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2021 Acura TLX Arrives As The Sport Sedan We've Been Waiting For

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#1 · (Edited)
2021 Acura TLX Arrives As The Sport Sedan We've Been Waiting For
Carbuzz
BY JARED ROSENHOLTZ











We've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next-generation Acura TLX ever since the stunning Type S Concept was shown off last year. Following a small teaser image and an unplanned leak, the 2021 Acura TLX has been official reveal. And it looks great. As we expected, the production TLX adopts the same attractive design of the concept with a wide stance, lowered roofline, and longer wheelbase.

The current TLX's 2.4-liter four-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 engines have been scrapped in favor of two new engines, one of which is familiar while the other is all-new to the Acura lineup. A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with VTEC acts as the base powertrain, producing the same 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque found in the RDX crossover. These are gains of 66 hp and 123 lb-ft compared to the outgoing four-banger and 48 lb-ft more than the V6. As with the RDX, power is sent to front-wheel-drive or Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive through a 10-speed automatic, replacing the old eight-speed dual-clutch and nine-speed automatic.
The 2021 TLX Type S will arrive later in the spring of 2021, powered by an all-new 3.0-liter, 24-valve, DOHC direct-injected and turbocharged V6 sending power to SH-AWD only. Acura says this new engine was developed by its top engineers, who are also responsible for the bespoke twin-turbocharged V6 found in the NSX supercar. Unfortunately, the V6's power outputs remain a mystery at this time, but Acura says it will deliver "dramatic gains" compared to the old normally aspirated V6 with greater than a 50 percent increase in low-end torque.
 
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#4 ·
1) The 3.0T is intriguing.
2) Still looks like a TLX.
3) Interior still sux.
 
#5 ·
I don’t think there is a model from a Asian brand that I like the interior design or layout of. The Acura faithful will like this for sure. If Mazda can execute its latest plan it’ll take a lot of the shine away from Acura and Infiniti.
 
#7 · (Edited)
^^^It's Acura, its what they do...it's what they've always done. They haven't gone through any so called "rebirths" where they announced their intentions to take on the Euros...they have a lane, they know their lane, and for the most part they stick to their lane.

Also, they've done well in their attempts to hide its FWD underpinnings. The cab rearward design with the long hood definitely hides the typical FWD proportions very well.
 
#8 ·
Looks good for fwd, but park it next to a rwd based luxury vehicle and suddenly it looks like a fancy Honda and not a luxury car. This class should be rwd.

I'd love to see the demographics on Honda/Acura. 20 years ago it seemed like they were the "it" brand for the young. Now I feel like Subaru/Mazda are the goto for the younger generations. Totally unscientific, that is what I feel like I'm seeing - that and a nickel will get you nowhere.
 
#11 ·
Looks good for fwd, but park it next to a rwd based luxury vehicle and suddenly it looks like a fancy Honda and not a luxury car. This class should be rwd.
+1
My favorite Acura automobile from a design standpoint is the second generation Acura/Honda Legend. The car's engine was mounted longitudinally, even though it was FWD. That arrangement allowed designers to achieve RWD proportions.

 
#12 ·
Always thought the Legends were RWD when I was growing up.
Agreed this is now my 2nd favorite acura design, Legend now this, that profile for a FWD sedan looks Great, GM needs to figure it out. whould have made the Lacrosse, XTS, and Impala look so much better.
 
#53 ·
Look at it again, seems pretty slick to me, most of that is HVAC and Seat buttons.



BTW, you should talk to someone about that inferiority complex you have...its pretty unhealthy.
He can't see it................... the chip is on his shoulder out of eye-sight.


You can post all the pictures you want. Acura's always look nice to me until they are parked next to a BMW or Mercedes then all of a sudden they just look like nice Honda's. Though they have different styling, there is a strong Honda-ness about them.
"Mentally" I know Acura is a "Honda (mfg)" but it's not a "Honda (car)" Looking the same, (in my opinion) is in your head.

There you go again posting your opinions as fact...sound familiar?
Though I didn't do it in these posts, generally I use a form of "in my opinion", on the flip side, nowhere do I state what I think is fact. However, in the past, you've proudly stated that your opinion is based on pure logic, therefore you are always right. Sorry, your opinion isn't fact.

You remind me of a post I made years and years ago about how cramped and claustrophobic the Ford Taurus was (the last gen when they made it a full size vehicle on the Volvo chassis) when it had just come out. I sat in the damn thing at an auto show and a bunch of guys started throwing all sorts of pictures and stats at me telling me my opinion was wrong and they were right. Then the reviews started coming out and most of them mentioned "cramped" in one way or form..... Slow sales followed. And to tie this in with Acura, perhaps that strong Honda-ness that I see is also seen by others and can help explain their generally disappointing results over the past 20+ years.
Are you talking about the Ford Five Hundred? Certainly bigger than the car it replaced, and with the large DLO and tall cabin, felt big.

The downfall to the next Gen was the intruding center-stack.


Before I updated this page and saw your comment I had even edited my post to say "to me".

I'm fine with you liking the Acura and disagreeing with my opinion, but respect my opinion as well** and don't pretend your opinion is better than mine or worse, that your opinion is fact.

**and mind you, I've said twice it is a nice looking car. And mind you that I've consistently said over the years that I think luxury cars should be RWD, even the XTS.
Why? Especially when most are AWD.


I don't see this strong resemblance in any other manufacturer, even Toyota/Lexus or Nissan/Infiniti.
WUT - You just jumped the shark with that one!


But there is no resemblance, its all in your head. You're programmed to think that Honda=Acura, Toyota=Lexus, Nissan=Infiniti and so on...I'd argue that Toyota/Lexus are starting to converge more and definitely Nissan/Infiniti (the Q50 is the Skyline in Japan) more so than what is happening at Acura.
Yup - :tup::

So why don't you program me to think the right way, your way! The problem is you are making it up by not being able to differentiate between your opinion and fact.

If I'm programed, how come I don't have the same issue with Toyota/Lexus and Nissan/Infiniti? Choose to ignore that because it doesn't fit with your line of argument?
Its simple actually, you still believe it, you're just not admitting it to prove your point...hence why I blew that up by letting you know that Nissan/Infinit are closer linked than you claim them to be. Feigning ignorance doesn't work on me...it might work on some, but I'm smarter than that.
Why don't you just write all of the posts on GMI, that way all of them will be right? You are telling me I have to like the Acura because you don't see what I see, the hubris is simply amazing.

Again, still didn't answer my question. Why do I no longer see the strong resemblance with Toyo/Lex and Niss/Inf? I used to see it in them too, now I don't.
Your response tells me you don't understand what I'm saying when there is a Hondaness about all Acura's. It is more than a shared grill or similar body shape. It's akin to two brothers who don't look the same, yet something about them is obvious they are brothers.
So wait, the Acura looks like a Honda, but it's not the grille or body shape!?

Which is fine, but the way you are doing it comes across as you are forcing me to your way of thinking. Everyone has their set of life experiences that leads them to interpret the same information in a different way. For you, Acura is a differentiated product and can hold it's head high next to BMW. Acura isn't there fore me and likely never will be until they take the next step to a few rwd platforms like Lexus has.
How to damage a good thread.
Note the common denominator, and it isn't me!.......................


You don't see the similarities in the Toyota/Lexus shared platforms and styling?
EXACTLY! :fall:
 
#28 ·
You can post all the pictures you want. Acura's always look nice until they are parked next to a BMW or Mercedes then all of a sudden they just look like nice Honda's. Though they have different styling, there is a strong Honda-ness about them.
There you go again posting your opinions as fact...sound familiar?
 
#52 ·
I personally think Acura has ALWAYS "played to their own drummer" and IMHO that is a GOOD thing unlike CADDY AND AUDI both trying to be the "next BMW"
I find some level of "Honda DNA" in Acura and MOST Honda made equipment
- I believe somewhere in the halls of Honda there is this unwritten rule that everything HAS to be EASY to OWN and good for the ENVIRONMENT FIRST and any other requirement follow from there

IMHO for the MOST part the wheels driving has little to make a car "premium" these days and designers are good at "fixing" proportion "issues" - Audi has always been FWD based and HAS the same respect as the "proper" RWD BMWs and MERCS
 
#58 ·
I personally think Acura has ALWAYS "played to their own drummer" and IMHO that is a GOOD thing unlike CADDY AND AUDI both trying to be the "next BMW"
I find some level of "Honda DNA" in Acura and MOST Honda made equipment
- I believe somewhere in the halls of Honda there is this unwritten rule that everything HAS to be EASY to OWN and good for the ENVIRONMENT FIRST and any other requirement follow from there

IMHO for the MOST part the wheels driving has little to make a car "premium" these days and designers are good at "fixing" proportion "issues" - Audi has always been FWD based and HAS the same respect as the "proper" RWD BMWs and MERCS
I agree regarding drive wheels. The vast majority of owners likely don't know which end pulls or pushes. They just know that AWD cures all ills, they will never get stuck or slide off a snowy road.

And while I watch these discussions regarding proportions and wheelwell placement, for the life of me I couldn't tell you by looking which end has the drive wheels. I judge overall styling, I consider wheel wells not significant in that regard. No my obsession.

Honda makes good stuff. Odds are better than 50/50 that I'd be in an Acura ILX today save for the classically stupid obnoxious pest of a salesman at the Acura dealer. I should have called his boss and had him called off and gotten another salesman but I didn't. These guys dig their own graves. Even after I ran into the dope at the local auto show and told him he was a pest, all he could say was, "I'm a salesman. That's what I do." OK. Except you didn't salesman me anything, dumbarse.
 
#73 ·
Acura=Premium, not Luxury. Nothing more or less. I think they are quite content with the sales volumes, extra margin, and low investment. Its a good ROI for them, but they don't have the desire or determination to move up into luxury territory, and its not really in their corporate culture. I just wish the NSX was more appropriately positioned for their brand, loved the first Gen.
 
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#102 ·
IMHO as far as I am concerned the "tier" 1 VS 2 is more of a LACK of "uber expensive" models no S class / 7 series / S8 ETC
but as far as I am concerned BMW AND Merc all make "premium" cars NO better then Buick OR Acura
Merc "B" Class / CLA
BMW 1/2 series
Audi A4 are NO better than Volvo / Buick OR Acura

as for "Honda-ness"
almost Guarantee the Engine will be a brilliant revving happy thing with "fun" handling and NOT as quiet as the competition - and looks to me to be designed by the same team

CADDY shares a LOT of "DNA" from GM INCLUDING Chevy traits
 
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