Acura: TLX News
04-20-2017, 01:21 PM
Moderator
Looks like a Q50/Chevy SS/Altima in the above shot.
04-20-2017, 03:16 PM
You'll Never Walk Alone
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People nowadays expect:
Power
Fuel economy
Quick response
Reliability
Minimal lag
The older Japanese turbo engines don't meet all of the above.
Although I usually don't disagree with you, I have to here Taco...
Currently leasing the ISt and I have to say, it's a pretty damn good car to haul my 2 year old around in.... it's no street racer by any stretch of the imagination, but does perform when pushed while in boost/sport mode. Absolutely love the cabin; what I compare to a proper fitted / tailored suit... this coming from a 6'1" athletic build guy. Getting my daughter in & out of the rear car seat is no issue either - even for my wife who's 5'6" and petite.
In regards to power - plenty of development going on. The most notable is TTi's stage 1 tune on a mustang dyno (no bolt-ons):
204WHP 251WTQ [Stock]
220WHP 295 WTQ [Stage 1]
To say the engine was conservatively tuned from the factory is an understatement... but, they were shooting for reliability, which is what the Toyota / Lexus line is known for.
We drove the '16 TLX, both 2.4 & 3.5... between the lease deal & car as a package at the time, we were underwhelmed.
Currently leasing the ISt and I have to say, it's a pretty damn good car to haul my 2 year old around in.... it's no street racer by any stretch of the imagination, but does perform when pushed while in boost/sport mode. Absolutely love the cabin; what I compare to a proper fitted / tailored suit... this coming from a 6'1" athletic build guy. Getting my daughter in & out of the rear car seat is no issue either - even for my wife who's 5'6" and petite.
In regards to power - plenty of development going on. The most notable is TTi's stage 1 tune on a mustang dyno (no bolt-ons):
204WHP 251WTQ [Stock]
220WHP 295 WTQ [Stage 1]
To say the engine was conservatively tuned from the factory is an understatement... but, they were shooting for reliability, which is what the Toyota / Lexus line is known for.
We drove the '16 TLX, both 2.4 & 3.5... between the lease deal & car as a package at the time, we were underwhelmed.
Then there's the 328i though:
https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/...no-tested.html
240whp. That's why it's that much faster. It's probably harsh to say Toyota makes crappy engines, but I think this is pretty much what Taco is talking about.
04-20-2017, 04:04 PM
Team Owner
I think Lexus builds solid cars overall, however, if you compare their engines to any of their competitors, Lexus/Toyota always seem to be lagging behind, in terms of power and fuel economy. Im Sure they are great engines in terms of reliability and whatever else, but they are generally far from being powerful.
A 2.0T pushing 205hp and 220lbft is anything but stellar. It's enough to get the job done, for sure, but it's no powerhouse. Every other 2.0T that I can think of has it beat. Hell, a mid range mustang, which is far from being a luxury car, and dare I say priced Fairly cheaply, has a 2.0T pushing 300hp and similar torque.
A 2.0T pushing 205hp and 220lbft is anything but stellar. It's enough to get the job done, for sure, but it's no powerhouse. Every other 2.0T that I can think of has it beat. Hell, a mid range mustang, which is far from being a luxury car, and dare I say priced Fairly cheaply, has a 2.0T pushing 300hp and similar torque.
04-20-2017, 04:08 PM
Team Owner
Sorry man, I think I made it confusing. It's true, the Japanese automakers have been making turbo cars for 25-30 years. However, the earlier ones weren't exactly known for good fuel economy and minimal turbo lag. I think these are important factors nowadays. If you look at their compression ratios, they are all pretty low compared to modern day turbocharged engines.
People nowadays expect:
Power
Fuel economy
Quick response
Reliability
Minimal lag
The older Japanese turbo engines don't meet all of the above.
People nowadays expect:
Power
Fuel economy
Quick response
Reliability
Minimal lag
The older Japanese turbo engines don't meet all of the above.
chalk it up to old turbo designs (lag!!) and much shittier tuning (even OEM) back then, compared to now.
04-20-2017, 04:38 PM
04-20-2017, 06:35 PM
Race Director
04-21-2017, 08:56 AM
Moderator
^ Agreed, that Mazda likely has the best 'driver's' cars in the entry segment. Supposedly, the 2.5T should fit, if some aspiring engine-swapper wanted to give it a go.
I think OVTuning is/was looking into it.
As far as underpowered, the 2.5 6MT Mazda3 is pretty peppy, as was the 6MT Mazda6 I drove a few years ago. Both felt at least as quick as my 2G TL.
I think OVTuning is/was looking into it.
As far as underpowered, the 2.5 6MT Mazda3 is pretty peppy, as was the 6MT Mazda6 I drove a few years ago. Both felt at least as quick as my 2G TL.
04-21-2017, 12:38 PM
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Older Japanese NA engines don't meet all of the above either. Plenty of Toyota aristos and supras from the 90s from Japan still rolling around Edmonton here with turbo engines. They were pushing 300hp, and are reliable. As far as fuel economy and lag goes, I can't comment, but again, equivalent NA engines weren't significantly better.
chalk it up to old turbo designs (lag!!) and much shittier tuning (even OEM) back then, compared to now.
chalk it up to old turbo designs (lag!!) and much shittier tuning (even OEM) back then, compared to now.
The Toyota turbo engines back then were reliable and can handle a lot of power too. But ya..fuel economy...that's a different story.
NA engines don't really suffer from turbo lag......you mean they lack power and torque?
04-21-2017, 02:37 PM
204whp sounds about right for a car that is about 3700-3800lb that does 0-60mph in mid 6 to high 6's, trapping at 90-95mph.
Then there's the 328i though:
https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/...no-tested.html
240whp. That's why it's that much faster. It's probably harsh to say Toyota makes crappy engines, but I think this is pretty much what Taco is talking about.
Then there's the 328i though:
https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/...no-tested.html
240whp. That's why it's that much faster. It's probably harsh to say Toyota makes crappy engines, but I think this is pretty much what Taco is talking about.
I think Lexus builds solid cars overall, however, if you compare their engines to any of their competitors, Lexus/Toyota always seem to be lagging behind, in terms of power and fuel economy. Im Sure they are great engines in terms of reliability and whatever else, but they are generally far from being powerful.
A 2.0T pushing 205hp and 220lbft is anything but stellar. It's enough to get the job done, for sure, but it's no powerhouse. Every other 2.0T that I can think of has it beat. Hell, a mid range mustang, which is far from being a luxury car, and dare I say priced Fairly cheaply, has a 2.0T pushing 300hp and similar torque.
A 2.0T pushing 205hp and 220lbft is anything but stellar. It's enough to get the job done, for sure, but it's no powerhouse. Every other 2.0T that I can think of has it beat. Hell, a mid range mustang, which is far from being a luxury car, and dare I say priced Fairly cheaply, has a 2.0T pushing 300hp and similar torque.
Either way, a tune with bolt-ons would definitely open her up big time.
04-21-2017, 03:36 PM
Team Owner
Also you don't want to get too close to the IS350 performance #s, which is not all that impressive by today's standard.
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Marcelechka (04-21-2017)
04-21-2017, 03:54 PM
^ Absolutely right
Won't take much to get you past the IS350 either; dyno'd at 262hp (mustang dyno) to the wheels...
ISt is the better platform to mod, that's for sure.
Won't take much to get you past the IS350 either; dyno'd at 262hp (mustang dyno) to the wheels...
ISt is the better platform to mod, that's for sure.
04-24-2017, 12:04 PM
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Over at the Club Lexus forums, it's well documented that the stock turbo is putting out 30psi, but the ecu is regulating down to 17.4psi... that's a significant drop in power if you ask me. One could only wonder why they did what they did; but, reliability i'm certain played a huge role as this is their first turbo-4?
Either way, a tune with bolt-ons would definitely open her up big time.
Either way, a tune with bolt-ons would definitely open her up big time.
04-25-2017, 07:30 AM
Yup, that's what they've documented in the development community...
04-25-2017, 10:53 AM
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haha ya, That's definitely possible. Running that high all the time is very risky though. For instance, the CLA 45AMG's 2.0T engine makes 380hp, and is running 26psi.
04-25-2017, 11:43 AM
Team Owner
I think relatively speaking, the NA engines at that time met all of the above. Well, I guess it depends on which engines we are talking about. But in general, the turbocharged engines back then did have lag issue.
The Toyota turbo engines back then were reliable and can handle a lot of power too. But ya..fuel economy...that's a different story.
NA engines don't really suffer from turbo lag......you mean they lack power and torque?
The Toyota turbo engines back then were reliable and can handle a lot of power too. But ya..fuel economy...that's a different story.
NA engines don't really suffer from turbo lag......you mean they lack power and torque?
04-25-2017, 11:52 AM
04-25-2017, 02:30 PM
Turd Polisher
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Turbo technology has gotten much better.
Hell, my 16 year old Borgwarner K03s were pushing 10psi from the factory in 2001 ... and been at 17psi for the last 70,000 miles.
Hell, my 16 year old Borgwarner K03s were pushing 10psi from the factory in 2001 ... and been at 17psi for the last 70,000 miles.
04-25-2017, 02:35 PM
Team Owner
I am still surprised how quickly the market has shifted in the past several years.
We went for N/A dominated market to FI in seems over night.
We went for N/A dominated market to FI in seems over night.
04-26-2017, 08:56 AM
Azine Jabroni
It is pretty nuts. When I bought my B7 A4, the big gripe on US News and other reviewers was the turbo engine. Now, every car in the class not only has a 2.0T standard, most of them don't even offer a 6 cylinder without a performance model.
04-26-2017, 01:54 PM
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The main driving force is to meet those emission regulations. To pass those tests, it's much easier to meet those emissions levels by having a small displacement engine. Manufacturers can design engines such that the engine does not have to tap into any boost during the test. By adding boost, you can have a small displacement engine without losing power when you need it.
04-26-2017, 03:12 PM
04-27-2017, 12:44 PM
04-27-2017, 03:07 PM
2017 tlx aspec
My last four cars have been Acuras.
I've owned an EL, TSX, TL and today the 2017 TLX Tech-ASPEC model. I've loved all my Acuras and their premium audio except for the poor system that came with the 2017 TLX. Something went wrong. Acura won't admit it but premium on TLX today sounds like a tin can!
Anyway, it looks amazing with the ASPEC package so I will just upgrade the sound. Going with JL Audio (FIX86, XD700/5, HO subwoofer and C5 component speakers). Acura's bad, will turn out awesome.
Just one question, does anyone know if JL Audio 6.5 inch speakers will fit into the front doors. The factory speakers are 6.5 inches but may be shallow. If anyone has installed JL Audio, please let me know. Thanks
I've owned an EL, TSX, TL and today the 2017 TLX Tech-ASPEC model. I've loved all my Acuras and their premium audio except for the poor system that came with the 2017 TLX. Something went wrong. Acura won't admit it but premium on TLX today sounds like a tin can!
Anyway, it looks amazing with the ASPEC package so I will just upgrade the sound. Going with JL Audio (FIX86, XD700/5, HO subwoofer and C5 component speakers). Acura's bad, will turn out awesome.
Just one question, does anyone know if JL Audio 6.5 inch speakers will fit into the front doors. The factory speakers are 6.5 inches but may be shallow. If anyone has installed JL Audio, please let me know. Thanks
04-27-2017, 04:52 PM
Moderator
My last four cars have been Acuras.
I've owned an EL, TSX, TL and today the 2017 TLX Tech-ASPEC model. I've loved all my Acuras and their premium audio except for the poor system that came with the 2017 TLX. Something went wrong. Acura won't admit it but premium on TLX today sounds like a tin can!
Anyway, it looks amazing with the ASPEC package so I will just upgrade the sound. Going with JL Audio (FIX86, XD700/5, HO subwoofer and C5 component speakers). Acura's bad, will turn out awesome.
Just one question, does anyone know if JL Audio 6.5 inch speakers will fit into the front doors. The factory speakers are 6.5 inches but may be shallow. If anyone has installed JL Audio, please let me know. Thanks
I've owned an EL, TSX, TL and today the 2017 TLX Tech-ASPEC model. I've loved all my Acuras and their premium audio except for the poor system that came with the 2017 TLX. Something went wrong. Acura won't admit it but premium on TLX today sounds like a tin can!
Anyway, it looks amazing with the ASPEC package so I will just upgrade the sound. Going with JL Audio (FIX86, XD700/5, HO subwoofer and C5 component speakers). Acura's bad, will turn out awesome.
Just one question, does anyone know if JL Audio 6.5 inch speakers will fit into the front doors. The factory speakers are 6.5 inches but may be shallow. If anyone has installed JL Audio, please let me know. Thanks
04-27-2017, 05:01 PM
Team Owner
04-27-2017, 06:08 PM
Race Director
My last four cars have been Acuras.
I've owned an EL, TSX, TL and today the 2017 TLX Tech-ASPEC model. I've loved all my Acuras and their premium audio except for the poor system that came with the 2017 TLX. Something went wrong. Acura won't admit it but premium on TLX today sounds like a tin can!
Anyway, it looks amazing with the ASPEC package so I will just upgrade the sound. Going with JL Audio (FIX86, XD700/5, HO subwoofer and C5 component speakers). Acura's bad, will turn out awesome.
Just one question, does anyone know if JL Audio 6.5 inch speakers will fit into the front doors. The factory speakers are 6.5 inches but may be shallow. If anyone has installed JL Audio, please let me know. Thanks
I've owned an EL, TSX, TL and today the 2017 TLX Tech-ASPEC model. I've loved all my Acuras and their premium audio except for the poor system that came with the 2017 TLX. Something went wrong. Acura won't admit it but premium on TLX today sounds like a tin can!
Anyway, it looks amazing with the ASPEC package so I will just upgrade the sound. Going with JL Audio (FIX86, XD700/5, HO subwoofer and C5 component speakers). Acura's bad, will turn out awesome.
Just one question, does anyone know if JL Audio 6.5 inch speakers will fit into the front doors. The factory speakers are 6.5 inches but may be shallow. If anyone has installed JL Audio, please let me know. Thanks
04-28-2017, 01:23 PM
I'm certain it's because people we're running the shit out of those little engines... at 26psi from the factory; shit, I'm sure it's a blast... but, as for long time reliability, that's questionable... especially if you have a heavy right foot.
05-12-2017, 07:43 PM
I thought the old grill looked bad, until I saw this. This new front end makes the old one look amazing!
At least they added some exhaust tips finally.
At least they added some exhaust tips finally.
05-18-2017, 09:36 AM
Race Director
Car & Driver's first review of the new 2018 TLX A-Spec w/SH-AWD:
2018 Acura TLX: Despite appearances, it's actually more than just a nose job
"Acura seems to be rediscovering the balance and flow that makes a vehicle engaging to drive. The real question is how much people will pay for it. The 2018 TLX line will go on sale in June and start at $34K, but stepping into an AWD A-Spec will cost $45,750, territory occupied by the usual gang of entry-level European sports-sedan competitors. The Acura makes a more compelling case for itself than before, however, with a chassis that is better at facilitating a good time."
2018 Acura TLX: Despite appearances, it's actually more than just a nose job
"Acura seems to be rediscovering the balance and flow that makes a vehicle engaging to drive. The real question is how much people will pay for it. The 2018 TLX line will go on sale in June and start at $34K, but stepping into an AWD A-Spec will cost $45,750, territory occupied by the usual gang of entry-level European sports-sedan competitors. The Acura makes a more compelling case for itself than before, however, with a chassis that is better at facilitating a good time."
Last edited by neuronbob; 05-18-2017 at 12:12 PM.
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00TL-P3.2 (05-19-2017)
05-18-2017, 09:53 AM
Team Owner
Link doesn't work.
05-18-2017, 12:12 PM
Senior Moderator
Fixed it above.
05-18-2017, 12:32 PM
You'll Never Walk Alone
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Motor Trend also posted their first drive review:
2018 Acura TLX First Drive Review: Luxury AND Logic
Both C/D and Motor Trend reviews seem pretty positive. I don't quite get C/D's concern about the cost. It's almost always been the case that a fully loaded Acura would step into the price range of entry-level European sports-sedans. For instance, for the price of the TLX A-Spec AWD at $45k, that's pretty much the starting point of a BMW 330i X Drive M Sport. Once you start loading it to match the TLX in features, such as heated seats, LED lights, navi, adaptive cruise control, carplay, premium sound system, blind spot indicator, moonroof, parking camera, etc, it's closer to $60k.
2018 Acura TLX First Drive Review: Luxury AND Logic
Value remains the best reason to buy a TLX, but with the 2018 model going on sale in June, it’s far from the only one. The A-Spec variant is more fun to drive and showy than other TLXs have ever been before, yet each model would make a good commuter. Fuel efficiency and brand status aren’t the car’s strong suits, but the 2018 TLX is more worthy of consideration than it’s been before. And with standard active safety tech, you’ll experience features that might have been out of reach on nonloaded first-tier luxury brand alternatives.
05-18-2017, 01:21 PM
Team Owner
That is the thing. You are still playing the "value" card in the luxury segment.... i am not sure how many times the market has to tell Acura IT DOES NOT WORK WELL.
Last edited by oonowindoo; 05-18-2017 at 01:24 PM.
05-18-2017, 01:32 PM
You'll Never Walk Alone
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Of course. But they can't suddenly charge $60k for the TLX when it's just a MMC.....
Even for a new gen, they can't all of a sudden be charging BMW money....Cadillac is doing that and it's not doing too well.
They need to UP their game, but still keep pricing lower. Do that for may be a decade or two to bring the the prestige level up, then we can start talking about pricing their cars at the same level as the German brands.
Even for a new gen, they can't all of a sudden be charging BMW money....Cadillac is doing that and it's not doing too well.
They need to UP their game, but still keep pricing lower. Do that for may be a decade or two to bring the the prestige level up, then we can start talking about pricing their cars at the same level as the German brands.
Last edited by iforyou; 05-18-2017 at 01:35 PM.
05-18-2017, 01:56 PM
Team Owner
They will have to offer better products than Germans and charge less... once they have enough buyers and pose a real threat in sales number, and that is how they can slowly adjust their pricing.
But by simply charging less for inferior products don't work in this segment. It has worked before but not anymore. Your comparison between the V6 SHAWD TLX vs. a 4 banger 330 just proved that point.
But by simply charging less for inferior products don't work in this segment. It has worked before but not anymore. Your comparison between the V6 SHAWD TLX vs. a 4 banger 330 just proved that point.
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juniorbean (05-18-2017)
05-18-2017, 02:07 PM
I am sure TLX is faster, quieter, fuel efficient and will pull more gs with right size and summer tires. That bmw 3 series is piece of crap. you can see this in used car lots pricing.
05-18-2017, 02:17 PM
Team Owner
You just killed the discussion.
We should ask Mod to change your SN to Thread Killa
We should ask Mod to change your SN to Thread Killa
05-18-2017, 02:21 PM
Team Owner
05-18-2017, 02:43 PM
Moderator