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LA is it's own special kind of place. I used to live in Brentwood, and the amount of vanity going on there is unparalleled.
Tell me about it. The number of folks here driving $60,000 plus vehicles that don't look like they can afford them is unbelievable. I live just east of Beverly Hills. I regulary see many of the exotic cars that appear in the auto press. I've seen so many of the Lamborghini SUVs that you'd think they were offering some sort of special on them.
From the pictues here I think you drive a Model 3. In my opinion there are few cars on the road that are uglier both inside and out. For me it would be Model S or nothing.
Case in point: I don't care what you think . I like the way the front looks. Admittedly, I don't much care for the backside.
Originally Posted by Carnage719
Unless someone's taking his picture at the GAS pump, it's spoofing EVs.
Nah, I have a Tesla, I just thought that picture was funny.
The Model 3 isn't as well built as the TLX, rattles a bunch, isn't the best looking car, and doesn't have an instrument cluster...
Case in point: I don't care what you think . I like the way the front looks. Admittedly, I don't much care for the backside.
Nah, I have a Tesla, I just thought that picture was funny.
The Model 3 isn't as well built as the TLX, rattles a bunch, isn't the best looking car, and doesn't have an instrument cluster...
...But when I drive it I forget all of that.
That was my point. You like what you like. I like what I like. As stated I hate the looks of the Model 3 yet I'd never rag on a person for choosing to buy one. Think about that.
I remember there were some screen shots or still photos of the blue A-spec that had the Vossen wheels on them. If anyone is interested in seeing the whole process of how the OEM body kit is put together, you’ll find it here:
It was in a post here on AZ, someone had talked to one of the Acura engineers at an event for the RDX. Don't remember which thread it was in, probably in the 3G RDX forum.
So nothing official, just someone claiming on a AZ forum they talked to a Acura engineer.
There are some significant disparate reviews of the engine/transmission pairing, some of which can be chalked up to driving styles and biases, and some, as per Flatlux's note above, to driving different cars. It occurs to me that given this is a new model with new production lines in a COVID environment, that there may be some initial quality issues. All the more reason to drive, wherever possible, the actual car you intend to lease or buy. This will minimize the surprises later. If you recall, the 15 TLX 3.5 had fewer transmission issues with later builds. Fortunately, I will be looking at the 2022 model year, as my current lease has another 23 months.
There are some significant disparate reviews of the engine/transmission pairing, some of which can be chalked up to driving styles and biases, and some, as per Flatlux's note above, to driving different cars. It occurs to me that given this is a new model with new production lines in a COVID environment, that there may be some initial quality issues. All the more reason to drive, wherever possible, the actual car you intend to lease or buy. This will minimize the surprises later. If you recall, the 15 TLX 3.5 had fewer transmission issues with later builds. Fortunately, I will be looking at the 2022 model year, as my current lease has another 23 months.
Are you trying to tell me that the administrative assistant and custodian they pulled off of their jobs to assemble cars may have caused some issues?
I remember there were some screen shots or still photos of the blue A-spec that had the Vossen wheels on them. If anyone is interested in seeing the whole process of how the OEM body kit is put together, you’ll find it here:
Apologies if it’s a repost.
Ok, silly question. A-Spec = Appearance pkg. Shouldn't this kit be standard on the A-Spec?
I never set anything in the vehicle settings and only use the IDS switch on the center console. If you set Eco (or any other mode) in the vehicle settings as the default, that's probably why the car always starts in that mode.
Trying clearing what you have in vehicle settings and make the selection from the switch on the center console and see if that duplicates what we're saying.
The simple answer is that I forgot the car has 4 default settings for the Dynamic mode - Eco, Normal, Sport, and Last Setting, which is what most here likely have set. BTW, another great TLX option would be to drop the new interior into the bullet proof 2.4/8 DCT combo. Alas, the turbo trend is hard to buck.
Ok, silly question. A-Spec = Appearance pkg. Shouldn't this kit be standard on the A-Spec?
Another ball dropped on this model...
I agree with you. I made the wrong assumption that the kit on the blue TLX with aftermarket wheels had what was considered to be an A-spec kit. It was my mistake for assuming. It should be part of the A-spec trim.
Ok, silly question. A-Spec = Appearance pkg. Shouldn't this kit be standard on the A-Spec?
Another ball dropped on this model...
Agreed 100%. That body kit should be standard on the A-Spec. It's already a good looking car, but the body kit makes it look great. The only caveat is that the body kit makes the wheels look even worse than they already are.
Last week I tested an Advanced SH-AWD. Coming from a 2019 RDX Advanced SH-AWD it was a pretty familiar experience. I would say the cabin is a bit more refined, the touchpad was a little bit more responsive, and the engine noise piped into the cabin is a bit more pronounced. As far as driving the car, it again felt about the same as the RDX, perhaps because I was lower to the ground it felt “sportier” without actually being faster. I didn’t notice the often reported turbo lag as others have, as well as reviews, but I didn’t punch the accelerator at any point either. General acceleration on the highway felt fine. The ride was more just for fun, I wouldn’t be interested in such a parallel car switch but I’ll definitely drive the Type-S next year too.
If there’s any other fellow IT nerds around, the TLX runs version 1.3.5 of Acura’s infotainment software, the RDX is on 1.2.2. Hopefully a bump in the RDX’s software can bring features like a digital speedometer in the MID.
I went back to the dealership yesterday with a car seat in tow to see whether the Type-S is still in the running to replace my wife’s 1G (she’s unexpectedly taken over my Volvo because she says it’s much nicer to drive and can charge for free at work).
Unfortunately, looks like the Type-S will be out of the ruining. The car seat doesn’t comfortably fit behind the seats without having to scoot it up uncomfortably close to the dash, and while it fits great in the middle seat, the combination of the raised middle seat and the low roof makes loading a rear facing infant or toddler quite challenging. There’s just enough room for the side seats, but that center seat sits at least a couple inches higher. I have no idea why they thought this would be a good idea...maybe to make the rear side seats feel more like bucket seats and this sportier? Whatever the reason, quite the bummer that a 4 door sedan larger than an Accord would do so poorly when it comes to baby duty .
I went back to the dealership yesterday with a car seat in tow to see whether the Type-S is still in the running to replace my wife’s 1G (she’s unexpectedly taken over my Volvo because she says it’s much nicer to drive and can charge for free at work).
Unfortunately, looks like the Type-S will be out of the ruining. The car seat doesn’t comfortably fit behind the seats without having to scoot it up uncomfortably close to the dash, and while it fits great in the middle seat, the combination of the raised middle seat and the low roof makes loading a rear facing infant or toddler quite challenging. There’s just enough room for the side seats, but that center seat sits at least a couple inches higher. I have no idea why they thought this would be a good idea...maybe to make the rear side seats feel more like bucket seats and this sportier? Whatever the reason, quite the bummer that a 4 door sedan larger than an Accord would do so poorly when it comes to baby duty .
Thanks for sharing that. This is somewhat disappointing as I planned to use the middle seat for a rear-facing carseat. I'll have to try it out myself. FWIW they do make angle-adjuster bases for my Diono carseat which might make the sideboard rear seats more usable without having to move the front passenger seats forward.
I went back to the dealership yesterday with a car seat in tow to see whether the Type-S is still in the running to replace my wife’s 1G (she’s unexpectedly taken over my Volvo because she says it’s much nicer to drive and can charge for free at work).
Unfortunately, looks like the Type-S will be out of the ruining. The car seat doesn’t comfortably fit behind the seats without having to scoot it up uncomfortably close to the dash, and while it fits great in the middle seat, the combination of the raised middle seat and the low roof makes loading a rear facing infant or toddler quite challenging. There’s just enough room for the side seats, but that center seat sits at least a couple inches higher. I have no idea why they thought this would be a good idea...maybe to make the rear side seats feel more like bucket seats and this sportier? Whatever the reason, quite the bummer that a 4 door sedan larger than an Accord would do so poorly when it comes to baby duty .
So you made an other determined effort to evaluate the TLX. In case anyone missed why you have been posting about back-seat room (from the beginning), now they understand why.
You had a need for the car-seat. But in fact, it's a common need that many will have from Acura's current mid-sized sedan.
Thanks for sharing that. This is somewhat disappointing as I planned to use the middle seat for a rear-facing carseat. I'll have to try it out myself. FWIW they do make angle-adjuster bases for my Diono carseat which might make the sideboard rear seats more usable without having to move the front passenger seats forward.
If you use an infant seat that can click in and out of the base, that should be OK because you can load the baby into the car seat outside of the car, and just click it in. If you plan on using a convertible car seat, that's where it gets tricky. While they do tend to fit better lengthwise (infant car seats tend to be quite long), they're bulkier and have higher walls, which means you have to lift the baby up over that wall to get them in
So you made an other determined effort to evaluate the TLX. In case anyone missed why you have been posting about back-seat room (from the beginning), now they understand why.
You had a need for the car-seat. But in fact, it's a common need that many will have from Acura's current mid-sized sedan.
Yeah, it really was a bummer because even though I wasn't sold on the regular TLX from my test drive, the parts of it that I liked should carry over to the Type-S, and the parts of it that I didn't like will largely be addressed. I didn't like the hard tires and ugly wheels; the Type-S will presumably get stickier tires and much better looking wheels. I didn't like the lack of responsiveness of the transmission and how the engine runs out of steam up top; presumably the Type-S engine won't have those issues (fingers crossed). I was hoping Sport mode for the adaptive transmission was firmer; I'm pretty confident the suspension tuning for the Type-S will be firmed up. Whereas, the great styling and interior, the awesome steering and brake feel, the refinement, SH-AWD, and stiffened chassis are all things that will carry over to the Type-S. I think the only thing that I didn't like that won't get addressed is the gauges and touchpad infotainment. I could have lived with those if the Type-S drives as well as I expect it to, but the (unusable for me) rear seats are an absolute deal breaker. Same thing happened with the CTR; I really liked the way it drove (not so much the way it looks), and the regular Civic 5dr passes my car seat test...but for some reason the CTR is only a 4 seater (I guess less practicality = more sporty?).
Oh I forgot to mention, if you plan on using the center seat, try sitting in it during the test drive. I fit perfectly fine in the side seats (hip room was actually great, legroom, not so much but I'll live), but I had to hunch over in the center seat to avoid hitting the roof. I'm not tall by any stretch of the imagination (5'8 with a 31" inseam) so if you plan on driving a car with 5 grown men (or Norwegian women) at any point, might want to keep that in mind.
Yea I think that's why Acura specifically said that if you need the space, they will happily sell you the RDX and MDX. Now we understand why lol.
At least for fiatlux, he gets to choose lol. My wife was all about SUV's. I wanted the Model 3 to replace the 1g RDX, but she only wanted a SUV...
I've got to wonder, at this point if Acura is eschewing rear seat usability in the name of design and "sportiness" (because tighter interior = sporty), why not just go all out and make it a coupe? If things like legroom, headroom, etc. isn't a priority, the car would look much "sportier" as a two door rather than a swooping four door.
The rear seat is still useable for kids and aduts 6 feet or under, so I think its a bit of an exaggeration to suggest that Acura is eschewing useability. It is fair to say they sacrificed some function for form. In terms of the coupe suggestion, I just don't think a coup is desired by very many customers, certainly not for a car of these dimensions. And does anyone really want to park beside a larger coupe with those nasty doors?
Which car seat do you use? I would suggest finding a car seat that fits the car you want, instead of the other way around. I have used KeyFit and NextFit on my 1G TSX. If I remember correctly, KeyFit can fit in the middle seat, on the verge of touching the front seat. So 2G TLX should handle that with ease. NextFit is a monster in weight and size, only makes sense to fit to the passenger-side rear seat. Rear-facing mode really demands SUV or large-size sedan to not significantly eat into front seat space. However, if you do not insist keeping the seat rear-facing untill the maximum weight allowed, then it is only a year or two of inconvenience. I did not try any other brand of convertible seat, but I think many brands offer less bulky ones than Chicco.
BTW, may I suggest a car seat protector if you have not got one yet? A good one holds decent amount of liquid (yes, including the yellow one) to prevent liquid going into the seat padding, and keeps the leather wrinkle-free.
Which car seat do you use? I would suggest finding a car seat that fits the car you want, instead of the other way around. I have used KeyFit and NextFit on my 1G TSX. If I remember correctly, KeyFit can fit in he middle seat, on the verge of touching the front seat. So 2G TLX should handle that with ease. NextFit is a monster in weight and size, only makes sense to fit to the passenger-side rear seat. Rear-facing mode really demands SUV or large-size sedan to not significantly eat into front seat space. However, if you do not insist keeping the seat rear-facing untill the maximum weight allowed, then it is only a year or two of inconvenience. I did not try any other brand of convertible seat, but I think many brands offer less bulky ones than Chicco.
BTW, may I suggest a car seat protector if you have not got one yet? A good one holds decent amount of liquid (yes, including the yellow one) to prevent liquid going into the seat padding, and keeps the leather wrinkle-free.
I have a Nuna Exec. It fits perfectly fine lengthwise in the middle seat even with both front seats all the way back, because the front seats are wide enough that the car seat and slip between. That's the great part. What's not great is how high the center seat is, making it difficult to load a baby into the car seat. I'm not sure any other convertible car seat would fare much better in that regard. I tested this in our 1G TLX, and while it suffers from the same high center seat, the roofline is just a little higher so while a tight squeeze, it's doable. In the 2G, it was considerably more challenging.
I've got to wonder, at this point if Acura is eschewing rear seat usability in the name of design and "sportiness" (because tighter interior = sporty), why not just go all out and make it a coupe? If things like legroom, headroom, etc. isn't a priority, the car would look much "sportier" as a two door rather than a swooping four door.
Originally Posted by mapleloaf
The rear seat is still useable for kids and aduts 6 feet or under, so I think its a bit of an exaggeration to suggest that Acura is eschewing useability. It is fair to say they sacrificed some function for form. In terms of the coupe suggestion, I just don't think a coup is desired by very many customers, certainly not for a car of these dimensions. And does anyone really want to park beside a larger coupe with those nasty doors?
Yea, we need to remember that the interior passenger volume is actually a tiny bit more than the 1g model and it's pretty much on par with most others in the segment. The main thing is that the car itself is larger than most others in this class but the inside isn't any bigger. So yea, if you want space efficiency, the TLX is definitely not it. But if you are happy with the space offered inside a 3 series, A4, IS, etc, then I think the TLX is comparable to pretty much everyone. I also believe the car is wider than most, so that gives it a bit more shoulder room in general.
I just wish the TLX was a hatch like the A7 and Stinger so that the trunk is more usable. This would've earned back a bit of points regarding practicality I'd imagine.
Since I'm a sucker for data, I used a tape measure to see what the headroom actually is in the backseat of the 1G TLX. I guess next time I'll have to do it for the 2G to make sure I'm not full of crap about having less headroom in that car. From the lowest point on the rear seat straight up to the roof, I got around 35.25". Acura officially says its 36.7"...I have no idea where that extra inch and a half comes from...maybe they measured it by going along the seatback first before going straight up once they get to the headrest, or maybe they measured it with the seat fully compressed. In any case, for the middle seat I got about 33.5", so you lose almost 2" when sitting in the middle. I had my wife measure me sitting comfortably, and from the seat bottom to the top of my head I measured 35" (again, only I'm 5'8"). That would explain why I have to slouch and hunch over when sitting in the middle seat.
For comparison, I did the same measurement in the Volvo and I got a whopping 40" in the side seats, and 39.5" for the middle seat, which explains why I didn't have any problems with the same car seat in that car. 6 extra inches may not seem like much, but when the top of the car seat is only 12" from the roof, that 6" represents 50% more space.
Yea, we need to remember that the interior passenger volume is actually a tiny bit more than the 1g model and it's pretty much on par with most others in the segment. The main thing is that the car itself is larger than most others in this class but the inside isn't any bigger. So yea, if you want space efficiency, the TLX is definitely not it. But if you are happy with the space offered inside a 3 series, A4, IS, etc, then I think the TLX is comparable to pretty much everyone. I also believe the car is wider than most, so that gives it a bit more shoulder room in general.
I just wish the TLX was a hatch like the A7 and Stinger so that the trunk is more usable. This would've earned back a bit of points regarding practicality I'd imagine.
The TLX is definitely wider, but in terms of headroom, I don't think it's close. My initial feel is that the 2G has even less room than the 1G in terms of headroom (I promise next time I'll take measurements to confirm), and the 1G already has less headroom than the competition.
I will say, while some may be glad the TLX doesn't come with a pano sunroof, a pano sunroof would definitely add a couple inches or more of headroom when the shade is pulled back. Your head gets to go right up to the top of the exterior portion of the roof, whereas with a regular sunroof the space they carve out for it to retract to eats at least an inch or two of space.
Which car seat do you use? I would suggest finding a car seat that fits the car you want, instead of the other way around. I have used KeyFit and NextFit on my 1G TSX. If I remember correctly, KeyFit can fit in the middle seat, on the verge of touching the front seat. So 2G TLX should handle that with ease. NextFit is a monster in weight and size, only makes sense to fit to the passenger-side rear seat. Rear-facing mode really demands SUV or large-size sedan to not significantly eat into front seat space. However, if you do not insist keeping the seat rear-facing untill the maximum weight allowed, then it is only a year or two of inconvenience. I did not try any other brand of convertible seat, but I think many brands offer less bulky ones than Chicco.
BTW, may I suggest a car seat protector if you have not got one yet? A good one holds decent amount of liquid (yes, including the yellow one) to prevent liquid going into the seat padding, and keeps the leather wrinkle-free.
Agreed. Carseats can vary quite a bit in size, and It makes more sense to buy a less-bulky carseat than to change a car you otherwise would like. Our Britax works well for kids <30lbs, our larger Diono when they're bigger (which has the angle-adjuster). But obviously I'll have to test it out on the TLX for myself. But we've got them to fit on a Civic and an S5 Sportback (the latter has a very low lying roof in the back).
Took a Platinum Elite for my 3rd 2021 TLX testdrive yesterday. I won't rehash my previous comments, but suffice to say, It's a sporty sedan with some get up and go, with some mightly fine handling, a smooth ride in Comfort, normal, and Sport, and some serious sound. I do prefer the ASpec exterior looks so the question is could I live without the excellent HUD, Iconic lighting package, Adaptive Damper system, or the 16 way seats, all of which I have never had, or the Surround View Camera and heated rear seats which I currently have. Plus the combo of Milano leather and Alcantara, is less likely to wrinkle. I have lots of time to decide and will just have to "slum" it with my current ride.
Took a Platinum Elite for my 3rd 2021 TLX testdrive yesterday.
I do prefer the ASpec exterior looks so the question is could I live without ... Iconic lighting package
All the USA-models (except for Base) have "IconicDrive LED Ambient Lighting" .
It says Base just has "Led Ambient Interior Lighting". Not exactly sure of complete differences in the two.
Related: We recently took an early morning (still dark) drive to the hospital in the Audi-Q5e. As the passenger, I found the LED-Ambient Lighting (set to Blue) very calming and just enough light to do some last-minute things.
Yea, we need to remember that the interior passenger volume is actually a tiny bit more than the 1g model and it's pretty much on par with most others in the segment. The main thing is that the car itself is larger than most others in this class but the inside isn't any bigger. So yea, if you want space efficiency, the TLX is definitely not it. But if you are happy with the space offered inside a 3 series, A4, IS, etc, then I think the TLX is comparable to pretty much everyone. I also believe the car is wider than most, so that gives it a bit more shoulder room in general.
I just wish the TLX was a hatch like the A7 and Stinger so that the trunk is more usable. This would've earned back a bit of points regarding practicality I'd imagine.
Agreed. Not efficient indeed.
In the new TLX design, in order to mimic the proportion for RWD sedans, Acura has elongated the length of the hood, lengthened the wheel base, and shortened the length of the trunk. So despite being longer in overall length compared to the outgoing model, this new design does nothing in terms of adding significantly more interior room for the new TLX.
Even though the exterior dimension of the new TLX is very close to that for the 4G TL, the interior room is significantly smaller, especially the rear seats.
In the new TLX design, in order to mimic the proportion for RWD sedans, Acura has elongated the length of the hood, lengthened the wheel base, and shortened the length of the trunk. So despite being longer in overall length compared to the outgoing model, this new design does nothing in terms of adding significantly more interior room for the new TLX.
The turning-radius has also increased. Now, even beyond even their large 7-passenger MDX SUV .
Unfortunate since historically we also found Honda's and Acura's to have good/small turning radius.
The turning-radius has also increased. Now, even beyond even their large 7-passenger MDX SUV .
Unfortunate since historically we also found Honda's and Acura's to have good/small turning radius.
That is the price you paid for DWB. I remember there is a technical reason why Mcpherson-type tends to have smaller turning radius. Honestly that is minor issue on a sports sedan... at least I will take DWB all day.
The TLX is definitely wider, but in terms of headroom, I don't think it's close. My initial feel is that the 2G has even less room than the 1G in terms of headroom (I promise next time I'll take measurements to confirm), and the 1G already has less headroom than the competition.
I will say, while some may be glad the TLX doesn't come with a pano sunroof, a pano sunroof would definitely add a couple inches or more of headroom when the shade is pulled back. Your head gets to go right up to the top of the exterior portion of the roof, whereas with a regular sunroof the space they carve out for it to retract to eats at least an inch or two of space.
yes that would make sense. The car gained more width while the interior volume is pretty much the same as before, so something has to give and that's the head room.
Originally Posted by Edward'TLS
Agreed. Not efficient indeed.
In the new TLX design, in order to mimic the proportion for RWD sedans, Acura has elongated the length of the hood, lengthened the wheel base, and shortened the length of the trunk. So despite being longer in overall length compared to the outgoing model, this new design does nothing in terms of adding significantly more interior room for the new TLX.
Even though the exterior dimension of the new TLX is very close to that for the 4G TL, the interior room is significantly smaller, especially the rear seats.
Yea. Gotta say the new tlx looks much better than 4g tl and 1g tlx lol.
I wonder if A-spec buyers are even aware there’s a body kit that makes the A-spec look, well, more like an A-spec. If I were buying one, I’d make sure it gets installed before driving it off the lot. It would have been cool if they made the exhaust finishers black for the A-spec.
I wonder if A-spec buyers are even aware there’s a body kit that makes the A-spec look, well, more like an A-spec. If I were buying one, I’d make sure it gets installed before driving it off the lot. It would have been cool if they made the exhaust finishers black for the A-spec.
Considering the vast majority of people here don't even know, I'd say the answer is probably a resounding no for the general buying public.
Considering the vast majority of people here don't even know, I'd say the answer is probably a resounding no for the general buying public.
It was just so odd that the sales manager didn’t even mention it and when I texted him a couple of days later he initially said there’s no body kit, but after a little bit he said “oh! There IS a body kit!”
The sales manager should know this sort of thing. Weird.
It was just so odd that the sales manager didn’t even mention it and when I texted him a couple of days later he initially said there’s no body kit, but after a little bit he said “oh! There IS a body kit!”
The sales manager should know this sort of thing. Weird.
Often times, I've found that the sales folks at the dealership knows even less about their own cars than the car nerds on car forums. Frankly, they don't actually need to know everything about the car; just enough to convince the buyer (most of whom know almost nothing) to buy it.
It was just so odd that the sales manager didn’t even mention it and when I texted him a couple of days later he initially said there’s no body kit, but after a little bit he said “oh! There IS a body kit!”
The sales manager should know this sort of thing. Weird.
Most don't know much about the vehicles they sell. This isn't just Acura, it's across the board. Car enthusiast know more and not kidding either. Acura (Corporate) supplies these dealerships with on-line training. Everyone in the dealership has to take these tests. Most take the tests at home, because it's almost impossible to do while at work. So now you're asking the employee's to spend 1-2 hours to take these tests. A lot of them don't care about the damn test and just want to get it over with. Sales department job is to make sales. They are more focused on making you feel like these vehicles are "quickly being sold" before they arrive at the dealership. How many times have you heard that in your life? Once a week I pass by my local Acura dealership. For the last 5 weeks, the same white TLX has been sitting there, moving from spot to spot. It's not a loaner either. The dealer has about 12 or so new TLX's on the lot. At a quick glance, non seem to be an A-spec. I can't speak for other states, but here in North NJ, dealerships are very competitive and their employees are hungry. They will say whatever it will take to get you in that door and make a deal. A lot of them don't want to discuss details of the vehicle as again, most are clueless about the brand they work for. Wasn't any different from the many Mercedes and BMW dealerships I visited for a vehicle I wanted. I went to one of the biggest MB dealership in Maryland to look at a 2013 ML63 AMG. It was used and under CPO. The rotors had some serious waves to them and the black paint had white / yellow dots all over the bottom 1/4 of the vehicle. Their sales manager and the ASE master technician (also the shop foreman) told me that they can "resurface" the cross drilled rotors. I worked for BMW and Mercedes. On cross drilled rotors, you toss them out. They will say just about anything.
Well, the 2021 TLX Tech/SH-AWD (white/ebony) finally arrived at the dealer a few days ago. We went to go test drive it yesterday.
My first impression was that the TLX was low, sleek, and sporty-looking.
While the white is a metallic (not a pure white) it is very bright. We liked it. I guess everyone has their preferences on color, but I thought the white tends to show-off the lines and body work nicely. Then you have the black parts and a bit of chrome.
The 19-inch Sparkle Silver wheels look acceptable, but I think it might be because the car is white with chrome accents. Unless you look closely, they can almost pass for bare-alloy. It's SH-AWD so has the better Michelin tires.
I think the hood and fenders are one of those things that you have to see in person to really appreciate. The LED day-time running lights look cool, as do the tail-lights with the faint Acura branding. The simplified roof seams might go un-noticed (but we that know about the welding can still appreciate it).
The trunk seems average, but easy to use. I think it will (barely) hold the mother-in-law’s wheelchair. The battery in lower-trunk looked larger than a normal car battery. Our salesman said you could remove the gray styrofoam and insert a real (donut) spare in its place.
Engine compartment is color-matched painted, roomy, and only radiator in very front is covered with a (smaller) pop-off cover. There is a "hood open" sensor.
No wood in the Tech Package It is a bronze metallic-like material. Dash is low and hood looks long and sculptured while driving. Center console is high (but comfortable) and utility is good.
It will take some getting used-to reaching that far to change gears, but there is a special “brake-hold” button for red-lights and drive-thrus.
Touch-Pad takes some getting used to (remember to use corners). Main screen has good image. You can usually see 2-things at once (with a 70/30 split-screen). Seats are very comfortable and adjustable (even front passenger’s).
The gauges look nice, flat, and easy to read ... and with the LCD wrapping-around them in the middle … the whole thing almost looks fully digital.
Even the Tech-Package has Iconic-Drive and Ambient LED light-strips.
For some reason, HomeLink was moved to bottom of (rimless) rear-view mirror, but Acura-Link and other-stuff is still on roof console.
Sound system sounded fine, but I just played some local (strong) FM-HD as we had many things to evaluate and test.
Steering-wheel is manual (fully) adjustable, but driver-seat powers-back when you un-lock car to allow easy entry (and then moves to old preset location).
The back-seat seemed fine to us (about the same as the old Accord and acceptable). It’s really just us now-days and neither one of us are considered tall.
I brought-up Individual Mode (seemed to impress salesman) and set all to Sport, Idle-Stop off. All settings survive turning-off car.
We got to take it out by ourselves, for a 30 minute test-drive.
In both Engine=Sport & Normal … if you floor-it from stand-still you don't move very quick/far for first 0.5 seconds or so. But once the RPMs rise, you take off pretty quick (so hang on). Hesitation in not the right word … It’s more like “spooling up”. You should not have a problem turning-out into-traffic in front of someone (at least I didn’t). You will be going forward, and by the time you get the wheel straighten-out, you are going to be picking-up speed no problem. It launches like a family-car not a sports-car. I was wondering why wheels never “spun out” but in retrospect, I realize I forgot to experiment with traction-control OFF.
Acceleration from 30-70mph (like for passing or getting on highway) was not great but it was acceptable. 90 feels sturdy and safe and more like 70 in the old Accord.
Brakes work fine and have a good feel (not over-sensitive nor weak). On extreme tests, we felt the seat-belts tighten to hold us back in seats. Stopping distance seemed correct.
SH-AWD feels very planted and non-slip in curves. The rear-end responds almost independently and I think that is why some call a "wormy” feeling. Steering and handling is very good. My wife was the passenger (so I didn’t drive it like a mad-man) but I did push it a bit and I never heard the tires squeal. You can do a (simulated) emergency lane-change at highway speed and it feels controlled and safe. Lane keeping, blind-spot, sign-recognition, super-cruise … all the AcuraWatch stuff I tested worked fine. It will steer and follow by itself, but it will complain if you leave your hands off the steering-wheel for too long.
Turning radius is kinda wide so I hope it is not hard to park (but all the sensors should help). The parking-sensors all have 2-3 levels and it shows on screen.
Normally, the ride is very good (even in Sport) but other modes are softer. Cabin noise is good ( it is very quiet inside). Bad roads and speed-bumps are not a problem. When in Engine=Sport you do get the piped-in Engine noises. They aren’t as bad as I imagined, but I think I would rather them off most of the time. They make me feel like I am racing/rev-ing the engine more than I really am. Using one of the other Engine Modes seemed to lessen them.
In the black Advance, the dash and leather seats are different and better looking ( contrasting-stitching and maybe different materials). Only THESE side mirrors are power-folding, dimmable, surround camera capable, and puddle-lights equipped. Yes, the Surround-Cams help with parking. The Hud looked fine (but did not drive this one or see in full sun). The (black) ventilated seats felt great in a Texas-sun heated car. The wife and I definitely liked the Advance model better (we thought the extras were worth the extra $5000 or 10% ) … as the Tech is $45,000 already anyway … it’s only money right?
Like any nice new (premium brand) sedan … it was very nice. High-Tech Japanese luxury style inside and sleek & sporty outside. They were both priced at full MSRP (+ $500 for special paint + $1025 destination), but there was a $1000 discount (Loyalty or Conquest ). Just TTL (no strange extras/up-charges on pricing worksheets).
Now that we have seen the various ones, if we end-up buying one, I think it will be:
2021 TLX Advance SH-AWD White paint. Interior should have the dark-wood (with either Ebony or Espresso leather).
They have something like that already on pre-order (being built now), so we will see that in a month or so.
Now it’s time to go test drive a loaded 2021 Audi A4 and compare (while the TLX is still fresh in my mind).
10-04-2020, 12:24 PM
. I like the way the front looks. Admittedly, I don't much care for the backside.
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My 2021 TLX 2.0T SH-AWD test-drive
