CARS.COM — When the refreshed 2018 Acura TLX goes on sale June 1, it will start at $33,950 including destination. That's up $1,000 over the 2017 TLX, but the car adds a lot of standard features for 2018, most notably a collection of safety and self-driving tech dubbed AcuraWatch.
Related: 2018 Acura TLX: Our View
Among the new standard features are full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane centering steering (not just lane departure steering) and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking — all options before now. Also standard are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which come on the TLX's dual-screen multimedia system. They were previously unavailable.
Like before, the TLX also has standard leatherette (vinyl) upholstery, heated front seats with power adjustments (albeit four-way only for the passenger), a moonroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, a backup camera and keyless access with push-button start. Add it all up, and you'd be hard-pressed to find that many convenience and tech features on a sub-$34,000 luxury car.
The base TLX has a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (206 horsepower, 182 pounds-feet of torque) that drives the front wheels through an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. A 3.5-liter V-6 (290 hp, 267 pounds-feet of torque) pairs with a nine-speed automatic for another $3,200. It also adds 18-inch rims, exposed tailpipes and an eight-way power passenger seat.
A Technology package is $3,700 on either car and includes leather upholstery, rain-sensing wipers, a navigation system, HD radio, ELS Studio premium audio and a blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert.
Beyond that, V-6 Tech cars can either get an Advance package ($3,850) or handling-oriented A-Spec package ($2,900), but you can't combine the two. The Advance adds front and rear parking sensors, a few lighting upgrades, a wireless charging pad, ventilated front seats, and heaters for the rear seats and steering wheel. The A-Spec, meanwhile, gets performance-oriented changes to the suspension and steering — though it makes the same power — plus some visual changes. All-wheel drive adds $2,000 to any V-6 model; it's unavailable with the four-cylinder.
Fully loaded, the TLX tops out around $47,000. That's a low ceiling among sports sedans (think Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, etc.) or larger, mid-size premium cars (Lexus ES, Lincoln MKZ, etc.), whichever group you're comparing. Even before you get to any performance variants, many of them top out in the $50,000s or sticker-shock $60,000s. The TLX has always been a bargain alternative, and with the 2018 refresh, Acura appears to have kept the same playbook.
