With its tweaked styling cues, the 2018 Acura TLX continues its heritage of offering consumers luxurious features in an affordable, extremely reliable package. Looking past the TLX's luxurious qualities reveals a balanced sedan that can add a dose of enjoyment to any daily commute.
What's New for 2018
For 2018, Acura's midsize sedan offering gets a much-needed redesign that adds some pizzazz, starting with a new pentagonal grille that's sandwiched between LED headlights. The rest of the front bumper is new, as well, with sharp lines and a more chiseled look. The rear end has also been redesigned with square exhaust tips TLX models equipped with the V6 engine.
The available Technology Package on V6-powered TLX models now adds new leather seats with high-contrast stitching and piping, chrome side sill decoration, and adjustable thigh extension for the driver's seat. Changes have also been made to the Advance Package, which is once again only available on V6-powered TLX sedans, that now comes with trapezoidal fog lights and exhaust tips, wireless charging, a Surround View camera system, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a body-colored spoiler, and power-folding side mirrors.
While the engines – the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and the 3.5-liter V6 – carry over unchanged, the nine-speed automatic transmission that's paired to the V6 motor has been retuned to give the sedan a more refined feel, while Acura Super-Handling All Wheel Drive is now available on all V6 models.
In terms of safety, the 2018 TLX is better than ever, as the sedan has been fitted with the AcuraWatch – automatic emergency braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, lane-keeping assist, and Road Departure Mitigation – which brings safety and driver-assistance technologies to the vehicle.
Lastly, a new model, the TLX A-Spec makes its debut with a more athletic feel than the rest of the lineup, a more aggressive look, a sportier interior, and an exclusive Still Night Blue Pearl exterior paint job.
Choosing Your Acura TLX
The 2018 TLX sedan is available with three different powertrains. The base is a 2.4-liter inline-four engine that's matched to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with a torque convertor. The 2.4-liter engine produces 206 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. With front-wheel drive, TLX sedans with the four-cylinder engine can get 23 miles per gallon in the city, 33 highway, and 27 city.
The 3.5-liter V6 is the other powertrain option and generates 290 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to its nine-speed automatic transmission, the V6 engine isn't too far off the four-cylinder's fuel-economy figures at 20 mpg in the city, 32 highway, and 24 combined in front-drive trim. Opting for Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system doesn't affect the sedan's fuel-economy figures that much, as the TLX gets 21 mpg in the city, 30 highway, and 24 combined.
Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive is a $2,000 option on all V6-powered models.
The TLX technically only comes in two trims – TLX and TLX V6 – but as there are only three packages, it's easier to just break things down that way.
The 2.4-liter inline-four makes more than enough power for daily use – 206 hp is nothing to smirk at – and its lighter weight results in a better balanced sedan that's more fun to drive. We'd recommend at least upgrading to the Technology Package regardless of which engine you choose, though.