Value wins out in battle of entry-level luxury sedans
Seeking to have a clearer voice in the noisy and crowded entry-level luxury sedan segment, for 2015, Honda’s Acura brand consolidated its overlapping TSX and TL five-passenger sedans in the form of the all-new TLX four-door.
To broaden its appeal as much as possible (i.e. sell more cars), topline TLX V6 SH-AWD models compete with class-leaders like the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Cadillac ATS. At the opposite end, where frontdrive demi-luxury rivals including the Buick Regal, Kia Cadenza and Lincoln MKZ reside, there’s the base model frontdrive, four-cylinder TLX. To see if Acura’s sedan consolidation plan is working, we pitched a FWD TLX against the more established FWD Lexus ES to see which one is the better entrylevel luxury sedan value:
FIRST PLACE: 2015 Acura TLX
Your idea of an automotive “good deal” may be different from your neighbour’s view. Subjective qualities like styling, brand perception or the reputation of a local dealer can all come into play. But based on Acura’s aggressive pricing policy with its new TLX, objectively, it’s an easy pick over the pricier ES.
Pricing for the base TLX Premium starts at $37,064 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees). Yet with standard fare like a power moonroof, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and a 10-way powered driver’s throne, the base Acura sedan’s bones are hardly bare. My tester added the $3,700 Tech package, which included a navigation system, upgraded 10-speaker audio system, upgraded Milano perforated leather trim, heated rear seats plus lane keeping, blind spot warning and cross-traffic alert safety systems. To match the Acura’s kit, you’re looking at $50,995 for a Lexus ES 350.
You’d have to be a Lexus dealer to argue against the Acura’s inherent value advantage. But the TLX’s goodness isn’t all about its price. Compared to the older Lexus (on sale in its current form since 2012), the fresher Acura’s ride and handling package is much more refined and sophisticated.
Neither one of these sedans offers a manual transmission. But compared to the ES’s six-speed autobox, the TLX’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission is much more flexible. Part of that quality comes from Acura’s new Integrated Dynamics System.
IDS offers Econ, Normal, Sport, and Sport+ modes, each customizes the electric power steering, throttle response and shift points in the gearbox. Pick Sport+, and gears are held longer, revs are matched on downshifts and cogs are changed more quickly. And unlike some clunkier dual-clutch boxes, the Acura’s unit employs a torque converter to soften its operation and allow torque multiplication from rest. This avoids some of the herky-jerky motions from rivals.
The Acura sedan’s steering is also more engaging than in the Lexus. You can attribute that to the TLX’s Precision-All-Wheel Steer system. P-AWS limits dreaded front-drive torque steer, and keeps the steering feeling direct and quick, allowing the driver to string back-to-back turns on a twisty road into a singular act.
Ultimately, the 2015 Acura TLX is the better all-around entry-level luxury sedan. It can be luxurious if need be and still be a fun-to-drive ride when called upon. Oh, and did we mention its bargain price?
SECOND PLACE: 2015 Lex us ES
The current sixth-generation Lexus ES rides on a longer wheelbase than the Camry sedan, essentially a lengthened chassis shared with the Toyota Avalon. Not only has the ES’s extra length allowed Lexus designers to create a car that has a lot more visual presence than before, it frees up much-needed rear legroom — almost a half-foot more than in the TLX. Plus trunk space in the ES is generous too, with 430 litres compared to only 373 in the TLX.
We also find the Lexus’s interior ergonomics easier to fathom than the Acura. Its sweeping, horizontally layered look with a large colour display and large knobs and buttons are more intuitive.
Starting at $43,595, the gasengine ES 350 (there’s also the $45,995 ES 300h gas-electric hybrid) uses Toyota’s tried and true 3.5-litre six-cylinder. It makes 268 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. Respectively, that’s 58-hp and 64 lb.-ft. more than the TLX’s Honda-derived 2.4L fourcylinder. No surprise then that the Lexus is half-a-second quicker from zero to 100 kilometres per hour than the 7.0 seconds it takes the Acura. (Conversely, the TLX scores better at the pumps: 9.6 litres per 100 km city and 6.6 highway, compared with the ES 350’s 11.3 and 7.5 estimates.)
Although its ride is much firmer than older ES models, new rear-suspension geometry and shock tuning deliver the type of comfortable ride you would expect in a Lexus, without the sharp pavement jolts some German sedans can create. But unlike the TLX, the ES 350 is unwilling to act like a sports sedan when the mood strikes.
In the end, we still prefer the new Acura. Other than the extra rear leg, trunk space and straight-line performance, it’s hard to justify the 2015 Lexus ES 350’s premium price.