centflatsx

Hey all, you go on Youtube and watch TLX videos of reviews and look at the comments and there is so much negativity. Acura is dead and it's a jazzed up Honda and all that. There has always been that premium stepchild stigma attached to Acura and i think that is brought on by people that never had one. The interior is so 2007 and really it's not, the 2014 RDX got the dual screen setup for the first time for Acura or around that time. The TLX got it afterwards. I had an 07 TSX and a 2010 TSX 4cy. Both were very nice cars and I've had two Honda Accord v6 Coupes since.

My lease is getting closer to ending for the 16 V6 Coupe and as you know no more coupe I've looked at the 18 2.0T Sport and it's a nice car but it's lacking some simple creature comforts like HomeLink and auto dimming rearview mirror and a couple of other things. Are they deal breakers, well maybe or maybe not. I have looked at the Accord two times now in person and i haven't bitten yet so that may be telling me that maybe i'm not sold. I don't like the Touring look as much. I can swing the extra money of course if i'm looking at an Acura but the Touring is not doing it for me.

I did test drive a TLX A-Spec yesterday and it was very nice. I know they are going to change it soon maybe in a year or two and if I get into another lease will i be hating it in a year? I know this is all subjective stuff for what a person is looking for. I have looked at several options from Mustang Ecoboost due to no more coupe for Honda and also the Camaro. I know those are sports car styles but today the performance is similar with turbo 4s and V6's across different segments.

Would you get something else over the TLX at this point or do you think it's going to be one of those cars that you get into everyday and when you drive it it feels solid and has that Acura handling and precise feeling? I thought the steering in sport plus felt awesome. I've always like the Honda V6 engines and that's another thing. While the 2.0T engine seems nice and it felt comparable i still like the thought of having that bigger engine under the hood for effortless movement. I know it's up to the person buying what they want and who cares what other think, but it's probably best to get input from owners. I have looked at other threads on any issues and there are a few, but maybe it's not as widespread. I know overall that sedan sales are slumping and it's sad to see such good sedans like the TLX not selling as well. Of course, it's not just Honda/Acura though. Any input from any 18/19 TLX owners or even lease's would be appreciated. Oh, also has any transmission issues been resolved for the 19 model? Thanks.

jhb31

At this point the trans is as good as they can get it. From a stop its fine but in other situations for no better word it lags compared to about any other car I have ever driven. Some don't mind it and the rest of us probably just got used to it. I can only speak on the V6 though. Other than that with the sh-awd it handles excellent and drives well. For me the other thing I don't like at all is the push button trans instead of the lever but I can lump that into the main negative on the tlx being the trans. Coming from a 3rd gen type S to the TLX the difference in transmission responses and shifting is night and day. Anyway the trans behavior is well known and discussed on numerous threads. I have no issue with the interior or exterior styling. Sound system is weak IMO so there is that as well. There are trade offs on just about any car be it power, handling, looks, interior appointments, MPG, reliability and cost of ownership. I would love to have Audi/BMW performance with Acura cost of ownership but it doesn't exist.

centflatsx

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, very true every car has it's shortcomings, especially in today's world where there are so many technological items in the cabin placed in different areas. We all have our likes and dislikes for comfort. There is no mfg that can please everyone and it would appear that every car owner has an "if i can change something item" and sometimes it's more than one. Usually if it's 4-5 items then that may not be the right vehicle for you.

F23A4

BEAR-AvHistory

Think based on the TV commercials of TLX car booming over the desert, through the woods & around a track people expect more of the car then it can deliver.

fiatlux

I think the problem is that expectations aren't properly set. Acura advertises (and prices) the car like it's a luxury car that can compete with Lexus. However, it's really more of a premium car (and there's nothing really wrong with that). If you go in with that kind of expectation (and consider the real world price rather than MSRP) it fits the bill much better. Same problem the ILX has. Go in expecting any semblance of luxury and refinement, or even a smaller TLX, and you'll be wholly disappointed, but go in expecting it to be like a Civic Si Touring edition, and you'll be much happier.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^that's being generous for the ILX. expecting the ILX to be an "Si touring edition" is giving it too much credit. lol and disappointments will be had.

Terdbath

I really like my 2018 A-SPEC. I would describe it as a sportier AWD Lexus ES. Its super quiet, rattle free, comfortable to drive, and capable in any weather condition. It has tons of safety features standard and I think its a fairly handsome car at a reasonable price that would last well past its warranty.

However

I too have the vibration between 70-80 MPH. If there is ever a definitive fix for this issue I would likely buy this at lease end otherwise its goes back and I move on.

What would I get instead if I were in the market today? Probably the most interesting car out there for me is the Genesis G70 but pricing is still a bit of a mystery on that so Id probably be forced to look at something in the Lexus lineup. If I had an extra $100 or so a month to spend Id see if I could get into a C45 AMG or S4.

CPR

Too bad about the vibration issue; I'm LOVING my 2018 A-SPEC; just came back from a jaunt upstate; cruising at 75MPH; averaging 33MPG; ZERO vibration
With Waze & Google Maps, added to CarPlay, I'm all set!
For the money, I think it's the best dollar for dollar out there
Perfect? NO! But what is?
Cold inflation is VERY important; Personally, I feel most comfortable at 35PSI; all around
Especially, in COLD weather, when the PSI usually drops, by 3PSI
I know Acura recommends 32PSI, but I feel that the car handles better with a few extra PSI
I've had 7 Acura's, since '98, & NEVER ONCE, did I rotate tires; even though I drive the crappy streets of NYC
Try the inflation #'s & see if it helps; if not go to a tire specialist who has the Hunter high speed balancing equiptment
Good luck, & happy motoring

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Having only driven the TLX as a loaner car, there's really only one thing I can contribute on the subject - if you have doubts or any substantial concerns prior to buying, don't. Those items will haunt you for the whole time you own the car. Well, you might eventually get used to them but it will take a while.

I initially test drove the 4G TL when I had to replace my 3G. There wasn't anything I could find that I didn't like except a few nuances with the styling. And that was on the MMR (2012-2014). The 2009-2011 was totally a no-go. I couldn't get past the big-ass grille and funky rear end. The MMR toned it down enough for me to accept it. But otherwise, it had everything the 3G did and then some - except the manual, but I conceded to since my wife doesn't like standard transmissions, so that wasn't a factor.

Anyway, I felt like I was being too loyal or limiting myself to Honda/Acura so I shopped around and test drove over a dozen different vehicles. Lexus is350, 250, GS 350. Ford Fusion Platinum, Chevy Impala, Buick Regal, Infinity G37, Toyota Camry XLE, Accord sport and EX-L V6 to name a few. Despite trying my best to have an open mind I always found something I didn't like vs. the TL. After two weeks of shopping around, I came back to the TL. Absolutely no regrets.

It can be tough finding the car you think would be a good pickup without finding any items that you might regret later. But it's easy to turn one down. Don't buy something that you think you'll even remotely regret.

mapleloaf

I have leased 3 TLX's. The 2015 3.5 SH-AWD was an excellent car, but the transmission issue for me was the often jerky first two shifts - long gone since the 2016 version. However, I decided, with Acura's kind assistance, to move to a 2016 2.4 which better fits my driving habits (4 cyclinder guy other than the 3.5). I loved that car and transmission until my daughter recently took over the lease, as she needed a car, and I was able to lease the last 2018 2.4 Elite ASpec on the lot, the last and only year (in Canada) that they gave we four cylinder guys all the goodies. Same great transmission that pairs so well with the 206 hp NA engine, even better looks, and lots more tech goodies, not to mention significant improvements to the two screen set up. This is the nicest car I have owned or leased (lots of Acura and Honda products) and I really do look forward to getting behind the wheel! If my 2016 2.4 Tech was like a wonderful loving wife, this car is more like the illicit beautiful mistress we men occasionally fantasize about.

I too considered a Honda Accord, but price wise, because of my loyalty, I would have paid more for the 2.0 T Accord Touring, with less luxury and, IMHO, and less looks. The extra power of the Turbo 4 is not enough of an attraction for me.

Whichever choice you end up making, enjoy!

Saintor

TLXinTX

I've been very happy with my '15 TLX V6 FWD ever since I got the transmission replaced. It has plenty of power for the street and highways and returns 27 MPG in mixed driving. Coworkers have commented on how nice the car is and how smooth it rides.

As a point of comparison, I had an Infiniti G35 (the '08 which had G37-like styling) and while it was faster (300+ HP to the rear wheels) and braked stronger than the TLX, the transmission thunked when downshifting and routine service was pricey. It also was lucky to return 21 MPG on the same commute. It quickly became a huge money pit and I was eager to get back to the Honda/Acura brand.

Acura to me has always been about achieving the best balance between style, performance, reliability, and total cost, and the TLX meets that goal. Sure I'd love an M2 or S4, but I wouldn't love buying new tires every 12-15,000 miles when I drive 18,000 miles a year.

Good luck in your search.

KeithL

FLYGUY31

centflatsx

Yeah with limited dealers and probably limited inventory they will probably not budge too much. The only thing that is in favor of sedan buyers right now is slower sales of sedans.

centflatsx

Thanks! Yeah can't beat the value with the blend of everything you get. Do Acura's do everything great? Probably not all great but many good. Also the V6 is tougher to get if you like that sound. The new Accord is nice but not as nice as the TLX. You pay more for an Acura and it shows with the detail if you compare the two.

Illuminati

kurtatx

At this point, the negativity towards the TLX is somewhat warranted simply due to the age of the vehicle. It's getting long in the tooth. The RDX is a sign of good things to come, but it's time for Acura to update the engine packages. There is no reason Honda can't make a competitive sport sedan.

fiatlux

Well, one could argue that their refusal to develop a RWD platform hamstrings their ability to make a proper sport sedan .

kurtatx

If they were to expand SH-AWD to more vehicles and sell more of them, a RWD platform wouldn't be necessary. Almost every model of Audi is available with some kind of quattro and they sell something like 40% of their cars with quattro. Acura could totally go the AWD direction like Audi has. For whatever reason, they just don't.

Edit: but the more I think about it, Acura would need to rebrand their AWD offering to achieve what Audi has. For one thing, SH-AWD is a terrible name. It doesn't really mean anything and it's a mouthful. More importantly, though, SH-AWD isn't really a brand as much as it is a technology. They would probably need to come up with another name and adopt different AWD platforms for different size vehicles. Maybe that's why they don't do it?

TacoBello

Only the ILX isn't AWD at this point.

BEAR-AvHistory

The Audi's current weight distribution is about 56/44. The engine is set back & the transmission runs front to rear RWD style that shift the weight back from a TLX like 61/39. A current 440 as a RWD car is 51/49 so the Audi is in the ballpark 5% off as opposed to the TLX 10% off the 50/50 target.

Agree SH-AWD has not caught on like Honda's outstanding Vtec has. They need a one word tag line for it. A new generation gives them a shot at new branding for both engine & AWD as part of the "all new" TLX roll out.

kurtatx

Good point. I'm assuming a couple of things
1) the TLX 4 cylinder would go turbo 4 with available SH-AWD
2) There is another small truck similar to the HR-V in size. ILX and the little small truck would probably not be suitable for SH-AWD.

fiatlux

As a purist, sport sedans (and sport cars) have to have RWD .

I think the problem with SH-AWD (or any other handling-based technology) from a marketing perspective is that it doesn't really do much about outright speed. That's an objective attribute that the average buyer understands. Yeah, you can put how many G's the car can pull on a skidpad, but that number is hard for most buyers to internalize in their decision making process.

BEAR-AvHistory

Think you will be rapidly running out of choices as more sports cars & sport sedans go AWD. Power to weight ratios are at a point that RWD is overwhelmed by current top end cars. My RWD COBRA can't go WOT till 3rd gear or it will break traction on 12" wide NITTO 555R drag radials. Daughters Porsche 911 Carrera 4S is AWD. The iconic 600BHP BMW M5 is now AWD with ZF8 ONLY & top of the pecking order Lamborghini Aventador S is AWD.

Just like the manual transmission RWD is becoming extinct. Will most likely need to send myself a sympathy card when I get my next car.

kurtatx

Buyers who care about drivability and are cross-shopping with the Germans understand handling. Honestly, in the upscale sports sedan segment, BMW has made the drive more important than raw power and speed.

The thing about SH-AWD is the name stinks.

neuronbob

I want my TLX A-Spec, but with a manual transmission. It's the right size, right power, right suspension, right entertainment system, and SH-AWD for an entertaining daily driver for me. However, if only it had the ZF8 instead of the ZF9....still having sluggish/unresponsive transmission in steep right turns requiring off pedal for a second to reset. I've gotten used to it, but in 30 years of driving, I've never had to actually *think* so much about using an automatic transmission and live life around what the transmission does. It should be the opposite. I end up using the paddles fairly regularly, so I might as well have a manual transmission (which'd be more enjoyable to me, anyway).

I still haven't bothered taking my car to the dealer. Acura has no solution for this, so why bother them about it at this point? Thankfully, I've got two other cars with manual transmission that take turns as daily driver on non-rainy days.

graphicguy

I've owned a 330i, a 335i, an Audi S4, and the car before my current ASPEC, the Infiniti Q50s with the 300 HP drivetrain.

Not doubting anyone's issues with transmissions. The one in my ASPEC has been a blast. Got to keep it in Sport or Sport +, but it works just fine. I've had mine up to 110 MPH....no shakes, no rattles, no rolls, steady as can be.

Comparing stereos, there are no comparisons. BMW uses woeful Harman Kardon, and that's an upscale option in the 3 series. The standard stereo is even worse. Even the B&O in the S4 couldn't equal what the ELS sounds like in the TLX. Q50 had the Bose system. Enough said.

S4 was scary fast. Quattro helps with that, as SH AWD does in the TLX. I really don't care what they call it. Both are very capable systems that improve handling significantly. The S4 and TLX SH AWD are both based on FWD platforms. In the S4, the base platform they start with is a Passat FWD. TLX uses the Accord FWD as its base. Say what you will about either, those are platforms that are very good starting points.

Have not driven any of the new ('19s) 3 Series yet. They're supposed to be improved. The 335i was a fun drive. Not very comfortable, but fun to drive.

The downside to either the S4 or the 3 series, as most of you point out, they're costly to maintain. BMW mitigates that a bit by including 3/36 maintenance (used to be 4/50). Plus, BMW used to cover wear items like wipers, brake pads, belts, clutches, etc. They don't do that any more, either. So, for all intents and purposes, BMW is covering about 3 oil changes with their new plan. That's it. Not some thing that would really sway me one way or the other if I was in the market (at least, not like their all inclusive 50K mile plan did with coverage of EVERYTHING.

You realize very quickly that maintenance on both the BMW and the Audi are costly. I had the oil changed in my TLX with a tire rotation. Cost? $45. Do the same in either of the Germans, depending on getting a "special" is going to run between $120-$175. Want a tire rotation? That's extra. In fairness, those are dealership prices. But, the TLX requires MUCH LESS maintenance than either the BMW or the Audi. So, in addition to the much higher price of a 3 Series, 4 Series, A4, S4 maintenance will cost a lot more, and more often, too. If you tend to keep your cars longer, you'll find the delta of maintenance costs of the TLX and the Germans will only increase.

Haven't mentioned much about the Q50. I bought it ('16) when I needed a car quickly. In brief, I had a Cadillac CTS, which was an absolute nightmare. Cadillac had to buy it back from me, after fighting me for 6 months and losing in arbitration (long story which I'll tell if you guys really want to hear it). When the arbitrator ruled in my favor, Cadillac made it as difficult as possible for me. They wanted the car within 48 hours, which meant I had to make a deal for something else on short notice.

The Q50 has some things going for it. As mentioned, it's fast. It's not a bad looking car, either. It has a good warranty (4/48). And overall, the dealership experience was quite good. I got the Q50s for around $42K. It had a sticker of $48K. I was really interested in the Q50 Red, but the dealer didn't have one which was close to what I wanted, and they weren't budging much on the price of those like they were on the Q50 3.0t.

So, the downside.....steering was wonky....I mean really WONKY. Your input often did not correlate to what the car would do. In addition to that, the transition of variable steering assist was abrupt and unpredictable. I hear they've fixed that, now. I hope so. The electronics were slow, confusing and not very useful. The Bose system....was....well.....a Bose.

Materials weren't bad. Leather seats were nice (but not nearly as nice as the sport seats in the ASPEC). If I wasn't in such a hurry, and the Infiniti dealer wasn't the first dealership I visited, I probably would have spent more time on the test drive and found out its shortcomings. As it was, my test drive was brief and I was quite impressed with the power, without checking out the rest more extensively.

To sum up, TLX does a lot of things quite well. It won't be the fastest. You'll find other cars that may handle better. But, you'll give up the value the TLX provides. You won't find much at the price that can do as much as the TLX can do. You'd be hard pressed to find anything within spitting distance of the TLX that does all it can do at the price it can do it at.

I can't wait to see/drive the rumored TLX S-Type next year.

Pens Fan

My 2018 TLX SH AWD Tech-7,000 miles has been flawless and a blast to drive as well. No issues, vibration etc. The 2018 MMC with its improved looks and transmission mapping is a very underrated vehicle.Value proposition is another big plus.

daschwa

My only complaints with my 4 cylinder are ergonomic related. I'm used to a gas pedal attached to the floor while this one hangs and while I think I'm finally getting used to it, still annoys me. Didn't realize how much I prefer pedal on floor on the test drives.

I also slide around like crazy when being somewhat agressive on turns so either the bolstering is lousy or not a great fit for my 20 lb overweight body.