Sport Bluetooth Leather Seats Hid Finance Sunroof on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2021 Acura TLX First Drive | The mojo is returning

Buildup for the 2021 Acura TLX started more than a year ago when Acura released the stunning Type S Concept. It was long, low, wide and graced with gorgeous rear-drive proportions. Plus, it was slathered in some of the best blue paint we’ve ever seen. Acura could not have thought of a better way to say, “Hey, weÂ’re back!” ItÂ’s no surprise that the Type S Concept is a dead ringer for the production TLX. Acura designers told us the car was just about finished when the concept debuted. So yeah, the new TLX and TLX Type S were always going to look this good. The latter won't be arriving until next spring, but our first drive of this next-gen base TLX has us hopeful for the Type S and its 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. And maybe just a little nervous, too.  The bones are really good. Acura developed a new, unique platform for this TLX that was built with performance in mind from the get-go. It's not just an Accord in a fancy suit. With crossovers on the rise, Acura says its shrinking number of sedan buyers are more passionate about driving dynamics than crossover buyers, allowing them to focus on performance to an even greater degree. It makes sense. We heartily approve. The result of this performance focus is the most rigid body in any Acura not named NSX. YouÂ’ll find more advanced materials like aluminum and press-hardened steel in its makeup than any previous Acura sedan. It has a wider track (+1.2-inch front and +1.6-inch rear), a 2.2-inch wider body, a 3.7-inch longer wheelbase and a 0.5-inch shorter height. Lastly, the dash-to-axle dimension is 7.8 inches longer, giving it those sweet rear-drive proportions despite being a front-wheel-drive platform. 2021 Acura TLX Advance View 38 Photos If you're expecting more rear passenger and trunk space with the extended length, keep looking. Rear legroom is up 0.4 inch, and trunk space by 0.3 cubic-feet to 13.5 – paltry gains for how much larger the car got. The size growth benefitted style and body proportions more than it did functional considerations. Then, thereÂ’s the new suspension: double wishbones up front and a five-link rear. Acura previously used a MacPherson strut design in the front suspension and the move back to a double-wishbone design is great news for driving enthusiasts. Acura's well-regarded TL and TSX of the mid-2000s had double wishbones up front, as did many of Honda's greatest hits of yesteryear (Integra, Prelude, Civic Si, etc.).

Acura TLX caught naked in production guise, can you spot the differences?

Acura doesn't tend to do concept cars these days that don't foreshadow a specific upcoming production model. The ZDX prototype of 2010 previewed the production version, as did the ILX and RLX showcars of 2012 and the MDX of 2013. The NSX concept is on its way to production, as the SUV-X concept is likely to do as well in the coming years. So when Acura revealed the TLX prototype at the Detroit Auto Show a few months ago, we all but knew it would only be a matter of time before that, too, would be produced. And here it is.
Spied all but completely undisguised while undergoing testing, this pair of TLX prototypes (one in white, one in black) looks almost identical to the show car. You might spot a few minor tweaks here and there - the strip of LEDs in the lower front bumper have been replaced by round fog lamps and some of the chrome accents are missing - but by and large, we're looking at the same vehicle we saw in Detroit earlier this year.
The finished production version of the TLX is expected to debut at the New York Auto Show next month, after which it will replace both the TSX and the TL, slotting in between the smaller ILX and the larger RLX in Acura's sedan lineup.

2016 Acura ILX First Drive [w/video]

Luxury carmakers love getting 'em when they're young. Sure, it takes older, well-heeled buyers to move high-margin flagships like S-Classes, 7 Series, and LSes, but to borrow from the late, great Ms. Houston, the children are the future – specifically, the ones buying entry-level sleds like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA. Since youthful buyers tend to cultivate lifelong patterns of loyalty (and thus, spending), Acura has invested effort in shoving its entry-level ILX into more upmarket territory. "The ILX was originally conceived during the recession," one Acura executive admitted during the launch of the facelifted 2016 model, conceding that the original compact sedan's priorities were biased towards economy, not plushness. Because Acura originally didn't see the $30,000-ish competitors from Audi and Mercedes coming, they didn't think twice about equipping the base, prior-gen ILX with rather uninspired styling and a meager 150-horsepower engine, the combination of which made it more of a glorified Honda Civic than a contender for European power players. What's an aspiring Japanese automaker to do in 2015's golden age of affordable luxury? If you're Acura, you scramble to release a mid-cycle upgrade to elevate the ILX's status. Upmarket Moves: Fresher Skin And A Friskier Soul With its ho-hum sheet metal, the outgoing ILX simply couldn't stand up to its more crisply styled competitors. The 2016 model comes to the rescue by adding Acura's signature "Jewel Eye" row of LED headlights, which joins a reworked grille and fascia to form a more aggressive front end that's been moved lower and wider. A redesigned rear deck incorporates new LED taillamps, while the ILX's proportions now boast a more hunkered-down stance. The look is sexier (especially thanks to those glimmering headlights), though the stodgy, Buick-like character line and rear haunches remain. Inside, a new multimedia and navigation system brings a level of modernity to the cabin, with an eight-inch upper display and seven-inch lower touchscreen gracing Premium and Tech Plus models. A multi-view rear camera is standard on all ILXs, and the Premium gets a seven-speaker sound system while the Tech Plus receives a 10-speaker ELS premium audio setup. Acura's new Navi link feature enables iPhones to display navigation functionality on the car's screen using a $99 cable kit and a $60 app, offering an affordable way to know where you're going. The kit was not available on the models we drove.