DLM1213

Can any of the 2018 TLX owners comment on the ELS audio system? I have read many post that the audio system has issues with the low end and it is thought the ANC could be causing the issue. I had test driven the 2017 TLX; noticed it right away and the issue stopped me from buying it. When I compared the sound quality to my 05TL, there was a noticeable difference. I was hoping the improved infotainment center would also have improved this issue as well. How is the sound quality on the new version?

alpha0

MTD, SebringSilver and anyone else who spent time with SHAWD A-specs, please upload your reviews..

MTD

Audio system in my 18 sounds better then my 15. The 15 the base didnt seem as tight and the rear deck vibrated like crazy. The CarPlay works great too. Spotify and AppleMusic both run flawlessly.

SebringSilver

I've only driven the 2018 about 70 km so far, so these are really just initial impressions:

Car: 2018 TLX V6 SH-AWD A-Spec (Elite - Canadian model)

Power: The car has the same powerplant as my previous 2015 TLXs, so in terms of get-up-and-go, it's basically the same. I don't need this particular car to be any faster than it is as I do mostly city driving. I've had more powerful sports sedans in the past and while they were certainly a lot of fun to drive, I'm 51 now and I don't need a really fast daily driver. One interesting difference about power delivery on this new A-Spec I've noticed is that as you're making a 90 degree turn at, say, an intersection, where the old TLX tended to have a moment of hesitation, this car doesn't exhibit the same behaviour. I don't think Acura suddenly put a dry sump in there, so I'm assuming it's more down to the improvements in the TCU.

Score: 80%

Transmission: Wow, what a difference it is on the new 2018! Gear changes are so much smoother that if you drove a pre-2018 and then a 2018 back-to-back, you would swear it's night and day. I haven't had a chance to try the paddle-shifter on Sport+ yet, so I'll report back on that at a later time. Suffice it to say this ZF9-speed auto is no longer the achilles heel that it once was.

Score: 95%

Suspension: Absolutely lovely. The firmer springs and thicker anti-sway bar in the rear on the A-Spec V6, coupled with the wider Michelin tires really makes for a composed ride and excellent cornering. There's a long sweeping bend that I take every day when I go home and this car handles that section significantly better than the previous TLX did. That was actually the first thing I noticed about the car, was how much Acura has further improved the handling without sacrificing ride quality. I think you guys will love it once you try it.

Score: 100%

Exterior: I have nothing but good things to say about the way the car looks. There is no scientific way to compare the quality of the paint in the current car against my old ones, but I had a gentleman on a Harley come up to me at my kids' school today (he was also dropping off lunch for his daughter) and tell me what a fantastic shade of red my car was. He said it looked so deep and lustrous and was really impressed. No one ever said anything like that about my black 2015 or my white 2015, but then red always does stand out I suppose. As for grill and the larger Acura logo, I think it's perfect and when I look at pictures of my previous TLXs, they look just too small, like Acura wasn't really proud to put their badge on that vehicle. That's not to say there's anything wrong with the previous car's looks; it's more that the new face on the TLX speaks to a new-found confidence which adds to the pride of ownership experience for us. I'm sure some will say differently, but to each his own.

As for the 19" wheels, and the diffuser and exposed round exhaust finishers, all very tastefully implemented and helps give the car better presence on the road.

Score: 90%

Interior: I got the black/Alcantara interior, and I think it's great. Being an A-Spec, the headliner is also black which adds to the sense of sportiness. I quite like the ambient lighting being red, and in no way does it seem garish or out-of-place. The redesigned seats are very comfortable indeed with good lateral support. I thought they were the same as before at first, but on closer inspection they're actually very different. The side bolsters are no where near as aggressive as those on a C63 AMG, but I'm actually grateful for that as I've put on a few pounds in recent years (LOL). Ventilated front seats are of course a real boon now that summer is just around the corner, and leaving the seat temperature settings in Auto just seems like the right way to go. There are a lot of significantly more expensive sports (or sporty) sedans out there that don't offer this feature (and don't even get me started on the absence of rear seat warmers on so many cars nowadays - C43 AMG I'm looking at you) and it's just terrific that Acura has seen fit to include this.

The thicker steering wheel is very welcome too, but I have to say the shift paddles are just awful. I don't think it has to be metal in order to be better but simply making them a bit bigger and painted in silver metallic would immediately be an improvement.

Apple CarPlay isn't completely new so lots of you will have had some experience with it. But what's definitely an improvement is the voice command function itself. In my previous TLXs, when I press the voice command button on the steering wheel, it takes a couple of seconds for the car/phone to respond. But with this new head unit, the response is instantaneous. The voice of Siri from CarPlay is also very pleasant (not identical to the one from the phone). Too bad iPhones can't take advantage of the wireless charging pad. And if you have a 7 Plus, if you plug a Lightning cable into the phone, it just won't fit perfectly inside that centre compartment. Apple can't bring wireless charging to their upcoming iPhone 8 soon enough, I tell you. Generally, all the electronic controls in that centre stack are a vast improvement now over what was there before. I would be surprised if anyone disagreed in this regard, once they've had some seat time in the car.

One final note about the interior....there are three amber lights right in front of the driver where the windshield meets the dashboard. These are the Head-up Warning Indicators and they'll flash if the car's Collision Mitigation Braking System is called into play (the steering wheel will also vibrate, and you'd better be wearing your seatbelt because the car will brake very abruptly). I'm not sure if those are the only conditions under which these lights will flash, but that's what I've experienced so far, thanks to some erratic driving by the Volvo driver in front of me yesterday.

Score: 90%

Summary: Should this car have 340 hp? Yeah, you know if you really want to feel less inferior to the guy in the S4 in the next lane, I suppose you could make that argument. But more power, usually means worse in fuel consumption (not to mention bigger brakes, and more weight). I used to get only about 330 km to a tank of gas in my old V8 S4, and less than 300 km to a tank in my C63. Does having only 290 hp make my life worse in any way? Not one bit. I think the 2018 TLX A-Spec is an absolutely stunning combination of quality, innovation, comfort, and safety, with more than adequate performance thrown in. The fact that it's a great value as well is just a bonus.

Overall Score: 90%

MTD

neuronbob

Thanks for the reviews, guys. I was awaiting the reviews of the A-Spec suspension/tire changes vs. the base that I've got in the driveway. Sounds like it's significantly better. Can't wait until I try it myself.

pyrodan007

Thank you SebringSilver and MTD for the great reviews!! Now I'm forced to go for a test drive, maybe as early as this week lol.

Is it me or is this new for 2018? Pretty sure my Elite doesn't have the walk away folding, only with inside button.

TacoBello

Holy shit, the world would be turned upside down if pyrodan fell in love with the TLX again

pyrodan007

Believe me, I'm just as shocked as you lol. The kid in me wants the A4 for the turbo, DCT, and all the great tech. The rational part in me though wants to recycle 9 months of what's left in my leasing. Being Italian, Acura could make me "an offer I can't refuse"

MTD

New as far as I know. Being in Canada, you might get a better deal then the folks in the US too. I got mine for $2500 MSRP and 0.9% lease.

SebringSIlver sums it up great...
"I think the 2018 TLX A-Spec is an absolutely stunning combination of quality, innovation, comfort, and safety, with more than adequate performance thrown in. The fact that it's a great value as well is just a bonus."

pyrodan007

You guys are doing a great job so far at selling it lol. Already sent an email tonight to my dealer, to see what they got. I saw many comments of decent discounts in Canada, which is very interesting since it's still new. Could it be Acura Canada doing damage control for the lack of TSB support versus USA? Better for us, we also get better packages but less color combos. Oh well, still sad no blue with red leather though.

MTD

Invoice price if you want it...

neuronbob

^^^^
Anyone have that info for the USA? I may need it soon....like tomorrow.

mapleloaf

Am I really on the TLX forum??? The world's gone crazy

Teh Jatt

https://www.autotrader.com/acura-TLX.jsp

FLYGUY31

Thanks Sebring and MTD for the detailed reviews. Great info..glad you are enjoying your new whips

SebringSilver

I drove the car last night and it seems the new headlight clusters emit a wider beam of light than on the 2015. The manual doesn't mention anything specifically about that, but it does mention the auto-sensing high beam function. It isn't quite as advanced as the matrix high beams that Audi/BMW/Mercedes uses, but very cool nevertheless.

The more I drive this new A-Spec, the more I'm loving it. I hope more people give it a try if they're in the market for a new sedan.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

lol better product, better reviews!!
funny how that works!!

TacoBello

It's funny and yet.. I dunno.... crazy.. how little they had to do to make the car appealing to so many more people. I really think this sets them up nicely for the 2G TLX, in a few years. I think this MMC has brought to light what Acura needs to start doing, going forward, and what we the people want from them.

Kense

I really like the new A Spec, I'm glad they came to their senses on the looks. I do hope they can get a powerful Type S version or something similar., All the colors look great so far, I'm a sucker for Black cars and I think the Black looks best, very sexy.

Saintor

My 2016 is like that, no complaint in smoothness. I don't think that it is "pre-2018 vs the rest". Big improvement since 2016. Pretty much the same.

Honda430

I needle my service guy at my local Acura dealer that they brought someone in from Chrysler to run the division and they got a Chrysler product. The car has been given a Honda do over and it's much better because of it.

pyrodan007

So I had the chance to get a 40 min test drive in a TLX Aspec SH-AWD Elite (Canadian Advance), by myself. Was nice of the seller, he sold me my old TL. Kept on saying VIP treatment and my number one client so it started off very well (more of this later). Told me right off the bat he understood what I felt with old 9ZF, said "you'll fee; the difference". Was excited!!!!

Pros:
- VASTLY improved transmission, much more responsive. Tested both on city streets and highway. Still a bit hesitant when floored but overall so much better than my current TLX 15 even with transmission update.
- Very comfortable seats, especially so with thigh extension and alcantara
- Nice light piping inside, but not really visible in daylight
- Very nice sounding and aggressive engine sound piping inside
- Seems ventilated seats have better flow
- Much better suspension, brother compared it with his 07 TL Type-S
- Great steering feel and wheel
- Stop start much less intrusive, seems to startup much faster
- Better looking interior without fake wood

Cons:
- ELS sounds a little bit better, but still missing some bass
- Although fake sound is nice inside, very disappointing outside
- Bulge on hood is a bit annoying
- Stupidly cheap looking brakes, brembos are a must or at least paint!
- Blue only available as of August, production still not started
- PRICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me being a number one client and VIP entitled me to get a whooping $130 off (pretty sure I saw about 53,070 on screen). My lease for 30 months, 0% including old lease was a eye watering, blood pumping, rage inducing $1050 per month. I immediately told him in his face my next car will be an A4. He said if I came back in February my price would be $850, tax in. At that point I told him if I pay off my lease there's zero chance of me coming back here. Also told him I know your cost price is 47K (was beyond frustrated at that point), offered 49K including my remaining lease. I won't mention the dealer since I'm expecting to get a call from them tomorrow. But so far my dealer is retarded to even think about charging so much for a past customer (15 TLX POS customer). Customer service is enough so far to make me run away, was really not impressed with my experience tonight. Will see what happens.

$130 after complaining and them acknowledging ...for fuck's sake! Will say the dealership if they come back with another stupid offer tomorrow.

Momyc

​​​​​​What?? 1050$!! Are they crazy. On Audi forum a Montreal guy got a 2018 Audi Sq5 for 1020$ a month.
My 2015 elite is about 600$ a month and I wouldn't pay more for 2018. At 1000$ they are a lot of options, even 2018 TLX is nicer and better than 2015 is still not a 1000$ /month car.

SebringSilver

I think that might be because the dealership has to cover the remaining lease payments on his current car. Pyrodan, correct me if I'm wrong.

mapleloaf

Has to be. On the website, a 20k lease, factoring in the Canadian loyalty 2% reduction on Lease or Purchase financing (I subtract $1k per percentage point, as you can't change the rate), gives a monthly payment of $745, taxes in. I only subtracted 1k because of fees and mats and such, which are not included on the website.

pyrodan007

Correct, but even without lease it's still around 860 a month (not including any options). I got absolutely zero discount so far. This would be my 3rd Acura in 6 years , so I'm not a first time client to this dealership. At $860 a month, I easily have access to MANY 'fun' models without comprising too many things. Well maybe maintenance with Germans, but still. Insane!!!!

SebringSilver

That does sound strange. A repeat customer should be able to get a slightly larger discount. If they don't want to take you seriously, I would just go to a different dealership.

F23A4

Although I have my doubts as to how much the 18 models improves over my 16, I have every intention of trying one out. My dealership has a black/black A-Spec which caught my eye over the weekend. (Oversized ugly grill notwithstanding.)

neuronbob

Wow. Really on that CAD price? LOL.

mapleloaf

Sadly, the days of getting out of any leases without negative equity are pretty much long gone....with any vehicle.

SebringSilver

I suppose it would help to just be patient and see out the current lease. 9 months of payments is a lot for a dealership to cover and we don't know what the existing lease terms were to begin with. Furthermore, a 30-month lease, as Pyrodan mentioned, would tend to have higher monthly payments. Who knows, maybe by the time February rolls around, Pyrodan's new TLX will have support for wireless CarPlay (BMW just announced it for the 5-Series).

pyrodan007

Meh, at this point I think my days with Acura are done. I mean if a dealership can't do something for an unhappy client, than what's the point in staying. I thought that having a lease means being much more flexible in trading for a new car. Not so at all. I did the math between both prices (now versus at lease end). The price difference is exactly (even more actually) what my lease would cost me if I just keep paying. So they're doing me zero favors, therefore they shall get zero moneys from me. I may take that back if they call me today, but so far Acura is doing a good job pushing me further and further away

hadokenuh

What makes you think that? Everything I've read says the opposite. Of course it's all about money at the end of the day, but you almost always have to pay some $$$ somehow to get out of a lease.

HondaGuy347

I had the same reaction.


OTOH, could it be a reflection that Acura resale value isn't what it once was if the cars are no longer well in the money near the end of a lease term?

Speed_Racer

I don't think resale would impact it much. The residual is set and can't be changed and the number of payments left are fixed. There is a specific amount he will still owe that's being put on top of the 2018 lease. Can't see them eating that cost because someone wants out of a contract 9 months early.

pyrodan007

Breaking lease and changing brand for sure yes. Switching to a new car from the same dealer, hell no. They'll sell it as certified and make their money (mine only has about 8500km).
A coworker was offered 3 months lease payments on her BMW to go to Mazda. Yet Acura can't give me a month or two free to keep me with them for 2 years plus? Come on, client retention 101 lol

HondaGuy347

The residual has everything to do with it, at least in comparison with the market value of the car. If the car could be sold at a profit versus the residual value AND the customer locked in for another 24-36 lease, that's a win-win.

Speed_Racer

I meant that at a minimum the contractual payments left and the residual are fixed. There is a minimum that is owed on the remaining lease contract. Dealers will only do so much as we all know. Resale is the variable, but with all the incentives on 2017 a CPO TLX can't be very profitable right now. This is all a moot point to discuss without knowing pyrodan's residual and mileage etc. . .

HondaGuy347

The problem from the dealer's perspective is that if they let the lease go until termination, they are at a much greater risk of the customer jumping to another brand. They could lock in the buyer now which negates the whole "payments remaining" thing because it restarts the clock AND Acura gets to resell a car which has a higher market value than it does a residual. We don't need to know the exact amounts to know this is true.

If Acura is not willing to restart the clock in return for buying out the remainder of the lease (which is basically net-zero since they'd continue to receive payments on a NEW lease) it suggests to me that they do not want to take a loss on the sale of the car which is at or below the residual.