Acura TLX Type S from 2024, enjoyed on a road with gentle curves

2024-02-10 17:52:24

Introduction

The 2024 Acura TLX is a sedan that gives you a little bit of everything. It’s roomier than the typical small luxury sedan, but not as large as a mid-size model. That middle ground also applies to price. But you get a lot for your money.

For example, the TLX comes standard with a sunroof, heated seats, adaptive cruise control, and lane keep assist, features that typically cost more in competing sedans.

Styles and options

Acura offers the TLX in a base model, with optional Technology, A-Spec, Advance and Type S packages serving as models.

Power train

All but the Type S come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque), a 10-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional with the A-Spec and Advance packages.

The TLX Type S, the one I tested, is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 (355 horsepower, 354 pound-feet of torque) and comes standard with all-wheel drive.

Interior style

There are a lot of things to like about the TLX’s cabin. Finding a good driving position is easy thanks to the seat’s wide travel in all directions and the steering wheel’s equally generous tilt and reach range. The large door openings and gently tapered roof help you enter and exit the vehicle with elegance.

On the downside, there isn’t an abundance of legroom or headroom, and tall people will feel uncomfortably close to the ceiling.

At 13.5 cubic feet, the TLX’s trunk is larger than the trunks of most of its rivals. The trunk opening is also wide, allowing you to load long objects horizontally without problems.

However, a short lid makes access to the deepest part of the trunk a bit difficult, and it will be difficult to load and retrieve items stuck to the rear seats. The cabin offers plenty of storage space, although most are modest in size.

If your sport sedan will also be a family vehicle, the lower anchors for the car seats are hidden behind a Velcro leather strip that must be removed. The wide doors should make loading a car seat easier, but the TLX’s relatively small size will require some compromise in front-seat space.

Technology

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but cannot be operated wirelessly; some rivals offer wireless phone integration. There are also no USB ports in the rear, which is strange for a luxury car.

I like that most of the advanced driver assistance systems are standard, and they do a respectable job of approximating natural driving. For example, the adaptive cruise system reacts slowly when the driver in front leaves the lane.

The TLX’s main interface, which consists of a display screen and trackpad controller, can be annoying and distracting. The trackpad mimics your inputs like a touchscreen, but it’s not large enough and lacks the precision needed to successfully navigate the numerous virtual buttons on the screen at any given time.

Touch interface issues aside, the built-in navigation system has sharp-looking maps and is easy to use. But the navigation system’s POI search results were sometimes a little inaccurate in my tests.

It’s worth upgrading from the A-Spec or Advance model just for the ELS audio system. It’s that superlative.

Security

The TLX also includes these driver assistance and collision prevention systems as standard: Forward Collision Mitigation, Lane Departure Mitigation, Lane Keeping System, Adaptive Cruise Control and Multi-View Reversing Camera.

On the highway

With 355 horsepower, the TLX Type S will never be mistaken for a fast car, but it’s fast enough. Acura’s “Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive” all-wheel-drive system transmits power well and the 10-speed automatic gearbox, despite sharing its gear ratio with the lower four-cylinder TLX, does a good job of transmitting power. keep the Acura’s engine in the middle part of its power band.

Throttle response in Sport+ mode feels aggressive, which, along with shifting the transmission into its own Sport mode, helps mask some of the turbo lag the V-6 experiences on startup.

The powertrain is pleasant enough that you’ll even be tempted to pick up the pace and start pushing the TLX Type S on twisty back roads. That’s where things start to go wrong.

Turn the Acura into a corner and you’ll be greeted with body roll and vague, artificially heavy steering, with little information from the front tires about what’s happening beneath you.

Switching to a more aggressive driving mode simply makes the steering heavier and the ride firmer without improving chassis feel or control. The brakes are worse. Although they are fine around town, they are soft and difficult to modulate smoothly when braking quickly, for example when traffic stops suddenly in front of you.

This TLX is best enjoyed on a relatively smooth, gently curving road. In these conditions, at low highway speeds, the Acura feels athletic and controlled.

Conclusion

In many ways, the second-generation Acura TLX is a marked improvement over its predecessor. The four-cylinder engine and 10-speed automatic transmission are smoother and more natural than the previous V6 and nine-speed transmission, and the interior is more elegant.

However, the TLX also takes a step back. The powertrain is a little thirstier and slower than similar engines in its rivals, but the biggest problem is the infotainment system’s new touch controller, which is often frustrating to use.

Precio: From US$58,195

Consumption: 19 mpg city – 25 mpg highway

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