The Jalopnik Review of the TLX SH-AWD is Totally Wrong

"Audistein" (Audistein) 09/22/2017 at 19:56 • Filed to: Acura, TLX, SH-AWD, Jalopnik

9

19

So in case you haven’t seen it, Jalopnik did a review of the TLX SH-AWD and the gist of it is that they found it didn’t deliver a sporty experience at all. They gave it a “D” grade in the enthusiast category. This conclusion, however, doesn’t seem to be based off any attempt to drive the car in a sporty manner but rather pure conjecture based on normal driving.

Though I do not own one, I’ve had the opportunity to both drive an ride in a TLX SH-AWD being driven very aggressively on excellent winding highways and I can tell you firsthand that Jalopnik’s assessment is so incredibly off that it’s shocking.

Sure, it’s not nearly as sharp or aggressive as something like an Audi S5 or BMW 340i M-Sport, but to say it’s a complete disappointment and isn’t fun at all couldn’t be more wrong.

Now since I don’t want to retype basically the same information, here is the comment I wrote under the article (in quotes) with some added notes:

“The thing about the TLX SH-AWD is that it can be super fun but you totally have to reprogram the way you drive. So in most cars, when you get understeer you get off the throttle and decrease steering input. In a TLX SH-AWD, however, when you start to get understeer you have to introduce throttle. The torque-vectoring then pushes you around the corner and the feeling is almost magical. If you really push the car by giving tons of throttle in corners it’s super fun, but it’s hard to know the car is even capable of such a feat without experience beforehand. When you really start getting into the limits of throttle and grip in corners the chassis really comes alive and you start to see the potential as a sport sedan. Takes a lot of speed though.”

This is basically the same as how you drive some of the understeer-y Audis with the engine way out front. Use the AWD system to correct understeer and the chassis will allow the car to rotate. The playfulness of the SH-AWD system is hard to explain, it really needs to be experienced.

“With some proper tires on it, the TLX AWD can even out perform more powerful RWD sports cars on really twisty roads because you can get on the throttle so quickly, sometimes even before the apex of the corner, and let the system bring the car around. The car even transitions into oversteer in tighter corners. At very low speeds you can get some truly uncomfortable levels of G-forces.”

It’s really not that hard to make the SH-AWD oversteer, especially in the wet. The setup for the AWD system is way more aggressive than you would expect. It also has far, far less body roll than one would expect from the cushy ride at low speeds.

“As for the engine and transmission, they really wake up in Sport+ mode versus the other modes. The Sport mode on the TLX is like the normal mode in a BMW or Audi while Sport+ in the Acura is the only true sport mode.”

While this could be a criticism of the TLX – that it has to be in the most aggressive driving mode for the engine and transmission to be responsive – it’s also not fair to keep the car out of it’s most aggressive mode before complaining about how the transmission and engine are boring and laggy.

“So basically what I’m saying is 1) combat understeer with throttle and 2) they didn’t drive it nearly hard enough.”

Basically it’s clear that they made no effort to actually drive the TLX SH-AWD in a sporting manner before decrying it as lacking any sort of sporting pretense. Between the docile transversely mounted engine which introduces almost no vibrations into the cabin and the suspension which seems soft over bumps I can kind of understand why the layperson would come to the assumption they did, but not a professional car reviewer.

Here’s a passage from the review:

If you did get to drive the A-Spec aggressively and wanted to work the paddle shifters, though, the lag time seems like it wouldn’t be ideal or even safe on twisty roads. Given, I always quickly gave up on the paddle shifters and I had such little time with the car that I didn’t test if there was a large lag time in downshifts as well.

I’ll totally agree that the paddles are laggy in normal driving, but putting the car in Sport+ totally fixes this. The transmission tuning and paddle response is so incredibly different in Sport+ versus the other modes that I’m actually suprised it wasn’t mentioned in the review. Almost makes me think they didn’t even try Sport+ mode.

Moreover, this is what Alanis says in the review:

Because I had this car around the time Hurricane Harvey hit and I live in central Texas, things were flooded here for days. There was no time, nor was it safe or practical, to take the A-Spec out on one of the two good roads we have down here in cow town for our aggressive-driving test.

The TLX AWD can be thrown surprising quickly into corners and can accelerate very hard out of them. The acceleration through and out of corners is something that cannot be delivered by any RWD sports sedan. Sure, all of the magic and driving experience comes from the AWD system, but that doesn’t make it a bad car. The docile nature in normal driving doesn’t mean it then lacks enthusiast or performance qualities.

The first time I drove a new WRX in was in traffic it seemed like a awful car. The interior was crap, the steering seemed numb, the engine was laggy and unrefined, and the suspension bounced around. I didn’t take that impression and immediately start telling everyone that the WRX is just a terrible poser economy car. No, I made sure I had a chance to drive the crap out of one and see how amazing it is.

I’m not saying the TLX should get a “A” in the enthiast category or that I wouldn’t rather be in other sport sedans, but giving it a “D” and making the headline that it doesn’t deliver really just are simply incorrect assessments based on flawed methodology.

I just don’t understand why someone who didn’t even have the chance to drive the car aggressively would automatically then claim its a bad sports sedan.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > Audistein 09/22/2017 at 20:22

3

I stopped taking the Jalopnik reviews seriously (apart from Clavy’s) When they became obsessed with body roll. To much body roll is bad, but a car doesn’t have to be completely flat to be a sports car.

I also don’t get all the hate for modern Hondas. I’ve driven the base model Civic and it’s not bad at all. It’s no sports sedan, but it’s not a Camry either.

Flavien Vidal > Audistein 09/22/2017 at 20:29

1

If it were me I’d rate all those modern cars with an “F” grade so I can’t really argue with anything depicting them as bad :)

DipodomysDeserti > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time 09/22/2017 at 20:50

0

Compared to vintage Hondas, modern Hondas are terrible. This coming from someone whi just tuned up a ‘73 CL450.

awmaster10 > Audistein 09/22/2017 at 20:54

3

I have driven a TLX shawd but not a-spec and it was hardly underwhelming. I wish I could just have my 3rd gen TL with SH-AWD but the TLX is still a solid car and the review was written by somebody with zero aggressive driving experience. Anybody who cant stop a modern car without repeatedly lurching shouldnt be reviewing cars.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > DipodomysDeserti 09/22/2017 at 21:17

1

Oh definitely, but for modern cars they’re not bad. Especially compared to their American counter parts I’ve driven.

Textured Soy Protein > Audistein 09/22/2017 at 22:00

0

I think they’re coming from the perspective of the A-Spec bring a real performance package. It’s really just an appearance package with different upholstery and a slightly stiffened suspension. Not that this review mentioned it.

AestheticsInMotion > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time 09/22/2017 at 22:33

0

Huh. I’ve gotten the impression that they’ve loved the most recent civics. Interesting

AestheticsInMotion > Audistein 09/22/2017 at 22:37

0

If your benchmarks are an Audi s5 or 340i M-sport.... It’s probably not that sporty. Neither one of those is particularly thrilling, or great in the handling department. I’ve driven the Acura, absolutely LOVED it. Good material quality, somewhat luxurious without being numb, and after years of the beak there’s finally a decent looking grill that makes it easier to see how well designed the car is. That said... I certainly wouldn’t call it sporty

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > Audistein 09/22/2017 at 23:20

1

Good points, especially about using the most agressive mode to judge sportiness. Cars all have multiple personalities now.

Audistein > AestheticsInMotion 09/22/2017 at 23:53

0

Well the 340i and S5 are thrilling in the handling department simply because they are super precise and so damn fast. They are incredible vehicles to drive.

And like I said, in the post, if you didn’t find the TLX sh-awd sporty then you weren’t driving it hard enough. You have to accelerating hard enough out of corners for the car to rotate and the rear end to come around.

The fwd TLX though, I don’t have anything good to say about that one.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > AestheticsInMotion 09/23/2017 at 01:06

0

A side from the Si and Type R, I don’t remember the last time I read something from Jalopnik about the non-performance Civics, but people in the comments sure love to hate on them.

Sam > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time 09/23/2017 at 12:08

0

I don’t think the new Civic is bad, i just dont think it’s good looking at all.

Spanfeller is a twat > Audistein 11/15/2017 at 01:30

0

I happen to trust Alanis King quite a lot on what she posts, it is also on par with other carjournos.

But we all have the ability to formulate opinions and have different experiences, if I drove a Ferrari everyday I would definitely find a BMW M3 tame as fuck. We need to remember these carjournos are basically surrounded by the most extreme shit on sale.

In the end I think car journalism is merely illustrative and in order to understand how a car makes us feel we need to drive them ourselves.

someoneatacura > Spanfeller is a twat 03/30/2018 at 00:12

1

I know i’m Late to the party but she’s completely out to lunch, and I can prove it. Her experience with the brakes becoming extremely touchy is completely psychosomatic, the IDS system doesn’t affect braking in any way. If you want to trust her go ahead, but realize she hasn’t posted one positive Honda/Acura article, and seems to go for the low hanging fruit (Honda f1 for example).

Kidoxpham > Audistein 06/01/2018 at 17:07

0

Thank you for this. I read the Jalopnik review and thought “WTH?! Did they even switch the car out of eco mode?”.

TylerJ > Audistein 06/25/2018 at 10:34

1

Does the SH-AWD system have torque steer?

fchowd0311 > Audistein 04/18/2020 at 05:22

0

Lol S5s and BMW non M 3 series cars are the base minimum of what anyone would define as “sporty”. They are heavy sedans that prioritize comfort over “precision”. “Precision” is a Cayman, not a open diff 3800 lb sedan. And Audis? They are nose heavy and are prone to understeer.

If a Acura TLX can’t even match a regular 3 series or a Audi S5, the have  no business being called “sporty”. Of you want “sport” just buy a cheap daily driver and a actual sports car like a ND Miata.

Its a shame that Honda has lost its way. At one point they made one of the best affordable sports cars in existence with the S2000.

fchowd0311 > awmaster10 04/18/2020 at 05:26

0

A TLX is a fwd based awd platform. There is little experience required to "drive it fast" as it's going to safety understeer first when driving past it's limit. So anyone who's used to driving family friendly sedans will be right at home with a TLX. It ain't a rwd hoonigan like a M3. 

fchowd0311 > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M 04/18/2020 at 05:27

0

Lol is there a mode that shifts the weight distribution so it isn't a nose heavy understeer machine?