SinCityTLX

I must say I have never been so disappointed in a car in life. After all the years it took Acura to finally release this thing, you’d think they would have come to the game a bit stronger. It really didn’t even seem too much faster than my old V6 TLX FWD. it literally wasn’t even peppy, but outright regular. It did handle decently, but nothing like an Audi or BMW, and I’m speaking of the regular variants not the M4 or S4, those are out right a completely different league. Now I do realize the TLX MSRPs for $15-$20 less than both the German cars, but I must say I was completely disappointed in how underpowered it was and just plain bland.

I am driving a 2020 Ford Raptor now and I think it is damn as fast with 37” tires on it. I will however say that I am beginning to think that the Raptor is best vehicle ever created, I just wanted to get something that was easier on gas as I drive all over town for sales meetings and work. Not to mention a car is easier to park in certain situations when need to use commercial parking lots, I hate asshats that give other people door dings.

MDXAccord

I think you should probably go get a Tesla. The Type S MPG is awful.

leomio2.0

It’s going to make a great daily driver. Even in my short test drive, I could tell that it’s going to be very nice to drive day-to-day, but if you’re looking for outright speed, the Type-S is not the answer. It’s quiet, comfortable, has a great ride, easy to see out of and maneuver … it’s just not very fast if you’re a speed junkie.

Kense

Considering many dealers are asking for 10-15k over MSRP it’s actually NOT cheaper than it’s competition right now. It’s more expensive.

mike03a3

Since it's almost 20% heavier than my TL-S 6MT, I guess it's no surprise it's not especially quick.

DubPK

If 0-60 in under 5 seconds is regular and not even peppy to you I agree with other comments you need to get a Tesla... Besides probably a 340i nothing else in the price range is going to impress you either. Tesla on the other hand will rocket you to 60 for $50,000, build quality may be questionable and it certainly won't handle as well but it's a rocket ship to 60 alright.

Just because you brought it up and just looking at the single metric C&D tested the 2018 TLX V6 @ 0-60: 5.7s, Type S hasn't been officially tested by them yet so can't compare all the numbers but reviewers best run was I think 4.7s to 60. That's a full second faster than the old V6 and within tenths of a second ahead or behind of it's various competition. It's right where anyone should've expected it to be. If you were expecting a BMW killer or something ridiculous like sub 4s 0-60 you really set the bar higher than it had any place being set IMO.

BEAR-AvHistory

That was a C&D estimate based on their run at the Laguna Seca press demo. They are generally pretty good at doing an estimate when compared to their instrumented tests so the car should run in the 4's. Based on some of the vids, even the stupid driver ones, the car looks to be quick.

IIRC I am in the guessing pool at 4.5 with roll out by C&D.

BEAR-AvHistory

That was a C&D estimate based on their run at the Laguna Seca press demo. They are generally pretty good at doing an estimate when compared to their instrumented tests so the car should run in the 4's. Based on some of the vids even the stupid driver ones the car looks to be quick.

IIRC I am in the old 0-60 guessing pool at 4.5 with roll out by C&D.

bilirubin

It's funny how "feeling fast" isn't the same as actually going fast. I haven't driven the Type S but I've had the TLX A-spec 2.0T for a day and I found it actually "felt" almost as quick as my Audi S5 Sportback. I've driven cars like the RLX Sport Hybrid and despite it's 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, it "felt" slower than a 9th gen Civic Si.

BEAR-AvHistory

I generally use two sources to keep comparisons even. C&D for opinion & instrumented tests. Throttle House for Drag Races as they are North American spec cars driven by the same guys.

Thought this just published Throttle House video although not a Drag Race or TLX has all the feeling anyone could ever want in a car. Yeah its a slight hijack but might be fun for some to watch.

Just get past the stupid opening & see the run of feelings. BTW the ankle thing is all about clutch weight & manual brakes.

dr/owned

I'm a bit confused how it doesn't feel fast. I drive a '12 V6, I've spent a month driving my buddies '18 2.0T. We've also side-by-side raced them from a stop. I have every mod you can do to the J35 and he only has tune and downpipe. He absolutely pooped on me outside the first 50 feet when my better tires had an advantage. Now we're talking 50% more displacement in the Type-S so it should handily embarrass the J35. (and when tune + mods inevitably show up it's going to be real quick)

NBP04TL4ME

massappeals

Yeah I am looking at the Type S to be a more fun dd. My 2018 Tacoma(which is ridiculously valued right now) is getting a little boring. I do not care too much about speed. That is a job for my KTM Duke 890R is for 0-60 in 3.1s

mec30

Are you sure you didn't test drive the 2.0T A-Spec?

ELIN

Most likely scenario. I'm not a pro driver but I would definitely feel a 1 second difference in 0-60 time!

robnalex

No. It's only more expensive if you're stupid to purchase with a mark-up. There are plenty of dealers out there that are selling at MSRP, and before too long that will be most of them. In 10-12 months you'll be able to get one below MSRP at the right dealer.

anacreon

I’ve been driving a 2015 TLX V6 since it was first released in 2014. The Type S is better than my daily driver in every way. I don’t know what your test drive was like, but mine was extensive for a quick test. I got to barrel through a bunch of corners WOT and play around on twisty roads. I took it to 100 in the freeway a couple of times. Drove on wet roads and put the brakes to work. This car is so much more fun than my beloved 2015 TLX.

While shopping for a new car, I’ve also test drove multiple Audis. My absolute favorite was the S5, but the TLX wins on price by a mile. I really don’t think it will be long to be able to find the Type S for the normal price. It’s not a race car and was never intended to be one. It’s not perfect, but it is the best bang for the buck on the market in my opinion.

someguy11

^-- so much to unpack there.
-"It’s not a race car and was never intended to be one." ... "I got to barrel through a bunch of corners WOT and play around on twisty roads. I took it to 100 in the freeway a couple of times. Drove on wet roads and put the brakes to work." C'mon man. A) you're either exaggerating (lying) or reckless B) for the sake of the rest of those on the road, don't drive like that and C) bragging about test driving like that on forums is neither representative of real world conditions nor particularly helpful or credible - in fact, it makes you sound like a jabroni.
-"The Type S is better than my daily driver in every way." ... "This car is so much more fun than my beloved 2015 TLX." -- Of course it is when your performance benchmark is the 2015 TLX V6 ZF9 VCM.

Kinuto

I'm test driving it today. I'll let you know how it drives from a 4G TL owner point of view. Let's be serious here the bunch mark for it should be the 2012-14 Acura TL SH AWD or any RLX with Sport Hybrid SH AWD.

anacreon

For the record I didn’t do anything unsafe, nor did I do these things all at once. I never pushed even attempted to push the car anywhere close to its limits. I was in a completely empty, wide road when I did a single quick “panic stop” from 60. It was fine, but not as good as the Audi. I compared to my current V6 TLX only in response to the original poster’s complaint that the Type S doesn’t feel faster than the old V6. It is, in fact faster. I had plenty of time on an unguided test, so had a little fun. The sales guy had fun too - he said the his first test driver just puttered around the small roads. If the price was equal, I would have already ordered the S5 Sportback.

pyrodan007

If the 10-15k adm holds for the next year or so, the price is pretty much equal. In Canada, an S5 SB tops out at around ~82k fully loaded (ignoring some useless options like CF exterior). Type-S with adm could in theory hit 78k if dealers go full batshit insane crazy. Probably won't happen, but at that price would be hard to go with Acura since Audi still applies discounts even with Covid and chip limitations.

Kense

most dealers have ADM and if they tell you no they don’t they will bait and switch like they have been doing. Not sure how long it will take before they stop these greedy practices but as it stands if you want this car in the next year you’re going to get ripped off.

F23A4

Agreed. In stock form, my 21 A-Spec FWD isnt has quick/fast as my old 19 V6 PAWS; the latter loved to be revved out and has a great linear power delivery with some great sound coming from under the hood. (I've since reflashed my 21 using a K-Tuner and I'm pretty sure I'll walk my old V6 now.)

That said, the Type S at a minimum should walk away from any other TLX.

whiteGSR

Are there ADM's in Quebec or something? I thought there are no ADMs in Canada. Sure they might be very few dealers that will buy the car themselves, and then sell it as a used car and charge more like some are doing for the 2021 CTR, but that's not going to last very long and Canadians don't play that game as that's not the norm, nor is this a GT badge P car.

They will probably force you to buy some accessories initially though, but that's not going to be close to 78K that you are suggesting.

fiatlux

I finally got a chance to test drive the Type S, and it met my expectations. I had said I expected this to feel more dynamic and "fun" in the handling department than the competition, and that held true, at least driving at 7/10ths. There are a few backroads near the dealership I went to, and I was able to take the car alone, so I got some seat time to hit the twisties. Power is good; it's not slow, but it's not OMG fast either (anyone calling this thing a rocketship or very fast probably has never driven fast cars). The car pulls hard, and it has more character (thanks to the noise), but the M340i and S4 both feel like they pull harder, and in the M340i's case the power up top is sublime. The S4 falls a little flat up top, and so does the TLX (maybe even moreso). It's begging for more revs to be an exciting screaming. Having the car shift at 6K RPM is a bit of a letdown. Honestly, I would be OK if they traded some of the lower-end torque for more revs. It's not like it feels faster down low than the competition anyways. A little more turbo lag than both the Audi and BMW, but not terribly so. The Type S feels very similar to the S4's EA839, and not so much like BMW's B58. But, we all knew that, so not much of a surprise. The best I can say is that the engine holds serve; it's not going to be why you buy the car, but it's also not going to be why you don't buy the car. I'd still give the nod to the S4 engine, but just barely.

As for the handling, it's as good as I thought it would be. I previously said I thought the TLX has better steering feel than the BMW, and this is doubly true with the Type S. Nice heavy weight without feeling artificially heavy, communicative, and turn in is sharp. SHAWD works beautifully, no complaints with that. Even on some of the corners where the asphalt was a bit rough, the car was well damped and I never felt like the car was unsettled or the front was going to wash out. The way it just grips reminds me a lot of the Evo X. In the twisties I'd much rather be driving the Type S over the S4 and M340xi. M340i, hard to say because it's RWD, so not really an apples-to-apples comparison.

I previously raved about the braking feel with the TLX, and I'm going to double down on that for the Type S. Braking feel is fantastic, although I didn't do any wild 60-0 tests to see how well they work, but again at 7/10ths driving I have no complaints.

Would I buy it? If I didn't have kids, and if it was priced at MSRP....maybe. I'd take it over the S4/S5 SB because it really does feel more driver-focused and more "racy", even if the S4 is likely a better daily driver. And if this came with a 6MT, I would absolutely take it over the Germans and even the IS500. It's a car that's fun to drive, and since it's probably not going to beat the Audi or BMW at the test track, I just wish Acura would have leaned in even harder on the "fun-to-drive" aspect and offered a 6MT.

sombasol

I havent heard of any dealer in Canada doing adm. even if you put every option/accessory available on the car includeding a cover your not getting over $65,000. Its not even in the same ball park financially in canada as the S5 SB.

fiatlux

One thing I forgot to mention. The transmission...it's OK. It feels as good as the Aisin 8AT used in the Lexus products, but it's nowhere near as good as the ZF8. I did notice that even in Sport+ it will not hold gears if you use the paddles. If you just leave it in automatic it does alright keeping the revs in the powerband, but when you use the paddles you feel like you're constantly fighting with the TCU, and you never quite know whether it's just slow to respond or if it's refusing to do what you're asking. Kind of a bummer, especially at the track, but the transmission logic is pretty good if you just let it do its own thing.

I also didn't get a chance to test out the "launch control", but I figured it's not going to be a particularly interesting test since the demo car was on all-seasons. Without brake torquing or using LC, from a stop the car feels kind of dead until around 15-20mph, but after that it takes off just fine. A stoplight racer this is not (but again, we've beaten that horse to death many times over.

pyrodan007

Type-S is ~64k, S5 SB starts at ~66k. If people can live with the limitations of the Type-S, I'm sure they can do the same with the base S5 SB. My example was extreme, but once you add markups the Type-S' value goes down the drain. Again, Audi has discounts so financially they're not that far from each other.

whiteGSR

Just curious, it looks like you ordered a S5 SB. How much did your end up being with discounts before tax, and what options did you get that is not available on the Type S? Cars are an emotional purchase, I get it. And if you paid ~$10K more because you value virtual cockpit and Audi experience, so be it. But please stop bringing up ADM in order to justify your own purchase.

And who's to say we won't start to see discounts on these next year?

pyrodan007

In Canada, all 240 cars technically have owners. Until we see a final bill and delivery, adm is still possible. ADM is a very real thing in the US, so for people buying the Type-S today it's something they have to consider (I feel bad for people at end of lease wanting it). The people saying the Type-S is a gift from the financial Gods is a lie, it's not that much cheaper if you're careful with options. 5k extra adm on average is far from "stop speaking about adm" ...

I managed to get a 4k discount (plus extra 1k+ manufacture's discount on delivery, TBD) in full chip and Covid situation, Acura using this excuse is pure BS. Make it a 2022 model and pump them out, no more adm. Take the orders at MSRP and make people wait, I guarantee it will sell.

sombasol

there are no mark ups for the
canadian type S’. We havent heard of a single dealership do it.

i dont know how youve come up with those numbers as comparibles, but no options, black vs black, type S vs progressiv (progressiv missing advanced safety assist $1700, 20” wheels $800, sport differential $1950, variable ratio steering $1550, in canada top view camera $1100 that type S has standard, but i guess we can let all that slide because the audi has a digital gauge cluster…). The S5 SB with destination is $68,785 and the TLX is $62,552, even with the Audi being dramatically less well equipped. there is no doubt that the TLX is the value leader here. If you like the A5 SB thats awesome, but if your going to compare the two cars with the same features there is a minimum $10,000 difference in Canada. That doesnt mean i dislike the A5 SB, they are very cool cars, but they do cost a significant amount more, thats not really debatable.

Tony Pac

in Quebec, actually the TLX type S will
cost you almost 70K taxes in. Of course a stupid dealer may charge you mark ups but I visited two dealers and they were honest and told me that they don’t have any available. I have to wait until next batch and no mark up. $62K plus Québec taxes. For 70K it’s a great price in this range. S4 is almost the same price after Audi giving a discount. I am 90% sure once this initial hype has gone. We can get a Type S for $68K in Quebec. It’s a matter of 6-12 months.

Tony Pac

thank you. Your math is good
Check the Quebec prices. Very easy to check Audi.ca and select Quebec lol! I don't know where some members get their info I did not include HUD for Audi as TLX doesn't have it. I tried to have as close as possible these cars in terms of features. BTW, the TYPE S is taxes in. Huge price difference between TYPE S, S4 and forget S5. S5 is in a different league!

pyrodan007

I clearly said base, plus there are discounts which are not advertised on Audi's website. My mistake for the Type-S, should be ~63k (I round up). Again, it's not a 10k difference if someone really wants an S5 SB. Even less for S4.
The Audi does cost more but good luck getting HUD, digital display (standard), laser headlights, animated turn signals, massaged seats (standard, I think), and an open truck space (standard by design) on any Type-S. Like I said before, you're paying less for less features. The open trunk space is easily worth thousands to some, I'm not too worried about the 0-60 versus M340i.

dmski

Comparing it to base Audi and saying they are close in pricing is pointless... There are countless pages of people whining about TLX not having all the bells and whistles included in the Type S. You think any of them will be buying a base Audi? Highly doubt that.

pyrodan007

Saying the Type-S is a better value with features clearly missing and impossible to add is also not a clear and cut answer. We'll leave it at that I guess.

Mak P

This couldn't go in either of those threads

sombasol

Your not getting many of the features you get in the type S in the progressiv.

-hud and digital dash, yes i completely agree not an option on the type S.

laser headlights are not on progressiv, only on technik, and i’d argue the jewel eyes are as good as the lasers and better the standard audi lights.

power folding mirrors- Acura yes audi only technik not progressiv

ambient interior lighting- type S yes, audi only technik not progrossiv

top view camera- type S yes (Canada), audi technik only not progressiv

high end audio- type S yes audi technik only standard audi system on progressiv

heated rear seats, i dont see that on either trim of the audi any more, just fronts. Same as type S.

i see no option for message seats in the S5 SB. Same as the type S.

*last 2 items i cant find any info on, i can only go by audis build tool.


the type S compares more favourably with the technik package, minus hud and digital display but plus larger wheels, included advanced safety, and sport diff. The progressiv package is very bare bones. The closest comparison you can make is the audi S5 Sport back technik, with added sport diff, 20” wheel package and advanced safety, which is $69,200+ $1,950 +$800+$1700= $73,650 CAN pre tax and add ons. This would give you all comparable features +HUD and digital display vs $59,500 for tlx type S. thats $14,150 more for those 2 items difference. The audi will have $2000 incentive i assume you will say? Well 13% tax on even a mere $12,000 difference adds an additional $1,560 in tax back on. There is no way of disecting the comparison between these 2 Cars (in Canada) and saying they are close in pricing for comparable features. They just mathematically arent.

S5 SB is an amazing car, and i certainly would never say someone made a bad decision in getting one, thats your decision and it’s a good one, but the car is way more expensive.

pyrodan007

Interesting though that Acura themselves compares the regular TLX to the 5 series and A6 when the features are not very close either. What I was trying to say is based on preferences the higher tiered cars are not that far off IF BEING CAREFUL ON OPTIONS. If people sacrificed stuff in the advance to get the Type-S, well nothing is stopping them from getting a German performance car. It seems people are happy to get a better engine minus the fancier tech (analogue gauges, touchpad is fine ... etc ). But when starting to compare S5 (or others) to Type-S ... now you have to add every single feature or else it's not the same car. Even though the opposite is sometimes impossible. The Type-S itself is a compromise.

SinCityTLX

I never said I wanted it to be a “rocket” did I. It is far slower than a 340 or Infiniti Red Sport, or IS350. Now I did have 2 other people in the car, but it was definitely not impressive as for power. I’d rather get the new IS500 coming out for the same price, we’ll same price once the idiot Acura dealer gets done trying to sodomize you with $10000 dealer markups.


shit, not with the mark ups they are putting on them.


you can’t be serious….can you?