{"id":26650,"date":"2021-01-14T13:04:47","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T17:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=26650"},"modified":"2021-01-14T13:04:47","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T17:04:47","slug":"payne-the-acura-tlx-gets-its-mojo-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/01\/payne-the-acura-tlx-gets-its-mojo-back","title":{"rendered":"Payne: The Acura TLX gets its mojo back"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think of great career athletic comebacks and a few come to mind. Tiger Woods at the Masters in 2019. Andre Agassi winning the French Open in 1999. Nike Lauda\u2019s rebound after a fiery crash to win the world Formula One title.<\/p>\n

Add Acura to the list.<\/p>\n

Hondas\u2019 luxury brand was the choice of motorheads at the turn of the century with such apex-carvers as the Acura Integra and TLX Type-S. Then Acura took a wrong turn and got lost in the wilderness. The quick moves gave way to soft cars as Acura built luxury liners like the RDX and hung big chrome beaks on its bow.<\/p>\n

With its all-new\u00a02021 TLX performance sedan, Acura has returned to its roots. The new car \u2014 with the first\u00a0Type-S performance trim in 12 years lurking in the wings \u2014 is a toned, powerful, affordable athlete.<\/p>\n

Yet in the decade-plus that Acura wandered the wilderness, the market changed.<\/p>\n

Acura has once again positioned itself as a value athlete against the German trinity of BMW, Mercedes\u00a0and Audi. But this go-around, Acura isn\u2019t the only brand that is redefining itself with premium sedans. The $40,000\u00a0sedan market is flush with ambitious products for those who are looking for something different than the same ol\u2019 German.<\/p>\n

For example: while TLX baselines competitively to the Teutonic trio, the Mazda 6, Kia Stinger\u00a0and VW Arteon (a mainstream German) baselines to the TLX, undercutting it in price while offering equally compelling specs.<\/p>\n

\"Opt<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

In this boiling piranha tank of great sedans, I took the TLX predator for a ride.<\/p>\n

Acura boss Jon Ikeda and his musketeers realized last decade that Honda\u2019s performance brand had to build a distinctive brand or be left behind. Not for nuthin\u2019 have the Germans achieved their renown. They\u2019ve built reputations at the highest levels of motorsports which trickle down to their performance-studded production lineups.<\/p>\n

Take BMW. With the mid-engine, 1979 BMW M1, Bimmer set a performance halo that is the envy of today\u2019s luxe bands. The M badge \u2014 now appearing on Olympians like the BMW M4 and M2 \u2014 brings track-tuned athleticism that trickles down through every SUV and sedan in its lineup.<\/p>\n

So Acura launched the mid-engine\u00a0NSX in 2015, jump-starting Acura Precision Performance.<\/p>\n

Awesomeness had followed. The NSX wowed with its hybrid performance, all-wheel drive\u00a0and sculpted styling \u2014\u00a0a $160,000\u00a0supercar offering the same tech as a $900,000\u00a0Porsche 918. The NSX has spawned a competitive, IMSA GTD race car. And just to be sure no one questions Acura\u2019s commitment to supercar performance, it won the IMSA championship outright in 2019 with a striking Acura DPI entry run by Captain Roger Penske.<\/p>\n

The commitment to performance has spread through everything in the lineup. The Acura RDX may be a volume SUV, but its interior style and athletic handling are inspired by Papa NSX. Even the MDX mid-size sedan shared the NSX\u2019s electric, all-wheel-drive system.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

But it\u2019s the TLX that most closely follows the NSX lineage. The world may be moving to SUVs \u2014 70% reckons Acura by 2025 \u2014 but the premium brand realizes that buyers still want ground-hugging performance sedans.<\/p>\n

Take my friend John, who has eschewed SUVs for a Tesla Model S and now an Audi A6. Why? Because when he leaves the city behind, he wants to have some fun on America\u2019s wide-open roads.<\/p>\n

The TLX is the perfect companion to the Acura RDX, one of my favorite SUVs for\u00a0not only its handling,\u00a0but its supreme value. This is a $38,000\u00a0SUV that offers standard adaptive cruise control, panoramic roof\u00a0and leatherette interior. Good luck finding that on a German.<\/p>\n

For about $700 less than the RLX, the TLX offers all that value with sedan handling.<\/p>\n

Using all 272 ponies in TLX\u2019s all-new 2.0-liter turbo-4, I consumed corners\u00a0over Oakland County’s Old Pontiac Trail. The chassis has 50% more torsional rigidity than the last gen. The 10-speed tranny shifts like butter. The torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system grips like a fly on ointment.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

But surveying my stallion after my spirited ride, I wondered if that was enough.<\/p>\n

For all its race car inspiration, the TLX is conservative in styling. Sure, designers have made a lower, wider, sleeker sedan. But everyone\u2019s doing that these days \u2014 have you seen the Hyundai Sonata? At just $26,000, it\u2019s created a rear LED light show that would make the luxe class proud.<\/p>\n

TLX\u2019s fascia design is more competitive with the Mazda 6 and Kia Stinger, which offer specs\u00a0similar to\u00a0the TLX \u2014 but for much less.<\/p>\n

Consider that the Mazda \u2014 outfitted with a comparable, smooth, 2.5-liter turbo-4 \u2014 is the Acura\u2019s equal in style and standard appointments, yet stickers for 7 grand less. Or for really insane value, consider Kia\u2019s flagship\u00a0AWD Stinger, which boasts 100 more horsepower, better interior and cargo room for a price similar to\u00a0Acura\u2019s AWD A-Spec model.<\/p>\n

As I say, boiling piranha tank.<\/p>\n

Better that I view the TLX from the interior \u2014 my 6\u20195\u201d frame and broad\u00a0shoulders fit easily in a driver\u2019s seat that is noticeably broader (thanks to a wider track stance) than the last gen.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Here, Acura has constructed a more distinctive landscape. The center console immediately reminds of the NSX supercar with a Drive Mode button so big it could launch a nuke. The clever\u00a0\u201ctrigger\u201d shifter is signature Acura.<\/p>\n

The red leather seat option is, well, red leather. It\u2019s irresistible.<\/p>\n

More resistible is the touchpad-operated infotainment system. While not as maddening as Lexus\u2019 unworkable mousepad, it\u2019s a distraction. Better to stick with tried-and-true rotary dials (Mazda) or touchscreen (BMW, Merc) that are more intuitive to a generation of smartphone users.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting, too, that Mazda also races a mid-engine\u00a0IMSA racing prototype that competes against Acura. And the Mazda 3 hatchback is more beautiful than any entry-level luxury\u00a0compact.<\/p>\n

\"Coming<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

But TLX (and TL predecessor) has built impressive numbers over its 25-year U.S. run despite slips along the way. In 2019, TLX was the third-best selling model in compact luxe\u00a0\u2014 behind only Audi and Cadillac. With the 2021 model, Acura is rewarding its fans with the best TLX in three generations. It\u2019s a credit to Acura\u2019s investment in a brand that speaks performance again.<\/p>\n

The comeback is complete, but nowhere near done. Just wait until the 350-horse, turbo 6-powered Acura TLX Type S arrives\u00a0this spring. The Audi S4 should be nervous. But both will struggle to keep up with the Stinger GT.<\/p>\n

2021\u00a0Acura TLX<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vehicle type: Front- and all-wheel-drive, four-door,\u00a0five-passenger sedan<\/p>\n

Price: $40,525, including $1,025\u00a0destination charge ($47,775 A-Spec\u00a0as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder<\/p>\n

Power: 272 horsepower, 280 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 10-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.9 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 131 mph<\/p>\n

Weight: 3,920 pounds (AWD as tested)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA 22 mpg city\/30 highway\/25\u00a0combined (FWD);\u00a021\u00a0mpg city\/29\u00a0highway\/24\u00a0combined (AWD)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Distinctive\u00a0interior; taut chassis<\/p>\n

Lows: Conservative exterior; glitchy touchpad<\/p>\n

Overall: 3\u00a0stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Think of great career athletic comebacks and a few come to mind. Tiger Woods at the Masters in 2019. Andre Agassi winning the French Open in 1999. Nike Lauda\u2019s rebound after a fiery crash to win the world Formula One title. Add Acura to the list. Hondas\u2019 luxury brand was the choice of motorheads at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26650"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26650"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26651,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26650\/revisions\/26651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}