Overall, I think the TLX is a good compromise of performance and luxury. However, coming from a 2014 TL SH-AWD, I totally hate the seats of the TLX because of the lack of lateral support in the bottom cushion. My legs flop around everywhere. The SH-AWD were almost "perfect"... they looked nice, and they gave excellent support without locking you in.

Anyone know if swapping in a set of 2014 SH-AWD seats would work in a TLX?

FRONT SEAT (L.) for 2013 Acura TL

 

You bought the car and you 'totally hated' the seats? Why would you buy it if such a fundamental feature is not right for you?

I personally love the seats, I've been on several road trips now and my legs and back don't get sore like they did in my 2007 TL-S, although I have a wide/muscular build so too much lateral bolstering is uncomfortable for me.


As to your question, remember that the TLX seats are connected to the control modules of the car. Did the 4G TL have auto moving seats when you turn the car on? If you have the Advance, it'll have ventilation modules as well. Plus the seat heaters are probably different. So even if the rails fit the seats, you have lots of stuff to check. Also airbag specs. If the airbags aren't the same (there are airbags IN the seat sides), then it won't be safe.

 

[QUOTE=youngTL;15710640]You bought the car and you 'totally hated' the seats? Why would you buy it if such a fundamental feature is not right for you?

I personally love the seats, I've been on several road trips now and my legs and back don't get sore like they did in my 2007 TL-S, although I have a wide/muscular build so too much lateral bolstering is uncomfortable for me.
QUOTE]

I don't "hate" the seats, but it is difficult to do any spirited driving when you feel like you're not planted in the seat. (Everyday cruising is fine, and the seats are comfortable.)

Several on the forum have agreed that the previous generation SH-AWD offer more support and is covered in a higher grade of leather. As a secondary measurement, they also look nicer too but that's not to say the TLX seats are terrible.

The previous generation had two different seats between reg V-6 and SH-AWD. I had both a 2012 FWD & 2014 SH-AWD.

 

I am meh on the TLX seats, it like the 4G seats better, but the TLX seats are a little more comfortable than my A6 was. My Infiniti had minimal lateral support, but were super comfy yet a little supportive, they were great and ultra-long drives.

 

The 4G seats were indeed more supportive, but I think what's bothering me the most is how the TLX armrest/door handle is configured. I can easily bump my left knee against it (particularly in spirited driving), and I never noticed that happening in the 4G. Honestly, I'd probably still be driving my 4G TL FWD ADV if it was totaled.

 

Best seats I have for lateral support are in the Genesis R-spec. Pretty deep upper & lower bolstering for a street car.

 

...you are not supposed to do any spirited driving in a TLX


I agree, the Audi sedans seats are a bit of a joke, I do not understand why many people think they are great....the optional BMW sport seats in the 5 Series, on the other side, are fantastic.

My Q50S seats leave a lot to be desired, I'm quite disappointed....you supposedly pay for "sport seats" in the sport package but they are very different from the coupe' seats (Q60S) which are very good....

The 4G seats were excellent across the board (comfort, lateral support), my wife Grand Cherokee SRT are even better.....one of the reasons for getting another SRT product...

 

I have to say the TLX seates are way above average and expectation. I drive my TLX 30k/yr, and the drive is very comfortable. As subjective as it sounds, you cannot judge comfort on a demo ride at a dealer, you should rent one (if possible) and drive it for 4-8 hours to make sure you are built right for the car and the seats. I drive alot and keep cars for years, so it matters alot to me, since I've had back and leg surgery, I have high standards. I will say I rented a C300 and drove it 1000+ miles and was very impressed with the overall cabin experience, including the seating, but was glad to get back into my TLX.

 

This is how I feel too. My boyfriend is much taller than me (6 foot while I'm 5'7") and he feels the seat cushion is just a tad too short, while I find it perfect. We're both solidly built/wide though, so overbolstered seats are bad for us (and why he's getting the normal seats in his Mustang and not the Recaros). My TLX seats are amazing for me.

I fully agree that you need to spend at least a few hours in the seats of any car you're looking to buy. What someone says are the best seats in the world could be horrible for your particular build.

 

I love the comfort of the TLX seats, and find them excellent for cruising, short trips, and the occasional mildly "spirited" driving I do. However, I can understand that driving twisties at higher speeds would not be their strong suit. Again, it's a question of purchasing a vehicle that suits your driving wants and needs.

 

The TLX seats are quite comfortable, though I do wish they had a bit more cushion for my bottom. I admit I don't have the best posture, so maybe working on that will help quite a bit with seat comfort.

I do have to say though, it took me quite some time to find the best seating position. I've had my TLX since last Nov and have been fiddling with the seating the position pretty much up until March. I think I've finally settled in to the most comfortable spot.

 

I really like the TLX seats overall. I have the advance an I like the cooling feature. It is subtle but keeps my backside cool. The seats are not Sport seats like in some cars with Sport packages. But they are a compromise between comfort and keeping you in place.

The Sport seats in my wifes Mini just clamp you in place. I think if I weighed a bit more I wouldn't fit in them. But if I drive her car even more than 30-40 minutes it hurts my back.

 

For me, the seats are OK, but I think the trend generally in newer cars is for "leather trimmed" seats, rather than leather seats as I had in my 2007 Lexus.

The leather in the TLX isn't soft and there is a lot of vinyl mixed in. I don't even get that same leather smell I got in my Lexus, even after 9 years. It's a compromise I made based on a lower cost. I could have bought a Lexus GS for $10-15K more.

 

The TLX is real leather on the seats, bolsters, and headrests. The armrest and door cards are "leatherette." I find it soft enough for the price class it's in.

I should note that I was recently at the auto show here in Edmonton, and sat in practically every car at the show back-to-back, many of which had leather seats. I can tell you that the BMW's don't get nice leather until you're in the 5-series or higher, the MB's don't get it until the C-class, Hyundai has terrible rough hard leather until you hit the most expensive Genesis trims, and Audi leather was appallingly bad until the A5 and higher (the A3 was just awful, like Hyundai), GM had marginally good leather, as did Ford in the Mustang and high end Taurus (but not the lower cars). Honda's Accord leather was a lower quality as well compared to the TLX, as was all of Toyota except the Avalon.

The only cars with leather that was NOT rough-feeling other than the few higher end Germans mentioned were Lexus (literally every Lexus had nice leather except the CT200h), Acura (mostly good, except the RLX I'd consider had nice leather), Infiniti (mostly good like Acura, with a few nice ones like the Q70), Cadillac (all Caddies had either good or nice leather depending on model), Jaguar, Porsche, and Land Rover. I couldn't tell you about the super high end luxury cars because they were locked or behind display ribbons.


I was mostly surprised how bad the leather was in things like the BMW 3 series, 4 series, Audi A3, and Mercedes-Benz CLA. Those are supposed to be luxury brands and they had leather seating comparable with some of the worst. It was just so rough and stiff and hard. It certainly wasn't leatherette, although I'd have preferred that to the rough stuff they used.

 

Leather seating has certainly been an area of cost reduction for all car manufactures for the last several years. And like many things in cars, the more you spend, the higher up the car line you go, the better the materials and leather is no different. What is more recent are leather substitutes like BMW's Leatherette. The first cars with Leatherette were awful. Lexus version (for get their name for it) is pretty good and wears like iron. I think they weren't able to make perforated seats out of them though. Maybe they solved that problem.

I had a 2000 BMW and the leather in that car looked like the day I bought it when I sold it after 4 years. I don't have any problems with Acura leather. My TSX seats held up very well for 9 years. Just clean and condition them and they will last.

1 part Woolite to 5 parts water... applied with a terry cloth cotton towel or a soft bristle brush, and you would be amazed how they clean up. Will even get Jeans transfer off the seats. Try it.