[realmac]

TLDR: Build quality concerns with Maxima. Current gen TLX or Integra? Or drive the wheels off the paid off car.

TLX - Pros - Less road noise then Integra, double wishbone suspension, more powerful 2L engine, double wishbone front suspension, overall better road presence, more comfortable seats (I'm not skinny 5'9 255lb), no CVT. I don't know how to drive a manual but kind of dislike the CVT by design.
Cons - Trackpad for infotainment system / no touch screen display, tiny backseats, large turning radius, weight (one of the highest in the class) no adjustable dampeners for the suspension, kind of boring design to me in the back, roughly 26% more per year in fuel costs ($3k after 5 years), much higher cost. A TLX w/tech package new is about $45k before sales tax.

Integra - Pros - It's a fresher design and more youthful, more backseat room, better infotainment system than TLX, almost 600lb lighter, practical hatchback design, great fuel economy (better than EPA ratings for many folks who drive more conservative), peppy 1.5L engine, high projected reliability, easier to park and maneuver in tight spaces, value of a fully loaded tech spec model vs other rivals in the segment. Almost $40k with all taxes, destination charges, etc. factored in
Cons - Road noise rated one of the worst in the segment (is it as bad as people make it out to be? My Maxima has been rated as one of the quieter models in the class for 2015 terms but it's still moderately loud on the highway or bumpy / more textured road surfaces, nowhere near electric car or Lexus levels), guessing seats aren't as comfortable, not a fan of those microsuede inserts, passenger seat adjustability is limited, not in-stock, association with the Civic though the new ones really look nice to me. After driving CVTs since 2008 the biggest con is this car has one and if I keep it 5 years+ I might have buyers remorse. The Type S model also could come out in the next 6 months but that will probably have a 6 speed manual too.

Current car - '16 Maxima - Pros - Lots of power and torque, these naturally-aspirated VQ35DE engines last forever. Upgraded head unit to CarPlay for $300 a few months ago so it feels less out of date. Great for highway cruising. Still has a lot of life out of it, only have 74k miles and work from home so I'm not putting 40 miles a day on it like I used to. Audio system sounds decent for a non-Bose system, has USB to charge up my phone, heated seats, dual zone climate control, rear vents for passengers, great storage, lots of cupholders, back seats fold down and can carry my bike, decent trunk space. Covered under warranty until March 2024 I paid almost $2500 for
Cons - Glaze keeps flaking off headlights, the seal in one of the headlights is bad and allows some moisture to come through, Back end of car rattles, not sure if it's the rear deck, or the suspension, no sunroof, halogen projector headlights are moderate at night even with above avg vision, weather trim around doors is fading from UV exposure, steering is kind of numb outside of sport mode, foam in drivers seat is slowly disintegrating onto the carpet, oem batteries are crap / left me needing a jump / replacement twice with little warning. Maxima is discontinued and a lower volume model so getting parts might be challenging in the coming years. Going to need new rotors / pads probably sometime next year. Rear trim floating roof piece on one side had to be replaced due to poor design of the clips, I had to drill a 7.5mm hole into the sheet metal to fix it. $200 part, the other one is starting to lose the coating on the plastic. Potentially may need new shocks soon too, still running on factory ones. Same with spark plugs around 100k. Fuel economy is not good for today's standards, I drive spiritedly and get 23mpg in mixed driving. This is hard to explain but around 40mph I believe the torque converter kicks in and causes a slight jerk / feeing. Took it to the 3 dealer years ago and they said it was normal. I get a weird feeling as I accelerate from a stop, like a light click / tap sensation as the car gets up to speed but it's been doing that since 2016. Hood struts need replacement, front carpet clips are kind of loose.


Nissan's reliability has taken a nosedive since the partnership with Renault. Having driven them back to 2005 I kind of feel like it's time to abandon ship. The service experience has been pretty poor overall. No car maker is perfect but the same rattles in my 2016 Maxima I had in the 2014 Altima and the 2008 Altima as well.

Back to the Integra. The two dealers near me that would charge MSRP and not a crazy markup don't have any in stock. One is supposed to get a few models in this week and I'm first on the list to contact. My current car has gone down about $1k in value over the last 2 weeks per Carvana and I'm concerned that in November the 3.9% interest rate I'd qualify for will go higher and the value could drop another $1k. I baby it and can probably get 150k to 200k miles out of it. But it's old and I want something different. A friend has a 2016 TLX and doesn't have any of the issues I have with my Maxima. I also might be a little OCD. Financially a TLX would cost more but still reasonable considering my salary. I could do a certified pre-owned model too or wait for Integras to start hitting the used market in 1-2 years. Decisions...

 

[Leehro]

Road noise rated one of the worst in the segment (is it as bad as people make it out to be?

I saw the AoA review gave it a D here. It's certainly noisier than the 2012 MDX I drove for a decade (duh), but the noise wasn't a dealbreaker for me. I didn't notice it as much in my first test drive, but considered it on the second. My top priority was the 6MT, and I figure the noise probably isn't any worse than other cars this size/price with a manual transmission. Certainly quieter than the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 I had before the MDX.

Have you considered the Accord? I ruled out current models because they don't offer a 6MT anymore. I preferred the previous gen styling and Carvana nearby had a 2019 Sport 2.0 with the 6MT on the lot this summer that was very tempting.

 

[benzaccord]

I'm almost in the same situation as the OP. I have a paid for 2015 Accord with a V6. When my wife first got her '21 TLX, I was set on getting one myself. Just sitting in the TLX was almost enough to get me to sign the papers. I love the interior (until I sat in the back seat). In the end, I still like my Accord better. It's very hard for me to let go of the V6. Honda took it away from the accord for the 10th gen. I then considered the Integra - but my Accord still does too many things better - and no one wants to spend ~$40k OTD on a car that isn't at least as good as the one (in my case) that I paid 29K for OTD 7 years ago. Why don't you test drive a recent 1st gen TLX with the V6 and see if you like it more than what you have and go from there? I don't know if the TLX's with the V6 do as well, but I can get over 30 MPG on the highway with ease in my Accord. The engine is very refined in the TLX and (especially if you go SH-AWD) is an exceptionally good driving car. Maintenance costs will probably be higher in the TLX though.

 

[realmac]

I'm almost in the same situation as the OP. I have a paid for 2015 Accord with a V6. When my wife first got her '21 TLX, I was set on getting one myself. Just sitting in the TLX was almost enough to get me to sign the papers. I love the interior (until I sat in the back seat). In the end, I still like my Accord better. It's very hard for me to let go of the V6. Honda took it away from the accord for the 10th gen. I then considered the Integra - but my Accord still does too many things better - and no one wants to spend ~$40k OTD on a car that isn't at least as good as the one (in my case) that I paid 29K for OTD 7 years ago. Why don't you test drive a recent 1st gen TLX with the V6 and see if you like it more than what you have and go from there? I don't know if the TLX's with the V6 do as well, but I can get over 30 MPG on the highway with ease in my Accord. The engine is very refined in the TLX and (especially if you go SH-AWD) is an exceptionally good driving car. Maintenance costs will probably be higher in the TLX though.

There is a '21 TLX Tech Pkg and SH-AWD near me for $38,499. Has about 22k miles. It's Acura Certified too. A lot more car literally and figuratively than the Integra. I kind of wonder what's wrong with it though, the carfax shows it as always being maintained at that location. Steering wheel has some slight wear, as do the back seats. Also has a brown interior I don't think most people would be into. The tires look like they have some treadwear though likely original Michelins, a decent brand is around $250-$300+ each since they're 19" rubber. Most people in Texas don't need AWD though I know it really enhances the handling even in cornering on drive pavement. Not to mention helping eliminate torque steer.

 

[benzaccord]

There is a '21 TLX Tech Pkg and SH-AWD near me for $38,499. Has about 22k miles. It's Acura Certified too. A lot more car literally and figuratively than the Integra. I kind of wonder what's wrong with it though, the carfax shows it as always being maintained at that location. Steering wheel has some slight wear, as do the back seats. Also has a brown interior I don't think most people would be into. The tires look like they have some treadwear though likely original Michelins, a decent brand is around $250-$300+ each since they're 19" rubber. Most people in Texas don't need AWD though I know it really enhances the handling even in cornering on drive pavement. Not to mention helping eliminate torque steer.

Well, lets just say, it is priced realistically. When we bought our '21, it was the only car in it's class still available with rebates and dealer discounts. (We weren't even considering it, until they told us that the Lexus ES350's monthly lease payment went up $200 from pre-pandemic prices and good luck getting the options/color combo you want) Although, ours is a lease, the lease is based on a price somewhere between 40-41k (before taxes), and the MSRP at the time was mid 45K. Regarding your last statement about AWD, we originally got that option because the dealer sold out of the color combo my wife wanted in FWD and the folks on the TLX forum coaxing me pre-purchase to go for the SH-AWD option. I don't think we've driven it in the snow yet, as we were away during the only significant snow we had last winter. On our only service visit, the dealer gave us a FWD one (in fair weather) as a loaner, and I couldn't believe how much I hated it. The front wheels were breaking loose consistently on turns and on 1/2 throttle launches. The SH-AWD one does not do that period. SH-AWD adds a level of refinement that more than justifies the cost, including the MPG hit as well. I would choose AWD all over again, and the decision would not be based on winter driving whatsoever. The SH-AWD model just drives differently and much more confidently than the FWD one.

My focus at the moment is on the New Accord they just announced. I wonder if they'll finally give us an AWD option, or an LSD on the sporty trims?

Edit: Just noticed that all the '21 TLX's with Tech and SH-AWD that I see are priced between 38-40K, so the price you see is normal. FYI, I used the RODO iPhone app to look at used TLX's

 

[Bpebler]

I test drove the 23 TLX Type S & 2 Integra Aspec with Tech manuals. I still liked the Integra a lot more. I agree, the TLX touch of thing is not for me. Even the screen setup I didn’t like. Less visibility, no manual trans, less room in back seat, less trunk space, etc. It just doesn’t fit my lifestyle even for 3rd vehicle for our family, but if I was younger, single with no kids, etc then maybe it would appeal to me still. Definitely looks cooler but in my opinion should still perform better or be easier to tune & mod.

 

[realmac]

I saw an older gentleman in his 50s/60s driving a Type S last week. Definitely was drawn to the Tiger Eye Pearl, the beautiful rims, and the power... but not the fuel economy, price, or extra 1,071 pounds. Then again if I could find a used one in the 30s I might change my mind...