of the lane to the other as I lightly hold the wheel - kinda bumping off one lane marker to the other and back. I just don't like the feeling.

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That is called the ping-pong effect and might mean something is not aligned correctly or you may be just very sensitive to the feel. Try to arrange a test on another TLX to see if it the sensation is different on the same stretch of highway. Then you can decide if some service is required.

As I mentioned, it felt strange to me at first but is totally normal now after having used it for a whil.

 

If anything about the LKAS I would say that my car "wants" to stay on the right side of the lane. I may just need my alignment checked, but it doesn't drift from side to side.

I still love the way it assists in keeping me in my lane and so far it's been more accurate than not.

 

Lkas tends to want to position my car slightly to the right of where I feel most comfortable. Not an issue except if going past a truck on the highway where I want more space.

TLX is a sublime highway cruiser, in another league to the Accord. Better seats, quieter, way better ride, far more composed.

 

This is what I feel as well and why I'm buying one of the 2016 models once they are out (even compared to the refreshed 2016 Accord).

There are some things that just aren't that readily apparent until you drive the car. NVH and refinement are big ones. Very big ones.

On a test drive of a recent-build 2015 TLX, I found that the 9AT isn't nearly as unrefined as people have been saying it is. The test car was also a loaner with about 4200 km on it, so it's not like it was brand brand new. The transmission seemed almost imperceptibly smooth except for one event - if you're in 8th or 9th, and you want to shift down to 4th, it takes more time (probably because of the 2 dog clutches). I don't encounter this situation often at all, so I don't feel like it would be a big deal to me. Downshifts of 1-2 gears were no issue.

 

I decided it knew better than I where the center of the road was, but initially it did seem to be a little right. More interesting is when you come to a place where the lines diverge, such as at an exit where the right side line flares out at the beginning of the transition. The car wants to stay in the middle of the widened lane, eventually running into the divider between the highway and the exit road I suppose if you do not override.

 

I love the LKAS but I find it a bit annoying in certain situations. I live in deep southern Texas south of San Antonio. The 2 major highways down here are US 281 and U.S. 77. They are in the process of being converted to interstates but not there yet. These are divided highways that have numerous crossovers, one every few miles. At each crossover, there is a left turn lane. If I'm on the left lane and approaching a crossover, the car tends to want to follow the solid white line on the left into the turn lane. I have to correct it or keep it from drifting to the turn lane. Otherwise in most situations the LKAS works great. It even detected a lane where the asphalt on each side of a 2 lane highway was a different shade but there were no real markings.

--Radman71

 

I got behind a huge group of bikers (100 or so) on Saturday and I've never been so happy I had the ACC. The traffic kept slowing down and speeding up for 15-20 miles and all I had to do was point the car in the right direction. My mood would have been much worse if not for the fact I didn't have to keep hitting the brake and accelerator pedals.

 

holy long lane change, batman

 

Well, not really. On a two-lane highway, you need to get around the car or truck and get back in your lane asap ... so floor it, pull out, pass, and get back in your lane ... bingo, you're doing 100mph in a matter of seconds.

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