Chart Of The Day: How Important Is The TLX In Acura Showrooms?

by Timothy Cain

Published: December 20th, 2014

chart of the day how important is the tlx in acura showrooms

Even in the Acura TLX’s best sales month, the brand’s MDX and RDX crossovers still accounted for 55% of Acura sales in the United States.

With the TLX now consistently generating around three out of every ten Acura sales in America, it’s safe to say that Acura’s passenger car division is, for the moment, in safer hands than it was with the TL and TSX last year. Together, they generated 25% of Acura’s total volume in calendar year 2013, down from 40% in 2012 and 50% in 2011.

It’s also safe to say that Acura continues to be a moderately successful upmarket brand thanks to its high-volume utility vehicles. Acura sold 15,293 TLX sedans between August and November 2014. The MDX produced 21,805 sales during the same period; the RDX another 13,828.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures.

#Acura #AcuraTlx #AmericanHonda #ChartOfTheDay #November2014 #U.S.AutoSales

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7 of 45 comments

Suspekt on Dec 21, 2014

The TLX is a fantastic peice of machinery. Unless you have actually flogged an SH-AWD sedan yourself, why judge? The system is genius. Did y'all know the TLX V6 FWD with its mere 290hp can trap at 103mph+ easily? The TLX is going to be a hit because it provides a great canvas to modify from. A TLX on a nice set of wheels absolutely pops. It is a great subtle design. It will age beautifully. Acura just needs to drop in the turbo 4 from the new Type R Civic complete with: - 320 hp - 300 tq - SH AWD Everyone should take a moment and read Alex on Autos review of the V6. He loved it

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- WheelMcCoy on Dec 21, 2014
  
  >> Everyone should take a moment and read Alex on Autos review of the V6. He loved it The TLX -- one small step for Acura, one giant step away from Honda? Ok, not yet, but it is a step in the right direction. Heh... at one point, Alex mis-spoke TLX and said RLX. I'm sure it's a common mistake. As mentioned elsewhere in the comments, no one mixed up the names Acura Integra, Vigor, Legend, NSX. Similarly, I've never heard the names Honda Fit, Civic, and Accord mixed up. I'm not a marketer, but I imagine Acura switching back to names would be harder than switching from U.S. standard to metric.
  
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- Wmba on Dec 21, 2014
  
  The problem is really who cares what Alex thinks? I drove the I4 and FWD V6 in early September. The 4 was enemic and frenetic, the V6 spun its wheels given a bit of throttle from a stop sign and then had a cyclic vibration on the highway - never mind the ridiculously poor 9 speed auto. On the last day of September, I drove the SH-AWD. What a slot car that is - not. Howled the tires going round urban 90 degree corners at a not ridiculous pace. I'd have to go back to the 1970s to remember a car squealing tires around a moderate curve. And it still has the dreadful 9 speed. Forget the Audi A4. I drove an A3 half an hour after the SH-AWD, and except for quietness and a bit of room, that 2.0t slaughtered the TLX. And it does a 14.0 second quarter too, and feels like it. Plus, you know, being agile, nimble and non-tire squealing and having a spark of modern interior design instead of Tokyo by night helps. A person coming from an early 00s Buick would find the ponderous TLX a modern miracle. It's a car for people who cannot be bothered test-driving anything else. YMMV and good luck to you.
  
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- Thornmark on Dec 21, 2014
  
  @wmba >>had a cyclic vibration on the highway –
  
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- Speedlaw on Dec 21, 2014
  
  @wmba I don't know how many iterations of sh awd exist, but on my second Gen MDX, it makes a huge water buffalo almost "tossable". The day there was a failure and it went to FWD only for a brief time was instructive. Likewise, I've driven the TL sh awd, and it totally rocked compared to a FWD only TL I got as a loaner car the next day.
  
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- WheelMcCoy on Dec 21, 2014
  
  @speedlaw "I don’t know how many iterations of sh awd exist, but on my second Gen MDX, it makes a huge water buffalo almost “tossable”." I was in my Mazda3 MT and was about to say goodbye to the lumbering MDX following me down a curvy road. I was very surprised it was able to keep up. Granted, I don't drive like J.B., but I can drive this particular section of road faster then many, and I had the weight and chassis advantage. It had to be the SH AWD and not the MDX driver's skill! :) @wmba above experienced tire squealing. My guess is the TLX's OEM Goodyear tires. Yes, Acura cheaped out, but their average buyer probably won't care.
  
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Wizegui on Dec 21, 2014

Edit - Somehow my comment was marked as spam when I submitted an edited version of it, so here is a repost. I think people give the TLX too much crap. Apart from the J35 V6 engine, I think the fact that the unique drivetrain and availability of 4WS and SH-AWD should really be more than enough to make it more than just a "rebadged Accord V6" as some might suggest. Admittedly, the interior does not have the same quality of materials like a BMW 3'er or Audi A4, but it is definitely a step above the Accord in terms of quality, equipment, and design. Hell, even the ILX now has the same 8-speed / 2.4L combo as the TLX. That combined with the unique sheet metal should be more than enough to distance the ILX from its Civic cousin. Having said that, I was not impressed with the new RDX when I drove it. Also, the RLX does need a LOT more work in order for it to stand out from its competition. I do think that Acura is heading in the right direction, though with the introduction of the CLA and A3, I do wonder if there is still market for entry luxury brands.

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