Used 2015 Acura TLX Consumer Reviews
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A decent price, but you get what you pay for.
Alex Boculon, 09/25/2015
2015 Acura TLX Technology Package 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 8AM)
11 of 16 people found this review helpful
I'll start by saying this car is the lowest priced luxury mid-size on the market, compared to BMW, Lexus, Infinity, Mercedes, and Audi. And that's fair, because this car lacks the style, power, or luxury of those brands. Still, it does have style, power, and luxury, just in more modest amounts. My priorities that led me to buying this car were that I wanted something: ~fairly luxurious, but not extravagant in cost ~good MPG, and good reliability, to keep the cost-per-mile on my long commute low ~modern tech, advanced features Having owned it a year, I'd say it succeeded on the first two points, and failed on the 3rd. My car is indeed about as nice as you'd expect for $35k, it is indeed getting 32-38 mpg depending on the situation, and it is indeed a Honda with rock-solid reliability. I drive a 60 mile round trip daily, and the car does a great job of rolling along with a quiet ride, and a feeling of confidence that it won't break down (like my BMW used to do all the time!). It has a nice amount of pep, the 8 speed tranny can get a lot of power out of those ~206 horses. My complaints are mostly with the tech: ~dual screens are confusing, and it's frustrating having to push several touch-screen options in a row to do things as simple as adjust the A/C fan speed. ~VERY SLOW on-board computer. Inputting basic commands into the Nav or audio system is maddening. It's sort of a similar feeling to using a first-generation iPhone which is overloaded with too much software. The CPU is too weak to can't handle the demands put on it, so it can take as long as 10 seconds to even react to button presses. 10 seconds is the worst-case, most often it takes more like 1-2 whole seconds to respond, but that is pretty terrible in comparison to the .05 seconds most smartphones take these days. Attempting actions like scrolling the Nav map image often lead to the system nearly crashing, or getting stuck and scrolling way farther than you wanted. ~cell phone integration is very weak. It can sync with Pandora on my phone, but it requires several confirmation screens each time you use it, so it's not really worth the trouble. Siri hands free is a joke, you may as well just push the button on your phone and use that instead. ~The tech package supposedly has high-end speakers, but I've found them to be very mediocre, and lacking in bass. The single 8" open air "subwoofer" is not impressive. I'd agree with Edmunds overall rating of the car as a "B." That is to say, it's basically what you expect, a low end luxury car. So long as you aren't expecting it to handle like a BMW or ride like a Mercedes, you should be fine. I'd have even given it an A, except for my disappointments with the outdated tech.
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STill quite impressed. I put on 4 Bridgestone V's
Damian, 12/30/2017
updated 02/06/2023
2015 Acura TLX Technology Package 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
6 of 8 people found this review helpful
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 80 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 can't 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 squeaks 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 car's oil functionality. Its viscosity is what is being measured and not its level. 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 37.2 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 19, but not by much. Mixed driving comes in at 24 mpg, not too terrible. 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 accelerate 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 or doing it from my living room window, the rear view mirror's 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 lamp posts at night but you have to look carefully for it. What can I say, I am a happy camper! And after 4 and 1/2 full years of driving I am still an enthusiast. My one major expense so far was the fact I picked up a nail on one of the roads and the tire quickly deflated. I then discovered how to use the kit they provided instead of a spare. I hooked one end to the cigarette lighter and the other to the tire and simply put my foot on the lever which fed a hole closing liquid into the tire until I could get to the dealership to buy a new one. That happened about 3 years ago. I was fortunate to run into a decent manager who had given me free oil changes for life, of which I have taken advantage of about 5 times now. Full transparency dictates that I only have 17,500 miles on it so perhaps the smoothness is like new because it almost is like new. I was happy to read about the 2020 TLX in that most non cosmetic things have remained the same. I have the same engine/transmission and still can get better mpg doing 88 when 9th gear engages than doing 55, but I won't mention which interstate I do that on. My Update! ======== I just turned 26,000 miles and everything is as smooth as silk. No probems./ Not much to add other than the fact that I am now at 28,600 miles. I already put in new filters (due to my experience with Covid) and the new tires and auto transmission fluids and of course I get free oil changes when the car tells me to. I am still quite fond of the car. Still powerful and quiet and fun to drive.
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2015 Acura TLX for sale near you
3 of 23 listings
- SH-AWD Sedan w/Technology PackageMSRP: $9,99915 mi away
- Advance Package SedanMSRP: $15,9985 mi away
- Technology Package SedanMSRP: $15,3755 mi away
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Critical but Subjective Review
acuradriver6, 03/25/2015
2015 Acura TLX Technology Package 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 8AM)
40 of 63 people found this review helpful
The TLX does represent the best value for your money, with all the useful entertainment and driver's assistant features, quiet ride, and comfortable seats. Then here is the big problem that has made me and many others regretted its purchase. The TLX's all new 8-speed DCT is causing all kinds of problems: Hard jerk right before entering a complete stop(like the car has been rear-ended). Delay during acceleration after momentarily letting off gas - engine revs up and then the car slams into the gear that it finally selects - especially dangerous when coming out of a corner or attempting to accelerate after yielding in an intersection. Takes 2-3 key strokes turn on heated seats!!
If you don't love this car, shame on you.
MICHAEL, 12/26/2015
2015 Acura TLX SH-AWD 4dr Sedan AWD w/Technology Package (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
14 of 21 people found this review helpful
The negative opinions and reviews on here truly amaze me. Why on earth did you buy, or even lease this car if you don't love it? There are so many sedans to choose from, and I can think of five or six that are pretty close to the TLX in many ways. You could have gotten a Maxima, a Passat, a Lexus ES, an Accord V6, a Malibu, an Infiniti, a Hyundai, a Kia, a Camry, etc., etc. If you didn't choose the TLX because its such a great blend of technology, performance, reliability, and value then I'm sorry, but you're blew it. This car isn't perfect but guess what..none of the cars I listed are perfect either. No car in this price range does everything exactly right. A couple of years ago I took a two year break from Acura (I've had ten Acuras) and leased a Lexus GS350. It was a fine automobile, and nicer than any Acura I've owned, but I had to reduce my debt to income ratio in order to buy a home, so the Lexus went back before the lease was up. I managed to lease a 2015 TLX AWD TECH this month, for 24 months, with 15K miles per year, and with zero money down I got the car for $439 per month with tax included. There was no better deal on ANY comparable luxury sedan. Period. If you didn't get a great deal too, that's your fault. If you found out later that you don't like the nine speed tranny, or the lane departure system, or the fact that there's not USB charger in the back seat, or that the car can't be rolled in neutral if the batter dies, ITS ALL YOUR FAULT! Its a car people. It's not supposed to be perfect. Nothing in life is perfect. Get over it. I love Acura. I love that its not a BMW or Mercedes or Audi because I think those cars are too expensive, and too prone to have problems, and I don't care about the perceived status people who drive them feel about THEMSELVES. Guess what....nobody is impressed with your German car anymore. They are ubiquitous nowadays. I love that my Acuras make me happy, that their ELS stereos sound great, that I can drive them without any effort, and that they never actually need to be rolled in neutral! Happy motoring everyone!
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Good Car; Understand What It Is
Brandon, 04/09/2016
updated 04/17/2017
2015 Acura TLX Advance Package 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
9 of 13 people found this review helpful
Update after a year of driving the TLX: I still think it's a good car. It has a lot to offer. My major complaint remains the 9-speed AT - it's no good. The car also has an intermittent and very annoying rattle in the back deck lid that the dealer has failed multiple times to identify, pursue, or remedy. I've left the dealer multiple time feeling like I'm the one with the problem because they look at me like I'm crazy for complaining about the noise. Overall dealer experience has been very disappointing. The only way to make the car fun to drive is to use the paddle shifters. Even said, the shifts are slow and the sense power is lacking even with the V6 due to torque curve (and lack thereof at low RPM).
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