Got My Liquid Carbon/Red 6MT! (REVIEW From 2021 TLX OWNER)

Hello!

I traded in my 2021 TLX Tech SH-AWD for a liquid carbon 6MT. I figured some of you may be current TLX owners, and would like to know how it compares. So first, let me compare.

2021 TLX TECH VS 2023 INTEGRA A-SPEC TECH:
-I much prefer the steering on the TLX. It felt more precise. Steering on the Teggy is great, but not as good
-Do not expect the Teggy to be as quiet and as smooth. It simply isn't. That being said, the Teggy never feels loud or harsh.
-There is far more rear legroom in the Teggy. Far more.
-The Teggy is way easier to maneuver around tight parking lots.
-The 16 Speaker ELS system is just as good as the 13 speaker ELS system in my TLX. I did have a lot of speaker rattle in the TLX, and so far that is not the case in the Teggy. Fingers crossed it stays like that!
-I am averaging 30mpg combined in the Teggy. In the TLX I averaged 21.
-There is no comparing the 10-speed with the 6-speed--they serve completely different purposes. I love both.
-I do miss SH-AWD. It's just so good. The Teggy does handle well, but there's really no comparison.
-Seats in the TLX are superior. Seems to be less padding in the Teggy seats.
-The LED interior lighting was way more fun in the TLX.

SO, here is my review of the Integra on its own:

PROS:
-the 6MT is a joy. I was completely new to manual driving, and it was a breeze to learn. Throws are short, and it's very notchy. It communicates which gear it's in very clearly. I'm a very tired driver, and the manual is really helping to keep me totally engaged.
-Individual mode is really nice to play around with and find your preferred settings
-the 16 Speaker ELS 3D system is peerless. As a composer and producer, I am VERY particular about car audio. The ELS system, in my opinion, bests Bowers and Wilkins, Harmon Kardon, Bermester, and high-end Bose systems. Clarity is superb. Bass is warm and round without being overpowering. Treble and mids are super crisp and full. The soundstage is exceptional. It handles EDM just as well as it handles Mahler's 2nd Symphony.
-It handles well. It stays pretty planted and there is minimal body roll even in comfort.
-It's a lot quieter than I was expecting, engine included. It stays in a low hum when cruising.
-It never feels slow. There is plenty of power, both around town and passing on the highway. I don't give a shit about 0-60 times.
-Brakes are grabby and confident.

CONS:
-Seats are ok. I'm 6', 250lbs. Not a small guy, but not huge. It's tough coming from the TLX, whose seats were superb. I have also owned a '16 Civic and '19 Accord, and these seats are definitely more comfortable than those.
-Stock tires are ASS. They have really really low limits. You squeal on even moderate acceleration. I will be changing them out soon.
-This is entirely personal, but I wish comfort were a bit softer. I wish there were a broader difference between sport, normal, and comfort suspension settings.
-I wish 6th gear were a different ratio--you are at 3,000-3,500 RPM at 80mph. Wish it were lower.


Hopefully you guys find this helpful! Please feel free to ask questions!

Thanks for this review! I'd be curious to hear more on your thoughts about the steering differences. Better steering wheel, firmer steering weight, what do you prefer in the TLX?

Handling is my main goal, so if the TLX is better in that area I might give it a second glance despite wanting a manual.

TheRas900 said:

Thanks for this review! I'd be curious to hear more on your thoughts about the steering differences. Better steering wheel, firmer steering weight, what do you prefer in the TLX?

Handling is my main goal, so if the TLX is better in that area I might give it a second glance despite wanting a manual.

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I think the weight is actually heavier in the Integra. What I loved about the TLX was the steering ratio. It just seemed like it was so much easier to be exact in the TLX than it is in the Integra. Don't get me wrong, the Integra steering is still really precise and it does handle well. I just think the TLX does both better, despite its weight.

Got it, thanks for the additional description!

Great review! I already know how to drive stick but my wife is still shaky with it. Glad to see it was easy for you to learn with. I noticed on the test drive that it's very hard to stall or even jerk the car. If I let the clutch go it just moves foward which was a pleasant surprise

RB2490 said:

Great review! I already know how to drive stick but my wife is still shaky with it. Glad to see it was easy for you to learn with. I noticed on the test drive that it's very hard to stall or even jerk the car. If I let the clutch go it just moves foward which was a pleasant surprise

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Yup. It's a very forgiving manual. Plus, if she does stall, all you have to do is put the clutch all the way in and the car restarts itself!

I don’t think you can really compare an Integra to a TLX. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that they are for very different markets and buyers. I don’t believe that many would ultimately cross shop these two cars. Even though I am guilty of this myself at times. Perhaps it is just better to say that you shouldn’t cross shop them. Not really, not as they are today, unless your only criteria is that your car must be an Acura Sedan. Once you dig in, it doesn’t make sense to do so. At least not to me. One is a lightweight, affordable, buttoned down drivers car with a great stick shift, decent utility, and features. It can be upgraded into a more serious machine and or a Type-S version can be made with a much better 2.0L turbo engine. It can be driven to the limits even though those limits may be lower. The other is decidedly a luxury car first and a sporty car quite second with a non-sporty auto transmission, that’s well over $50K for the Type-S, and SH-AWD is not enough to overcome the front heavy 4200+ lbs of the car and be taken all that serious when driving balls out. Sure, you have power, you have traction, but it’s not optimized, it’s just tech hiding the weight and that only works up to a certain point. A GR Corolla would rally drive circles around the TLX Type-S. You are not going to take the TLX Type-S racing, or really want to upgrade this really, if you did want to upgrade this you would start with a better more sportier car. Or a car that does not fall apart at 10/10ths. Its just for street use with a bit of a fun edge, better handling was the goal over sheer balanced sportiness, and it’s more about the luxury while having some getup and go and some grip. If they were serious about performance on the TLX Type-S they would have designed it to be under 3800 lbs and it would have been paired with a much better transmission logic that does not hold gears. The Integra, the Integra Type-S, the CTR, and GR Corolla all have far more driver enthuthiest potentiual built in right from the start and upgrades on those cars will make you smile more. If you just want a proper luxury high end comfy big sporty sedan that’s better on the sporty side of things, you might have to go Korean with Gensisis or go German with Porsche/BMW/Audi/Mercedes. The TLX Type-S is ok for what it is, a value packed tweener between luxury and sportiness, but I’ve realized it not for me, the TLX Type-S luxury to sportiness balance is just off for me. Since I picked up my Integra, the idea of upgrading the intake, exhaust, tires, getting a tune, ETC, is exciting to me, as I’d rather spending my money maximizing an Integra vs dropping $60K OTD on a TLX Type-S that is simply too heavy and too held back by the transmission. Just my two cents and my humble passionate opinion.

And and since I picked up my own Liquid Carbon Metalic with red interior, if I had to order it in again, which takes months and months, I would have gotten a black interior. The red interior is nice enough, nothing I hate, I needed a car now and would not turn it down or anything, and I didn’t, it’s just that it’s more cherry than red and not really the Superman red like the pictures online lead me to believe. The red at least pairs well with the Liquid Carbon Metalic, so no biggie, this is a short term love affair for me until the GR Corolla or Integra Type-S comes out. I would have ideally done Performace Red Pearl or Apex Blue with the black ebony interiors. I should have done Majestic Black Pearl with black ebony interior from the pre order options, being as they were even limited, but the Liquid Carbon Metailic with red interior will be nice to date for a while, I just would not want to marry it.

NeoDiNardo said:

I don’t think you can really compare an Integra to a TLX. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that they are for very different markets and buyers. I don’t believe that many would ultimately cross shop these two cars. Even though I am guilty of this myself at times. Perhaps it is just better to say that you shouldn’t cross shop them. Not really, not as they are today, unless your only criteria is that your car must be an Acura Sedan. Once you dig in, it doesn’t make sense to do so. At least not to me. One is a lightweight, affordable, buttoned down drivers car with a great stick shift, decent utility, and features. It can be upgraded into a more serious machine and or a Type-S version can be made with a much better 2.0L turbo engine. It can be driven to the limits even though those limits may be lower. The other is decidedly a luxury car first and a sporty car quite second with a non-sporty auto transmission, that’s well over $50K for the Type-S, and SH-AWD is not enough to overcome the front heavy 4200+ lbs of the car and be taken all that serious when driving balls out. Sure, you have power, you have traction, but it’s not optimized, it’s just tech hiding the weight and that only works up to a certain point. A GR Corolla would rally drive circles around the TLX Type-S. You are not going to take the TLX Type-S racing, or really want to upgrade this really, if you did want to upgrade this you would start with a better more sportier car. Or a car that does not fall apart at 10/10ths. Its just for street use with a bit of a fun edge, better handling was the goal over sheer balanced sportiness, and it’s more about the luxury while having some getup and go and some grip. If they were serious about performance on the TLX Type-S they would have designed it to be under 3800 lbs and it would have been paired with a much better transmission logic that does not hold gears. The Integra, the Integra Type-S, the CTR, and GR Corolla all have far more driver enthuthiest potentiual built in right from the start and upgrades on those cars will make you smile more. If you just want a proper luxury high end comfy big sporty sedan that’s better on the sporty side of things, you might have to go Korean with Gensisis or go German with Porsche/BMW/Audi/Mercedes. The TLX Type-S is ok for what it is, a value packed tweener between luxury and sportiness, but I’ve realized it not for me, the TLX Type-S luxury to sportiness balance is just off for me. Since I picked up my Integra, the idea of upgrading the intake, exhaust, tires, getting a tune, ETC, is exciting to me, as I’d rather spending my money maximizing an Integra vs dropping $60K OTD on a TLX Type-S that is simply too heavy and too held back by the transmission. Just my two cents and my humble passionate opinion.

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So I crossed shop the tlx and integra by accident honestly. I went into the dealership looking to see a tlx. Was always a teggy fan and my first car was a 01 LS manual. I always said that if acura came out with the teggy I would get it but I was so disappointed with the reveal so I scratched it off my list. Didn't even know the integra was even at the dealerships. First car in the show room was the integra but I thought it was the tlx at first glance and as I got close I realized "oh sh**" this is what the integra looks like, I like this alot. My wife liked alot as well and that was enough for me to just order one(still waiting) but decided to lease so that I can go to the type S or hopefully in three years the integra grows up more and I'll switch and get that one. The tlx was 125 more a month to lease which was more than enough to convince me out of the tlx

I hear you, today it hard, you can’t test drive a car a few times or get use it before you buy it. It’s all blind ordering now. All the reviews in the world won’t tell you how much your ass will like that seat ETC. I chance my mind often enough as it is. For example I was feeling down on the Liquid Carbon Metalic and you know what, the sun makes it sparkle nice!! Perhaps I made an OK color choice after all. I still want Performace Red Pearl more, but perhaps there is happiness to be found in a few other colors like LCM. Except silver and white. They are horrible lol.

I feel like the car makes Star Trek sounds too on the buttons, try pressing sport mode twice in a row.

NeoDiNardo said:

I hear you, today it hard, you can’t test drive a car a few times or get use it before you buy it. It’s all blind ordering now. All the reviews in the world won’t tell you how much your ass will like that seat ETC. I chance my mind often enough as it is. For example I was feeling down on the Liquid Carbon Metalic and you know what, the sun makes it sparkle nice!! Perhaps I made an OK color choice after all. I still want Performace Red Pearl more, but perhaps there is happiness to be found in a few other colors like LCM. Except silver and white. They are horrible lol.

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I test drove a black one two days ago. But I wanted the black lip, diffuser and side shirts to stand out. There was a blue a spec cvt and I have to admit it looks really good. My dealer said he has two blues coming in but they have white interior which is nono for My two kids. So white or the liquid metal is what I'm choosing so those might come in next week. I'll take whatever color comes first

RB2490 said:

I test drove a black one two days ago. But I wanted the black lip, diffuser and side shirts to stand out. There was a blue a spec cvt and I have to admit it looks really good. My dealer said he has two blues coming in but they have white interior which is nono for My two kids. So white or the liquid metal is what I'm choosing so those might come in next week. I'll take whatever color comes first

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Yep your right, black isn’t good for seeing curves and details. Scratch that idea. White is not my color but at least it’s a diamond like white, just like the Liquid Carbon Metalic, they both have a sparkling in the sun effect which is pretty.

NeoDiNardo said:

Yep your right, black isn’t good for seeing curves and details. Scratch that idea. White is not my color but at least it’s a diamond like white, just like the Liquid Carbon Metalic, they both have a sparkling in the sun effect which is pretty.

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I've never owned a white car. It's usually not my color and It was the first color I saw on thr integra and I liked it. I would have loved to see the sonic gray Honda threw on the hatch back civic or something like the Mazda gray on their hatchback . I really liked those colors