2015 Acura TLX Detailed Review and Road Test 

T. Bolt can you let me know if this car have Lane Keep Assist?

Aaftab Bhiwani Depends on your model. I drive a ‘16 TLX and it does not come with the car. Now my mom on the other hand has a ‘19 MDX which has the lane assist. Not as much a fan of the newer model though due to the gear shifter being buttons and not your normal gear shift knob. Other than that, absolutely love the ‘16 TLX and the ‘19 MDX. Can’t go wrong with Honda/Acura 😁🤟🏼

@@tlx. I have a v6 15 tlx jist got it a few days ago. Gotta say, I actually thoroughly enjoy the buttons over a traditional knob. The car parks itself as long as you’re stopped and open the driver door, and it has a lot of other cool features built in.

I’ve been looking at this 2015 Acura TLX should I do it should I do it ?!

Thats why you buy it used instead of brand new.

How's your MPG?

Thanks Robert. Trust me, nobody wants to see me in shorts...

Alex on Autos I agree. Alex is thoroughly professional, inside and out. You do look a tad shaggy compared to your past "buzz-cut" hair style. The colder weather perhaps?

cadsux Mostly laziness. I just buzzed, so next week will be shaggier and then the Jetta will be back to normal. I really need to schedule hair cuts a little better.

Alex has totally 'spoiled' me with his reviews. Now I have stopped watching other auto review channels in youtube. Way to go Alex!

Jack Mehoff Congratulations. However, just be careful with the 9 speed ZF gearbox it is the only major part that is from Germany and is the main problem part of TLX V6.

Jay Thomas I wouldn't consider the 4 cylinder since it can't be paired with SHAWD. After almost 18 months, still a great car with no issues. Yes you feel the transmission shift, but it doesn't bother me.

@@SL_barn Any update? I'm thinking of buying one used.

@@FeelingPeculiar my lease is now done, but I have to say that I miss it! I had no problems during my time with it! Just make sure you get the shawd- it's great!

@@SL_barn i am thinking of getting one for 20k v6 sh-awd . Is it good to get?

Exactly the reasons I'm sticking with Acura after seriously considering the new IS. Acura has always owned in value and reliability over the competitors.

The IS has been outdated for a while now

Was thinking to trade my Accord sport for this but the 0-60 is too slow for the SH-AWD v6 of tlx. Sadly, I cannot spend 45K for a car that Passats and v6 camrys from 10 years ago can beat.

Yeah if you read my comments, the V6 is trash. The V6 has had many recalls and repair visits with the button based transmission. If you're ok with a slower 0-60, the 4 cylinder 2.4 engine is a much better car with superior performance levels.

I wanted the SH-AWD because I test drove the RDX and MDX with it and they were amazing. I've never owned a v6 and I need some entry level luxury car. None of the lists so far interest me much.

Give the 3-series a try or the A4. Both have pretty good AWD systems and are about as quick 0-60 as the V6 TLX if not a little faster.

I would if they were reasonably priced for their base models. In 2016, without a back up camera and basic necessities not coming as standard is a deal breaker for me. It is so 2014/2015 to have them as standard! I am saving 11K CAD if I get the Acura! The 3series and A4 are 10x better in driving dynamics than TLX though.

I have a 17 TLX, and the handles feel premium, and the door sound is amazing

Hey Alex I would love to hear your take on the 2.4L tranny's jerkiness people are complaining about in Acura forums. DCT + torque converter could be a video segment no?

Martin Lim Personally it didn't bother me. It's not going ever be as smooth as a traditional automatic transmission, that's just a factor of the design. However I think it is worth the improved efficiency.

Ven a Polanco... ACURA POLANCO lo pone en tu casa...

I just purchased mine 2 weeks ago and I love it. The gas mileage is great and I love everything about the car. Good luck with your purchase :)

Any time you cross between gears 4-5 and 7-8, either up or down, the shift speed will feel very different than any other automatic transmission out there.

The "fun with underpowered cars" only applies when the price tag is also cheap! Not the case for the 4 banger TLX..

oldtwins na It's the cheapest in it's class and the price is supposed to be in the rest of the car. The cars you are thinking of are cheapo plastic hatchbacks. Here you can get the fun of an under powered car with a snappy transmission and reliability/economy with out the feeling of sitting in something made on a budget.

HybridEnergy Actually I'm thinking about an Accord Sport. 10K cheaper, slightly faster even with the CVT and quite a bit faster and definitely a lot more fun with the manual transmission version. If you want a FWD non-turbo 4 banger, save your money.

oldtwins na and get what? not much N/A 4s out there that are as fun as Honda Vtec ones. CVT is a snore fest boring as hell transmission, I would rather stab myself in the face. There is no denying though that the manual Accord is going to be tons of fun though. However, I built a comparison and it sure as hell wasn't a 10k difference. More like 3-4 when I equally equipped the Accord as the TLX.

LIVEFRMNYC In general, vehicles with transverse engines like this will have large turning circles.

Alex on Autos Thanks for the quick response. My Passat 06 was also transverse, it pulled much tighter turns and is not that much smaller than the TLX. But I guess judging size by looking at it, is not a great indicator. Not a big deal though. Just glad I finally got rid of that POS Passat. Your review helped my choice.

IS really disadvantage is it's chair need to be fit, with little fat you will not be able to set comfortable.

i had the v6 tech shawd, returned the lease cause it had the e-brake recall and the zf tranny sucked. i went and got a 2014 TL shawd ADV. much better car IMO

How do you like the TL now?

From the Manufacturer read some of the reviews

+ThingsDemystified I want the twin turbo V6 used in the TLX GT.

+Tom Eisenmenger When comparing the base/cheapest TLX with the most expensive accord touring model there are a lot of similarities in terms of features. TLX shares the same framework but slightly smaller than accord. TLX is slightly more quiet when comparing new cars. After 3-6 months i think the TLX will remain very quiet in the inside. Accord has side cameras (which my opinion redundant, shows the the side view with lane markers on the main screen when turn signal is in use). TLX doesn't have side camera, only blind spot sensors if you willing to pay extra.The base TLX has the dual screen setup interior (accord has single screen). I don't know why people hate the dual screen, but once you get use to it, the dual screen makes complete sense. The screen on top can be set to your navigation, while everything else is your bottom screen. Thus when you mess with radio, climate, etc it doesn't affect the map screen. TLX has better audio and a few more "luxury" items if you go higher trim that aren't available in accord. If you mostly drive long distances, cruise, follow the leader, don't need extra quiet interior, go with the accord touring with radar and lane keeping assist. IF you drive aggressive intermittently, really want quietness go with TLX base or upgrade to higher trim for the lane keeping assist and radar stuff, v6, all wheel drive. The accord touring V6 likely faster acceleration then the basic TLX V4. But TLX V6 is faster than accord V6. My biggest tip is buy a used TLX or used accord touring.

+Tom Eisenmenger FWD TLX is one of the biggest mistakes ever... If you are stuck in that arrangement because of your budget don't hesitate and buy the Accord... The TLX SH-AWD makes a complete 180° and doesn't compare at all to the Accord.

Although, the TLX and the Accord are both mechanically related to each other, they don't compete with each other. The TLX is more upscale than the Accord simply because there's more luxury features that the Accord lacks. The Accord competes with it's long term rival, the Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Ford Fusion, Chrysler 200, Subaru Legacy, Nissan Altima, and the Mazda 6. On the other side, the TLX competes with the Lexus ES, Buick LaCrosse, Kia Cadenza (Only in top end trims), Lincoln MKZ, and the Cadillac XTS.

I personally find the two screens very futuristic@@FlyingDoctorC

This is exactly what I tell everyone@@matthewyim1736

+Rick R No argument there, but the 2004-2008 TL is one of the nicest looking sedan designs of recent memory. Tough act to follow, but I agree. Can't wait for Honda/Acura to find that perfect design again.

Anoop Mathew The Mazda6 feels less premium than the TLX although handling in the front wheel drive models is surprisingly similar. The Mazda feels lighter and more nimble but actual road holding is similar. The TLX in general feels more premium inside. The TLX and MKZ are the hottest entries in that segment to be honest. I'd give the Kia Cadenza a look but that'd be about it.

+Kip Amore Are you older than 50?

I'm 45, but I act 72.

***** lol, is that on purpose?

Master Shoe Well, it's hard to say. The Q50 being RWD is more of a 3-Series, C300 competitor than a TLX/MKZ/S60 competitor in my mind.

Master Shoe when my mom was looking for a car she cross shopped the tlx and q50 and she chose the tlx a spec. It seemed to handle nearly as well and was a better deal overall and personally she liked the styling better. She thought the rear end looked a bit like a sonata lol

I hope to have it in the coming few weeks.

My transmission blew up at 130000 km. I decided to replace it for 5000$ rather than chase a new car for 50000$. ZF 9 was ok until it blow up, transmission not autodestructing is all I ask for.

I have no idea.

qwt18 5 All the cars I get come straight from the manufacturer, not from dealer lots. On the MSRP side, dealer incentives fluctuate and while it is true that at the moment some Acura dealers will go below MSRP, it is not always the case and using MSRP is the most fair comparison method. In the TLX's case it doesn't matter that much since it is already an excellent value in the segment.

Ricardo Santiago Very Very true ..

+Ricardo Santiago I think the 6-speed SH-AWD TL is the best

Ricky Palabon The transmissions in the 2nd and 3rd gen TLs are no star performers.

+Ricardo Santiago I have a 2007 TL Type-S. The styling is damn near perfect but the transmission sucks and the ride quality is pretty harsh, though performance is very good.

07 is an complete new trans design ..much stronger than the 2006 ...plenty of torque converter problems though ....(auto that is )

Yes, by a very small margin.

I'll see what I can get, I had the 428i Gran Coupe on schedule but it was removed for reasons I don't quite understand, I'll have to contact BMW to get to the bottom of things.

Alex on Autos Oh yes meant rather 428i. I hope BMW can provide you one especially since almost no reviews on that model and I know you'll do a great job showing all aspects:-). I hope to do a test drive in 1-2 weeks.

The Q50 is a very different vehicle being a RWD based car. The Q50 handles better but in many ways the steer-by-wire system makes the car feel artificial. Despite this the Q50 is the better performing car compared to the TSX but the Acura is the better value overall.

No, you have to be essentially stopped

Regarding fuel economy most likely AWD would be 12% lower mpg to the V4 (using EPA). Let's say you drive 20K miles at $4 per gallon to be conservative: that's $ 343 extra in gas per year. So not huge difference considering higher purchase price. Honda ACC doesn't work under 20 mph (latest Accord). This system should work still work including making full stop. But never tried it myself. Would be interesting to see a video on this how well it works (though not sure I'd ever fully trust it in stop & go traffic). The latest Honda also has LED lights in touring model and definitely lot better.

As Lucien said it's not a huge difference in fuel economy unless you are doing a great deal of city driving which would drive up the difference The adaptive cruise control is still not as polished as the Volvo or Mercedes systems, I would also rank it slightly below the Lincoln system as far as interacting with traffic. It is improved over the Accord however. Compared to halogens, the LEDs are much, much better. I think the MKZ's headlamps were slightly superior and the headlamps in certain Volvo and Mercedes models topped these as well but the TLX's lamps are among the best.

PROGRAMEN SUS PRUEBAS DE MANEJO, SE LO LLEVO A DOMICILIO: ILX Y TLX INCLUSIVE RDX O MDX 2015

did you end up purchasing the TLX? I'm surprised because many say the IS300 feels better in terms of driving dynamics.

curseknight5 - I ended up getting the BMW 328xdrive. I was worried about the transmission of the TLX.

I noticed that in editing. I called it the TSX a few times as well but was able to edit those out but this one line wasn't repeated anywhere else so it had to stay. Too many --X vehicles out there.

TechExplorer Tricky question. The Accord Hybrid would probably be my pick for fuel economy. The TLX of course feels much more engaging, it handles better, is faster, etc. The Accord is also larger with a bigger back seat.

Alex on Autos I'm curious about how different, if any, are infotainment systems (and, especially, navigation systems) in Accord Hybrid Touring and TLX w/Tech Package. Have you noticed any differences and what's your general impression about quality of implementation in that area between those models. Thank you, Alex!

Aleksandr Blekh They are very similar but not identical. I think I prefer the Acura system a little better. Honestly both can come across as slightly half baked at times because of teh way the two screens interact with one another. It is not as polished as uConnect or even MyFord Touch, however it is rock solid in reliability. It never froze and never crashed.

Alex on Autos Thank you, Alex. Your comment clarifies a lot. I still would be interested to see an actual list of differences (mostly, navigation) feature-wise, but it seems that Honda doesn't publish that info. Or maybe I don't know where to look...