2017 CPO Base TLX
 

Hi guys! I am getting ready to sell my 2007 TSX with 176K miles. Its been a great car for me since 2010 when I bought it as a CPO. Unfortunately, it has been sucking up $$ for past 1 year with various repairs and other normal wear and tear related expenses. I have a buyer already lined up for the car. We were seriously looking at a new 2018 Accord EX and there are good deals to be had with 2019s already on dealer lots. I started reading up on the Accord forums and seems like there are quite a few quality issues with the car being a re-design and all. Anyhow, a CPO 2017 base TLX with 14K has become available this week for about the same price as a 2018 new Accord EX. We are seriously considering the TLX now. I have already obtained the carfax and looks like a lease return.

Questions- I am not familiar with the 8 speed DCT in this car? Is this a relatively trouble free transmission? How have the 2017 TLX base generally fared so far? Also looks like there are a couple of TSBs out. I dont see anything in the carfax service history regarding those. Would the dealership typically take care of this during their certification process? Anyways, I can check with them on this. Anything else I should be asking the dealer regarding this car? I do like the warranty and peace of mind that comes with a CPO Acura.

Thanks in advance? Hoping to get an Acura over its cousin. Our other car is an Acura too- 2017 RDX Advance.

Surprised no one else chimed in. I was in your exact shoes evaluating an 18 Accord Touring with a 15 TLX Advance. Went with the latter for three reasons: a) AWD, b) reluctant about longevity and reliability of turbo and c) new Accord design is a miss with the masses. 18 Accords were deeply discounted right after release and Honda stopped making them briefly due to poor sales - not a great sign for your resale. Take that with a grain of salt though since many criticized TLX styling for being far too bland. If considering a TLX, I would start by exactly how you did, reviewing the TSBs. Looks like there were enough complaints about bumping and hard shifting that Acura tried to resolve via software in 15-021 and 17-015. My second step would be ask the dealership specifically about the service history - what was done and if TSBs were performed. I totally agree with you on buying TLX as a CPO. Totally worth the money in light of this being a brand new model/sedan. My last step would be to take a very long test drive. Over an hour minimum.

17 was the third and final year before a mid-model refresh. I would guess that by 17, most of the kinks present in the 15 and 16 editions were ironed out. I have no proof to support that - just common sense that engineers resolve issues as they are presented over time. All three years look identical and will drive similarly. I can't tell you exactly which part of which major system was improved, enhanced or redesigned, if anything was at all. I will say, though, that my time in 4Cyl 8Speed DCT versions of the TLX loaned to me during service, I actually liked how the tranny performed. The engine lacks power and grunt in the low RPMs, but the tranny shifts sharply and logically. It's a nice engine/tranny combo. Feels very Honda-y. Peppy. A lot like your TSX. I have not seen many complaints or long-term issues on this thread regarding that powertrain. Certainly nothing like the heap of issues with the V6/ZF9 combo.

A 2017 TLX with the 4-banger and 8DCT is pretty solid. If you like it, do it without reservations. Almost no one complains about that combo. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the replies. I especially appreciate hearing back from someone who was also looking at the 2018 Accord. I have contacted the dealership regarding the TSB but havent heard back yet. Is the dealer obligated to take care of those prior to re-selling? btw, what do you guys think of price of 23500 + TTL on this car- 2017 base TLX with 14500 miles. Location is Northern California. Thanks!

Kbb.com shows a fair purchase price of $24,556 with no options added at that mileage (which is lower than average), assuming it is from an Acura dealer as a CPO vehicle. So it's a very good price, but you should still start at $22,000 and go from there.

Not that you want my opinion, but the Technology package transforms the interior experience of the car, offering a better MMD, stereo, and seats. The Accord EX should have quite a few more features than even the Tech packaged-TLX, if you like the platform. I'd look at the Tech package unless you really need to stay under a certain price point.

Regarding TSBs, I don't believe the dealer has to perform any TSB work on their own. TSBs provide guidance to the service department in case a customer complains about a common, non-safety impacting item. The car will still be under warranty so you can have them performed after the sale.

Sorry, forgot to include the link - i was mobile. https://www.acuracertified.com/vehic...UB1F54HA005472

Not a big fan of the price TBH. I bought a new 2016 Tech 2.4L in Dec of 2016 for 28,600 + TTL in San Francisco. At the 23.5K price point, I would rather have the new 2018 Accord, especially since it has all the latest Honda Sensing features and a much nicer gauge setup. The little black and white MID screen in the base TLX gauges look especially cheap in comparison; I believe only the 2018+ base TLX got an upgrade to the color MID setup that the rest of the TLXs have.

I completely agree. OP should drive both, get a good feel for the differences and see which exterior/interior is more appealing personally. I haven't been on Accord forums since considering one, so I can't speak to new model kinks or issues. With a new Accord, you're covered with the full new car warranty, not just a CPO 1yr/12k. Honda was deeply discounting Accords when I was shopping, as in $5k off the Touring MSRP, so I would expect at least $2k off an EX (there's less wiggle room on a car that's less marked up to start). It's hard to say if I would change anything if I had it all to redo over again.

There are all sorts of data to parse that could make your decision even more difficult. Per to the TLX sales thread on this forum, Accords outpaced TLXs in 2018 sales almost 10:1. More Accords than TLXs on the road mean more attention and scrutiny when issues arise. More articles and reviews will be written. More tests will be done. 300k Accords vibrating on the expressway would be a crisis for Honda. 30k TLXs vibrating? Meh, not so much. Same with 30k ZF9s vs 300k 10-speeds. Accord is a Car & Driver 10 Best 30 years now. It is a golden child to Honda. They wouldn't let issues propagate or damage its sterling reputation. Accord dropped the V6, which drove many loyal owners FLAMING mad, many of whom don't want or trust longevity of a turbo. I sure don't. Turbos make everything run hotter and break down oil twice as fast as NA. Turbos spin faster than the engine, like 100x I believe during acceleration, which stresses bearings and seals. So while you do get free power and efficiency by harnessing the exhaust, you end up with a bolt-on engine component that works hard, contains an extreme environment and is costly to fix when it breaks. I believe the Accord actually uses a Mitsubishi brand turbo - even less desirable than a Honda design to me. However, the silver lining with that is no more VCM, which has absolutely plagued Hondas between 2006-2017. They lost a lawsuit and extended warranties for 8 years to replace piston rings on the cylinders that turn off (that is practically an engine rebuild). I have two VCMuzzlers en route from Canada for both my Odyssey and TLX.

At the end of the day, I believe the days of bulletproof cars are gone. The 1980 Volvos and 1990-2004 Hondas/Toyotas simply don't happen anymore. By those, I mean reaching 300k+ with just tires and oil. Cars are too complex for that. Even if the engine, tranny and body hold up, there are all sorts of electronics and gadgets that will fail. Motors, suspension and drivetrain are wear items with a finite life. I also believe that some manufacturers are more successful at avoiding catastrophic failures. Those are Toyota and Honda. Look around. See what cars are on the side of the expressway. I typically observe GMs and Chryslers being the ones left stranded. American may not last as long, but they are cheap and easy to fix. Asian last the longest with cheapest overall ownership. European is prestigious and high performance, but costs an arm and a leg to fix when it breaks (typically often after warranty). These have been studied

So Accord or TLX? Don't overthink it. Drive both and be happy with whatever you decide. There is no perfect car.

I don't know enough to say this is true or false. I was just raising awareness that the body and engine labeled as a Honda has a turbo sourced by Mitsubishi. If I wanted a Mitsubishi, I'd be shopping for one. I'm sure EVO drivers will tell you their turbo is great. That may or may not be true. I don't know what their vehicular reliability ratings are, but I haven't seen them near the top with Buick, Honda and Lexus. People can decide for themselves. If the Passport was any lesson to everyone, it was to know what you are buying and who made your car. In my personal observation, despite even the best and more precise specifications and tolerances, bolting pieces from various manufacturers together doesn't typically bode well, especially bolting major components together like a Mitsubishi turbo onto a Honda engine or a ZF transmission on a Jeep. I'm not saying all third party mods and parts are bad, but engineers talking to each other within the same building are more effective than engineers teleconferencing with each other every other week. Don't ask me how I know. My two cents.

I wouldn't be so concerned. The folks building Mitsubishi turbochargers have about as much in common with the folks who build Mitsubishi cars as the folks who build Mitsubishi cruise ships have in common with the folks who build Mitsubishi forklifts and air conditioners. In fact, Mitsubishi Motors isn't even owned by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Update- Got our 2017 base TLX with 14.5K miles for 23K + TTL. Black with espresso interior. I an happy with the purchase. Checked a lot of boxes for me- low mileage, price, looks, plenty of standard features and the Acura CPO warranty. And when I feel like upgrading to something more luxurious, I can always borrow my wife's 2017 Advance RDX!! Glad to stay in the Acura family!