LTBM

I'm considering buying a 2023 TLX S. I currently own a 2015 TLX.
Question, how do you owners of 2021/23 like the current user interface/touchpad on the TLX.
I would be interested in your P.O.V..
Thank you,
David

abrown0809

Its okay. Gets the job done, but I would prefer it be a touch screen or have a scroll wheel like on BMWs and Mazdas.

Nomad346

It's okay and takes a little getting used to with the native Acura software, but not that great when using the Car Play interface. I found it slow in general. However, the 2015 TLX touchscreen interface also suffered from sluggish response occasionally so it's not that big a difference.

abrown0809

You will get used to it. Honestly, this generation of the TLX is a knockout. Its a really good car all around. The touch pad is a minor thing.

obbshu

I really like the trackpad once I got used to it. I like not seeing fingerprints all over the screen especially after I have detailed the car.

22TypeS

Yes, it takes getting used to, but I like it. It is actually nice to not have to reach up. It's just at your finger tips.

ELIN

You're so close to the '24 TLX MMC coming out. Why wouldn't you just wait for a '24?

The touchpad interface is very user-dependent. You should focus on using it during your test drive to see if you like it.

cwatt79

I don't mind the touchpad. Might even go as far as to say I like it. The two annoyances are that it doesn't always register your touch immediately, and it can be clunky in CarPlay. But overall, I like not having to lift my arm up to interact with the infotainment and the volume knob. I also find the Acura GUI to be attractive and pleasing to look at, unlike my previous car with iDrive 8 which was blocky with ugly colors, fonts, and design elements scattered about.

I notice in my mom's 2023 RDX, the infotainment system overall is much more smooth, responsive, and quick. The improvements made in the RDX's MMC really made a difference, and I would assume they will be applied to the TLX MMC.

scottns

Took me less than a week to get used to it and it's very intuitive for me now. Never had a car with a touch screen so that's probably why I'm not missing it

Tony Pac

It's not as bad as people describe it. After using for a few days in a MDX, I can tell you that at first it's not natural. I agree with reviewers that it takes a bit of time. But once you get it, you will love it! Your screen will remain clean and not fingerprints, which I cannot stand it. I am sure there are members here who are using it on a daily basis that can give you more feedback. You should take the car for an extended test drive to see. But again, it's not horrible and it's not what reviewers say. They make it sound like it's unusable which is not true at all.

LTBM

cwatt79,
Thank you, I have an opportunity to buy a 2023 PMC version in Long Beach Blue.
As you mentioned, I have considered waiting for the 2024 S, not certain how that refresh will affect the system interface / touchpad, if at all.
Historically, mid cycle refreshes for Acura's have been cosmetic in nature, but that may change with the 2024 version, who knows.
Thanks for reply,
Cheers, David

ELIN

The MMC won't change the touchpad interface but it will have desirable features like wireless CP/AA, possible surround cameras, etc.

In another thread, someone ended up w/a Supra bc the Acura dealer charged ADM on a Type S. That same dealer will be hard pressed to sell that '23 model once the '24s hit w/more features standard!

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

Totally agree with you. I've had MANY Acuras with this pad. Currently have two in my garage. My wife and I have used it thousands of times. NO....it does not take
that long to get "used to it." LOL. I'd rather have it than a touch screen and after owning many vehicles with both the pad and others with touchscreens, I believe,
overall, the Acura pad is safer to use when driving. And, yes, it takes some getting used to. A drive around the dealer's block will not be enough. First sit in it without
driving and "work with it." Get the idea that it's not a laptop pad. Once you get the feel of it...and how to "locate on the screen"....then start driving and practice with it's
functions. Yes, it of course takes longer to get used to than a touch screen....but, once you do, you will see it's merits. Is it for everyone?? Of course not. Nothing in this
world is. But, most do NOT give it it's just review.. That includes Motor Trend, Car and Driver, etc, etc. They all trash it. Why?? "Cause they don't get to play with it. They
drive a short while...get frustrated that it's not a touch screen....then say it's a "mess" and end up downgrading Acuras for being lessor of a vehicle than us true Acura owners
know it isn't. If a touch screen is not made to be "very intuitive" then THEY are a mess to use. And, many do not do a great lay out of the touch screens to make them user
friendly. It can go both ways here. Just my learned opinion truly based on many Acuras owned with this pad.

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

To me strange. A Supra and a TLX are in 2 different car worlds. I spent a lot of driving time in a Supra Prem. and liked it for what it is. But, at 6'1" and older than most on here it was NOT easy to get in
and out of. Once in, it was like being in a coffin. Drove great. But, they are certainly 2 different cars. For a lot of "car guy" reasons I really wanted that Supra, but, in the end I walked away. The C8 Vette
is tight, but, not like that Supra!
Even with some minor upgrades to the '24, the '23 is still a great car to live with, drive, and enjoy. Not all dealers charge ADM's. I should know, I bought mine at MSRP and the only things added were
what I wanted. Some dealers don't ADM their cars. Mine does not. Not even the NSX's when they had them. I have a Chevy dealer that does not believe in ADM'ing their C8 Vettes. There are other's
around the country. In the minority...sure, but, they are out there.

22TypeS

Oh! I would go for the PMC. Though I think it is probable the interface changes will be wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play and a quicker interface.

Tony Pac

Beautiful summary and well explained!
Thank you!

K3RMiTdot

no issues, you just get use to it.

cwatt79

I think the RDX provides a great sneak peak into what to expect from the TLX's MMC. Yes, it got the minor cosmetic tweaks, but it also got improved suspension tuning, increased sound deadening, and updated tech. No, of course the touchpad won't change, but the processors powering the interface will, and it will make the entire system better to use with faster response times and less lag. Another big benefit is wireless CarPlay, with "Hey Siri" support and Apple Maps integrated further into the system, allowing for turn-by-turn prompts in the secondary section of the main display, in the instrument cluster, and in the HUD.

howiedewitt

I have no issues with the TouchPad. It's easy enough to navigate and don't miss the fingerprint magnet touch screen my other vehicle has. The UI is decent but does have a noticeable lag going through menus.

DubPK

Almost no chance the touchpad goes away for the MMC. It'd be to big of a lift for a low volume car requiring redesigning a lot of the dash and center console. You get used to the touchpad, like anything it requires some time with it but I've actually grown to prefer it as have many other Acura owners. It's placed where I don't have to lean forward in my seat to interact with any component of it, saves fingerprints all over and is just generally really easy to live with. I don't feel like it ever slows me down. Would've loved to see it being an optional component on future models but they are clearly going Google like Honda.

If you end up with a 23MY there are a few good dongles out there to bring wireless CP/AA to the system.

sooner_luvr

I would rather have touch screen or a wheel, but it is manageable.

My biggest complaint is the 10.5" screen is not fully useable because of the way Acura implements the dual screen - more like 7 or 8 screen.

ELIN

I know what you mean! When I left the TLX for an X3, it was amazing what a full-screen CP looks like and no wasted space!

mlody

We were in the market to replace one of our sedans with a compact SUV. RDX was at the top of the list, but we ended up with X3 and the trackpad was one of the few deciding factors. Yes, there were other factors, but track pad significantly contributed to the decision making.

Putting the lack of touch screen capabilities aside, when it comes to track pad vs a typical scroll wheel like the one in Mazda or BMW, the track pad offers no benefit. Instead everything feels as lacking precision and input satisfaction. I am not sure how to explain it but it just does not offer solidity that a more precise scroll wheel input offers.

I am not huge fan of using touch screen when driving, but I like the fact that X3 has touch capable screen.10 of out 10 times, when we drive we use scroll wheel, - it is much more precise and satisfying, plus it is more natural and less tiring on our arms/hands. On the other hand, when we park or when we are about to drive, we always use touch screen. We really like the flexibility of choice that the X3 brigs when it comes to infotainment controls - I think they got that right, but unfortunately they couldn't help themselves and iDrive8 undoes many good things that iDrive7 does..

Given that Integra and ZDX dont have the trackpad , it might say something about the future of the trackpad. If Acura really cared about people's safety, they should put an effort and included scroll wheel like the one in Mazda's and BMW's along with touch capabilities, instead of going touch screen only, that would be the best of both words in my opinion.

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

Absolutely no issue, learning curve is 2 weeks.

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

Wow...thank you much! I guess with age some wisdom is included. LOL! But, in the end it's mostly subjective...with some objectivity
thrown in too.

KrylonBlue

I like the interface.

I despise the sluggish Apple CarPlay when you plug it in too quickly. It’s most annoying after making a short stop for something such as gas where I don’t unplug my phone. When my system boots back up it’s just annoying.

cwatt79

I wouldn't read too much into this. Both of these vehicles are reskinned versions of other vehicles. All of Acura's ground-up designs have the touchpad. Not saying I think they'll keep it forever - I doubt they will. But I don't think the ZDX and Integra are indicative of future Acura plans for their ground-up vehicles.

I completely disagree. First, it's silly to think that Acura, or any automaker, doesn't care about people's safety. Second, having owned a recent BMW with iDrive and the scroll wheel, I don't see how it's any less distracting than the touchpad. Each of them allow you to operate the physical controls by feel alone but still require you to look at the screen to see what you're doing.

ESHBG

With Acura going full EV it's a safe bet that the infotainment will be touch vs a track pad or anything else.

frainc

I find that it's not a problem to use and easy without taking your eyes off the road. Some many people trash it but I guess each his own. I grew up with cars that had no safety stuff in them so I kind of laugh at all this nonsense about the touchpad and 360 views, etc. Love to see these folks drive in the old days.lol.

Tony Pac

With all respect, you lose all your creditability with your this statement. I don't think there is any manufacturer that wouldn't care for safety of their buyers. At least to some degree, they do care. Honda and Acura's top priority is safety. Most of their cars earn the top safety rating and Acura was award "Groundbreaking Airbag Technology Earns Honda Safety Engineer the Highest Safety Engineering Excellence Award from U.S. Government".

I have seen some bad accidents with Honda and Acura cars and people are out it with minor scratches.

mlody

We are talking about the safety and convenience of using infotainment system - touch screen, track pads, track wheels etc. I am not talking about the general car's safety and how the sheet metal is designed to protect the occupants.

Tony Pac

fair enough!

dmski

For all the hate the track pad gets, when the car is in motion, it's much easier to use. This is coming from my experience just coming off track pad to new car with touch screen. The car reviewers are useless when they test drive the car for a couple of days and shit on the track pad.

Once you memorize each icon location it's a breeze. It's more annoying if you use Applecarplay only. But even with touch screen Carplay is still annoying.

ELIN

I wanted to exist in CP only and that's why it was painful to stick w/the TT system. At least w/iDrive, I have a choice b/w touchscreen or the rotary dial (I use the physical dial only).

I remember saving a radio/satellite station to the "Favorites" was non-intuitive in the TLX. When saving in the TT system, the new station is added to the page that you're currently viewing and not to the first available space. At least on iDrive, I still have physical buttons that I can assign to Favorites/Quick Select.

Tony Pac

I am with you and I even wrote that. Reviewers are 100% wrong. I used the system for days and it's not bad at all. Yes, at first it does require a bit of adjustment but it's better than most other systems. I am following this thread and almost everyone, who owns new Acuras are happy with the track pad....except window shoppers and our friend here, Elin. But again, Elin did not like anything about that car or brand Acura, so he got rid of it. So that's fair. At the end of the day, it was his choice to stay or not with Acura. On one of the Facebook groups, someone wrote, he got rid of his GLC due to insane cost and came back to Acura and he feels blessed!

To conclude, Reviewers, "Ture Enthusiasts" and "Purist" don't like the track pad

ELIN

If I didn't like anything about the car, I would have gotten rid of it in one week instead of 2 years! I'm not going to repost my pros and cons because it's well documented and exists virtually in AZ somewhere.

What I don't appreciate is non-owners like you who praise the system having only lived with it "for days". Let folks find out on a test drive or ask relevant questions so they can make up their own mind!

Before I forget, when do you plan to pick up your TLX?

Tony Pac

I always said and say it again. Go test drive and experience it. I also wrote it takes time to adjust. Except you how many more negative feedbacks about real owners do you read in this thread? All actual owners are saying it's not bad. We all know how "positive" you're about Acura Enjoy your day Elin! You are a great contributor!

I will pick it when it's the right time for me. When are you planning to buy any Acura. Don't forget I have two parked din my garage Or you are waiting for 400HP TLX lol!

ESHBG

But many vehicles were shaped differently then and much easier to see out of than many of the vehicles today.

frainc

No, sorry, I had cars going back to the 50's till now, Many of those older cars were long, very long, and we had no safely stuff to tell us our surrounding. If you need that much help in driving today then maybe folks shouldn't be behind the wheel!

frainc

And you are still here without a TLX either, lol.