The Acura TLX is an entry level sport sedan meant to compete with cars like the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4. Historically the Germans have always dominated the entry level sport sedan segment, however the TLX has a few tricks up its sleeve with its available super handling all-wheel drive and precision all-wheel steer in the FWD models. A 206 horsepower 4 cylinder is standard while a 290 horsepower V6 is available. The TLX that I drove was a V6 technology with SH-AWD. What do I think of the TLX? Below are some of my impressions.
The steering in the TLX is fairly light. It’s not what I would call “loose”, there is some resistance to it, but it’s not quite the heavy, substantial feel you would get in a more expensive car. I suppose I was expecting it would have a little more substance to it considering that this is a luxury sport sedan. It’s one aspect of the TLX that feels a bit too much like an Accord to me. Not that that’s a bad thing, as Accords have always had nice steering, but in general the feel is a little mainstream. Not a whole lot of road feel, not the most precise in the class, but it is very smooth and it maneuvers the vehicle nicely. The TLX points nice and straight, the steering maintains a decent pull towards center when rounding corners, although it’s not quite as playful or engaging as what you’d get in a 3 series. In general, I think the steering wheel could be a little smaller, and the steering weight could be heavier. Generally though, you’ll notice that the steering is pretty smooth and composed, but it won’t necessarily stun you with shocking amounts of feedback and sportiness.
Handling of the TLX is good for what it is. You can definitely corner harder in this car compared to a Honda Accord. The SH-AWD becomes really noticeable when you’re trying to pull out onto a busy road, as the TLX puts those 290 horses down without any hesitation or wheel spin at all. This is a car that you can have a moderate amount of fun in while saving a couple bucks. Cornering isn’t sports car good, and it’s not quite German sport sedan good either, but it’s better than your average FWD family sedan. The TLX undercuts cars like the A4 and the 3 series on price while delivering fairly rigid and competent handling. The TLX isn’t the lightest feeling car, you can definitely tell that the SH-AWD adds some weight, but the wheels seem to grip the road well. I should mention that while the handling is satisfactory for the price, I wouldn’t call it a totally flat, on-rails experience. You do get a sense of body lean, and sometimes the suspension feels a little bouncy. I was surprised to find out that the TLX feels bigger on the road compared to how it looks on the outside. However, that is just a minor nitpick in an otherwise well-rounded car.
The 290 horsepower V6 in the TLX is about what you’d expect from a Honda designed V6. A little bit soft in torque off the line, but the power comes on in a very smooth and streamlined fashion. The power band is linear, and the V6 feels fun to wring out. It definitely has more character and substance to it compared to what you’d get in a Toyota/Lexus V6, in my opinion. Very nice growl to the V6 as well. Not the type of power that puts a smile on your face, but the engine gives you good passing power on the highway and it’s easy to merge into busy traffic. Overall, it feels adequate if you’re looking for a fairly quick (albiet not wickidly fast) sport sedan.
The 9-speed automatic is where I run into some issues with the TLX. It feels much like the FCA products that use the same ZF designed transmission. It’s by no means “terrible”, but it’s behind compared to the other more refined, quick shifting automatics in the class. The 1-2 shift can feel a clunky, and the upshifts are just slightly too slow for my liking. There’s definitely a noticeable (although not horrible) lag between upshifts. I think this transmission performs fine for people who don’t really care too much about having the most performance-oriented transmission. It still allows you to seek out power from the V6, and I never thought the transmission was necessarily “nannying” me from feeling those 290 horses. There’s just some weirdness to it. You have to go a little deep in the throttle to get a downshift, and I run into issues with the actual shift quality of this transmission. It doesn’t jerk you around, but you just feel each individual shift a little more than I would like, and it has a tendency to shift around and hunt for gears.
Both the accelerator and the brake pedal in the TLX are rather soft and light in their resistance. I generally like cars that have some stiffness in the pedals, but that’s only a minor nitpick. The throttle has a very slight delay as well. Occassionally it felt like it took a split second for the engine to catch up to what the throttle was doing. Throttle response varies depending on what drive mode you’re in; economy mode you really have to jam on it, normal mode has a bit of dead travel, and sport mode livens things up and helps the throttle feel responsive at the very beginning. Brakes have a decent bite to them, although the pedal is a little chattery and I would have liked more of a grabby feel closer to the beginning of the pedal.
Road noise and ride quality are quite good in the TLX. You hear a little bit of the road, but it’s about the same level of noise that you’d find in a 3 Series or a C Class. It’s not library silent, but it’s muted enough to where you feel like you’re driving something a little more expensive than an Accord. The suspension soaks up bumps nicely as well. I do wish the chassis felt a little more stable over bumps, because as I mentioned, the suspension and chassis tend to feel slightly bouncy. Not old Buick bouncy, but the TLX could feel a little more flat and settled over bumpy road surfaces.
Many consumers of this car complain that the infotainment is dated. I am somewhat inclined to agree with that. For a few years, Honda was ditching tuning knobs. Unfortunately, the TLX was one of the cars that fell victim to this. No tuning knob requires you to use the touch screen to flip through radio stations, tracks, and presets. The button for tuning is very small, it lags a little, and it’s fairly distracting. I have the same complaint with the 9th generation Accord. The graphics for the infotainment aren’t terrible, but the interface is quite plain and not as glitzy as some rivals. If you’re someone coming from a 9th generation Accord looking for something a little nicer, the infotainment in the TLX will feel very familiar. However, compared to the 3 Series and the A4, the infotainment does feel behind and not as capable.
I’m also not a fan of the push-button gear selector that comes with the 9-speed automatic. Acura tried to make it feel more tactile by making reverse into more of a toggle switch rather than a button. However, it doesn’t really help. Even a dial would have been better. The push button selectors in cars like the Lincoln Navigator are better executed because they are placed easily within view. In the TLX, I found that when reversing I had to stop and look down for 3-5 seconds at the shift buttons before selecting drive. Fairly minor complaint, but it does feel weird if you’re used to the simplicity of a typical shift lever.
Visibility in the TLX is fine. The front hood is definitely pretty blocky and curvy from the driver’s position, which took some time to get used to. However, the mirrors are large, and the back window gives you a clear view of the road behind you. The hood could be less intrusive, but for the most part, the TLX has good visibility.
And that about covers it. The TLX is a well-rounded commuter car, but it’s also somewhat of a mixed bag. It’s not quite as engaging or fun to drive as some of the German competition, and the 9-speed automatic has its flaws. However, the TLX isn’t necessarily a slouch in the corners either. There are several things to like about the TLX. I like how the SH-AWD puts the power down with no wheel spin or torque steer, the engine note, the exterior styling, the material quality, the seat comfort, the solid “thunk” of the doors, the good outward visibility, and the solid reliability. It’s not a bad car, nor is it a cheap-feeling car. You’re getting a fairly solid A to B ride for the price. The flaws of the TLX are fairly negligible depending on the type of buyer you are. If you want a comfortable, reliable, stylish sedan, the TLX is a good car. If you want the best technology combined with the best driving experience, you’ll have to spend a little extra and buy something European. However, I do think that the TLX meets a good middle ground between vanilla commuter car and stylish sport sedan.