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2021 Acura TLX A-Spec SH-AWD Review: Reclaiming the Golden Age

"The redesigned 2021 Acura TLX takes on the battle of German luxury brands with style and sportiness."

• Sharp styling

• all wheel drive

• Sporty interior

• Powerful standard motor

• Insurmountable infotainment system

• Not for tall people

Like an aging millennium, Acura aims to recapture the glory days of the nineties. In this golden age, the first generation NSX and Integra Type R emerged – the redefined what performance cars could be and are now collectible. With the possible exception of the current-generation NSX, nothing Acura has done since has generated the same enthusiasm from fans or critics.

The 2021 Acura TLX is the latest attempt at a comeback from the luxury brand Honda. Acura threw it all on the new TLX, including a sophisticated all-wheel drive system and an unorthodox infotainment system, to outperform the competition. This competition includes the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Genesis G70, Infiniti Q50 and Volvo S60, as well as more recent entries like the Cadillac CT4 and the recently updated Lexus IS.

Prices for the 2021 TLX start at $ 38,525 for a base front-wheel drive model and rise to $ 49,325 for the all-wheel-drive Advance package with peak performance. Our test car was an all-wheel drive A-Spec package with sporty styling elements and a base MSRP of $ 47,275.

Design and interior

The 2021 TLX is a revamped model, but it still looks familiar to me. This is because Acura was heavily adopted from the well-received Type-S concept first shown in 2019. For brand continuity, the 2021 model also retains many of the styling features of the previous generation TLX and other newer Acura models, including “Jewel Eye LED headlights and a pentagonal grille. However, designers have prepared a completely different dish than these familiar ingredients.

Comparing the TLX 2021 to the 2020 model is the same as viewing the before and after photos on a Weight Watchers ad. The new model looks much tighter and sportier than the old version and also has better proportions. It has a lower roof and wider stance than the 2020 TLX. So it looks like it's gliding across the road surface instead of protruding over it. Acura also pushed the front wheels further forward and gave the 2021 TLX the classic silhouette to the rear, which always ensures a good design. These LED headlights are also slimmer and have curved elements inspired by the headlights found on the Acura ARX-05 racing car.

Under the skin is a new Acura exclusive platform so the TLX isn't just a crazy Honda Accord. Acura claims a 50% increase in overall torsional stiffness compared to the previous generation TLX, which is important for handling and refinement. Acura also used aluminum for the front bumper, hood, front fenders, and front damper mounts, mainly to improve weight distribution from front to rear rather than to save weight.

The new model looks much tighter and sportier than the old version and also has better proportions.

The interior is more of a sports car than a sedan. The dashboard is low and tilted forward for better visibility. A high center tunnel brings the controls closer to the driver's right hand. Inside, most of the other sports sedans feel like regular cars with some racing jewelry attached. This is a complete (and very functional) rethinking of what a sports sedan interior could be – and you still get the hit parts. The TLX A-Spec models have a flat-bottomed steering wheel, metal shift paddles and bright red leather upholstery.

The 2021 Acura TLX doesn't offer much more interior space than the 2020 model and actually has a little less headroom in the rear. The 2021 TLX also has the lowest rear headroom among its competitors and is also at the bottom of the rankings for front headroom. The Acura has less legroom front and rear than the segment-leading Lexus IS and Audi A4, but none of these sedans are particularly generous in this area.

The TLX offers more shoulder room than its competitors and creates a feeling of spaciousness despite its relatively narrow dimensions. The seats in our test car were quite comfortable despite the thick side cushions. However, we would have preferred more thigh padding for extra support when cornering. The Acura's trunk is larger than average, but is still well below the 17.0 cubic feet of the BMW 3 Series.

Technology, infotainment and driver assistance

The standard infotainment system includes a 10.2-inch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and an integrated WiFi hotspot. Advance Package models have a 10.5-inch head-up display.

Acura gave the 2021 TLX its True Touchpad surface, so you get a trackpad instead of a touchscreen. Similar to a laptop, moving your finger over the pad manipulates a cursor on the screen, but the cursor automatically jumps from icon to icon for better control. While it was easy to use, we didn't see the advantage of this user interface over a touchscreen or the rotary control you get with BMW's iDrive system.

Aside from the unorthodox True Touchpad finish, the rest of the infotainment system wasn't that remarkable. Aside from cute animations for the driving modes, the screen's graphics were simple and while competitors like Audi and BMW offer fully digital instrument clusters, each TLX model receives analog displays with a 7.0-inch TFT display in between. We welcomed the fact that Acura included analog controls for key functions – including scroll buttons on the steering wheel – but we would also have liked buttons to answer and end calls.

The 17-speaker audio system offered good sound quality, as one would expect from a high-end system.

Acura offers three audio systems for the 2021 TLX. Base models receive an unbranded 10-speaker system, Technology Package models a 13-speaker ELS Studio system, and A-Spec Package and Advance Package models a 17-speaker 3D ELS Studio system. In our A-Spec package test car, the 17-speaker system offered good sound quality, as one would expect from a high-end audio system.

The standard AcuraWatch driver assistance package for the TLX includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane departure warning, departure reduction, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition. A traffic jam support function enables the adaptive cruise control to continue working in slow stop-and-go traffic.

At higher speeds, the adaptive cruise control impressed with smooth acceleration and braking, although, as is often the case with these systems, the lane centering function caused problems even when cornering gently on motorways. The lane departure warning system was also a bit overly sensitive and flashed its warnings like a particularly nervous driving instructor.

Experience at the wheel

Sportiness is supposed to be one of the TLX's main selling points, and it looks pretty good on paper. The TLX comes standard with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine that produces 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. That's better than the standard drivetrains in most competing sedans, and there's a more powerful Type S version on the way. It will be a 3.0-liter, turbocharged V6 with an estimated 355 horsepower and 354 lb.-ft. of the torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters is the only transmission available.

The TLX has front-wheel drive as standard, which is usually not the best basis for a sports sedan. However, our test car had the optional super handling all-wheel drive system (SH-AWD). This is one of the most advanced all-wheel drive systems on the market that, under certain conditions (the standard split is 30/70 front / rear), can transfer up to 100% of the torque to the rear wheels to mimic the feeling of rear-wheel drive. It can also redirect torque between the left and right rear wheels – known as torque vectoring.

SH-AWD offers plenty of grip, so you can open the throttle almost anytime without worrying about losing traction.

Why is it all important? A four-wheel drive preloaded at the rear reduces the workload on the front wheels, which are already steering and doing most of the braking. By sending more power to a rear wheel, torque vectoring also helps in cornering the car by pulling the rear around. This power is effectively used to steer the car from behind. The fourth generation SH-AWD system in the 2021 TLX reinforces this effect a little more than the outgoing version and, according to Acura, can transfer the power 30% faster from the front to the rear axle.

SH-AWD is the TLX's secret weapon. It offers tons of grip and allows you to almost always open the throttle without worrying about losing traction – it's as if the laws of physics no longer apply. Torque vectoring also makes the car feel agile despite lackluster steering. In our hands the bike felt too imprecise in the TLX's "Normal" and "Comfort" riding modes, while the "Sport" mode added so much weight that the bike felt like it was spring loaded.

On winding roads, it seemed like the all-wheel drive system was doing most of the work, magically fixing everything, regardless of what the driver was doing. That was confident, but it didn't inspire drivers of more traditional sports sedans either, and made us wonder if we would have been just as impressed with a front-wheel drive TLX.

The turbocharged engine delivered more than enough thrust, with just a hint of the delay in throttle response normally associated with turbos. The ride quality was tough, but not inadequate for a sporty car like this one (if you want unadulterated luxury, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class or the Volvo S60 are better choices), and the overarching Advance package includes adaptive dampers. This could have offered a better compromise between ride and handling. In short, the TLX is the real deal when it comes to performance, but it feels different from its competitors.

Fuel economy and safety

Fuel economy figures for the 2021 Acura TLX are 25 mpg (22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway) with front-wheel drive (A-Spec models are rated at 30 mpg highway) and 24 mpg combined (21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway) with all-wheel drive . That's slightly below most of the competition and is difficult to achieve with spirited driving. According to the car's on-board computer, the average was 21.7 mpg over a mix of city, highway, and backroad driving.

The Acura TLX 2021 received the "Top Safety Pick +" rating from the IIHS – the company's highest safety rating. The TLX received the top rating "Good" in all IIHS crash tests and the rating "Superior" for the headlights and front. Crash Prevention Technology – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash test assessments are not yet available.

Acura offers a four year base 50,000 mile warranty and a six year 70,000 mile powertrain warranty – pretty common terms for a luxury car.

How DT would configure this car

Our ideal TLX is similar to our test car – an SH-AWD model with the A-Spec package. As mentioned above, SH-AWD is the TLX's standout feature and offers better bad weather capability than the front wheel drive. So, in our opinion, it would be well worth the extra cash (a $ 2,000 option).

The A-Spec package includes styling features that make the TLX stand out, as well as all the major technical features. Gray 19-inch wheels and available red leather upholstery add style. The ELS studio sound system with 17 loudspeakers and mobile phone charging are also included. The A-Spec is also included in the technology package, which includes USB ports on the back seat, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic warning, and front and rear parking sensors.

The expanded Advance package offers features such as wood paneling, heated outboard rear seats, a head-up display and a surround-view camera system. However, we didn't miss these features during our week with the A-Spec model.

Our opinion

The 2021 TLX is Acura's most powerful effort yet to regain the magic of its early days. It's not perfect – the Genesis G70 offers better driving dynamics, the BMW 3 Series has a better infotainment system, and the Cadillac CT4 and Volvo S60 have more sophisticated driver assistant technology – but the TLX offers a good combination of sporty driving dynamics and high driving dynamics -end Functions. More importantly, it has a unique character.

Many other sedans offer feature laundry lists, a vibrant driving experience, and the allure of a luxury brand. It's not enough to build a car that is fancier than your run-of-the-mill grocer – luxury cars are already filling Whole Foods parking lots across the country. The TLX is successful because it is something different – just like the Acura symbols of the 90s.

Admittedly, that also means that the TLX is not suitable for everyone. Whether it's the car depends on whether you can enjoy the mechanized driving experience and live with the unusual infotainment interface. The other defining features of the TLX – its exterior and interior design – are also subjective. Every car (and every car company) has its quirks, but these Acuras are more visible than most.

Should you get one

Yes. The TLX may be different, but that's a good thing.

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