2021 Acura TLX Type S

flipside909

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The TLX Type-S had so much going for it...but all it can manage is a 5 second 0-60? What a shame. Like Mike said, there is more talk about the Ford Lightning than this car.
 

Levi

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lightning? never heard of that ford. replaces the outlanding landcruiser?
 

Levi

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ok i looked. totally different, not same customers whatsoever, not even game changing.
 
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i know this is a lexus forum but not sure why everyone is dogging it so much. a loaded is350 f sport is 53k the same as the type s and is more than half a second slower 0-60. curious to see how lexus prices the is500. i'd rather have the is500 over this, but i would likely take the type s over an is350 unless i got a stripper
 

Levi

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That frunk to me is a game changer.

yes saw that. really well done, huge and practical. IMO every electric car should be that way, if they have ICE hood.


Acura looks good. Would have been game changer if it was electric. i hope there will be proper BEV sedans and not fastbacks/blobs.
 

mikeavelli

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I could sit here and link to all the reviews, but a few things and common themes:
  • I feel sort of bad for Acura that the press launch of the car has been completely overshadowed by the F-150 Lightning. I'm sure Acura didn't know that in advance, but damn... ouch.
  • However, why is it so overshadowed? Because the F-150 Lightning is a hugely impressive, game-changing product and the TLX Type S is not.
  • Reviews note: Car really isn't that sporty, but feels like a bump up over the A Spec. V6 is "OK" but not particularly powerful, especially with the extra 300lbs over the 4cyl version
  • Not any better than the aging/current S4. I read the term "paying less, but getting less" on Acurazine. Ouch.
  • At 19/24/21, the MPG is lackluster... and why, on a brand new V6 with 10AT?
    • The twin-turbo V6 LS 500 that weighs ~800 lbs more and has 61 more horsepower returns 18/29/22.
    • ES 350 returns 22/32/26... I know it's 50 less horsepower, but the ES also weighs NEARLY 600 LBS less.
    • IS 350 is 19/26/22
Read back through this thread - I was initially excited about this car because it felt to me like Acura was awake again and there was some promise of performance. There were rumors of 380-400hp from the new turbo V6 and then we were brought slowly back to reality. The 350hp turbo V6 became a big question mark with this car, not really providing a huge bump over the standard 4 cylinder and not getting close to the "400" number that has become standard for midsize performance vehicles. Now we see it isn't that powerful, fast or efficient.

The IS 500 weighs 360 lbs less and has 117 more horsepower, so the question becomes: "How much more will it cost?" If it comes in around $60k, I think that is a pretty dark day for Acura because WTF is the point of this car?

Last point: I saw this comment on Acurazine and it stuck with me: "This should have been the base car." Yeah... wow... that's true actually. I know we're living in a world of downsizing and turbocharged 4 cylinders, and we know Acura makes a great 2.0T, which made the stakes for this new V6 even higher... and this turned out to be a pretty pedestrian V6 engine that they marketed into something it isn't. This should have probably been the A Spec TLX, and if they put it in the MDX, I hope they don't call it "Type S" there either, because in an even heavier wrapper, it's going to make for an even less interesting package.

Not much to add. Well said. This is why you don’t hype a car for literally 12 months! While I’m glad to see it added to the lineup it’s just ho-hum. They had a huge opportunity to offer maybe best in class HP and MPGetc etc. We all heard 400hp plus rumors. Maybe a manual? Lightweight? A hybrid? This is an American product. It’s not sold in Japan or Europe. This is what they think Americans want.

Cons
4250 lbs
59/41 weight distribution
meh MPG
Meh acceleration for its class
Small interior, huge exterior
Chassis brace helps with flex, hurts cargo room (cough cough RC F lol)
6200 redline or so, not a High revving engine

Pros
Loaded for the price (but missing advance features)
Nice upgrade for Acura fans
Looks better than the normal TLX
Handles well with SH-AWD
Brake upgrade
Then only 2000 made for 2021 so that 54k price with destination gonna be 60k when dealers get em.

If the interior room was like an ES, they could legit at least have really played the 3 series price/5 series size. They inanely gave it 3 series price/5 series exterior/3 series interior.

i know this is a lexus forum but not sure why everyone is dogging it so much. a loaded is350 f sport is 53k the same as the type s and is more than half a second slower 0-60. curious to see how lexus prices the is500. i'd rather have the is500 over this, but i would likely take the type s over an is350 unless i got a stripper

If you read around and even the Acura forums the response has been ho hum. That’s what happens when you have fanboys fanning flames for 12 months. The car is underwhelming against the cars they aimed for.

I agree against an IS or ES 350 F SPORT Its more compelling considering price point is the same. I joked with Gecko this is priced like our loaded ES F Sport and then it makes a bit more sense. The thing is it’s the size of an ES with the interior size of an IS. And everyone is complaining about it.

Alas it’s great it’s back in the lineup and this motor heads to the mdx next which is cool. Just expect even worse performance.
 
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Gecko

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Some nice back-to-back impressions between the Type S and S4:

 

flipside909

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i know this is a lexus forum but not sure why everyone is dogging it so much. a loaded is350 f sport is 53k the same as the type s and is more than half a second slower 0-60. curious to see how lexus prices the is500. i'd rather have the is500 over this, but i would likely take the type s over an is350 unless i got a stripper

The specs don't match the performance, simple as that. Acura can't even give exact 0-60 figures.

Also where does it say the IS 350 F SPORT is more than a half second slower than the new TLX Type-S? Source?
 

mikeavelli

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I honestly totally forgot about this car. It has 5 more hp, 50 more lbs of torque and Motor Trend prefers how it drives.

it’s safe to say the type-s is just for Honda faithful to buy. Which is fine. But it’s the latest entry and behind everything.
 
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Why is it that in the press event the Type S beasts the S4? That's suspicious.

I will say though, the Type S is ~400 lbs heavier as well. It didn't do TOO bad.
 

Gecko

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Why is it that in the press event the Type S beasts the S4? That's suspicious.


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