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From all the pics I've seen, I think blue looks the best with black being a close second. I'm actually not a huge fan of it in white, which is generally my favorite color for cars. Red looks ok, and not a huge fond of the purple or grey.
That’s another puzzling thing about automakers who put wireless charging in their cars but not wireless CarPlay. Acura isn’t the only one guilty of it, of course, but why not see it as an opportunity to do the right thing? 2021 C8s will have wireless CarPlay. And apparently it might be possible to retrofit it on the 2020s.
Wireless Android Auto and CarPlay are must have for me in my next car. Add in simple stuff like rain sensing wipers, HUD and such which Acura has stupidly left off the Type-S are on my must have list. Hopefully they will do a PMC at some point and I can stick with Acura.
That’s another puzzling thing about automakers who put wireless charging in their cars but not wireless CarPlay. Acura isn’t the only one guilty of it, of course, but why not see it as an opportunity to do the right thing? 2021 C8s will have wireless CarPlay. And apparently it might be possible to retrofit it on the 2020s.
I think largely it's due to customers not realizing that wireless charging is completely redundant if they plan on using the (wired) CarPlay or Android Auto. They see it as a shiny new feature on the car without thinking about how it interacts with the other features of the car.
Not to be ageist, but it shouldn't be too surprising; we know that luxury automakers cater towards older (ahem wiser) folks, who also tend to be less technically savvy, and the less technically savvy person might not put two-and-two together that one feature could completely supersede the other.
That’s another puzzling thing about automakers who put wireless charging in their cars but not wireless CarPlay. Acura isn’t the only one guilty of it, of course, but why not see it as an opportunity to do the right thing? 2021 C8s will have wireless CarPlay. And apparently it might be possible to retrofit it on the 2020s.
Both the Audi A4 and A5 will have it in 2021 models. As well as a "cell phone booster" for the wireless charging cradle since cell phone is inside a metal vehicle.
I think largely it's due to customers not realizing that wireless charging is completely redundant if they plan on using the (wired) CarPlay or Android Auto..
Agree, I have wireless charge & Carplay. On long trips I don't use either. I run the USB cable to the phone & call up my music & WAZE. On the cars menu I call up navigation. Then set the phone into a section of the holder which will not charge the phone.
This gives me 4 things. Continuous charging, Music, WAZE (PoPo, traffic & obstacle warnings) + turn by turn navigation on my HUD from the cars onboard system. Hope some day was can run WAZE on the HUD but right now it only runs on the 10" secondary screen under CarPlay.
I drove a $49,000 Acura TLX to see if all-new luxury sedan can still deliver in a world dominated by SUVs
Matthew DeBord 14 minutes agoThe 2021 Acura TLX has a dynamic exterior. Matthew DeBord/Insider
I tested a $49,325 Acura TLX sedan, in Advance trim with all-wheel-drive.
The TLX is all-new for the 2021 model year.
My tester had a potent, 272-horsepower 4-cylinder turbocharged engine under the hood.
The Acura TLX is in a tough position as SUVs take over the world, but this sedan has always been a stupendous bargain, and the new edition is no exception.
The Acura TLX is a classic example of what we used to call a "fine automobile."
It's the sort of well-made, conservatively-styled sedan that can be sporty, but doesn't have to be. When you throw in parent Honda's impeccable engineering and legendary reliability, the result is something quite fine, indeed.
Maybe too fine for its own good. I'm not sure you can find a better luxury midsize four-door — and I'm including traditional rivals such as the BMW 3-Series and the Audi A6. I lean German all the time, but whenever I come off some seat time in the Ohio-made Acura, I lean back toward the TLX. And when it comes to the A-Spec special editions, I've been ready to open my checkbook. The TLX nameplate has been around since the 2015 model year. Matthew DeBord/Insider The TLX is all-new for the 2021 model year, born into a world increasingly dominated by SUVs. Acura sells those, too, but like all luxury marques, the big question these days is, "Should we stick with the 4-doors?"
In Honda/Acura's case, the answer is clearly, "Yes," and most industry observers think that the carmaker and historic foe Toyota/Lexus can continue to make sedans work. But they need to be at the tip-top of their game.
I got to see how tip-top when I sampled $49,325 TLX SH-AWD ("super-handling all-wheel-drive") Advance. The car started at a well-loaded $48,300 and got no extras, just an additional grand tacked on as a destination and handling fee. (The base TLX is $37,500.)
Staggering value for a luxury four-door
The design is basically conservative, but with a lot of edges and angles. Matthew DeBord/Insider This is absolutely staggering value for a premium 4-door, but then again, the TLX has offered staggering value for five years.
The TLX worked its TLX-y magic on me in less than an hour, causing me to question my allegiance to a small personal fleet of Toyota hybrids. I nearly took the plunge on a TSX, a TLX predecessor, when I lived on the West Coast, and so every time I get behind the wheel, I endure a bout of what-if lamentations. I know I said "fine automobile," but for sedan connoisseurs, there might be no finer set of wheels.
If you think the TLX is a tricked-up Accord, think again. The new car has been uniquely designed, and the overall build quality is stupendous. The Acura TLX is competing in a segment that's been losing out to SUVs. Matthew DeBord/Insider My tester arrived in a sleek Modern Steel Metallic paint job with a groovy baseball-glove brown interior, and the combo was fire. The gray exterior was ideal for accentuating the TLX's angles and curves, of which there are certainly more of the former than the latter. A set of 19-inch wheels initially struck me as too small, but over a week, I decided they were just right.
One does need to have a mind for edge-work to enjoy looking at the TLX, which seems as though it's less a single, fastback shape than a concatenation of voids, tangents, tucks, and bends. It borders on Cubism, but Acura has been refining this aesthetic for a while now, and it with the 2021 TLX, the concept has reached a pleasing apotheosis.
A soothing interior that's still a bit cramped in the back
Truck space is adequate. Matthew DeBord/Insider With the TLX, the busy exterior is soothed by a more placid, though high-tech, interior. We don't think enough about seats until they start to make us uncomfortable, and the TLX's 16-way front, heated and cooled, absolutely do not.
But they aren't recliners on wheels, either, as the TLX is supposed to offer spirited motoring in Sport mode, when the car's rotary drive selector — borrowed from the NSX supercar — is toggled in that direction. The drive selector is taken from the NSX supercar. Matthew DeBord/Insider Rearward, the legroom is ... not great. My suddenly tall teenage son would not have relished bending his knees to ride back there. But the trunk offers 13.5 cubic feet of capacity, and the interior is kinda roomy overall, so there isn't much justification for stretching the TLX to deal with the needs of adult rear-seat passengers.
Under the hood, the TLX packs a 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine, making 272 horsepower with 280 pound-feet of torque. This sucker punches above its weight big time. Even with a 10-speed automatic transmission that 1 might think would race toward the overdrive gears to vindicate the 21 mpg city/ 29 highway/24 combined fuel-economy rating, the TLX feels both potent and crisp, with a punchy 0-60 mph time of around 6 seconds.
Handles like a champ
The interior is soothing. Matthew DeBord/Insider The handling is variable. Sport Mode encourages a brisk mood swing that welcomes harder acceleration, but the electric steering got a little too heavy for my tastes.
I ended up exploring the Individual setting, which offered the best of both worlds and still maxed out the TLX's enthusiastic yet admirably capable suspension. Like every other TLX I've driven in the past few years, the stiffness equation was perfectly calculated: My spine was thankful and I didn't have to ease off during hard cornering. The infotainment screen rises above the dash, into the driver's line of sight. Matthew DeBord/Insider As with its luxe 4-door brethren, the TLX comes with a suite of driver-assist features, and they all work as advertised. But this is a car I like to drive myself, so I made limited use of them.
In fact, I drove the TLX like I've driven some recent BMW test cars, while with Audis, Mercedes, and Lexuses, I've deferred to the adaptive cruise control option. Paddle shifters provide a manual capability, but I skipped it for the most part, allowing the computers to do a better job than I could and savoring the sonically augmented exhaust tones.
The infotainment system is a bit of a thorny issue here. Gone is the dual-screen of the previous generation, and in its place, a large central screen, with features controlled using a double trackpad, plus some buttons and knob (for audio volume). The touchpad controller takes some getting used to. Matthew DeBord/Insider Once you get the hang of it, the setup works quite well. But you have to get the hang of it. As far as the tech itself goes, all boxes are checked: Bluetooth pairing, USB device integration, GPS navigation, wireless charging.
My tester was outfitted with Acura's sublime ELS Studio 3D audio system, a 17-speaker rig that is among the best available in the industry — and it's standard on the top-level Advance trim. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available. The TLX is a joy to drive, although the electric steering felt too taut at times. Matthew DeBord/Insider It should be rather obvious by now that I think the 2021 Acura TLX is a winner. But I already thought it was a winner, so more of the same, new generation.
The next question is, "Did Acura remain tip-top with the car?"
Nothing missing, and the price is still very right
The TLX remains a superb value. Matthew DeBord/Insider Acura missed nothing in improving the TLX, and even gave a new infotainment system the old college try. You have to admire this obsessive commitment to ongoing excellence at a price below $50,000. As good as a lot of BMWs, better than some, and a relative bargain.
Sedan sales have been sliding in the US, and to keep cars such as then TLX in the game, carmakers like Acura have been upping prices. The new TLX is pricier than the old vehicle, but only by a few thousand bucks. I would argue that the outgoing sedan was underpriced, so at the very least, the new TLX is fairly stickered.
But the truth is that this terrific car remains a great buy. If you think about it — or drive it — I suspect you'll agree.
^ Review doesn't make sense, tries to justify TLX versus crossovers but clearly says it's not big enough for his son. And yet it remains a great value and it's roomy because of 13.5 truck. The rest reads like Acura's advertising saying it's better than others but not really saying why. Very biased review.
Last edited by pyrodan007; 10-19-2020 at 09:54 AM.
I drove a $49,000 Acura TLX to see if all-new luxury sedan can still deliver in a world dominated by SUVs
Matthew DeBord 14 minutes agoThe 2021 Acura TLX has a dynamic exterior. Matthew DeBord/Insider
I tested a $49,325 Acura TLX sedan, in Advance trim with all-wheel-drive.
The TLX is all-new for the 2021 model year.
My tester had a potent, 272-horsepower 4-cylinder turbocharged engine under the hood.
The Acura TLX is in a tough position as SUVs take over the world, but this sedan has always been a stupendous bargain, and the new edition is no exception.
The Acura TLX is a classic example of what we used to call a "fine automobile."
It's the sort of well-made, conservatively-styled sedan that can be sporty, but doesn't have to be. When you throw in parent Honda's impeccable engineering and legendary reliability, the result is something quite fine, indeed.
Maybe too fine for its own good. I'm not sure you can find a better luxury midsize four-door — and I'm including traditional rivals such as the BMW 3-Series and the Audi A6. I lean German all the time, but whenever I come off some seat time in the Ohio-made Acura, I lean back toward the TLX. And when it comes to the A-Spec special editions, I've been ready to open my checkbook. The TLX nameplate has been around since the 2015 model year. Matthew DeBord/Insider The TLX is all-new for the 2021 model year, born into a world increasingly dominated by SUVs. Acura sells those, too, but like all luxury marques, the big question these days is, "Should we stick with the 4-doors?"
In Honda/Acura's case, the answer is clearly, "Yes," and most industry observers think that the carmaker and historic foe Toyota/Lexus can continue to make sedans work. But they need to be at the tip-top of their game.
I got to see how tip-top when I sampled $49,325 TLX SH-AWD ("super-handling all-wheel-drive") Advance. The car started at a well-loaded $48,300 and got no extras, just an additional grand tacked on as a destination and handling fee. (The base TLX is $37,500.)
Staggering value for a luxury four-door
The design is basically conservative, but with a lot of edges and angles. Matthew DeBord/Insider This is absolutely staggering value for a premium 4-door, but then again, the TLX has offered staggering value for five years.
The TLX worked its TLX-y magic on me in less than an hour, causing me to question my allegiance to a small personal fleet of Toyota hybrids. I nearly took the plunge on a TSX, a TLX predecessor, when I lived on the West Coast, and so every time I get behind the wheel, I endure a bout of what-if lamentations. I know I said "fine automobile," but for sedan connoisseurs, there might be no finer set of wheels.
If you think the TLX is a tricked-up Accord, think again. The new car has been uniquely designed, and the overall build quality is stupendous. The Acura TLX is competing in a segment that's been losing out to SUVs. Matthew DeBord/Insider My tester arrived in a sleek Modern Steel Metallic paint job with a groovy baseball-glove brown interior, and the combo was fire. The gray exterior was ideal for accentuating the TLX's angles and curves, of which there are certainly more of the former than the latter. A set of 19-inch wheels initially struck me as too small, but over a week, I decided they were just right.
One does need to have a mind for edge-work to enjoy looking at the TLX, which seems as though it's less a single, fastback shape than a concatenation of voids, tangents, tucks, and bends. It borders on Cubism, but Acura has been refining this aesthetic for a while now, and it with the 2021 TLX, the concept has reached a pleasing apotheosis.
A soothing interior that's still a bit cramped in the back
Truck space is adequate. Matthew DeBord/Insider With the TLX, the busy exterior is soothed by a more placid, though high-tech, interior. We don't think enough about seats until they start to make us uncomfortable, and the TLX's 16-way front, heated and cooled, absolutely do not.
But they aren't recliners on wheels, either, as the TLX is supposed to offer spirited motoring in Sport mode, when the car's rotary drive selector — borrowed from the NSX supercar — is toggled in that direction. The drive selector is taken from the NSX supercar. Matthew DeBord/Insider Rearward, the legroom is ... not great. My suddenly tall teenage son would not have relished bending his knees to ride back there. But the trunk offers 13.5 cubic feet of capacity, and the interior is kinda roomy overall, so there isn't much justification for stretching the TLX to deal with the needs of adult rear-seat passengers.
Under the hood, the TLX packs a 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine, making 272 horsepower with 280 pound-feet of torque. This sucker punches above its weight big time. Even with a 10-speed automatic transmission that 1 might think would race toward the overdrive gears to vindicate the 21 mpg city/ 29 highway/24 combined fuel-economy rating, the TLX feels both potent and crisp, with a punchy 0-60 mph time of around 6 seconds.
Handles like a champ
The interior is soothing. Matthew DeBord/Insider The handling is variable. Sport Mode encourages a brisk mood swing that welcomes harder acceleration, but the electric steering got a little too heavy for my tastes.
I ended up exploring the Individual setting, which offered the best of both worlds and still maxed out the TLX's enthusiastic yet admirably capable suspension. Like every other TLX I've driven in the past few years, the stiffness equation was perfectly calculated: My spine was thankful and I didn't have to ease off during hard cornering. The infotainment screen rises above the dash, into the driver's line of sight. Matthew DeBord/Insider As with its luxe 4-door brethren, the TLX comes with a suite of driver-assist features, and they all work as advertised. But this is a car I like to drive myself, so I made limited use of them.
In fact, I drove the TLX like I've driven some recent BMW test cars, while with Audis, Mercedes, and Lexuses, I've deferred to the adaptive cruise control option. Paddle shifters provide a manual capability, but I skipped it for the most part, allowing the computers to do a better job than I could and savoring the sonically augmented exhaust tones.
The infotainment system is a bit of a thorny issue here. Gone is the dual-screen of the previous generation, and in its place, a large central screen, with features controlled using a double trackpad, plus some buttons and knob (for audio volume). The touchpad controller takes some getting used to. Matthew DeBord/Insider Once you get the hang of it, the setup works quite well. But you have to get the hang of it. As far as the tech itself goes, all boxes are checked: Bluetooth pairing, USB device integration, GPS navigation, wireless charging.
My tester was outfitted with Acura's sublime ELS Studio 3D audio system, a 17-speaker rig that is among the best available in the industry — and it's standard on the top-level Advance trim. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available. The TLX is a joy to drive, although the electric steering felt too taut at times. Matthew DeBord/Insider It should be rather obvious by now that I think the 2021 Acura TLX is a winner. But I already thought it was a winner, so more of the same, new generation.
The next question is, "Did Acura remain tip-top with the car?"
Nothing missing, and the price is still very right
The TLX remains a superb value. Matthew DeBord/Insider Acura missed nothing in improving the TLX, and even gave a new infotainment system the old college try. You have to admire this obsessive commitment to ongoing excellence at a price below $50,000. As good as a lot of BMWs, better than some, and a relative bargain.
Sedan sales have been sliding in the US, and to keep cars such as then TLX in the game, carmakers like Acura have been upping prices. The new TLX is pricier than the old vehicle, but only by a few thousand bucks. I would argue that the outgoing sedan was underpriced, so at the very least, the new TLX is fairly stickered.
But the truth is that this terrific car remains a great buy. If you think about it — or drive it — I suspect you'll agree.
Great! Thanks for sharing..
Last edited by CheeseyPoofs McNut; 10-19-2020 at 02:12 PM.
^ Review doesn't make sense, tries to justify TLX versus crossovers but clearly says it's not big enough for his son. And yet it remains a great value and it's roomy because of 13.5 truck. The rest reads like Acura's advertising saying it's better than others but not really saying why. Very biased review.
I agree. This review makes no sense. Since when has an A6 been the traditional rival to a TLX? How can anyone sit in the back seat of a car without bending their knee? The guy has zero credibility. “Personal fleet of Toyota hybrids....”. Lol
How can he call the price "very right". The price is very WRONG.
To be fair, I think sticker to sticker it's priced pretty well compared to the competition. Option those cars with as much as the TLX has, and the sticker price balloons. That said, the current market-price to market-price is horrendous given how aggressively discounted the competitors are. Give it another 6 months and we'll start seeing TLX prices creep down, and at that point the market-price to market-price will look pretty good in comparison.
I actually think the current pricing strategy is pretty good. Even if the car's street price is significantly lower than the sticker price, the sticker price is what determines how "luxurious" or "premium" the car is perceived to be. They're taking a page out of the Volvo playbook. Volvo has put itself right into the thick of things by pricing their cars to be as expensive as the Germans. If you don't price your products as high as the competition, then people won't take you seriously as their competitor because of the whole "you get what you pay for" mindset, especially for folks looking at premium/luxury cars. Volvo is moving upmarket, and even though the actual transaction price is still lower than the Germans thanks to some really aggressive factory incentives, it's working because I'm seeing fewer and fewer Q5 and Q7s and more and more XC60s and XC90s in peoples driveways. I can totally see Acura doing the same thing, although aiming more at Lexus buyers more so than at the Germans. There's still that stigma that European > Japanese when it comes to fine products, and that's going to take a while to break down.
This guy is pretty big into fantasy. Expect the slug feels like a rocket compared to hisToyota hybrids.
Thought this was interesting.
"2.0-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine, making 272 horsepower with 280 pound-feet of torque.
that 1 might think would race toward the overdrive gears to vindicate the 21 mpg city/ 29 highway/24 combined fuel-economy rating"
Must be a flyweight to be punching above weight.
3.0 - liter, turbocharged inline 6 cylinder engine making 382 horsepower with 369 pound-feet of torque.
Straight run Raleigh to Ocean Isle Beach. Local streets beginning & end
This weekend round trip including 4 days local driving at the beach. Town speed limits 25mph.
To be fair, I think sticker to sticker it's priced pretty well compared to the competition. Option those cars with as much as the TLX has, and the sticker price balloons. That said, the current market-price to market-price is horrendous given how aggressively discounted the competitors are. Give it another 6 months and we'll start seeing TLX prices creep down, and at that point the market-price to market-price will look pretty good in comparison.
I actually think the current pricing strategy is pretty good. Even if the car's street price is significantly lower than the sticker price, the sticker price is what determines how "luxurious" or "premium" the car is perceived to be. They're taking a page out of the Volvo playbook. Volvo has put itself right into the thick of things by pricing their cars to be as expensive as the Germans. If you don't price your products as high as the competition, then people won't take you seriously as their competitor because of the whole "you get what you pay for" mindset, especially for folks looking at premium/luxury cars. Volvo is moving upmarket, and even though the actual transaction price is still lower than the Germans thanks to some really aggressive factory incentives, it's working because I'm seeing fewer and fewer Q5 and Q7s and more and more XC60s and XC90s in peoples driveways. I can totally see Acura doing the same thing, although aiming more at Lexus buyers more so than at the Germans. There's still that stigma that European > Japanese when it comes to fine products, and that's going to take a while to break down.
I think that has to do with the Level of customization, with Acura there isn't much at all. I just built My M340i and that experience is just one reason why there feels like a premium over the Japanese. You can do quite a bit with customization and with Performance parts etc. Infiniti doesn't have that, Acura nope, Lexus, nope. I will pay more to have the features I want. Quality wise other than Lexus Nissan and Acura are not in the same ball park. However the new MDX does look to be getting close.
I think that has to do with the Level of customization, with Acura there isn't much at all. I just built My M340i and that experience is just one reason why there feels like a premium over the Japanese. You can do quite a bit with customization and with Performance parts etc. Infiniti doesn't have that, Acura nope, Lexus, nope. I will pay more to have the features I want. Quality wise other than Lexus Nissan and Acura are not in the same ball park. However the new MDX does look to be getting close.
Yeah, this is one area the Japanese brands (Koreans too I think) are not going to be able to compete. One of the reasons they're able to undercut the Europeans is because the cars cost less to produce, and one of the reasons they cost less to produce is because they've heavily streamlined and optimized the assembly and production processes. The trade-off of course is that they only sell a limited variety of combos/bundles of options/colors/trims/etc. so if you want something that's more bespoke or something that isn't satisfied by the predefined packages, you're SOL. Accepting what are essentially custom orders would disrupt these processes and introduce inefficiencies and variance.
Yeah, this is one area the Japanese brands (Koreans too I think) are not going to be able to compete. One of the reasons they're able to undercut the Europeans is because the cars cost less to produce, and one of the reasons they cost less to produce is because they've heavily streamlined and optimized the assembly and production processes. The trade-off of course is that they only sell a limited variety of combos/bundles of options/colors/trims/etc. so if you want something that's more bespoke or something that isn't satisfied by the predefined packages, you're SOL. Accepting what are essentially custom orders would disrupt these processes and introduce inefficiencies and variance.
If they aren't going to allow for customization like that, they need to offer more packages to choose from. I'm not alone in being willing to pay more for more options if available.
If they aren't going to allow for customization like that, they need to offer more packages to choose from. I'm not alone in being willing to pay more for more options if available.
More packages also equals more variation = higher costs. Now, to be fair, Lexus does do this, but folks will also notice that their cars also cost more. It's not just a coincidence.
With regards to the trackpad in the TLX and RDX that Ive never heard mentioned in a review or even by many owners, is that there is a programmable Apps button on the steering wheel that allows you to select various items instead of using the trackpad. The only time I regularly use the trackpad in my RDX is when Im using Carplay and its an Apple issues that it doesnt work the same way Acura gestures do. The volume wheel also rocks side-to-side for various selections. Siri in my experience also works wonders.
Im not saying its the best interface, but many people overlook the other available features and functions.
They don't have enough time to learn it as a 2 day loaner for reviews so they are left with It's ok, but hard to get used too. Duh!!!!!
But people are going to take it at face value, it's "ok" but could be better.
More packages also equals more variation = higher costs. Now, to be fair, Lexus does do this, but folks will also notice that their cars also cost more. It's not just a coincidence.
As of today it seems like Acura is raising the price and offering no additional packages. They might as well go all out like they are with the MDX, they can't have it both ways. If they want to be taken serious with these price hikes, step your game up in Specs and Build Quality across the board. At least try to knock off Lexus since the Germans are untouchable.
^ Review doesn't make sense, tries to justify TLX versus crossovers but clearly says it's not big enough for his son. And yet it remains a great value and it's roomy because of 13.5 truck. The rest reads like Acura's advertising saying it's better than others but not really saying why. Very biased review.
Your response to this sounds a bit biased. Almost like you don't want him to be pleased with the vehicle. He's just a reviewer
They don't have enough time to learn it as a 2 day loaner for reviews so they are left with It's ok, but hard to get used too. Duh!!!!!
But people are going to take it at face value, it's "ok" but could be better.
I almost instantly figured out the trackpad on the RDX. It’s dead easy. I don’t see why people complain about it. I find the dial infotainment to be the most cumbersome to use, but most usually have the touchscreen option. Touchscreen is great, but the fingerprints. Honestly, I love Acura’s trackpad. It may not be as quick as touchscreen, but you don’t have to deal with prints and you don’t have to reach as far. A fair trade off to me.
Your response to this sounds a bit biased. Almost like you don't want him to be pleased with the vehicle. He's just a reviewer
A reviewer that flatout mentioned he always loved the TLX and that first one was under priced. Sure, not biased at all. First one was priced decently for a reason, this one is now over priced yet it's priced fairly for him. Priced fairly to what? A6, yeah no. And he never answered the title question why one should get this over a crossover. It smells fanboy from beginning to end.
Last edited by pyrodan007; 10-19-2020 at 06:59 PM.
Was going to comment but the piece is so poorly written there is no point so will let his words speak for themselves
"Truck space is adequate - rearward, the legroom is ... not great. My suddenly tall teenage son would not have relished bending his knees to ride back there. But the trunk offers 13.5 cubic feet of capacity, and the interior is kinda roomy overall, so there isn't much justification for stretching the TLX to deal with the needs of adult rear-seat passengers.
Translation trunk is not all that big & the rear seats are not designed for adult humans, but hey other than that its roomy. Did this guy forget he was reviewing a mid size 4 DOOR SEDAN & not a compact 2 DOOR COUPE?
BTW I think he meant TRUNK not TRUCK. Maybe he was wishing it was bigger. Was chuckling my 2 door 2 seat with a folding top has 10CUFT of trunk space. Guess the guys who don't fit in back also don't get to take a suitcase therefore the trunk is adequate just like he said.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 10-19-2020 at 07:48 PM.
I'm quite eager to see the reviews on the 2021 Audi A4 now that Audi added a 12v battery system to the drive train making it a mild hybrid. Audi advertises 0-60 in 5.2 seconds on their website which could be nearly a full second faster than the TLX.
Once 2021 A4 Prestige and Advanced SH-AWD models arrive I'll test drive both
I was thinking the new 12v-Mild-Hybrid in the 2021 Audi A4 45-TFSI Quattro would help to:
a. Help get car moving initially
b. Help to make the Turbo-Charger more like a Super-Charger.
But with 0-60 numbers in low 5's it's not like they are slow anyway (or have un-reasonable reported turbo-lag). I want "quick" but S4 isn't really in my budget (but of course I could stretch it if I must).
Can't go wrong with Prestige-trim, but Premium-Plus is looking ok to me also ( as long as it comes with on-board Nav). With the Digital Cockpit, I think I can do without HUD.
My 2021 TLX (Tech/SH-AWD) test-drive is scheduled for Wednesday.
You want the price "Very $36K" right? If not what is an acceptable price tag for each trim?
It doesn't matter to me personally since I would never buy this car and am not Interested. I'd be more interested in the Type S. However this car should start at $37K and top out at $45K loaded. Type S should be $55K loaded.
Seat material is not leather. Seat is trimmed with leather. The waves in the seat material is typical in the RDX packages. Units unsold on dealer lots show pictures with same waves. Disappointing for the “Luxury” nomenclature!
Seat material is not leather. Seat is trimmed with leather. The waves in the seat material is typical in the RDX packages. Units unsold on dealer lots show pictures with same waves. Disappointing for the “Luxury” nomenclature!
The waves in the seat is because the car is so fast and pulls so many G forces that inevitably your butt will put lateral pressure on the seat bottom and stretch it.
As for luxury, Jon Ikeda himself said "We are a performance brand first and foremost – we haven’t talked about luxury in quite a while now." Take that for what it is, but it's kind of a bizarre statement seeing as how the new TLX does a better job being a luxury car than it does being a performance car. It might look sporty, but the tires and powertrain certainly isn't holding up its end of the bargain.
Great positive interior review by Matt and Beth. She seems to have a great emotional response to the vehicle and Matt calls it one of the best in class during his performance review.
To be fair, I think sticker to sticker it's priced pretty well compared to the competition. Option those cars with as much as the TLX has, and the sticker price balloons. That said, the current market-price to market-price is horrendous given how aggressively discounted the competitors are. Give it another 6 months and we'll start seeing TLX prices creep down, and at that point the market-price to market-price will look pretty good in comparison.
I actually think the current pricing strategy is pretty good. Even if the car's street price is significantly lower than the sticker price, the sticker price is what determines how "luxurious" or "premium" the car is perceived to be. They're taking a page out of the Volvo playbook. Volvo has put itself right into the thick of things by pricing their cars to be as expensive as the Germans. If you don't price your products as high as the competition, then people won't take you seriously as their competitor because of the whole "you get what you pay for" mindset, especially for folks looking at premium/luxury cars. Volvo is moving upmarket, and even though the actual transaction price is still lower than the Germans thanks to some really aggressive factory incentives, it's working because I'm seeing fewer and fewer Q5 and Q7s and more and more XC60s and XC90s in peoples driveways. I can totally see Acura doing the same thing, although aiming more at Lexus buyers more so than at the Germans. There's still that stigma that European > Japanese when it comes to fine products, and that's going to take a while to break down.
Originally Posted by fiatlux
Yeah, this is one area the Japanese brands (Koreans too I think) are not going to be able to compete. One of the reasons they're able to undercut the Europeans is because the cars cost less to produce, and one of the reasons they cost less to produce is because they've heavily streamlined and optimized the assembly and production processes. The trade-off of course is that they only sell a limited variety of combos/bundles of options/colors/trims/etc. so if you want something that's more bespoke or something that isn't satisfied by the predefined packages, you're SOL. Accepting what are essentially custom orders would disrupt these processes and introduce inefficiencies and variance.
Originally Posted by fiatlux
More packages also equals more variation = higher costs. Now, to be fair, Lexus does do this, but folks will also notice that their cars also cost more. It's not just a coincidence.
Couldn't have said it better myself!
Originally Posted by ESHBG
Less backseat room than a Civic yet a big behemoth of a car, this has to be a joke
Yup, at 98 cu.ft for passenger volume, the Civic sedan is huge compared to any cars in the luxury compact sedan segment. In fact, that's even larger than the likes of Audi A7 and Kia Stinger. The Civic hatch would also shame these cars in space as it has 97 cu.ft of passenger volume and 26 cu.ft of cargo space, beating both the A7 and Stinger again. And yup, the Audi A7 is even larger than the 2g TLX in terms of exterior dimensions.
Seat material is not leather. Seat is trimmed with leather. The waves in the seat material is typical in the RDX packages. Units unsold on dealer lots show pictures with same waves. Disappointing for the “Luxury” nomenclature!
Seat material is a soft leather that will wrinkle. The ASpec has the alcantara material on the insert, trimmed with leather, like my 2018 ASpec, which doesn't typically wrinkle.
I believe that the more sections of seats divided by stitching, the less wrinkling occurs,. The use of harder more "plasticized" leather coatings tend to reduce wrinkling as well.
Yup, at 98 cu.ft for passenger volume, the Civic sedan is huge compared to any cars in the luxury compact sedan segment. In fact, that's even larger than the likes of Audi A7 and Kia Stinger. The Civic hatch would also shame these cars in space as it has 97 cu.ft of passenger volume and 26 cu.ft of cargo space, beating both the A7 and Stinger again. And yup, the Audi A7 is even larger than the 2g TLX in terms of exterior dimensions.
I looked at numbers and it seems civic has similar volume (and definitely more rear leg room) than say 540xi or E53AMG.
[QUOTE=fiatlux;16646170]The waves in the seat is because the car is so fast and pulls so many G forces that inevitably your butt will put lateral pressure on the seat bottom and stretch it.
I looked at numbers and it seems civic has similar volume (and definitely more rear leg room) than say 540xi or E53AMG.
Haha just looked them up and you are right. The civic sedan has the same passenger volume as the E class but a slightly larger trunk. The 5 series has 1 cu.ft more passenger volume than the civic sedan, but the civic has 1 cu.ft more for trunk space.
The accord is much bigger inside than any of these lol.