When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Yup. The A-spec tires are MXM4's based on the videos and photos I've seen.
We Canadians are more lucky though. We get Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 which are ultra-high performance all season tires as opposed to grand touring ones.
lol 3% doesn't sound like a lot but it seems like most reviewers enjoy driving the new A-spec. Perhaps the overall setup, including the dampers, steering ratio, larger rims, wider tires, stiffer suspension components etc all contribute to the overall improvement.
Meh, not compelling enough reason for me to return to a TLX V6 SH-AWD. Same mediocre ZF 9AT slush box. Same weak brakes. No bump in power. Slight to barely noticeable handling improvement.
Acura can put adjustable dampers in the 7 passenger family hauler, but they can't find a way to put it in their supposed sports sedan? Does not compute.
Add back the 6MT, increase the braking surface by 15%, insert adjustable dampers from the MDX, tweak the powerband. Call it a Type-S, then I'll be back.
Meh, not compelling enough reason for me to return to a TLX V6 SH-AWD. Same mediocre ZF 9AT slush box. Same weak brakes. No bump in power. Slight to barely noticeable handling improvement.
Trash talking about the awesomely wonderful TLX. . . . Saintor will report you to the moderators if he sees this.
Meh, not compelling enough reason for me to return to a TLX V6 SH-AWD. Same mediocre ZF 9AT slush box. Same weak brakes. No bump in power. Slight to barely noticeable handling improvement.
Acura can put adjustable dampers in the 7 passenger family hauler, but they can't find a way to put it in their supposed sports sedan? Does not compute.
Add back the 6MT, increase the braking surface by 15%, insert adjustable dampers from the MDX, tweak the powerband. Call it a Type-S, then I'll be back.
Agreed on the brakes and power. But from the reviews I've read and watched so far, most seem to be praising the updated ZF 9AT and noticeably improved handling (A-spec trim). Many are claiming that the A-spec is actually fun to drive now.
Meh, not compelling enough reason for me to return to a TLX V6 SH-AWD. Same mediocre ZF 9AT slush box. Same weak brakes. No bump in power. Slight to barely noticeable handling improvement.
You obviously never tried the 2016+ ZF9 - it is at least very good. Car&Driver even praises it.
Originally Posted by Car&Driver
Ratios are stacked tightly, making it fun to employ the wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Sport+ switches to manual mode with the first tug of a lever and holds it until the driver instructs otherwise; it also allows for double downshifts. In the less aggressive settings, the transmission returns to drive after a few moments of inactivity. Numerous algorithms run in the background, optimizing transmission operation to suppress upshifts during spirited cornering and to hold gears while climbing and descending steep grades. If it sounds like a lot of electronic tomfoolery that will only try to put a lid on the fun, we’re here to tell you that’s not the case.
Well, how it performs was part of the issue - sluggish and delayed gear changes,unexpected downshifts, lack of kickdown, etc. But there were also the reliability issues of vibration, randomly shifting to neutral, and wrong gear indication (light shows P, but the car is actually in N).
My understanding is that the aforementioned reliability issues mainly affected 2015 TLX. On the other hand, the performance issues were improved, but not completely fixed. With that said, it seems like Acura and/or ZF has fixed these performance issues for the 2018 model.
I don't consider sluggish and lack of kickdowns issues. You can just call it a sucky auto tranny and there are plenty of those out there.
It's just because it is ZF and ZF8 is arguably the best AT out there, only they know how they messed up the ZF9 so badly when compared to ZF8.
When the car moves by itself when parked, that is an issue.
Care to explain?
The ZF9 is just fine, acts very much like a ZF8. It is butter-smooth and shifts crisply; I much prefer it to any DCT I drove. Not surprised that Audi hasn't put a DCT in their 2018 S4. I still think that the ZF8 is a notch above the ZF9, but the ZF9 has a least 90% of the goodness.
The ZF9 is just fine, acts very much like a ZF8. It is butter-smooth and shifts crisply; I much prefer it to any DCT I drove. Not surprised that Audi hasn't put a DCT in their 2018 S4. I still think that the ZF8 is a notch above the ZF9, but the ZF9 has a least 90% of the goodness.
Again both reliability issues and performance issues are mostly for the 2015 vehicles. Since then, things have gotten a whole lot better. Still not at ZF8 level, but it's decent now.
Originally Posted by nanxun
Power unit needs some updating, and can't believe the exhaust tips aren't even connected to the actual tailpipes....
Hmm, exhaust tips not connected is more common than you think, check out this $100k Mercedes:
Yup, I was going to say- it's the norm these days for the exhaust tips to be separate- and it's not really a bad thing. If you ever have to replace a muffler, you can just get any aftermarket one that fits the car- you don't have to go to the dealership or wrecker to get a specific exhaust muffler. I guess the tip could just be welded on, but I dunno. Personally, I don't have an issue with the pipes being like that.
Hmm, exhaust tips not connected is more common than you think,
Originally Posted by TacoBello
Yup, I was going to say- it's the norm these days for the exhaust tips to be separate- and it's not really a bad thing. If you ever have to replace a muffler, you can just get any aftermarket one that fits the car- you don't have to go to the dealership or wrecker to get a specific exhaust muffler. I guess the tip could just be welded on, but I dunno. Personally, I don't have an issue with the pipes being like that.
Huh, whaddya know. Hadn't ever noticed that. Seems "wrong" to me (sorta like artificial engine noise being piped into the cabin), but (as noted by TacoBello) makes practical sense, I suppose.
Yup, I was going to say- it's the norm these days for the exhaust tips to be separate- and it's not really a bad thing. If you ever have to replace a muffler, you can just get any aftermarket one that fits the car- you don't have to go to the dealership or wrecker to get a specific exhaust muffler. I guess the tip could just be welded on, but I dunno. Personally, I don't have an issue with the pipes being like that.
Never thought about that but that's a great point.
1. It likely doesn't require much, if any centering of the exhaust tips, so that they look even. The muffler and plain muffler tip behind the fascia barely have to line up to work as intended.
2. Replacement is likely easier and cheaper, for the consumer. (This one throws me off, because since when do automakers care about the cost to a consumer for replacing stuff?)
3. It might be quicker assembly at the factory too.
#1 is especially true for cars like the Audi R8. If those exhaust tips were actually connected to the exhaust, aligning them would be really difficult...And I'd imagine there could be vibration and some movement that could cause rattling noise as the tips hit the edge of the holes all the time....
I remember when people were going apeshit over the IS-F having fake tips way back then.
LOL! So true! People went all 'scorched earth' about IS-F exhaust tips (and the MS6, to a lesser degree). Things got quiet fast once makes like Audi went this route.
Not a huge fan of the fake tips, I guess I am old school. Most of them don't bother me too much, I prefer the tips on the TLX now to having no tips at all, but this I don't like...
Last edited by AnthraciteAspec; Jun 2, 2017 at 11:19 PM.
Clearly it's just a trim ring, shame on you for mistaking it for an exhaust
Agreed, Definitely not a fan of that, at least make it open with the tip just behind
^
The prior-gen AMG package S-Class was the same, small diameter tip in a faux-opening in the bumper.
But the turn-down behind an opening would be worse.
Effectively, these are all examples of exhaust outlet trim as opposed to tips. The lack of true exhaust outlet 'aesthetics' is the only glaring negative with the appearance of my 15 MDX/16 TLX.
Acura definitely peaked in this segment with the 07-08 TL-S tips.
It has a LSD though, it would be nice if the production car has that as an option too.
The production car does not have enough power or enough handling characteristics to require a LSD.... Ditch those all season tires first before installing a LSD.
