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2017 base PAWS vs. 2018 A-Spec SH-AWD comparo/review
tl;dr: I liked the A-Spec more than I thought I would. I now have a deposit on a blue/ebony TLX SH-AWD A-Spec, which should be in my driveway next week. It's not perfect, but a HUGE step in the right direction. Now fix the RLX, Acura!
As noted above, I test drove a white/red A-Spec for about 30 minutes this morning. What follows are my somewhat random notes from the experience. I'm sure I'll add other stuff as I think of it.
Exterior (subjective opinions):
Grille: The old one has what's left of the Beak and it looks frumpy. The new grille, however, looks awesome in person. The "A" is large, yes, but I am not bothered by this. The lower bumper on the A-Spec is also quite pleasant to look at. It looks sporty, even if all that black is merely decorative rather than functional.
The diffuser on the rear of the A-Spec adds to the sporty look, and the black spoiler offered a nice contrast on the white car I drove. I like the large exhaust openings....but am a little bothered that they are faux exhausts, with a tiny little exhaust pipe in the center, almost hidden away. I'm sure an aftermarket seller will create a real exhaust, or exhaust tip, to fill the opening at some point.
I am favorable to dark wheels....I have black wheels on my blue CTS-V wagon, and gunmetal wheels on my Kaiser Silver NSX. The Shark Gray wheels look particularly good on white and red with this TLX. They also favor the blue. I'll know for sure when my blue comes in.
Definitely going to have to do something about those calipers. I wish Acura had them colored, and that they were larger. They are SO plain, and the 19" wheels only accentuate the small brakes.
Interior:
The A-Spec (and the 2018s in general) are leaps and bounds better than the pre-2018.
The first thing I noticed when I got into the A-Spec was those red seats. The look REALLY nice in contrast to the white exterior. I would not mind a set of the red seats in a blue TLX, but I understand that look is not for everyone. The piping on the seats is a nice touch. The seats are much more supportive than on the 2017 base TLX, particularly in the turns. These seats add to the sporty atmosphere for this car.
The second thing I noticed was the headrest. The edges of the headrest are raised, so your head fits in a scoop between them. This allows for support of your head in steep turns. I found it very comfortable, and a nice touch.
The third thing I noticed was that the A-Spec has a thigh bolster. I have very long legs and the extra thigh support is very welcome.
Anything you touch on a regular basis seems soft. In general, the quality of materials seems improved over the 2017. The steering wheel is fairly beefy, and so easier to hold. I'm a bit astonished that the steering wheel positioning is manual; that is something of a downgrade. I'm spoiled by the electric steering wheel adjustment on my RLX. That cheap little trim I pointed out from the base PAWS TLX is gone, and replaced with a higher-quality A-Spec badge.
For me the lower screen of the navi interface (ODMD as Acura calls it) is a major upgrade from both my 2014 RLX and the 2017 TLX. The touchscreen responds faster than either, and the user interface and screen arrangement look neater, unpixellated, and more like a 2010's device than the mid-2000's look of the RLX and old TLX. The upper screen has the same dated nav graphics we are all used to in Acuras. I did not try CarPlay but the only thing I'd want to use is Waze, and I'm not interested in jailbreaking my iPhone just to use Waze in the car. This is an Apple problem, not a Waze problem.
Driving
Given my experience with the 2017 base TLX, and the lack of change in drivetrain in compaison, I did most of my test drive in Sport mode. This is how I'd live with the car, for the most part. The transmission worked smoothly and did not significant hunt for gears. In Sport and Sport + mode, I noticed the paddle shifters had a nearly immediate response; they were clearly faster than the 2017. With the 2017 TLX, I had to plan to press the shifter about 500 rpm below my intended shift point, because the shifts were so slow. Like in the 2017, I did not notice any of the transmission glitches people with earlier TLXs complained of.
One of the first things I noticed on driving the A-Spec was that at stop lights, the engine stops. Now in my RLX Sport Hybrid, the engine mounts are tuned so that I don't feel the ICE engine stopping, at all. However, it was noticeable in the A-Spec. Luckily, you can TURN IT OFF! My salesman showed me the button at the far end of the transmission control panel, and voilą! No more start-stop.
The steering felt heavier than in the base 2017 TLX. The car also felt more securely planted to the ground. In both long sweeping highway turns and in decreasing radius offramps, the mechanical SH-AWD made the car neutral in the turns other than very slight understeer that was, undoubtedly, built in to keep people from killing themselves in the turns. The same maneuvers in the PAWS TLX led to what felt like mild wobbling coming from the rear as the rear wheels pivoted. It made me think the PAWS car was imbalanced and unsteady in the turns, and that feeling was worse the steeper the turn in the base TLX. Further the PAWS car had significant understeer. No clunkiness or roughness of the suspencion as in my 2014 RLX, which had both issues. Noticeably less body roll in the A-Spec as opposed to the base PAWS. The suspension was firm enough to handle my enthusiast driving, yet supple enough to handle broken pavement with ease. I had a TL and RL with the A-Spec suspension of the time, and this suspension setup feels a lot like my old TL. Definitely feels sporty. If you want a more luxury suspsension setting, get non-A-Spec TLX. I wish we had the option to vary suspension settings, like in the MDX, or like in my CTS-V wagon.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed the piped in fake J35 noise. It adds to the sporty mission of the car, along with the seats, the suspension. I'd love to be able to have the option to turn it off, even though I enjoy it.
I will miss the head's up display from my RLX. It was one of my favorite features in the car. C'mon Acura, a HUD in every car, please, it's for safety reasons!
Conclusion
I said that the base PAWS TLX was best used as an inexpensive luxo cruiser. The A-Spec with SH-AWD is clearly sportier. It is also not a sports car by any means, but it is very sporty, handles sportily, accelerates sportily with the transmission in Sport Mode and with the piped-in engine sound. It will make a suitable, entertaining daily driver and a good "filler"' car while I wait for what Acura does to the RLX. Overall, it, and the other 2018 TLXs, are excellent improvements to the TLX line and have certainly made me pay attention.
I liked it so much, that I now have a deposit on a blue/black SH-AWD A-Spec, to be delivered next week or before.
Pros:
Seats are supportive
headrests are particularly supportive
9AT problems solved and manual shifting pretty fast
Sporty ride and handling
Dat new grille!
Great suspension
You can turn off stop-start!
Cons:
No Advance features
Sure wish it had 20-30 more hp to differentiate it further from the non-A-Spec TLXs
No head up display
We have PAWS, why again with the V6?
Apple needs to allow Waze on CarPlay--not an Acura problem
Tiny, undecorated brakes. Need paint and an "Acura" or "A-Spec" logo for some flash.
I have about 3k miles on my 2017 and only pulled the trigger on it due to they were discounting it nearly 8k off the sticker. The 2018 looks wise is way better. Driving the 2018 a-spec there is the louder exhaust which imo is louder than my previous type S where it was fairly quite until you stepped into it. The 2017 is just super quite overall. I don't see any amy real difference in the transmission 2018 vs 2017 but it seems the 2015 owners notice a major difference. I settled on sport mode (for my 2017) and its pretty flawless in performance and the 2018 trans behaves the same after driving it. The seats in the a-spec are definitely nicer but too limited in color which I think will change next year. I will be looking to go up to the 2018 A-Spec but will wait. You could get the top of the 2017 for 33k (v6, tech, awd) the past few months so going up to 45k for the aspec less a few dollars discount while in my budget is not making sense. The sales manager said the discounts will come in 4 to 5 months. .
I like all the changes but eventually the price will drop below 40k and that seems about right. Then again the 2nd gen is a couple years out and if things go as they did with this update it should be a pretty sweet ride. I do like the fact that the current gen can run fine on regular gas where my type S only ran right on premium. Overall the A-spec is a really nice update and even if you buy now you pay more but thats the price you pay for the upgrades. The local dealer by me has two but hasn't sold any as of two days ago.They said at the most a 1k discount on a purchase at this point.
The dealers here in SoCali who have A-Specs also do not appear to have sold one yet. I think the problem is they're playing hardball and with other makes offering discounts folks are just walking. With the extent of the discounts on the 2017s there's a possibility that folks who would look at an Acura sedan have already bought. The folks who would normally not consider Acura are definitely not going to pay MSRP for a brand that has no cache in most people's minds I think they'll be discounting sooner than 4-5 months. My bet is they'll come to their senses before the end on July.
The dealers here in SoCali who have A-Specs also do not appear to have sold one yet. I think the problem is they're playing hardball and with other makes offering discounts folks are just walking. With the extent of the discounts on the 2017s there's a possibility that folks who would look at an Acura sedan have already bought. The folks who would normally not consider Acura are definitely not going to pay MSRP for a brand that has no cache in most people's minds I think they'll be discounting sooner than 4-5 months. My bet is they'll come to their senses before the end on July.
Ya that is so true. I have been shopping the German completion like BMW & Audi and they are giving some good deals, Especially BMW. When the sales person called & I told them I was no longer considering BMW they basically told me they could sell my a 4 series grand coupe with almost every single option for less then 50grand so if one was to add a few grand more to the msrp they they could have a German car.
The dealers here in SoCali who have A-Specs also do not appear to have sold one yet. I think the problem is they're playing hardball and with other makes offering discounts folks are just walking. With the extent of the discounts on the 2017s there's a possibility that folks who would look at an Acura sedan have already bought. The folks who would normally not consider Acura are definitely not going to pay MSRP for a brand that has no cache in most people's minds I think they'll be discounting sooner than 4-5 months. My bet is they'll come to their senses before the end on July.
I've been watching inventory for the entire Houston area for a few weeks now. They cannot keep them in stock at all. Most dealers don't have any in stock, and when they do they disappear within a day or two. I expect that will change very soon as the first wave of people who have been waiting will die down.
UPDATE: I just did a search on cars.com. Within 100 miles of Houston, the fourth largest city in the country, they show three in stock, and two of those were just added today.
I think Acura is making a mistake by not offering an A-Spec Advance in the US. If there weren't an A-Spec Elite up here in Canada, I'd most likely have gotten the C43 AMG or (gasp!) another S4. But I found the A-Spec Elite so irresistible that I just wanted it, the availability of a discount becoming secondary. If Acura is to ever overcome its market positioning conundrum, it needs to build more cars that enthusiasts WANT, rather than cars that sell just because it was the cheaper alternative. I'll admit the A-Spec, excellent all-rounder that it is, is still playing the value card. But if Acura makes the next-gen TLX using the current A-Spec as a starting point, adds a 350-hp Type S, and a 420-hp Type R, wow that would be a lineup to drool over.
The question is are they selling them at list in Houston or giving a discount as they seem to be doing in Canada. I'm watching inventory here and those cars are sitting. Granted 90% of them are FWD. Maybe once more of the SHAWD version gets here they'll start moving. Outside of a few folks that just have to have it I can't see the car selling at the prices the dealers here are asking. For $47,000 you can get a discounted MDX Tech SHAWD and for $39,000 an Advance RDX. Of course they're not sedans, but folks want SUVs and those are two of the best in their segment. Why spend that kind of money on a sedan and have to undergo a frustrating negotiation to get $500 off of MSRP. I think most folks will either buy the SUV or go elsewhere.
Originally Posted by jjsC5
I've been watching inventory for the entire Houston area for a few weeks now. They cannot keep them in stock at all. Most dealers don't have any in stock, and when they do they disappear within a day or two. I expect that will change very soon as the first wave of people who have been waiting will die down.
UPDATE: I just did a search on cars.com. Within 100 miles of Houston, the fourth largest city in the country, they show three in stock, and two of those were just added today.
I get it. It's a far fetched notion. But making horsepower is probably the least difficult thing to do in the car manufacturing business. The hardest thing to do is overcoming the public's perception of your brand and your product. It has to start somewhere. You can only be the underdog for so long.
It's only far fetched because Honda/Acura has never had a Type S and Type R trim out for any particular car, except for the original NSX, and I think that was in Japan only.
I don't think your Type R power is far fetched either. However, it would be called a Type S. I could see a ~400hp Type S.
Theres no way a sedan as big as the TLX would be made into a Type R model. It would be a North American Type R only, and I don't see that happening either.
Either way, nothing else will happen for this generation of the TLX. I assume we are talking about the 2G TLX then. If that is the case, I think it makes sense to keep the base in the ~300hp range. Rounding that number up to 300 just does something mental regarding the car. It just feels more superior, even though it's 10hp more, and you'll likely barely if at all even feel it. Even keep it at 290hp. Who cares. It's enough for just a daily driver, entry level luxury car. But then that sport model... The Type S... A V6T putting out 400hp... Honda can do it. Easily. They just need to have the Cojones to do so.
I also don't think Acura sells enough of the TLX to justify a base, a Type S, and a Type R. If they consistently sold 60-75k units per year like they used to, then maybe. But at 30-40k units, I don't know.
I wanted to correct my review post above, in which I stated "no Advance features" in the A-Spec. This is not true. In fact, it has about half of the features. In reviewing Acura's trim information, here is the correction:
A-Spec does not have these Advance features:
LED puddle lights (Should be an easy, inexpensive replacement, no?)
Heated steering wheel (this is an option for A-Spec and I plan to add it)
Heated rear seats
Auto dimming and power folding side mirrors
360 degree surround cams
Heated windshield.
Advance features the A-Spec has:
Front/rear parking sensors
Remote start
Ventilated front seats
Wireless charging pad
LED ambient light piping
So A-Spec has about half the Advance features. Some of those left out I can easily live without. I would like a heated steering wheel, so I'm going to get it. I'd love the 360 surround cameras but if I'm truly desperate, I can have that done in the aftermarket. I'm not that desperate to modify a leased car in that way, though. Replacing the stock puddle lights with LEDs probably takes a few minutes. Heated windshield? Oh well...I'll have to use the defroster, just like I did on my RLX Advance, which also didn't have a heated windshield. My son rarely used the rear seat warmers in my RLX, so the lack of in the A-Spec will not bother him.
It would have been nice for Acura to add all the Advance features to the U.S. cars, though, like in the Canada cars, but I can easily live with what I've got and the items important to me can be added or modded.
PS my car has reportedly been delivered to the dealer. I may be able to take possession today or on Monday, depending on how long prep takes.
If you watch for Redline reviews on YouTube he clearly shows the remote and says sadly no remote start. I don't think it has it. It's something I would like to add though.
I will know for sure at 4 PM today when I pick up my car. My bet is that only the main remote has it, and not the second remote. You guys will be the first to know, unless one of the other new A-Spec owners checks in before I do. I hope not to be disappointed by a PR typo.
Sorry to say but there is no remote start on the a spec.
Its a great car and the remote start i lived without for the past seven years in my 2010 tl shawd 6sp so its not a big issue for me.
The red ambient piping surrounding the cabin is very cool, also to note while on sport+ it shifts within a split second and everyting just feels tight. You point the car and it go's with no hesitation. Coupled with shawd its a fun ride.
I think Acura is making a mistake by not offering an A-Spec Advance in the US.
I completely agree and that is what made me lose a considerable amount of interest in an A-Spec and maybe even a TLX altogether, as the Advance options are extremely useful where I live.
Cons:
No Advance features
Sure wish it had 20-30 more hp to differentiate it further from the non-A-Spec TLXs
No head up display
We have PAWS, why again with the V6?
Apple needs to allow Waze on CarPlay--not an Acura problem
Tiny, undecorated brakes. Need paint and an "Acura" or "A-Spec" logo for some flash.
Come and buy one in Canada and you can get an Elite ASpec - and $.30 cent premium on your US dollar....and Remote start on both fobs.
Neuron its all good. Good luck at the dealership i negotiated the all season floormats as part of my deal. Will pick it up on Monday.
As a side note the more i drive it the more i fall in love with the entire driving experience. The looks i keep getting at the car is also a plus lol. The steering wheel is less beefier that my 2010 tl shawd 6spd mt and the brakes are better on my 2010 as well.
Got my car today, white/black. Funny thing was when I started looking at the cars a week or more ago that combination wasn't even on my radar. After I got a look at all the colors it became obvious that white/black worked best for me. Got about a $1500 discount, but got raked on my trade in which based on the history of the car I expected to happen. The new A-Spec literally drives 100% better than my 2015. Interior though the same layout of the 2015 seems a lot more premium. There's really no comparison between the two cars. The 2018 is that much better. Transmission still a bit lazy yet much improved. Love the steering feedback. Will post photos after the tint.
I can only comment on the 2015. In my opinion that model year was a disaster. On the other hand based purely on my limited time behind the wheel the A-Spec is a really well sorted out car.
Originally Posted by Honda430
Got my car today, white/black. Funny thing was when I started looking at the cars a week or more ago that combination wasn't even on my radar. After I got a look at all the colors it became obvious that white/black worked best for me. Got about a $1500 discount, but got raked on my trade in which based on the history of the car I expected to happen. The new A-Spec literally drives 100% better than my 2015. Interior though the same layout of the 2015 seems a lot more premium. There's really no comparison between the two cars. The 2018 is that much better. Transmission still a bit lazy yet much improved. Love the steering feedback. Will post photos after the tint.
Yeah, those brakes are wimpy-looking, especially seen through those 19s. That should be a straightforward aftermarket swap, no?
The A-Spec looks amazing in person, otherwise. I did the best I could with the pictures I took in the picture thread, but you have to see it in person. The more I drive it, the more I think I made a solid choice.
Yeah, those brakes are wimpy-looking, especially seen through those 19s. That should be a straightforward aftermarket swap, no?
The A-Spec looks amazing in person, otherwise. I did the best I could with the pictures I took in the picture thread, but you have to see it in person. The more I drive it, the more I think I made a solid choice.
Driving wise, you made a great purchase. I honestly can't fault it too much especially when I have my 15 TLX as a benchmark. Now if only Acura would offer a brake caliper upgrade package, should be very easy to design and sale. Would make the car look so much better, especially if paint matched! Well maybe not for white lol, but red/blue should look awesome!
Last edited by pyrodan007; 06-18-2017 at 11:30 AM.
I don't know about 2018 but I ordered remote start separately on my base SH-AWD 2016. It looks like the car has all the hardware ready, and it is an easy add-on. I have 4 keyfobs; 2 for the car as original and 2 for the car combined with the remote starter.
06-15-2017, 08:23 PM
I have very long legs and the extra thigh support is very welcome.
C'mon Acura, a HUD in every car, please, it's for safety reasons!
....and Remote start on both fobs.
