ELIN

^^^^^^^^
As I’ve said all along, not a great car for parents with young kids.

fiatlux

It works in a pinch, but frankly, so did my Fiat. Definitely not something ideal on the regular, as my wife and I discovered with our 1G.

One thing to note is that the Maxi Cosi Mico 30 they tested with is one of the smallest and lightest infant car seats on the market, and as such it’s missing some of the features the larger ones have, like anti-rebound bar and side impact protection. This is basically the best case scenario for any car seat fitment. If a larger (and safer) car seat had been used I suspect his tune about how uncomfortable (but bearable) it was would likely change. Personally since the car seat is positioned in the outboard seat, I would not feel comfortable using a car seat without side impact protection knowing the safer ones on the market exist.

TSX69

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...g-term-update/

2021 Acura TLX long-term update: You can go home again

In which my mom and I drive home to Washington for the first time in years.

Kyle Hyatt
Sept. 7, 2021 2:00 a.m. PT
Listen
- 04:46

• 
  

Enlarge ImageWe've put nearly 15,000 miles on our TLX now.
Steven Ewing/Roadshow It takes a long time to drive the length of the West Coast. I've done it a handful of times, first when I took a road trip with my then-fiancee-now-wife in our BMW station wagon. That trip had us clinging to the ragged edge of the coast on Highway 1 and took around three days of 10- to 12-hour stints behind the wheel. Then I did it again when I moved from Seattle to Los Angeles in a giant diesel Penske moving truck that I jokingly named Imminent Domain.

Since moving to LA, though, I've always just flown home to Seattle. It's the difference between a 2.5-hour flight or 22-ish hours behind the wheel, so it always seemed like a no-brainer. But with the last year and a half being what it is and air travel seeming scarier than it ever has, I opted to make my 1st trip home in two years in the driver's seat of our long-term 2021 Acura TLX. And because COVID-19 has a funny way of making emotional distances a lot longer than physical ones, I decided to do the drive with my mom.

Please welcome the 2021 Acura TLX to Roadshow's long-term fleet

See all photos +28 More The plan is simple: Mom flies down (she has less fear of catching the 'rona on a plane than I do) and hangs out for a day or two to see my wife, our cats and our newly rented house. Then we pile our stuff into the TLX and set out for the Pacific Northwest. I'm getting close to 40, she's getting real close to 60, and in the spirit of Danny Glover's Roger Murtaugh, we both agree that we're "getting too old for this shit" and decide to break the drive up into two days.

We get up early on the first day and head out of Pasadena. Because I want to show my mom what I do for a living, we climb up into the Angeles National Forest and take the famous Angeles Crest Highway to Palmdale, bypassing the hated Grapevine (aka I-5 North out of Los Angeles and into the Central Valley). She is a generally nervous passenger, so I delight in taking the TLX through the fast, sweeping corners at speed, waxing about the excellent handling characteristics of the 2021 TLX thanks to its dual-wishbone front suspension and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive.

As we come down out of the mountains and into the blasted wasteland that is Palmdale, we're already laughing and making jokes about how much my dad would love that road and how my mom hated riding with me as a younger driver because I "didn't use the brakes enough." It's the most effortless conversation we've had in years.
Enlarge ImageSteven Ewing/Roadshow Long hours behind the wheel without regular distractions like Twitter or Netflix forces us to escape from our escapism and be present in the moment.That conversation aspect is a large part of why I wanted my mom with me on this trip. We chat on the phone a couple of times a week usually, but it's rare that we really talk. Being stuck together in a car is a chance to reconnect after years of distance, and it seems to be working.

From Palmdale, we head west to hit the arrow-straight slog that is Interstate 5 north through the middle of California. It's all citrus groves, almond trees and stockyards as we blast along, dodging overly ambitious produce truck drivers passing one another on this two-lane freeway. The Acura, as expected, is eating up the miles, its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine quietly buzzing along, the 10-speed automatic transmission doing its level best to return decent fuel economy. However, as we've seen since our TLX arrived last year, those mileage figures leave much to be desired -- on this trip, I'm only seeing 26.8 mpg. The suspension, set in comfort mode, soaks up imperfections and offers a real luxury car experience when paired with the comfortable interior, which is welcome on a trip of this length.

The miles fall away and the scenery starts to slowly change from dusty brown to gold to green as we get closer to Sacramento. Then the landscape changes dramatically as we get up to Redding and into the mountains near Lake Shasta and its drought-receded shores. The road starts to get twisty again as we wind up into the Siskiyou Mountains and make our first overnight stop in the lovely little town of Ashland, Oregon -- best known for its yearly Shakespeare festival. The drive up to this point took about 12 hours, and neither my mom or I are feeling particularly tired, proof of the TLX's comfort.
Enlarge ImageWe wish our TLX's four-cylinder engine returned better fuel economy.
Steven Ewing/Roadshow Day 2 takes us through Oregon, which we both hold dear. Her, because her brothers and sister both live there, and me because Portland was the first place I lived that was really like home after moving away from my family. We stop and visit my uncle outside Portland in a town called Gresham, best known as the home of Chris O'Donnell's character in Scent of a Woman (it's pronounced Orygun, guys, not Ore-uh-gon).

From there, it's a short three-hour drive through southwest Washington and up to the Olympic Peninsula and my parents' house, a little more than 1,200 miles from where we started in sunny Pasadena. I spend the next few days visiting friends and family and picking up a project motorcycle (in many, many pieces) before hopping back in the TLX, cueing up some audiobooks and making the drive home alone.

This trip proved to be a perfect reset, both for me mentally after a year and a half of staying home and for my relationship with my mom, who, despite not being especially old, isn't going to be around forever. It's easy to forget the power that cars have to do things like this for us. They give us the freedom to move around our country, but long hours behind the wheel without regular distractions like Twitter or Netflix forces us to escape from our escapism and be present in the moment, for ourselves and those stuck in the car with us. In short, I needed a trip like this.
Roadshow

Nexx

I have a 3 year old with a car seat behind the passenger seat. my wife is about 5'6 with long legs. she sits comfortably with her legs stretched out. my daughter couldnt kick the back of the passenger seat if she tried. now with two kids it could be an issue since i am 6'1

ELIN

A 3-yr old would be front facing and have no issues. The ones with issues are infant carriers and rear-facing convertible car seats.

mike03a3

Unlike my TL Type-S, which I've been using to haul my granddaughter for the past 6 1/2 years.

Camaro194

6'3" here and no issues with my 3 and 7 yr old kids, both front facing. Like you said, rear facing or infant seats would be more of a problem. TBH, my old TL and my wife's Altima at the time were also terrible for rear facing seats. They couldn't go behind the driver and the passenger seat had to be moved up quite a bit on all of the cars.

djhtsx

iTrader: (2)

the tlx is fine but the IS back seat it worse. I barely fit and I’m 5’9.

1Louder

Agreed - I had a 16 IS for a while and the back seat was barely suitable for 5'10" and under, and certainly no car seats.

SUVs get ragged on quite a bit in social media but this is one of the big reasons they exist. What was defined as a "family sedan" got much smaller over time compared to what a family sedan was in the 70's - 90's. SUVs have the back seat space that used to be in 4 door sedans. Not that people can't make it work of course, but I think sedans are the "backup" family hauler in most cases.

ESHBG

This and the higher stance and the utility of the hatch style vs a regular trunk. It's a shame Americans didn't stick with station wagons and hatches and they remained popular, as they make a lot of sense.

1Louder

I hope that station wagons can make a small comeback (meaning the newer "shooting brake" style of wagons). But I'm in the minority.

I think SUVs were the by-product of American's love of trucks (whether they need a truck or not) and the need for a larger family hauler since large sedans were dying off. Trucks aren't great grocery getters, so the SUV became the blend of both. It checks the "truck" box (so to speak) but is also a livable family hauler.

Back on topic, a TLX Type S wagon sold in the US would be super-cool.

F23A4

Honestly, I've always regarded my MDXs as wagon variants of the Accords/TLXs that I've had over the years; including my current MDX/TLX.

fiatlux

I did my job to try to keep wagons alive, but I'll concede that crossovers are much more convenient and functional. The XC60 is a smidge shorter than my V60, yet it has more rear seat room, more headroom, easier ingress/egress, more cargo space, more ground clearance, and can fit into more spots on the street (if by just a little). Even though they cost a little more, and the fuel economy is just a little worse, you do get more bang for the buck, and the extra mass and ride height makes it safer to boot.

Nexx

the higher stance is huge for older people who have a hard time getting in and out of sedans.

1Louder

And lifting kids in an out too. Higher rear deck for getting items in and out as well.

Legend2TL

And higher seating gives greater overall visibility over sedans and wagons. That was important to my wife.

Also minivans became uncool in the 90's for many moms alike, unlike SUV which were more cool.

I get the wagon appeal, but equivalent SUV's have taller ceilings for better seating and more interior room for more utility than wagons for majority in the US.

FWIW, Jon Ikeda is a fan of wagons and had Acura designer draw up some 2G TLX sketches wagon.
He made that comment in a YouTube video. Be curious what Charlie Baker (former VP of Honda R&D and 3G TL lead) thinks of the 2G TLX.

TSX69

https://www.autoblog.com/2021/09/09/...d-trip-update/

2021 Acura TLX Long-Term Update | Pleasurable drive, puzzling gremlin

You wanted to get out of the car right here in traffic, right?

Byron Hurd
Sep 9th 2021 at 10:00AM

More Photos

• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] Vehicles most likely to hit 300,000 miles
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] Cars most likely to have major powertrain problems
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] Top 10 brands with the lowest average repair cost to fix a check engine light
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] Top 10 brands least likely to flash a check engine light
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] The least reliable cars in America
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] 10 Best New Car Deals: August 2021

• 2021 Acura TLX A-Spec
• Image Credit: Zac Palmer

This was my 1st long haul behind the wheel of our long-term 2021 Acura TLX, and past experience with the brand (and Honda in general) led me to believe that if I could get past any seat comfort issues, the TLX and I would get along just fine. As it turned out, I had no cause to worry in the first place. The TLX’s seats are comfortable and supportive enough for my typical driving position – and look great in red to boot. Not having to worry about my back screaming at me after a couple solid hours on the highway, I was able to devote my attention elsewhere, and the report is largely positive.

To me, the most impressive thing about the TLX is how small it feels from behind the wheel. I’ve had it in my driveway for nearly 2 months (for various reasons, none of them good; look for more in a future update) and despite driving it rather frequently, I often forget that it’s a midsize.

How’d Acura accomplish that? It’s all in the feedback. The steering is dialed in pretty much perfectly and lacks the artificial and distant sensation present in Audi’s FWD-based luxury sedans, for example. I’d even put the TLX ahead of BMW’s 2 Series Gran Coupe in this department. Sure, they’re very different vehicles, but that Acura can accomplish this with something as large as the TLX while even BMW’s compacts disappoint? Well, it says something.

And though it may feel small, it isn’t. The TLX more than accommodated enough luggage for two people traveling to a Lake Michigan wedding over a long weekend, and did shuttle duty throughout the festivities without even a peep from rear-seat passengers, apart from commentary about the red leather. It’s a bit polarizing, I’ll admit, but I think it looks great against the blue exterior.

More Photos

• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] Vehicles most likely to hit 300,000 miles
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] Cars most likely to have major powertrain problems
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] Top 10 brands with the lowest average repair cost to fix a check engine light
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] Top 10 brands least likely to flash a check engine light
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] The least reliable cars in America
• [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==[/img] 10 Best New Car Deals: August 2021

• 2021 Acura TLX A-Spec
• Image Credit: Zac Palmer

Over the 500-mile round trip, the TLX averaged just a hair under 30 mpg (against an EPA rating of 29 mpg highway; score one for the numbers geeks) at cruising speeds of 75-80. Michigan highways aren’t known for top-notch surfaces, but even on the grooved pavement found on many of its interstates and other rural expressways, tire hum never became intrusive. Present? Sure, just not unpleasantly so.

My gripes are few. I wish the cruise control would be a bit more aggressive in accelerating to a set speed when resumed, for one; it seems downright lazy under certain conditions. I could also do entirely without the silly touchpad-like infotainment interface. It’s serviceable with practice, but seems over-engineered for something that could have easily been accomplished using conventional control schemes.

The wireless charging cubby on the center console is also a bit of a mixed bag. It’s handy, but I found that smaller phones (of which my Samsung Galaxy S10 is apparently one) can easily get jostled away from the ideal contact point for the charging coil, shutting it off entirely until the phone is pushed back into position. My phone still charges over the course of a drive, but not nearly as much as I’d like.

I've also encountered what appears to be a new gremlin, this time in the TLX's powertrain controls. While sitting at a light or stop sign with auto stop/start disabled, the TLX will occasionally shift itself into park, chime pleasantly, then unlock the doors to allow for passenger egress. That’s all very pleasant-sounding, but not the response I want when attempting to make a move into rush-hour traffic.

With the TLX approaching 10,000 miles under our stewardship, we’re coming up on its next service appointment. We’ll have the transmission looked at when we take it in for its oil change and tire rotation and report back when we know more. Stay tuned.

robnalex

https://www.autoblog.com/2021/09/09/...d-trip-update/
Next time, how about doing all of us a favor and just post the friggin' link?

fiatlux

That’s his schtick. That’s why I have him on ignore, because he kills the threads on mobile.

F23A4

MarcoTLX

they stay nitpicking the fact that it doesn’t have a manual gearbox, when will they learn Acura just not doing manuals in sedans anymore? Lol

Tesla1856

That's what they say ...

Our experience with elderly Mother-In-Law was opposite. The 2014 MDX was too high .
She preferred the lower Accord V6 Sedan, and so did we because we could actually get her into the car (front passenger seat).

Edward'TLS

Agree. Even though the 2014 (3G) MDX already has a floor which is approx. an inch lower than the 2G MDX, it is still considered high when compared to sedan vehicles.

For the elderly, climbing up to the SUV seat is not too dangerous, because worse case they can't climb up by themselves. But exiting the SUV can be dangerous because they may fall flat on their faces if no one is helping them down, especially for those senior people, like my uncle, who refuse to be helped

Tesla1856

So, one of the reasons we got the (larger) MDX in the first place was to be able to transport the 4 of us, and their 2 walkers and/or wheel-chairs.
I even purchased a very-sturdy, one-step step-stool (about where a truck side-step would be height-size). She didn't like it and refused to use it (of course, we were always there outside the parked vehicle trying to help her in/out).

Not sure how much lower the RDX was, but (back then at least) the RDX seemed like many of the Acura "creature comforts and Tech" were missing. It seemed like a clone of comparable Honda small-SUV and you could really tell it had the smaller-engine. The MDX was pretty nice. I only got rid of it because we were ready for something newer, and we didn't really need anything this big any more.

TSX69

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...e-s-long-term/

2021 Acura TLX long-term update: The Type S handoff

In which we say goodbye to our TLX 2.0T Advance and welcome a lovely Type S to our long-term fleet.

Steven Ewing


Dec. 6, 2021 2:00 a.m. PT
Listen
- 07:31

• 
  
  

Enlarge ImageChoose your fighter.
Steven Ewing/Roadshow When the 2021 Acura TLX joined our long-term fleet one year ago, we told you an exciting second act was on the way. And now that we're closing the books on 12 months with our Phantom Violet TLX 2.0T SH-AWD Advance, it's time to meet its replacement. Say hello to the Type S.

This hotter TLX resurrects Acura's storied Type S nameplate, and we'll be spending the next several months investigating that from many angles. Is it a proper sport sedan? Does it skimp on comfort and luxury in order to prioritize performance? Is it worth the upcharge over the standard Type S? Will we ever get sick of that awesome Tiger Eye color?

We'll be digging into all this and more. But first, let's meet our newcomer and say goodbye to TLX No. 1.

Meet Roadshow's long-term 2021 Acura TLX Type S

See all photos

How we spec'd it

Acura offers a few vibrant hues for the TLX Type S, including Performance Red and Apex Blue. But how on earth could we pass up the company's new Tiger Eye Pearl paint? It's incredibly fetching in the real world, changing between gold and yellow depending on the light. It also looks bangin' with the Type S' sculpted front fascia, gloss black accents and 20-inch dark-finish wheels. This color is $500 well spent.

The Type S pretty much only comes one way, which is to say, fully loaded. It has nearly all the same creature comforts as our 2.0T Advance tester -- except a heated steering wheel, oddly. The only available option (aside from premium colors) is a lightweight wheel and summer tire package that, at $800, is very reasonable. The wheels save 21 pounds of weight overall, and more importantly, the Pirelli P-Zero tires do a lot to help the Type S' handling without hurting its cruising capabilities. More on that in a minute.

All told, our 2021 TLX Type S checks out for $54,645 including a $1,045 destination charge. That's only $4,820 more than our previous TLX 2.0T Advance.

Enlarge ImageThe TLX Type S has a 355-horsepower turbo V6.
Emme Hall/Roadshow

The first 3,000 miles

Going from one TLX to another, the Type S' larger, more powerful engine feels like a major upgrade. The 3.0-liter turbo V6 offers 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, compared to the 2.0T's 272 hp and 280 lb-ft. Like our TLX Advance, the Type S has Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive technology, which is one of the best AWD systems in the business.

The Type S' V6 engine sounds pretty good, and the quad-pipe exhaust has a sonorous -- if somewhat muted -- tone. This is a massive improvement over the 2.0T Advance, which often sounded wheezy and strained under full throttle. Acura claims the TLX Type S can accelerate to 60 mph in about 5 seconds, but as Reviews Editor Emme Hall notes, "In the corners, this car is lit."

The SH-AWD tech expertly varies torque not just between the front and rear axles, but from side to side, as well. Combined with the added grip of the summer tires, the TLX Type S can really hang on during fast cornering -- much more so than the standard TLX with all-season rubber. "I'm not fighting the car and I don't feel any inside wheel spin," Hall notes. "It's just a point-and-shoot type of driving experience."
Enlarge ImageThe rear three-quarter view is great on both cars.
Steven Ewing/Roadshow The Type S is also proving to be a great long-distance cruiser. On several slogs through California, we haven't noticed any roughness to the ride, even with the summer tires. The TLX's adaptive dampers work well in the Type S, with the car's Comfort mode providing more than enough compliance to smooth out uneven highway surfaces without making the sedan feel floaty or disconnected. The steering is pretty light in this relaxed Comfort setting, but has decent weight in Normal mode and plenty of heft in Sport. Thankfully, the Type S has a Custom drive setting where you can set up all the individual parameters to your liking. We'll be playing with this one a lot.

So far, our observed fuel economy is a paltry 19.9 mpg. The EPA estimates the TLX Type S with the summer tire option should return 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined, so we hope this number improves over the next few months.

On the comfort and technology front, the Type S is largely the same as our old TLX, which is both good and bad. This is an incredibly comfortable sedan with a quiet, plush interior. We still don't love the busy center stack, and that infotainment trackpad keeps causing problems, too. The driver-assistance technologies work as advertised, as well, though the forward-collision warning continues to be way too proactive with its flashing "BRAKE!" warnings -- a trait common among Honda and Acura vehicles.
Enlarge ImageThe Phantom Violet paint is nice, though we wish it was a little more purple and a little less black.
Steven Ewing/Roadshow

A mostly fond farewell

Our year with the Phantom Violet TLX 2.0T SH-AWD Advance was largely drama-free. It's not an exciting car to drive, but we firmly believe it's OK if Acura just wants to lean into luxury. Not every TLX needs to be sporty; let the Type S carry that torch.

Many of us maintain the TLX looks better than a lot of its rivals, and even after a year with our Type S-less tester, we kept finding ourselves attracted to that design. "The TLX makes a great first impression," writes Social Media Editor Daniel Golson. "It finally looks like a proper luxury car, and I love the rear-drive proportions that Acura was able to achieve."

A highlight of our year with the TLX was its excellent highway ride, allowing us to really pile on the miles with ease. The TLX found its way up and down the West Coast on multiple occasions, and became a road-trip favorite with our Los Angeles- and San Francisco-based staff. Off the highway, the TLX earned praise for its great visibility, robust suite of driver-assistance aids, capacious trunk and generally easy-to-like nature.
Enlarge ImageThe interior feels great and perfectly held up to a year of abuse. We wish the center stack weren't so cluttered, though.
Steven Ewing/Roadshow We also loved how solid the TLX felt after a full year of abuse. The interior looked as good and felt as solid as it did on the day this car arrived, though we still agree the dashboard design is a bit of a mess.

"The dash layout is overcomplicated and could do with some real simplification in terms of where the buttons live," writes News and Features Editor Kyle Hyatt. "That big aluminum drive mode selector is dumb. It's an unnecessary focal point that most people probably won't use that often."

We also didn't love our observed fuel economy, though we did hit the EPA's marks. We saw 24.1 mpg after a year of testing, and the EPA says the TLX 2.0T AWD should return 24 mpg combined. Problem is, competing sedans do way, way better here. A BMW 330i xDrive is estimated to return 28 mpg combined and we regularly saw over 30 mpg while testing our long-term 2019 330i. The EPA also says the TLX should get 29 mpg highway, but we never saw anything close to that figure.
Enlarge ImageThanks for the memories.
Steven Ewing/Roadshow The worst issue, though? The tech. Acura's True Touchpad Interface multimedia system seemed like the type of thing we'd get used to after a year, but we just couldn't. That was made especially worse near the end of the year-long test, where the system was often slow to boot up and respond to initial commands, and would occasionally refuse to connect to Apple CarPlay. But the worst part was how the absolute positioning of the touchpad only worked while running Acura's native interface. Once we plugged in Apple CarPlay or Android Auto -- systems that work best with touch capability -- it was all swipes all the time. So annoying.

Overall, looking back on our time with the standard TLX, we're generally impressed with Acura's latest sedan effort. Easy to use, pleasant to drive and pretty to behold, the TLX is every bit as competent in the compact luxury space as segment stalwarts like the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C300. It might not have the same edge on driver engagement, but it's not like any of those three Germans are beacons of sportiness these days.

Besides, that's what the Type S is for.

F23A4

.

Legend2TL

There you go F23A4, you had to trigger that woke anti-TLX 2G toxic crowd

F23A4

I should have posted a Toto Wolff meme from yesterday's race.

mike03a3

We all need to get used to cars with NO transmission. Acura has joined the ranks of manufacturers that have announced the end of IC engines in favor of BEVs.
I ordered a M550i to end the IC era with a monster V-8 bang.

TSX69

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...g-term-update/

2021 Acura TLX Type S long-term update: Snow time

In which I tackle a 2,000-mile holiday road trip to see if the pros of Acura's all-wheel-drive tech can make up for the cons of all-season tires.

Emme Hall


Jan. 13, 2022 2:00 a.m. PT
Listen
- 03:39

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Standard all-wheel-drive tech is a big help.
Emme Hall/Roadshow The last time I drove our long-term Acura TLX Type S, it was a warm, sunny day and I was carving my way up a canyon road with a Diet Dr. Pepper in the cup holder and a grin on my face. This time, however, it's 25 degrees Fahrenheit and I'm at 11,000 feet above sea level, driving through a snow storm atop the Eisenhower Pass on I-70 in Colorado.

I took the TLX on my usual winter holiday road trip, so I'm no stranger to inclement weather. The road is full of ice and snow and I'm about to head down a 7-mile stretch of highway at a 7% grade.

Before taking this trip, we swapped out our TLX Type S' optional summer tires for a set of Michelin Pilot Sport all-seasons. This is no substitute for proper winter tires, which is what Michelin was going to provide, but supply chain issues and not being able to source other winter options left us with all-seasons. Better than nothing, I guess.

All-season tires are jacks of all trades and masters of none. Proper winter tires use different rubber compounds that can remain soft at colder temperatures. They also feature wider grooves to expel snow and water and little cuts in the tread called sipes that can prevent a car from sliding. All-season tires don't have any of these benefits and they aren't nearly as good as summer tires in dry-weather conditions, either. Still, like I said, better than nothing.

Our long-term Acura TLX Type S hits the snow

See all photos +12 More

Thankfully, the TLX Type S has two things that really help its foul-weather performance: all-wheel drive and paddle shifters. Sure, Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive system is tuned for maximum dry-pavement performance, but it's still very helpful on this steep, slippery descent. By distributing the engine's power between the front and rear axles, as well as side to side, the TLX can send torque to the wheels that have the most grip. You can feel it working: I hit a small patch of ice and the TLX slips for a split second, but then the SH-AWD tech helps rein everything back in.

Of course, all-wheel drive does not equal all-wheel stop. Braking on snow and ice can easily lead to loss of grip, sending a car sliding forward. So during my 7-mile descent I relied heavily on the 10-speed automatic transmission's paddle shifters to manually select lower gears to let the engine braking slow the TLX down. This means I can avoid using the brake pedal until absolutely necessary. The Type S is happy to rev high and hold second gear, gradually slowing the car down while I drive down the hill. The 10-speed transmission's paddles might be too lazy for proper sporty driving, but here, I'm happy to use them.

Once back at sea level and in the warmth of California's desert, I could let the TLX stretch its legs a bit and really open up the 3.0-liter turbo V6. The engine's 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque are plenty -- and just like our old TLX 2.0T Advance, the Type S loves to eat up highway miles.

Overall, I covered 2,212 miles on my holiday excursion, most of which were on the highway. My observed fuel economy for the trip was 23.2 mpg, which is below the EPA's 25-mpg highway rating, but obviously high elevation and bad weather played a part here. Oh, and a final note: Don't put suitcase wheels on the seats if you get the white leather option. Our fancy new Acura now has some black marks.

All told, while not an ideal choice, these Michelin Pilot Sports did a pretty good job. Still, major credit for this all-weather prowess goes to Acura's SH-AWD system. Put a proper set of winter tires on this thing and it'd be a foul-weather beast.

F23A4

I was on this stretch of I-70 last Summer with the new MDX and that descent is sobering even in the best of conditions.

TypeS22

snow tires are a must, my summer pirelli were terrible in snow. I simply ordered another set of y spokes and snow tires and BOOM problem solved. So glad worth every penny spent. Ppl are switching to all seasons as most don't want to buy another set of wheels but nothing will beat a dedicated snow tire.

sombasol

Donut media review of Acura as a whole with TLX info

Legend2TL

Legend2TL

F23A4

That’s a good looking car.

MarcoTLX

Looks like Scotty got his hands on a Type-S to review can’t wait to see this video.

Legend2TL

^ Rev up your engines!!!

Wonder if Scotty is in the $1M+ channel club at YouTube?

Nexx

Scotty is such a hack. I can't believe people listen to a word he says.

MarcoTLX

does he give out misinformation?