4thaccord

I never thought the difference was that great, until I went back to the Accord after owning the TL. I absolutely hated it, and this was the brand new Accord vs. an 8-year-old TL. YMMV but for me the Accord is about 7/10 of the TL.

012TL-GLM

My '12 SH-AWD is just about paid off, and I originally planned to keep her at least 7 years. When talk started a while back about the fabled TLX, I was worried I would just have to have it, and start up a new payment plan. Thankfully, Acura helped me out by creating a car I have no intention of buying, and I should be able to continue my plan and enjoy at least 4 years without a car payment. Thanks Acura!

weather

^^ Acura helped you but they screwed me up! I was planning on converting my lease of my TL to the TLX but they delivered nothing I want. I shopped around and Audi and BMW doesn't really do it for me, the BMW M235 was the only one but not worth the extra 350$ a month compared to my TL.

I called my dealer to inquire leasing a new TL and that is not going to be as easily doable if I want to get out of it early (like in 2-3 years)....The ILX is a fun little car as a stick but the interior is too inferior compared to my TL.

ARRGGGGHHHH!! FRICKIN TLX!!

I am still leaning quite heavily toward the Accord as a daily drive to augment my Hyundai but I still want my toy and right now, the TL seems to be the only vehicle that fits the bill!

mylove4cars

My 2011 TL SH-AWD goes to my daughter, I shopped around and I just might buy a 2014 TL SH-AWD and wait and see what happened with the TLX down the road, hence I would never buy a car without driving it first anyway. I like MT which is not an option for TLX right now.

Gen4MDX

Really? I completely disagree. The 4g was polarizing and not really in a good way. The TLX certainly Does Not look like every cookie cutter econobox out there, sorry you feel that way and your slam on The TLX is uncalled for, but you can vote with your pocket book.

I actually prefer the car to be slightly understated in a sleeper kind of way and over deliver on performance which sounds very promising for this vehicle instead of some blinged pimp mobile....Caddy Escalade anyone?

mylove4cars

All a matter of taste, blondes & brunets type of a thing. Does not mean either or should be slammed.

jbawden

There is a rather broad style zone between what "Small Dollar Ice" would drive his hoes around in and a point A to B appliance. Cheerlead all you want, but what I've seen of the TLX is a design team that didn't want to take ANY chances. The TLX will offend no one and will probably sell well to first time Acura buyers, but for fans like most of us here this is the last stop on the Acura train ride. I would imagine some older gentlemen had the same type of discussions we're having here at your local Denny's when Buick and Cadillac decided to realign with a new (younger) demographic. You only go around once, indulge your inner car guy with some other brands, I say.

fsttyms1

And why isnt it? Everyone has their opinion and are entitled to it. Should he/we say your defense of a car that many find to be bland or a failure on Acuras part is uncalled for?

And like you i have an opinion, but im sorry i disagree with you, they car does look like its older than it is making it bland and and not even be noticed. Hell the New accord stands out far more and looks better.

weather

Yep...and I sincerely HOPE these guys at Acura headquarters read this forum and realize how incompetent their design team is....To be more excited by seeing an Accord is quite a statement. Again, I am not saying the TLX will not drive better, will not have more luxury etc, but visually, the Accord looks far sexier with gorgeous wheels and dual exhaust tips (The Sport model anyway).

Oh to have the chance to be invited for a tour of the Torrence location and have a chat with these guys. I would have no sympathy for them if the TLX flopped....what would they blame it on now? Solar flare? Rising price of beef? Flu season in Idaho?

KeithL

What I will say is there is nothing in the TLX that really totally turns me off, yeah I do not love the beak, but it is ok, I do not like hidden exhaust, but again not a show stopper, what would be a show stopper is the SH-AWD having the same softer suspension as the FWD model. When the 4G came out the AWD was 3+ months behind the FWD and I test drove the FWD and hated it, the AWD came out and I hated the beak, but love the ride and got one.

012TL-GLM

Sorry Weather - I honestly don't know what I would be looking at if not keeping my TL. Most likely something in the Lexus lineup. As some of you know from previous posts my TL is currently in the shop for hail damage. I miss her dearly.

EMAN2012

I'm not slamming the car! I'm sure it will drive very nicely, have all the whistles and bells, but why does it need to be understated! My dealer gave me a new RL as a loaner when I had my car in for service, it drove ok, but it's boring. I much prefer the styling of the previous gen. RL. When I said the TLX looks like every other cookie cutter econobox, I was specifically referring to the rear end and lame mufflers under the bumper. If you like understated, good for you. If I'm plunking down 40+ gs for a performance sedan, I want the car to look like a performance sedan! How does that have anything to do with a blinged pimp mobile? I prefer thevsyling of my 2014 TL SH AWD, the car has been called a lot of things, a pimp mobile isn't one of them.

neuronbob

Quoted for truth.

Acura is going to sell truckloads of TLXs to the general, non-enthusiast public. They currently give a rat's ass about car guys/enthusiasts. Accept it and move on. I did.

ostrich

AMEN TO THIS!!!

When I bought my first 4G TL (I have owned 2 of them), the difference in the ride between the FWD and the SH-AWD was very noticeable. I loved (and still do) love the ride of the SH-AWD version but the FWD ride did nothing for me. Just too cushy.

If they really softened up the SH-AWD ride to match the FWD, then what is the point? I guess at this point it is all speculation, but I really hope that the SH-AWD will be much sportier than the FWD version.

fsttyms1

I wouldnt call their production/sales goal a truckload Honestly i dont see the figure they are hoping for to be much better than how many the 4g sold

KeithL

I will say this, if I didn't want the newer tech I would grab a AWD TL right now.

EMAN2012

That's what I did, traded in my 2012 SH AWD for a 2014. Maybe down the road Acura will come to their senses and pay attention to the performance market again...

EMAN2012

The SH AWD is a really impressive car! I've had two of them, a 2012 & now a 2014. It is a totally different car than the front wheel drive. People get too hung up on the "controversial'' appearance of the car and don't spend nearly enough time singing the praises of the car's performance. As I have said a bunch of times before, dollar for dollar, it is easily the best bank for the buck out there, period!

Treblig

Let's get the car on the road first. If there are shortcomings, and there is sure to be some, then the hue and cry from the owners and would be owners will be heard and Acura will respond (or not...). But at this point we are all speculating based on the interviews (marketing opportunity) and rumors (base-less at the moment). As many have mentioned, the TL has been a pretty good riding, handling and value machine in it's 4 generations so far (despite its questionable looks). Good enough that many of us have owned more than one. If this first roll-out is lacking, tweaks and fixes should surely follow on subsequent roll-outs. Well that's my hope anyway. I will be looking closely at the 2016 version.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

And therein lies the hypocrisy. The 4G was a design disaster but it was a solid performer. The 5G IMHO looks way better than the 4G. No one has driven the 5G or tested it's performance aspects. Hi pot, meet kettle.

Rocket_man

I drove this car and it handles like a boat. More precisely, an oil tanker. Okay, maybe not quite that bad but it was definitely made for comfort, not spirited driving. It had great cooled seats though. If the rear seat folded down it might be on my list, but low on the list.

The Optima is a nice package. I've drive this too and it drove well but not memorable. It got the job done. Nice ventilated seats, but the color combinations for me are the let down. KIA has come a long way at a rapid pace. It would be wise for Honda/Acura to pay attention and take thier game up a notch.

As for the TLX, it has no show stoppers for me and fills all my squares. Does the styling make me drool? No. But I'll live with it. None of us have sat in this car or driven it but it hasn't stopped people from having very strong opinions of it. I will make my final call after I've seen them and driven them and know what it costs. Many cars look better in person, I suspect I will think the TLX is one of them. I will probably like the way this car looks in the flesh and it will probably be the kind of car I won't grow tired of in the long run.

The last car I drove and owned that put a big smile on my face was my E46 2-door. I loved driving that car even if it was just to the grocery store. My TSX never made me feel that way, it is a dependable appliance car with (at the time) nice handling and semi-luxury features. I will look forward to upgrading.

Funny though that when my wife and I test drove the new Mini, it put a grin on my face that I really wasn't expecting. Especially the Cooper S. I'm sure my wife will buy one. If you get bored this weekend, go to your local Mini dealer and drive one. You might be surprised and start wondering how you might be able to live with such a small car. I don't think I can, but my wife can.

weather

*lmao* You know I can't pass up such an opportunity but are you saying that your wife has accepted to go through life living with such small things

All kidding aside....You are correct. I have been pretty harsh on the TLX and maybe I need to pull back a little. I think its my frustration in not getting that "OMG I WANT THAT" feeling that is lacking in me. I have never denied that that the TLX will have lots to offer and that has never been the issue with me.

I just wanted the styling to be a bit more exciting, something that makes me want to upgrade right away but it hasn't been the case. I am not overly offended by the design, its just that I was hoping for more, especially after seeing the prototype. For me, when one spend 50k on a vehicle, its got to be more than just "I can live with this design"......That is the role of a Civic, Accord, Sonata, Camry etc. No one needs a premium car but the reason they do buy them is because they can/want to, and passion is usually on the top of the list. Sadly, for me, I feel that getting the TLX will feel as if I "settled" for it. I went to town yesterday and parked my car to go get a few things at the store.....The car was backed in, and on a slight incline, and coming out and walking toward the car, the stance and the look was just WOW and this is after owning this car for 3 years. There were 2 guys walking out of the store with me and I heard one guy say to the other....man that is a sharp looking Acura.

I wanted to upgrade really badly to the TLX and I will hold my final judgement until I see one in the flesh but right now, the car is a NO until the flesh viewing convinces me otherwise (and maybe the bodykit details will sceal the deal) but this is what I don't like about the TLX.....

1. Wheels - FWD, SH-AWD and Accessories...none look good to me
2. Visible (and lame) exhaust tips - The RDX could tuck them all in so why couldn't they do this with the TLX?)
3. Interior - I am not keen on not having a shifter to hold on too, not a fan of the centre stack and those fake plastic trims that are discontinued and the wood interior.

From a mechanical point of view....I am not offended by the engine choice or the HP output. I think the improved SH-AWD and P-AWS will give great driving dynamics and have lots of confidence that the ride of teh TLX will be a step up from my current TL.

Where I do have concerns from a mechanical point of view are the following:

1. The rear reactive dampers...I am 99% sure we'll be hearing complaints about this next year, unless that is why they insulated the shit out of this car?! Maybe we'll get Bose noise cancelling headphones too (lol)

2. The 2 new transmissions....I am not saying it will be a problem but its a bit scary to have 2 new and unproven tranny in such an important model for them. I am sure they must have done extensive testing but we'll see.

3. I am a bit worried about the dual screens and the problems some RLX and MDX owners have had with slow response time and things getting wonky on them.

Bottom line is that regardless of how great the TLX looks like in the flesh, I will wait at least one year before getting one. My frustration is that what I do I drive for 1 year?!? I still have 1 year left on my lease but someone is interested in purchasing it now.....

Sorry for the long post guys....Usually I prefer short messages as I know people lose interest if the post is too wordy but I just wanted to share my thoughts. Again, my apologies for my negativity as of late...I wanted this TLX to be my next car and maybe I am acting like a little kid who didn't get to have his toy

Rocketsfan

Out of curiosity, was this due to a lease? Otherwise, what's the difference between a 2012 and 2014? I haven't been following the 4G much lately.

weather

^^ I had strongly considered doing the same too. I have a 2012 (3 years in) and like my TL SOOO much that I was willing to do another lease but a few things that my dealership told me that made it difficult for me to consider.

I may just put an order for a 2015 Lexus GS350 RWD Fsport in white.....

quantum7

^^^might just have to do the same....TLX is not inspiring me, and who wants a car that is "OK and it will grow on me". Just wish Acura would listen to its core customers

mylove4cars

I have a similar dilemma, nevertheless I think in the next couple of weeks I will purchase a 2014 TL SH-AWD or maybe a 2013 CPO low mileage and wait to see what transpires with the TLX - I never buy first year vehicles anyway. (I like my Tl SH-AWD as a daily driver) shopped around for something new, cant find anything in the TL's price range that gives me what the TL SH-AWD offers.

4thaccord

I understand your point of view, but being older I also see another side: none of us are guaranteed tomorrow, and that day may never come a year from now. More than that, this is why new cars have warranties and why Acura dealers offer free loaner cars. If the transmission does completely fall out 3 months after you buy it, they have to take care of it. In the meantime you get to drive a new car.

mylove4cars

^^^Sense making statement^^^

weather

4thaccord...Point well taken. Using your logic though, I should go and get my Audi S5 that I lust over regardless of the reliability and enjoy it to the max To me, the TLX doesn't get my adrenaline going...again, I will not make a decision until I see it in the flesh though.

EMAN2012

Yes it was. I had 9 months left on my lease, and as mentioned I was awaiting the arrival of the TLX to transition to. When I decided the TLX wasn't for me, my dealer called and basically upgraded me to the 2014 for the same payment, no cash out of pocket, they even switched my H&R springs, camber kit and wheel spacers (including allignment) at no charge. It was a deal I couldn't refuse!

Rocket_man

Ha ha... my wife was born and raised in Tokyo and everything is smaller there... maybe that is why she moved to Texas But she has a thing for small cars. Thankfully I talked her out of the Fiat 500. I called it a death trap. The new Mini is acceptable and as I said a few times, a pretty fun car to drive.

I think part of the problem with the TLX is that it is not a compelling upgrade from a later model TL. Unless you really have to have that quiet cabin, some particular gadget, or better fuel economy... there is not much reason to get rid of a 2 year old car for a TLX. For a TSX owner, it is a very nice upgrade. Even the I4 Tech. I REALLY wished Acura would have made an I4 Tech with Ventilated seats or an I4 Advanced. I'd be all over it.

I think if Acura never showed that prototype people would have received the production car better... well except for those base wheels. Yes the styling is too conservative for some, but I think it is a nice combination of mature and sporty. The IS is a nice car but I think I'm getting too old for the new styling. I don't have that problem with the TLX.

As an overall package the TLX could be very nice. All it's competitors are higher in price for the same features (ok, I expect the pricing to be this way). I even looked at the 2 series (228) and once I option up I'm over $42K and that is a pretty small car.

My fear is that it will have those &^%$%#@! dampers. It may not be as much of a problem down here in Houston although it does get below freezing on occasion. I'd just have to be willing to swap them out if it was bad. Not something I should have to think about. But what car out there doesn't have something wrong with it? The grass isn't always greener.

I can't wait to experience this car for myself, then I will know.

4thaccord

Exactly: if the emotion isn't there I would definitely not buy it; but to wait a year because you're convinced that the transmission or other component is definitely going to fail, I think the odds are against that happening. And besides, the transmission problems for example didn't show up in the first year of ownership anyway; it was after people had their cars for years that they started failing. So actually the cars were MORE reliable when they were new. Of course there will probably be recalls etc.; there are so many tech nannies etc. in cars now that's almost inevitable.

randomRon82

Here's a new Vine that Acura recently posted on twitter. It has shots of the silver TLX

https://vine.co/v/Mg52AXFDjUh

Rocketsfan

Yup. Definitely have to see this car in person. In those shots, the car doesn't look all that, but in the video with the silver car, it looks awesome.

H_CAR

You guys who want a car with "Type S treatments" buy a different car. It's that simple.

The 3rd generation TL came out as a 2004 model, and there was no Type S until 2007. Most of you would not have purchased a TL if it were not for the Type S coming out. The thing is, the TL sold the best in 2004 and 2005, where there was no Type S available. My point is that many enthusiasts, usually want the most fun to drive sporty model, but the general public doesn't. The TLX will sell fine for the first three years without a Type S model provided it is priced well.

Also, most of you who would not buy the TLX, would buy an IS350 F Sport, GS350 F Sport, Audi S4, Audi S5 etc., but those aren't the models the general public buys. The general public will buy an IS250, regular GS350, A4 or A5. If the enthusiast models were dropped, it would barely put a dent in their car sales.

From what I've been reading, there will be a Type S in the future, probably in 2018 when the TLX gets a refresh.

Me personally, I'll be happy with the TLX 4 cylinder Tech model if it's more fun to drive than the 1st generation TSX.

Also, remember, no one is forcing you to buy an Acura. You're free to buy whatever will fit your needs best at the time you want to buy. It's clear a Type S is what many of you want. That's fine, but the you'll have to wait until later to get it.

randomRon82

Here are a bunch of pics that I found on instagram from the reveal at Acura Canada.

weather

H_CAR....You missed one important detail though.....when the 3G came out, it offered many new tech, amazing styling embraced by all and lots of power for its time.

What does the TLX bring to the table that competitors don't have (besides ugly wheels)?

I am not hoping for a type for the performance....just that this would be the only hope I have to see a decent body kit, visible dual exhausts and sexy wheels. Something that my current TL has already...I didn't wait for Acura to produce 4G Type-S to buy one....

The sad part is that next spring, I'll likely cave and have a TLX in white sitting in my driveway with a bodykit.....

Timmy18

I don't know guys.. I sorta like the TLX still. it could have been done better and not offered 17" wheels at all and just re used the last Gen TL wheels but I feel like with our little personal touches and viewing the car in person would make a bigger difference.

Just trying to be hopeful still.

H_CAR

We don't know how the TLX performs, so it's too early to tell if it brings that side of things to the table. The TLX seems to bring best in class space, fuel economy, value (provided it is priced well), Honda reliability (hopefully),and it has a lot of features that for the price its competitors probably won't have.

You bought a TL from the generation that most people don't favor in the styling department. Can you blame Acura for going for a more simple approach?

Styling is subjective, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I personally find the TLX vastly more attractive than the 4G TL.

neuronbob

Stop it! You, you sense maker!

Using the 3G TL as an example, the first one at my dealership was delivered to me. I didnt feel a need to wait for the type S, as good as that car was. Then again, Acura offered the A-Spec package for enthusiasts and I got factory-blessed mods.

OT: maybe A-Spec or something similar is in the cards for the TLX? We won't know until release. That'd sure be nice.

As I said in my last post above, most people don't buy the sport models or mods. Accept what is, and move along.