**Acura TLX Type S: A Great Car with Some Caveats**

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with the Acura TLX Type S, and I have to say that it's a fascinating car. As a Honda enthusiast, I was excited to see how this car would compare to its sibling models from other manufacturers. The first thing that struck me about the TLX is its character. Unlike many of its competitors, which can feel like they're lacking in personality, the TLX Type S has a certain je ne sais quoi that sets it apart.

One of the things that impressed me most about the TLX was its performance. With 355 horsepower and 370 lb-ft of torque, it's certainly not slow by any means. However, I have to say that I've always had high expectations for this brand, and sometimes those expectations aren't met. The thing is, this car does everything you want a fun sedan to do, but there are some compromises along the way.

One of the things that I think holds the TLX back from being truly great is its engineering budget. As a small brand in the luxury car market, Acura doesn't have the same level of development money as brands like Lexus or BMW. This can result in some missed opportunities for improvement and refinement. For example, one of my favorite things about cars is that last 20% of performance that really sets them apart from their competitors. Unfortunately, this isn't the TLX's strong suit.

That being said, I do think that there are some redeeming qualities to the TLX. Its interior, for example, is incredibly well-appointed and comfortable. The materials and craftsmanship are top-notch, and it feels like a car that was designed with comfort in mind. Additionally, the TLX has a certain presence on the road that's hard to deny. It's not the most dramatic or attention-grabbing car, but it's definitely a head-turner.

One of the things that I think sets the TLX apart from its competitors is its value proposition. With a starting price of around $57,000 and options that can bring the total price up into the high 60s, this car is incredibly affordable compared to some of its rivals. For example, the BMW M340i with similar options costs upwards of $65,000, while the Audi S5 and S4 are even more expensive. The TLX Type S, on the other hand, offers a lot of bang for your buck.

Of course, there is one significant caveat to buying the TLX: its performance. While it's certainly not slow, it doesn't quite hold a candle to some of its rivals in terms of handling and acceleration. For example, the Genesis G70 from last year is arguably a better-handling car, despite some issues with reliability that have since been addressed. Additionally, if you're looking for a truly exceptional driving experience, there are other cars out there that may be worth considering.

That being said, I do think that the TLX has a certain appeal to it that's hard to deny. If you're a die-hard Acura fan or just want to try something new and different, this car is definitely worth considering. And at its price point, it's an incredibly compelling option for anyone looking for a fun-to-drive sedan without breaking the bank.

**Why You Should Buy the TLX**

So why should you buy the Acura TLX Type S? Well, two reasons come to mind. First and foremost, if you're already an Acura fan or just want to try something new and different, this car is definitely worth considering. It's a great representation of what Acura can do, and it offers a lot of value for its price.

Secondly, the TLX offers a compelling value proposition that's hard to deny. At around $57,000 with options, this car is significantly cheaper than some of its rivals. For example, the BMW M340i with similar options costs upwards of $65,000, while the Audi S5 and S4 are even more expensive. The TLX Type S, on the other hand, offers a lot of bang for your buck.

**The Value Proposition**

One of the things that I think sets the TLX apart from its competitors is its value proposition. With a starting price of around $57,000 and options that can bring the total price up into the high 60s, this car is incredibly affordable compared to some of its rivals. For example, the BMW M340i with similar options costs upwards of $65,000, while the Audi S5 and S4 are even more expensive. The TLX Type S, on the other hand, offers a lot of bang for your buck.

This value proposition is especially appealing when you consider that used models of this car can be had for significantly less than some of its competitors. For example, if you're willing to buy a pre-owned TLX with similar options, it's possible to get a great deal on the car. This makes it an incredibly compelling option for anyone looking for a fun-to-drive sedan without breaking the bank.

**Conclusion**

Overall, I think that the Acura TLX Type S is a fascinating car that offers a lot of value for its price. While it may not be perfect, and there are certainly some compromises along the way, this car has a certain appeal to it that's hard to deny. If you're looking for a fun-to-drive sedan without breaking the bank, or just want to try something new and different, I would definitely recommend giving the TLX a look.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe 2024 Acura TLX Type S this and the regular TLX have just received their midcycle refresh so what does that mean well there are some pricing changes a minor list of mechanical changes and of course some aesthetic differences now let's talk about the interior and exterior first the exterior treatment you get a slightly different front fascia honestly styling has changed a little bit but it's going to be pretty hard to tell them apart unless you're an accurate die hard this is still a very goodlook car however pricing they've now simplified the trim levels there's one way to get this and it's $57,000 for tax title and destination and there are a couple accessories like summer tires and 20-in rims or Wheels carbon fiber trim and a heated steering wheel honestly the only one I would do is the heated wheel uh the Interior Space has changed a little bit you get some more sound deing we'll talk about how in the shop and of course you have bigger and better screens G is the analog gauge cluster with their white back face which was a type S Type R moniker now it's just a digital display either a pro or a con depending on who you are it's easy to navigate however the non-touch capable giant infotainment screen is still giant it's bigger than it used to be apparently you still have the touchpad to navigate it it's terrible to use but if you get into your Wireless Apple carplay or Android auto you don't notice it that much all of your HVAC controls and drive mode controls are physical and traditional which is exactly what you want in a car like this everything else when it comes to the cabin is a car over so you still have great seats they're very comfortable they're heated and cooled you have a very good seating position great visibility giant door Pockets this is now a quieter cabin than it used to be so it's a pleasant place to be and all the touch points and everything feels price appropriate back seats while they're not the biggest by any means if you are a reasonable sized human being a smaller adult will fit back there no issues the trunk is very big and it is surprisingly usable two International luggages will fit back there with some Jenga in however when you fold down the back SE seats which do fold you cannot pass anything through the rear due to the fact that there's a brace back there the last thing I'm going to talk about is the Els audio system it is not audio file grade but it is quite good the main issue with it is it is very base heavy it's sort of a v curve when it comes to the sound signature not the end of the world most of his competitors are that way but it is not the same Els sound system that you find in the MDX Type S which is substantially better the best thing about this car honestly is pricing it is substantially cheaper than its German competitors one equivalently equip anywhere between 5 to $7,000 now with that let's head in the shop and put this thing up on the LIF in the shop with the Acura TLX Type S this is a 2024 which means this car just received a midcycle refresh something you know about the TLX lineup obviously this comes with a regular car and of course the type S the type S makes up about 25% of the sales which is pretty substantial for 24 being a midcycle refresh most of this car is a carryover from a mechanical perspective however they did try to address two key problem areas that is nvh and transmission tuning so for nvh they've added thicker carpeting to the floors they've changed out the fender liners to help reduce some of that rodent tire noise that Acuras typically struggle with and there's more sound ding in the b-pillar and door cards which is very very helpful this card does feel more refined than the outgoing 2023 TX from a transmission perspective because there are no mechanical changes to the drivetrain just a software retune it's supposed to be more responsive which means they're trying to make sure the driver is in the right gear more of the time the 10-speed automatic in the Acura Honda products is a mixed bag compared to its German Rivals it to be honest it's not as good the reason Acura went with their own gearbox which they will somewhat admit to is they wanted to make sure that their supply chain was largely controlled internally they had some struggles with the zf9 speed in the past from a reliability perspective that they didn't want to have to deal with moving forward so that's why they developed their own gearbox to use in all their cars now from a technical persp perspective what is the TLX Type S well we've done a fairly comprehensive video on this already so this will be my Cliff Notes they take a regular TLX they throw in a new front subframe a 3 l single turbo V6 they made it to their 10-speed automatic makes about 355 horsepower and about 354 foot pounds of torque it is a quick car the V6 in the aftermarket has made some spectacular power numbers stock it's very reliable it's one con is fuel economy the fact that this is really really heavy for its class it's over 4100 lb does not help this car the static weight balance is 60% front 40% rear from a suspension perspective the one great thing about the TLX despite being a front-wheel drive architecture is its double Wishbone one of the few cars in this class that gets Dynamic camber gain in the front and most of the suspension links are aluminum and the car actually looks fairly expensive for the price point it is underneath the vehicle still retains the legendary sh all-wheel drive or the torque vectoring re diff which takes up to 70% of the available torque shoves it to the rear and of that 70% 100% of it can either go to the left or right of the rear wheels that helps overdrive the rear of this car to get this thing to yaw out or rotate better Type S does not mean Type R which means this car is meant to be driven from like 5 to 8/10 of total ability and in that range just like the MDX Type S the car feels very Nimble in fact more Nimble than many of its competitors it's the torque Vector rear diff the double Wishbone suspension and the re-calibrated belt driven EPS rack which has a higher y gain ratio so means this car can get in and out of Corners at least initially really really well if you can accept the compromises of what it's trying to be it does Drive quite well so that let's go take this for a quick drive with Mar we're back locked and loaded Type S Mark show me what that means as we under steer on the road so it's been a couple years since we've driven this car and you had an MDX type ass with the same drivve train there a long termer for like 6 months how does this car feel to you cuz I've spent a lot more time in this thing than you have immediate Impressions and after not being in it for a while clearly having not a big boat to drive around in and having this drivve train in a sdx yeah it's it's far more potent if you're looking at this in isolation it is way quicker it's far more responsive what I love about it is just regardless of the drive mode is the immediacy in the steering how quickly it turns in how responsive it is and how the the rear differential is programmed to make this car feel smaller and lighter than it is you can get around a normal commute like lightning it makes the car feel at least 1,000 lb less than what it really is and it makes your normal commute uh normal driving a lot more engaging I will say you know as you go up to drive modes and you go up to like Sport Plus the steering gets unnecessarily heavy it feels almost synthetic compared to like Comfort all the way up but that directness is still there with the variable rack you know it it always feels really really eager to turn in and rotate through without completely plowing and I know you said oh you know as we under steer off the road this car really doesn't have that problem if you stay below like 8/10 and you leave it in automatic mode because the transmission is it's really good man like it as soon as you start to under steer through a corner the diff sends the power to the back and clearly we're in cooler temperatures too so it help on All Seasons yeah to me Mark you know this car I'm going to talk about it more in the final thoughts and I did talk about it in the shop the advantage that this car has versus this competition is that it's inexpensive and it's double Wishbone inexpensive is a relative term but and I think acknowledging what type best means for Acura in their bigger cars under seven or let's call it 8/10 just like the mbx type S this thing feels very Nimble the immediacy is there and you don't notice the inherent deficiencies of the car right like very few people really drive this vehicle as hard as you're doing right now even then I mean this is still not Flatout track conditions right and in that realm of like 7 to 810 you don't notice the fact that the gearbox is not as good as the ZF competition you don't really pay attention to the fact that the drivetrain is not as powerful or a special feeling as what you get in the BMW or the Audi or even in the Cadillac this is basically almost the same price as a ct4v Blackwing which makes 500 horsepower um you're just left of the fact that a lot of the inputs are really really good and they are like the steering's fast the front end loads up you don't notice crazy under steer but when you start to drive this car hard like really hard like you're in a Canyon Road that isn't this flat Farm Road with three turns the deficiencies of the weight the fact that you know unlike all the marketing this car cannot be tracked it'll either overheat or cook the brakes it doesn't want to really over steer and rotate around it's not a loose feeling car you know that's the deficiency of this that's what your 5 to $7,000 extra that you're paying for and the Blackwing and the m340i and a lot of those cars that's what you're not getting in this vehicle but as a daily it's amazing rides well I think this thing looks great which is one of the unique things about this class um and it's a good value and the used proposition which I know we haven't really talked about you can get these things I mean I feel bad for the original owners but the pre- refresh cars like I should send you a couple clean title like 12,000 Mi for $44 or $42,000 if you look around that is an amazing deal yeah no it is it is a really good deal and I you know I know I had the same argument with you before and I know you're always going to push for the rear wheeel drive competition oh even the Audi's all wheel drive I know but in the real world this car has a great chassis it feels tremendously direct and responsive I mean there's not a turn and granted not everybody lives on a Canyon Road not everybody lives where there's a bunch of corners for your regular commute what this thing is capable of with its all-wheel drive system defies logic it defies its weight it really is great to drive quickly now you could make a bunch of arguments for different conditions on super dry payment on a hot day the tires will give up the brakes will give up you know it's not going to be as Nimble but we're on semi-wet payment on a gravel and this thing just chews up the roads like it's so confidence inspiring uh that the body the way that the car moves around the the way that it feels and the connectedness and the quickness and sharpness that is really it is really quick but not in a negative way because it turns as quickly as the steering reacts the chassis setup is great I will agree with you that the engine it's is in the cooler weather feels way better than it did when we first tested it but it it doesn't compete of course with your beloved b58 and the gearbox tuning is its weakest point you have to keep this an automatic we said that in the original video you try to take manual control it's horrible it's not where it needs to be and you could also argue that the engine should have far more output for what it is but for real world driving I mean I would I love driving this thing I mean just in the short amount of time that we've we've done this there's nothing that you can't do with it in a regular commute and you're going to have the allseason capability um I think you could have a lot of fun with it and you know with the Adaptive damper stuff in Comfort mode it's still really good and it's much quieter than it used to be it's much more quiet uh in Sport Plus it firms up just enough where you could drive it around in sport plus all the time it has a lot of the things that the Integra Type S is good at it's just sadly for an Enthusiast product I guess and I know that's kind of what this is but it is an Enthusiast product it is it's lacking the transmission performance I think having a good automatic tuning in here uh having a really good automatic would like the Dual clutch out of an Audi or you know the BMW 8speed yeah personally you know you're buying this car because you love Japanese cars right like if it were me I'd be in the Cadillac or the BMW people watching this channel know that about me if you love Japanese cars you're going to look at this or like the integr type S and then that becomes the next question the integr type S is to me if you get one for sticker is like low 50s if I remember I think that car despite it being front-wheel drive and a four popper is very special to drive because all of the inputs are so so good and you can drive that thing flat out or at A10 and you have a good time me I prefer that product because I feel like you are you know dynamically getting more car for your money than this thing I would totally disagree with you and here's why all right if you took the Integra Type S and you threw this automatic in there that' be horrible it would be nobody would consider that car the car of the year one of the best driving cars and that just goes to show you how much a difference the transmission experience can be namely in a manual transmission but in this world you only get the integ type as a manual I understand so like this is the same argument we had in the first video if you took the center stack you if you're going to do another generation how you get the type S version to be great you clean this up you finally commit to having a manual transmission option that would people would they wouldn't be able to keep these things you could sell them all day long for years yeah now that's not going to happen we know that they're not going to Honda's not going to invest the money in that but just knowing that they didn't do that fixing the automatic transmission in here might make this more ping but I don't think it would be enough I really don't think it would be enough it needs to be far more to your point special as an Enthusiast product than where it currently sits and it's a byproduct of the era that it was engineered and designed in I don't I think they were trying to figure out what they wanted it to be and what they wanted to do and it's like it's like 70% there um but it's not enough to like hey are you going to buy a manual BMW you're going to buy a manual BMW over this if you can find one you know like uh to your point as a luxury product most people if you want all-wheel drive probably a lot of people are going to go to Audi so it it's hard it needs to do a little bit more to to get to that to get where the Integra Type S is that needs to follow some of those same same formulas this is a hard class like unlike the SUV the MDX Type S we you know we had the thing for so long it's a great car because it is so much cheaper than the other three three row luxury SUVs I mean it is substantially cheaper like tens of thousands of dollars less than an X7 fully loaded yeah and you know in an SUV you're not your expectations you know you're never going to drive it past 8 or 710 right the problem this has is the sedan Sports sedan Market people are more cognizant whether or not they're ever going to track or not is it a track capable car and it's in that class of car where to get people out of those like Prestige Brands like Audi like BMW like Mercedes it needs to offer some X Factor to get people into it other than the fact that it's cheaper and that that's that's the one thing that I think hurts this car for a lot of people but if you can look past all that and you are that person who's value conscious or you love Acura or you just like the fact that you are getting a lot of car for your money I do really like this thing I I think the other thing you have to to really think about is we're talking about typ s yeah if the the regular TLX and unfortunately because there's not a lot of sedans it either needs to find the balance of being like a really good luxury sedan a luxury sports sedan where the type S needs to go to that next level and that's what this hasn't done enough of the regular TLX You could argue is a value like entry level it's it's actually pretty good for what it is it sits in a good place in the 40s in the 40s with all-wheel drive you know um so I don't know again we're talking about a very difficult place for this brand to be um we know how this brand operates in terms of engineering budget and it's hard to in a world where this is not going to sell a lot how much more do you put into it how much more are you put into changing it and fixing some of these things how much are you going to Net in terms of a return and I I I say this a lot about a lot of Brands you have to go all in if you're going to do this you got to spend extra money to do it and I think that's a really hard sell for Acura they're a small brand yeah in the grand scheme of luxury cars they're not a Lexus right or a BMW yeah they don't have the development money to be pissing away on something that's kind of like and namely this is really a North American product yeah yeah it's a niche car well to be for accur as North American but yeah the thing that impresses me and I mentioned this in the shop fact that a quarter of all TLX sales are type s's so there clearly is a demand for this car no I'm not and again it's it's I I think it it's it's a tricky one because we have high expectations of this brand and like this moniker you know you and I are both accurate people Honda people and the the they did it with the ingra so you know I would love to see them kind of like take this somewhere else but as it stands honestly if you don't don't care about that last like you always said last 20% of performance this thing does everything you want a fun sedan to do um and you can make a lot of excuses for like I do for the fact that it is really still a great car to drive on the street um I think you love this thing if you bought it yeah you you really would it's not a car that again while I do think there are better options I don't fault anyone for buying this car if that makes sense I and the the last thing I'm going to say before you get into the thoughts is it has character I know this is we say this like a broken record like this doesn't feel like a cookie cutter Audi like you know we got an RS3 or whatever it was and it looks so generic inside like at least this has some type of style to it some presence and on the outside you can pick it apart from any one of its s every other three series or every other Audi A4 or A5 and it's an X Factor of this so anyway that's all I'm going to say J all right Mark with that let's head into my final fonts final thoughts on the Acura TLX Type S so why do you buy this car well two reasons first off you're a dieh hard Acura person or Honda person you don't want to buy a BMW or ct4v Blackwing you want to buy an Acura and if you're looking at it in a vacuum this is a great car good engine nice interior space you know pretty good audio system and it looks great I will will say the styling of the TX dipes is tremendous for a sub $70,000 Sports itan the other reason you're going to buy this is the value proposition this thing's in the high 50s 57 58,000 before destination and tax and it is between five and $10,000 less than it's German Rivals an m340i with the same options as pushing $65,000 all day long the Audi S5 and S4 is more expensive with the same options and those cars have higher running costs typically the service of a BMW is more maybe long-term reliability won't be as good as the Anor as well however objectively once you put those cars back in the running they all drive better than this thing that's the honest truth the 340i is a more competent car from a technical perspective than the Acura TX Type S there's no ifs or butts about it the g70 from Genesis despite some of the issues of that brand if you want to drive past 8/10 probably will handle better than this thing as well so that's something to know and if it were my money I would just go get a c t4v Blackwing if I wanted a sports sedan the car comes with a manual 500 horsepower it's well equipped at 65 Grand and it is arguably my favorite driving Sports it in and it's within a Stones Throw price-wise of this car the compelling thing the TLX does though is the used offerings if you're willing to buy a pre-referendum costs and you're Cross Shopping things like golf RS and TR Corollas for that price and this car from a overall livability and usability perspective blow those cars out of the water so with that thanks for watching hope to see you soon\n"