docboy

This info is good to know. Hopefully the trunk will be flat as well.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

I would hope they don't do something stupid like make it an option. Either it is or it isn't. This is one of those things that one should not have to pay extra for. I know BMW did it for a while where you could option the folding rear seat and have since done away with that practice.

Rocketsfan

Whatever they do, it can't be as nutty as Cadillac's ATS. On the Luxury edition, folding rear seats are included. Move up to the Performance edition and you lose them. But if you move up yet again to the Premium edition, you get them back.


Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but on the A4, I think you have to get the Cold Weather package to get folding rear seats.

ostrich

Hmm..... is Audi's rationale for doing this because they believe that people who live in cold weather (like, ahem, Canadians!) need folding rear seats just so that they can hide and hibernate in the trunk from the main cabin because it's warmer and cozier there!? LOL

Treblig

Not to worry Weather, I wouldn't do that to you. How does she look by the way? Just kidding, just kidding!

Rocket_man

Well THAT flexibility is less everyday. My wife has a coupe and in the garage it is hard to get in and out. The RDX is definitely a comfortable car to get in and out of. The new IS 250 I hit my shoulder on the B pillar. The TLX will be just the right size.

Don't be teasing me now!!!!

Agree, they should be on all variants on the TLX. On the Q50 you have to get the highest trim level to get them.. dumb.

They went from optional on the 328/335 to standard... but on the low end 320 they are an option again. I assume to keep the cost of the 320 as low as possible. However, the BMW seats are 40-20-40 and has lots of usable space. About the best implementation of folding rear seats in a sedan that I've seen. I don't expect Acura to put that much effort into it, but I'd hope they do better than the Accords'.

weather

I have been doing a lot of thinking over the last week or so, and it may not come as a big surprise to many that I have decided to pack it in with Acura. I am going to keep my TL for the last year of its lease since I need to carry it to term (unless someone offers to buy it from me).....

I am going to try and trade the RDX for a second daily driver or sell it privately. I don't see the need to have two Acura (or semi luxury) vehicles for staying in the garage during the winter. I have my little Hyundai that has been great and I will keep that as a puddle jumper around town but when I want to go on a longer trip, I need a vehicle I drive. I may lease another Hyundai (Elantra GT) or something like that and then, when my lease is up, I will then lease something else (Audi or Lexus).

Too much stuff has been annoying me with Acura these days and instead of being excited at the prospect of getting a new car, I am actually frustrated beyond belief. Acura's unwillingness to deal with the suspension in the RDX (or the ILX) is enough for me.

I will still come here and chit chat with you guys because I have made some really good cyber friends and I enjoy some decent conversations and helping people but thats it....After 4 Acuras in a row....I am packing it in.

It was a good run while it lasted.....

Rocketsfan

Ah, hell, we're slowly losing our Canadian contingent ...

weather

Acurazine isn't....Just Acura Canada I am going to stick around....I feel much better now that the decision has been made. Its almost like ending a relationship that you weren't happy in...Its almost like a relief

To be honest....I doubt that Acura will even care and I am not that full of myself that I will make a difference to them.....but a sale is a sale and I will no longer be promoting the brand but rather, call it for what it is. A car company that ONCE was on the cutting edge but has lost its way. They still have amazing engines but their lack of care for the customers is unacceptable to me and I am voting with my purchasing power.

Rocketsfan

Yeah, I was going to say you'd be nuts to leave before they really reveal the car, its interior, and specs, but if they've screwed you over on the RDX or in other ways, I can understand. I'm still waiting to see what the TLX will be to see if I jump ship.

weather

Quite honestly, even if the TLX looks great, I am not confident it will be as reliable as the 4G has been. I have lost faith in Acura and it will be interesting if the TLX will have the same noise in its suspension as the RDX, the ILX and now some RLX has. On top of that, 2 brand new transmissions.....Uh that is just enough for me to say....F this.

kurtatx

Good luck dude. Buy Lexus. Lease Audi. Buy and Audi and you'll be sorry

weather

^^ I appreciate your advice. Trust me, I know NOT to buy an Audi or BMW.....a 36 month lease is as much as I would for an Audi but I might get a Lexus or just not bother paying a shitload of money for a badge. Not because I can't but because I don't find anything at the moment that turns me on.....Its sad to not have any cars that really turns me on except the S5 (Audi).

TLX35

I don't think you're the only one to take your business elsewhere. Ive never been an acura owner but have always been a big fan of Hondas. Im still driving my first car, a 98 Honda Accord coupe V6 and I been through everything that can break in that car including the transmission, both windows, several main relay switches to name a few. Now at over 200k and also growing older and planning to start a family soon, I'm naturally looking for a sedan and the next logical jump is a TLX. And a TLX SHAWD 3.5 for the driving enthusiast in me. I do have a family member who has had horrible experiences with their dealerships after purchasing an MDX. Now he drives an Infiniti. The dealerships were in Canada too so maybe its a Canadian thing. I was hoping to buy an TLX soon and then start saving up for an NSX as my weekend driver in a few years. If that's not loyalty to a brand, not sure what is. We'll see if I stick with this plan though.

weather

^^ It has nothing to do with the dealership...In fact, that is the sad part of this divorce with Acura....they will take me away from my extended family. These guys are amazing to me, its ACURA itself that I am pissed off at.

But I may be wrong and the TLX may be an amazing car so don't give up. I am not here to convert people or to have them view the brand the way I see it. I enjoyed my 8 years driving Acuras and they have been good to me. Its the recent trend that Acura has taken that has pissed me off...and maybe I just need a change. Like that 7 year itch *lol* I am pretty sure that the TLX with some accessories will look very good and overall, will be a good car but it won't be mine

Edward'TLS

The rationale is that folding rear seat is a necessity for transporting skis and snowboards during the cold winter skiing trips.

Isn't this what the Quattro and SH-AWD systems are specifically designed for - to conquer the snow and ice-covered roads ?

Acura is kindof shortsighted in this respect, for not offering folding rear seats on any of it's AWD sedans.

weather

^^ I think this will change with the TLX.....and I am not being cynical here

docboy

Mind me asking the type of suspensions issues you had with your RDX? What year is it?

Rocket_man

Holy Cr@p Weather.... I didn't think I'd hear these thoughts from you. Here I was counting on you to be the first TLX owner here. But I can certainly understand where you are coming from. Back years ago when my Accord transmission failed and Honda did nothing about it, even told me there was no problem with it, I swore off all future Honda products. I went Toyota and BMW, but both had their own issues. My Acura and my wife's Civic have been two of the most problem free cars I've owned. My wife's Civic was literally one of the first off the truck of the 8th gen cars. Honda replaced the front struts on the car because of some issue that we didn't even have. The issues with the rear struts on the RDX/ILX has to be infuriating. Something that so many owners report but Acura can't seem to fix. It shakes your faith in the brand. I think this sediment has been stated many many times on here. Acura is not doing themselves any favors by letting this seemingly simple issue carry on. But in the big scheme of things it is a minor issue and those cars have not had any serious systemic problems that I'm aware of. Of course if I owned one I'd be pretty pissed about it. I'd end up going after market to fix it.

While I'm personally not thrilled at the way Acura has behaved on this, I'm still keeping an open mind wrt the TLX. The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. Plenty of Lexus owners complaining about their new IS's. The Q50 is a huge pit of issues. The German brands are nice but nevr own one after the warranty. There is no compelling option for me if the TLX falls through. There are options, just none that are compelling. Many more practical and affordable options. I can hold out til Jun and get a chance to see the car and drive it and make a decision. I don't NEED a new car right now, I just WANT a new car. But I also want to avoid a mistake so I'll take my time about it.

Sleep on it, maybe things will be better in the morning.

ostrich

Weather, I completely understand and I share the frustration.

I am in the same boat - as my car lease is almost up, I probably will be jumping ship too, after this TLX fiasco...

The only thing is, just like you, I am not finding any car that is giving me that "got to have it" excitement.

It's funny because thinking back, when I got my first 4G TL, it was after I sat in one with the umber interior and test drove it - I was so impressed by the car and the interior that I just decided to get one, when I actually just went to the dealership to get my TSX serviced!!! That was a good feeling. Now I don't feel that any more.

I am not sure if Acura cares or not, but surely and steadily they are losing loyal customers like us. What a shame.

holografique

Ok, let me get this straight: your decision on the 4G TL was because you got to "test drive" it. You actually got to see it in the flesh, not in pictures, not on a forum, not through the eyes of a 1000 armchair experts all expressing their opinions, you actually got to experience the vehicle for what it is, versus basing decisions on something that hasn't been released yet.

The TLX hasn't been released yet, thus you've never test driven one. We don't even have 100% confirmation that the photo's posted for the production version are the US model. There was even a posting indicating that they were likely international models for across seas. Thus still nothing concrete, solid, and verifiable of what the final US production model will look like. Yet with all of this, you call the TLX a "fiasco"??

It completely boggles my mind the way people on this forum think and make decisions on everything but 100% facts.

KeithL

I see your point, but I would still wait and see the TLX in person and then see what they do over the next year. I do believe if they were serious there would be a sport model (Type-S) up front same with a hybrid.

mikejmack

Just let me know when you are ready to talk :wink:

KeithL

I'm guessing the rear suspension. In the RDX threads it is there on the 2G RDX. my gf's 14 RDX has noisy rear suspension, one would think by now over 2 years in they would have a fix. On certain pavement the rear sounds like a loose shock clunking from the back, lie the shock is banging the shock tower or something. Supposedly some have had shocks replaced, not sure it helped.

My guess is the RDX main demo is women and they probably don't even notice it, I notice it every time I drive her RDX and it annoys the crap out of me. Honestly the RDX is a nice car, but that rear suspension ruins it and it were me I would be at Acura leaving them the car until they quieted it and if they couldn't it would be the last Acura I would ever own. Also my gf has the AWD RDX and I am a bit disappointed in they way it transitions under load. I have a very steep driveway and the AWD is great because her old 10 RDX would always chirp the tires going up as the weight transferred to the rear wheels, but the 14 RDX AWD does not, but as the RDX climbs the hill you can feel the transfer case get all confused as to whether to stay in AWD or not as it bogs down. If you really accelerate hard then the AWD stays engaged, but under normal pulling up the driveway it bogs, I assume SH-AWD would never have done that.

TSX69

Glad to see new color options in there. I imagine Espresso will be more like the ZDX's Sumatra (brown) than the Umber (orange). With all my car shopping recently, I have noticed that brown seems to be the current in-color for luxury brands (interior & exterior).

weather

I hear ya...I was hoping to be one of the first too but it doesn't seem to be in the cards at the moment. I am fully aware that the problems I am having with the RDX aren't major issues and more annoyance than anything else. I was willing to forgive Acura for this one but its the fact they are ignoring the issue and pretending as if its not even occurring that pisses me off. Hand Filer did a change on his own where he placed the 1G rear shocks and it solved the problem so its not rocket science.....so its not that the problem is not solveable, its that they don't care about finding a solution. To me, that shakes my confidence in how they are going to treat the TLX issues because there will no doubt be some. I am smart enough to not expect a car that is bullet proof from the get go, its how you deal with the issues that you earn confidence from the consumers.

I will take your advice and I will sleep on it.....I have 2 Acuras at the moment so I can either let go of my TL sooner (and keep the clunker (RDX)) longer or vice versa. I'll keep you posted...as with all of you because I ain't going anywhere! I really like you guys and gals....I really do!

The problem is that Ostrich (like myself) are also aware of all the other issues the newly released Acura's have had and sometime, it just pisses people off. I am convinced that you are right...the TLX will look better in person...they all do. I am not sure why, but its a fact. My desire to write off Acura at the moment is based on my experience with the way they are handling the RDX and ILX owner with the rear suspension problem...I can't speak on behalf of Ostrich but mine is not based on internet speculations about the options and trims (or looks alone).

I agree that seeing the TLX in person MAY have an influence on my perception of the car but if I go with my past observations, I'll be here in a year from now complaining about the same rear suspension thump too *lol*

I have you in my scope Mike We'll be in touch for sure.....



Now to all others...I appreciate your kind words and encouragement...I really want to hope that Acura will have a winner with the TLX and all these annoying problems with the rear suspension will not carry into the TLX. But imagine if problems develop with the new transmission (which are brand new to Acura....sure they are developed by ZF but still)....Are they going to treat the owners in the same way? There will be lots of tech in the TLX and some RLX and MDX owners are having problems with that....so call me the "debbie Downer" but imagine if the tech problems from the RLX and MDX carries into the TLX, then the rear suspension problem and a tranny problem,,,,OH MAMA!!

I am not ruling out the TLX but I am NOT going to be the first one to get one of these. Unless Acura provides me one for free to test drive and report all the bugs...Now that would be a good job I'll just hang out it and read the comments and see how things evolve. Maybe next spring I will risk it if things are good. I am just concerned the itch for a new car will get me before then

012TL-GLM

I hear ya' Weather. I would turn my back on any car company that doesn't fix a problem. I think back thru all the brands I've owned. I was never a loyalist to anyone, although by chance during my youth I owned 3 pontiacs in a row...

The TLX certainly has potential, but I wouldn't buy the first model year of anything. New transmission alone is guaranteed to have bugs.

I used to prioritize reliability for cars, but as I get older I realize life is short and if the car is in the shop a couple times a year BFD. Look at the Grand Cherokee. The vehicle looks amazing, and the forums are saturated with transmission issues, electronics failing, etc. Isn't stopping anyone from buying one because it looks bad ass.

I enjoy my '12 SH-AWD and as long as it doesn't develop any annoying habits I plan to hold on to it at least 7 more years. I think it will still look good in 2022

Treblig

Weather, Ostrich, I feel your frustration and share your concerns. I got introduced to Acura on the 3G TL of which I promptly went out and bought, a 2005 Aspec Model. It was one of the most beautiful body styles on the road (IMO). It was a great value, offered great options and tech for time and was an extremely satisfying car to drive.

I traded that in for the 2006 RL SH-AWD Aspec. Despite it's relative invisibility, I loved it even more than the TL for all the same reasons and then some. I thought I would be an Acura owner for the long haul and actually wanted to be. Then came the 4G TL which I so desperately anticipated and expected to like, but couldn't get past the "beak". I like edgy, which the 4G was, but that grille was just a bit too edgy for me. Apparently, Acura heard and listened and the MMC grille was born. Hence, the 2012 SH-AWD which I now drive, and love for all it has and does.

Like everyone else here, I anxiously anticipated the introduction of the 5G version, and like everyone else here, the prototype had me planning my next car. But as the "production" photos and details start to emerge, it "sounds" like the production car will stray from the prototype in the most significant styling areas. The areas that generated most of the "oohs", "aahs" and "wows". But since I won't be in the market to replace my TL for at least another year, I'm holding out hope that Acura hears and listens again and makes those corrections to the subsequent models (2016 for me). I know my defection in and of itself means little, more like nothing to Acura, but maybe the growing trend here among Acura aficionado means something. Audi has been calling my name lately, but not quite loudly enough for me to make the move. But..... Acura, are you listening?

docboy

Nope. Acura has a small ear for its consumer base. It takes Acura a few years to move an inch.

Edward'TLS

Why are you so sure ?????

Insider information ?

Rocket_man

One of my theories about the slow/non fix of the rear shocks is that it is clearly a design flaw. So to fix it means a new/revised design. Now they could replace the '2-stage' shock with a simple traditional shock like HandFiller did, but this would then be removing an advertised feature of the car and open themselves up to law suits. So until they have a revised design their strategy is to replace them and hope they get a good set, and not acknowledge the fault since they can't fix it anyway. I have no info that this is the case, it is just a theory. Does it excuse their behavior? No, but I honestly don't think they have a solution, and they probably don't want to write an 'IOU' to all RDX and ILX owners with problems.

It seems like early adopters of new cars are more beta testers than they should be. The rear shock issue should have been found in testing. Heck maybe they did but they had no production fix and they weren't going to delay the car for it, so they just shipped it. That is the fear with the TLX and all new cars with high tech features, they are under pressure to just ship it and work out the problems as they come.

internalaudit

I would also consider a non-technology base model with SH-AWD as that's the only feature that would make me step up to an Acura instead of an Accord.

With the A3, 2 Series and CLA AWD? lowering the bar (not sure if those compete with the ILX though), I'm hoping Acura doesn't price its V6 SH-AWD out.

beach109

Following up on my original post...

Trim level equipment is exactly as on the RLX and MDX. ALL TLX models have the IDS Interactive Drive System as introduced on the MDX, offering selectable performance feels for the steering/power delivery.

Base has everything, screens, no nav and leatherette seats as in the RLX.

Tech adds leather, nav, upgraded audio, blind spot, lane departure, etc.

Advance adds adaptive cruise, lane keeping assist, remote start, and sensors.

There are some other odds and ends, but if you understand the RLX and MDX packaging now, you will see exactly the same on the TLX, plus IDS. No word yet on pricing, wheel size, etc.

Stay tuned for more, by next month at the NY Auto show and more press releases from Acura at that time.

TLX35

Thanks for the heads up.
Any info if acura will release an SHAWD without the tech package?

ostrich

Thanks for the info! I am wondering if power folding mirrors and heated steering wheel are available options?

I am so hoping that heated steering wheel will be a standard item here in Canada, as it is for the MDX Tech and up. Hey, we need it here, it's so bitterly cold... LOL

HAWAII-TSX

I want to see piano black around the windows and black headliner like bmw with msport. But doubt it. especially since they got rid of the black headliner on new mdx.

schalliol

Uggggh, Basque Red Pearl II?! Why not do the athletic red? I really liked my 2004 Milano Red.

schalliol

So there are NINE configurations of a variation of black/dark gray, THREE of white, and only one of red and one of blue. BORRRING

Rocket_man

You would think for a new car they could do a little better than recycle pretty much all the old colors. But the reality is that black, white, silver (and the 1,000 variations of silver) are still pretty popular colors. I wouldn't mind seeing a camel/flaxen color available on more exterior colors.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

The reality is that white, silver, and black are the most popular colors among new car buyers and account for a pretty significant percentage of sales, well more than half in most cases. We may like bright colors on show cars, but when we vote with our wallets, the boring colors seem to win more often than not.

That said, I do wish Acura would offer more interior variety with the brighter colors.