- 300-unit limited-edition 2023 Acura TLX Type S PMC Edition
- Available SH-AWD all-wheel drive
- 355-horsepower V6 available in Type S
- Pricing expected to start at about $39,000 | Price it your way
- On sale soon | See Acura TLX models for sale near you
The Acura TLX is a luxury sport sedan that straddles the compact and midsize segments. Combining a strong standard feature set, great available technology, and driver-focused feel behind the wheel, the TLX is a strong value despite a starting price just barely south of $40,000. A new 300-unit limited-edition TLX Type S PMC edition takes the hottest TLX and adds even more performance. Its starting price is likely to sit in the mid-$60,000 range.
Aside from the limited-run PMC Edition, the 2023 TLX is available in two main flavors: Standard and Type S. The standard TLX is available with either front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD); the Type S is offered exclusively with AWD.
Passenger Room and Comfort
Luxury is a primary objective of the 2023 Acura TLX. It’s met with classy build quality and materials, excellent ride quality, and confidence-inspiring handling traits. The supportive front seats, ergonomic steering wheel, and paddle shifters make the driver feel engaged and comfortable. Active Sound Control helps keep the cabin free of unwanted noise.
Passenger space in the TLX is good, but not great, despite straddling the compact and midsize sedan segments. Rear-seat legroom is fair at 34.9 inches. But that’s a smidge less than rivals from Audi (35.7 inches) and BMW (35.1 inches). On the other hand, the front seat is more spacious than either German alternative, with greater legroom and shoulder room.
The TLX’s sporty suspension is comfortable and composed, and the available adaptive suspension takes the breadth of the TLX’s ride and handling to the next level. Working in conjunction with the suspension’s sporty-yet-composed feel are the heated 12-way power adjust standard front seats, which adapt to provide comfortable support no matter your shape.
Features and Tech
As you might expect of a luxury sedan, and especially an Acura, the 2023 TLX’s standard feature set is extensive. It includes a power moonroof, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, the aforementioned 12-way power-adjust heated seats, simulated leather upholstery, LED ambient lighting, and more.
Three packages are available for the standard TLX: Technology, A-Spec, and Advance.
The Technology package adds, as the name suggests, more tech features. They include an ELS Studio audio system with 13 speakers, GPS-linked climate control, and upgraded sport seats with perforated leather and contrast stitching. Upgraded LED ambient lighting adds 27 themes. The package gets a wider range of interior and exterior colors, as well as available aluminum, open-pore wood, and carbon fiber trim. The A-Spec offers most of those features, but upgrades the ELS Studio audio system to 17 speakers and adds sportier visual details. The Advance increases the level of standard equipment to more nearly match the Type S, which is essentially loaded in standard form.
Limited-Run TLX Type S PMC Edition
The limited-run TLX Type S PMC Edition became available for pre-order on October 6, offering a range of upgrades focused on performance. This is the Performance Manufacturing Center’s special edition, after all. Many of the upgrades include swapping standard parts for their carbon fiber alternatives or adding carbon fiber details like a decklid spoiler and rear diffuser. Exclusive colors and a unique PMC Edition numbered serial plaque are also part of the formula.
The standard 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine in the TLX is still quite strong at 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. But those with a serious craving for speed will appreciate the TLX Type S and its 355-horsepower/354 lb-ft 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6. Both engines use a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Materials and Design
The 2023 Acura TLX’s cabin is suitably luxurious, with real wood, aluminum, and carbon fiber used throughout, depending on the specification chosen. In place of a traditional shift lever, the TLX uses console-mounted buttons for Drive, Neutral, Reverse, and Park.
There’s also a rotary knob for changing drive modes and a touchpad for interacting with the infotainment system. The layout is clean and simple, with a premium, futuristic look.
Simulated leather seating is standard equipment with a leather-wrapped steering wheel. But full leather and even Ultrasuede seating surfaces are available, as are contrast stitching and perforated leather.
The TLX Type S PMC Edition also gets a unique look, with a carbon fiber decklid spoiler and rear diffuser, side-sill garnish, a flat-bottom heated steering wheel, and black roof and door handles in addition to lightweight Y-spoke wheels in copper with black lug nuts.
Cargo Room and Flexibility
The 2023 Acura TLX is a luxury sport sedan. So it’s not expected to haul the kids’ soccer team and a week’s worth of groceries at once. But it’s still fairly capable, with 13.5 cubic feet of trunk space. That’s a bit less than the BMW 3 Series but more than the Audi A4.
Flexibility isn’t only about being able to hold and haul lots of cargo, of course. The TLX excels at the flexibility of driving a comfortable, well-equipped, quiet luxury sedan and then transforming it into an engaging, fast, competent sport sedan at the twist of the drive-mode knob. In TLX Type S form, especially when equipped with the adaptive suspension, this transformation is remarkable and well worth the price of entry.
More 2023 Acura TLX
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