“While it may not be able to compete with rear-wheel drive athletes on the track, the TLX can handle all-comers on ordinary suburban streets like a champ.”
Avg
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Silky smooth V6
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Superb interior
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Styling for adults
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Excellent value, compared to the Germans
Against
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Frustrating infotainment system
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Lifeless on “edge” handling
I just got back to Portland after a long day of travel and only needed to be home for about 12 hours before taking to the skies again. To put it mildly, I was not in a great mood. Luckily, I had a nice beer metallic Acura TLX waiting for me at the Portland airport. While TLX may not be perfect, it’s ideal for relieving problem brows.
When I drove the TLX at its launch earlier this year, I didn’t get a chance to fully appreciate what a relaxing influence this car has on a busy daily commute. That doesn’t change the fact that for $46,000, which is the price of a fully loaded TLX, there are more exciting options in the luxury sedan market. However, for drivers looking to conquer a busy day commuting to and from work, there are few cars that will offer the same peace of mind.
Getting settled
With an average city trip of more than an hour a day, drivers will become very familiar with the interior of their cars. Acura seems to understand this. As a result, the TLX is a place where anyone should be happy to pass the time stuck in traffic. Even during my 45-minute journey home from the airport, I couldn’t find much to complain about.
Even after a bad day at the office, sitting in the TLX will remind the driver that he’s fine.
The TLX’s interior is modern but essentially conservative, with the only interesting bits concentrated on the center console. Unfortunately, I don’t particularly like the modern additions that the designers have added. On the V6 TLX, shifting is controlled via a row of buttons on the center console. These look nice and are sure to be the envy of anyone who has to move the lever like a caveman, but in practice they’re a bit frustrating. I’m sure long time owners could memorize the position of the various buttons. However, even after a week with the car, I was still tinkering.
The other modern aspect is one I’ve already discussed at length: the dual-screen infotainment system. Although that notion grew on me a bit during the week I spent with him, I still don’t care. It’s nice to always have the nav map open, but it’s frustrating to have to go back and forth between using the touchscreen and the joystick, especially since neither control system is as refined as it could be if it were the sole focus.
Despite my complaints, there’s a lot to like about the TLX’s interior. The seats are extremely comfortable, and the cabin is quiet even at speed. Most of all, the TLX conveys an air of quality and luxury that the TL and TSX it replaces lack. In fact, compared to the stripped-down sedans the Germans sell for the same price, the TLX feels like a premium product. In short, even after a bad day at the office, sitting in the TLX will remind the driver that he’s fine.
Fit in
It’s not just the car’s tech-packed interior that gives the TLX a sense of presence. Acura’s designers have done well to keep the TLX within their design language, but – thankfully – toned down some of the language’s most polarizing features.
The huge chrome parrot beaks of the TL and TSX have been pared down to the point of being almost classy, especially when complemented by jewel-shaped LED headlights. In profile, the TLX is somewhat difficult to distinguish from the Honda Accord. Still, thanks to the big wheels and relatively wide stance, the car looks like it means business from three-quarter angles front and rear. Most importantly, the TLX’s design has enough luxury features to fit in with the German performance crowd without looking like a copycat of anyone else.
It doesn’t have the styling flair of the Cadillac ATS, but by the same token, it won’t raise as many eyebrows at the local golf club.
Coming home
The TLX truly excels in an area that avid golfers will likely appreciate: smoothness. This applies whether the driver is stuck in traffic or going on a Sunday cruise.
To really have fun in the TLX, buyers need to move down the market to the base model with the inline-four.
Acura’s decision to prioritize smoothness is evident in the powertrain. My press demonstrator was equipped with the top-of-the-line 3.5-liter V6 engine, which produces 295 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. This silky engine is mated to an all-new nine-speed automatic transmission. Although this gearbox gets irritated when forced to deal with aggressive driving, it offers seamless and instant changes under normal conditions. It also lets the V6 drop to a near-idle on the highway, which translates to a respectable 21/31 mpg.
Like most of the cars we test at Digital Trends, it doesn’t reach this mileage in practice. However, the V6 has those power figures. The feeling of acceleration is not particularly dynamic, but like riding a wave, it just doesn’t stop.
By going through Acura’s IDS system, it is possible to choose one of four driving modes: Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport+. Only two of them bring truly radical changes, “Eco” throws a wet blanket on throttle response and is intolerable for anything but highway driving. “Sport+” makes the TLX a very, very angry contender with all-wheel drive to allow more slip and a transmission that holds gears all the way to redline. It’s fun when you’re hitting a twisty road, but the ultra-aggressive gear points wear out quickly otherwise.
Sticking to the sports mode for city driving, the driver will get a fair compromise between comfort and sportiness. Acura’s torque vectoring Super Handling-Four-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) makes the car feel poised and quick. Unlike some cars, the sport steering didn’t compromise the ride, which is firm enough to give the driver a sense of the road surface, but not uncomfortable or uncomfortable.
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
Unfortunately, with a big, heavy V6, electric power steering and lots of computers between the driver and the road, the TLX isn’t as much fun to drive hard. It will do almost anything asked of it, but is heavy and prone to understeer at or near its limit. To really have fun in the TLX, buyers need to move down the market to the base model with the inline-four. The 206-hp inline-four may be from the Accord, but it’s fiery. And thanks to the lower curb weight, the car is freed up for more lively handling.
Conclusion
When it comes to people who like to drive clean and simple, the Acura TLX won’t win many hearts and minds—at least not while BMW continues to sell the gold standard 3 Series. cars. Real people spend their time stuck on city highways or at stop signs amid a sea of olive groves and foot lockers. And for these not-so-interesting, but much more ordinary people, the Acura TLX makes a lot of sense.
The TLX has the kind of quality and comfort customers expect from Honda and Acura, but with a much more refined and premium feel than the outgoing TL and TSX. Better than that, the TLX delivers much more value than its German – and even Japanese – competitors.
Tall
- Silky smooth V6
- Superb interior
- Styling for adults
- Excellent value, compared to the Germans
Falls
- Frustrating infotainment system
- Lifeless on “edge” handling
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn