Hello All.
I picked up a Basque Red/Parchment 4 cyl. base on September 30. I'd like to share what it was like to buy (actually, lease) and what it's been like to live with for a few short days. I'll do my best to keep this concise, but.. who am I kidding? Really, the 96 hours in the title refers to my length of possession as I write this, and not how long it will take for you to read it. (God, I desperately need my own personal editor).
Let's Go Get Us A TLX, Shall We?
I worked with John Eagle Acura in Houston. The salesman, Richard, was on time for our appointment, and had the car I wanted ready to drive and inspect when I got there. That may seem like a mundane detail, but you'd be surprised how hard it apparently is for many sales associates -- across all brands -- to get this one thing right.
We did a quick test drive, just to make sure everything was cool, then we got down to business. He knew I wanted the introductory lease deal on the base model ($2,499+TT&L/$299 mo.), and got the appraisers busy to give me a number on my trade. After some delay that was blamed on "the computer giving us inconsistent numbers, so please bear with us while we reboot," they came back with a decent offer. After that, things became a bit of a hassle.
Even though I'd been up front from our first meeting two months ago about having a trade, Richard started telling me as I was sitting there, ready to pull the trigger, that "this introductory lease deal isn't really set up or intended to be used for customers who come to us with a trade." I told him I didn't understand what he meant by that. He tried pointing to some fine print to explain that the lease offer was "up to the discretion of the dealer" -- a phrase that's nowhere to be found.
Anyway, after Richard's pointless hemming and hawing over that, he came back with one of those sheets that says "if you agree to these terms and will buy today, sign here." There were several hundred dollars in BS charges for some kind of labels bearing the car's VIN that are now attached in hidden areas of several major components/body parts, for a year-long windshield replacement warranty that costs $50 more than my deductible, and $155 for nitrogen in the tires.
I told him I didn't want or need any of those items, and he should create a new sheet that didn't have any of those charges on there. He left and returned with the sales manager, whose name I cannot recall. The manager explained "these items are already on (or in) the car. We do this with every car that comes into our shop." I said I did not ask for, and will not be paying for, any of these items. We went through about three cycles of this, with the manager explaining "we took $1,400 off MSRP so we could 'give' you these things. They're already on the car, see?" "That you install things on the car without the customer specifically asking for them is your problem, not mine," I said as I asked again to have the charges removed. He wouldn't budge. I asked for the key to my trade back and wished him a good day. He immediately reversed his insistence that I pay for the add-ons.
So we got a new set of numbers. I double-checked them on my phone's calculator and discovered $269 unaccounted for (and not in my favor) in the difference between trade, payoff, and the check I'd have to write to cover the remaining TT&L. The manager, puzzled by this, did a quick long-hand calculation on the back of the sheet and discovered "huh, sure enough, these numbers are off by exactly as much as you said." Funny how math works.
With that all squared away, it was time for F&I. That was actually the quickest part of the whole deal, even though Travis had to print four or five different copies of those long-form triplicate lease contracts before he had one on which the printer got all the figures in the exact boxes and lines where they belong (either the dealer or Acura Financial Services is "really anal" -- in his words -- about this particular detail).
While that was going on, the make-ready guys were preparing the car. I kept myself busy during what seemed like a long (maybe 45 minute) wait by making sure all traces of me (including sat-nav addresses and Homelink codes) were scrubbed from my trade. When the car was finally done, I went over it, and saw a whole bunch of what looked like scratches on the hood, decklid, and roof. "Oh, that's just residue left behind from the adhesive on the wrapping used to protect the car during transport. I can get the guys to buff it out real quick," Richard said. I wasn't in the mood to wait, and once I determined (with the microfiber cloths I happened to have on me from a detail kit I kept in the trunk of my trade) that, yes, the adhesive will buff off, I was on my way.
Would I use John Eagle Again?
Sure. Maybe. I mean, I'm certainly not going to screw them on whatever stupid survey I'll be asked to take part in. But I'm really over the time-wasting dance we all have to do over these worthless add-ons. Also, I was disappointed with the slapdash job the crew did preparing the car for drive-off, with all that adhesive left on the finish. I spent the morning giving the car the sort of detail job the dealer should have given it before turning it over to me. That the claying and waxing took me four hours (with oatmeal and coffee breaks) should explain why the dealer cuts corners, I guess. However, I couldn't be happier with the way it looks now. (I don't have any pictures to share, but we all know what our cars look like, right? Just imagine a super-shiny BR/Parch TLX, and you're there.)
Could We Please Get To Driving/Living With Experience Now?
Sure. Let's start on the inside.
Coming from an 11-month-old 2014 Mazda 3 (a great car, but a misguided attempt on my part to be "practical", thinking I'd "adjust" to its thinly-padded seats and ridiculous amount of highway road noise), the TLX is whisper quiet. The seats have a perfectly adequate amount of padding, adjustment, and support. The leatherette upholstery looks and feels just fine (I miss the aroma of real leather, but I won't miss fretting over caring for it).
The base stereo sounds great with the iPod, less so with FM (I'm guessing the base model doesn't have HD radio). I haven't tried streaming music over BT or any apps yet, nor have I bothered activating my free sat-radio trial. I agree with others who've said the base stereo is lacking in low-end punch, even with the bass and subwoofer cranked to plus-whatever-it-is. But the mids and highs are great, and the car is quiet enough to actually appreciate the sound.
One thing Honda could learn from Mazda is how to simplify its infotainment system. The Mazda Connect setup in the 3 is a work of beauty, especially in its map graphics and rear-view camera clarity, and it's ability to store pretty much unlimited XM/FM/AM radio presets in one place, with no jumping from band to band, and no ancient 12-preset-limit per band.
One thing under "surprise and delight" I discovered this morning: after listening to my iPod through the aux input of an old clock radio in the garage, I moved the iPod to the car, attaching it to the USB port. When I started the car, the iPod picked up right where it left off from my last session -- even though I'd been using the iPod through a completely different kind of connection on a different device. Amazing. That's way beyond the capability of the Mazda, which never picked up where it left off with the iPod on a restart.
Oh, a couple of things that I just remembered. I haven't been able to make the "album art" function of the iPod input work yet. And I'm trying to figure out how to make all beeps vanish from the infotainment screens. I silenced the beeps on the lower screen, but I'm stymied on how to do the same on the upper screen. And, yes, I've RTFM. Any tips?
Other things I like about the interior include:
-The storage area in front of the cupholder/shifter that allows you to keep media devices plugged in an concealed.
-Door panel storage pockets that aren't worthless, along with a fairly roomy glovebox
-The steering wheel controls are (to me) intuitive and useful.
Are We Just Gonna Sit Here, Or Are We Going To Drive?
Nearly every car-mag (or blog) review I saw made a big deal about the TLX being (to their knowledge) the first to use a torque converter with a DCT -- the point of which is to smooth out the jerkiness that can happen launching from or coming to a stop. Eh, it's still there. It's muted, but it's still there, as another recent thread explains better than I can here. Still once you're underway, it's a smooth gearbox. Busy (with upshifts happening with every 200-300 rpm gain under moderate acceleration), but smooth.
I keep it in Sport mode most of the time. That works best for me with all the cut-and-thrust driving through downtown and its adjoining inner-loop neighborhoods that make up about 85% of my time behind the wheel.
The steering seems precise, yet lacking in feel. The P-AWS (or however the hell it's hyphenated) appears to quicken maneuvers in a way that feels just a bit out of balance with how the car is sprung. There's more roll than I'm accustomed to, coming out of the go-cart Mazda, but I'm quickly adjusting to that. Really, it's a trade-off I'm willing to make for the extra comfort.
And the ride is comfortable, if not quite as buttoned-down as some of the German makes who come a bit closer to the ideal ride/handling balance. The stock Goodyear Eagles are truly awful for handling and braking. But those 55-series sidewalls mean I no longer fear a random blowout driving down Houston's pockmarked streets (something that's happened more than once in previous cars shod with lower-profile Conti DWSs, which happen to be my favorite tire).
Let's see, what else. Oh, the edges of the hood are well-defined enough to take some of the trepidation out of head-in parking. Overall, this is just what this guy in his mid-40s needs: a somewhat-premium car (without the baggage of "The Badge") that does everything asked of it, with ease and comfort and at a (lease) price that makes sense.
This is my first lease experience, and I'm looking forward to how I feel about the whole thing 35 months from now. I leased because I'm waiting for Honda (and everyone else) to trash their various infotainment systems and just install screens that mirror our phones, with all our music, contacts, and maps, before trying again to buy a car that I intend to keep for 7-10 years. Depending on what the mid-cycle TLX refresh brings us, I'd would certainly consider doing this all over again when the time comes.
Thanks for making it to the end. I've enjoyed lurking in the background, and am happy to now be an active participant.
I picked up a Basque Red/Parchment 4 cyl. base on September 30. I'd like to share what it was like to buy (actually, lease) and what it's been like to live with for a few short days. I'll do my best to keep this concise, but.. who am I kidding? Really, the 96 hours in the title refers to my length of possession as I write this, and not how long it will take for you to read it. (God, I desperately need my own personal editor).
Let's Go Get Us A TLX, Shall We?
I worked with John Eagle Acura in Houston. The salesman, Richard, was on time for our appointment, and had the car I wanted ready to drive and inspect when I got there. That may seem like a mundane detail, but you'd be surprised how hard it apparently is for many sales associates -- across all brands -- to get this one thing right.
We did a quick test drive, just to make sure everything was cool, then we got down to business. He knew I wanted the introductory lease deal on the base model ($2,499+TT&L/$299 mo.), and got the appraisers busy to give me a number on my trade. After some delay that was blamed on "the computer giving us inconsistent numbers, so please bear with us while we reboot," they came back with a decent offer. After that, things became a bit of a hassle.
Even though I'd been up front from our first meeting two months ago about having a trade, Richard started telling me as I was sitting there, ready to pull the trigger, that "this introductory lease deal isn't really set up or intended to be used for customers who come to us with a trade." I told him I didn't understand what he meant by that. He tried pointing to some fine print to explain that the lease offer was "up to the discretion of the dealer" -- a phrase that's nowhere to be found.
Anyway, after Richard's pointless hemming and hawing over that, he came back with one of those sheets that says "if you agree to these terms and will buy today, sign here." There were several hundred dollars in BS charges for some kind of labels bearing the car's VIN that are now attached in hidden areas of several major components/body parts, for a year-long windshield replacement warranty that costs $50 more than my deductible, and $155 for nitrogen in the tires.
I told him I didn't want or need any of those items, and he should create a new sheet that didn't have any of those charges on there. He left and returned with the sales manager, whose name I cannot recall. The manager explained "these items are already on (or in) the car. We do this with every car that comes into our shop." I said I did not ask for, and will not be paying for, any of these items. We went through about three cycles of this, with the manager explaining "we took $1,400 off MSRP so we could 'give' you these things. They're already on the car, see?" "That you install things on the car without the customer specifically asking for them is your problem, not mine," I said as I asked again to have the charges removed. He wouldn't budge. I asked for the key to my trade back and wished him a good day. He immediately reversed his insistence that I pay for the add-ons.
So we got a new set of numbers. I double-checked them on my phone's calculator and discovered $269 unaccounted for (and not in my favor) in the difference between trade, payoff, and the check I'd have to write to cover the remaining TT&L. The manager, puzzled by this, did a quick long-hand calculation on the back of the sheet and discovered "huh, sure enough, these numbers are off by exactly as much as you said." Funny how math works.
With that all squared away, it was time for F&I. That was actually the quickest part of the whole deal, even though Travis had to print four or five different copies of those long-form triplicate lease contracts before he had one on which the printer got all the figures in the exact boxes and lines where they belong (either the dealer or Acura Financial Services is "really anal" -- in his words -- about this particular detail).
While that was going on, the make-ready guys were preparing the car. I kept myself busy during what seemed like a long (maybe 45 minute) wait by making sure all traces of me (including sat-nav addresses and Homelink codes) were scrubbed from my trade. When the car was finally done, I went over it, and saw a whole bunch of what looked like scratches on the hood, decklid, and roof. "Oh, that's just residue left behind from the adhesive on the wrapping used to protect the car during transport. I can get the guys to buff it out real quick," Richard said. I wasn't in the mood to wait, and once I determined (with the microfiber cloths I happened to have on me from a detail kit I kept in the trunk of my trade) that, yes, the adhesive will buff off, I was on my way.
Would I use John Eagle Again?
Sure. Maybe. I mean, I'm certainly not going to screw them on whatever stupid survey I'll be asked to take part in. But I'm really over the time-wasting dance we all have to do over these worthless add-ons. Also, I was disappointed with the slapdash job the crew did preparing the car for drive-off, with all that adhesive left on the finish. I spent the morning giving the car the sort of detail job the dealer should have given it before turning it over to me. That the claying and waxing took me four hours (with oatmeal and coffee breaks) should explain why the dealer cuts corners, I guess. However, I couldn't be happier with the way it looks now. (I don't have any pictures to share, but we all know what our cars look like, right? Just imagine a super-shiny BR/Parch TLX, and you're there.)
Could We Please Get To Driving/Living With Experience Now?
Sure. Let's start on the inside.
Coming from an 11-month-old 2014 Mazda 3 (a great car, but a misguided attempt on my part to be "practical", thinking I'd "adjust" to its thinly-padded seats and ridiculous amount of highway road noise), the TLX is whisper quiet. The seats have a perfectly adequate amount of padding, adjustment, and support. The leatherette upholstery looks and feels just fine (I miss the aroma of real leather, but I won't miss fretting over caring for it).
The base stereo sounds great with the iPod, less so with FM (I'm guessing the base model doesn't have HD radio). I haven't tried streaming music over BT or any apps yet, nor have I bothered activating my free sat-radio trial. I agree with others who've said the base stereo is lacking in low-end punch, even with the bass and subwoofer cranked to plus-whatever-it-is. But the mids and highs are great, and the car is quiet enough to actually appreciate the sound.
One thing Honda could learn from Mazda is how to simplify its infotainment system. The Mazda Connect setup in the 3 is a work of beauty, especially in its map graphics and rear-view camera clarity, and it's ability to store pretty much unlimited XM/FM/AM radio presets in one place, with no jumping from band to band, and no ancient 12-preset-limit per band.
One thing under "surprise and delight" I discovered this morning: after listening to my iPod through the aux input of an old clock radio in the garage, I moved the iPod to the car, attaching it to the USB port. When I started the car, the iPod picked up right where it left off from my last session -- even though I'd been using the iPod through a completely different kind of connection on a different device. Amazing. That's way beyond the capability of the Mazda, which never picked up where it left off with the iPod on a restart.
Oh, a couple of things that I just remembered. I haven't been able to make the "album art" function of the iPod input work yet. And I'm trying to figure out how to make all beeps vanish from the infotainment screens. I silenced the beeps on the lower screen, but I'm stymied on how to do the same on the upper screen. And, yes, I've RTFM. Any tips?
Other things I like about the interior include:
-The storage area in front of the cupholder/shifter that allows you to keep media devices plugged in an concealed.
-Door panel storage pockets that aren't worthless, along with a fairly roomy glovebox
-The steering wheel controls are (to me) intuitive and useful.
Are We Just Gonna Sit Here, Or Are We Going To Drive?
Nearly every car-mag (or blog) review I saw made a big deal about the TLX being (to their knowledge) the first to use a torque converter with a DCT -- the point of which is to smooth out the jerkiness that can happen launching from or coming to a stop. Eh, it's still there. It's muted, but it's still there, as another recent thread explains better than I can here. Still once you're underway, it's a smooth gearbox. Busy (with upshifts happening with every 200-300 rpm gain under moderate acceleration), but smooth.
I keep it in Sport mode most of the time. That works best for me with all the cut-and-thrust driving through downtown and its adjoining inner-loop neighborhoods that make up about 85% of my time behind the wheel.
The steering seems precise, yet lacking in feel. The P-AWS (or however the hell it's hyphenated) appears to quicken maneuvers in a way that feels just a bit out of balance with how the car is sprung. There's more roll than I'm accustomed to, coming out of the go-cart Mazda, but I'm quickly adjusting to that. Really, it's a trade-off I'm willing to make for the extra comfort.
And the ride is comfortable, if not quite as buttoned-down as some of the German makes who come a bit closer to the ideal ride/handling balance. The stock Goodyear Eagles are truly awful for handling and braking. But those 55-series sidewalls mean I no longer fear a random blowout driving down Houston's pockmarked streets (something that's happened more than once in previous cars shod with lower-profile Conti DWSs, which happen to be my favorite tire).
Let's see, what else. Oh, the edges of the hood are well-defined enough to take some of the trepidation out of head-in parking. Overall, this is just what this guy in his mid-40s needs: a somewhat-premium car (without the baggage of "The Badge") that does everything asked of it, with ease and comfort and at a (lease) price that makes sense.
This is my first lease experience, and I'm looking forward to how I feel about the whole thing 35 months from now. I leased because I'm waiting for Honda (and everyone else) to trash their various infotainment systems and just install screens that mirror our phones, with all our music, contacts, and maps, before trying again to buy a car that I intend to keep for 7-10 years. Depending on what the mid-cycle TLX refresh brings us, I'd would certainly consider doing this all over again when the time comes.
Thanks for making it to the end. I've enjoyed lurking in the background, and am happy to now be an active participant.