A few decades ago, identifying Acura was easy enough.
Compared to its parent company, Honda, Acura brought an element of sophistication and luxury to complement nearly unmatched engineering.
I can think of no higher compliment to Acura than that of Gordon Murray, designer of the million-dollar McLaren F1 supercar. As soon as he drove the Acura NSX, any thoughts of Ferraris and Lamborghinis went out of his head. He said that the NSX was the new benchmark for excellence.
Years later, I’m not so sure putting an identity on Acura is so easy. Their MDX crossover is popular, but the zip you used to find from cars like the Integra and TL seems missing. The NSX is back, but even in supercar-happy Vancouver, I’ve only ever seen one in the wild. Has Acura cooled off a bit?
This reworked version of the TLX hopes to prove it hasn’t. It’s crammed with technology, including torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive, and promises sport sedan excellence with Honda-level reliability and value. Let’s see if it can bring back some Acura integrity.
Design
Is anyone else out there suffering from grille fatigue? As cars start looking more and more alike, thanks to the demands of aerodynamics and pedestrian safety regulations, the sole chance for a car to have a recognizable “face” is to give it some character up front. Unfortunately, it seems like most designers prefer to shout rather than whisper.
The TLX rates as just OK in this department. You can see what they’ve attempted to do, especially if you look at the gaping maw of the reborn NSX. However, I feel like they could have more effectively differentiated themselves from the over-styled Lexus and BMW looks by bucking the trend and reducing the faux grille effect out front.
Other than that, this is a sharp-looking little car. The LED headlights up front and purposeful big twin exhausts out back give the TLX a bit of personality, and the blacked-out 19-inch alloys look good. This one’s an A-spec car, meaning it gets a smattering of aerodynamic-look improvements.
Not bad, Acura. Now on to the driver’s seat.
Environment
While comfort levels have generally been good through the Acura range, interior coherence has wavered. Used to be, getting into an Acura meant everything would be fairly straightforward to operate, and not send you searching for the owner’s manual. Back when BMW first released its iDrive system, going the Acura route wasn’t just good value, it was less frustrating.
Regrettably, there’s still work to be done here to recapture the magic. On the plus side, the interior looks well-made, and the sport seats split the balance between lateral support and comfort nicely (I still think Lexus is top of the class here).
The nine-speed automatic transmission gets a push-button shifter that seems weird at first, but you soon get used to it. Not sure why they’ve bothered, however, as it takes up exactly the same amount of room as a regular shift lever.
The infotainment is still a bit fussy, and the graphics need to be updated. You can just hook up your smartphone and use Apple Carplay instead, and the Acura system works well once you’ve figured out the menu layout, however, it’s not quite there yet. On the other hand, it’s better than systems from Lexus or Mercedes-Benz.
So, a mixed bag score here. Let’s get moving to see if the TLX can win us back with driving magic.
Performance
First off, the TLX charms with a real V-6 as opposed to a small turbocharged four. I’m a fan of turbo-fours in general, especially as a way to spice up an economy car, but replacing a smooth six-cylinder with a four-cylinder in a luxury car – to jump through emissions hoops – often feels like a downgrade.
You can get a four-cylinder base TLX, or you can step up to a lovely 3.5-litre V-6 that makes 290 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 267 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 r.p.m. Those numbers are a little less than other sport sedans offer, but Acura’s six is a little gem. It’s a shame you won’t be able to get it in an Accord any more.
Also a notable feature in this car is the Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). Yes, that’s probably the silliest name ever fitted to an all-wheel-drive system, but it works very well. Mostly a front-wheel-drive system, it’s still miles better than other FWD-biased setups. Get on the throttle early out of a corner, and SH-AWD will apportion torque to a rear outside wheel.
Overall cornering isn’t amazing, but turn-in is very vigorous. Unfortunately, there’s not much feedback in the steering wheel, and the nine-speed automatic can take its sweet time in downshifting.
The overall experience fits somewhere in-between the nimbler Lexus IS350, and the fast-but-ponderous Infiniti Q50. After several days behind the wheel, the TLX felt more charming than the last time I’d driven it. It’s not anything like as raw as the old Integra used to be, but for 90 per cent of drivers, this is a nicely handling machine that’s won’t beat you up every time the pavement gets rough.
Not a revelation to drive, more a just-right Goldilocks middle ideal, the TLX’s dynamics seem to show that Acura isn’t trying to provide a razor-sharp focus, but rather a broader appeal. I think most people will like the car – perhaps, however, Acura should take a look at the team developing the Civic Type R (though not the styling department) to see if they couldn’t inject a bit more of a pulse here.
Features
The TLX Elite spec tops the range at $50,900, and is positively crammed with technology. Everything from adaptive cruise control to 360-degree parking cameras take much of the hassle out of everyday driving, and the 10-speaker audio is excellent. A wireless charging pad for your smartphone adds convenience.
Fuel economy figures are 10.2 (litres/100 kilometres) in the city and 7.4 on the highway, with premium fuel required. Because it’s a naturally aspirated engine and not a turbo, hitting the figures in the real-world is relatively easy.
Green light
Quick and nimble; good value; attractive A-spec design package.
Stop sign
Sometimes slow transmission; still over-complex infotainment.
The checkered flag
Provides broad appeal, but needs a bit more character to be a proper sport sedan.
Competition
Lexus IS350 ($53,350): OK, so the so-called spindle-grille is a bit much – the IS350 is still a great-driving car with some genuine character. The 306 h.p. V-6 is plenty powerful enough, and the interior is simply excellent except for the infotainment which is a bit useless, especially the weird track-pad mouse. Being a proper RWD-biased car (with AWD), the IS350 handles a little more sharply than the TLX. The Acura, however, does beat it on value, with more tech for less money.
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