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In addition to the underbody panels that need to be removed on the Mercedes, removing the filter is trickier also as it's fairly tight in that area compared to the Porsche. That also means it's harder to keep that area clean from drips as well.
For someone who races, I would imagine having to remove the underbody panel every time could be a chore!
I can’t speak for Mercedes, but on BMWs there’s a small cover you remove to gain access to the drain plug. It’s way way way more convenient than having to remove the much larger cover on the TLX, which admittedly isn’t so bad. On my Subaru to remove the cover you have to get into the damn wheel wells to remove plastic fasteners that break half the time. The trope of German cars being hard to do basic maintenance on is way overblown. Yes, timing belts on some Audis were insanely complicated, but IMO oil changes, air filter changes, spark plugs, etc were no harder on my German cars than my Japanese cars.
For someone who races, I would imagine having to remove the underbody panel every time could be a chore!
Agree it could be messy but its not hard to do. I have full underbody panes & a handful of 8MM screws will take them off. Very light material installed in sections so again not vey hard. Imagine an MB start to finish is about 15/20 minutes.
Mine needs to come down for some things but there is a trap door that opens for the oil drain. Surprisingly the Porsche 911 is the easiest to do. Think my dealer wanted over $400 (Porsche Tax) for an oil change. Did all my own.
Agree it could be messy but its not hard to do. I have full underbody panes & a handful of 8MM screws will take them off. Very light material installed in sections so again not vey hard. Imagine an MB start to finish is about 15/20 minutes.
Mine needs to come down for some things but there is a trap door that opens for the oil drain. Surprisingly the Porsche 911 is the easiest to do. Think my dealer wanted over $400 (Porsche Tax) for an oil change. Did all my own.
I don't know if I'll ever own a Porsche but having watched that video, I'd be highly motivated to do it myself!
interior design style is subjective, but I seriously don't get why people like Alcantara, the material is garbage and doesn't last. https://youtu.be/aebUNgMhQV4
It's not my ideal for the seating/touch surfaces but good Alcantara does last.....these are the seats of my Grand Cherokee SRT (mix Alcantara/Nappa) when I sold it last summer..over 56K miles and I do not have the butt of a classic ballerina for sure.....the Alcantara part is almost perfect and the Nappa part has only the inevitable micro surface creases, no sign of tearing or peeling off whatsoever. I was frankly impressed for a FCA product.
I would say they looked much better than my 4G SH-AWD seats with less miles on it.
Alcantara for the ceiling definitely add richness and luxo feel compared to the usual fabric that you find already in cars costing well under 20K grand.
Again, you may not like the simple retro look but this interior (actually now you can option even a V6 this way minus the SRT seats which are exclusive to the Scat Pack & up) it's a long way from you usual rental Charger
In a way, the Charger for the US is similar to the 3 Series or the A4 for the European market, try to get a rental 3 Series in Europe and you will see how unappealing the interior is (including cloth, thinly padded seats).
German cars in the US, even stripper ones, comes more equipped and with more bells and whistles compared to their base trim counterparts on the other side of the pond.
This is a great point - but - there's a helluva lot of "hearsay" out there - just saying. There's a perception - a strong one - out there, that the Japanese do long-term reliability better than the Germans do.
Most of the people I see complaining about German reliability are on Japanese car forums. Long term reliability on Japanese cars may be cheaper but it's not necessarily more reliable. Maybe 20 years ago not so much today. Routine maintenance on a high performance German car of course will cost more money. If you follow the maintenance schedules you should not run into issues outside of the norm. The difference is you can skip oil changes on an accord and not much will happen. People who do that on certain cars like AMG's or M cars etc will run into issues.
interior design style is subjective, but I seriously don't get why people like Alcantara, the material is garbage and doesn't last. https://youtu.be/aebUNgMhQV4
Alcantara is easy to maintain. All you need is a bottle of Sonax alcantara shampoo and a damp microfiber cloth. I have 32,000 km on my alcantara steering wheel and it looks and feels new.
Most of the people I see complaining about German reliability are on Japanese car forums. Long term reliability on Japanese cars may be cheaper but it's not necessarily more reliable. Maybe 20 years ago not so much today. Routine maintenance on a high performance German car of course will cost more money. If you follow the maintenance schedules you should not run into issues outside of the norm. The difference is you can skip oil changes on an accord and not much will happen. People who do that on certain cars like AMG's or M cars etc will run into issues.
Very good point. I’ve had so many German cars and yet all of them have been reliable. And don’t forget also that the level of service you get at most premium brand dealerships is miles better than at your run of the mill Acura dealer. My Audi dealer replaced the clutch on one of my R8s for free (saved me $9,000) just because I’m a good customer.
Last edited by SebringSilver; 12-17-2020 at 05:46 PM.
interior design style is subjective, but I seriously don't get why people like Alcantara, the material is garbage and doesn't last. https://youtu.be/aebUNgMhQV4
Not true, if properly maintained, which essentially means vacuum and quickly wipe up/off any spills. I owned a VW Passat with upholstered seats and the material was essentially like alcantara, When I sold the car 15yrs later, the seats looked like the day I drove it off the lot. I like alcantara as an insert in leather seats because it keeps you cooler when you get in a hot car until the AC cools it down, or it's warmer in a cold car until the heater warms it up.
I too also prefer the fake (at least, I think it's fake) Alcantera seats in my STI. That's actually one of the reasons I bought the base model over the limited model, because I did not want to have the cheapo leather Subaru was using at the time. When I sold it after 6 years and 60K miles, it looked as good as it did on day 1. The same cannot be said about the leather seats in my wife's TLX...
I don't even have a full 3 yrs with Acura yet (MDX turned in 3 months early) but do have prior experience with Japanese and German cars. I would fall under the demographic of "customer retention" for Acura. If I'm looking for something similar to the TLX Type S and it costs just shy of $55k, I would want it to be:
2) Luxurious. The fact that Acura is giving the MDX Type S the VIP treatment but not the TLX Type S should be a warning to potential buyers. A potentially $55k car without power side mirrors is just sad. Good luck parking this in the city! What do you get over the A-Spec? One thing you can't see (better engine) and 4 things you can (Type S badging, exclusive paint, wheels, and quad pipes).
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Yeah, I am struggling.I wanted a Type-S and hoped Acura would bang it out of the park, but for whatever reason they decided to de-content the top end sedan. If I want a sedan, putting all the goodies in the MDX is not going to convert me to a SUV. I really like the TLX front end, the back is not doing it for me and then the infotainment system just chases me away. There is no reason they could not offer the new MDX goodies in the TLX Type-S.
And if I were interested in a SUV the new Genesis GV70 Sport really looks sweet.
Yeah, I am struggling.I wanted a Type-S and hoped Acura would bang it out of the park, but for whatever reason they decided to de-content the top end sedan. If I want a sedan, putting all the goodies in the MDX is not going to convert me to a SUV. I really like the TLX front end, the back is not doing it for me and then the infotainment system just chases me away. There is no reason they could not offer the new MDX goodies in the TLX Type-S.
And if I were interested in a SUV the new Genesis GV70 Sport really looks sweet.
The GV70 caught my eye, too. More CUV than SUV, styled like a Macan. I'm interested to see how it's priced
Its subtle but they are reminding people that the car gets over the air ECU, Maps etc updates. Nice not having to go into the shop to get the latest software release
Its subtle but they are reminding people that the car gets over the air ECU, Maps etc updates. Nice not having to go into the shop to get the latest software release
.... as well as eager hackers who loves to slip a virus into the update codes, stay hidden, and takes control of the vehicle when the opportunity comes.
.... as well as eager hackers who loves to slip a virus into the update codes, stay hidden, and takes control of the vehicle when the opportunity comes.
TLX and RDX already do have infotainment update OTA. Tesla is doing fine as well, as long as security setup is decent shouldn't be more harmful than an idle PC connected to the internet.
TLX and RDX already do have infotainment update OTA. Tesla is doing fine as well, as long as security setup is decent shouldn't be more harmful than an idle PC connected to the internet.
Except a PC can't become a 4000lb+ projectile on a crowded road.
.... as well as eager hackers who loves to slip a virus into the update codes, stay hidden, and takes control of the vehicle when the opportunity comes.
I would be more concerned of hackers taking over a fly-by-wire aircraft than my car. More bang for the buck as it were. Our Raleigh house has remote heating controls so I expect some hacker can cook or freeze us. Very few things in our daily life cannot be compromised so have no intention of living in fear.
BTW if you are afraid of a car being taken over best shut down your HONDA/ACURA entertainment systems as they are OTA capable. Meanwhile will use my phone to start the car & let it get warm, think ACURA has the same feature better also shut that down.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 12-28-2020 at 01:10 PM.
I would be more concerned of hackers taking over a fly-by-wire aircraft than my car. More bang for the buck as it were. Our Raleigh house has remote heating controls so I expect some hacker can cook or freeze us. Very few things in our daily life cannot be compromised so have no intention of living in fear.
BTW if you are afraid of a car being taken over best shut down your HONDA/ACURA entertainment systems as they are OTA capable. Meanwhile will use my phone to start the car & let it get warm, think ACURA has the same feature better also shut that down.
You know. My 4G TL has a physical switch in the glove box that can disable the keyless access system, and I have the system disabled since day 1. I press the keyfob button to arm and disarm my car, and I insert the keyfob into the dash slot to start my car.
As for the 3G MDX, the keyfob is put inside a RFID protection sleeve whenever I don't use it to operate my SUV. I have heard far too many sad stories about vehicles, that has active keyless access system, being stolen right behind the owners' back or outside their houses, because car thieves are using high power RF repeater devices to fool the vehicle security systems.
Edward'TLS The way I feel its just a car & if it gets taken I will get a new one. If there was no physical danger to my family or me I would let it go & call the cops
Outside of that NC Law has both the Castle & Stand your ground self-defenses statues. CCP's are easy to get. My range has a state certified school, fill out the forms, pay the sheriff the license fee he does an ATF background search & issues the permit. People who already own legal weapons have already cleared the background check so it goes pretty smoothly. I have also passed the county sheriff's firearms training school & can use their 100 yard indoor range with my rifles. Not as far as the Army ranges but still enjoy it.
Between two large dogs that get nervous & noisy when unknowns come onto the property & the right of defense two guys coming on my property to do me harm might have a problem.
Think the RF intercept & range booster have some distance limitations. In my case it would force the thieves to come well up to get to any cars. It may be harder than its made out to be on larger properties where the cars & key fobs are spread out even if they are not in a Faraday cage. That said a cage cant hurt.
You know. My 4G TL has a physical switch in the glove box that can disable the keyless access system, and I have the system disabled since day 1. I press the keyfob button to arm and disarm my car, and I insert the keyfob into the dash slot to start my car.
As for the 3G MDX, the keyfob is put inside a RFID protection sleeve whenever I don't use it to operate my SUV. I have heard far too many sad stories about vehicles, that has active keyless access system, being stolen right behind the owners' back or outside their houses, because car thieves are using high power RF repeater devices to fool the vehicle security systems.
Yes, I've seen the videos.
However, the auto-makers are doing what they can to stay one-step-ahead of the thieves. Plus, with (car embedded) GPS, cloud-based location mapping, and phone apps ... it pretty easy to know where your car is (even if it gets stolen).
Acura (and most of the others now-days) are fairly immune to unlock-hacking. Plus, they have to get it started. They all use "encrypted rolling codes" now-days. That's probably the main reasons by some key-fobs are so large ... to hold the processors (and their required batteries) required to facilitate the tighter security.
Edward'TLS The way I feel its just a car & if it gets taken I will get a new one. If there was no physical danger to my family or me I would let it go & call the cops
Outside of that NC Law has both the Castle & Stand your ground self-defenses statues. CCP's are easy to get. My range has a state certified school, fill out the forms, pay the sheriff the license fee he does an ATF background search & issues the permit. People who already own legal weapons have already cleared the background check so it goes pretty smoothly. I have also passed the county sheriff's firearms training school & can use their 100 yard indoor range with my rifles. Not as far as the Army ranges but still enjoy it.
Between two large dogs that get nervous & noisy when unknowns come onto the property & the right of defense two guys coming on my property to do me harm might have a problem.
Think the RF intercept & range booster have some distance limitations. In my case it would force the thieves to come well up to get to any cars. It may be harder than its made out to be on larger properties where the cars & key fobs are spread out even if they are not in a Faraday cage. That said a cage cant hurt.
BEAR-AvHistory, looks like you are well prepared for any adverse situation. I wish I could as well equipped as you do.
However, the auto-makers are doing what they can to stay one-step-ahead of the thieves. Plus, with (car embedded) GPS, cloud-based location mapping, and phone apps ... it pretty easy to know where your car is (even if it gets stolen).
Acura (and most of the others now-days) are fairly immune to unlock-hacking. Plus, they have to get it started. They all use "encrypted rolling codes" now-days. That's probably the main reasons by some key-fobs are so large ... to hold the processors (and their required batteries) required to facilitate the tighter security.
This one-step-ahead issue has been troubling me quite a bit. I don't see how even "encrypted rolling codes" or "digital signature handshake" can defeat this "RF repeating" technique that car thieves use.
Wi-Fi repeaters are used to extend the effective range between an user device and the base router. Car thieves' RF repeat device works in the same way as WI-Fi repeaters but in this case to extend the effective range between your faint-RF-transmitting key fob and your vehicle. So it is in effect your key fob communicating with your vehicle, which without the RF repeat device, the key fob will be well out of transmitting/receiving range.
With the active RF repeat device in close proximity with your vehicle, your vehicle will think it is the legit key fob in close proximity. After all, it is your genuine key fob talking to your car, only from an extended long distance (with the help of the RF repeat device). As a result, whatever encrypted rolling codes or security measures will still pass through the RF repeat device and validated by your vehicle.
Then car thieves can still unlock your vehicle door and drive away your vehicle. Once your vehicle is started, thanks to the factory safety measure, the engine will continue to run even if the key fob signal has disappeared, until the driver physically press the Start/Stop button again to stop the engine, . All they need to do is to park the vehicle underground or inside a shipping container, and render the GPS or LoJack system unusable.
BEAR-AvHistory, looks like you are well prepared for any adverse situation. I wish I could as well equipped as you do.
Normally a very quite area. North Raleigh is rural a with a number of horse farms close to the house. That said there is a major mall a few miles away that was the scene of a "peaceful" demonstration that trashed a number of stores & injured some cops. First one outside of city center which had a few in the last year.
Generally the weapons are used a few times a year at my two brother in laws ranch in Texas to kill Coyote & Feral Pigs that attack the live stock. Its fun playing cowboy with the lever action saddle guns. Up here its mostly target shooting although there is a Deer & Black Bear season in the county. Coyote are open season if you have a license & Wolf are protected. Some dummies kill wolves mistaking them for Coyote. Family pets like German Shepard's have also been shot mistaken for a Coyote.
No so dumb animals.
Hunting season & deer seem to know they are protected in the subdivisions. Doe giving me the stink eye in my front yard after she ate some of my wife's flowers. Have a few security camera shots of deer coming up the driveway late at night to feast on a flower box. Had an abandoned Bambi curled up in the back yard a few years ago & the animal control people turned it over to a petting zoo. My good deed for the year.
deer seem to know they are protected in the subdivisions.
Same here.
They like to dart-out (from road-side trees and bushes) and try to cross the road just as you pass or run out into middle of road and just stop.
While they seem tame, they are large-wild animals and very unpredictable. They are more active at night.
They are not small animals and can cause significant damage if you hit them (pretty much just like hitting another car).
I'm hoping that newer Safety-AI features (like pedestrian detection and mitigation) will help even the odds.
Peak of rutting season here is Nov 15 so there is a lot more nocturnal movement. Best thing is good high beams that also hit the side of the roads back into the tree line. Then always drive within the lights. Not a trophy hunter & don't like venison so Bambi's mother is safe around me. Especially do not want to get her with my car.
Right now between my house & the super market there are 3 carcasses that the road crews have not gotten to yet.
Fortunately for the Type-S, the IS-F competes a rung above it.
If this makes its way to the US, I will absolutely be one of the first line for one. I loved my old IS-F as a daily driver, and selling it was probably the biggest car mistake I ever made. The 2UR V8 is fantastic, and even though it's not going to have the raw performance of an M3 or RS5, I much prefer the feel and sound of the NA V8 even if it'll be slower than the turbo V6 competition.
Expect the F coupe will make the shopping list in 2 years. Nice to see Lexus getting back in the game. They have the leverage to push everybody else in their market.
Expect the F coupe will make the shopping list in 2 years. Nice to see Lexus getting back in the game. They have the leverage to push everybody else in their market.
The F coupe better do better on the front seats. The Q60 was way more comfortable and the S5 is another level. Granted I drove the Lexus a couple years back. Did nothing for me back then and then there is that grill.
Audi ruined my favorite sedan, A5's rear lights and exhaust. I always thought the best sedan in terms of design, power, look (interior and exterior), the Audi A5 was number 1. But with the new rear lights, bumper and those horrible exhausts, Audi ruined the back of the car. Horrible decision on Audi's part but oh well. Nothing is perfect!
Before the refresh, it looked so classy and sporty!
I prefer the pre-refresh on the audi. Went from the TLX to an 18 S5. Plus costs about 24k less than a new one while only having 27k miles on it. As optioned the S5 was just over 68k new. Pre-owned it was in the range of a new TLX Advance. and about 3k more than I paid for the 18 tlx sh-awd a-spec. While not new but looks like new the audi imo is better deal than the TLX new and it's doubtful the Type S will match it's performance both power and handling not to mention options that the type S will be missing. It was really eye opening driving the S5, can't comment on the A5 performance wise.
The F rumors are just that ... rumors coming from a sole website that has no legitimate backing or credible source notated. They just axed the GS-F and seeing an RC-F is more rare than seeing a Ferrari around my parts, and I'm not even exaggerating. The IS-F has been discontinued since 2014 and in a time when EVs are all the rage, why would they pick now to release three new behemoth, fire-breathing ICEs? Additionally, the IS is a slow mover, especially as an entry model, it does pretty poorly in sales. The LS has basically been dying off since 2014 and an LC-F would probably do about as well as the current NSX in sales, seeing as its price tag would be very similar. It makes no sense to release any of these vehicles and really just seems like a vie for clicks.
I'd love for them to stick that V8 in the IS and start under $60k, but it just ain't happening.
It's interesting at 11:51 they say the TLX that they reviewed (A-spec SH-AWD) handles better than the IS350 F-sport AWD, which is RWD-biased. Plus they had the F-sport series 3 which includes the Adaptive Variable Suspension and Sport+ mode. Well done, Acura.
Muy interesante. Although I hope he's wrong on pricing. Starting at $70k would be a real killer to the IS I feel. Also, I get everyone likes to compare Acura and Lexus ... since they're both Japanese, but the TLX-S and possible IS500 F-Sport don't really seem like competitors. From size to drivetrain to power ... honestly, I feel like the TLX-S is more in line with the S4/C43, while the IS500 is very comparable to the CT4-V Blackwing, which start at just under $60k. Both RWD and both making close to 500HP ... and similar size. If this rumor is true, I'm glad that it's being released as an F-Sport and not a full blown F ... hopefully that keeps pricing lower. I mean, the full blown RC-F starts at mid-$60k. I don't think it would make much sense for an IS500 F-Sport to start at a higher price than that.
2021 CR numbers for "best overall car brands" Agree or disagree its the internet. That said the publication has a lot of influence on what cars many non car people buy which makes it important to Acura's major customer base.
CR says: "On this list, brands are scored on a combination of CR's own road testing, owner satisfaction, predicted reliability, and safety. Remarkably, CR recommends all seven of the Mazda models it has tested, and we get it. Mazda cars offer a unique blend of driving fun, high quality, reliability, and style all at a reasonable price."
12-17-2020, 09:45 AM
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