2015 Acura TLX SH-AWD Advance
All-wheel drive five-passenger sport sedan
Price as tested: $44,700 (excluding destination charge)
Reasons to buy: All-wheel drive; fuel economy, features; price
Shortcomings: Handling; power; performance of auto-stop
EPA fuel ratings: 21 mpg city/31 highway/25 combined. Premium gasoline.
By Mark Phelan
Detroit Free Press
In addition to being the worst crossword answer ever, the three-star 2015 Acura TLX SH-AWD sport sedan is a major step back toward relevance for Acura.
The brand, which Honda launched in the 1980s, invented the Japanese luxury car and built a handful of great ones. Mysteriously, it then checked out for a couple of decades. Acura produced a string of ever-less-relevant cars, hitting bottom when its beak-like Angry-Birds grille became a joke.
The TLX’s looks, features and price suggest Acura’s sabbatical is over.
The new TLX comes in front- and all-wheel drive. It runs with a tough crowd, competing with the Audi S4, BMW 3-series, Cadillac ATS, Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS and Mercedes-Benz C-class.
TLX prices start at $31,445 for a front-wheel drive model with a 206-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. A 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 linked to a conventional nine-speed automatic transmission is available starting at $35,320.
Honda’s modestly named Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) is available with the V-6 at prices from $41,575. AWD helps the TLX take full advantage of the engine’s power and improves traction in bad weather.
I tested a top-of-the-line TLX SH-AWD with the Tech and Advance option packages. It had adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, perforated leather seats, a power sunroof, LED headlights, voice recognition, Bluetooth phone and audio compatibility, ELS audio, blind spot and cross traffic alerts, remote start and more. It stickered at $44,700. All prices exclude destination charges.
That compares favorably with similarly equipped competitors, for instance undercutting a comparable BMW 335i xDrive by nearly $10,000.
The TLX’s V-6 is less powerful than the competitors’ six-cylinder engines, with the lowest torque and horsepower output in the group. That leads to acceleration that’s adequate, but unexciting. The car is a fine highway cruiser, however.
The auto-stop system, which shuts the engine off when you’re idling at a stop light or in traffic and restarts automatically, is not as smooth or quick as the best competitors. It saves fuel, but I turned it off frequently.
The nine-speed transmission is quick and smooth, though its controls seem nonintuitive. Rather than a shift, dial, or even conventional buttons, Acura chose a unique solution that places buttons at several different angles in the center console. In a weeklong test, I never got used to it.
The suspension absorbs bumps for a comfortable, quiet ride. The steering is quick and responsive.
Despite that, the TLX SH-AWD’s handling is less invigorating than its sportier competitors. That’s probably because the other cars all have a more equal front-to-rear weight distribution than the TLX SH-AWD’s nose-heavy layout, which puts 60 percent of weight over the front axle. By comparison, the ATS has a 50/50 weight distribution; the 335i xDrive is 52.4/47.6. Both cars feel more balanced in quick maneuvers.
The TLX’s interior is beautiful. The test car’s comfortable seats were covered in perforated chocolate leather. Attractive dark red wood, muted metallic accents and soft materials complete the package. The front seat has plenty of room and storage. Rear passenger room and trunk space are also good.
The voice-recognition system was accurate, but slow. The controls for climate and audio are straightforward, but the center stack layout with two screens — one a touch screen, the other not — seemed a bit excessive. I couldn’t figure out what it accomplished that a single good touch screen wouldn’t do.
The exterior styling is understated and attractive, a welcome change from the gimmicky and angular look of recent Acura cars.
The TLX SH-AWD’s fuel economy is at the top of its class. The EPA rates it at 21 mpg in the city, 31 on the highway and 25 combined. The key combined figure beats the competition by 1 to 5 mpg
The TLX SH-AWD is a welcome return to excellence by a brand that was missing for too long. Its looks, features, value and fuel economy should put Acura back on plenty of shopping lists, and win it a new generation of happy owners.
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