mondster

I want to see the a-spec in silver

b4hand

There's a lot of misinformation about how the transmission shifts. This video explains the operation. Start around the 20 min mark.
Apparently one dog clutch is applied from 1-5th gear, the other 1-7th gear. It seems that the 'lag' in the shifts is due to connecting the Input Shaft to the gear set.

Really the transmission doesn't due anything magical, but it seems ZF tuned it to be a little slower than it could be.

Rocket_man

They did more in the MMC than I expected. Added some desirable features for me. As for the styling, I'll have to see it in person. I never had an issues with the current styling. BUT.... as an owner of a later 2015 build, this car still has that POS 9AT and I just won't buy a car with that transmission. To me that transmission is a deal breaker. Several times a week I curse and swear at this car. Probably the only car I've owned that I truly hate. There are nice features that I enjoy, but the transmission is a deal breaker. Of course when I test drove the car this did happen. I think it is part of the learning behavior that does it. I've had all the software updates and the car still hesitates and surges on downshifts. The one thing it doesn't do any longer is that slight surge forward as I'm about the stop.

I recently went to the auto show. I've noticed how more and more car makers are cutting corners on materials. Maybe the next FMC model with a new transition might be a car I'd consider, but I'd really have to swallow hard to get over the feelings I have about this car and Acura to give them another shot at my hard earned money. This is one car that I will be happy to part with. Just have to wait a little longer so I'll lose less money.

alpha0

There will be many more like you, and few would move on to different brands and wont ever come back. I wish Acura/Honda did look at life time value of lost customers and terminate contract for 9zf. TLX is the only sedan they have which is somewhat competitive in the market and they know they are losing significant volume due to transmission reputation.

BlackTLXadvance

I'm sad to say Acura is not number one in reliability and resale value anymore. My last car was a 2007 TSX and I loved that car. It made me decide to upgrade to the TLX. I thought to myself,"it's an Acura no problem."

They really should have designed and tested their own transmissions. Look at the Duel Clutch 9Speed on the NSX. Why didn't they outsource that?

Because of cost and they want to save as much as possible, even with this refresh I don't like it. The back number is black, not elegant or even sporty in my opinion. Not even in between, it's like they know they can save money on paint or something. Straight black plastic, it's like we are back in the 1990s with those civics put on their ghetto body kits without painting it.

And that grill i cant put my finger on it but it looks a little odd.

Never say never but if I ever bought an Acura I will be very skeptical. They won't take my money as easily as the TLX. Acura to me is known for being cheap on their cars from now on and when there's a problem they won't fix it but cover it up. To me that's what Acura is now.

quantum7

Agreed....I am assuming (as many others have said here) that they have a contract for some number of transmissions (or years) from ZF and the slowdown in sales over the past couple of years has forced them to keep putting it in the car. I am hopeful that when the contract runs out that they do a switch. I am sure that they would like to buy out the contract, but the cost would kill them. Easier to say that it is performing as designed and then since it is performing so well, to keep issuing TSBs and updates to fix a problem that does not exist.

alpha0

Even when TLX 9zf issues were known, they decided to put the same transmission in MDX and Pilot. That is height of something (stupidity, stubbornness or whatever)..

Saintor

No; *intelligence*. It gets great numbers, can be sporty with the right mode selected (Sport+) and is now buttersmooth (2016-). What's not to like? The 290HP / ZF9 powertrain is a sweet companion.

They even got 28mpg @ 75mph and 0-60 in 6.0s with this 4200lbs mammoth.
Acura MDX Reviews - Acura MDX Price, Photos, and Specs - Car and Driver

b4hand

I'd have to agree here. Consumer demands are higher than 'old Honda/Acura' could supply. People want a fast car that still gets good gas milage.

Of course Honda is developing a 10 speed in-house transmission, along with the DCT's they already have. I have no doubt the next tlx will either be DCT, or the 10 speed.

edmua6

People still complaining about the early issues of 9ZF? LOL. It's like buying a set of bad eggs and forever thinking that all eggs are bad. Jebus, move on people. That is why MMCs are there, to improve.

BEAR-AvHistory

This one is a little better because it actually shows a dog clutch functioning. Around 9 minutes into the vid. What you will see is the dog clutch with its teeth on the inside move forward to engage the teeth on the outside of the sun gear shaft. This meshing of teeth on the fly without any syncros is what creates the problem. The timing has to be precise to get the two pieces to merge without hitting tooth edge on tooth edge (the grinding you hear on a poor manual shift)

neil0311

I have a '15 v6 SH-AWD with 17K miles that I own outright, and while the new grille and rear exhaust are nice, and the updates to the infotainment system are also nice, I can't see plopping down another $10-15K for those differences. The interior and the power train are essentially identical to the '15.

alpha0

Dog clutch was mentioned even in recent reviews of MDX and Pilot (and not in a good way). Let's wait for reviews of TLX MMC and see how many of those reviews still mention 9zf..

b4hand

But if you watched the one I posted, the dog clutch doesn't move on shifts 1-5, so that information is incorrect.

BlackTLXadvance

Hey the transmission is just as confused as you are about how it works. 😛

BEAR-AvHistory

The transmission has 2 dog Clutches shift 4-5 & 7-8. Heavy torque reduction on these shifts to make the gear engage. Slightly less dip on upshifts but a big dip in power on downshifts when kicking down to pass.

FLYGUY31

First time posting in a very long time. I've had my eye on the TLX for a long time figuring I'll be ready to trade in my 2010 TSX Tech sometime soon. But I never really fell in love with the looks and with the complaints about the transmition I figured I would be moving on after having 3 Acura's and one Accord since 1995 (first all new car was the Integra). My TSX has given me zero issues in the 125K miles I've owned it and I'm figuring I would keep it until summer of 2018. Audi is now tops on my list for my new set of wheels come next year (either A5 or A4).

But with the recent release of the ASpec, I was thinking there might be a chance I could stay with Acura. I do like the way it looks in the recent pictures and videos I've watched. Well today I was reminded why i'll be moving
away from Acura.

I brought my car in for inspection today (Limerick PA) and was given a new TLX as a loaner. It only had 6000k on it. 6 cylinder loaded (not SHAWD). I can confirm with the 60 miles of mixed driving the transmition is not fixed. It was the first time I had a 6 TlX as a loaner. I couldnt believe how bad the tranny bucked and jerked, especially during braking. It just is not a natural feel. I brought it up to the salesmen as I walked out and they just nodded. They said possibly in the future it will be fixed.

It is a shame. I want to continue to purchase Acura products because my experience with them has been stellar. If I didn't total my 04 TL I would still have it. But there is just something wrong with this car and they refuse to fix it. It really is too bad.

Saintor

Must have been a 2015. Because there is no 2016- with jerkiness and yes it is all fixed.... and nobody even complained in MDX world.. 2016- are as butter-smooth as it gets. Certainly much more than old 5-sp./6-sp. of yore.

FLYGUY31

2015 with 6K on it in perfect condition? It was barely driven. Smelled brand new. Could it be that it was built that long ago and now only being used? I'm not sure about that. Maybe possible?

mmcdaniel33

The dealership I bought my 2017 SH-AWD w advance still has a brand new 2015 TLX. It never sold. They are going to use it as a loaner. If that transmission is one of the bad ones maybe a bad idea? My 9ZF is a smooth puppy!

Sloppy305

Looks like there is another set of Acura rims available as well.




Check out this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/rla0E_gCtq8

holografique

^ several observations...

1. They finally figured out how to design good looking rims again. I honestly can't believe it.

2. Looks like they are still choosing to have tack-on pieces even with the MMC. (lower sill piece). Why?

3. I can't wait to see this thing in black, silver, or graphite.

F23A4

Same here. At 14.5k, my ZF is just fine.

FLYGUY31

I really do hope it's fixed. I will definitely look and drive the ASpec when it delivers. I prefer to stay with Acura if it makes sense. But the Audi's will also be a consideration.

paamaran

Hi Guys,

I just read through this forum and not sure if this is the right place to post this. Pardon me if it isn't.

I am a first time Acura buyer, I love the TLX, I currently drive a Jeep and am looking to buy the TLX, which model would you suggest, should I go for the 2017 TLX V6 SH-AWD with Tech package or should I wait for the 2018 TLX releasing in June? Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the transmission problem until I saw this thread, I use only the automatic transmission. The dealer is offering around $7000 off on the 2017 model, should I be tempted into buying the older model?

a35tl

If you want to save some money, go with the '17. It's unlikely that the '18s will be as aggressively priced as the current '17s are. Obviously, the '18s have fresher styling and newer technology including Car Play. Don't know how important the upgrades are to you. The '15 model TLX V6 had significant hard shifting transmission issues. From everything I've seen though, the majority of those issues were corrected in model years '16 & newer. Some still don't like the nature of the 9 speed automatic but that seems to be a matter of personal preference. Many owners of '16 and newer TLX models seem perfectly content with the transmission. The harsh shifting of the '15 models has seemingly been rectified. With the extremely aggressive pricing I've seen on the '17s, it would be very tempting to pull the trigger on one and not wait for the '18s.

KeithL

Give them 4-6 months discounts will be fairly good, even if they sell well first few months that will taper off. Find the right dealer with the car you want at the end of a month and they will deal.

mapleloaf

Pretty typical of the early reviews.

mmcdaniel33

I pulled the trigger on mine 3 weeks ago (SH-AWD w advance) because I got a huge discount, $9,300 off MSRP, and because I did not see anything I could not live without. The current infotainment system is a HUGE upgrade from my last car and I don't care about Apple CarPlay. The basics of the car doesn't change and I decided the dual exhaust doesn't need to be visible to make me happy.

All in all I feel I got a great dea on a car I'm really enjoying. Find the deal that feels right for you and go for it!

wreak

The biggest obstacle Acura has for someone like me who's looking to upgrade in the next 1-2 yrs from a 2012 TL is that, although the A-spec looks great, it's MSRP is within $500 of a Infiniti Q50S 3.0T AWD. The Infiniti lays down some CRAZY performance times and has oodles of grip on the skidpad that I'm sure the A-spec will not be able to touch, it also comes with a factory big brake kit and some other legit performance goodies. I think the only thing the A-spec might beat it in is possibly some of the tech, maybe the steering wheel and the seats.

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

I believe the side sill is one piece. If you follow the lines there is no cut off, but I see where at the top it looks like it.

FLYGUY31

This is what I'm wondering also. I wonder what the actual cost will be and how close it will be to others like the Audi A4 and possibly the A5 that I'm looking at for replacing my 2010 TSX next summer. I really like the virtual cockpit in the Audis and the engines are strong. The navi in the Acura's are so dated and look cartoonish. But I'll need to test drive both the same week and see what I'm getting for each cost.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Are you comparing the base model though? When I go to Infinti website, while the base Q50 3.0T starts at $40.5k, I can also get up that is at $58k, and that's not the 400hp Red Sport version. I believe the TLX tops at $44k or something. I have a feeling the TLX is probably better equipped at the same pricing level.

Also, I know that the Q50 Red Sport is pretty darn fast - particularly I'm impressed by its 1/4 mile trap speed of well over 110mph, which is close to the E50 M5 6MT level - I haven't seen any figures for the regular 300hp Q50 3.0T. I'd bet that it's still faster than the TLX V6, but by how much? I'm guessing 0-60mph in 5s flat and 1/4 mile in mid 13's at 105mph or so.

For skidpad, C/D got 0.88g for the Red Sport sedan. That's not really high, especially considering it's wearing Dunlop SP SPORT MAXX 050 DSST CTT 245/265 tires with 19" rims. These are classified as max performance tires by Tirerack with 260 treadwear.

The TLX right now is at 0.83g or something, but that's with the small 18" rims on crappy and narrow 225 Goodyear tires on stock suspension. The A-spec has sportier suspension with wider and gripper 245 Michelin MXM4 tires with on 19" rims. The smaller sidewall is gonna help a bit too.

Saintor

That Q50S you refer to has 300HP and 295lbs-ft, just fine but crazy? It is probably the same as the previous NA 3.7, within a tick or two. Mid 5s on 0-60mph. Obviously if you want acceleration, the Acura is never going to win.

F23A4

The TLX V6's marginally lesser acceleration prowess is totally acceptable when in consideration of its superior fuel economy vs the Q50.

Kense

No, the silver sport is very underrated in terms of numbers it's putting out over 300 HP to the wheels. Several Silver Sport owners have run 4.87 0 to 60 times. You're very wrong. The new 3.0 Turbo non RS is much faster than the NA 3.7.

Saintor

Yeah I know. I am always very wrong.

*I don't think so, whatever the magical thinking of some kids*.

Bring me reputed 5-60 and we'll talk.

wreak

That is the lamest thing I've ever read on a car enthusiast forum haha. The 300hp Q50 makes 295lb/ft of torque at 1600rpm right up to 5200rpm the numbers aren't "marginally" different.

BlackTLXadvance

i know right, even the forums are in decline just like Acura. People blindly defend the car...or maybe they are sales men trying to make a buck.

They can frame how great this car is but we know the truth. Numbers speak for themselves, sales have been in decline every year. It's as simple as that, people don't want a car with problems that can be fixed but Acura is playing games.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

^ considering your incessant bitching about the TLX that you own, you have a problem with owners having a positive opinion about their car in a subforum on a Acura enthusiast website?

You make a hint that they are salesmen, how about others hinting that's you're just a troll? See how that works? Making broad general and sweeping comments about others accomplishes nothing. F23A4 has objectively laid out his gripes about the TLX in previous posts in this subforum and he hardly is a member that you refer to that blindly defends his car.

Here's a thought. Either figure out a way to respectfully convey your opinions when posting or you'll be earning yourself an involuntary vacation from this site. This isn't the first time I've read your posts alleging similar ideas.