Confessions of a reformed TLX owner
 

Well after many years, two Preludes, 1G TSX, 4G TL SH-AWD 6MT and a short stint in my TLX -- I have moved on to another brand for my daily driver.

To summarize my TLX experience: it was a disappointment. Let me count the reasons I sold my 15 TLX SH-AWD Tech:

1. No improvement in the laggy Nav/head unit (it actually feels slower than our 3G MDX if that's even possible).
2. Head unit made strange and loud whirring sounds - most noticeable after the car was warmed up and resting at a stop. Not cool.
3. The dreaded VCM vibrations which would come and go depending on the road I was driving on.
4. ZF 9AT just plain sucks in this application. Weird because the one in the C43 AMG doesn't even feel like the same transmission, way zippier to both upshift and downshift.
5. Coming from the sportier 6MT 4G TL, the TLX suspension is underdamped and has weaker brakes.

Hate is a strong word, but I really grew a strong dislike for the car and punted after two years and 40k miles.

Happily driving a new 2017 6MT Golf R and am hoping the reliability is not as bad as CR says it is, but will gladly trade off higher running costs for a bit more fun. Went cheap again on my commuter because of the crappy roads here, hopefully Xpel treatment (trying for first time) will lessen the road debris damage.

Really wanted to like the TLX, it looks great IMO, is quiet and refined. For the right buyer it probably is a decent car, just not that kind of thrill for me.

Good luck out there to current owners. If Acura gets their act together and produces a sportier version (not just tacked on pretty pieces) with better suspension/brakes and offers a 6MT I would reconsider. Not holding my breath though.

Congrats on the new car - I hope you enjoy your Golf R - definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing!

A friend of mine has an older GTI which is quite a lot of fun to drive - albeit a bit pricey on the upkeep (according to him)

^ +1

I don't understand why people think that a $40K econobox is a good idea, but good luck with it anyway.

Your TLX is an econobox too when compared to the other luxury brands, so not sure what your point is. The Golf R has lots of good reviews and is considered a sporty car, not the TLX.

Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...0e273bcd9c.gif

There should be a subsection for delusional TLX owners, so they will stop annoying people who actually enjoy their cars.

Would you be the first one signing up in that section? You 100% drive a 40k econobox. It excels at nothing. It gets people from A to B (albeit with issues along the way), it is a downgrade from the 4G in many ways, and is largely despised by journalists and even Acura people, alike. What's worse, is many owners are just pissed off with the car. Look, this thread is saying bye to another owner!

And yes, Acura people think it's shit too. Talking to a few salesmen at one of the local Acura dealers, it was quite clear that people are beyond dissapointed with the car.

I share your frustration. I had a 3G 6MT TL and it handled remarkably well. Of course anything in stick is usually fun to drive. I went with a 2015 TLX (V6 - SH-AWD) with the flappy paddles as my daughter was turning 16 soon and I it didn't make sense to have 3 cars and only one was an automatic. If you are used to tossing Honda / Acura products around (and they do love to be tossed around) then the TLX transmission, softer suspension set, absolute crap stock tires will be a let down. The transmission hesitation is the real deal breaker for me and it's sad that the transmission in my Odyssey is more responsive. That said, there is still a lot to like about the car and I'm glad many people thinks it's fine. However, I may end up giving it to my wife (she loves it) and getting something else for me.

I have no problem with that. I bought it for its overall balance - and it delivers, no matter some whiners who don't even own one or are constantly stuck between their ears with 2015 problems. Three times Scirocco 16v ex-owner here. I was among the biggest VW/Audi fans of late '70 to early '90s. The Golf R is directly linked to a $17K econobox (not the TLX by any stretch of the imagination) and there is no hiding, it feels that way. It is both overrated and overpriced. For that level of price, I would understand a BMW 330i Sport manual better. I wouldn't be surprised that its lease rates are better than the VW.

No problem with the owners not being happy with some of the well documented early build issues and being turned off by the car.

I do have a hard time understanding any owner who complains about it not being sporty enough, I mean seriously didn't these people research or test drive the car before they bought it? doesn't take a rocket surgeon to understand it isn't a sporty car. I still have my 3gen because so far it isn't enough of an upgrade for me to want one "yet".

it does get old with the same group (and we all know who they are) that go into nearly every thread and make the same complaints over and over, and over and over and over again. we get it, you don't like the car or Acura, or management. The subsection would work great for these folks..

Guy has a new 7G car that has been very well received & shares its platform with the Audi A3. Not sure how it compares to a possibly 30 year old design is of any value or importance. My daughter has a 1G Cabriolet. It was a nice little car but there is no way to compare that car to a modern version.

I am not a VW fan boy, never have been. But after initially having my heart set on a Focus RS and having no luck finding one that wasn't presold or at a significant mark-up starting looking at the R. If you've sat in one, there is no way you'd say it feels like an econobox. The interior feels nicer than my TLX. The doors close with a thud that is way more solid than the TLX. Driving it puts a big grin on my face, I never got that feeling in my TLX.

I drive too many miles for a lease, the 330 xdrive optioned up was more money and it was impossible to find a manual.

Consider me fooled then. After a very satisfied run in the 4G, was expecting more of the same, albeit given my commute was going to be longer, was willing to accept the limits of a slush box. BUT it is difficult to assess the downsides of the car after a 20 minute test drive.

Looking back, I was impressed by the nice things about it (there are good things about the TLX). In particular, the on center feel is a lot better than the TL which was one of my biggest gripes about the 4G.

Perhaps I bought too much of the marketing hype, after all the Acura engineers were saying "this is the car we built for us". Not here to bash the brand, just venting my disappointment that no sedan in their lineup currently speaks to their sporting intentions.

Just to clarify Mercedes has a 9G-TRONIC transmission which was an evolution from their 7G-TRONIC transmission. So even though it has 9 gears it will shift completely different then the ZF unit which has dog-tooth clutchs 4-5 gear and 6-7 gear which causes the NON-TURBO, turbo like lag.

It fixes the problem with new tires, stiffer springs and SPRINT BOOSTER. That fixes the problems especially in sport+ mode. But yes it is frustrating that it was NOT like that from the factory. The Sprint Booster made such a huge difference in throttle response, shifting impression and overall feel. Even with these fixes though I will be leaving Acura when my lease is up. These mods made me satisfied until then....maybe a K-tuner re flash too. They said they are really close for an application completion just FYI.

Even if they were both ZF transmissions, the mercedes one is completely different and is a real transmission set up for RWD based vehicles vs the transaxle ZF 9-speed for FWD based vehicles.

It also amazes me that whenever a past TLX user says he's moving on, all the fanboys on this forum come and say what a wonderful car the TLX is and "stop complaining, do better shopping" bla bla bla. I would remind people to go check out the problems threads, many are complaining and have moved on. The ones still present complain because we know how past Acuras used to drive and want to see significant changes. Maybe we complain too much, but one thing is for sure. Once we stop complaining, we change brand and forum. Then all the fanboys can keep on giving each other high-fives while Acura sales keep on tumbling due to the lifelessness of their products.

But what do I know, I have a 15 TLX and it's all my fault why I have problems with it...

I don't see the fanboys here, nice cherry picking of the quote to fit your whine btw, carry on...

+1

+1

Not only is the TLX an econobox, it's an unreliable econobox.

I sense that you're referring to the tranny issues with the '15 V6 TLX. While there were a few issues with the '15 TLX (keep in mind this was the first year of a new gen), I strongly disagree that it's unreliable. Issues were ironed out with the '16 and I don't hear of any major problems. And actually the transmission issues with the 9 speed weren't technically reliability problems, as my car would never have broken down from it, more so that it was an issue and just annoying that there was a 2-3 gear bump and jerkiness.

Same thing can be said to you about cherry picking OP's decision to move on. Always the same excuse of "wasn't it sporty enough when you bought it, should have noticed". When you buy a house, do you stay in it forever? You figure things out over time and you decide to move on. In his case, it just didn't click over the long run, people have the right to dislike something you know lol

I'm really not annoyed with people/fans that say they love their TLXs, please enjoy it! It's the ones that have a good TLX who complain about the ones with problems. The TLX is not old enough for reliability certainty. But if they do have problems in the future and come here to complain about it, I'll be the first one to say STFU, karma's a bitch and YOU deal with it!

Ex-3G owner here, glad I didn't get on the 5G train when gave her the 06'. It was close but I change my mind at the last minute and went with a different brand. Carry on...

Quoted for truth. WYSIWYG. :java:

Yeah he makes no sense and with his Q5, he should spend time elsewhere instead of arguing on product he apparently knows not much about it.. The TLX is now highly reliable and the ZF9 is very good transmission. Some people are stuck in their head over issues of 2015 that were fixed. Insane.

The 4TL sales tanked all of its run while the TLX is a much better sales success, despite the increasing SUV sales.

half of these people that are complaining probably do not even own a TLX. Moderator needs to close this thread. Someone said that his 2010 odyssey was more fun to drive? Lol. I have both ...

These threads are becoming all the same. If you have it and like it then everyone who complains sucks. If you have it and hate it then everyone else is a fool.

And you do not need to own one to have an opinion on one. In fact, this is why many do not own one....because they did a ton of test drives and decided that the TLX was not for them. Moderator should have two threads titled "bitch and moan", and the other "happy as a pig in sh*t".

I think the mods should just shut down the TLX section. The ones who love it can keep on driving it without wasting time on this forum. The complainers can keep it inside and let other buyers make decisions for themselves. Fair for everyone!

Not sure why you are obsessing over this post or feel the need deride the Mk7 Golf. I can assure you in R form it drives nothing like an econobox.

Simply was posting my experience and why I decided to move on after many years of owning almost nothing but Honda/Acura products. I bought a TLX expecting to have a great experience. I was wrong.

Nowhere did I indict anyone who likes and has positive experience with their TLX. Haven't had enough time in recent years to be active on this forum (or any), but if my post feels redundant, it wasn't meant to pile on. Carry on.

Well - this one seems to be turning south in a hurry!

Nothing wrong with dissenting and differing opinions but we do need to keep things civil.

I'm not here to stir the pot, but I have seen you mention that the ZF issues were only present in a few cars in 2015 which is incorrect.

https://www.google.ca/amp/www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/pilot/2016/2016-honda-pilot-elite-review-update-3/amp/?client=safari

Take a look at this Motor Trend long term test where they had to replace the ZF9 box on a brand new 2016 Honda pilot with only 21k miles. Explain how that is only in 2015? Now it is fair to say that this was an isolated case (I don't buy that) but just putting it out there that this is not isolated to 2015 early builds. On top of that I have a friend who is a long time tech at a chrysler-jeep-dodge dealership and he told me to "avoid the Jeep with the small eyes at all costs" because they were being flooded with transmission problems. It is fair to say that TLX sales have been better than TL sales iirc, so IMHO they must be doing something right.

It seems to me that you had a choice about opening this thread. He stated his opinion - not sure why his choice to move to another make and model annoys you? I wouldn't want a VW as other members of my family have them and they seem to have a lot of repair/maintenance issues but I don't dismiss his observations. The TLX is not perfect - this forum is for people to discuss the pros and cons of the vehicle. This isn't the www.acura-tlx-is-the-best-car-in-automotive-history-and-you-are-a-fool-if-you-do-not-own-one.com website.

Historically whatever he owns is the only car to own. Has a special dislike for anything that costs more than what he drives. We all have our likes & dislike that will change over time, its human nature. Think I have had cars by every US brand except for Chrysler & Buick. Also 3 British , 2 German, 1 Italian, 1 Korean & 3 Japanese brands + a few that I built myself. Have happy with just about everyone at the time of ownership. Generally shift when I see something new that I like better.

Glad you're enjoying your new ride OP

No one should be jumping this guy for what he posted - this is exactly the kind of post you should want to see. Here's someone who gave the car a fair shake, put plenty of miles on to make an informed post. I was a 4G owner, did my research, and knew there was no way I'd be happy with a TLX. As stated earlier, you don't have to own a car to know what's right or wrong with it. Any decent dealer will let you take as many test drives as you want. I don't know anything about the Golf, but if the OP is happy that's all that matters. The TLX disappointed him and he told you why. Great post as far as I'm concerned

Seriously ^

Different strokes for different folks people! I for one love posts like this, as they helped me decide not to get a TLX when it was time for a new car. And of course several test drives....but as others have already said, its not always easy to get a legitimate feel for a car in such a short period of time. I tried forcing myself to believe the TLX would be just as satisfying as my 3Gs, but Acura just isn't the same anymore.

Also....I see many people saying that the TLX has been outselling the 4G. Thats fine and well, but shouldn't TLX sales numbers be compared to combined sales of both TL and TSX? Considering it replaced both?

2015 tlx awd
 

With16,000 miles I guess the transmission has finally learned my driving style hitch is moderately aggressive. All upshifts are smooth. I've learned how to control the throttle so downshift delay is barely noticeable. Perhaps it's unfortunate but you do have to learn how to drive this transmission. cruising at speeds up to 60 mph, push the pedal about a third down and I'm immediately doing 80. And 30-35 mpg on the highway

with a little adjustment to the subwoofer and center speaker I'm satisfied with the audio base and the clarity is incredible. I upgraded to the 19 inch 245-40 Michelins and handling is much better than my previous 2007 TL type S . Still really like the Graphite/gray stone color combination and I think the car looks great. So am I the only fool who loves his TLX?

To add, wasn't the 4G TL more expensive than the TLX? I remember reading it was intended to bring Acura into a higher market, until their plans went sideways. The TLX was intended to bring them back into the part of the market where the 3G TL was. If the 4G was intended for a pricier market, I'm not at all surprised it sold less than the TLX.

But that wasn't even the 4Gs problem. There's no issue in trying to move up a level. But it was the extremely polarizing looks of the 4G that hurt sales, and little more. I think otherwise it was a good car.

No, you're not a fool at all. You found a car that makes you happy and meets your needs- There's nothing wrong with that whatsoever. The issue is the number of people that fit that demographic is smaller than it should be.

Dont get me wrong- I'm sure there are thousands of happy TLX owners out there. The problem lies with how many unhappy owners their are.

Not to mention needing to learn how to drive a car a certain way to make it perform the way it does/should in all other cars is obviously not a good thing and clearly shows there are issues IMHO. But yeah as Taco just said, you are not a fool for liking the TLX, not in the slightest. There is a lot to like about it.

The 4G managed to sell over 30K pieces (a peak of 34K in 2010) in a very bad economy and it started at a higher price (about 5K). If I recall correctly, the TLX had a target of 60K unit per year. It is not been that much more successful than the 4G.
There is no data available but I suspect that the bulk of TLX sales are the 4 cylinder engine ones and probably not many 4G owners traded down to a 4 cylinder car.

Back on the topic, The Golf R is a masterful high performance hatchback, congratulation to Fibonacci for the great buy.