fsttyms1

I just dont get why Acura has so limited interior options with the exterior color. Its not like a specific color wont fit

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Because Acura does not take custom orders. By limiting the choices, it theoretically allows them a more streamlined and efficient manufacturing process.

Of course, it probably also costs them a few sales.

alex2364

Colors are the least of their worries when it comes to costing them sales.

ttribe

Because Honda.

Choices cost money and cheap is the Honda way to go.

Boulder TSX

According to Car & Driver it has real wood trim.

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/201...-and-info-news

"Inside, the one-piece upper dashboard surface is soft touch, while the instrument panel, center stack, and door panels are embellished with aluminum and/or genuine wood trim. "

oonowindoo

AZ should be running Acura division!!


I really would like to hear what is their rationale on NOT offering red interior?
IS350 F sport with red interior and 3/4 series with red interiors are selling like hot cakes. So it is not like there is no buyers for it.

Also instead of the stupid fake wood, why not offering Piano black with brushed aluminum trim? or at least have the option.
Acura does not have to worry about offering something TOO good that is not offered in their upper level cars because they do not have any in reality.

So they should offer the best of everything in the TLX (even tho red interior and fake piano black trim really does not cost any more than fake wood and black interior).

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

It's too bad...it's like on some cars, if I want to get HID's, I also need to pay $3k more for a premium pkg before I can get HID's.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Not surprised.

oonowindoo

1. at least you have the option to get it. You just have to pay for it.
2. Or you can just get the higher trim cars. For example, You want HID to be standard, get 335, not 328. If you want Navi to be standard, get 5 series.

Boulder TSX

I'll post this again...

According to Car & Driver the TLX has real wood trim.

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/201...-and-info-news

"Inside, the one-piece upper dashboard surface is soft touch, while the instrument panel, center stack, and door panels are embellished with aluminum and/or genuine wood trim. "

dom

I thought it was pretty clear that 4 cylinders cars get the DCT and V6's get the 9AT?

alex2364

I see a lot of people online ordering cars with red interiors, but I almost have never seen an in stock car with red interior. Every 3/4 series I've seen sitting in dealer lots have been black or beige interior. I'm personally tired of the black/beige/gray interiors so I wish dealers would order more cars with red/ivory/terra/saddle brown.

charliemike

Audi used to have a lot more variety than they do now. I saw a RS7 with a maroon diamond stitched interior that I thought was fantastic. Oddly, the S5 has more color options than the RS5, S6, S7, and RS7 combined. You can get Chesnut and Red on the S5. You'd need to pony up $4k for Audi Exclusive Interiors to get red leather in the RS7.

Maybe this is just another way we suck as a culture. We all get white cars with beige interiors or silver cars with grey interiors. Every once in a while someone gets black often enough for them to still offer it.

I don't blame Acura. They are giving dealers and customers what they want. There's no point building cars with red interiors if they won't sell. I have little doubt that Acura's marketing invests a LOT of money on market research for the right hues for their paint and leather. That they're all bland says a lot about who Acura thinks is their core buyer (or who IS their core buyer).

Many of the people on this board are owners of used Acuras, not the first owner. Acura probably hasn't done any market research on those people because who gives a shit what some 19-year old wants when he's the third owner of a car?

Of course that drives people like you and me to look elsewhere. Though the color of the leather is so far down my list of reasons the TLX disappoints me, it's almost irrelevant.

oonowindoo

It could be a LA thing.

But there are a lot of 3/4 series with red interior on the road. Usually unless the car is special ordered by customer, any stock cars with red interior get sold right away. So you rarely get to see in at the dealership maybe except for the 1 or 2 demo cars they have that is loaded up the ass with options and accessories.

When dealer order cars for stock, of course they will order the most popular color (black/white/Silver with black interior)

Fibonacci

Yes, but there is still a rumor going around that Acura may concede and offer a 6MT option for enthusiasts. My guess is IF they offer one, it will probably be for the 2.4 not the 3.5, but hope I'm wrong.

Not sure if I would be the first in line for the DCT since this is Honda's first in-house offering and they have zero institutional knowledge of how to build one yet. At least the ZF has some history. If we all had a nickel for every reference to "glass tranny's" in Azine.

Fibonacci

This has been dissected earlier (I think in this thread) and we're pretty sure its not real wood.

If Acura wants to be tier I, they need to offer real aluminum trim, real wood and real carbon fibre, especially if they want to greater differentiate from the Honda line-up.

oonowindoo

real wood or not. That is not even the issue anymore.

They need to offer choices!!

I hope they realize most of the TLX buyers don't give a shit if it s real wood or fake wood.

Fibonacci

EhkoXC

With the way people keep hammering away at it, it does seem to be at least an issue.

I won't argue that more choices would be great, but it's not like the choices that are offered are bad. Sure red leather looks fantastic, but I truthfully only see it at auto shows and in dealer show rooms. I have no idea how it actually sells, but at least where I live, I've seen a red leather interior on the road once in a silver ATS.

I won't lie, while I loved the red color of the TLX concept, I probably wouldn't have bought one in that color.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

For sure.

As someone mentioned, Acura is cheaping out. When you look at the whole model line up, it's all about having the least amount of models and trims to lower overall costs (design, sourcing, manufacturing, etc). They are focusing on cars that they think will sell - sedans and CUVs/SUVs. There aren't even coupes, sports cars (NSX will be a super car, but it's not out yet), wagons (TSX wagon will no longer be available), convertibles, etc.

I think what we have to realize is that unless Honda makes Acura into a global brand, Acura will never compete head on with the European brands.

oonowindoo

That is one of the main reasons why BMW and others do not usually stock cars with red interior and when they do have it in stock. it will get sold very quickly. Same thing with 6 mt.

But for people who love that color, at least they have the option to order it.
It is either "must have" or "looks nice but it is too much"

oonowindoo

That is another endless cycle for Honda/Acura.

How can you establish a successful global brand when you can't even compete in the US?

2 of the biggest auto market: Asia and US pretty much share the same brand recognition about cars.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

What's the difference between Lexus and Acura in terms of their capabilities? Because Lexus has been competing against the European brands for a long time now.

Edward'TLS

V8 engine option, RWD platform, just to name a few.

oonowindoo

Because Lexus was willing to take risk and they have set a target (European) since day 1 and they stick to the plan.

Acura could have offered the same thing as Lexus, an Euro fighter with proven reliability and offered something that Lexus did not have at the time, handling and fun factor.

So on paper Lexus was going after Mercedes and Acura could have gone head to head with BMW.

Could have.....

oonowindoo

Capabilities.... Honda/Acura was just as capable as Lexus/Toyota at the time... if not, more capable.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

See below.

Yep.

fsttyms1

So many ways this could have gone the right way

oonowindoo

some of the picture of the TLX look decent and but some just ?????

why are there so many "uneven lines" on the side of the bumper?

Edward'TLS

Lexus was/is still capable of releasing RWD &/ V8 sedans, and achieving a true luxury brand status.

Acura was/is still NOT capable of releasing RWD &/ V8 sedans, and only manage to achieve a near-luxury brand status.

More capable ?!

AZuser

Costco

As mentioned, I'm one of the few who actually like the design of the TLX.

But that black one with the economy car-sized sidewalls... man. Y u do dis, Acura?

fsttyms1

molded front lip

myron

iTrader: (4)

I don't mind this at all, I see potential in it I guess

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Those wheels

MeehowsBRZ

Those wheels and that clip-on front lip are a joke.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

From the very beginning, the goal for Acura was to sell more expensive, glorified Honda's. It's true that Honda was not that ambitious to become the Japanese BMW. Kudos gotta be given to Toyota for taking the risk. Though Toyota was a much larger company, and it was already full of RWD large cars before Lexus was launched. Honda might have the engineering capabilities to pull off a Japanese BMW, but I'm not sure if it had the financial capacity to absorb the risk. For instance, Nissan failed with Infiniti despite also having RWD and V8. Mazda also failed with Eunos and Xedos. Nissan was forced to merge with Renault, and Mazda was absorbed by Ford. The rest was history.

Anyway, getting back on topic, not sure why they decided to use the base TLX with the 17" rims as the display model. That's like BMW using a 320i with 17" or an Audi A4 using 17" rims as display cars. Marketing fail.

jwong77

How many times have we had Acura Marketing Fail, I've lost count at this point.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

way too many times....

fsttyms1

Obviously they do, because they have pulled it off with the 4gTL, ILX, RL, RLX