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Yay, a long-ass neuronbob wall of text! I mean, review! Haven’t done one of these in a while.I test drove the Acura TLX type S today and liked it.
As regulars in the group may recall, the wait for the type S to be released was so long that I looked elsewhere and ultimately got an excellent deal on an RLX Sport Hybrid. Further, I added a Grom VLine so now I have Apple CarPlay in the RLX SH. I’ve been enjoying that car for the almost five months now. In particular, I am enamored by the features including the 360° cameras, the heads up display, and the Krell sound system. I drove my RLX SH to the Acura dealership.
I want to give kudos to the salesman I spoke with at Crown Acura near Cleveland. The test drive happened because I met the owner of the dealership and his son at a car show last week, at which he was displaying a 2019 NSX and the TLX Type S, and I was displaying my NA2 NSX. While this is not my usual Acura dealership, this is the only dealership in town that still had its demo model, so I took the owner up on his invitation.
I will not comment much on the looks of the car (fabulous, love it, designers did awesome!) or the functionality of the infotainment system (ehhhhh…..but I can get used to it) because I have commented on those before and, mostly I am interested in the actual driving experience. As you can see in the pictures, it has all of the carbon fiber add-ons.
Interior: The interior is much higher quality than in the first generation TLX. The seats are quite comfortable. I do miss the adjustable thigh bolster of the first generation TLX. Then again, my RLX also does not have thigh bolster support, but the seats in that car are long enough to support my long thighs. The interior is not quite as well put together as the RLX’s interior, and just like in the lower TLX trims, there’s hard plastic on the door bottoms and almost anyplace that’s not a direct touch area. Then again, the RLX was meant to appeal to a different price point, so leather all the way down the door and on the center console. The steering wheel, with its perforated region right at nine and three, is thick enough for my hands and is very comfortable to touch. However, it was not quite as thick and meaty as the first generation A-Spec that I owned.
Driving experience:
The sound is the first thing I noticed. I did most of the test drive in Sport + and Sport, with a bit of Normal on the freeway. The unbaffled sound, while not too noticeable from the outside, is a whole different experience inside. The car SOUNDS aggressive. Very enjoyable, could use an exhaust mod, even so. @Heeltoe_Automotive , where ya at? (Kidding, I know you're working on this.)
Mechanical SH-AWD. It’s easier to activate than in my prior TLX A-Spec, and in my RLX Sport Hybrid. It corners not quite flat, but with considerably less body roll than either the prior TLX, or the RLX. I’ve also driven the new A-Spec in the past, and the handling in turns is sharper. It’s a whole different beast from the RLX (obviously), in that the RLX has more body roll in the turns.
Suspension. Even in Sport + mode, the suspension is relatively supple. Similar to A-Spec suspensions of the past, the Type S manages to soak up bumps on the road, including expansion joints and even mildly rough road patches, without rattling the interior, and providing what appears to me to be short enough travel to avoid bobbing as would be noticeable in my RLX. The adaptive suspension definitely does its job here.
Steering. I can turn the car through a corner without moving my hands from 9 and 3, my preferred hand positions. MUCH sharper than the old TLX A-Spec, the new TLX A-Spec, and certainly sharper than the RLX.
Transmission and transmission control: Shifts are crisp and short, but not supercar-quick as in the RLX SH’s DCT. Doesn’t seem to hunt for gears. I appreciate how in Sport + mode, gears are held for a bit longer, especially in turns.
It sounds faster than it is because of the (piped in?) sound. I’d say the acceleration feel is similar to my RLX Sport Hybrid when the RLX is in Sport Mode, but the TLX sounds like I wish the RLX would sound. 355 hp is actually not too shabby in this car, despite what the haters say. Would I have preferred 400 hp? Duh, obviously. For a daily driver, though, what the car has now will do just fine and no one will ever lack for passing speed unless you're trying to pass my twin-turbo NA2 NSX, at which point, I'd ask, "what are you thinking"? I can hardly wait to see what Hondata and KTuner do for this drivetrain, though. I think 400 hp will be attainable.
This car is big like the RLX. It needs 360 degree cameras. Really. Please add this, Acura.
No HUD, but the digital speedo is so large that I could probably live without a HUD. Even so, it’s better to have the speedo display over the place where you’re looking at the road. Please add, Acura.
So now that I’ve test driven it, the big question is, should I have waited a few more weeks for official release instead of buying the RLX SH? Tough question, leaning toward a “yes, I should have waited”. Had I not found a good deal on a RLX, I’d probably be in a blue TLX Type S today. I definitely liked the TLX Type S. It’s a fun car to drive, and gives you a sporty feel in a daily driver sedan. It looks good, too. Even so, I’m leaning toward keeping my RLX SH for now because I want Advance features in the Type S. I’ll have to make a decision soon.
Pricing note: The Type S I test drove still has a $2500 ADM on it, see picture. At my primary Acura dealer, I was offered a MSRP deal.
Tough decision...pics of the car I drove below...
Or should I just buy the 2008 Type S that Crown has on its used lot, with 137k miles, for $12.9k? Someone obviously must have traded it in for a new Type S.
Wow, beautiful NSX and great objective review. Having paid MSRP and since I'm in Canada all the features are standard including surround view cameras. Only missing option is HUD. No regrets here and appreciate the car the more I drive it.
Wow, beautiful NSX and great objective review. Having paid MSRP and since I'm in Canada all the features are standard including surround view cameras. Only missing option is HUD. No regrets here and appreciate the car the more I drive it.
Also, LED Foglights and Heated Rear Seats are missing from the Canadian TLX Type-S too.
I'll bet you can sell that RLX SH for what you paid for it!
That's a beautiful TLX Type S - my salesman at Motorcars Acura (Chip) told me they had all their Type S's presold. I'm glad they didn't have any on the lot - would have been mighty tempting.
I'll bet you can sell that RLX SH for what you paid for it!
That's a beautiful TLX Type S - my salesman at Motorcars Acura (Chip) told me they had all their Type S's presold. I'm glad they didn't have any on the lot - would have been mighty tempting.
@CheeseyPoofs McNut Motorcars has also been my preferred Acura dealer for 20 years now, and is where I have all my Acuras serviced. They are awesome. Small world! I went to Crown because Motorcars sold their blue demo. They held it for 60 days, pre-sold, and then "poof" away it went. They have a few build slots upcoming, and no ADM, which is what prompted me to test drive.
The reason this decision is difficult is because *right now* is the most money I'll ever get for selling my RLX SH...but I want to wait until Acura puts more Advance trim features in the Type S before pulling the trigger. It's not a race car, after all, it's already heavy, and it's not like adding 30-40 more pounds of stuff will hurt the performance. Had I not jumped early and bought the RLX with all the toys, I'd already be in a Type S.
Basicly 63K for that car should be easy to pass up. Just too much better to choose from when you are at that price range and it doesn't even have the nice wheels.
Bob, I felt the same way on many points you made. At the end of the day, I just don't think the new Type S is worth $63,000. Even at the base price of $54,000....no. Plus, they're adding in a $2,500 "Market Value Adjustment" of $2,500....just laugh at them....PLEASE! Market Adjustments on an Acura...even a Type S...NO!
By the way, I traded in my 2007 Type S (3rd Generation) for $6,000....Kelly Blue Book said it was worth $4,000 (with 144,000 miles on the clock). So that Silver 3rd Gen Type S at $12,900 is priced WAY too high.
Bob, I felt the same way on many points you made. At the end of the day, I just don't think the new Type S is worth $63,000. Even at the base price of $54,000....no. Plus, they're adding in a $2,500 "Market Value Adjustment" of $2,500....just laugh at them....PLEASE! Market Adjustments on an Acura...even a Type S...NO!
By the way, I traded in my 2007 Type S (3rd Generation) for $6,000....Kelly Blue Book said it was worth $4,000 (with 144,000 miles on the clock). So that Silver 3rd Gen Type S at $12,900 is priced WAY too high.
Acura dealers are not what they used to be. This kind of window sticker addendum with 10+ garbage add-ons AND additional mark up is highly offensive and ridiculous. Just garbage. Dealer that I like doesn't have any of this crap on their Type S models. They will sell for MSRP, which I agree with others here is high as it is. Type S should have started at $45K Base and $50K for non-existent Advance Type S. But regular 2.0T Advance is $49K which is stupidity in it's own. So once again, Acura overpromised and underdelivered. What was the reasoning behind jacking up base TLX from $33K to $38K? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. At $38K base, SHAWD should have been standard on ALL trims, period. Quick search of Advance TLX on cars.com or whatever platform you want returns listings that have snow in the pictures...in September...Cars have been sitting on lots since last Winter, 8+ months. Probably a reason why TLX comes with $2500 instant rebate, no other Acura has it. Numbers don't lie. Anyway...great write up as usual Bob. Thank you
I saw a $40K Accord at a Honda dealership once. It was like $10k+ in add ons
They're still doing it. Some Honda dealers around me have no problem putting $40K+ tags on Accords. It's comical but the problem isn't the dealer. It's the people who play their game and pay these inflated prices. If people would just stop doing it, dealers would have no choice but to reel their greed back in.
WTAF #1...and with 86k miles, too? These were $7k cars all day long 18 months ago.
Originally Posted by kurtatx
I saw a $40K Accord at a Honda dealership once. It was like $10k+ in add ons
WTAF #2. I owned a 10G Accord...I love the 10G Accord...but no f-ing way am I paying anyplace close to $40k for a 10G Accord.
Just more evidence that the car market in general is bonkers. Hoping the semiconductor chip situation is sorted out in the next few months. I'm waiting on that bubble to pop.
WTAF #1...and with 86k miles, too? These were $7k cars all day long 18 months ago.
WTAF #2. I owned a 10G Accord...I love the 10G Accord...but no f-ing way am I paying anyplace close to $40k for a 10G Accord.
Just more evidence that the car market in general is bonkers. Hoping the semiconductor chip situation is sorted out in the next few months. I'm waiting on that bubble to pop.
I told my local Acura sales guy to enjoy AMD on the Type S while they can get it because once the damn breaks and the 2022s roll in the gravy train is ending.
They're still doing it. Some Honda dealers around me have no problem putting $40K+ tags on Accords. It's comical but the problem isn't the dealer. It's the people who play their game and pay these inflated prices. If people would just stop doing it, dealers would have no choice but to reel their greed back in.
The same can be said about the arrogant, a-hole dealers who stick their nasty logos on the back of cars. If more people would just say "NO" they'd stop doing it.
WTAF #1...and with 86k miles, too? These were $7k cars all day long 18 months ago.
WTAF #2. I owned a 10G Accord...I love the 10G Accord...but no f-ing way am I paying anyplace close to $40k for a 10G Accord.
Just more evidence that the car market in general is bonkers. Hoping the semiconductor chip situation is sorted out in the next few months. I'm waiting on that bubble to pop.
That's funny, I LITERALLY said to my friend yesterday (after showing him this link) that TL is a $8K car, T O P S!!! You can find (well, used to) 4th Gen SH-AWD 6MT for $20K with that many miles.
People are paying close to $40K these days for 1.5T Accords, not even 2.0T. I've seen some 2.0T Sport go for $42-43K. I used to think I overpaid for my 2.0T 6MT ($28K). Now for that price you're lucky to get the 1.5T CVT LX. Madness. Just pure madness.
Originally Posted by robnalex
The same can be said about the arrogant, a-hole dealers who stick their nasty logos on the back of cars. If more people would just say "NO" they'd stop doing it.
Ohhhh, my pet peeve! It just rubs me wrong. My favorite is seeing a Camry or Lexus driving around with a Joe-Shmoe Chevy sticker and license plate frame. Not only you're a driving billboard and an ad but it's not even the right OEM. I take them both off in front of them during delivery and hand it to salesman to throw away.
WTAF #1...and with 86k miles, too? These were $7k cars all day long 18 months ago.
WTAF #2. I owned a 10G Accord...I love the 10G Accord...but no f-ing way am I paying anyplace close to $40k for a 10G Accord.
Just more evidence that the car market in general is bonkers. Hoping the semiconductor chip situation is sorted out in the next few months. I'm waiting on that bubble to pop.
The world has changed to say the least, IDK but guessing most of that was used car prices and the pandemic but some was also 3G Type-S 6MT's are sought out and also it was BaT.
In terms of chip shortage (I was once a chip engineer),probably it will be Q1-Q2 in 2022 from what I'm reading. Fab slot allocation at TSMC and others silicon foundries are still very tight
Yay, a long-ass neuronbob wall of text! I mean, review! Haven’t done one of these in a while.I test drove the Acura TLX type S today and liked it.
As regulars in the group may recall, the wait for the type S to be released was so long that I looked elsewhere and ultimately got an excellent deal on an RLX Sport Hybrid. Further, I added a Grom VLine so now I have Apple CarPlay in the RLX SH. I’ve been enjoying that car for the almost five months now. In particular, I am enamored by the features including the 360° cameras, the heads up display, and the Krell sound system. I drove my RLX SH to the Acura dealership.
I want to give kudos to the salesman I spoke with at Crown Acura near Cleveland. The test drive happened because I met the owner of the dealership and his son at a car show last week, at which he was displaying a 2019 NSX and the TLX Type S, and I was displaying my NA2 NSX. While this is not my usual Acura dealership, this is the only dealership in town that still had its demo model, so I took the owner up on his invitation.
I will not comment much on the looks of the car (fabulous, love it, designers did awesome!) or the functionality of the infotainment system (ehhhhh…..but I can get used to it) because I have commented on those before and, mostly I am interested in the actual driving experience. As you can see in the pictures, it has all of the carbon fiber add-ons.
Interior: The interior is much higher quality than in the first generation TLX. The seats are quite comfortable. I do miss the adjustable thigh bolster of the first generation TLX. Then again, my RLX also does not have thigh bolster support, but the seats in that car are long enough to support my long thighs. The interior is not quite as well put together as the RLX’s interior, and just like in the lower TLX trims, there’s hard plastic on the door bottoms and almost anyplace that’s not a direct touch area. Then again, the RLX was meant to appeal to a different price point, so leather all the way down the door and on the center console. The steering wheel, with its perforated region right at nine and three, is thick enough for my hands and is very comfortable to touch. However, it was not quite as thick and meaty as the first generation A-Spec that I owned.
Driving experience:
The sound is the first thing I noticed. I did most of the test drive in Sport + and Sport, with a bit of Normal on the freeway. The unbaffled sound, while not too noticeable from the outside, is a whole different experience inside. The car SOUNDS aggressive. Very enjoyable, could use an exhaust mod, even so. @Heeltoe_Automotive , where ya at? (Kidding, I know you're working on this.)
Mechanical SH-AWD. It’s easier to activate than in my prior TLX A-Spec, and in my RLX Sport Hybrid. It corners not quite flat, but with considerably less body roll than either the prior TLX, or the RLX. I’ve also driven the new A-Spec in the past, and the handling in turns is sharper. It’s a whole different beast from the RLX (obviously), in that the RLX has more body roll in the turns.
Suspension. Even in Sport + mode, the suspension is relatively supple. Similar to A-Spec suspensions of the past, the Type S manages to soak up bumps on the road, including expansion joints and even mildly rough road patches, without rattling the interior, and providing what appears to me to be short enough travel to avoid bobbing as would be noticeable in my RLX. The adaptive suspension definitely does its job here.
Steering. I can turn the car through a corner without moving my hands from 9 and 3, my preferred hand positions. MUCH sharper than the old TLX A-Spec, the new TLX A-Spec, and certainly sharper than the RLX.
Transmission and transmission control: Shifts are crisp and short, but not supercar-quick as in the RLX SH’s DCT. Doesn’t seem to hunt for gears. I appreciate how in Sport + mode, gears are held for a bit longer, especially in turns.
It sounds faster than it is because of the (piped in?) sound. I’d say the acceleration feel is similar to my RLX Sport Hybrid when the RLX is in Sport Mode, but the TLX sounds like I wish the RLX would sound. 355 hp is actually not too shabby in this car, despite what the haters say. Would I have preferred 400 hp? Duh, obviously. For a daily driver, though, what the car has now will do just fine and no one will ever lack for passing speed unless you're trying to pass my twin-turbo NA2 NSX, at which point, I'd ask, "what are you thinking"? I can hardly wait to see what Hondata and KTuner do for this drivetrain, though. I think 400 hp will be attainable.
This car is big like the RLX. It needs 360 degree cameras. Really. Please add this, Acura.
No HUD, but the digital speedo is so large that I could probably live without a HUD. Even so, it’s better to have the speedo display over the place where you’re looking at the road. Please add, Acura.
So now that I’ve test driven it, the big question is, should I have waited a few more weeks for official release instead of buying the RLX SH? Tough question, leaning toward a “yes, I should have waited”. Had I not found a good deal on a RLX, I’d probably be in a blue TLX Type S today. I definitely liked the TLX Type S. It’s a fun car to drive, and gives you a sporty feel in a daily driver sedan. It looks good, too. Even so, I’m leaning toward keeping my RLX SH for now because I want Advance features in the Type S. I’ll have to make a decision soon.
Pricing note: The Type S I test drove still has a $2500 ADM on it, see picture. At my primary Acura dealer, I was offered a MSRP deal.
Tough decision...pics of the car I drove below...
Or should I just buy the 2008 Type S that Crown has on its used lot, with 137k miles, for $12.9k? Someone obviously must have traded it in for a new Type S.
First off, this is great review.
Second, I wanted to amplify something you mentioned. This is a big car. When we bought '19 RDX once of the things I loved about it was that it was (and felt) significantly smaller than the Murano we replaced. But the interior and cargo room didn't feel smaller. It has great packaging. The TLX is the opposite. It is sized like a midsized sedan but doesn't have that level of interior or trunk room. It's like they were more focused on style (which looks great!) and less concerned with functional space. So while the RDX felt like sensible choice that was also fun to drive with the SH-AWD, this doesn't feel sensible at all.
Question becomes, is it enough fun to overcome? For me, it's not. It handled great for it's size (much better than the G80 I just drove), but it still felt like a great handling larger car rather than a great handling car. The difference between this and my 2016 CTS V-Sport is striking. They're about the same length but CTS is (and feels) much narrower. The Cadillac drives like a much smaller and lighter car. I often forget that I am in a midsize sedan rather than compact one.
I should also mention that my Cadillac also has about 80 more hp, but I never felt that the Type S was underpowered or needed more engine, although I did feel a couple times like the transmission lagged a bit when I was entering highway or passing someone.
Net net, I liked the Type S, didn't love it. And I really wanted to (have been super happy with the RDX from utility and reliability standpoint). It's super sexy, I like the interior, but ultimately since it doesn't offer any benefit with being larger than S4 or C C Class or 3/4 Series I will likely buy one of those (or CT4 Blackwing if I can get comfortable in smaller interior) because they are and drive smaller. Or maybe I'll just wait and see what the next Integra is gonna be...
The CT4 is a tiny, tiny car with a back seat meant for small children. I haven’t tried the CT4 Blackwing, but it’s simply too small. By comparison, the TLX’s rear seats are limo-sized…and they are pretty small themselves .
As far as the A4 and C-class, you pay more, but you get more luxury, too. TLX Type is a bargain in comparison (assuming MSRP or less deal, the ADMs being asked are insane.
09-11-2021, 08:44 PM
