BC01191980

I am very interested in the TLX. I am already biased to Acura since I have owned a few Hondas and like the look. I also like Lexus and would also like to test drive other luxury vehicles. I need a new car in December when my lease expires.

What did you (the forum members) test drive and think about some of the competition?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

how about what have you test driven and how do you like the TLX versus the competition?

we can sit here and either say good things or bash, butt, our opinion doesnt really matter as you are the one that will be dropping coin and driving every day.

gptlxdrvr

I test drove the ATS 2.0T. I really liked it, but it was a little more expensive (at least with the dealerships I was dealing with) than the V6 Tech TLX. Also, if you get the V6, it is a really solid engine. I was coming off of a 2008 TL, so I wanted to stick with a V6.

benjaminh

When you compare comparably equipped models, the TLX costs anywhere from c. $1k to as much as $10k+ less than competitive models.

Plus, most would agree that an Acura is likely to be more reliable and need fewer repairs in the long-run than a BMW, Audi, or MB.

I personally like Acura's pleasing and expressive styling that doesn't resort to the "angry alien" look found at Lexus:

http://www.clublexus.com/ispredatorphotochop.png

An Acura will also beat out a Lexus in terms of safety ratings (the Lexus IS got a "Poor" rating on the IIHS small-offset crash test):

Vehicle details

The TLX also gets better mpg than most of its competitors.

What cars are you cross-shopping? Good luck with your purchase!

Stew4HD

I see you've seen that movie enough times too! Wash, rinse, repeat

I agree 100%. I'd never base a major purchase on someone else's (internet strangers) opinions.

Make a list of things that is important in a car, drive cars, decide.. or drive more cars, get confused and not buy (like our friend weather ).

BC01191980

I am hoping for hybrid TLX.

I may just get 4 cylinder TLX tech package.

Yes the IS is weird.

Some days they look good some days they don't.

I like the es300h but with a tech package it will be like 50k.

I don't like Lincolns nor Cadillacs.

Also can't stand hearing about German cars in TLX reviews.

Infiniti also looks weird.

Q50 is decent looking but I hear the reviews aren't great.

The speculated Tesla model 3 or whatever the 35k model will be won't be out in time for late 2015 when my lease ends.

If I had to buy a car today it would be TLX 4 cylinder tech.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

well, our job here is done.

weather

Now that was funny.....


OP...There are great options out there but all have their strength and weaknesses. Keep in mind that what is a weakness for one could be a strength for the other.

These are all great cars:

1. BMW 3 series
2. Lexus IS350 F sport
3. Acura TLX V6 SH-AWD
4. Infiniti Q50
5. Cadillac ATS (especially the V6)
6. Audi A/S4
7. Mercedes C class

In the end, you have to test drive them and see what makes the most sense for you based on the features you like, the price you are willing to pay and such.

For me, I am a HUGE Acura guy and the TLX SH-AWD TECH would be my preferred choice but some of the software glitches with its transmission has left me a bit cold at the moment.

My next favorite for me is/was the IS350 F sport but I know it is a very controversial design and its a love or hate it...I love it and especially the way it handles and drives. Keep in mind I am a small guy so the small cabin that many fault the Lexus is not an issue for me.

I have been having doubts on the usefulness of getting a luxury/premium car these days and that is the reference that my buddy Stew4HD is making

Quandry

^^ That is a good selection list of premium cars. Here are some factors that you may also want to consider:

- convenience of dealer location
- how much you are prepared to spend
- color choice
- FWD, RWD, or AWD
- how it drives based on your test drive
- features (must have, want, would like to have)
- service interval (MB tends to be about 9k miles vs Acura about 6k)

Are you confused yet? Just drive what appeals to you and forget the rest. Endless time spent in analysis and visiting forums will lead to an indecision and maybe never buying one.

open contact

Hybrid or High Bird

My V6 i am averaging 30-31 MPG HWY (on a Normal Setting), before TLX I had camry Hybrid Averaging 36-37MPG (on Econ Mode).

Gas : $3/30MPG = $.10 a mile
Hybrid $3/ 37= $.08 a mile

Woohoo a whopping 2 cents a mile less.
Lets just assume TLX Hybrid will be 3K more (accord Hybrid is $7500 more) and lets say you average 12000 miles a year.

3000/.02 =150,000

you will recoup your investment on Hybrid after 150K miles. Good luck with that. Hybrids your maintenance will also be more. Break pads replacements alone will be significantly more (around $2000) because of regenerative breaking.

Still want a HIGH-BIRD? if my math is wrong show me.

open contact

Get The Advance package, its worth it. I love the ACC, Remote engine start, I REALLY LOVE the cooled seats. Love the fog lights.
I dont really care for RDM, I think its redundant when I have LKAS on, i usually turn it off.

Transmission is not a issue, i have had mine for 700 miles now, barely notice it. I am more aware of it now, since i am reading about it everyday here but believe me Its a NON issue.

It even has a CD player, whats not to like. I pop a CD in when i get Nostalgic.

BC01191980

@ open contact

One of the reason I love hybrid is that I live in a congested area and it's getting worse. (SF Bay Area) I like having start stop when I am stuck in traffic. I am hoping that the TLX will come out with the accord hybrid. I saw a review about accord hybrid and it's really good. I have already had an accord and also don't liek the style. I have sent requests to Acura customer service to forward my interest to Acura research and development. Hopefully they will consider it. I think I will be good with 4 cylinder. I wish I could test drive both models but don't want to be pressured to buy now. I still have 8 more lease payments on my car.

Hoosier_TLX

I agree with the other members who stated you should drive all the vehicles you are currently interested in and do the comparison yourself. What I like and find suits my needs best may be the polar opposite of what you're looking for. I will say that I found the TLX to be probably the best "bang for the buck" car in this segment, and I haven't regretted for a single second my decision to purchase it.

Whatever you decide on is hopefully what best fits your requirements and the main thing is that you'll be happy with your car as long as you own it.

Good luck with your decision.

jterp7

before buying my 4G I tried the GS350 F Sport, and the usual german suspects, S4, M3, 335i. I would add the CTS V sport to that list, since due to absurd depreciation it comes down from the 70s into the upper 30s in some cases which isn't that much more than what I paid and its probably the best executed american sport sedan (apart from the actual V8 CTS-V)

open contact

TLX SH-AWD Advance already has the Auto Start/Stop function. I believe most in here are not too happy with that feature though. you can read about it link below.
Auto Idle Stop | 2015 Acura TLX | Acura Owners Site

Don1

If you only do highway driving then okay but most of us do a mix and many do more city driving than highway. The Camry would get at least the same mileage in the city But the TL is much worse even as low as half. That can make a considerable difference in your equation.

Kense

Depends on the type of Hybrid Performance Hybrid or Gas Saving Hybrid. If you live in a city or area (SF-Oakland Bay Area) with horrendous traffic like I do, I'm VERY happy to have a Hybrid since the battery is on most of the time. Even if the Hybrid is more for performance. Regarding the brakes, Hybrid Brakes last much longer than normal brakes so I'm not sure where you're getting the $2000 thing from either.

ITdude

Are you saying someone can buy a CTS-V for under $40K? I don't believe anyone can get a 45% discount off of MSRP.

1Louder

Without going into painful detail, I drove:

A3 TDI: nicely appointed and the tech features are very current and well implemented. Ride was decent, but engine power was awful. 45+ MPG is not worth it when the car is that slow.

A4 2.0T AWD: Nothing real to complain about here - was a great car and nicely appointed. My only knock was how it drove. There wasn't anything exciting about it - handling and acceleration were all pretty neutral.

Lexus 300h: Fine car by any measure, but was definitely much more "comfort" oriented. Bigger, or at least it seemed that way. What turned me off was the styling - Lexus is making some bizarre styling choices. A lot of the interior features reminded me of 70's Cadillac styling, just with modern materials.

Lexus 250h: The seat hurt my back which was a deal killer immediately. Definitely ENTRY LEVEL luxury. Felt small and cramped in the cockpit. More like a fancy Prius than anything else. Sporty handling was probably is best feature.

I also considered, but did not drive, the IS250 and 328i. Same styling criticism on the 250 as the 300h, and the cockpit seemed small. As for the 328i, looked into the maintenance and it's high-maintenance, plus the dealership is 50 miles away. Too much to put up with for $50K.

It seemed to me that either the car was close to $50K without being clear it was worth that, or $40K and not enough to offer. TLX proved to be the sweet spot. Drove it one day, bought it the next.

The TLX is our fourth Acrua, fifth Honda product.

Broomwagon

While the Volvo S60 T6 is not cross-shopped much, I am curious if any of you have considered this vehicle and what your thoughts are of the car. I've test driven the S60 several times and like it a lot, except for the unnecessarily button-laden center console and lack of leg room in the back.

I plan to test drive the TLX V6 SH-AWD this weekend and will make a decision within the next few months.

One consideration pulling me towards the TLX is that I keep my car for a long time. My current vehicle is a 2000 Lexus RX300 with 73500 miles. I don't drive much as you can tell, hence I tend to keep my cars for a long time. I figure maintenance will be cheaper and parts easier to source for the TLX than the S60.

1Louder

^ My

I've not driven a Volvo, but I can speak to my maintenance experience with Acura. I have a 2006 TSX with 115K miles, and the only thing I've ever done to it is scheduled maintenance and replace wear items (light bulbs, wipers, tires, brakes). We had a 2006 MDX through 105K miles, nearly identical experience except one radio repair. We have a 12 RDX and 15 TLX now, both too new to have a lot of history.

I've owned a 2002 Civic, 2005 Pilot, my folks have gone through two Odysseys, one Accord coupe - all with no issues. My brother drove a 95 Accord to 260K miles basically just replacing what wore out.

I think no car has any real guarantee, but for me, Honda/Acura has as good a track record as any that supports a good long-term owning experience. We own our cars for 8-10 years at a time.

benjaminh

^^
Broomwagen: I think you're right that an Acura is likely to be more reliable than a Volvo. At this point, Volvo sales are pretty weak in the US.

And to me it's a significant plus that the TLX is made in Ohio at one of the best automobile factories in the United States. I've bought three Accords made at Marysville, and they were all excellent cars. As I now consider owning a TLX someday, I like the thought that if I do my dollars will circulate with Honda engineers and workers here.

Regardless of where it's made, it seems clear that an Acura would likely be a better long-term car than most other luxury cars. A Lexus, of course, is another make with strong reliability, as your vehicle seems to show.

Quandry

Broomwagon: I did not consider the S60. Despite the real or perceived safety of Volvo I cannot get over the design of the interior. I do not drive a lot and keep my cars for a long time so the important factors were:
- design, both interior and exterior
- advanced tech features
- reputation and reliability with reasonable maintenance costs
- convenient dealer location

The TLX met all my criteria, although reliability is an element that can change in the blink of an eye.

Broomwagon

1Louder, benjaminh, Quandry -

Thanks for your comments and insight. Talking to several coworkers who are really car nuts, they cite the same concerns that you mention with regard to the Volvo i.e., dash layout and long-term maintenance costs.

I've had my RX300 for 15 years and other than routine maintenance and parts replacement--wiper blades, tires, etc., I've never had any problems. I only wish the same for my next car.

I'll definitely test drive the TLX several times before making a final decision, but on paper, I am definitely leaning towards the Acura. I'm not sure I can live with the funky Volvo center console for the next 15 years!

BEAR-AvHistory

The V-Sport & V are two different cars. The V is a 640-hp Supercharged V8 the V-Sport is a 420-hp Twin Turbo V-6

mapleloaf

I think you are very close to your answer - the TLX 2.4 Tech. But drive it and the other more fuel efficient luxury options (Audi, BMW) and then make the call. For price, features, looks, and performance combined, I believe your call will be the TLX 2.4.

BC01191980

8 speed transmission
Precision all wheel steering

Are two good examples of product differentiation

emailnatec

I was fortunate to participate in TLX ride and drive vs competitors in a closed course. In a full day of driving, I drove the TLX I4 vs A4 2.0T, IS250, and Cadillac ATS. Also V6 PAWS and V6 SH-AWD vs. 328i, Q50, and ES350. BTW, all these were production vehicles.

The TLX wasn't on my radar, but after this test drive it became the car to get for me. For my background, I've worked in the auto industry (OEM and vendor) for the past 13 years and I've had my share of seat time behind the wheel for many cars. I'm not implying that I'm an expert in vehicle evaluations or that I'm a good driver, but I have a habit of driving all cars aggressively and know what I like/dislike in a car. I've always owned manual sports cars, but now with a family, wife unwilling to learn manual, and frequent car swaps between me and her, I'm stuck with an automatic cars.

That being said, of all the cars that I test drove I liked the TLX I4 the best with 328i as the close second. I think 328i might have had the edge, but the new 3-series didn't drive like the old 3-series and TLX definitely drove better than previous TL and the 8-spd DCT was real nice.

My short reviews of each car. It's in the order of my preference.

TLX I4 PAWS- Best handling of the group. I liked PAWS more than SH-AWD as the steering felt more direct and reacted more naturally. 8-speed DCT... the best DCT for daily driving?... The best gear ratio in the group, by far. No clunky/jerky downshift that you'd find in other DCT. Very quiet. The only thing that it lacked was HP, but it was more than enough for anyone to be satisfied with. Overall, the size, handling, and gear ratio won me over. Not meant to be sports sedan. If you want power, get an M3.

328i - handling was maybe the best in the group? If so, maybe by a hair vs I4 PAWS. Had better direct power input, less lag vs competition.

TLX V6 PAWS - Good power and handling, but didn't like the gear ratio compared to I4. It search for gears and didn't place it in the correct gears, imo, compared to DCT.

TLX V6 SH-AWD - Good power, but didn't enjoy the handling as much as PAWS. SH-AWD felt it was over compensating or had delayed response when cornering.

ES350 - I can't believe I'm ranking this car this high in this group, but the car had good power, pretty good steering response, and it felt pretty balanced.

Q50 - A huge decline from G37 in handling. Good power, but steering felt off. Car felt unbalanced and required more work than actually enjoying the vehicle.

ATS - I didn't have much expectation, but it definitely exceeded it. The interior was the ugliest of the group, but the handling was better than expectation. Not much power, I think it was the 4 cyl b/c it was grouped with TLX I4, but handled better than IS250 and A4.

IS250 - Was hoping for an improvement from prior gen, but not really. I like the new exterior, but didn't like the interior and didn't like the way it drove. Steering was loose and it lacked power.

A4 2.0T - What a POS! I definitely wouldn't pay $35K for this crap. It seriously was a rebadged Jetta. Steering was terrible and power non-existent. I was really disappointed with it. People that buy A4 only buy for it's looks and badge, not for driving.

Sizzle3000

I totally agree with your assessment. The TLX was not on my radar either. Our situations mirror one another. I traded my S2000 in for my TLX (base I4) due to needing a family car now. During my test drive, I took it down a curvy backroad and was shocked by the handling. The rear of the car feels like it is rotationing as you negotiate tight corners and the transmission did not let me down. I have decided that any you tube review that does not mention how great this car handles for a fwd vehicle simply did not drive it hard enough. I can't wait until I put a good set of performance tires on it!

emailnatec

Awesome! I used to have AP2 S2K. What did you have? When I had my S2K, I was on S2KI. Nice to meet you!

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

wow! aha Im surprised by the A4 2.0T assessment! It's that bad eh?

Sizzle3000

I had a AP2 as well. I hated very bad to trade it in but with a baby on the way it just made sense. Don't get me wrong, you will miss your S2K but the TLX is a compromise you won't hate yourself for. It really is impressive if you can look past hp stats.

jterp7

the 3.0TDI is the one to get, but you're looking at the 50s for a RDX competitor and mid 50s to low 60s for the RLX hybrid competitor

kurtatx

If it's not a quattro, it's garbage. The interior is incredible, but if you want a FWD car, the A4 is just too expensive.

My TSX isn't as nice of an interior, but I bought it for a ton less and it was brand new with most of the features from the A4.

BC01191980

I wonder what Acura has on display at the New York auto show