New car for the wife

[Rilas]

Differences between the TL and the Accord would come down to most of the following.

- Interior quality
- Road noise suppression / active noise cancellation
- Ride quality
- Sound system
- Exterior looks (Accord is blah while the 4th gen TL is stunning!)

I personally have a 3rd gen TL and imo it is far superior in terms of quality and attention to detail inside the car, compared to the Accord. Also if your not looking into the SH-AWD the cost of maintenance really isn't much more. Almost all of my parts I buy at the Honda dealership, as most of the drive train parts are shared with the Accord you will pay slightly cheaper prices then buying at Acura. In terms of complexity it's no worse then just working on any other V6 Honda. A bit more to them than the 4 cylinders, but they aren't really more difficult to work on. I have experience in this as I bought our TL with a blown transmission, and I replaced it myself and tore then entire engine down at the same time.

[verothacamaro]

I agree on buying private, unless you can find a dealer (like CarMax) that will give you a worthwhile warranty. Otherwise, you're paying a dealer markup for something that is likely no better than what you'd get in a private sale.

Anyway, your picks are good ones. Personally, I liked the 1st gen TSX much more than the 2nd gen, but they're old cars now. Magazine reviews seemed to like the 4 cylinder TSX much more than the 6 cylinder variety, so sticking to the 4 cylinder seems like a good plan if you go that route. For the most part, the K24 doesn't seem to be terribly problematic. The TSX will come at a premium over the Accord, while offering only a little more. Whether you go for the TSX or not would largely be determined by how much those extras mean to you. The TSX will probably have a more refined interior, better sound deadening, and possibly a more luxurious ride. Just keep in mind that when something breaks that isn't shared with the Accord, you'll be paying Acura repair prices.

The Accord is by far the most sensible option. It lacks luxury prestige, and will probably lack a bit of the refinement of an Acura, but you'll get the most car for your money with an Accord. My only complaint with the Accord is that it's common. It's boring. The new Accords don't excite me at all. That being said, my reasons for not being excited by the Accord are fairly silly... and I think it would be absurd to dismiss such a good car for said reasons. Ultimately, the Accord is probably the one to get.

Finally, the TL SH-AWD... the car on your list that I most want for myself. V6 power, AWD, stunning looks (especially the earlier ones, before they toned it down to appease the whiners...) It's an absolutely beautiful car, with enough performance to keep a driver entertained. That being said, it is by far the least practical option. The V6 will be thirsty compared to Accord and TSX. It's a heavier car as well. SH-AWD is awesome, but you probably don't need it for North Carolina winters. When something breaks, the car is largely Acura... and far more complicated than the Accord or TSX. That means there's more to break, it won't be cheap to fix, and you may not be able to fix it yourself. Scary, if you're not totally prepared for it! If you go with the TL, I would highly recommend only buying from a reputable dealer that offers a hefty warranty.


If you want reliable, affordable, and the most car for your money, you'll be hard pressed to do better than the Accord. If you want luxury with only a little extra expense and risk, go for the TSX. If you want to say F it all and go all out, the TL SH-AWD is a fantastic option.
It all comes down to what you want, what you need, what you can comfortably afford, and what you can actually find. If there's no rush, don't settle.

OMG - someone that agrees with me about the TL styling!


I had an 06 RL with Sh-AWD. It's awesome. It's one of the best systems on the market and if you can somehow find a nice TL with this system, you'll really enjoy it.

[verothacamaro]

Oh and I could average over 30mpg in my 4000+lbs. RL on the highway with no problem (and this was on the ancient 5 speed auto).

[cb7 calling]

I appreciate all the input. It's a little confusing just surfing the web for cars and then researching features. I took me weeks just to nail down the trim levels. Long gone are the days of dx,lx,ex.
The wife's civic broke down yesterday. ( alternator) part of me wanted to drive it to the dealership on the battery and dump it on the next chump. The other part of me went and bought a multimeter and one of those 240 pc "mechanics" sets and changed it out. I did not want a time constraint on this purchase so I bought some time. I am happy too I had no tools here in NC.
Anyhow Verothacamaro did you have that car long? How many miles. I have a little concern for the maintainance on the sh awd parts.

[cb7 calling]

I am really confused about 2016 ilx trims. Almost everywhere I look it says in 2016 the ilx got the 8 speed dct and 206 hp. However on Acuras website it says 150 hp 5 speed. Wtf. When I saw that a month ago I went down a different path however in my time crunch I found conflicting info. Which is it?

So it's time like today or tomorrow. Wife's transmission went out. My once fun search for exactly the right car has turned into exactly what's available right now. This may have been a blessing in disguise but only long term reliability will tell.
I'm basically gonna get this ilx in my mind. I have concerns about the Honda designed 8 speed dct but believe in my heart Honda made a good one after all those 2000-2007 bad ones........sigh*

[Rilas]

It appears only the 2016 and beyond ILX's have the 205 hp and 180 ft/tq. The older options had the pathetic hp and 5 speed transmission. If you get this you'll have to let us know how they are. I've only ever seen a few out in the wild.

[cb7 calling]

Just test drove it.....felt good. Only has 4000 miles so it should. I am apprehensive about the 8 speed dct so I have read all that there is to read and there has been a lot of negative feedback. I would say at least half if not 75% of it though is people not understanding it is a manual that shifts for you so it should feel a little different. If this is in fact this is the majority of the issues I have no problems with this purchase. There have been a couple of legit my transmission broke post which are the ones that scare me. Any first hand experiences or he said she said stories would be welcome. Thank you

[cb7 calling]

So I took the wife to test drive a 2014 base tsx with 18000 miles and bought it. Done and done.

[verothacamaro]

I appreciate all the input. It's a little confusing just surfing the web for cars and then researching features. I took me weeks just to nail down the trim levels. Long gone are the days of dx,lx,ex.
The wife's civic broke down yesterday. ( alternator) part of me wanted to drive it to the dealership on the battery and dump it on the next chump. The other part of me went and bought a multimeter and one of those 240 pc "mechanics" sets and changed it out. I did not want a time constraint on this purchase so I bought some time. I am happy too I had no tools here in NC.
Anyhow Verothacamaro did you have that car long? How many miles. I have a little concern for the maintainance on the sh awd parts.

Hey man - I had my RL for just over 2 years and for the most part it was completely trouble free. As far as the AWD system goes, I had zero issues. The only issues I had with the car were cracked drainage tubes in the sunroof that started leaking onto the A-pillar and I was starting to have some minor transmission hesitation which made it rougher than normal.

Parts for that car were mighty expensive, though. Keep in mind that SH-AWD wasn't made in large numbers so as far as parts go, they are generally rarer (and costlier). I have full confidence in the system and my Acura mechanic has never once seen an SH-AWD failure.

I should note that my RL used the old 5-speed automatic that had large numbers of failures and prompted a class-action lawsuit which Honda had to settle. Surprisingly, the RL (mostly) never suffered these issues. The 09+ TLs were using the 6 speed autos by this time.

I ended up selling my RL with just under 90k miles. That car took a beating and laughed it off. It was such a well built car that I sometimes laugh at the quality differences between my new(ish) Ford and the Acura

The best piece of advice that I can give you is to buy a car with a FULL service history. You want to make sure the transmission and differentials were properly maintained at the correct service intervals.

[verothacamaro]

So I took the wife to test drive a 2014 base tsx with 18000 miles and bought it. Done and done.

haha sorry for the late reply. The TSX is a great car that will last a very long time. Enjoy!

[deevergote]

Definitely a good choice. Accord reliability and simplicity, Acura luxury.

[hiptech]

I'm always amused how analytical, logical and objectives ppl try to be when shopping for a car only to cave to emotions when it's time to pull the trigger...

Don't get me wrong I'm not poking fun (well maybe a little) we all do it, it's only natural... but it is fascinating.

Human nature, you can't fight it...

[cb7 calling]

I'm always amused how analytical, logical and objectives ppl try to be when shopping for a car only to cave to emotions when it's time to pull the trigger...

Don't get me wrong I'm not poking fun (well maybe a little) we all do it, it's only natural... but it is fascinating.

Human nature, you can't fight it...

To be fair the only thing I caved on was the tech package. The tsx was my front runner since the beginning and my wife was constantly saying we didn't need tech. Story time
I could not get her to drive a tsx as she wanted this ilx all the way. Before we went to the dealer with the ilx I stopped by a Nissan dealer and drove an 04 tsx with 150000 miles in perfect condition. Like ten pages of one owner service done at the dealer records condition. She said it felt better than the ilx and we could have bought it cash type car. So then I drove to the only newer (2014) tsx within 75 miles of home for sale period and she said it felt the same only with 18000 miles. Really there was a facelift in that ten year period but it's the same car, same switch locations everything. Honestly in that The safe buy logic set in and now I don't have to worry about an unproven transmission. I never thought I would see they day I just wanted a standard slush box
The entire Honda lineup is riddled with cvt, and Acura dct junk.
If it where a racy jerky 6 spd dct they realesed this would be a different conversation

[hiptech]

No I get it... when you're shopping for a car with a spouse, the spouse is the wildcard.
Personally I think you made the right decision and not just because I own a TSX. There have been just too many negatives regarding the ILX which does surprise me but still adds enough doubt...

Good luck to you on the TSX, it will serve you well...

[cb7 calling]

Emotionally decided is accurate as in I needed a car now and they had me by the balls in that regard. I watched that car fall 4000 dollars in asking price over the last two months and never wanted it till I needed it.