Most of the salient points have been covered already by others and in reviews, so this is to touch on a few things I noted:
First, the car i drove was a white V6 Technology with the Espresso interior.
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Secondly, it was about 102 degrees F at the time, so the A/C was literally blasting to cool down the interior. I turned the temp way up to reduce the fan noise, but it was still there (since I didn't want to broil).
The key things I was looking for were:
Transmission
I was very favorably impressed with the way the 9spd tranny shifted, especially under acceleration. it was so buttery smooth it was almost like a CVT. I only wish my RLX shifted as well. No hard shifts, no lurches, just buttah.
i did the test I always do - which is to get up to about 35-40mph, then slow down to about 20, then try to accelerate again. Just like my RLX (and many other cars I've had, including a Lexus LS460), it got its feet tangled up and had to think for a second or two before accelerating away. I don't know why this happens, but it seems to be a fault of almost every AT out there today, and it could get you killed.
I also tried the transmission in all modes except ECO (who wants that?). Honestly, I couldn't tell a dramatic difference in performance, although the Sport+ setting DID hold onto revs a little longer. On the negative side, it also made for some lumpy downshifts as I slowed and came to a stop.
Bottom line is I like the new transmission. I would probably leave it in Sport mode all the time, just for the additional pep, and I don't think it would make a big difference in gas mileage.
(By the way, it's been mentioned, but the ICS drive mode is remembered, and it stays in whatever mode you left it.)
Ride and Handling
The TLX has the "Acura ride", but after driving my RLX with 19" wheels and low-profile tires for months, the TLX actually felt noticeably smoother and softer. Not to the detriment of handling, but to the benefit of comfort. I wish my RLX rode as well.
The ICS settings seem to affect the steering weight and throttle response a little, although again I didn't notice anything dramatic in my relatively short drive. It didn't seem to make the difference pressing the Sport button in my RLX does, for sure. Sport mode in the TLX felt best to me, and that's another reason I would probably leave the ICS in that mode.
Interior
A lot has been said about the interior size, and I'll just say this - it seems about the same as my last (4G) TL, but I can't swear to it because I didn't have them back to back. The salesdude confirmed Acura's claim that interior volume is the same as the 4G.
Materials quality seemed fine to me for a TL-class car. It doesn't have leather-covered dash and door panels like my RLX, but that's appropriate. Now, because it was a dark-colored interior, it was harder for me to evaluate it. All dark interiors seem gloomy and lower-quality to me, and I'm accustomed to lighter leathers and plastics, so I'd have to see one in Graystone to really make a judgement. That said, I certainly didn't feel like I was in a low-rent car.
I especially like that the rear seatbacks fold. The trunk seemed plenty roomy to me as well.
Equipment
Just a short comment here - I was happy to see lots of "RLX-like" equipment in the TLX Tech. Blind spot monitoring, electronic parking brake and brake hold (woo-HOO!), LKAS, dual screens, jewel-eye headlights, multi-vew rear camera, etc.
I forgot to see if it has the capless fuel filler, but I'll bet it does.
Exterior styling
No real issues here, unless maybe that the car generally doesn't have the "what was that?" styling zing of the 4G. That's especially true in the rear, where the 4G's dramatic tail lights have been replaced with generic-looking tails. And of course from the front it's virtually impossible to tell an ILX or RDX or RLX from a TLX.
Otherwise, the body shape is pleasant even if it's not wow-inspiring.
Performance
Even with the new tranny, this car isn't going to blow people away with its engine performance. But that's okay with me - TL's have never been race cars, and this one seems about on par with the 4G by my seat-of-the-pants G-meter. Acceleration is strong from a stop, even if not overwhelming, and the car seemed to me to downshift and spool up as well as expected.
In short - nice, but you're not going to be blown away. And as I said, for most of us that's okay, since previous TL's have been pretty doggone good runners and this one's no different. If you want more, strap a turbo to it.
One thing I especially looked for was the rumored "hesitation" or "pause" when accelerating from a stop. I did a number of stops and starts with varying levels of aggression, and I was unable to make it hesitate.
Summarizing
That's the main points I wanted to relay. Having owned a number of Acuras - 3G TL, a number of 4G TL's, MDX, RDX, RL and RLX - I can say this one continues in the spirit of the previous ones. It's got a premium feel, a nice appearance, excellent equipment and honest good performance. It's not a giant step forward, which probably disappoints those who wanted 350hp and racing slicks as standard equipment, but it's a solid vehicle.
Think of it like the iPhone 5s compared to the iPhone 5, and be glad it didn't slip backwards in any category. :)
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