Normally, I would struggle to justify high praise for a $50,000+ vehicle that isn’t fully self driving, the height of luxury, or an all-out track weapon. The only struggle I had with the 2023 TLX A-Spec with SH-AWD was not being able to take it home.
In today’s economy, $50,595 is a price I’d not only be willing to pay for this vehicle, but a price for which I’d gladly drain my savings to take advantage of.
You can figure you’re looking at $55,000 – $60,000 after markups and whatnot, given the new car market these days. However, that’s not the case if you’re shopping at Crest Acura of Syracuse, NY, the generous provider of the test vehicle. Crest Acura honors Acura’s MSRP for all of their models; no markups, no bogus fees, nothing more than a fair, honest price.
The exterior speaks for itself, and it tells you loud and clear: this is a masterpiece of a car. Shown above is the Platinum White Pearl paint, though you’d be remiss if you didn’t take a look at a model dripping in the gorgeous Apex Blue Pearl. Other available colors include a very striking Performance Red Pearl, a sleek Majestic Black Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, and Modern Steel Metallic.
The front of the vehicle features a face only a former boy-racer could truly love. The face is both elegant and aggressive, an antinomic symphony of design. The brilliant amalgamation of both angular and curved elements tells you that this is a car you won’t see in your rear-view mirror for long. The large gloss black front grille is a work of art in and of itself, featuring a design that appears to be exploding away from the A-mark, warping the rest of the car behind it as the foremost piece. Below you’ll notice an amply large lower grille to feed your turbocharger’s intercooler, keeping your ultra-refined motor fed with fresh, cool air. Although the side vents are fake, they do house your LED fog lights and parking sensors. To cap it all off, your very tastefully unique Jewel Eye LED headlights, which won’t quite blind oncoming traffic, but will illuminate the road ahead more than you could ever need.
For those wondering about the large glass plate in the center of the grille, here’s your explanation. The plate is an antenna for many of the TLX’s sensors, such as lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. Acura’s aware that these are very expensive parts to replace, so rather than tack a few extra grand onto a repair bill for a front end collision, the sensors were tucked way back in the engine bay for protection.
For the discerning buyer, take note that while the Integra does have the same sensors, it does not have the antenna. Speaking for your wallet here: please drive safe.
From the side, it’s hard to not notice just how large this sedan is. The long hood gives the impression that if the TLX were a person, it’d be sticking its fat head into every conversation. The tall roof is reminiscent of a horizontal beer belly. And that big ol’ rear end, well, that’s the nicest keister I’ve ever seen.
It’s a fat car, but not a pig. And if it were a pig, it’s the fastest pig I’ve ever seen – worthy of every ribbon at the state fair. It’s every bit of 4,028 pounds, but moves like it’s about 500 lighter.
Head-on, the rear end is a thing of beauty. The blade-type spoiler is probably the best looking, and most fitting factory spoiler that we’ll ever see. The tail lights are quite nice, but you won’t truly appreciate them until they pass you while lit up on a dark road. Where the TLX lets us down, though, are the reflectors and exhaust tips. I was a little disappointed when I finally realized that the reflectors were in fact reflectors, and not vents. The design language surrounding them certainly suggests something other than brittle red plastic. As far as the exhaust tips, well, just not what we’re looking for. The TLX, especially the A-Spec model, is a sports sedan. The elongated hexagonal exhaust tips just don’t align with that spirit. But, I digress. Can’t win ’em all.
Moving onto the interior, I’ve zero qualms. It’s comfortable, pretty, and easy to navigate. The gauges are particularly attractive; they admittedly would be nicer if they were digital, but there’s something about Honda and Acura’s gauges that just seems so authentic. The steering wheel is of phenomenal quality, and incredibly welcoming to the hand. The buttons, however, did take a minute to figure out.
The infotainment system is relatively standard, but exactly what you want. From the top, we have a 10.2 inch HD screen, where you’ll find access to all of your apps and settings. The software includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM capabilities. Directly below the screen you’ll find your climate controls, followed by your seat climate controls, and then, that special dial – more on that later.
Past the gear select, You’ll find your screen controls. Rather than a dinky dial that makes you scroll through every option on the screen (*cough* Mercedes *cough*) you have a touch pad. What’s neat about this one is that if you want to select, say, the menu button at the center-top of the screen, you just tap the center-top of the touch pad and it knows exactly where you’re trying to go – rather than swiping until the home button is highlighted.
Just below your touch pad you’ll find your wireless charging pad, which, keeping with every other new Acura, is lightning quick. If you ever need them, you’ll also find two USB ports inside the relatively small center console.
The 12-way adjustable seats, probably my favorite part of writing any review, were nothing short of perfect. As in most of Acura’s lineup, they feature not only heating and cooling, but also an “auto” setting that keeps them at a perfectly unnoticeable temperature – a single long road trip would justify purchasing this car. The bolstering isn’t aggressive, but it’s sufficient. I’d be comfortable sitting in these seats at a non-competitive track day. A+ for presentation as well. The test vehicle wore the ebony interior (red is also available) and it wore it well. There’s red stitching throughout the cabin, but most noticeably in the flowing design of the leather/suede seats.
I cannot stress this enough, the audio system is immaculate. You could truly never want more. The 17-speaker ELS Studio 3D unit is unforgettable, but it’s something you’ve got to hear to believe. I don’t blame you if you get carried away with the volume dial. The speed-sensitive automatic volume control is a nice touch too, considering the just barely noticeable road noise.
Big sedans ought to have at least these two things before I call them redundant: adequate back seat legroom, and a canyon for a trunk. I am pleased to report that the TLX has both… sort of. I’m 5’9, and had more room than I knew what to do with in the backseat. I probably could’ve played hackey-sack if I wanted to. The TLX doesn’t quite have the biggest trunk, but it’s a reasonable amount. By the looks of it, two full-size suitcases and two carry-ons with some room to spare. By the numbers, 13.5 cubic feet.
Now for the meat and potatoes: how does it drive? Amazing. It’s not as agile as a Guilia, and it’s not as quick as an EcoBoost Mustang, but overall, it earns an A.
Returning to the aforementioned “special dial,” we’ll start with comfort mode. Throttle response isn’t great, but appropriate for getting around town. It still has every bit of ‘go’ when you step on it, though. The magic of comfort mode is in the suspension. A pothole-riddled road which probably blew out a shock on my personal car, was just ‘a little bumpy’ in comfort mode.
Normal mode is a balance between comfort and sporty, as you may have guessed. Throttle response is improved, the suspension still hides 80% of bumps, and the car will more eagerly get up and go from a stop.
Sport mode is all about showing off the TLX’s true potential. It’s as if you told the car that it’s going to be benched for the season if it doesn’t make the next tackle. The suspension is still very comfortable, but at the same time it keeps the car flat as a cutting board even when carving up a twisty road. The throttle response is there, finally. Maybe still not the best throttle response, but good nonetheless. The audiophiles out there will enjoy the heightened exhaust note that’s brought out in this mode as well. Sport mode, more or less, turns this car’s performance into that of the Integra – only much quicker.
The fourth and final mode is individual mode. This one, activated by pressing the A-mark on the center of the dial, allows you to pick and choose what elements of each of the previous modes you want at any given time. Think of it as a “build your own” mode.
For the sake of fairness to the TLX, the following comments are based on sport mode.
It’s a phenomenal car, period. It’s got pep, minimal turbo lag, superior handling, and refuses to acknowledge its own weight. I’ve always believed that you can learn a lot about a car by throwing it into a sharp turn at speed. A quick 90 degree turn upwards of 40 mph was nothing for the TLX. Thank the automotive gods for all-wheel drive, then go drive a TLX.
The K20C6 under the hood puts out a supple 272 horsepower, and 280 lbft. of torque. Had I led with that, you’d be severely underestimating this little rocket. While it’s not setting records, the 5.9 second 0-60 acceleration (according to Car and Driver testing) is more than enough to eliminate any speed-related daily driving woes (except maybe pulling up next to an old Civic with a laptop riding shotgun.) In any case, it’s a great daily driver that’s faster than your neighbor’s crossover.
For the third time now, this car handles. Thanks mostly to all-wheel drive and torque vectoring (which sends up to 50% of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels,) this car’s about as sure-footed as a statue. If you’re one who enjoys winding roads on the riverside, or if you reside in Syracuse where you have unnecessarily sharp turns on the highway, this car will be fun for you. You might have some gripes with the grip when you’re going through turn six at 110 mph, but then again, are you really taking your TLX to the track? No. But maybe the Type-S…
Overall, the TLX is what a sports sedan should be. It’s luxurious, and more comfortable than any Macy’s display mattress was when you were a kid. The interior has enough tech that you won’t use all of it, but not so little that you’re wanting more. It’s by no means a race car, but it’s quicker than most cars on the road. If you haven’t gotten the message yet, this car handles like Jimi Hendrix handled guitar strings. This car veritably does everything you want, and let’s be real, it’s one of the sexiest cars in recent years. If I had to change one thing about the TLX, I’d make them free for everyone to take. Good job, Acura.