I was a very happy owner of a 2005 TSX, which never gave me a bit of trouble--and which I fully intended to keep for at least five more years. That was until some jerk side-swiped me, leaving no note, and ended up busting the frame to the tune of a $9000 repair bill. Reluctantly, I figured it was time for a new car.
Ideally, I wanted a car exactly the same as my TSX--peppy, quiet, with a great "solid" feel. For whatever reasons, Acura eliminated the model this year (my Acura salesman told me, though it's hard to believe, that it was discontinued because "it was too good a car and there wasn't enough business in terms of servicing."). Even if they hadn't, I'd heard that the TSX was nowhere near as good as my first generation model, and it had certainly gotten bulkier.
So I decided to take a look at the two models which seemed to be a replacement--the 4 cylinder TLX and the 2016 ILX. Our first test drive last week clearly showed their differences. The TLX was as quiet as a tomb, but seemed agile and fast, though without the TSX's "peppiness." While the car was clearly more luxurious, a lot of that seemed a bit superfluous--and I found the navigation system, with its two screens, anything but intuitive (as many commentators have noted).
I wasn't even aware of the ILX upgrade with the 2016 version, but when I saw it in the showroom, it rang lots of bells since its size was so much like my 1G TSX. The drive was a very different experience than the TLX--speedy, more feel of the road, but much noiser in comparison.
What puzzled me more, as I noted in a previous thread, was the difference in pricing between the two cars, in terms of the Tech Package. The TLX clearly offered much more bang for the buck in terms of features--but its larger size (nearly 10" more in length) was a problem, particularly since I park on the street, and spaces are tight and cramped. Given this, I spent the next few days gravitating more and more to the ILX, reading every review (mostly favorable) and feeling that even though I'm decades older than its target demographic, its size and feel was much more what I was used to.
So I went back today for another comparison drive. This time the differences seemed far more dramatic. The TLX a.) didn't seem quite as large as I remembered it b.) provided a fabulous ride--quiet, but with enough feedback from the road to not feel like a Buick c.) had strong acceleration when needed, and d.) offered a greater feeling that the $35,900 price tag was worth it in every sense. The ILX, by contrast, was a tremendous disappointment. Even though I had every hope this would be my TSX replacement, I was shocked at how noisy it was (far noisier than my 10-year old TSX). Acceleration seemed to shake the car, and the suspension was alert to every bump (and pothole) on the road. The car's "feel" also seemed a downward move from the 2005 TSX, with less solidity in everything from the feel of the door when closing to the seats and interior.
Sad as I am to have to make the move to a larger car, the TLX's superiority was very apparent, making the price difference seem like a real bargain.
Much as I've enjoyed being on this board, I guess I'll be moving to the TLX section once I get the car next week.
Ideally, I wanted a car exactly the same as my TSX--peppy, quiet, with a great "solid" feel. For whatever reasons, Acura eliminated the model this year (my Acura salesman told me, though it's hard to believe, that it was discontinued because "it was too good a car and there wasn't enough business in terms of servicing."). Even if they hadn't, I'd heard that the TSX was nowhere near as good as my first generation model, and it had certainly gotten bulkier.
So I decided to take a look at the two models which seemed to be a replacement--the 4 cylinder TLX and the 2016 ILX. Our first test drive last week clearly showed their differences. The TLX was as quiet as a tomb, but seemed agile and fast, though without the TSX's "peppiness." While the car was clearly more luxurious, a lot of that seemed a bit superfluous--and I found the navigation system, with its two screens, anything but intuitive (as many commentators have noted).
I wasn't even aware of the ILX upgrade with the 2016 version, but when I saw it in the showroom, it rang lots of bells since its size was so much like my 1G TSX. The drive was a very different experience than the TLX--speedy, more feel of the road, but much noiser in comparison.
What puzzled me more, as I noted in a previous thread, was the difference in pricing between the two cars, in terms of the Tech Package. The TLX clearly offered much more bang for the buck in terms of features--but its larger size (nearly 10" more in length) was a problem, particularly since I park on the street, and spaces are tight and cramped. Given this, I spent the next few days gravitating more and more to the ILX, reading every review (mostly favorable) and feeling that even though I'm decades older than its target demographic, its size and feel was much more what I was used to.
So I went back today for another comparison drive. This time the differences seemed far more dramatic. The TLX a.) didn't seem quite as large as I remembered it b.) provided a fabulous ride--quiet, but with enough feedback from the road to not feel like a Buick c.) had strong acceleration when needed, and d.) offered a greater feeling that the $35,900 price tag was worth it in every sense. The ILX, by contrast, was a tremendous disappointment. Even though I had every hope this would be my TSX replacement, I was shocked at how noisy it was (far noisier than my 10-year old TSX). Acceleration seemed to shake the car, and the suspension was alert to every bump (and pothole) on the road. The car's "feel" also seemed a downward move from the 2005 TSX, with less solidity in everything from the feel of the door when closing to the seats and interior.
Sad as I am to have to make the move to a larger car, the TLX's superiority was very apparent, making the price difference seem like a real bargain.
Much as I've enjoyed being on this board, I guess I'll be moving to the TLX section once I get the car next week.