Acura Expects Big Sales From New TLX - Are There That Many Suckers Out There?

As long as Acura builds car that don't look like a Honda with a chrome mustache and smell like a Honda, they will sell lots more Acuras.

Acura does sales volume with steep discounts. The TLX will have money on the hood so that people won't walk away. On one hand it's a much nicer looking car than the truly dreadful TL it replaces, but it's not the looker that the previous TL was. I don't think the incentives will need to be as intense as they were with the TL and are with the ILX and RLX. In the latter case, no one wants a $70K Accord and driving off the lot for $50K is doable.

@MeatHelmet True and the reality is that Acura is not a Mercedes/BMW level brand. It's a Japanese Mercury or Lincoln now that Mercurys have Lincoln badges on them. The problem for Acura is that the Honda shows through too much. The same is NOT true for the VW Golf and the Audi A3. They seem different despite being different hats on the same platform.

Price it a couple thousand over a comparably equipped Accord and it will be successful.

Probably more suckers out there for this than for the BMW X6 or 5 Series GT.

So true....the anti-Acura bias on here continues. Perhaps these agents are starting to get a little worried that their personal favorites have more competition now. Or, maybe they are running short on their hit counts for the month and are trying to stir up more debate to ensure they can keep their jobs.

Well, let's be fair, bnilhome, it's not just anti-Acura bias any longer, though that is still more than prevalent. It's any car that doesn't fit into exactly the type of car the "Agents" or "Spies" want to drive, is considered a bad car. It's the same whining over and over and over again, these people must say it in their sleep. And it's whining over any selected car from any selected brand.

Granted there are select individuals that just want to say negative things about specific brands all the damn time, but there's only a couple (and you know who you are). Even if those specific brands blew the doors off the GT-R with a car that cost $25k and looked better than Ferrari, the critical comments would still run like verbal diarrhea.

And granted some companies have earned some of those reputations as well.

@cidflekken "Granted there are select individuals that just want to say negative things about specific brands all the damn time" you must be talking about "reviews".

The TLX is a great vehicle but just like most of ACURA's lineup (and just like VW's lineup), they have an identity problem here in the USA. Many people won't even consider them when making their purchases; only a few of us do. I used to have a TL and it was a great car.

I do agree with you that Acura is facing a problem in the US. Their sedan decisions in the past few years have just made it appear that whoever is making final strategic decisions at the company has no idea what the market wants. Examples: Introducing the FWD RLX and then delaying the SH version; questionable drivetrain options for the ILX.

On the flip side, I do not agree with you on Acura becoming a forgotten option. The fact that the RDX, after being essentially a dead model, was the best-selling product in its segment last year, even besting the Q5, says alot about how people still view Acura as a viable choice. And the MDX is selling in record numbers. Clearly, whoever is making the final product decisions on the SUV side understands that market. So, with the right product offering, Acura can definitely attract buyers.

That being said, I think the TLX, despite the criticisms, is finally Acura's step in the right direction. Offering a very wide-range of model selections that should cover a wide range of customer needs. There are optional wheels that make it look more aggressive. And there is an optional aero kit that, though still not as complementary or expressive as the concept's ground effects, adds to the look. If there's one powertrain option I think they have missed out on, it's not offering the SH-AWD option with the 2.4L engine.

HOWEVER, if Acura might be making another mistake here, is that it may just make the ILX obsolete. The starting price for the TLX isn't far off the starting price for the ILX. In this price range, unless you are on a super-strict budget, there's no reason to go a few thousand higher and go with the TLX. At the same time, if Acura were to improve the ILX like it needs to, there's no room to offer a more powerful engine, with the SH-AWD, with a better transmission, without being able to increase the price, which would come naturally with these types of improvements. Unless Acura's future plans include upgrading the ILX in a few years, then focusing only on 6-cylinder models with the TLX and dropping the 4-cylinder options. So, again, Acura's future vision is still a bit unclear.

oh ya? what's so stupid about a MINI?

Well I bought a MINI for 19 y/o daughter and she loves it! I guess I am sucker for buying what we like? LoL!

The "suckers" headline says so much about 009 and this site.