Acura has been around for a good while now as the American luxury and performance wing of Japanese automakers, Honda. They’ve recently been receiving quite a lot of hype due to the return of the long-lost Integra, a 90s sports car legend, and its Type S variant. However, its long-standing offering has gone somewhat overlooked this last year.

Acura has been around in the United States for generations, with it first popping up in North America in the late 1980s. Since then, its lineup has evolved and changed to fit the American market with varying success. Back in the 90s, the Integra was by far its best offering. Since 2014, the TLX has held down the fort and down it quite well.

The Acura TLX was the replacement for the Acura TL and TSX. At the time it played second fiddle to Acura’s RLX. Since the RLX’s discontinuation back in 2021, the TLX has been the brand’s flagship sedan. Its obvious both in the TLX’s design and its engineering that it carries the heritage of Honda’s luxury badge, so why has it been so drastically overlooked this year?

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The Integra Has The Spotlight Now But The TLX Is Still Brilliant Value

In the late 80s all the way through to the early 2000s Acura developed and sold something incredibly special, the Integra. The Integra captured the mind and souls of car enthusiasts across the world, even more so when the sportier Type R came about. That’s why, in 2001, when the brand made the sale of the Integra exclusive to Japan, people were devastated.

Fast-forward a couple of years, its 2022 and Acura unveils the rebirth of the Integra. Finally, after years and years of waiting, Acura has brought back the legend. People were thrilled and the sports sedan sold incredibly well. It even earned itself the North American Car of the Year award for 2023. Then in April 2023, Acura announced the Type S, which seems like a spiritual successor to the Acura Type R of old. People are beyond thrilled and all eyes are on the Integra.

2023 TLX MSRP

With so much attention to the Integra, Acura’s flagship offering, the TLX, goes completely overlooked in 2023. Despite it being the bigger, more luxurious version of the Integra, it simply just doesn’t catch the eye as much as the nostalgic nameplate. It’s a shame because the Acura TLX is a brilliant offering, it doesn’t compete in the same field as the Integra, but offers a unique experience. The 2023 model year also brings about a ton of great value options and changes that help it compete with more expensive European sports sedans.

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A Deep Dive Into The Performance Of The Acura TLX

The TLX’s main competitor in its class is the BMW 3 Series. As the gold standard for sports sedans, the BMW 3 Series is a tough competitor to go up against, but the North American mid-size offering has its own moves that give it the edge in some places.

The base TLX is no slouch. It features a brawny turbocharged four-cylinder engine that gets it off the line in a hurry. The powertrain is matted to a ten-speed automatic gearbox; unfortunately, no manual is offered for those purists who detest automatic, but this is becoming the norm across the board anyway.

TLX Performance

Acura has always surprised people with its ability to make sporty front-wheel drive cars that accelerate quickly and handle well and the TLX is no exception. While it may not be the quickest off the line in its class, it certainly has the road manners to make it an absurdly fun drive. This is all thanks to the brilliant chassis tuning that Acura is well known for.

TLX Type S Performance

The fun only increases if you push yourself up to the Type S trim level. Say goodbye to the turbo-four and hello to a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 mill. This engine really pushes the TLX to its limits, it gives it the gusto that the base trim lacks. Improved chassis tuning, sportier suspension, and the option of lighter 20-inch wheels wrapped in summer tires, help this sports sedan easily compete with the likes of Audi and BMW.

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The TLX Matches More Expensive Competitors In Quality, Economy, And Practicality

One of the main reasons why we think the TLX is so good compared to its competitors is its price. Not only does the TLX come in at an MSRP significantly cheaper than the comparative models in the 3 Series lineup, but it comes with a ton of standard luxuries that are only offered as expensive add-ons by other automakers. This is particularly true when comparing the Type-S.

The TLX Type S comes standard with adaptive dampeners for a smoother ride, an option that costs extra in competitor sedans. It also comes standard with a high-end ELS STUDIO premium audio system with 17 speakers, including four overhead speakers. The interior is also decked out in a Milano premium leather trim at no additional cost. All in all you can take a completely standard Type S TLX off the dealership floor with a ton of features which are considered extras in sports sedans by other manufacturers.

One of the main downsides to the TLX is its interior space. The TLX definitely sacrifices certain things to keep up its sporty persona. While it's similar in size to 5 Series, its rear legroom is significantly less. The TLX is clearly designed to be driven instead of as a chauffer car; in comparison to the rear, its front seats are completely decked out. It also offers similar trunk space to competitors.

Interior Dimensions

In terms of fuel economy, the TLX does alright. It doesn’t do particularly well or particularly bad, it rides the average line quite closely in terms of its highway and urban combined miles per gallon. According to the EPA the base TLX does 24 miles per gallon combined and the Type S does 21 miles per gallon combined.

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The Special PMC Edition Rolled Out This Year

Another 2023 marker that makes the Acura TLX so criminally underrated is that its special edition has flown completely under the radar. Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Center has showered the Acura TLX Type S with a ton of special bits and bobs for the 2023 model year. This adds a sense of history and future value to your TLX that shouldn’t be ignored.

The Acura TLX Type S PMC Edition comes in exclusive colors that were previously offered on the legendary NSX: Curva Red, 130R White, and Long Beach Blue. It also comes in a Gotham Black, a rare color that will only grace 50 TLXs. Other additions include a Berlina black antenna, exhaust tips, and door handles as well as copper 20-inch racing wheels. A ton of the aero on the Type S PMC has also been manufactured in carbon fiber.

Ultimately, there are a ton of reasons to consider the 2023 TLX. Due to the arrival of the Integra as well as the TLX existing in a hyper-competitive segment, it’s been drastically overlooked. The Acura TLX offers a luxury performance experience that is both unique and exciting, with an identity that is truly its own. It's also impossible to deny the incredible value you get out of the top trim TLX Type S. All-in-all the TLX is a winner in our books.