[norsairius]

So far, so good for me. As someone else mentioned in this thread, in a vacuum, the TLX is a great car. It does fall short compared to its competitors in some areas though.

However, all things considered, I personally enjoy the balance of performance/comfort that the TLX achieves. I think the suspension is tuned well for my preferences and the power is fine for everyday driving. I enjoy the TLX more as a grand tourer than a sports car, but it can be sporty enough when I want it to be (though better tires would help a ton).

The interior is otherwise wonderful, seats are comfy, and the ELS sound system is fantastic! This car is also quite good-looking on the outside, which I've found I care more about than I thought I would.

I've had German cars before from VW and BMW. I personally believe the Germans make some of the best driver's cars in the world. I had a 2011 BMW 335i that was one of my favorite cars I've ever had (and likely always will be), but it had every single common issue that was discussed in forums for that car.

My family has also had 3 VW GTIs and each one has had their own flaws (though my family has been lucky enough that they've all been reliable for us, actually). Interesting thing about all the BMWs/VWs my family has had: water pumps/thermostats are reported in forums for those cars as common issues/parts that fail. All of them. My BMW 335i ended up having a water pump replaced that failed around ~45k miles.Some owners/enthusiasts even replace them before they fail as a preventative maintenance measure. That 335i would've left me stranded if I hadn't noticed the symptoms sooner. I think it helped that it failed while it was winter too. That turbo inline-6 and the sporty chassis sure was sweet to drive though.

All that said, I'm far less worried about the longer-term reliability of an Acura than I am of any German car I've had or would've otherwise been interested in getting. Edit: I know any car is bound to have some issues too though, of course, but the severity/nature of those issues can make a big difference.

I'll admit the TLX isn't quite as sharp/responsive as those German cars, but it's a really good value and still delivers as a car that drives quite nicely, if you ask me. I think the TLX would compete more closely with its competition if it had better tires from the factory too. The drivetrain could use some tweaking and has room for improvement, but the complaints I read about it or watched on YouTube reviews haven't really panned out based on my experience actually driving it.

I'm leasing the TLX right now though and I've admittedly only had it for a week, so I suppose we'll see how my perspectives develop/change the longer I have it.

 

[norsairius]

I had a 2013 BMW 535xi that I traded in for my TLX. I felt like I was living on borrowed time with the BMW and I was disappointed with the way that the 8 year old car had no technology support from BMW anymore. That said, that 5 series was the best car that I've ever had and very dependable overall. Two gaskets and routine maintenance in 4 and 1/2 years of ownership. There is a reason why the 5 series sells for $20k-30k more than the TLX. They are far better cars. That said, I wouldn't own an older one that I needed to depend on at all.

I do agree that the TLX is a great balance of performance, luxury and price. I'm hoping that the TLX does prove more reliable and that I can be driving it for a while. When my car is out of warranty, I plan on doing a ktune if there isn't a better option.

I did find it interesting that you also had a CX-9.....that's what my wife drives right now.

The CX-9 was great! It was comfortable, quiet, and handled surprisingly well, but it just came with TERRIBLE tires from the factory. I've never felt less safe driving in the winter than I did with that car and with the OEM Bridgestone Ecopias that came with it from the factory. Replacement tires made successive winter driving experiences MUCH better.

My wife ended up getting an SUV though (she didn't want to take on the CX-9 because she didn't want something that big) and we simply didn't need two so I bought something fun, a VW GTI, since my family has had a couple before. I found that the nostalgia of having those GTIs misled me into getting something less comfortable than I'd like in my (relatively) older age though. The GTI also turned out to be a tighter fit than expected with a family (my previous GTI experiences were from me being single/dating and without children). I thought I had researched it well enough as a family vehicle, but sometimes real-life experience is needed to really feel some things out. The GTI is an amazing and fun car, and I'll always look back at my time with them positively (for the most part), but they're just not for me these days.

 

[norsairius]

Overall, I still really like the car. Only ~8500 miles after almost a year in to having it, but it's probably the most comfortable car I've had and I'm still surprised at how well it handles. SH-AWD has really exceeded my expectations with how effective it is at putting the power down when cornering on-throttle. It's an excellent every day car, long distance cruiser, and good for occasional fun.

The only real complaints I have are:

• a few interior rattles that admittedly don't present themselves consistently
• mediocre tires the car comes equipped with (better tires would do more to show off the car's capabilities so much more)
• the transmission - It works fine for day-to-day driving, but it's just not as responsive as I would like it to be. Perhaps the Type S's transmission is better (as it should be from what I've read), but the regular TLX would be appreciably more fun to drive if the transmission was tightened up even just a bit
• I also wish the engine made just a bit more power, but it's fine most of the time
• I suppose I wish there was just a bit more exhaust noise, but that's a personal preference