Adoniram

Well my '05 Subaru Legacy GT limited blew its 2nd turbo in 2 years, so I decided it was time to put it out to pasture (i.e. craigslist) and get something more reliable. I seriously considered the IS 300/350 F Sport (among others), but the interior dimensions were a little more cramped and the markup just wasn't justifiable (in my mind), so I went with a '16 TLX Adv for $7k off MSRP (seemed like a good deal). The plan was to order a '17 custom, but $7k off was too much to walk away from...

I'm hoping people here can give me some tips on what they like or dislike most about their cars, and how they deal with it. I love it as a driving/transportation machine (engine/lighting/remote start/safety features), but the overuse of the touchscreen is driving me nuts.

In fact, my primary complaint (which is small) is that there isn't a fast/easy way to cancel the current navigation via voice command, or without a few clicks of that large button/wheel thing.

But other than a few gripes, I love the car. It is a big step up in safety and luxury from my Subaru (which I did love).

dezymond

To disable navi by voice I thought the command was "cancel navigation" and it worked for me. I rarely use the navigation and even use the voice commands even less, but I feel the voice commands just take so much longer than pushing the buttons. I do see it as helpful if I'm driving in the rain for instance, but I haven't had to do so yet.

Many complain about how slow the transmission is to react, but I find it to be sufficient and the car definitely has more than enough power for everyday driving.

My main gripes about the car is that the UI for the infotainment system is slow and feels old. Not to mention it now feels like a class below what Honda/Acura offer in their Honda lineup, go take a look at the Civic and Accord infotainment system! That's the only real disappointing part of the car to me.

Enjoy your new ride!

sbillard

It is "Cancel route" But really "Cancel Navigation" should have been the command. I keep thinking that instead.

Adoniram

Ok so I feel like I've tried this before, so let me ask:
are you hitting the voice command button, then saying "navigation" and then "cancel route?"

dezymond

Ahh it is cancel route. I always ended up saying that, but yeah either should have been programmed to work.

dezymond

I usually say "cancel route" (even though earlier I thought it was "cancel navigation"

mapleloaf

My main advice is to enjoy the quiet smooth ride, the sound system, the handling, avoid worrying about comparisons (which tends to happen here - there's always a better this or that elsewhere, usually for more money) and the value for money proposition. It's my humble opinion that once you get used to the screens, you will appreciate their flexibility. Enjoy!

wlkeel

What mapleloaf said. I think you'll enjoy the ride.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Congrats on the new car!

Quandry

You can find fault with almost every device, be it smartphone, TV, etc., Put a bunch of these technology components into one product, the TLX, and the opportunities for fault are endless. It is a challenging mind game but stop comparing the car to others out there. Learn about the features and how to use them effectively, get over the ones that are not perfect, and just enjoy your purchase until it is time to repeat the cycle.

dezymond

The two screen setup is nice at times, but I think Acura really dropped the ball by not working in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay into the mix.

There is a ton of information that can be displayed on both screens at the same time, but it just feels a generation behind. It's functional and everything, just behind the times considering you can get a much nicer infotainment system in a Civic. Flexible, but it could've been even more flexible if they had opted to update the infotainment system.

mapleloaf

Important to remember that the primary use of an infotainment system is the sound system, and the TLX is far superior to the Civic or Accord. The Civic is great, but Apple/Android play are usefu IF you want to use the system as you would use your phone using apps that many us of don't while in the car. You can phone and text easily with the TLX system, you can play music multiple ways, you can use SIRI with an I Phone (and Hey Siri with no buttons with an I Phone 7 - I make calls without touching a single button in the car), etc. etc. For many folks, the main advantage of Apple/Android Play would be an always updated navigation system, which is certainly a plus. As for look, it's different, but since Map and sound system are the principal displays for many folks, the TLX is more than functional.

Oh...and the TLX has a volume knob

Adoniram

Thanks everyone for the tips and comments. I definitely need to start using siri more often considering it's probably way more functional than I realize... (just bought my first iphone in September)

And I think today's project will involve reading the rest of the manual, since there's a lot of stuff I'm sure I'm missing.

Someday, I may think about trying to modify the on-board software, if that's possible. There's a few tweaks I'd like to make, like making the fresh/recirculate button a simple toggle, instead of a pop-up screen with 2 choices... I mean come on, that should have been obvious...

But other than a few gripes about the touch screen software and navi prompts, the car is amazing. I used the ACC and LKAS last night and that was awesome. It really is a great driving machine. And yeah, sound system is wonderful. I had to turn the treble down a bit though for some reason... but now it's great!

CheeseyPoofs McNut

You can use Siri Eyes Free to text while driving - it's pretty useful and functional.

rocket_pup

My sentiments exactly. For the price & features, the TLX is a decent value in the 30 - 40k segment. Comparisons to the Audi A4 are not apples to apples in terms of purchase price, reliability, or residual value.

Rocketsfan

Yes, the unnecessary buttonpresses are mindboggling for a binary decision. I've said the same thing before and for the exact same feature you mention. The fan speed I think is another one. They're all sub-menu confirmation type screens. Annoying as heck when you're driving. There are some other quirks to the entire navi system you may encounter as you use it, but the only thing that may really annoy the crap out of you may be sluggishness here and there. Some say the graphics and response time are a bit dated. Other than that, it's alright, I guess. Reading the manual when you're bored may be the best thing you can do first, though. It can be helpful.

As for your statement about likes and dislikes, there are a lot of likes and a lot of dislikes. My biggest issue is the 2015's transmission issues and how poorly Acura handled it, and in my case, is still unresolved. It's the reason I don't recommend the vehicle to those who ask me. The biggest like I have with the car is the highway mileage which is underrated by EPA standards... by a lot from what I've seen. Everything else is pretty much like any other car... a bit better on some counts, a bit worse in others. The best thing to do is just drive it and figure out what matters to you the most. It's a decent entry-level luxury car outside of the transmission in the 2015's from what I've seen.

All these cars have issues. Acura's reliability/initial quality isn't what it was. Just enjoy it until you can't and hope that's far down the road. lol. Good luck and welcome.

Quandry

Unless you have some special insider knowledge/tools it is extremely likely that that will be possible.

I do not find it annoying because I rarely have to use it on my Advance/Elite model. Basically set it and forget it. My wife is a lot more sensitive to air flow and temperature and when she gets in as a passenger the fan speed on her side goes up, the temperature goes down, and the seat warmers is increased. The design of a control followed by a sub menu makes sense to me, and as I implied it works well on my model.

9SpeedTran

I had the dealer replace the stock wheels and tires with the 19" wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires before I drove the car out of the showroom. Having driven loaners with both the Firestone and Bridgestone tires, I am *so* glad I did that. With the Michelins, my TLX handles feels more stable and planted, especially in corners, than my TL Type S did. I love the car. After I got the transmission replaced, I have to say the car is just about perfect for me.

Rae Rad

nice!!! Thanks for that. Just purchased an IPhone 7 last week coming from a S7 edge. I have to say.. Siri is the only reason why I switched back. I love that bitch

stogie1020

2017 TLX new owner here, too.

Any way to disable the thing with the drivers seat where upon turning the car off/on it moved the seat back/forward?

ZipSpeed

Yes, you can turn it off in the vehicle settings. The car has to be on and in park.

TLXVanquish

Yep. I've done this as well.

rocket_pup

7k off sticker seems like a great deal.

The best upgrade I can think of is to change out the OEM rubber. The Goodyear Eagle LS is HORRIBLE, and the Bridgestone Potenza (although better) aren't very good either. 18" is probably the optimum size, but 19" looks more sporty. I think most people go with Michelin or Continental.

Saintor

Was it a manual one? My tip to you is to change IDS to Sport+ mode as soon that one of your brain cells wants to have fun. It becomes a very different car, eager to please. It is not obvious if you don't take that critical step.

svtmike

Not apples to apples in terms of looks, ergonomics, tech, efficiency (especially AWD), infotainment system, etc.

Price? I didn't think they were very far off at all when comparably equipped when I cross-shopped them.

The A4 is what the TLX wishes it could have been -- a step forward in nearly every possible way from the revered 3G TL.

Quandry

And the winning feature for the A4: plug in an iPhone and viola the screen is shown on the display so the navigation app from the phone can be used. No need for the expensive navigation feature in the car and the ridiculous fee to get the update DVD every couple of years. Factor this in and the prices are even closer.

svtmike

I suppose if you are the person who loves Apple Maps, sure.

Carplay is not that great. It is not even close to the mirroring of the phone screen that your post implies.

Adoniram

Yeah it seems like a much more watered down version of the Apple maps app. However, there is literally nothing that could be worse than in-car navigation. I have yet to see a single nav system that doesn't blow chunks, have horrible routing, or require $100-300/year to "update" (i.e. get maps from 2 years ago).

It's almost enough to make you want to risk trying one of the (controversial) screen mirroring devices.

svtmike

I just use Waze with my phone in a ProClip.

Anyway, the omission of CarPlay is the among the least of the TLX's faults. Besides, where would they have put the third touchscreen?

Saintor

Disappointed! I thought it was the case... *in my Samsung S7 I trust*.