A WINNING PLATFORM
In TLX, Acura achieves its best sedan in decades
Building aworld-class sport sedan is tougher than it looks. The learning curve is a bit— shall we say “extended”?— for automakerswhowant to challenge cars like theAudi A4, BMW3-series and MercedesC-class.
Honda’s been plugging away at the sport sedan business since launching itsAcura luxury brand — Japan’s first by several years, to give credit where it’s due— in 1986.
Developed to compete with compact sport sedans like the 3-series andA4and bigger midsize models, the 2021TLXis an attractive sedan with a promising drivetrain and competitive prices.
TheTLXuses a new platform that’s exclusive to it— for themoment, anyway; platforms are expensive, expect a sporty SUVor another sedan to share it within a couple of years. It retains the base front-wheel-drive layout of allHonda’s sedans and SUVs, but does not share a single platform component with theAccord sedan, the obvious donor inHonda’s corporate tool bin. The platformwas developed in theU.S., and the design also came fromaU.S. studio, more evidence ofHonda’s corporate strategy tomake theU.S. the home of some Acuras.
In an odd, back-to-thefuturemoment, the platform’s key bragging points include a double-wishbone front suspension. Thatwas the layout Civics andAccords used back in the 1980swhenHonda firstwon American hearts as drivers’ choice among small fuel-efficient cars.
The base powertrain is front-wheel drive, but I drove a pair of all-wheeldrivemodels.
The engine revs fast and
free, delivering plenty of power for quick, smooth shifts. TheAWDsystem can send up to70% of torque to the rear wheels, and all of that either right or left, to aid traction and handling in curves.
The steering is precise and quick. Engineers shifted the battery to the rear to improve balance,
but theTLXremains nose heavy, which becomes apparent in fast curves, when understeer feels imminent.
I tested twoTLXmodels: A-spec andAdvance. Their features differed slightly, but the biggest differencewas in interior color, material and personality. TheA-specwas black and gray, with red stitching and aluminum pedals. Advance was done in lighter shades andwood. Wood and metal trim are genuine, a sign Acura’s been studying the competition.
The controls are easy to read, with big gauges and dials and buttons for audio and climate. I find Acura’s “absolute positioning” touch padmuchless satisfying than a touch pad for navigation and other features, but some people don’t mind it.
Net result, the ’21TLX’s performance and handling improvements make it the brand’s best sedan in decades, and its price and features could give smaller sport sedans like theAudi A3/S3 fits.