2002 Acura Tl 3.2 4dr Sedan on 2040-cars

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2014 Acura MDX SH-AWD

There are certain vehicles on sale today that are affected by what I call 'Camry Syndrome.' Named after Toyota's ubiquitous family hauler, Camry Syndrome affects a fair number of cars and trucks, many of which are exceedingly popular with consumers.
The issue I have with these vehicles is that while they're adequate, they lack ambition. Their looks are clean and reasonably attractive, but they're not particularly stylish, let alone adventuresome or - heaven forbid - polarizing. Their interiors are comfortable and well screwed together, with the sort of popular features that consumers expect at a given price point. Their engines are decently powerful and vocal enough to set the heart very slightly aflutter, yet they're not too thirsty. Their transmissions are invisible and their rides are best described with whatever buzzword synonym Joe Consumer might come up with for "sporty" or "luxurious." In short, they're boring.
In reality, provided they sell well, there's really nothing wrong with automakers building Camry Syndrome vehicles - they're reasonably competent at everything and clearly meet a need. The problem is that I want some aspects of my vehicle to be better than others, because contrast breeds character. I wish someone at Acura felt the way I did when it redesigned this MDX for 2014, because for me, there's so much of this premium crossover that's merely middle of the road.

2021 Acura TLX Type S officially goes on sale tomorrow

The 2021 Acura TLX Type S is arriving at Acura dealerships tomorrow. After over a decade hiatus here, we’ll have an Acura with a Type S badge available to buy once again. It wonÂ’t be too much longer until the MDX Type S joins the TLX, too. You can read everything there is to know about the TLX Type S in our first drive review. ItÂ’s the high-performance model of the four-door sedan, featuring a new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6, sport-tuned suspension and AcuraÂ’s excellent SH-AWD system. Power is rated at 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Acura dropped a video (you can watch below) with todayÂ’s on-sale announcement to dive into some of the nitty gritty details of this new V6.  One item the video misses is the TLXÂ’s new active exhaust system, though. ItÂ’s a new exhaust that is passed down from the NSX. As active exhausts go, this one is fairly standard. There are butterfly valves within the system that open depending on your throttle position or selected mode. Sport+ mode leaves them open 100% of the time, and theyÂ’ll even open in Comfort mode if you rev beyond 4,000 rpm. Acura says the exhaust is 5-7 decibels louder when the valves are open versus closed. If you want a new TLX Type S, the starting price is $53,325. Tack on the High Performance Wheel & Tire Package, and the price goes up to $54,125. YouÂ’ll probably want the wheel and tire package, too. The standard tires are Pirelli Cinturato P7 all-season tires, whereas the upgrade rubber gives you Pirelli P Zero summer tires. Those P Zeros are wrapping lighter wheels that save 5.8 pounds at each corner. The design is also inspired by the five-spoke wheels on the Acura NSX, so youÂ’ll be going faster and looking cooler. We have a feeling that itÂ’s $800 well spent. Related video:

2024 Acura TLX Type S First Drive: Give it some more credit

The latest generation of the Acura TLX wormed its way into our hearts from the moment we got behind the wheel. It’s a driverÂ’s car, and AcuraÂ’s made that clear from the get-go. Then we tried out the TLX Type S and liked it enough to even give it the nod over a BMW M340i in a head-to-head comparison test. Now that itÂ’s been a few years since the sport sedan came out, Acura has a mid-cycle refresh ready to sweeten the pot a little more. Our first go-around with the updated model is this 2024 Acura TLX Type S, but most of the updates apply to the pared-down collection of other trim levels (more on that later). The interior sees the most substantive upgrades, including a new set of screens for both the infotainment system and the analog-turned-digital gauge cluster. The latter is the more controversial of the bunch because even though a digital cluster is largely seen as an upgrade these days, the white-trimmed gauges of the pre-refresh car were a beautifully distinctive touch in an age of mostly anonymous digital clusters. Nevertheless, the cluster is now a 12.3-inch screen that comes standard on all TLX models. There are a few different views including a traditional two-dial approach, one that pushes the gauges all the way to the edges, and exclusive to the Type S, a third that features a horizontal tach reminiscent of the S2000Â’s rev counter.  The ADAS graphics in the center are a nice touch, and the screen is rather crisp, though weÂ’re not sure that everyone will find it to be an upgrade over the analog cluster. At the very least, couldnÂ’t Acura have replicated the old white-trimmed gauges (below, white) to maintain some continuity and appease purists like us? The 2024 MustangÂ’s retro Fox Body gauge design shows such things are possible. The infotainment display is bumped from 10.3 inches to 12.3, though the ever-controversial Acura Precision TouchPad remains. It responds quicker and more fluidly to inputs than before, and the newly-added wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto capability is a nice-to-have. And as the cherry on top, Acura added a new customizable head-up display and a 360-degree camera to the Type S. The rest of the TLXÂ’s interior is familiar. You sit low and are surrounded by easy-to-operate buttons, knobs and scroll wheels aplenty. The rear seat is still a scrunched affair for the TLXÂ’s footprint, but Acura never meant for this sedan to be a limo. Step outside, though, and youÂ’re met with some subtle but impactful design changes.