fjpthree

I currently drive a 2018 Accord Touring and got the Acura TLX itch as soon as I saw photos of the 2021 TLX. Now that the specs have been published and dealerships are seeing the final product, I wanted to get opinions from those individuals who may have more insight into the 2nd generation TLX. Maybe I am missing something but it APPEARS I would be taking a step backwards if I were to scratch the itch. Here is my takeaway from the research I have done:
1. Although the TLX produces more HP, it is slower from 0-60 than the Accord. (Not a deal breaker for me)
2. Much less back seat room in the TLX
3. Heads up display only on certain upper trims on the TLX.
Wife drives an RDX so yes, the ride will probably be more comfortable. So I am interested in opinions as to why it would be a step up to drive the 2021 TLX.

loki

Not worth it by a damn sight. The only exception would be if you had the 1.5T Touring. MAAAAAAAYBE in that case.

dopeboy1

I was actually thinking about this yesterday after reading c&d review of the accord. What I was thinking is who would buy a 2nd gen fwd tlx instead of an accord? It makes no sense to me. It's the same drivetrain. The only difference that really seems worth any real money is sh-awd. Otherwise you'd be a fool even think about it.

kurtatx

Why is the FWD TLX still a thing?

Audi doesn’t sell the FWD A4 in the US anymore

Nexx

whats wrong with having a choice?

MGP99999

IMO, you sacrifice practicality and value for better seat comfort, improved safety, better build and interior material quality, one of the best stock audio systems around, and chassis dynamics. I had a 2018 Accord Touring 2.0L and while it was the best Accord I had ever driven, I traded it in for the a used 2010 TL 6spd manual which felt more substantial not to mention I was tired of taking it to the dealer for all of the little annoying build quality issues such as the squeaky HUD and A-pillar, the rear deck rattle, and the freezing infotainment screen.

fiatlux

To me, SH-AWD is the biggest differentiator between the Accord and TLX. There's no denying that the TLX interior looks better, materials are better, is quieter, handles a bit better, etc. but is that worth the tradeoff for being slower, having less cabin space, and being priced much higher? For some people, yes, but for me, hard to say. But if you throw in SH-AWD, especially if you're in an area that greatly benefits from AWD, then that changes the calculus dramatically.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

You need to drive them back to back to make that decision. Acura will never be a "value" purchase. When I bought my TLX I traded a 2013 Accord because the TLX was a significant improvement in ride quality and cabin quietness. Plus I liked the styling much better. That's just me. I don't care about 0 - 60 specs or impressing my neighbors. I haven't driven an Accord since my 2013 so I don't know if the NVH or ride quality has improved - I'm guessing it has. Frankly the Touring for 10k less would be real appealing to me even though I'm not a fan of the styling.

Buying the right car for you is really a subjective thing. You see many people on this site promote their brand/car with absolute certainty that it's the best option etc etc. It's just a bunch of noise. Truth of the matter is - there are many different options out there because there are many different people out there with different likes/needs/wants. Determine what's important to you and go from there.

JT 50

Well said, and spot on!

BEAR-AvHistory

Acura has sold itself as a value purchase from before I bought the 2006 TL. Hard to go back on that now that it works against them. Acura was almost German without the price tag. Now the Accord is almost Acura without the price tag. Karma is a bitch.

Be interesting to see how it works out but think the very healthy price bump might be a bridge to far. Another marketing plan might have been to hold or slightly increase the price to buy back the market. Then year to tear increases as they become successful.

Remember this price bump is for the 4 cylinder car not the DOHC V6

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I was speaking in the context of this thread/question (imagine that - an on topic post ) which is Acura vs Honda. In that context the best value will most certainly always be Honda.

leomio85

Woah woah woah, let's not spread misinformation. Sure, the material is of higher quality, with more soft touch plastics and more leather-ish surfaces ... but the build quality is still shit. They're still built in the same Honda factory with the same piss-poor QC.

4G-Lover

??? Acura is the quintessential value buy in the premium/luxury space, the brand was practically conceived that way.

Honda is not the value buy in the mainstream segment, they are actually the spendy ones in that space, Kia used to be the value buy for mainstream cars...

kurtatx

Don't confuse "A value buy in the premium/luxury space" with "value".

A premium/luxury vehicle is not a good value.

BEAR-AvHistory

Yep!!
LUXURY
noun plural -ries
indulgence in and enjoyment of rich, comfortable, and sumptuous living. (sometimes plural) something that is considered an indulgence rather than a necessity.

Agree, nothing in the word Luxury screams Value. In fact luxury is the antithesis of value

fiatlux

Acura certainly learned that the hard way when it tried to position itself as "smart luxury" or "value luxury" for the past 20 years.

alpha0

Isn't that a relative word? I have seen bimmerfest where users say X3 M40i is a better value than say Macan GTS. AoA 2 days back said that M5 is a better value than M8 gran coupe@

lindros2

Keep the Accord.
The small interior and infotainment (which is partially obscured - great job Acura) will frustrate the balls out of you.
And, funny enough, you'll spend a ton of money flipping cars to basically get the SAME safety system - the icons and buttons and dials are the same...
... except more confusingly executed on the TLX (I couldn't get the car with the green lines off the screen - and we own THREE Honda products with the same system - Odyssey, Pilot, Accord).

4G-Lover

By that logic, anything above a VW Jetta nowadays is a waste of money, seriously. I had one of the new ones for few days. Very roomy, comfortable, quiet on the road, peppy enough (1.4 Twin-Scroll Turbo motor 150 HP) 8 speed auto gearbox, you'll reach easily 90 mph and above already at the end of freeway ramps, you can easily lose your driving license with one and you can get all the modern drive assistance nannies. You literally do not need anything more than that.

rlx015

DO NOT DO IT! Keep Accord... I hope it is 2.0T version... I just test drove Accord touring 2020, 2.0T, 10AT to compare it to TLX I test drove hour earlier - trust me, TLX is overhyped... plus it offers raccoon shelter - just open up the hood and look tiny bit behind the engine... HORRIBLE!

mapleloaf

Here we go again...same old show again.....

4G-Lover

They can raise the price significantly injecting serious performance and tech sophistication...for example think of ta 4 banger TLX performing like an old 335i and with state of the art tech....then they could be ambitious in pricing....be first in class and raise the price...it would work...

fjpthree

Thanks to all for the input. I'm going to hang onto my Accord (yes it is the 2.0). I really thought I was going to pull the plug, but I do not see how the 10K difference in price is going to get me anything but buyers remorse.

BEAR-AvHistory

Looks like they already passed on injecting some performance into the 4 cylinder. Right now could be the first in class with the highest horsepower & slowest car in the various test groups. Besides most of the guys here are looking for a grocery getter. Lots of I don't race & 0-60 is not important to me because it has a great radio.

There will always be a lot of should have, would have, could have on the 2.0T but I accept the Dragy times posted in the screen shots as reality, 6.0+ to 60mph. My Dragy has consistently been dead on with C&D's test numbers. Car is overweight for the power it has. Stick 4 people in it with a full tank & it will be a brick. Expect Terry will sell quite a few JB4's next year. He will do for $500 what Acura did not do for $50K OTD.

They get another shot with the DOHC V6 but its the one that should have been +$4K not the base car.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Smart move. You may be better served be re-evaluating at this time next year. The first year bugs should be worked out (there will be a few) and the pricing will be sorted out one way or the other. I'm guessing pretty healthy discounts will be found at that point.

I've got to get a new kitchen for my wife before I get a new car or that would be my strategy!


That's the thing that confuses me - other than the NSX Acura *is* a grocery-getter car company. Prety nice grocery-getters too. If I wanted a sports car I certainly wouldn't be shopping Acura.

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Been there, done that.. including new bathrooms

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I am excited about the thought of an updated kitchen - but the thought of having contractors in the house for weeks doesn't thrill me.

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

I understand completely. I run a construction business. I'd rather deal with commercial vs residential. It's the unfortunate part of doing renovation work. With older homes, you never know what you will find once everything is removed. Once done, it will all be worth it. Make sure the contractor does their best to control the amount of dust and clean well at the end of each day. Good luck!

Tony Pac

These two cars come from the same family but let me give you my personal opinion. My brother has the 2.0T Accord and it's a great car. It's so much better than his previous one. The handling is a huge improvement. But I drove the TLX last week for a good 45 min and it belongs to another class.

The fit and finish, design, elegance, material and the "feel" is way, way better than the Accord. Now if you need plenty of backseat and a huge trunk, stay with your Accord. The TLX cannot compete there. Last but not least, it comes down to the budget, brand prestige and etc. If you are happy with your Accord and need the space, I think you should keep it for now. But if you are looking for a more premium vehicle, smooth ride and better quality, then try the new TLX, You won't be disappointed.

I was very close to get the new TLX as it's an excellent car but with two car seats, it's too small. I have the same issue with my current TL and i don't want to repeat the same experience again. Therefore, I am aiming for the MDX, RDX or RX.

Honda430

Thanks, Tony. I've been driving the TLX-2 for a week now. Why folks are ragging on this car I have no idea. As some of the reviewers have implied the car is probably 20 hp from greatness. Anyone who either liked or made their peace with the previous generation should love this vehicle. Unlike the TLX-1 the TLX-2 in no way feels or looks cheap. To those of you who don't think the car is fast enough it's fast enough. For all the haters I challenge you to take an extended drive with your biases tucked in your pocket. I'm pretty confident you'll come away impressed after you're done. Last, but not least, it does not drive like an RDX. I should know I drove an RDX for the last 27 months. The shifting feel and ride quality are much better than the RDX and the TLX-2 is more responsive. I'm loving the car. The only problem so far is the thing is so damn pretty that I want to buy nice things to enhance it's beauty. I'm deperately trying to fight off the urge to upgrade the wheels yet my resolve is slowly starting to falter.

Tony Pac

Nailed it!

There are two issues:

1. People did not even test drive the car, yet but they are making an opinion.
2. They are going with the negative approach and ignore all the great things this car offers, and pick on things that are negative.

Anyway, the end of the story is no car manufacture can please the world. Some will love it, some will hate it and for some a car is a car and won't care.

loki

Most of that sounds like trying to boost your opinion of the car you bought. I'll see what you have to say in 30 days once the novelty wears off.

BEAR-AvHistory

Always wondered how this could be coming out of the same Ohio factory. Does the factory manufacturing control computer use looser specs when putting the Accord together?

fiatlux

If my 1G is representative, it really isn’t better. Materials are higher quality, but the actual fit and finish, not so much.

Tesla1856

So you test drove it and think it's great. You liked it so much you are NOT buying it.

Just another person that was originally looking for a mid-sized sedan and now buying something other than a 2021 TLX. Sounds to me, much like the rest of us.

ESHBG

Yes, the same guy telling us we are being negative when we say the same exact thing he just did

Honda430

Actually he clearly noted why he wasn’t buying the car. Did you miss that or just chose to ignore it?

pyrodan007

It's one of the many reasons why us "Acura haters" say it's not worth buying. So just because he says so makes it ok? Size and performance are major negative points for that 50k price.

xjokerz

Acura gives you a ton of standard equipment and their new cars are generally priced lower than the competition. Hell, even on the used market you can get a 3 year old RLX with 35k miles that was 60k brand new for almost 1/3 of the original price.

Tony Pac

I am used to these guys! Don't break your head. They read what they want to read and miss the whole point It's all day blah blah.

Audi is the best and yet spend the entire day here LMAO!