Stew4HD

I was close to going with a Hyundai Genesis 5.0 and looked into a Chevy SS (rare sedan that competes with the Charger SRT8)

lsbuffs

After owning two MDXs, an RL, a TL and now a 2015 TLX, I've ordered the new 2017 Audi A4. Tired of dealing with the transmission, just given up. New car is on a boat now, arrives in port at Houston on April 12.

I know I'll take an absolute bath on the resale/trade-in of the TLX, but just going to suck it up and put it behind me. Been huge supporter of Acura until my TLX.

Stew4HD

I'll meet your car at the port here and test drive it for ya.. make sure it's worthy

neil0311

Yeah, that's my initial inclination. As I told the dealership General Mgr, it's going to take a really good deal on a 2016 to even get me to consider it. Having said that, I'm not stupid and don't want to throw away huge money either.

I looked at the Lexus GS, and even though I was a happy Lexus IS owner for 9 years, the new look with that fugly grill and interior just doesn't do it for me. The price tag is also a shocker.

I'm not a Nissan fan, but I would consider an Infiniti Q50 or Q70 (my company has a negotiated price that makes it less of a price issue). The Maxima is a non-starter. Don't like the styling and don't want FWD.

Audi or BMW is an option, but they've always scared me because of reliability, but I'm rethinking that after this fiasco. I've always thought Honda and Acura were top notch in the reliability category. The Germans are also much more expensive.

So, it may come down to how much is it worth it to me, and being very careful to test drive thoroughly any TLX that I consider. I still like the car, which is why I bought it, but I'm definitely conflicted.

saturno_v

Did you look at some domestic?? Chevrolet SS or Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300??

What about the Hyundai Genesis?? Is AWD a must??

Stew4HD

UH OH! You mentioned the Q50!

neil0311

Why do I sense there's a story here that I've not heard?

neil0311

AWD isn't a must, but I'm not a fan of the way FWD handles.

Personally, wouldn't buy a Chrysler product. Don't want to be a snob, but I can afford better. I've owned Fords and GM vehicles, but never felt they were made well. My wife owns a Ford now, and we've not had great luck after 10 years and 130K miles.

I've always liked Japanese vehicles and until now, it's been a wise move.

saturno_v

I would not trust a Chrysler in the long run and getting a strong extended warranty is highly advisable (it is fairly inexpensive getting one at the dealer, bumper to bumper 5 years or 100K miles) so, yes, if you plan to keep the car beyond 100K miles it is something to think about (as I said before I would not own a German car outside of warranty either). I almost always bought Japanese cars however we realized that both me and my wife always end up getting rid of our cars at 90K miles or less (usually around the 4 years mark) so very long term reliability is not an issue.

However, in terms of fit and finish the new FCA products are fairly impressive for the price....test one, you got nothing to lose and you may be positively surprised...

The Hyundai Genesis is a fantastic sedan for the money.

The Chevrolet SS is super nice too.

weather

*lol* If you haven't heard it yet, stick around, it is bound to resurface

Mike_TX

Agree. I wouldn't even walk into a Chrysler dealership ... their designs have always been stodgy and they still are. There's just something Buick-like and old-fashioned about the way they do things, and their obsession with retro styling tells me they've run out of ideas.

As for the Genesis, I agree it's a heck of a car, but i tend to trade every 24 months or so, and Hyundai's still don't have good resale value. That makes it uneconomical unless you keep it a long time. I don't know if they're ever going to outlive their early reputation as an econocar company.

edmua6

This thread is full of temptations. I just saw a 2014 Audi S4 on Autotrader with only 1200 kms.

mapleloaf

My car is good and I have released my angst about the odd slightly notched shift. Reading forums can be hazardous to your peace of mind, especially an Acura forum. Since you asked, my choices are, in order:

1. Acura 2.4 TLX Tech (15 or 16)
2. Acura 3.5 SH-AWD Tech (16)
3. If pressed and I decided to spend more on a car and less on travel, I would consider a nicely equipped BMW 328 iX drive.

spoiler900

NEIL0311: You mentioned your not a Nissan fan but would consider an Infiniti. Just to let you know, a couple years back when Infiniti started rebranding all their cars as Q___ they officially broke ties with Nissan. So it is no longer Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus etc etc Nissan and Infiniti are "supposedly" completely different and not together any more.

Saintor

Gotta be kidding. You expect to have something more premium for free?

Well almost.
As per their Canadian sites (36mo/36000 miles), with no particular promotions;
An Accord Touring V6 leases for $618C/mo
A TLX V6 SH-AWD leases for a $621C/mo

Momyc

Saintor ,


I don't think it's same cash down on those 2 prices.

Saintor

Both are 0$.

keith7120

I'm curious. What are the ages of you and your wife. I asked that because I got bashed in another post about how the TLX appealed to older eyes. I'm 50 myself btw.

BruceLandry1

Me 57, Her 53. we also thought if we feel racy we'll just hop in my 01 S2000, just need to be sure to wear hats and sunglasses so our age is somewhat hidden.

BEAR-AvHistory

Not sure what this obsession with age is that some people have about what they or someone else drives.



Am 74 & my daily driver weather permitting has way more performance than you can ever employ on the street. Runs well at VIR with 156/160mph on the main straight, brake limited.

When driven locally gets a lot of waves, thumbs up & phone pic taken. In parking lots am engaged with lots of questions about the car. No one has yet said aren't you a bit old for the car.

Think the whole "too old" or a cars for "Old Farts" comes from two places. People who decide they are old farts & live their life that way & people whos income has not caught up with the cost of a nice car.

To suggest a TLX is an old persons car is really strange. The whole marketing program is geared to performance with younger men & woman driving the car, some strapping on race helmets & blasting across the desert.

To me there is no too old or to young; there's just what you like & can afford. You only get to live life one time so its best to live it like you want not according to how others think you should.

neil0311

Nissan still owns Infiniti. They just split the corporate HQ and Infiniti is now branding and selling vehicles in Japan and China. They share engineering and manufacturing facilities.


The salesman at one of the local Infiniti dealers was telling me that the new turbo engines for the 2016 Q50 are built at the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.

JT4

For us it's not what would it have been, it's what was purchased instead.

Back in Nov a 2015 Q50S with Infiniti perf exhaust was purchased. Since then a Stillen rear spoiler, rear roof spoiler, diffuser, and splitter have been added.

The car is a blast to drive especially in sport mode. Approx 4,200 miles on it now and it has been great.

keith7120

No obsession for me. I'm 50 and I love sporty cars. The point I'm stressing. They are marketing performance but sending mixed messages in the actual product. For instance, sporty in my opinion is exposed pipes. I see on your car, you have big pipes fully visible down the entire side of the car and visible from the rear. Now that is sporty. However, most older folks I know wouldn't want to expose their herniated disc to a rugged sports car...no obsession here. In addition, I feel too young for the TLX. It is what it is. The TLX is a sedan at the end of the day, but the thrill was not there for me.

BEAR-AvHistory

Without splitting word definition hairs I would not define a 4 door sedan as an old guys car. The BMW M3 has 4 doors so does the 700HP Dodge Charger Hellcat. Personally, I do not like the styling constraints the rear doors force on the design but that's a look issue.

I think what you are saying is the reality of the TLX does not live up to the hype. If it ran like it does in the TV adds & had some tail pipes it would be as "sporty" as any other 4 door out there. In car advertising image is the reality & the TLX is pitched as the up & coming active young persons ride: so it is a young persons car.

Think some of the unscientific "how old are you" threads here in the TL/TLX's case prove the image & reality to be one in the same.

Think If I had to stereotype an old farts car, be the person 30 or 70 years old, it would be a last generation Buick or maybe an Avalon. I will never ever get behind one in traffic if I can possibly avoid it.

BruceLandry1

Or a small SUV with a spare tire mounted on the tailgate.

BEAR-AvHistory

Speaking of sporty exhaust pipes. Four of them followed us home today.







Daughter asked me to go with her to get something sporty.

wlkeel

Well, that's certainly sporty!!! Way to go.

Performance is probably a bit better than my 1964 356B, which I wish I still had.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Kevin- you have taught her well

BEAR-AvHistory

Dealer has a restored 1954 "356-C" coupe in the showroom. Nice car. Interesting thing is the seats are identical to the seats in my Cobra right down to the vertical pleats. Expect there must have been a specialty seat manufacturer all the low volume car manufactures used. Trying to remember what the my Triumph TR3 & Morgan+4 SS seats looked like but am having an old farts memory issue

Had built a 280ZX convertible in 1982 that was a 5 speed. They all learned to drive on it & used it one after another to drive to school.

From then till now two of the three have always had at least one "sporty" MT in their driveway. 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

The grand kids were also trained on MT's in the Ranger & have attended the BMW performance driving school in South Carolina.

neil0311

So ACR passed me to another group to work on the buy back, and the service manager from my dealer called me yesterday and asked if I would consider a new 2016 TLX, and they would swap it out even.

Given the price I paid in Dec ($36,500 before taxes for SH-AWD Tech with a few extras) and I the cost of some of the other vehicles I've looked at, I'm going down that path for now. I can't see spending $10-15K more (and getting fewer features in most cases) which was what led me to the TLX in the first place.

What do you think? Am I being short sighted? Is an even swap a good deal?

wlkeel

Unless I'm missing something, I don't see how you can go wrong. You end up with a newer model car with greater resale value. Also, the 2016 SH-AWD seems to have some of the 2015 bugs worked out.

I'm assuming the 2016 is the same model and equipped the same as the 2015.

Of course, if you just plain hate Acura or the TLX, this won't work. Otherwise, good deal.

BEAR-AvHistory

Deal

neil0311

Yeah, I'm thinking there are few downsides, and it's a good deal. I get the price I want for a model year newer and a reset of mileage and warranty. I plan to test drive it very carefully and probably ask to keep it for a day to test drive. I'm also going to insist on the Michelin tires which made a night and day difference.

I'm hoping my now 4 month nightmare will be over soon and I can stop thinking about my car and just drive it.

JT4

If the 16's have most of the bugs worked out as it has been reported, then this is probably going to be the fastest way to get out of your current TLX. It all comes down to your confidence in Acura after all the issues you had.

Glad to hear this is moving in the right direction for you.. Good Luck!!

boe_d

I'm still tossing around my decision

2017 Honda Accord Hybrid - Gas is expensive in LA and it is a solid car with a new power train for 2017. I've driven my friends quite a bit, very decent acceleration for a hybrid - no too bad compared to my current TL - hate the grill and the seats in the 2015 are not nearly as comfy as my TL - hopefully the 2017 has better seats.

2017 Acura TLX - comfy seats, ugly grill, far less than ideal gas mileage - city/highway. Hoping they offer a hybrid although it is highly unlikely.

2017 Lexus 300h IS/ES - interested in both if they improve the acceleration and bring the IS hybrid to the US. Grill neither good nor bad - prefer the KIA, Audi, BMW grills.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

OP- glad to see Acura finally stepping up and giving you IMHO a very fair deal. Best of luck in whatever route you choose to do.

neil0311

Thanks. Hoping to put this saga behind me.

mapleloaf

I agree with your assertions that personal taste and income determine selections more than age. I do think that age can limit certain life choices, but I also know that my Dad last vehicle was a 1973 Pontiac Grand-Ville 4 barrel 456 HP with an early iteration of climate control, off white seats, and a white vinyl top…and he was a generally conservative (small c) kind of man.

There are many factors that factors that influence our taste in cars, which is why I am always amused when some folks declare that a particular front end, or colour, or interior layout, etc, are ugly or awful. It's based on the notion that others should like what we like. For example, and this is not intended to be offensive, I am not a fan of your daily driver. It's just not my taste, but I know many would love it, as you do, which as you point out above, is all that really matters.

The challenge for car manufacturers, in this world where personal views about cars are all over social media and where an ever growing number of self styled experts do online car reviews, is to find designs that appeal to the market segments they are targeting. No easy feat.

BEAR-AvHistory

Agree its certainly not a car for everyone but IMHO for certain people its the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

This piece is long but its the best description I have seen about owning one of these things.

Driving a Cobra

"If you want to just gas and go, and never have to worry about replacing an alternator, or snuggling down the header bolts, or getting a wet leg driving in a rainstorm, or learning how to set your carb float level, or driving in traffic on a warm winter day with "winter gas" in the tank, get a Corvette. "

With a Cobra you have to remind yourself that you are driving a hand made race car on the street. There is no compromise for anything other than pure speed. These cars are brutal and unforgiving, with all the refinement of a medieval battle ax. Like being in a relationship with an exotic dancer, you can never take anything for granted. These cars don't have millions of miles of testing refinement before you get yours. For any trip longer than an hour, you need earplugs, and goggles, and carry Advil and eye drops.

You will need to learn to "read" the clouds for rain in your path, and have experience in un-wrapping your frozen fingers from the MotoLita. You will experience lady passengers "wetting" the passenger seat when you merge into traffic from an on ramp, and then nearly burn their calf getting out of the car.

You will have all the invisibility of a burning Hindenburg, and flee from underground parking lots when uncountable car alarms are screaming your departure. When you shop, you will remind yourself that these cars get more attention than a dead body in a parking lot.

With a power to weight ratio better than almost every supercar, you will find your 1/4 mile times traction rather than power limited. On the other hand, when you stage, out of the corner of your helmet's visor you will see almost the entire audience lining up at the fence, most with cameras up. If you track on a road course with a Porsche club, owners of expensive German machines will come to the fence to watch you power out in smoking oversteer.

You won't even try to start your engine in the garage, but push it out onto the driveway, else your loyal watch dog will croak from the exhaust fumes. If you idle next to other "sports" cars at a traffic light, by the green, their girlfriend will be coughing green phlegm into her hanky, yelling at her date to just go! When you refuel, you might as well prop the "bonnet" open, because you are going to have to show your motor to just about every other guy there.

When you order your wings at Hooters, your waitress will whisper in your ear "take me for a ride." When you stop at the red light, the girl in the convertible next to you will invite you to "take my top off too."

When you slowly pass a troop of Harley riders, they will look over and give you thumbs up. When you want to ease out into traffic, other cars will immediately pause to let you go ahead of them. When your engine has its hot, crackling, intimidating exhaust side-pipe aimed right at the flank of the GTO, or the Z28, your exhaust pulsation's slowly unscrewing his lug nuts, the other car will remain motionless, as if the slightest quiver of his car will cause your car to stomp it dead.

When you leave it open in a parking lot, and come back to find your sunglasses and cell phone still sitting on the tunnel, it is because your car has sullenly warned those who came over to admire it "touch me and I will rise up here and kill you dead."

When you put that tiny silver key into the ignition, and begin your start countdown, your car will whisper "take me for granted, and I will kill you."

When other drivers just hop in and snap up their belts while backing out of their parking space, you will still have two more minutes before you even get all the Simpson's properly on and snugged down. Pulling up in a Cobra is like landing an F4U at an ultra-lite convention
.
In summary, very, very few drivers want this kind of attention, or can tolerate all that a formidable Cobra demands. These cars are intolerant mistresses.

But remember, there will come a day when you have to hang up your car keys for the last time. And perhaps you want to say then "I did it."

Ten Cobra Driving Safety Tips

1. The two most dangerous words in aviation are, “Watch this.” The same goes for driving a Cobra. Humility is a wonderful personal trait to have for driving a Cobra safely. If you’re not humble now try thinking you’re a hotshot driver in a Cobra for awhile – you will get humbled, as they say down south, “…right quick.”

2. “You don’t even know what you don’t know”. Huh? Well think about it – if you’re not a professional race car driver, you’re kind of out of your element in a Cobra. I saw a video of a Cobra going out of control and rolling because the driver missed a downshift at speed in a sweeping turn. This caused the rear wheels to momentarily lock up and the rear end to slide out and thus the rollover. I didn’t even consider that as a possibility when I’ve been downshifting all this time, did you? That’s my point; I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. That short wheel base Cobra you’re driving can introduce you to all kinds of nasty things you never thought possible. Be careful out there and learn from others. The problem with learning from the school of hard knocks is that the tuition is too high.

3. “Know Thyself”, was said by the Greek philosopher Socrates. How true it is when it comes to driving a Cobra safely. I know that for myself I’m unqualified to be driving my Cobra anywhere near its performance limits. I have virtually no racing experience, very little training and I’m in my 50’s so my reactions are not what they used to be. Instead I have the advantage (I hope) of wisdom. It is said, “The superior driver uses his superior judgment so as to not have to use his superior skill.” The most important thing here is recognizing limitations, do you?

4. I saw a video of a Cobra going out of control when the passenger door was not closed properly and the driver tried to close it while underway. The lean of the body when reaching for the door caused the throttle foot to press on the pedal. Probably not a problem in a regular car but in a Cobra that does 0 to 60 in less than four seconds it’s a recipe for disaster – especially when you only have one hand on the steering wheel! What’s the lesson here? If something falls on the floor or to the side of the passenger seat from g-forces or whatever, wait until you’re stopped (in neutral) before reaching to pick it up.

5. Beware of the club ride. It could be that you will be surrounded by some guys driving bullets (it’s been said you don’t shift a Cobra – you just chamber another round) who are in denial or unaware of their limitations and driving experience. These guys and I’m including myself, have good intentions but are young at heart so the “two teenagers in a car” phenomena is in effect. You know how it goes; they say “This is so cool, let’s do something crazy!” Two teenagers in a car will do things one teenager in a car would never do. This effect can take hold in a club ride. Use caution
and don’t get caught up in it. Be a defensive driver knowing someone, because of the above, may do something totally unexpected right in front of you.

6. Street racing kills. Its stupid and only the completely self-centered do it. It can kill you, or worse yet it can kill innocent bystanders. So just say “no” and go to a track. When that Viper pulls up next to you at the stoplight and revs his engine, then if you must, yell “Ace Raceway [or whatever your local track is called], this Friday, 6 PM.” You’ve just saved face and saved lives -- and I bet he never shows.

7. Take command of your Cobra. You can’t be afraid of it or else timidity will prevent you from taking the decisive action necessary to stay out of trouble. Now you must respect your Cobra, but not be afraid of it. Analyze yourself privately deep down and determine if you’re kind of afraid of the car. If you are, then its time for some professional training or time to sell the car. This is supposed to be fun and if you’re afraid of the car why deal with it, it will only cause trouble. A Cobra isn’t for everyone and there’s no shame in that.

8. Don’t let anyone tailgate you – ever. Folks behind you might want to get an “up close and personal” look at a Cobra and end up tailgating you. If you have to brake hard for some reason your car will stop much faster than theirs. You have no head restraints, virtually no crush zone and you’re basically sitting on top of a gas tank. Get the picture? Pull over to the slow lane and slow down if you have to in order to get them off your tail. Attention comes with the territory when driving a Cobra and the distractions can be dangerous.

9. Do “what if” scenarios in your head. Quickly now, what would you do if you were going down the freeway and your throttle return spring bracket let loose and you went to full throttle with no throttle control. Too late, you’ve already crashed. My answer is instantaneous and simultaneous controlled braking, clutch in, neutral gear then ignition off and coast to side of the road watching out for traffic and then and only then think about what happened. The key word here is “instantaneous”. You can’t do this quickly if you haven’t considered it beforehand. Be graphic and realistic in your scenarios.

What would it sound like and feel like if you went to full throttle unexpectedly going down the freeway? How much time would you have? My engine has an electronic RPM limiter so I’m not going to worry about blowing my engine by depressing the clutch at full throttle. And so what if I did blow my engine – my life is at stake here. “What if” scenarios are wonderful because they’re free, they can save your life, and as my dad used to say, they “tickle your brain.”

10. Don’t go for a drive in your Cobra to clear your head. Clear your head then drive your Cobra. This ain’t the car to be driving when you’re distracted.

11. A bonus tip: Have fun – safely.

12. Leave the alcohol for the end of the day. Maybe, a single beer with a meal, but no more. These cars can go from fun to "OH S*^T!!" faster then just about anything I've driven.

“There's nothing nice about a Cobra, it's stripped down to the essentials – a big engine, a small car, and four wide tires trying to keep the whole business on the pavement. It's loud, smells like gasoline, and shakes, shudders, and bucks. It makes your arms tired and your feet hot. You nearly crash about once every ten minutes. It's so damn wonderful you can’t believe it

Cobra heard whispering to the owner circa 1963:

"When you put that tiny silver key into the ignition, and begin your start countdown, take me for granted, and I will kill you."

These things require attention.

mapleloaf

Love the passion!!