Cement gray-colored cars generally mean business, or at least want to make you think they do. This Acura TLX Type S falls into the first category.
Just look at those four gigantic exhaust tips and listen to the raspy growl of its turbocharged six-cylinder engine, which puts out 355 horsepower.
As a result, the TLX Type S packs plenty of giddy-up, and the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system keeps the car pointed nice and straight, too. The dashboard said I got about 19 miles per gallon while thoroughly enjoying myself.
It’s spacious inside, if you’d like to rocket forward in comfort with your friends or family. However, tell your loved ones to avoid looking directly into the bright red leather seats, to avoid permanent retina damage. Where did those eclipse glasses go, anyway?
For the driver: Get used to the push button gear selector. Press a circle for drive, pull down on a rectangle for reverse, push a rectangle for park. Do it right and you win the prize of not crashing a fancy sport sedan!
If you can master the shifter, expect plenty of attention, especially in “Urban Gray” as Acura calls it. (That will be an extra $600, by the way.) A black spoiler and black wheels, with big, red brakes hiding behind them completes the look and confirms that the car is up to no good. (Another benefit of the exterior color is that it never looks dirty, as gray plus gray equals gray.)
As usual, I did my spare tire digging, and this time, I found (pause for effect) no spare tire. The car’s battery is in the trunk well instead, presumably for better weight balance. It might also be hard to get a spare over those big brake calipers. Nevertheless, this car is good enough to warrant some research into an aftermarket spare.
It also gets top safety scores, per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but it has not undergone the tougher, updated side crash test. When it comes to reliability, Acura actually places in the bottom half of brands in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study.
At $58,795, this Type S comes in at a roughly $12,000 premium over a regular TLX.
If you like quick, comfy and stylish sedans, it’s money well spent.
