baelim

So I've been watching Consumer Reports slowly populate the TLX review page and today I found that they finally posted a score for it: 80. For reference the Mazda6 got a 79 while the Accord got 85.

The full road test gave good marks on powertrain and features (while chastising the lack of flexibility on nitpicking the tech features) and backtracks on their first impression of the car regarding handling being poor for this class and behind even the Ford Fusion. The Fusion, I find however, actually fared better in routine handling than all of the mentioned above as well as the A4 making it rather an extraordinary feat as Ford has been pulling as of lately... but going back to the TLX:

Below are some snippets of the report regarding handling and a surprising bit about the headlights. Oh and the report is for the 2.4L v4.

Handling: The TLX handles soundly, although it lacks the entertaining athleticism found with peers from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. While the taut suspension makes the TLX feel stable and controlled, turn-in response isn't particularly quick. Steering effort is neither too stiff nor too light, but it feels vague around the center.

The TLX performed well in our avoidance maneuver, recording a brisk 54.5 mph speed and instilling driver confidence. It also had plenty of grip on the road course, where it proved predictable and secure. Like most front-drive cars, the sedan tends toward understeer when pushed -- meaning the front tires lose traction first, rather than the rear rotating around when sliding.

Front-drive models have Acura's Precision All Wheel Steer (P-AWS) system. This uses electric motors to turn the rear wheels in the direction of a curve at higher speeds to quicken response. At low speeds, they turn the opposite way to help with maneuvering when parking. We really didn't notice much difference in models with or without the system, and it doesn't appear to make the TLX any better handling or easier to maneuver than competitors.

Headlights: Acura makes a point of touting the attributes of their "Jewel Eye" LED headlights in much of their advertising. While we completely agree that the array of five LEDs on each side look cool and provide a bright, white light, they unfortunately don't provide much in the way of forward visibility -- which is their real job.

FredS

I subscribe to Consumer Reports and think they do a great job evaluating coffee makers and laundry detergent. Cars are a whole other story.

Stew4HD

OMG! No mention of the unsafe brakes? Someone write the editors, quick!

/endsarc

It's nice to know the Fusion fared better to them than most other cars they mentioned. I guess I better go back to my Ford dealer

hddnav

Consumer Reports is still the best source of car reliability that I've seen. However, their car reviews, in other aspects, is strictly applicable to soccer moms.

Regarding reliability, even if their methodology is imperfect (like when they extrapolate conclusions based on very small sample sizes or place engine failure on the same level as an unresponsive touchscreen in the Nav), is still the only true owner's survey of the general population with a large sample size.

Other car magazines, such as Car and Driver, seem to be written by kids, for kids (come on, is "fun to drive" the only aspect of car ownership that matters for a family car?).

NBP04TL4ME

I personally like CR, but also do understand they represent a data point to be used in the overall testing/evaluation spectrum. As noted above they test all sorts of consumer goods, so they may not be experts in all areas.

neuronbob

Yes. Yes, it is.

I say "meh" to the TLX CR review. It's just another data point. I depend on CR more for their reliability data, which is the best and most unbiased in the biz, and I admit subscribing to it myself.

What they say about the Fusion is indicative of how far Ford has come in driving dynamics. Go test-drive one before you pooh-pooh it. The American manufacturers are "this far" from getting it.

vbx

Fun to drive + automatic transmission + rides like a boat handling don't usually go together.

ostrich

The TLX Jewel Eye headlights do not provide much in terms of forward visibility!? Oh my goodness, did they drive the same car that I actually own!? Unbelievable...

Rocketsfan

Yeah, this shocked me a bit. I actually love the headlights and view with the LED's. Far more than my 3G.

07Acuradude

Don't believe this at all. Have heard nothing but great reviews of the new headlights. Unless they have some actual data to back up this I will just take it with a grain of salt.

LaCostaRacer

I have subscribed to CU for years. I don't always agree with the ratings, but they are at least consistent if you understand their 'value-based' criteria. The other thing I like about CU is they buy their own cars and test them much longer than a typical magazine does on a 'short take'.

The highest rated car for CU is the Tesla Model S. While I think the Tesla is a fine car, I don't think it's a 99 out of 100 points either. I think the Tesla is exaggerated positively about as much as the TLX is exaggerated negatively- the TLX has to be equal to an Accord. I would subtract 5 from the Tesla and boost the TLX by 5 points for a 85 .vs. 94 rating between those two cars.

neuronbob

I agree. Was the reviewer blind? The Jewel Eye in my RLX provides excellent forward visibility, and for a long distance. I can't imagine the TLX is that different.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Jump to 11:40


They don't like the push button gear selector.
They don't like the 9 speed trans
They don't like the start/stop feature
They claim the Ford Fusion is a better riding car, better driving car and a quieter car.

"It's an okay car"

I'd say they're not a fan

ostrich

I must say that even with my first test drive, I did not find the button gear selector that difficult to use. However, I do understand that different people have different learning abilities and it seems that the Consumer Reports folks are challenged in that area....

Also, the stop/start function is the slowest one that he has tried? I guess he has not tried the BMW stop/start function...!!!

I will stick with their appliances assessment! :-)

LaCostaRacer

^ thanks. These videos give some insight to how CU rates cars. You know, I have to agree with them on the V6 TLX- I'm not a big fan of the shifter either. I hope they come up with a TypeS that brings back the standard shifter along with some other stuff.

whatmeworry

The Advanced package adds lane-keeping assist, which helps to keep your car within lane markings

Hmm, I thought they said they bought the 2.4 with tech for the test, Lane-keeping assist exist in Tech package. Did they not see the big lane keeping assist button on the steering?

I don't disagree with some of their findings, some are true. It's not a perfect car.

They do seemed to like Honda Accord i4 a lot. I test drove the Honda Accord, it's a nice family car, but it ain't sporty or as nice. I got into the Honda Accord, it felt exactly like my 15 year old Honda Accord, beside being newer and more power. I don't want to drive another 15 years of Accord. It's a great car, but it's boring as hell.

I've learn the couple of months of researching, every magazine have different opinions. A lot are bias too. lots of times it's either way too positive or way too negative.

It's kinda funny, after all the good and bad reviews, I still end up buying the TLX 2.4. Because it just felt fun to drive and doesn't drain my pocket that badly, I still have kids to send to college.

And I think in a few years, we may not even need to drive anymore. It'll be all self driving cars.It's coming.

dzionny_dzionassi

The way they talk.... I thought that i will puke in my mouth.
Its like watching the kardashians...

Tony Pac

Thank you for sharing!

These guys are lost. The moment they compared Ford Fusion to Acura TLX - they lost their creditability. How can you compare a TLX to Fusion???? You must be an idiot. Like I compare Mazda 3 to BMW 3 series.

iutodd

I honestly don't understand the complaints about the electronic shifter. You have to press a button to drive. It's the one with the big "D" on it. Then you press the gas pedal. When you're done driving you hit the button with the big "P" on it.

Ken1997TL

I really wish a magazine out there would write reviews for the actual intended audiences of the car.

In other words, minivan reviews would focus upon the needs of families and not focus on slalom times. And when writing a review about a two seater, don't bitch about it having two seats and lack of storage cubbies.

Oh well, clickbait is the present and future unfortunately...

Tonyware

CR is Tesla's bitch. Nuff said.

way-acura

I actually like the CR's car reviews. They have basic info about size, mileage, 0-60 times, reliability, etc that you can use to make your own opinion. Don't forget, they ranked the 3G TL at the top from 2004 to 2007 or so. This was one of the major reasons why I purchased one back then.

Rocketsfan

lol. The people having trouble with the electronic shifter still crack me up. You have to be a borderline neandertal to not be able to operate it. I hear some people even figure it out without the manual!

Mr Hyde

Five LEDs? Was this guy referring to the DRLs? Since the switch doesn't stay in the Off position, I wonder if they clicked them off by accident.

These are the best headlights I have ever experienced, and have owned projector HID headlights for quite some time now.

neil4

Like someone else in this thread mentioned, when the guys in the video compared a Ford Fusion to the TLX I just about lost it. While the Fusion has come a long way, they are not in the same league as the TLX and I for sure would not spend $32K on a Fusion....

Bottom line is buy what you like. You will always be able to find people that dislike a certain car for one reason or the other.

panamera125

Goooood point. The Mazda 3 handles well, and so does the 3-series... Why don't they just say "buy a Mazda instead of a Bimmer, it's cheaper and more reliable and it's still nice (all true)"? It's stupid, they're just being non-fans of the Acura. Look at the BMW's ratings, and there's little negativity, despite the fact that it scored only slightly better than the Acura did. It seems to me that their bottom line number reflects just how truly well-rounded the TLX is, and their picky complaints just shows that they don't like it. All this in mind, they do score based on what type of car it is, so if it was truly a poor handling car, that would have been reflected in the score...which it isn't.

Also, they say it doesn't handle well, and that P-AWS doesn't have much of an effect...yet it posts a great speed through the avoidance maneuver... this doesn't make sense.


By the way, the CR comment was mine, I couldn't help asking

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Truth be told I enjoy watching the Talking Cars podcast - they do know cars fairly well for the most part. They need to be entertaining for the podcast which is where the schtick from the "can't figure out how to work a push button gear selector" comes from methinks. Nonetheless - those guys have their biases (which they're generally upfront about) so you have to take what they say with a grain of salt.

weather

...that is why I make decisions based on my opinion of the vehicle and read reviews/comments by real owners like people here. I'd rather hear from real owners than a bunch of twits who write reviews for online magazines and are more worried about revenues and than reviews (I know CR is different but still).

The reason I am holding off on the TLX has been based on MY experience driving the car, what matters to me and the comments that oothers have posted here. I am not trying to discredit the TLX....overall, it is an amazing car with great styling and lots of tech at an incredible price. At the moment, it has some little quirks it needs to work out...does it mean Acura didn't hit a homerun - Absolutely not! They have a winner on their hand and providing they address some of their transmission glitches, I'll be back especially if they have a Type-S

Now if only we could get this nonesense bickering back and forth to end and resume to fun conversation, teasing back and forth without having to revert to personal attacks...

Nedmundo

I don't always agree with CR's auto reviews, but years ago they abandoned a purely "appliance-like" approach to cars. This became clear around 2000, when they picked the Passat over the Accord and Camry because it had superior dynamics, and they've displayed a fairly strong enthusiast bent in recent years. Just take a look at their video reviews of cars like the FR-S/BRZ and Focus ST, and how they recently published a top ten "fun to drive" list. Their opinions often don't differ much from Car & Driver and the other enthusiast mags, though they seem to examine ergonomics and other practicalities a bit more. Also, they have a minimum reliability threshhold for a car to achieve a "recommended" rating, which excludes some models they think are excellent driver's cars, such as the Focus ST, VW Jetta GLI, and FR-S/BRZ twins.

So I do take them seriously, even though I might ultimately disagree with them on some models. I think they're pretty close to the mark on the TLX's handling because, as with my TSX, the outstanding suspension tuning is undermined by numb steering. (Unfortunately that's not unusual in the EPS era. Oh well.)

NCRaider

The WSJ review of the TLX a few weeks back noted the same thing, even referred to the steering wheel being connected to the tires by "seance." Most drivers don't care but to the enthusiast driver this is a pretty big negative. I like my TLX a lot but the lack of steering feel is one thing I do wish were different.

LaCostaRacer

I watched a number of Car Talk videos since this thread came out and agree 100% with CheesyPoofs. I know enthusiasts will have their gripes about CU; however, CU has invested heavily in trying to make the most objective reviews in ways no other car magazine ever will. How many publications have invested in their own test track and buy their own cars?

The one thing CU is consistent on is weighing the practicality factor heavily. After watching some of the videos, I have a new found respect for some of those testers- Gabe Shenhar seems very knowledgeable & Ryan *ski seems to be the big car enthusiast in the BMW M3 review.

In looking at the 2015 buyers guide, an 80 score is a decent score based on the competition. Here's CU's pecking order for Luxury Compact cars:

BMW 328D xDrive - 86
BMW 328i - 84
Buick Regal Premium I - 83
[** Volvo S60 T5 Drive-E - 80 **]
Cadillac ATS - 79
Volkswagen CC Sport - 78
Audi A3 - 77
Infinity Q50 Premium AWD -75
Audi A4 Premium Quatro - 74
Buick Verano Leather - 73
Acura ILX 2.0L - 72
Lexus CT 200h Premium - 65
Mercedes CLA250 - 64
Lexus IS250 AWD - 58

I think these guy's issues with the TLX is that it doesn't stand out in the crowd of competitors in performance. Also there are cars with less prestige (Ford Fusion & Honda Accord) that encroach on the TLX in many ways. CU is simply stating this to their subscribers.

In that regard, I have to agree at the moment. I'm really hoping that there are meaningful improvements in 2016. We need more power out of the i-4 to compete better with other 4 cylinder offerings.

EddieOnAZ

Isn't that what Acura is about though? Best bang for the buck type of deal? They don't aim for groundbreaking performance or refinement, they want to give 95% of what BMW and Mercedes have to offer at a reasonable price point. They offer leather, nice sound system, somewhat refined exterior styling, more performance than the average buyer can handle and all that while being Honda reliable and priced more than reasonably.

For these reasons, can we really ask Acura to "stand out" from the other luxury brands?

Tonyware

Hate the Acura push button gear selector? I guess they hate the Jaguar XF gear knob too, or the Aston Martin Rapide S gear buttons on the dash?

Lesson learned from CR: if you can afford it, well, complain about it.

smoooov

They are going to have to stand out to compete. They don't have the germans brand cachet. They offer a good value but they need to be visually exciting while offering good value and performance. People who buy a luxury car are making an emotional decision. Somewhat refined styling won't cut it. A camry or accord can get someone from point a to b reliably and in comfort. Acura cars need to be exciting and very good looking.
The TL was a solid car but the styling was polarizing so sales suffered. I doesn't cost any more to design a good looking car then it does to design a mediocre looking car. Acura needs to build beautiful cars and they will sell well. You have to admit the german companies build very good looking cars and that helps them sell well.

LaCostaRacer

Acura already stands out on the value proposition which is a big reason that the sales are looking good now. The problem is Acura needs to also standout in other areas: performance, handling, NVH, and ergonomics.

I would expect Acura to beat Buick in the ratings if there were some more improvements in these areas. Argue as you may, but some of the gripe points (dual screens with redundant controls, and push button shifter) are legitimate gripes that a prospective owner could have. Admittedly, anyone will get use to these issues, but the competition is keen enough that some of those things make a difference getting a sale and not in some cases.

EddieOnAZ

Not denying how good Mercedes, BMW and Audi are at having that distinct and very attractive brand image. Yes the shield was a mistake lol. At least the one before it was toned down on the 4g was more than polarizing. Just saying we get what we pay for. If you wanted the "ultimate driving machine" on rails, super refined look and brand image, high power and track ready, you might not be in the appropriate price range.

corrado85

iTrader: (1)

"Doesn't feel a lot more special than a loaded midsized family sedan, like a Honda Accord"

'nuff said. on point

but I don't expect a TLX owner to understand that.

Nexx

im not a tlx owner. ive driven both. if you dont think the tlx is a nicer car than the accord then youre either just inherently biased toward the accord or you have zero sense of taste when it come to finer things. reminds me of someone who love wine but will only drink boxed wine cause they love it and dont care anything better. then are those who appreciate the nicer subtleties of finer wines.

niray9

Not sure what they are comparing to among Japanese rivals, maybe Infiniti. I thought the handling fell short of the 4G TL. It didn't feel planted on the road on turns. I'm not sure on what basis Acura marketing is advertising the TLX as "It's that kind of thrill". Never driven the German rivals & so can't compare against those

Again, not sure how to explain it, but somehow the TL feels more luxurious, although TLX is quieter & soaks bumps better than TL

Can only compare it to a Ford Fusion Titanium which I rented for a week's vacation recently. I'll have to say the Ford fusion handling is better. However, I hated the engine responsiveness of the Ford Model that I rented.


Can be subjective, I guess. + can't comment as I haven't examined the competitors.

Now, that leaves me with the question what can I get at these prices for this kind of reliability? Not sure...

corrado85

iTrader: (1)

i LOVE how they designed the TLX. It looks like a refined 3g tl-s from front and the rear looks fabulous (wishing they still kept exhaust ports)

but is it worth spilling the extra 10grand? that is subjective


p.s. also a big fan of the accord v6 exterior styling + interior