Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Smooth and great family car - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Lawrence71 - December 22 - 2:09 am

  After owning a 2007 Accord (best Accord ever built and phenomenal car), I decided it was time for an upgrade that included more modern safety features. I have been driving my new TLX for about 18 months now and have about 16,000 miles on it. Fantastic car and offers great value for the money. This is not a sports car even though handling is superb. Best features: quiet interior, quality of materials, handling/steering, engine, fuel economy, style, transmission, LED headlights, great value for the money, and very solid chassis. Not so good features: front headroom good but not great (wish Acura would offer models without moon roof), no spare tire, automatic transmission sometimes jerks a bit when switching from reverse to drive when car is cold.

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  I must be lucky - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Damian - June 1 - 7:44 pm

  None of the problems I have thus far read about in the other reviews have crossed my path. Zero! Even the mention of acceleration not being up to par is far from my experience. One of the outstanding aspects of the 9 speed is the two dog teeth gears, one in the low range for fast departures from a red light, and another for amazing passing acceleration from 65 on up! On a lonely interstate I can easily pass a car doing 80 with a simple touch of the accelerator to a speed of 100. And it is anvil tough and quiet. I have driven the car for three years now with no complaints. The nav system is fun to use when I drive to places I have never been before just to explore new vistas and then hit the Home button. There is never an issue with becoming lost. The best technical aspect comes into play when backing out of a parking spot between two trucks that are parallel parked next to me. I cant really see beyond them whether a car is coming or a person is starting to walk towards the back of the car but the radar warns me in both situations! It sees around both trucks and warns me to stop. That is outstanding! What is simply less effective however, is the lane keeping tech. This is due to the fact that the highway does not maintain its lanes in top condition, so that when the paint ages, the car sometimes does not spot the lane correctly . Also, the self driving mechanism works at most for about 30 seconds at a time at which point it demands that you take control of the wheel for at least a second before it re-engages. However, it was never touted as an autonomous driving machine, like a Tesla, but it is fun to watch it drive around curves on its own. I like the soft material it uses in the interior but the push button mechanisms did at first take getting used to since I previously drove a 2000 TL with the combination manual/auto transmission. (That car also had no squeeks or rattles for the 15 years I drove it!). I also like that you can read the air pressure of your tires on your dash board along with the cars recommendation when to get oil. And as far as creep goes in city traffic, I have never experienced the jerkiness from 2nd gear to 3rd or any other jerkiness ever. It is smooth from first all the way to 9th gear. I am very happy I bought this car and glad the dealership reduced the price $300 simply because I said that would be the only way I could get under my credit limit, which was true. Putting it on my credit card allowed me to get 2% back which I thought was a good deal. As to gas consumption, I got 36 mpg on straight highway driving using sport mode. I like sport mode since it lets me react more quickly in case of emergencies. However keeping it in that mode in city driving I noticed I get less than the 24 (?) its supposed to get, but not by much. And I went with the PAWS because I believe the stop/start driving in the SH-AWD is not good for the engine or the transmission despite the gas saving. Besides, having 4 wheel steer around curves means you can take curves faster without needing to accellerate to keep the car in line. It automatically stays in the correct attitude around curves due to the rear wheels turning. It is simply a fun car to drive, anywhere! In re-reading this I noticed I have left off minor perks like the huge size of the trunk, the ability to lock my car by calling Acura, the rear view mirrors automatically changing to a darker glass if the car behind you is using his brights (admittedly an advantage that has been around a while), heated seats (I did not opt for the cooling seats), leather and one cool car color called Phantom Blue Pearl, where the pearl has to do with tiny specs of gold that show up under sunlight or lamposts at night but you have to look carefully for it. WHat can I say, I am a happy camper!

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  Came up from an Acura TL - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Rick Drew - October 30 - 8:27 am

  The Acura TLX is an excellent replacement to an Acura TL (which I drove for the past three years). In terms of space, it is equal to the TL. I cannot perceive a difference (from the TL) in the available space inside (I am 6 and heavy set) and I am totally comfortable in this car. In terms of performance the car accellerates quite well ( I use the "Sport" setting) and it really knows how to "get out of its own way." I am not agressive enough a driver to benefit from the SH-AWD but I feel totally in control and very comfortable wih the handling. The audio system is just fine (I have the standard setup) and I have no problem dealing with the two screen control. Anyone who says its confusing just hasnt taken a few minutes to learn how to be comfortable with it. I like that I can now "type in" directions to the "Nav system" as opposed to the TL which required me to "spin and select." The soundproofing has been significantly enhanced and it cruises at very low cabin noise levels. I really like the safety features such as the blind spot warning. I also like the Lane Keeping Assistance System (LKAS). It works very well. If you dont keep a light touch on the wheel while it is in use, it will notify that "Steering Required" after about 20 seconds which is fine with me. After all, this is not a self-driving car but the LKAS makes a long highway trip very relaxing just as cruise control does. Mileage is amazing. I get 25 MPG combined city and highway and it will travel over 500 miles on a (17 gallon) tank of gas on the freeway. I have driven non-stop from L.A. To the Bay Area without gettting into reserve. What I would change: I hate the engine idle stop feature (which is the default and kicks in at every stop). I would prefer that the default would be that it is OFF and you would then choose to turn it ON. I also disable the collision warning (that you are over taking the car ahead) because it sets off too many annoying false alarms every time I approach a car ahead of me. I would make this default to OFF as well. Finally, I wish it had exhaust tailpipes to funnel or direct the exhaust away from the back of the car. As it is, the back endof my (white) constantly gets sooty from the exhaust getting caught up in the turbulence behind the car and pulled back towards the car. Finally, it sometimes. "Hangs on" to a gear too long. For example, if I use the downshift paddle shifter to decellerate, it may hold the selected downshifted gear too long when I accellerate out. Summary: hey, its just a car and no car is perfect (at least that I can afford) and overall I am very satisfied with the TLX. It is a real step up from the TL and I am very glad I bought it. I think its one of the best kept secrets sport sedan class and offers terrific value especially when compared to its pricy German competition.

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  I loved my TLX - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Veronnica Kelly - December 27 - 11:59 pm

  Great gas mileage! I drove mostly highways and averaged around 32 mpg. The main cabin is extremely quiet and such a smooth ride.

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  WOW check it out! - 2015 Acura TLX
  By jan jusko - June 28 - 11:32 pm

  Test-drove the 300 and 400 Benz and the 300 and 400 BMW’s and they do not even come close. They were loud, stiff, and felt cheap inside. The TLX is an incredible auto and an incredible value. The MSRP on my TLX was 46,000 for a comparable Benz or BMW the MSRP was 53,000 to 55,000. I do mostly highway driving and it handles great at all speeds and is quiet and well made. Oh by the way, the trade-in value is better than the Benz or BMW. You cannot buy a better car for the price. Test drove the base model and was not impressed but the all- wheel drive advanced package is a home run!

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  Great, Great Car; Understand What It Is - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Brandon - November 14 - 11:04 am

  This review may be biased because I stepped up from a 2005 EX-L V6 Accord to the TLX. Thats quite a step. What I love: This is a very comfortable car. The seats are excellent, the ergonomics are fantastic, steering wheel controls are great, the ELS sound system is beautiful, the car is extremely quiet, it has excellent dampening on the road and on the highway providing a very solid ride - without ever lumbering. The thing is very nimble - cornering is particularly good when pushed, but understand I dont drive my cars that hard. I just love the interior of the car. The nine-speed AT is quirky but Ive grown to like it. Once I got used to it and to the different driving modes, the AT became a non-issue. For daily commuting, I keep the car in economy mode. On the highway, in the stop and go - from 30-70mph I barely crack 1700rpm. Impressive. Dropping it into the Sport+ working the paddles, I start to get very nervous about not having a radar detector. The car may not be FAST, but its very quick - and youll be doing 90mph before you realize it. I speak from experience. Personally, I like the push-button system. What could be better: The 9 speed transmission takes getting used to. It could be better. I hope Acura pushes another software update for it - but Ill live if they dont. A 9 speed DCT like what theyve developed for the NSX could be a nice improvement. One of my biggest gripes about the 9AT is getting off the line - its too slow. Now, I havent tried Sport+ and the paddles yet... still breaking in. The volume nob on the dash is laughably (ha ha) too small, the touch screen interface can be distracting - particularly when driving and operating the radio / AC. Its not entirely intuitive. Some of those functions may be better left to buttons... but the auto critics will ding them for complexity. Cant win. The fact that the car doesnt come with a spare tire is irresponsible. You could disqualify it on this grounds, but youd be shutting yourself out of a lot of otherwise nice vehicles. Inquire about a spare tire kit. You can purchase one for the car. Understand what this car is: its built for the average 90% of us who drive to and from work and around town and want something that is comfortable, attractive, and fun to drive. It has enough to juice to get you in trouble, but its not a liability. My take on the competition: I evaluated a lot of options before buying this car: Accord Touring (V6), BMW 3-series, Infiniti Q50, Toyota Camry, Lexus ES, Jaguar XE, Lexus IS. I drove the 3-series for an extended drive. I really dont understand why the car magazines pour so much praise on this car. Dont get me wrong, its great. Its fast, it handles great, its attractive - its also small, its expensive, it has loads of plastic, its every 7th car on the road. Option out a 3-series with equivalent engine, safety, and interior accouterments and compare the final price to the TLX - the TLX is larger, quieter, nicer on the inside (subjective), and the driving experience just isnt THAT far behind the BMW per the price difference. - oh, and it kills me to hear reviewers say the Acura is a dressed up Honda in one breath, and praise Audi (a dressed up VW) in the next... The Accord touring is a very nice car. Its almost luxurious. Its not luxurious. Its not as quiet as the TLX, in fact I found the TLX to be significantly quieter. The material quality of the TLX is better and I find the TLX to be more spirited / fun to drive. The premium I paid for the TLX just wasnt big enough to make the Accord attractive. Toyota: Forget the Camry, its not are a real comp here. IMO, the Accord is much nicer. I eliminated the Lexus IS for being too small. The ES is very nice. Its quiet, boring, luxurious, boring, very well made, boring. Lexus ended up the second finalist. I had my wife drive the TLX and the ES without telling her which one I liked better - she got out of the Lexus and immediately said: buy the Acura. Done. The Infiniti is really fun car. The thing is a rocket and it handles on rails. For me, I couldnt justify the added price for the Infiniti relative to the Acura. The Acura just isnt that much less fun to drive (it is quite a bit slower). The Q50 is worth a serious look, I cant lie. Its a nice car. I eliminated it because of its lower safety ratings, smaller backseat, interior styling, and my lack of confidence in its long-term reliability. The Jag is amazing. No way, no how was I going to buy a Jag :-)