2024 Acura TLX Type S First Test: It’s Type S, Not Type R, for a Reason

Acura's quest to resurrect its Type S subbrand has seen mixed results. There have been hits like the gobsmacking NSX Type S supercar and the engaging Integra Type S fastback. The TLX Type S sedan and MDX Type S SUV, however, haven't received quite the same response.

In all fairness, Acura has a harder mission when it comes to developing Type S cars than Honda does when it builds its Type R models. As a luxury automaker, Acura can't totally forsake comfort and high-end features when it applies performance upgrades to the models wearing its Type S badging. Honda, however, mostly needs to concern itself with turning an ordinary car like the Civic into a track-ready beast with passable livability.

For those reasons, the recently refreshed 2024 Acura TLX Type S has a tough mission to complete. It has to be all things to all people: upscale, engaging, and stylish, too. After our First Drive review of this spruced-up sport sedan, we weren't so sure Acura had nailed the execution. Now, the TLX Type S is back for our series of instrumented tests and it's time to see if the numbers tell a different story.

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A Better TLX?

Although mechanical changes weren't the focus of the TLX's 2024 update, the latest iteration of the Type S posted a number of performance gains in our latest round of testing. Output from the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine remains the same at 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, but acceleration improves a smidge thanks to a 0-60-mph sprint of 5.0 seconds flat. That's 0.1 second quicker than our test results of the pre-refresh model, and in the quarter-mile dash, the 2024 TLX Type S attained a time of 13.5 seconds at 104.2 mph—a significant improvement over our previous run of 13.7 second at 101.8 mph.

The only performance-oriented addition to the 2024 TLX Type S is a Sport+ drive mode that sharpens throttle response. Acura's sport sedan feels brisk but not outrageously fast. On a winding road, the automaker's signature SH-AWD system does a remarkable job distributing torque to where it's needed, allowing for confident corner exit. The 10-speed automatic transmission eagerly snaps through gears. Unfortunately, when you enable manual shift mode, Acura's programming tends to override held gears with automatic upshifts. Still, power delivery is deliciously linear at full tilt. We noted some satisfied snorts and grunts from the quad-tip exhaust while enjoying some spirited driving, as well.

Braking, which comes courtesy of 14.3-inch Brembo discs with four-piston calipers up front and the standard TLX's 13.0-inch rear discs, also demonstrated an improvement. The 2021 TLX Type S came to a halt from 60 mph in 112 feet while this latest version did the same in a mere 104 feet, propelling it into the same territory as performance cars like the 2020 Corvette Stingray 1LT, the 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S, and the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E63 S. Short pedal travel and grabby engagement make these stoppers well suited for enthusiastic backroad driving, although we found them to be tougher to modulate for comfortable stops around town.

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With better acceleration and braking, it only makes sense the TLX Type S laps our compact figure-eight test circuit quicker than the 2021 model. The latest model completed its hot lap in 24.7 seconds, besting the prior test car's time by 0.3 second. That's genuinely quick; beating both the 2022 Toyota GR Supra's time of 23.8 seconds and the 2023 Nissan Z's 25.0-second run.

Everything looks good on paper, and the TLX is genuinely fun to drive on canyon roads, but it misses the mark on some of the subjective elements that make for a segment-leading driving experience. Tipping the scales just shy of 4,200 pounds, Acura's sport sedan feels its weight in the corners. The steering can feel artificially heavy, especially in the Sport and Sport+ modes. Finally, fuel economy isn't stellar. The EPA's rating of 19/25/21 mpg city/highway/combined doesn't look too bad in writing, but it plummets as soon as you start provoking the engine to hear its bassy roar.

Still, the TLX Type S manages to pull off the "jack of all trades" paradigm well enough. It rides reasonably softly in its Comfort or Normal drive modes and buttons up with more poise in Sport and Sport+. It captures this wide envelope of capability thanks to its adaptive suspension setup and allows drivers to customize settings even further in an Individual profile. Based on what we've uncovered at the track, Acura's sporty sedan has made steps in the right direction toward becoming a better sport sedan.

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Touring Luxury Executive

Styling is another one of the 2024 TLX's undeniable improvements. We're fans of the changes Acura made, from the frameless grille to the available 20-inch Copper wheels, offered as an option wrapped in sticky Pirelli P Zero tires for $3,336 on our test car. As an important note, those tires are crucial to the test figures we achieved; it's unlikely the standard all-season rubber would come anywhere close to providing the same acceleration, grip, and handling. This example also wears Acura's new Urban Gray Pearl paint, optional for $600, which looks especially lustrous framing the metal-finish wheels.

Inside the cabin, results from the 2024 model year update are mixed. The standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment offer high-resolution graphics and come with the convenience of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Acura opted to keep the old touchpad controller, however, which can make navigating menus on the center display slower and more frustrating than using a contemporary touchscreen. From a purely cosmetic standpoint, the stack of buttons and controls underneath that main display looks outdated, and Acura would have done well to modernize the cabin before the TLX finishes out this product cycle. That said, we give points to the TLX Type S for its generous application of red throughout the cabin; the use of materials in both the front and second rows feels well thought out and looks adequately sporty.

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The Verdict

As the highest-level version of the 2024 TLX, the Type S carries an appropriately hefty price tag. Our test car, factoring in the paint, wheels, and some $242 floor mats, stickers at $62,373. In addition to the tech and performance enhancements listed above, that price also includes the latest version of the AcuraWatch suite of driver assistance equipment with updated sensors. Type S models also receive a standard head-up display and a handy 360-degree camera view.

While decently outfitted for a vehicle in the sport sedan segment, we aren't quite in love with the TLX Type S to the point we're ready to declare it an amazing deal. Instead, we'd recommend test-driving a comparably equipped 2024 BMW M340i xDrive or a 2024 Genesis G70 3.3T AWD with the Sport Prestige package before plunking down cash on this Acura.

The TLX Type S may not be a hardcore sport sedan, but those who have followed Acura's trajectory over the last two decades wouldn't expect that, anyway. The automaker repeatedly called the original TL Type S a "luxury performance" car in press releases when it introduced the new model to our market in 2001. The example featured in this test follows that same philosophy, putting luxury ahead of hardcore driving prowess. Still, the 2024 TLX Type S posted some notable improvements during our time at the track, giving us hope that Acura will inject a little more Type R flavor as it readies its next phase of higher-performance models.