Used Acura TLX for Sale in Seattle, WA

If you interested in owning a SH-AWD V6 TLX, here's what you need to know. The V6 is a great engine with typical Honda growl and furious acceleration. Unfortunately, the 9-speed automatic gets in the way of truly exploiting what this engine has to offer. The transmission is consistently caught hunting for the correct gear when you dig in for more power, unless your using the Sport + mode which does bring the transmission to life. Unfortunately, Sport + mode also brings with it a "rev matching" downshift program that proves to be harsh for all on board, nothing like a manual heel and toe downshift. Left in Sport mode (not Sport+) the car does a decent job of being sports sedan but leaves the driver wanting more. It's too bad this engine can't be had with Acura's more precise dual clutch automatic (4 cyl only) or a manual transmission. The SH-AWD V6 is best suited in day to day use for people looking for luxury over performance. To that end, Acura does offer an engine start / stop system to improve fuel economy that shutters the engine at a stop light. Unfortunately, engine restarts are a bit rough and do catch the car off guard when you need more than a small amount of power off the line. Additionally, the stop / start feature will kill the engine on occasion, only to restart it 60 seconds later for no apparent reason and then shut it off again after moving a few feet in heavy traffic. Other tech features include Acura's blind spot monitoring system. which is very accurate and can easily tell the difference between a guard rail and a car in your blind spot. Unfortunately, the lane keeping assist seems more like a waste of money than an actual feature. The system can barely detect lane markers and consistently fails to engage. During my week with the car, the navigation system was consistently beat by Waze and Google Maps on my iPhone. Both offering better directions and more accurate arrival times than Acura's system. Apple CarPlay would have been 100 times more useful than another dated navigation system like that offered in the 2015 TLX. Overall, this is a good car. It's quiet. It's fast. However, it sorely needs a better transmission and better technology package. In all, the base TLX with an inline 4 and Acura's dual-clutch automatic provide a much better value as long as you're willing to bring your own Smartphone along for the ride.

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 accelerates quite well ( I use the "Sport" setting) and it really knows how to "get out of its own way." I am not aggressive enough a driver to benefit from the "SH-AWD" but I feel totally in control and very comfortable with 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 it's confusing just hasn't 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 don't 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 (averaging 37 MPG in cruise). I have driven non-stop from L.A. To the Bay Area without getting 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 end of 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 decelerate, it may hold the selected downshifted gear too long when I accelerate out. Summary: hey, it's 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 it's one of the best kept secrets in the sport sedan class and offers terrific value especially when compared to its pricy German competition. Update September 2016: I have now driven the car for almost a year (8,500 miles) and I remain totally satisfied with it. There have been no mechanical or electrical issues whatsoever outside of normal maintenance. I have regularly turned in my leased cars at the end of three years but this may be a keeper. I am so satisfied that my wife moved up from an RDX to an MDX in May and we are just as happy with that. I continue to believe that the Acura is an excellent value giving you lots of fun to drive and great reliability for many thousands less than its European competitors. Update after 12,000 miles: I'm still really satisfied in every way. I have had zero discrepancies with the car since new. I get dealer service and it has been first class service all the way. Both my wife and I enjoy her MDX but we both feel that the TLX is both quieter and smoother especially at highway cruise. I don't drive at all aggressively but once in a while when it is appropriate, I open it up and I am always amazed by the acceleration as well as the "snarl" of the engine in a more performance acceleration. It really is fun to drive. I am a little confounded by some of the reviews. For example, Consumer Reports does not show it as recommended (supposedly due to the reliability of the electronics) but it gets solid green on virtually every category of scoring. Doesn't make any sense to me ... At least for my part, I have not had a single problem with the electronics or any other feature in this car. I have a year and a half left on my lease and then I will either keep it or lease a new TLX. But I am certain I will stay with the brand. After all, it really is just a spiffy Honda.