2021 Acura TLX – First Drive
Acura’s got plenty of tech to showcase their competence in building performance cars. And what used to be limited in their higher trims are now trickling down to more affordable options. One of them is the all-new TLX.
Styling has been revamped inside out for a more sophisticated and contemporary look. While base models are equipped with a turbocharged four-cylinder producing a respectable 272 horsepower, more power demanding buyers can opt for the highest Type-S’ turbocharged V-6 trim bumps the power up to 355 horses. Combing that with its in-house 10-speed automatic transmission and SH-AWD, the TLX is sure to make an excellent contender in the sports sedan segment
Powertrain
Regular trims receive a turbocharged four-cylinder engine capable of 272 horsepower while the highest Type-S trim reserves the turbocharged 3.0L V-6 engine upgrade that outputs a whopping 355 horsepower. Regardless of power difference, all TLX trims receives a 10-speed automatic transmission and SH-AWD capable of torque vectoring for enhanced stability and handling performance.
Along with its gutsy engine, the Type-S trim also receives dynamic damping suspensions for a better ride balance of performance and comfort, larger 20″ rims, and grippier P255/35 R20 97Y summer tires.
Interior and Tech Features
The TLX’s interior remains faithful to its intent with with a sophisticated center push-button gear shifter, soft dashboard and red stitching. Acura has even retained a basic simple red-illuminated analog speedometer and tachometer instrument cluster to retain a raw performance-oriented driving experience. Located on the center console is also a rotary drive-mode selector style to switch between ECO, Normal and Sport mode with animated graphics displayed on the infotainment screen. Other interior features includes interior LED ambient lighting, perforated steering wheel and heating and ventilated front bucket seats depending on trim.
All trims get a large 10.5″ infotainment screen that is commanded via a capacitive touchpad similar to that of a laptop mouse pad. Infotainment menus can also be manipulated via buttons conveniently located on the steering wheel and also displayed integrated in the instrument cluster as well. The infotainment system supports both Android Auto and Apple Carplay with available subscription-based WiFi hot spot.
Test Drive and Final Thoughts
At just 278 horsepower, the Acura TLX doesn’t snap heads under hard acceleration, but keeping the revs high is rewarded with thrilling engine response. Gear hunting via the 10-speed automatic transmission works great during up shifts, but its downshift performance imposes a slight lag with its rev-matching efforts. That said, we’re a bit dissapointed the TLX wasn’t fitted with a dual clutch transmission in which we loved during our test drive with the Acura IL-X.
Still, the TLX sits and feels low to the ground, and provides plenty of assuring grip on the road to deliver crisp and precise handling capability that is in part, also thanked by its SH-AWD torque vectoring system.
Our tester A-Spec trim comes priced in at $45,275 that comes with an upgraded ELS Premium 17-Speaker surround sound system, LED fog lights Ultrasuede™/leather-trimmed seating surfaces for more luxury and comfort.
Specifications
- Vehicle : 2021 Acura TLX
- Model : Acura TLX A-Spec
- Vehicle Type : 4-Door Sports Sedan
- Seating Capacity : 2+3
- Engine : 2.5L 4 Turbocharged 4-Cylinder
- Transmission : 10-Speed Automatic
- Price as tested: $45,275
Pros
- Great interior and exterior styling
- Key performance-oriented mechanical components
- Excellent driving experience and handling capability
Cons
- Lack of dual-clutch transmission that would’ve elevated the driving experience of the TLX another notch
- Turbo lag during low RPM revs from the four-cylinder turbocharger, but is overcome once engine revs are built up.