I’ve had the pleasure of working for a number of automobile manufacturers in a variety of capacities over the 35 years I spent in the business. All were different in how they conducted business, developed their culture, brand awareness and brought to life their unique DNA throughout their product line.
At the end of May 2016, Vancouver luxury vehicle purchasers led all other Canadian cities in volume for this segment, representing 15 per cent of overall car sales in the province, nearly 50 per cent above the national average.
When it comes to Acura, while it hasn’t yet attained the perceived level of prestige Mercedes offers or the allure of the driving spirit of a BMW, it does occupy a solid niche in what is becoming a crowded high-end vehicle market.
There is a distinct difference between German and Japanese DNA in design and manufacturing with the former striving to bring to market more of a “pure driver” (read aggressive and sporty)offering and the latter, a less aggressive design and feel, but adorned with technical innovation.
Launched in the fall of 2014 as a 2015 model, the then all-new Acura TLX replaced the slower-selling Acura TL and Acura TSX sedans with great success and the sales numbers quickly exceeded that of the two retired models.
The Acura TLX falls decisively in the Japanese stable with a safe, but attractive exterior design, which is augmented with exterior LED lighting. The interior is where the TLX exceeded my expectations — equipped with both heated and ventilated leather seats that were some of the best this six-foot, two inch-body has sat in for quite some time. The trim panels are made from a soft plastic material nicely augmented by an upscale aluminum and wood trim.
The dash layout is functional and depicts a sporty feel with an array of information displayed on the two center stack LCD screens. The automatic transmission selector is a bit of a head scratcher as the normal stick/lever setup is replaced by a series of buttons and rocker switches. This is not unique to Acura — this function seems to be to be a focal point for most manufactures these days. It’s almost as if there’s a competition on to design the most radical transmission control layout, a lot of which don’t register with present day owners. Overall the passenger compartment design makes it a pleasant setting to pass hours on the road.
Like most Acura’s, the TLX’s list of standard and optional equipment is liberal, heavily oriented toward safety and driver comfort.
The Acura DNA shines through with safety and driver aides including:
Nine airbags
Collision Mitigation Braking System
Blind spot information
Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow
Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning
Road Departure Mitigation
Rear Cross Traffic Monitor
LED fog lights
Ventilated front seats
Front and rear parking sensors
Perimeter/approach puddle lights
Multi-view rear camera with Dynamic Guidelines
All the above are standard in the SH-AWD Elite model.
The driving experience whether in city or on winding roads was superb with the all-wheel handling features and power provided by a 3.5L, direct-injected V6 engine with 290 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque. Also, if so inclined, you can shift the nine-speed transmission manually with the paddle shifters for a more sporty experience. I particularly liked the Adaptive Cruise Control, which maintained a driver preset distance between the vehicle in front of you by accelerating or braking automatically without driver input.
The overall driving experience would lead me to place the TLX on my shopping list if I was seeking a vehicle in the luxury segment and I believe any driver who tries out this vehicle will also add it to theirs.
