2017 Acura TLX: Looking better, but stick with the four cylinder

[DeaGLe^]

The Acura TLX went from a sharp-looking sporty four-door to a weird, futuristic, beaked sedan, but it finally seems to have settled in to its own style. One thing I noticed this time with the car: Its bumper/nose dips down into the front grille now. I don’t hate it, I don’t love it. I’m not sure how I feel about it. Otherwise, the rear, silhouette and three-quarter view all look clean and elegant.
The interior feels the same way. The seats are almost Lexus-comfy (the comfiest), the double radio screen takes a bit to get used to, and outward visibility is solid all the way around. I’m starting to dislike the push-button transmission, though. Just when I think it’s second nature, I press the reverse button when I want to drive and almost smack into a mailbox.
The new V6 feels quick with nearly 300 hp. The pedal is a little light and touchy for my taste, but it does make it feel fast off the line when it snaps your neck back. The nine-speed was just OK. It seemed to hang on to a gear for a little longer than it needed at some points, and at others, it switched too early. Sport and Sport plus mode make it more aggressive and maybe a little quicker -- and definitely less annoying. I didn’t try eco mode.
Honda/Acura steering is usually quick, and this TLX seems to have a good ratio. Of course, there isn’t any feel, but nothing really has a ton of feel these days, so quick is all you can ask for. It was more softly sprung than I expected, too. It really reminded me of a Lexus ES, though I’d say it’s better looking than that.
That ES starts at $36,900 or so; this is just a little more expensive, and I think I’d take this TLX over that Lexus. The ES’s interior might be a little better, power is about the same, but this TLX has all-wheel drive. Acura doesn’t sell it in royal blue anymore, though, just a darker blue. Neither offers a stick shift, but you knew that already, and neither are really the enthusiast’s choice, but you probably knew that, too. Yup, I’ve decided. Between the two, I’m going TLX.

This car bucks the trend of entry-ish level luxury sedans moving to four-cylinder engines -- witness the Mercedes C-Class and Acura’s own TLX for just two examples. This V6 is optional, and according to acura.com, it sets you back something like six grand. The four cylinder’s base price is $32K. Granted this car is loaded with a moonroof, nav, satellite radio, full infotainment system and basically everything else I can think of.
I bring up the four because our site talks about driving it back to back with the six. It seems we preferred the four, with comments like, “I was not impressed with the V6 AWD Acura TLX we had a few months ago -- the car was just dull in every respect …” and “The four-cylinder has a completely different feel. This car dances with crisp, light handling, a fantastic engine and brilliant steering. Outright performance is traded for good, old-fashioned Honda-ness -- anyone who grew up in Honda’s heyday will know what I’m talking about. With a good option package and stellar driving dynamics, the TLX suddenly goes from outclassed to a must-drive in the entry-luxury segment -- as long as you stick with the I4. For the right buyer, the four-cylinder TLX is a lovely little sports sedan, and, unlike its V6 brother, it makes a strong value case for itself at $36K.”
So here I am, driving the V6. It’s perfectly comfortable, and I’d go so far as to say it's responsive around town. Considering most TLX buyers drive them at say 6 or 7/10ths, I am guessing they’ll be happy with their cars. Big effort was made to make the new (in 2015, when it replaced both the larger TL and smaller TSX) car quieter according to our site, including pumping foam into the spaces behind the exterior body panels. It is indeed quiet and smooth going down the road. It’d be even quieter, but I did tend to crank up the excellent stereo. It’s too good not to.
The V6 is smooth (of course it is, it’s a Honda), and 290 hp is more than ample. The four produces 206 hp. This morning’s heavy rains make me wonder if this car really has Super Handling All-Wheel Drive as listed above. I didn’t think the road holding was as good as I remember in other cars with it. On the other hand, it’s been biblical rain around lately, so I applaud the thing for just getting me to the office.
Overall, this is a fine car. In my opinion, the exterior design is finally interesting, and the interior is comfortable and well-built. It performs as well as the vast majority of its prospects would expect. The car’s sales aren’t exactly tearing it up; they’re off 14.7 percent this year. Acura moved 26,000 of them in ’16 compared to the BMW 3-Series’ 45,000 and the C-Class’ 50K.