The New Acura TLX A-Spec: A Sporty Take on the Midsize Sedan
Audi may have dominated the market with its sleek and powerful headlight designs, but Acura is now playing catch-up with its own take on sporty headlights. The latest iteration of the TLX, specifically the A-Spec model, boasts a more aggressive exterior design that sets it apart from its standard counterpart. Gone are the days of bland, uninspired grilles; this time around, the TLX has a much more aerodynamic profile that screams performance and sportiness.
The A-Spec's exterior makeover is further enhanced by blacked-out 19-inch wheels, some black trim elements on both front and rear ends, and exclusive interior options like the ultra-suede inserts in the seats. The result is a car that looks like it belongs on the track, not just cruising down the highway. However, as enticing as this new design may be, there's no denying that the A-Spec is primarily a cosmetic upgrade, lacking the real performance boost that its competitors offer.
Under the hood, the TLX A-Spec packs a 2-liter turbocharged inline-four cylinder engine that produces a respectable 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. While this may not be as potent as some of its rivals, it's still an impressive output for such a compact engine. The addition of Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system further enhances the car's performance, sending more torque to the rear wheels and allowing for quicker acceleration and better handling.
One of the standout features of the SH-AWD system is its ability to send torque to both front and rear wheels simultaneously. This allows the TLX to maintain traction in slippery conditions or during spirited cornering, making it an excellent choice for drivers who value agility and control. Compared to other AWD systems on the market, such as Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive or Audi's Quattro, the SH-AWD system is indeed sportier and more responsive.
Despite its impressive performance capabilities, the TLX A-Spec still occupies a somewhat awkward position in the midsize sedan segment. It's not quite as large as a BMW 3-Series but smaller than a BMW 5-Series, making it an attractive option for buyers who need a car that can accommodate multiple passengers without sacrificing too much size or practicality.
The TLX A-Spec starts at around $37,800, which is relatively affordable considering its features and performance. However, when you opt for the A-Spec package, prices jump to around $47,000, making it significantly more expensive than its standard counterpart. While this may seem steep, it's worth noting that the A-Spec model comes with a host of exclusive features that make it feel like a premium experience.
One area where the TLX A-Spec truly shines is in its steering and braking performance. The electro-servo brakes used in the NSX provide exceptional tuning capabilities and feedback, making them an excellent choice for drivers who value precise control and responsiveness. Additionally, the TLX's steering is tuned to provide a more engaging driving experience, with a level of agility that's hard to find in other midsize sedans.
In terms of overall driving dynamics, the TLX A-Spec is certainly one of the better sport sedans on the market. Its handling is responsive and communicative, making it an excellent choice for drivers who crave excitement behind the wheel. However, when compared to its rivals, such as the BMW 3-Series or Audi A4, the TLX A-Spec falls just a bit short in terms of outright performance.
Ultimately, while the TLX A-Spec may not be perfect and can't quite match the level of refinement and sophistication found in some of its competitors, it's still an excellent choice for buyers who want a sporty take on the midsize sedan. With its aggressive exterior design, impressive performance capabilities, and exceptional handling, the TLX A-Spec is a great option for anyone looking to add some excitement to their daily drive.
It's worth noting that while the TLX A-Spec may not be enough to rival the top-tier sport sedans like the BMW M3 or Audi RS4, it's still an excellent choice for those who want a more practical and affordable alternative. And with its upcoming Type S variant, which promises to deliver significantly more power and performance, the TLX is sure to become one of the most compelling options in the midsize sedan segment.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enacura calls this its quickest and best handling sedan in its 35 35-year history we call it the 2021 acura tlx and it's clear from looking at it that the automaker wants to steal dollars from those of you thinking about buying german sedans and if you look at it we think it just might do that so the new tlx follows the designer's favorite adage when they compare the car to the older version it's longer it's lower and it's wider and that helps make it look more aggressive and then the dashed axle ratio is improved there's a lot of hood here there's some engine up front but overall it gives the whole thing a sporty look also for those of you who used to love criticizing acura grills which is all of us really this is a much better space than it was years ago so audi may be the headlight king right now but acura is working hard and playing ketchup these the july leds look great and i really love what they call the chicane daytime running lamp this is taken from the same element on their arx-05 daytona racing prototype race car that's a cool feature that same shape can be seen in the tail lights too so the fun thing here is that this is not the base tlx this is the a-spec which means it gets slightly sportier elements on the outside including blacked-out 19-inch wheels some black trim elements front and rear and then it gets a few exclusive interior and exterior options these black seats with the ultra suede inserts are comfortable and look good that's one of the things about acura no matter which model you get the seats are always going to be awesome acura makes some of the best seats in the business now dynamically the a-spec doesn't really up the game that much this is pretty much just a looks package there's no more power to the engine there's no tuning that i'm aware of that makes this a more aggressive machine for that you will have to wait for the type s so despite all that space there's a little engine under here that is a two liter turbocharged inline four cylinder and it makes 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque that is 66 more horsepower than the outgoing base engine in fact it's also 98 more pound-feet of peak torque and 123 pound-feet more at just 1500 rpm so how is this off the line with that little 2-liter four-cylinder turbo it's quick enough it's it's not going to sit your hair on fire but it certainly gets up and goes having the sh all-wheel drive system certainly helps because this a-spec does have that wonderful system i often say that the sh or super handling all-wheel drive system is one of my favorites in the industry it doesn't get enough love i feel like but it is highly tuned to make the enthusiast driver happy it is rear biased and in fact now here in its most recent generation sends even more torque to the back and it can transfer the torque front and rear faster than the older version of sh all-wheel drive on the last tlx this is sportier than subaru's all-wheel drive system but subaru's the one that gets all the love this is sportier than audi's quattro system but quattro gets more love than this the sh all-wheel drive system is fantastic now this car sits in a weird space it's a little bit bigger than a 3 series it's a little bit smaller than a 5 series it's kind of an in-betweener in the segment but that helps it out because 3 series shoppers are going to find more car 5 series shoppers can save money and get something that's nearly as much as they need and without really compromising at all and in fact this starts well on the price scale the cheapest tlx starts around thirty seven thirty eight thousand dollars this one is kind of expensive a two liter turbo charged a spec all-wheel drive is around forty seven thousand dollars so that means when the type s does arrive it's gonna be a fifty thousand dollar car but i feel like you're gonna get a fifty thousand dollar experience when you buy that one it's significantly more power there's a lot more tuning and adjustments going on to make it worthy of that type s badge revival the steering here though is tuned very nicely the brakes are excellent it uses technology borrowed from the nsx electro servo brakes so the tune-ability of them is amazing and they feel great it's one of the few sport sedans that you actually would want to take to attract because you feel like it would probably deliver a dynamic and engaging experience there so i don't think you really need the a-spec version unless you want all the exterior goodies without them the car still looks good it just looks a little bit more aggressive with them i think if you want a fully awesome experience for the tlx you're going to have to wait for the type s otherwise you can save your money you don't need the a-spec package but one thing i would recommend is upgrading these tires even though this has 19-inch wheels it could use a better set of rubber even in smaller turns i can hear the tires squealing a little bit on the tlx they will offer an nsx derived wheel with high performance summer tires outside of that it's great different tires would transform it youacura calls this its quickest and best handling sedan in its 35 35-year history we call it the 2021 acura tlx and it's clear from looking at it that the automaker wants to steal dollars from those of you thinking about buying german sedans and if you look at it we think it just might do that so the new tlx follows the designer's favorite adage when they compare the car to the older version it's longer it's lower and it's wider and that helps make it look more aggressive and then the dashed axle ratio is improved there's a lot of hood here there's some engine up front but overall it gives the whole thing a sporty look also for those of you who used to love criticizing acura grills which is all of us really this is a much better space than it was years ago so audi may be the headlight king right now but acura is working hard and playing ketchup these the july leds look great and i really love what they call the chicane daytime running lamp this is taken from the same element on their arx-05 daytona racing prototype race car that's a cool feature that same shape can be seen in the tail lights too so the fun thing here is that this is not the base tlx this is the a-spec which means it gets slightly sportier elements on the outside including blacked-out 19-inch wheels some black trim elements front and rear and then it gets a few exclusive interior and exterior options these black seats with the ultra suede inserts are comfortable and look good that's one of the things about acura no matter which model you get the seats are always going to be awesome acura makes some of the best seats in the business now dynamically the a-spec doesn't really up the game that much this is pretty much just a looks package there's no more power to the engine there's no tuning that i'm aware of that makes this a more aggressive machine for that you will have to wait for the type s so despite all that space there's a little engine under here that is a two liter turbocharged inline four cylinder and it makes 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque that is 66 more horsepower than the outgoing base engine in fact it's also 98 more pound-feet of peak torque and 123 pound-feet more at just 1500 rpm so how is this off the line with that little 2-liter four-cylinder turbo it's quick enough it's it's not going to sit your hair on fire but it certainly gets up and goes having the sh all-wheel drive system certainly helps because this a-spec does have that wonderful system i often say that the sh or super handling all-wheel drive system is one of my favorites in the industry it doesn't get enough love i feel like but it is highly tuned to make the enthusiast driver happy it is rear biased and in fact now here in its most recent generation sends even more torque to the back and it can transfer the torque front and rear faster than the older version of sh all-wheel drive on the last tlx this is sportier than subaru's all-wheel drive system but subaru's the one that gets all the love this is sportier than audi's quattro system but quattro gets more love than this the sh all-wheel drive system is fantastic now this car sits in a weird space it's a little bit bigger than a 3 series it's a little bit smaller than a 5 series it's kind of an in-betweener in the segment but that helps it out because 3 series shoppers are going to find more car 5 series shoppers can save money and get something that's nearly as much as they need and without really compromising at all and in fact this starts well on the price scale the cheapest tlx starts around thirty seven thirty eight thousand dollars this one is kind of expensive a two liter turbo charged a spec all-wheel drive is around forty seven thousand dollars so that means when the type s does arrive it's gonna be a fifty thousand dollar car but i feel like you're gonna get a fifty thousand dollar experience when you buy that one it's significantly more power there's a lot more tuning and adjustments going on to make it worthy of that type s badge revival the steering here though is tuned very nicely the brakes are excellent it uses technology borrowed from the nsx electro servo brakes so the tune-ability of them is amazing and they feel great it's one of the few sport sedans that you actually would want to take to attract because you feel like it would probably deliver a dynamic and engaging experience there so i don't think you really need the a-spec version unless you want all the exterior goodies without them the car still looks good it just looks a little bit more aggressive with them i think if you want a fully awesome experience for the tlx you're going to have to wait for the type s otherwise you can save your money you don't need the a-spec package but one thing i would recommend is upgrading these tires even though this has 19-inch wheels it could use a better set of rubber even in smaller turns i can hear the tires squealing a little bit on the tlx they will offer an nsx derived wheel with high performance summer tires outside of that it's great different tires would transform it you\n"
