It is fairly certain I will buy the TLX. Specifically the V6 Advance. The emotional side of me really likes that car but the practical side of me says it is at my self-imposed budget limit and the I4 Tech is all I really need. So to address my practical side I decided to see if the added features between the I4/Tech and the V6/Advance are worth it. So I listed out the differences between the two cars and I tried to assign a value to each one based on what it is worth to me. Not what it costs... what is it worth. I saw a similar comparison on another forum and I thought it was a good exercise. If you want to run your own numbers knock yourself out. Your numbers probably won't match mine which is expected, but I'll share my math with you. I expect to own this car 5-6 years minimum. So my value is based on this time frame in mind.

The I4/Tech MSRP is $35,920. The V6/Advance MSRP is $43,395. These include destination. So the V6/Advance owes me $7,475 in added value to me. That is a tall order.

Engine: $1,250. This is a hard one since I have not driven the I4 TLX. I drive an I4 TSX and while the TLX I4 power train is certainly better than my TSX, I think I can still guesstimate the worth to me. I have driven the V6/Tech and the V6 is so silky smooth and has more than adequate power for any driving I'll do. I'm not a fan of the concept that Acura does not offer the Advance trim on the I4. If they did I probably wouldn't need to consider the V6. But I do have to say that the nicer power and feel of the V6 is a more luxury feel and adds refinement to the car. The gas mileage is surprisingly not that different between the two cars and better than the car I drive today. It is a little in the minus column for the V6 but I didn't discount it that much.

Wheels: $1,000. This value comes in 2 categories.. aesthetics and performance. No I haven't seen the I4 wheels in person and apparently they are not as bad as my eyes say they are, but I really don't like them. The step up in size from 17" to 18" and the lower profile tires adds to the handling of the car. If I bought the I4 I don't think I'd spend the extra cash to change the wheels and tires (cause I'm too cheap and I don't think you get any resale value from them). So this is less than the $3 grand that Acura wants from me to upgrade since it looks like no one would buy the stock wheels from me. But the V6 wheels are nice, I like the look and the cars handles and rides very well with them. I'd not like to look at the stock I4 wheels for the next 5-6 years.

8-Way Passenger Seat: $400. My wife is ~5'2" and call me a softie, but I'd like her to be able to raise the seat if she wants to. Ditto for the occasional passenger.

CMBS: $500. This is a hard one. This is kind of like putting a value on insurance. I've been driving for 35 years and never been in an accident. I'm a pretty defensive driver but my luck will run out someday. CMBS won't actually stop you on its own from hitting a car in front of you, that would have been more valuable, but it will warn you, nudge you with the seat belts, and brake some. So if I actually rear-ended a car the cost of repairs to the TLX will be high. Just how much do you think those Jewel Eyes cost??? Sure my insurance will cover all but the deductible but still I want to avoid this. But if I never avoid an accident the CMBS was not worth a penny.

Front Seat Belt ePre-Tensioner: $900. Okay you may think that is high. This is another one like the CMBS that is like insurance, except it is protecting my face and body and my wife's too. So if this helps reduce injury in an accident it is really valuable. If we are never in an accident then it was not worth it. But I value my body more than the car, so I gave it a higher value.

Road Departure Mitigation System: $200. Can't say I've ever come close to driving off the road. But if I do I could ruin the tires and/or wheels or worse damage the car. So I gave it some value.

Remote Engine Start: $800. Combined with the interface to the climate control and ventilated seats and the long range, this is a way cool feature (no pun intended). I would probably use this a lot, especially in the long hot summers down here. It is worth more than a standard engine-only remote start and I like that I don't have to re-start the car once I'm in. I may have undervalued this.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow: $250. I rarely use cruise control and I'm not sure how I'd feel about the car auto-magically following the car in front. But I do drive in stop and go a lot in Houston so if I get used to this I might use it more than my old fashioned cruise control.

Back/Front Parking Sensors: $250. The camera is probably all I need, but the parking sensors may be helpful in getting just that little closer when I'm in a tight spot. But that is not often.

Auto-Dimming Side Mirrors: $150. I'll tint the windows which cuts down on the need for this, but I do get high trucks with bright lights behind me in my side mirrors. I've never had dimming side mirrors before, dimming rear mirrors have not been that valuable in the past.

Ventilated Front Seats: $800. I've driven cars with ventilated seats and I love them. I told myself my next car will have them. It gets so hot here that they are just as valuable to me as heated seats are to those of you up in the arctic circle (ie anyone north of Texas). Combined with the remote start this is a valuable feature for me. I may be undervaluing this too.

LED Fog Lights: $100. I never use my fog lights and frankly I'm annoyed when people drive with them on all the time (sorry). They point more directly in my eyes than headlights and are an unnecessary distraction to on-coming drivers. If I bought the I4 I would not pay to have them installed. They do have a slight aesthetic value to me when they are off.

LED Puddle Lights: $200. Don't need them but they are a nice touch and late at night, in the rain, might be helpful.

Trunk: $200. There is a trunk liner that seems to come in the Advance trim and some little extra storage space. If it avoids me having to buy the trunk liner that is nice. Nice but not worth much.

Additional Resale Value: $3,000. Yes the V6/Advance costs more but it will be worth more when I sell it. How much is the question. If I keep the car 5 years and assume some standard depreciation rate (but I expect this car to have a lower rate) then the depreciation on the ~$7,500 purchase difference is ~$4,500 (my conservative guesstimate). I'm sure there are a lot of different opinions on this.

So what's the total? Is the V6 Advance worth it to me??? $10,000 in added value to me. What?!?!?! I went back and adjusted just about every one of these lower... twice... over my original numbers and it still came out that the V6/Advance was way worth it over the I4/tech. I was surprised. If you don't like my numbers that is fine, do your own math and see for yourself.

 

^^ love it... Great assessment

 

Only you can answer that question. For many, a car is an emotional not necessarily rational buy (beyond the basic need for transportation), a purchase of what we want and not necessarily what we need. To be honest, I'm not sure that any car purchase that I have been fortunate enough to make has not been based on need as much as what I wanted. So although you present a very interesting value propostion, it still comes down to you. I would submit that most if not all of those options that you listed do have some value and some benefit (the safety features in particular) but at what cost? Do you think that you will regret paying for anything on your list? Do you think that you will regret not paying for anything on your list?

Sorry, I'm sure I got nowhere close to answering your question....

 

Might argue the resale value. Usually cars optioned up with bells and whistles depreciate faster.

 

I have come to the point that I like to have options I might use versus the option not being there at all. I used the vented seats in my '12 all summer. I will use the remote start as well, add puddle lights and auto-dimming side mirrors and I've made up the difference over the Tech.

In the end, what value something holds is a personal thing.

 

Awesome analysis, thanks for sharing..

 

I completely agree and would likely have purchased an I4 Advance rather than the V6 Advance.

Overall great post and as you suggest everyone will have different value assessments. In all my year of driving I have backed into a tree twice in the dark, and had a small scrape on the side of the car from a concrete post base that was not visible. Also had a low speed front end collision that CMBS would have prevented. Minimum cost for bodywork is $1,000. Planning to have this car for 8-10 years so the Advance package is reasonable insurance. All the other features are a bonus.

I was watching and waiting for another vehicle for nearly two years, but when it was announced recently it did not have these Advance features so they lost out on the sale.

 

You did all of that in a year? Definitely get the Advanced! Or better yet, take the bus!

 

^^ Lol

 

I only wish I had been driving for a year. Oh... no I don't. Danm typos!

 

Personally for me, there is no question between the I4 and V6. I drove my father-in-law's 2012 I4 TSX and I was impressed with the peppiness of it. I've been driving a 3G TL for about 8 years, and the TSX seemed quicker and spunkier. However, it lacked the highway passing speed somewhat (at least compared to my V6) and felt a little too lively for me. And I like that my V6 does what I need it to do and does it a lot quieter and with a lot less effort.

As far as the advanced is concerned, I too plan on keeping the car for at least eight years. So, with all the added features, especially those related to climate control (I live in South FL) such as ventilated seats and remote start, I think it's worth it. Plus, love the LED fog lights and the safety features mentioned. Also, I know of several occasions where puddle lights sure would have been nice to have. Just my worth.

 

I drive an RLX Advance, and I will generally drive from 60 mins to 90 mins one way to where I am going. I drive about 600 miles/week.

The blind spot warning has saved my bacon on more than one occasion.

The adaptive cruise with automatically adjusting low speed follow allows me to get home at night feeling much better than I felt driving the same route with my previous car, a 4G TL 6-6.

If you drive a *lot* then I think the Advance features are very helpful.

Just one old man's opinion. :-)

 

you had me thinking. great assessment.

 

Totally agree with Treblig, ride the bus if you want to best financial decision, otherwise get the car you 'want'. If I won't be 100% content with my choice then I won't even pursue it because the emotional effects of regret are powerful ones.

 

Do you mean they depreciate more in terms of absolute dollar value or in terms of percentage of initial value?

If it's the latter, then that seems to be counter-intuitive to me. I would have thought that with more safety tech features, the car would be more future-proof, thus would retain value better (in percentage terms).

 

^^^The added features will help the car sell faster than one without, but the it is my opinion that the cost difference between the two after 5+ years is not that great - meaning that they have depreciated at a faster rate.

 

OP, you're a 3G TL owner. Just get the V6 Advance and it'll be like you're in a more modern version of same.

Great analysis, though. Very well thought out. Now just go do it.

I, too, am scratching my head at the lack of an I4 Advance.

 

Sounds like you're just trying to convince yourself to buy it. Hardly useful for others. Look at the wheels: you value them at a $1000, which is pure looks, but adaptive CC, the really useful thing on a HWY is only $250. And wow, the perceived value of the engine upgrade is $1250, no more no less, even though you never tried I4.

 

For the level of driving that I do (which isn't much these days), I'd opt for the I-4, so I agree it would be nice to have all the features of the Advance package in the 4 cyl. model. By the way, does the I-4 use a timing chain instead of a belt- not an issue now, but in terms of maintenance, a chain beats a belt (except that it may not be as quiet)?

 

Civics & Corollas are logical needs buys, everything else is an emotional wants buy. Hooray for emotion. You are going to be in car for X years. Follow your heart up to your comfortable budget limit.

 

OP, I like the assessment. I got curious when you mentioned the Jewel Eyes, so I went on over to oemacuraparts.com and looked up the price of the headlights for the TLX.

And these prices are for ONE HEADLIGHT.

TLX
List price: $1,237.25
Their price: $915.57

RLX Headlights
List price: $2,100.80
Their price: $1,554.59

MDX Headlights
List price: $850.08
Their price: $629.06

LED headlights are expensive overall IMO. Maybe they'll drop in price for the TLX after awhile.

 

I'm 60 and the time for "should I" Is over. I say If you can afford it, it all! Tomorrow aint promised.

 

Damn right....I'm 53 and whenever I bought a car it was a compromise well not this time. It's a V6 Advance for me and for no other reason than...because that's what I want.

 

Keep in mind the gas mileage savings is every year and not just a one-time deal. So if you're saving $200-$500 a year on gas and you own the car for 4+ years, it adds up.

 

Yes, dig into the retirement savings if you have to (joking)!

 

compare to TLX I4 Tech, V6 Advance is totally worth the additional $$$. but compare to other brands: GS350, 335I, not so much.

 

Yep all Honda & Acura I-4 motors now use quiet maintenance-free timing chains. The V6 motors still use timing belts that must be replaced at ~ 105k miles. The cost is usually around $600, give or take.

I'm not so concerned about the cost as much as I am some incompetent technician mucking around inside the motor.

 

I think initially it is both, at some point it levels out and the Advance will clearly get more money on resale than a comparable Tech or Base, but it will not be the same proportionally higher amount that the car sold for. I have seen it on several cars, if you run ALG residual lease calculation you will see it as well, the base car will likely hold a higher percentage over 3 years than the Advance and the Tech will be in the middle. Let's say for example the Base at 3 years is 56%, the Tech may be 54% and the Advance may be 52%. I remember that when I leased my 09 TL AWD, same with gf's TSX tech. Sometimes it may be only 1% difference.

 

I had the TB done on my TL- not a huge deal and was ~ $600, but the bonus of just a spark plug change w/o the TB change on the 4 cyl would sway me that way. Plus from what I read, the 4 cyl is the more tossable car. I wouldn't mind a tick less acceleration for 35 mpg.

 

Rocket_man....Great assessment and interesting way of looking at it IN my opinion, there is no doubt that bang for the buck, the V6 Advance is a better deal than the I4 tech when you do a feature/price analysis.

That being said, if you are paying for things you don't need/want, then regardless of how cheaper it is, then its not worth it. To me, if there are 5 things out of 10 that you don't want/need, the the cost per feature needs to be spread of over the 5 items remaining. For me, I don't need a V6, I don't need the SH-AWD, I am not a huge fan of the nanny stuff (blind spot, lane assist etc)....I do like things that are more luxury.

For me, I would like to get the I4 tech and offers pretty much what I want/need. I may just use the money saved from the V6 to buy different wheels.

I have the whole winter to worry about it (lol)

 

I think it's valid to question exactly how much "real world" acceleration a person can expect in a 206hp, 182 lb-ft of torque, 4-cylinder 3500-pound car, if based on nothing but hp-to-weight ratio alone.

With the 8-speed transmission, the power will heavily depend on being in the right gear all the time, which makes for a very peaky driving experience. I bet that, with the AC on during a hot day, the power-loss (or the lack of torque) will be very noticeable.

The 4-cylinder will certainly be tossable, the same way a Civic Si is tossable. It's a car that probably feels faster than it really is, which may be all the 4-cylinder target segment really wants.

28mpg (combined) would indeed be slightly attractive, though. I wonder what the mileage would be if you flogged the engine, which is probably what you'll have to do to enjoy it.

 

make sure to test drive and try out the ACC. Some people find it to be too jerky. They feel it brakes too late and forcefully. But others say it just takes some getting use to.

 

Some of the guys who purchased the IS250 traded it in for the IS350 a few months later. Don't be that guy.

 

Interesting analysis but a bit of an overkill. You buy what you can afford as a responsible adult. Simple as that.

 

I agree!

 

The IS 250 is overpriced for the lame engine combined with average gas mileage. If you're going to have a lame engine, at least be able to say you're getting great mileage from it. lol.

 

For some of us wanting/needing the V6 is also because of where we live. For instance, I live at 6800 feet so using this formula I lose 59HP right off the top. The I4 would be -42HP.

HP LOSS = ([elevation in feet] x 0.03 x [HP at sea level]) / 1000

 

I have a different take on figuring out what features are worth. There are "must have" features. I find the cars that have them, and then decide which ones I like best for the money I want to spend. I live in Houston also, and ventilated seats are non-negotiable. I won't buy a car without them.

 

Really this was more for myself to reconcile my practical side with my emotional side. I think the practical side lost.

I'm a TSX owner so this is an upgrade all around.

Yeah, but I just drive to church on Sunday's and keep it in my garage the rest of the week Actually I probably put less miles on a car than most so I didn't take much off for this. Yes the savings do add up over time, but I only took some off the engine value as a one-time thing. It would have been more accurate to list it separately.

Most of my cars have been this way except for a BMW 3-series coupe (E46). I splurged on that car but it was a great car and I hated selling it. I've had my TSX for 9 years by the time I sell it so I've paid my dues on the practical side and this time around I'll splurge again. I have no trouble affording it. I have zero debt and a high paying job. I just like to set limits and $40K (before taxes and fees) was my limit this time. I think I'll get pretty close. I think my practical side has been beaten into submission this time. Maybe next time it will win again.

 

Great analysis, I did something similar a few days ago and determined I definetly want the Advance package, but I also want the i4 motor, guess I will be waiting a few years unless I get that wild hair to buy the Advance V6 SHawd!