[andleigh]

Hi all,

First, thanks everybody for the wealth of information provided on this site! It's a fantastic resource.

I wanted to ask those of you who ordered a TLX from the factory about how accurate the dealer estimates for arrival of a new TLX were relative to the actual arrival date to the dealer in your experience?

I ordered a fully loaded TLX V6 AWD Advance package (in graphite luster, along with aero kit, spoiler, rims, etc.) on Oct. 11th from an Acura dealer in the Boston area and was told to expect it around the 1st week or 2nd week of December, possibly around Thanksgiving. Original estimated build date was supposed to be Nov 15-19. As of yesterday, dealer still doesn't have a VIN # and doesn't know if if it has been built yet , and are suggesting I might not see my TLX until late December and possibly into January 2015. Just curious if this is typical, or perhaps unique to my purchase?

I especially need this car now, given that my current '02 Civic with 174k miles is no longer snow-dependable anymore ...I'm a frequent skier and snowboarder in NH so I drive in the snow a lot!.

Thanks,
Vab

 

[TLX2014]

Prepare yourself for the worst. The Acura model is geared toward selling what is already built and in the pipeline. They cannot accurately tell you when your car will be built much less delivered. To increase your odds of getting something in the required timeframe you should consider giving them some alternative colors.

The SH-AWD seems to be quire popular but has the lowest production volume, so that limits its availability. The dealer should also be investigating dealer trades for you and not just relaying on a factory order.

 

[MrMoo]

Mine was supposed to be delivered to the dealer by the end of November and I was going to pick it up this past Monday, December 1st. Well I don't have it yet and it was not special ordered, it's one of their production cars. Supposedly it has now been made and is in the works of getting shipped to the dealer. I have asked for the VIN as soon as they know it so that I can get my insurance squared away but I don't have that either.

 

[Syzygy]

Hmm, I didn't have any issues. I ordered mine in the middle of October and was told it would arrive middle of November. I picked it up on Nov 7th.

 

[Summest]

Welcome to the Forum!

Hi all,

First, thanks everybody for the wealth of information provided on this site! It's a fantastic resource.

I wanted to ask those of you who ordered a TLX from the factory about how accurate the dealer estimates for arrival of a new TLX were relative to the actual arrival date to the dealer in your experience?

Welcome to the Forum as a contributor! I see this is your first post.

We jointly thank you for your appreciation. I continue to learn interesting stuff about the TLX. It's a fun car.

Waiting for the TLX to arrive is the most painful part of the process. I believe I got mine about 45 days after I ordered it and expected it at 30 days. The last fifteen days were painful. Every couple of days during this time, the dealer said the car would be in tomorrow or the next day. What a disappointment when they kept saying that. I am usually a patient person, but I was pouting like a baby near the last day. Luckily after the complaints the salesman found one he could trade for.

Some have been really lucky, but most want to order and not take a lot car. I heard that most buyer experience delays, especially if you want SH-AWD. I wish there was a guaranteed way to know when it will be delivered but don't hold your breath.

Best of luck waiting. Once your TLX finally comes in, it will be a joyous day.

 

[Millwright86]

The wait continues

Well your not alone. I ordered my TLX V6 SH-AWD Elite white with black interior on September 22 and still no date. I was in the dealership this past Monday and was told by the manager that it's being built this month, also there are 3 of them heading to western Canada which one is ear marked for me. So I asked, should I expect it in January? He said he is trying to get it here this month. He also mentioned that this is the longest wait he has ever seen with Acura.

 

[Summest]

Welcome to the Forum!

Well your not alone. I ordered my TLX V6 SH-AWD Elite white with black interior on September 22 and still no date. I was in the dealership this past Monday and was told by the manager that it's being built this month, also there are 3 of them heading to western Canada which one is ear marked for me. So I asked, should I expect it in January? He said he is trying to get it here this month. He also mentioned that this is the longest wait he has ever seen with Acura.

Welcome to the Forum! I am sorry I missed your first post.

Sorry to hear about the longest wait. Someone should create a poll on How long did you have to wait for your TLX?

Any wait is painful and it only get worse with delays.

Good luck.

 

[r.johnson]

i wonder if there is not enough demand for the advance/elite trim as supposed to the tech packages that most people went for.....so they take their time with building advance/elite ones...

 

[Millwright86]

Hopefully taking their time with the elite to make it perfect! Lol

 

[andleigh]

Well, it's certainly reassuring to know I'm not alone. I would have thought that it would be in Acura's best interest in favor the Advance/elite models first given their higher cost and profit margin.

While I'm certainly anxious over the delays, especially given the state of my current vehicle, what I find surprising is that it seems the dealer(s) literally have no idea if and when the new cars are built. My dealer told me that they don't know the status of a car until its VIN has been entered into the system, and that this can happen just after it's built or several weeks later, sometimes after it has already arrived at the dealership.

E.g., when I order toothpaste online, I can get a text/email every time the order is created, filled, moved, enters a facility, leaves a facility, out for delivery, etc. and this is only for a $4 tube of toothpaste. You'd think Acura would have a better system to track $50,000 vehicles.... or at least match the capabilities of toothpaste order fulfillment.

 

[TLX2014]

As has been said before, the Acura business model is not designed for build to spec. The weakness of their model has been highlighted by this demand for the SH-AWD. If is also possible they they seriously underestimated the demand, and the just-in-time manufacturing has supply constraints that limits the schedule. A change here could also compromise the higher volume models, and total units sold is an important measure.

 

[timbocool]

As has been said before, the Acura business model is not designed for build to spec. The weakness of their model has been highlighted by this demand for the SH-AWD. If is also possible they they seriously underestimated the demand, and the just-in-time manufacturing has supply constraints that limits the schedule. A change here could also compromise the higher volume models, and total units sold is an important measure.

I agree with TLX2014 - in 2002 to 2004 I sold Honda Cars, the sales manager would order what was hot and Honda would build what they wanted to sell. It was always difficult to get the hot sellers.

 

[andleigh]

So as an update on my car, I've been given a VIN yesterday and told that it was built in the factory on Dec 5th (original build date was supposed to be Nov. 15-19), and will arrive at dealer sometime between Dec 17-21. It was originally promised 1st week of December, with a final date on Dec 12th on the signed contract/deposit. Install of accessories to take a day (aero kit, rims, steering wheel, spoiler, light-up threshold)

I asked about the TLX V6 recall, and dealer indicated that my car was built after the issue with parking pawl was addressed and is not subject to the recall. Therefore, the parking pawl issue is VIN-specific.

Going into the dealer to sign some papers tonight..... and the grand countdown begins!

 

[andleigh]

As an update, received a call today. My shiny new TLX is coming in Friday Dec 19th, and they'll take a day to install accessories and registration, consistent with what the dealer told me a week ago.

wow, this will feel like the longest 36 hours ever! kind of like every birthday and Christmas Eve combined!

Also, since I opted for the 19" rims (w/ Michelin all-seasons) on the SH-AWD Advance, if anybody in the New England area is interested in completely new TLX stock 18" rims & tires, send me a message and make an offer.

 

[typeess]

@andleigh Nice!

Just make sure to inspect it inside and out, making sure you're completely happy with how it is before driving it off their property.
Keep us posted on how things go.

 

[andleigh]

As an update, received a call today. My shiny new TLX is coming in Friday Dec 19th, and they'll take a day to install accessories and registration, consistent with what the dealer told me a week ago.

wow, this will feel like the longest 36 hours ever! kind of like every birthday and Christmas Eve combined!

Also, since I opted for the 19" rims (w/ Michelin all-seasons) on the SH-AWD Advance, if anybody in the New England area is interested in completely new TLX stock 18" rims & tires, send me a message and make an offer.

So my car arrived a day early, and I picked her up with all accessories installed on Dec. 19th, and she looks fantastic!

See attached pics -- V6 SH-AWD Advance in Graphite Luster and Ebony interior with 19" rims, full aero kit, spoiler, and a few other options (steering wheel, light-up floor sills)

I especially love the rims and *everybody* notices them... they're not cheap, but they totally make the car! The light-up Acura floor sills look really nice at night.

Overall, great experience with my Acura salesman and Boston-area dealer and the car is perfect -- no issues on delivery.

It only took 9 days for me to get through the break-in period, including a long drive into ski country, and I am very impressed with the tech and loving this purchase.

The ride quality is fantastic -- very smooth, soaks up the bumps, and whisper-quiet ride in the driver seat. I kind of wish the start/stop red button lit up when the engine is on, since you can't always hear if the engine is running, especially if you used the remote start and forget.

The adaptive cruise control and lane keeper features worked beyond my expectations -- I literally let the car drive 90 miles on the interstate and it remained dead-center the entire drive with one short exception in a half mile construction zone (painted over lines, gauged pavement, etc.). I hate to admit it, but this car drives better than I do.

Voice control is impressive -- while I'm still learning some of the vocabulary for the commands, the commands I do know work very well.

I have noticed the transmission issue folks have mentioned, with a rough kick into 2nd and 3rd gear especially when the engine is still cold. I have a buddy of mine who bought the 2015 Jeep (with the same 9 speed ZF transmission) and he reported the same issues with his transmission. I noticed if I accelerate too lightly, I'm more likely to get that rough "kick"... I'll likely be more aggressive in accelerating after the break-in period.

I also noticed the late downshift if I come in crawling to a stoplight or stop sign, and subsequently accelerate. Seems I need to stop the car for a full second to prevent this, or if I very lightly press the brake rather than fully depressing it to prevent the transition to lowest gear.

Based on suggestions from other contributors on the idle shut-off, specifically about pushing the brake pedal halfway vs. fully to control activation of the idle shut-off, this feature works mostly the way I want (most of my driving is very short of only a few miles at a time (it's cold in Boston so idle shutoff wont' activate), or very long of hundreds of miles on the highway so it won't affect me much). That said, just as the small LCD display between the speed and tach instruct the driver to press the brake fully to actuate the idle shut-off, I wish this same display would give me a 3 second text warning before shutting the engine off -- this would allow me to lighten up brake pressure if I know I need to gun it for a left turn or the light is about to turn green. With the engine so quiet, I have been caught off-guard several times where the engine was off without my knowledge. Hopefully, this would be a simple software change.

Will try out the SH-AWD in snow in the mountains on my way to the ski slopes this weekend assuming storm forecasts are accurate. For those of you who ski, yes, you will need to put the back seat down to fit 160 cm skis and snowboards.

Stay tuned for the snow report!

 

[andre12dbsi]

Congratulations! Excellent write up.

 

[Summest]

Very nice car photos and review. Enjoy.

 

[bruce dow]

Congrats on the TLX arriving.

Are you running winter tires on those 19" rims? Or are you going with the "all season" tires? I'd like to hear how she handles in the mountains.

 

[andleigh]

Congrats on the TLX arriving.

Are you running winter tires on those 19" rims? Or are you going with the "all season" tires? I'd like to hear how she handles in the mountains.

I'm running with all-seasons on the 19" rims. I've spent the last 13 years driving a Honda Civic (FWD) with good all-seasons, so I think all-seasons with SH-AWD and extra curb weight should be plenty for my needs.

Stay tuned for the snow driving report