Acura TLX
Midsize luxury sport sedan · 2015–2025. 7,478 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
It was created by Acura, Honda's luxury brand in the United States. The chief engineer (Large Project Leader) of the first TLX was Mat Hargett, who started the program by himself more than five years before launch; Mike Accavitti, Acura's senior vice president and general manager, introduced it. For the second generation, Marc Ernst was the global development leader and Jon Ikeda led the brand; the Type S turbo V6 was developed in Japan under the guidance of Akio Matsuda.
It was styled at Acura's Los Angeles design studio and developed at Honda's center in Raymond, Ohio; according to its chief engineer, about 95% of the team was based in the U.S. Both generations were built at Honda's Marysville, Ohio auto plant, the same plant that built the TL before it. For the second generation, engines came from the Anna, Ohio plant and the 10-speed transmission from Tallapoosa, Georgia.
Acura announced the name in December 2013 and showed the prototype at the Detroit auto show on January 14, 2014. The production version debuted in New York on April 16, 2014. Production in Marysville was under way by July 2014, and the 2015 TLX reached dealers in the second half of that year. On July 23, 2025, Acura announced that production would end that month.
Acura announced the TLX name on December 19, 2013 for its new midsize luxury sedan, replacing TL and TSX within an ILX, TLX and RLX lineup. The spelling retains TL and adds X; this observation does not establish an official etymology.
According to chief engineer Mat Hargett, acura had two sedans that each missed the mark: the TL looked too big to signal that it was sporty, and the TSX had the right proportions but lacked power and refinement. The TLX replaced both with one car: shorter than the TL, with the same knee room, and with new engines and transmissions. That gave Acura a clear three-step sedan lineup: ILX, TLX and RLX.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12015–2020
One sedan to replace two
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 What changed. It replaced the TL and the TSX. It was approximately four inches shorter than the TL but kept its 109.3-inch wheelbase. It introduced two direct-injected engines: a 206-hp 2.4-liter with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and a 290-hp 3.5-liter V6 with a 9-speed automatic, with four-wheel steering (P-AWS) or SH-AWD all-wheel drive, now 25% lighter. In 2017 the refreshed 2018 model arrived with the diamond pentagon grille, a new A-Spec version, the AcuraWatch safety suite as standard, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, from $33,000.
The innovation. Its 8-speed dual-clutch transmission was, according to Acura, the world's first automotive dual-clutch paired with a torque converter. The dual clutch shifts quickly; the torque converter smooths pulling away from a stop, something these gearboxes often do with a jerk. It was also the first Acura with Road Departure Mitigation.
If you buy one usedThe 2015 TLX had several recalls: 14V779 (V6 2WD cars built July 14–November 12, 2014, and SH-AWD cars built August 26–November 10, 2014, where the transmission might not lock in Park), 16V640 (transmission harness connectors that could shift it to neutral) and 14V613 (wrong weight ratings on the safety label of some AWD cars). 2015–2019 V6 models are in 19V060 (fuel pump affected by particles), 2019 models in 19V298 (timing belt that can lose teeth) and 2019–2020 models in 21V215 (low-pressure fuel pump). 23V751 covers certain 2015–2020 TLX for an engine connecting-rod bearing that can wear and seize, 23V858 is another fuel pump campaign, and 26V332 (2018–2020) and 24V064 (2020) address the front passenger seat weight sensor. For 16V640, the published remedy is a software update selected by transmission serial number. Under 23V751, the engine is inspected and repaired or replaced as necessary. The fuel-pump and seat-sensor expansions do not affect every vehicle in each listed year; confirm actual VIN eligibility and completed work with Acura/NHTSA before buying. - Gen. 22021–2025
Its own platform and the return of Type S
Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It debuted an Acura-exclusive platform with a 3.7-inch-longer wheelbase, a body 2.2 inches wider and a lower roof, and brought back double-wishbone front suspension. Every engine became turbocharged: a 272-hp 2.0-liter with a 10-speed automatic, from $37,500. In June 2021 the TLX Type S arrived with a 355-hp 3.0-liter turbo V6, Brembo brakes and standard SH-AWD for $52,300, bringing back the Type S name after more than a decade. The refreshed 2024 model added 12.3-inch screens and a camera and radar with a wider field of view.
The innovation. Its body is 50% stiffer in torsion than the previous one and, NSX aside, the most rigid Acura had ever offered. It was the first Acura to use laser brazing to join its roof panel to the body sides, eliminating the rain-channel trim strip. It also uses electro-servo brakes derived from the NSX supercar.
If you buy one usedCheck these recalls: 24V950 (2021–2023, fuel filler neck and tank welds that can cause a fuel leak), 25V391 (2021–2025, a brake pedal pivot pin not properly secured that can let the pedal shift out of position) and 22V950 (2022, tires that may have been cut during sorting at the factory). 2021 and 2023 TLX models are in 26V332, and some 2021 models in 24V064, both for the front passenger seat weight sensor. The fuel tank assembly is replaced under 24V950; the brake pedal and tires are inspected and replaced as necessary under their respective campaigns. The seat sensors are replaced, and 26V332 expands 24V064; its second-generation TLX years are 2021 and 2023. Confirm actual VIN eligibility and completed work with Acura/NHTSA before buying.
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