In the world of luxury automobiles, specifically sedans, Acura is the overlooked nameplate.
The reason probably has to do with price. For high-end products from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Jaguar, Cadillac, Infiniti and Audi, prices begin around $50,000 and can easily double or triple from that amount. If it doesn't cost a small fortune, it can't be luxury, right?
Acura's prices for the company's high-end sedan end around $50,000, although an RLX sport hybrid model is closer to $60,000. One might say that Acura, Honda's luxury division, is middle class and the competition is upper class.
This is not to say Acura does not have a topnotch luxury product. It does, even if bells and whistles such as a power rear-window sunshade and heated walnut or leather-clad steering wheel are missing.
The all-new
2015 Acura TLX midsize luxury sedan was conceived as a replacement for the TL and TXS with pricing that begins at $30,995. TLX prices can rise to $44,700, but the model in for a week of test driving was a $35,025 TLX with the Technology package. For the additional $4,020 package, the buyer gets a navigation system with voice recognition, upgrade high definition 10-speaker (normally seven speakers) sound system, multi-view rear camera, a link to real-time traffic, street and freeway conditions, perforated leather seats rain-sensing windshield wipers, blind spot information, lane keeping assist system, forward collision warning beeps and rear cross-traffic monitor.
That package helps transform the TLX into more of a luxury sedan, and the new taut exterior body is 3.7-inches shorter than last year's TL model, yet maintains the same 109.3-inch wheelbase and tandem (front-to-rear) passenger-seating distance. You'll notice the TLX's front and rear overhangs are shortened by 1.1 inches and 2.7 inches, respectively.
Acura offers two innovative direct-injection powerplants for the TLX, starting with a 206-hp 2.4-liter four cylinder mated to a new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. A more potent direct-injected, 3.5L V-6 that generates 290-hp is matched with the brand's first nine-speed automatic transmissions. Front-wheel drive is standard, with Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) available
The tested all-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger midsize TLX did not have the 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine, offered in the $44,700 TLX model, but it did have a direct-injected 2.4-liter, 206-hp, dual overhead cam, 16-valve four-cylinder mated to an eight-speed, dual-clutch (gears change through clutches) transmission. For a thorough explanation of the dual clutch, visit www.Acura.com.
This powerplant has sufficient energy for virtually all driving situations including jetting past slower traffic on crowded interstates. There is no motor hesitation. Hit the gas pedal and rocket forward is the order of the day or night. The engine effortlessly moves from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than seven seconds. During the test week, the $3,492-pound car averaged 26.9 miles per gallon of fuel usage. The 17.2-gallon fuel tank should be filled with premium gasoline. The Environmental Protection Agency rates the 2.4-liter TLX at 24 mpg city driving and 35 mpg highway. During the test week, most of the driving was suburban or city with one person aboard. Timing and lift control, or i-VTEC as Acura calls it, increases the horsepower by opening intake valves longer and deeper at about 4,500 revolutions per minute and higher. Direct injection sends fuel directly into each cylinder through a multi-hole injector. Other manufacturers do this, too, but Acura claims to be better at it.
As an aside, vehicles with an 'X' in the name usually are all-wheel-drive.
The driver-oriented, five-passenger interior includes a soft-touch, one-piece instrument panel upper cover, alloy and woodgrain accents and available leather seating with Milano bolsters. A premium 455-watt, 10-speaker Acura/ELS system, engineered specifically for the TLX by legendary recording engineer Elliot Scheiner is available on the '15 Acura TLX.
One complaint for the TLX is leg room. For a human taller than six-feet, two-inches, front leg room will be compromising. During the test week, this driver repeatedly was trying to power the seat back further but could not. Official leg room in front is 42.6 inches. An additional inch would be nice.
Leg room is OK but not munificent in the rear. Pop the trunk and you have 13.2 cu ft. of cargo volume, or 14.3 cu ft. with the optional Advance Package.
The ride is quiet and comfortable. There is noise-dampening foam in the unibody at 10 strategic junctures. Each door is triple sealed. The windshield is made of sound-absorbing acoustic glass. There are additional foam barriers in or around door panels, locks and windows. Rear wheel housings and the cabin floor also have insulators. The suspension system relies on struts in front and multi-links in the rear. These mechanicals are mounted in separate sub-frames and connected to the body by hydraulic mounts. It works. A ride that could be rough due to road irregularities, such as potholes, is softened by this suspension.
Adding to the thrill of driving the new TLX are on-board Siri Eyes Free voice-command capability and Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS). The TLX is the first Acura vehicle to fuse a monocular camera and millimeter wave radar system that expands both the fidelity and scope of the vehicle's road-sensing capabilities.
Steering is phenomenal. Acura engineers claim rear wheels (17-inch alloys supporting P225 all-season tires) can pivot up to 1.8 degrees in the same direction as front wheels. Results are stable, smooth and quick lane changes at legal highway speeds. When cornering, rear wheels angle slightly in the opposite direction of front wheels to help rotate the car into a turn. During the test week, it was fairly easy to navigate in and out of tight parking lots.
Luxuries expected include power front leather seats, heated front seats, heated and power exterior mirrors, power express windows (four of them), power door locks, remote keyless entry, push-button ignition (key must be nearby in a pocket, purse or cubby), dual zone climate control, various audio ports, satellite as well as AM-FM radio, compact disc player, Pandora internet, text messaging, cruise control and power moonroof with tilt feature, and the TLX has all of them. Cutting-edge safety systems offered includes blind-spot monitors, lane assist, lane departure warning, front-collision warning/avoidance and adaptive cruise control.
Besides the features in the tech package, additional safety equipment includes nine airbags (sides, front, overhead, driver's knee), stability control and a four-wheel antilock braking system.
Warranty coverage is four years or 50,000 miles and six years or 70,000 miles on the powertrain.
FAST FACTS
Vehicle: Tech model of 2015 Acura TLX
Type: all-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger midsize sedan
Price: $35,025
Delivery: $895
Engine: 2.4-liter, double overhead cam, direct injection 206-horsepower four-cylinder
Transmission: eight-speed shiftable automatic
Weight: 3,492 pounds
Wheelbase: 109.3 inches
Length: 190.3 inches
Height: 57 inches
Width: 73 inches
Ground clearance: 5.8 inches
Trunk: 14.3 cubic feet
Legroom: 42.6 inches front, 34.5 inches rear
Fuel tank: 17.2 gallons
Fuel: premium 91 octane recommended
Warranty: four years or 50,000 miles with 24-hour roadside assistance, six years or 70,000 miles on powertrain
Assembly: Marysville, Ohio
Information: www.acura.com