Revisiting a revision
Refreshed TLX gives Acura a boost
Acura introduced the TLX several years ago and hoped that it would rejuvenate their car sales.
Unfortunately, this was just as low gas prices encouraged buyers to park the crossovers and trucks they really want in their driveways.
It is too bad, really, because the TLX is a very good car which should have a larger loyal following. The car was slightly refreshed for 2018. The A-Spec model I drive is the sportiest of the trims, and does even add a bit of performance, rather than just looking hunky.
I like the looks of the TLX, particularly since the Acura face from the previous model has faded. It was never a favorite of mine, nor, evidently, for many. Now the car has a modern look with a front face defined by the matte-black diamond pentagon grille surrounded with dark chrome. This flows smoothly outwards to the very narrow signature headlight assembly Acura calls Jewel Eye featuring LED headlights.
Below this is a very aggressive chin fascia with large air venting and LED fog lights pulling the face down towards the road, just as if it were a racetrack. Above the grille is a sharply sculpted hood seeming to flow the aggressiveness of the front face right through the windshield to the driver.
The sides of the car are punctuated with wheel wells that project a planted and solid image and cry out for big and attractive wheel. The rear of the car is less idiosyncratic that on the previous generation.
Although I actually liked that design, the current one is equally attractive and effectively dynamic so that when you are passed by a TLX you can take comfort in it looking quite macho as it disappears into the distance.
What is most important about the TLX is how comfortable it is. It is a mid-sized entry luxury car, and it does that quite well. More importantly, it does it while exhibiting some personality. That is what makes it so comfortable to me. When you get into this car you know where you are. You know that this space was your choice of what your car should feel like. More than that, it has an identity which in buying the car you must approve of.
It is things like the twinscreen information system that create the car’s effectiveness. Acura says is now more intuitive and quicker. It also integrates Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility with it.
I have always been a fan of Acura’s sound systems, and this is certainly up to their reputation. Grammy-winning recording engineer and producer Elliot Scheiner’s Studio Premium System is a10-speaker setup with four mid-range speakers, four titanium dome tweeters, center mid-range and a 20-cm subwoofer. It is simply delicious to listen to.
The seats are high-sided, thanks to the sport bolstering. I find it comfortable, plus the seat is plenty adjustable. Things not only look good but seem to be placed where they fall nicely to the hand. That is a very good thing, because it keeps your eyes out of the car.
The A-Spec model which I drove for a week had a list price of $45,750. That included the technology package and the ASpec package. That means the V-6-powered car gets plenty of identifying features.
This starts with 19-in. allow wheels as standard, shod with capable Michelin rubber. Other exterior features include a glossblack decklid spoiler, “smoked” LED taillights, and a lower diffuser with four-in. round dualexhaust tips.
The cabin changes with more bolstered front seats, a thick steering wheel with its own ASpec badge, red driver’s meter highlights, black headliner and pillar treatment, brushed aluminum-look interior trim, stainless steel driver’s footrest, and front and rear door sill trim.
The best thing about the 19in. wheels is that they add more handling capability to the car. They are shod with 245/40R19 tires, compared to higher profile 18-in wheels on other V6 models. This means the car can benefit from retuned power steering as well as suspension dampening, a stiffer spring rate and rear stabilizer bar. All these help the car feel – and actually be – nimbler and more fun in the twisties.
The 3.5-liter V-6 generates 290-hp. and 267 lb.-ft. of peak torque. That power flows to all the wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels, or, for $2000, through Acura’s effective and sporty all-wheel drive system. I must also commend Honda for putting AcuraWatch, their suite of active driving safety assists on every model of TLX.
That’s in addition to the $42,800 base price for the frontwheel drive A-Spec. EPA fuel mileage is 21 mpg city and 30 mpg highway for the all-wheel and 20 mpg in the city and32 mpg on the highway for the front drive.
The car is delightful to drive when you are focusing on driving, and pleasing when you are cruising. That is not always an easy thing to do, but this TLX does it. That’s because it drives differently from the other TLX trim levels. That makes it more fun. But it also maintains its identity as an entry-level midsized sedan. A car such as this must have this dual personality. It fits the role of those who want a bit of both. No fire-breather for these customers, but no marshmallow either.
I would venture the term “just right” would jump to the front of Goldilocks mind.