Acura TLX Forum banner

Buying a TLX is a bad decision...

12K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  hmbecker3 
#1 ·
...or so all the reviewers say. V6 doesn't shift smoothly. The I4 is underpowered but get that option if you must buy this car. Forget cornering. Back seat is cramped. Inferior materials. Pedestrian styling. Technology is antiquated. It's not reliable. I liked the aluminum beak, turns out! Yeah, it's 5-star rated but there's another study! Buy a BMW stupid!

We've just leased another TLX with tech package with the V6 for three years. Before our 2016 TLX we had a 2006 TSX. We asked our salesman in 2016 about the nature of Acura buyers. He said, "They're thoughtful."

Don't ever question the buyer of an Acura vehicle as to why he didn't get something sportier, or more luxurious, and on and on and on. They chose the Acura because they're Acura people. Acura people are Honda people who have advanced to the point that they simply don't want to have to get every upgrade there is to their Accords. They are not normally BMW enthusiasts. They are quite happy, thank you, with the TLX, especially with the tech upgrade and V6. To them (me) exactly how much power do you need, and where, pray tell, are you aggressively cornering? If I lived where I could ream it out, I naturally require a truck with 4-wheel drive.

Acura people want quality workmanship and materials, but not at the sake of appearing ostentatious. They do not want to apologize to everyone who has to mention, oh, got a Lexus now, must be doing quite well, huh? Nobody ever remarks that an Acura owner must have arrived at a better station in life. We do not want to draw attention. Let this gem of car be our little secret.

About the infotainment system. It's not daunting and it doesn't stick up like the average police patrol car. Read the manual and take a little time. Acura owners are not likely going to want much outside of hands-free telephone operation, to talk to husbands and wives and grandkids.

So, I consider myself thoughtful and privileged to get another three years with what I view as a luxury car. I've owned a BMW 528 and I was scared to death to drive it long distances. How many Acuras have you seen on flatbed wreckers? I rest my case.
 
See less See more
#5 ·
Thanks for the welcome. Drove our new TLX to St. Augustine from Tampa and back on the weekend. Wonderful car. I believe Acura needs to sink some ad money into the vehicle because seeing another TLX was a rare sighting. Looks like the reviewers have been successful in getting consumers to buy a Honda Accord with all the trimmings. There's a plethora of them on the road. One thing I read is that the V6 option won't be available on the Accord going forward. This may help the the TLX. Anyway, I was passing a car robustly with my V6 and launched past the slower vehicle and pinned my wife's ears back. After the scolding I leisurely passed the next time with much to spare.
 
#4 ·
Prehistoric history: Civic wagon, Civic, Accord and Honda Odyssey (too many kids for the Civic wagon). Before that my dad had an Accord wagon and an Accord. My father-in-law had two Accords. All of mine were happily sold to willing and proud second owners.
 
#8 ·
I understand the Acura "family" sentiments you have all mentioned. My wife and I have had 22 Acuras since we bought our first Legend when they were first introduced in 1986. Currently both leasing 2017 TLX V6 Techs. We'll most likely be picking up two new 2020 TLXs in the coming months. I've looked at other brands but nothing compares to the value a TLX offers.
 
#9 ·
The first car I has to buy (I had company cars, mostly Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles for 10 years) ended up being a 1987 Acura Legend with a 2.5L 6 and a 5 speed manual. It was one of the best cars I ever owned and I drove it 240,000 miles before I sold it to a very happy buyer. My father who was a union operating engineer and a big proponent of "Buy American" and a died in the wool GM guy, was shocked when I showed him my new car. I tossed him the keys and he drove it. When we got back to the house, he tossed be back the keys and said he now understood why I bought the car. He ended up buying a 1992 Legend and I got that car when he had me buy a 2005 TL for my Mother. I ended up with the TL after my mom passed, which my daughter drives and now I own a 2018 TLX A-Spec, Black with Red interior.

The people who own Acura's, are people who want the best all round car they can buy. My TLX handles much better than my Audi A6, out Accelerates the Audi, and is much less expensive to keep on the road. It looks just as good, in my opinion and cost 30% less money to buy. Will a tricked out BMW out perform the TLX, absolutely, but at almost twice the price and with a reliability record that cannot hold a candle to the TLX. Bottom line is Acura owners are smart but also stylish and performance oriented.
 
#10 ·
I was the Honda fan boy. From 99 Civic SI to the 8th gen 08 Civic SI all kinds of mods aftermarket garbage was applied. It was a glorious time, fast and furious made it even better/worst. Then after college I got an Accord. I was no longer coffee can exhaust flicking cigarette butts out the sunroof. It was an 2013 Accord LX w/ a CVT transmission. It was awful. I remember at times I'd drive it in S just to feel 'something'. This year I traded my grandma car Accord for the TLX. I almost went BMW. I almost went Lexus. I'm so glad I went Acura.
 
#12 ·
I sat in these cars for about 30 minutes each. Just playing with the settings and getting familiar and observing the interior of the cars.

2019 Lexus IS350 AWD
I believe it was because of the Accord that I immediately felt the sense of familiarity in the TLX. From the moment I heard the beeps and boops going into the vehicle settings. The reverse camera, side mirrors, the buttons on the steering wheel- I had multiple instances where I though, 'oh that's familiar.. but.. better'. The real small things- the volume control was now a wheel where it used to be a up and down button with the additional ability to click left and right, awesome. The seat adjustment- similar but better. Ride height/visibility. Cruise control- all the same and more. Everything was somewhat the same but again, so much better. Headlight control was identical but now with rain detecting mode?! I recently found out it had auto high beam- wtf! Now i'm just rambling..
The Lexus felt too different visually and on the road. It was also the transition from 4cyl to 6 and I felt much more comfortable in the TLX.

2019 BMW 330i Xdrive
The experience was lousy. I just ended up not liking everything BMW. Even the salesmen.
 
#14 ·
I am a new Acura owner and looked at the TLX AWD after purchasing my son an Accord. The price was great, almost 10k off list. I had a nightmare with a BMW X6 I finally donated after serious oil consumption problems BMW wouldn't correct. The net of it was it was using a quart of oil every 1000 miles and it turned out to be the N63 engine valve stem seals. Long story, lawsuits, etc. but no satisfaction from BMW for me.

Yes, I wonder about the 9spd transmission sometimes especially when matching revs on a downshift. I also noticed it hunting for the right gear when driving down a hill.

The thing that bothers me the most is that when I stepped outside of a restaurant to show my friends my new car, I walked over to a Hyundai or something else. My friend said, "that isn't your car!" Sad, but true. So yes, it is a common looking vehicle to say the least.

But it does't smoke, it seems to be reliable and that's all I wanted after 9yrs of dumping oil in a 75K BMW and getting shafted by the factory, the dealers, etc. I've had them all, Ferrari, Jaguar, Mercedes, Alfas, Maserati, etc, and this car I love to drive. The V6 is strong when needed and using the paddles the transmission problems are moot.

I love my TLX (setting aside my windshield problem in another thread).

Jerry
 
#15 ·
Wow, you've had some high-end vehicles! Nice to hear the positive feedback on the TLX, but I don't think it's that common looking especially with the diamond pentagon grill. Good luck with the windshield issue.
 
#18 ·
Good thread. I'm on the Honda side with an 11-yr old V6 Accord. I hate the damn thing, I can't kill it. I want a TLX as a nice upgrade but will keep this Accord as a hobby, it's just too good to part with.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top