stevenpsu

https://www.caranddriver.com/photos/...erior-gallery/

Interesting new photos of the interior of the 25 MDX. I am wondering if these changes will roll down to the 25 TLX or they will wait until a redesign to implement? Would be curious as I am debating on upgrading to the 24 TLX.

Tony Pac

I highly doubt if these changes will be implemented to this generation of TLX. As we all know, NA is all about SUV and Acura is no different.

MDX = updated!
Next will be RDX

vertigo2

Not a chance, TLX just got a mid cycle refresh. Will be 3 years at least, if there is even another TLX generation.

MarcoTLX

My money is on the TLX being discontinued real soon

fiatlux

The TLX in it's current form probably isn't long for this world. Other automakers are also hurting when it comes to sedan sales...but other automakers sell outside of the US and can justify continuting to invest in this segment because of the overall global sales. It'll be hard for Acura to justify to Honda another generation of a car that hovers at around 1000 sales a month. Best case is a 2nd refresh at some point, or to bring it back to its roots and base it off of the Accord (which IMO they should have just done to begin wtih).

Tony Pac

Not sure about discontinuing since Acura does not have massive lineup of sedan. But who knows the future...anything is possible! if MB can come up with C and GLC 43 & 63 with a 4 cylinder engine and "F!" Tech, after that I won't be surprised of anything

Flapjackura

Perhaps they will go the Lexus IS/RC route, and make a touchscreen available while keeping the trackpad. I would guess that would involve less cost than redoing the center console.

stevenpsu

It's obvious the US market is saturated with SUV'S, but the other manufacturers are still making sedans, although the lineups are smaller, all of the Germans are continuing to make Sedans, Lexus has quite a few as well. Acura is in a tough position as the sales are low, but they can even be lower if you have things like low mpg's or small backseat room etc.. And other things people bitch about the TLX. I feel that they need to keep the TLX in the lineup and adapt to the customers wants and needs. Acura would sell more sedans if the gripes were fixed. BMW took a while to have their sedans to be more attractive and it's not a sales king by any means, but is still competitive. Acura has the honda reputation of being reliable and less costly for regular maintenance, so that can keep them competitive in a market that is drying up. Just need to stay on top of the specs and be cost effective. A smaller lineup is smart with the refresh models in my opinion.

fiatlux

The thing is that other automakers sell cars outside of the US, so even if the sedan market here is getting smaller they're still seeing relatively larger sales figures than Acura is. For instance, BMW sold 362K cars in the US last year, but they sold 2.25M cars globally. Even if the 3-series sales here bottomed out, it would still be made because of all the other markets.

swttsx007

Are sales that bad that there probably won't be another TLX generation?

Ken1997TL

I doubt the TLX as we know it gets any changes before it's discontinued.

stevenpsu

I get the skepticism but how can Acura only produce 1 sedan in the Integra. I think simplyfing the lineup like they did in 24 is smart. If they just move everything down from the MDX into a car form, it's a winner and it saves money for research and development.

fiatlux

If the R&D and tooling costs to make the car is more than the profit they can recoup by selling each car, why would they consider investing in a new generation?

It’s very possible that the total sales of the TLX is worse than every other car in its segment. Worse than the S60, worse than the Giulia, worse than the G70.

I don’t think we’ll see another TLX built on a “bespoke” platform. For cost savings I expect the next generation to be heavily based on the Accord, much like the Integra is heavily based on the Civic.

mvl

When the 2018 TLX got an electronics update to add Android Auto, the MDX got it too despite being only a year after the 2017 MMR. So it is not unprecedented that it couldn't work the other direction.

It is all about whether Acura thinks the costs of a redesign will be worth it in sales. The TLX is their lowest-selling model so chances are slim, but the hardware exists so maybe costs will be low enough.

It is clear that the touchpad is now dead, at a minimum Acura knows it is horrible with google maps and as they transition their builtin Navigation to google, they will have to move to touchscreen at the same time.

stevenpsu

It's more about how the Bespoke platforn compares to the other platforms in the segment. All the reviews say the same gripes about the TLX. In a small niche competive market, it's going to be tough to sell a car that compares to the others with some of the downfalls. Like why is the TLX that heavy? It seems like poor planning lead to the poor sales. Also, the new model was released in 21 when the economy began to go south, it all adds up to the poor sales figures.

MarcoTLX

Yep sales and another reasoning that makes me believe this is the fact that of all the current Acura models for sale, the TLX has the LEAST trim level choices of all the available models.

The 2024 TLX got reduced to only 3 specific trims Tech FWD, A-Spec AWD, and Type-S (Advance)

All the other models RDX, MDX, & Integra gets a Base, Tech, A-Spec, Advance (exception of the Integra) and Type-S (exception of the RDX) trim levels lots of choices there.

TLX not so many choices, if you are looking to buy a new TLX you are pretty much locked to getting an A-Spec or Type-S if you want AWD.... however you are stuck with the sporty look of the A-Spec/Type-S package even though you prefer the look of the Tech Package TLX

Why did Acura do this to only the TLX and not the other models? Low sales, now I love my TLX Type-S it's gorgeous and decently fast and overall a great car to me but the mass market doesn't seem interested in the TLX anymore and I think this is becoming more clear to Acura as time progresses.

ESHBG

Yes:

• Overall Honda sales surged 20.9% in Q1 2024, with the Civic leading the charge with a 36% increase. The CR-V also saw impressive growth of over 41%.
• While Honda thrived, Acura saw a 9.2% decline in sales. This slump was driven by a drop in demand for the Integra (-15.8%), TLX (-29.3%), and MDX (-26.8%).
• The RDX was the only Acura model to experience positive sales growth in Q1, with a significant increase of 48.6% compared to the previous year.

https://www.carscoops.com/2024/04/ac...percent-in-q1/

It's unfortunate the sedan market is dying (I won't say "dead" yet because there are some bright spots), as there's many of us who don't really want or need a CUV/SUV. Hatchbacks and liftbacks may be the way to go, though, and can be a great compromise.

Pens Fan

First quarter TLX sales =2,707 (last year =4,698)

This is extremely low- and accordingly production in March was only 243. That's why no one can find even a Type S.

fiatlux

The argument I see a lot on here is that the TLX sales numbers are low because Acura isn't building any to sell. That may have been true during 2021 and 2022 when Honda/Acura had severe supply chain problems and were constrained across multiple lines, and there were enough Acura fans who still haven't gotten one yet, but at this point I doubt that's the case anymore. Inventory is building up across multiple models and we're starting to see below sticker prices again. I think it's fair to conclude at this point that Acura isn't building as many TLX's anymore because there's not much demand, not that sales are low because Acura isn't building enough TLXs.

stevenpsu

The big question is, is it because the no one wants to buy Sedans or is it because the TLX doesn't match up well against the competition in terms of MPG's, TouchPad, etc.. I vote the rather if those were solved.
​​​​

fiatlux

It's a combination of both. There are definitely headwinds in the entry level luxury sedan market, and the TLX does itself no favors with all the deficiencies it has.

But IMO the biggest issue is that Acura is completely undiversified geographically; they operate only in North America. That means they're more affected than most other automakers by the whims of the North American market, and their total sales is much smaller. That means less units to amortize the development and fixed costs over. For instance, Volvo only sold 12K S60s last year in the US (about 25% fewer than the TLX), yet that car continues to see investments and will continue to exist because Volvo sold 40K of those cars globally, compared to Acura which only sold 16K TLXs both domestically and globally.

Legend2TL

As for how long in production? Probably at least 5 years total but perhaps Acura may run it longer while debating what to do with the next generation. The ILX was produced for 10 years. Honda/Acura work closely with their suppliers (most provide open accounting books to their Honda related manufacuring) so the part/component cost typically go down over time so the per vehicle profit tend to increase toward the end of production.

stevenpsu

I feel that would be smart. Just keep tweaking the car as it's a really good design, just use the MDX for all the R&D and just move it down to the sedan. I feel like Acura still needs to be in the space atleast until others are removing Sedans from their lineups.

ELIN

Here’s an idea: treat the TLX like a niche car and sell exclusively online like the ZDX!

No more cars sitting on lots and heavy discounting!

stevenpsu

Isn't there laws in each state that prevent that from happening? I still don't get the automarket. I wish we could get away from buying cars at dealer anyway. Tesla somehow gets around it.

ELIN

So how is Acura selling the ZDX online?

https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/25/23569823/honda-acura-ev-sales-online-zdx

fiatlux

Most states allow for direct sales. But even in the few backwards states that prohibit direct sales (like Alabama, Nebraska, etc.), you can still order cars online. It just has to get funneled through the dealership. There’s nothing that prohibits customers from placing the order themselves directly with a manufacturer rather than through a dealership that then places the order with the manufacturer.

stevenpsu

Interesting, it seemed like Tesla made that more streamlined. Never really understood why the manufacturers funneled everything through the dealerships until Tesla came along? I get dealerships play a key role, but the buying process is a huge pain in the ass.

ELIN

Honestly, the build to order model makes much more sense and avoids cars sitting on lots and possibly requiring heavy discounting (take advantage of Just-In-Time economics).
As Acura is such a small company, this should be the business model going forward.

fiatlux

Two words: dealership lobby.

Originally, the thought is that buyers need a middleman to help them navigate the car buying experience (think real estate agents). The Internet changed all of that, but dealerships don't want to go out of business.

Plus, automakers are in the business of making cars, not in the business of selling to retail customers and servicing said cars. Historically, it's not their forte. Same reason why you don't buy Coca Cola directly and instead buy through distributors.

Jakerx

I doubt any changes are coming down the road for the current gen TLX. They just had a mid-cycle refresh and it wouldn’t make sense with current sales figures.

Jakerx

How the heck do you edit a post? Meant to type “road” not “polls”.

djhtsx

iTrader: (2)

im sure those changes will take affect for the 2026 model year.

JTRADAR61

Changes, touch screen are MDX, RDX no word on TLX .

stevenpsu

Where did you see the RDX was involved for the touch screen?

stevenpsu

2026 would be a complete redesign if there is another generation of TLX.

stevenpsu

I plan on picking up a 24 TLX Aspec over the weekend. It would be interesting to see if they actually implement the small change or just wait until the redesign in 26. On one hand, if it's poor sales and you are just mirroring down from the RDX, it seems like it would save more money to have it the same as the others instead the TLX would be the only vehicle left with the pad.

cwatt79

In Acura's '2024 Outlook' press release on 1/18/24, they stated that in 2024: "The RDX will receive upgrades to enhance its appeal and functionality." They did not give any more detail than this.

This is the same press release that they first announced that "The MDX SUV, the brand's best-selling model, will receive significant enhancements including styling changes, the addition of Bang and Olufsen premium audio, a new technology interface featuring Google-built in and a more advanced AcuraWatch™ suite of driver assistive features. MDX also will trade its touchpad for a new touchscreen driver interface and a more usable center console." Perhaps the MDX was closer to reveal and they weren't ready to indulge any details on the RDX, but it doesn't seem like a stretch to assume that similar updates from the MDX will be applied to the RDX.

This press release also announced: "An all-new Acura crossover will debut later this year, positioned at the gateway of the lineup alongside the Integra."

This press release made no mention of the TLX.

RDX10

Seeing as how the RDX has gone UP in sales this year I would not be surprised if they decided to keep the current one going for another couple years with the updated MDX touch screen setup. I have always said it and I will always say it, the true touchpad is the single reason the current RDX wasn't wiping the floor with the X3, Q5...etc IMO. They did such an incredible job with it and just dropped the ball so hard on the touchpad B.S.

ELIN

The RDX checks a lot of boxes but the crappy fuel economy doesn't exactly make the car a no-brainer slam dunk!
Acura's possible road to losing weight may also hurt its identity (SHAWD, acoustic glass, etc.).