The 2021 Acura TLX Type S will finally hit the market on June 23rd and journalists have now started to test drive the sports sedan for the very first time.
We’ve included a handful of TLX Type S reviews below but the review from The Smoking Tire’s Matt Farah is especially relevant given the veteran journalist’s experience with driving performance cars (not something that can be said about some of his fellow YouTube ‘influencers’).
Read More: 2021 Acura TLX Type S Packs 355-HP For $52,300, Is Cheaper Than BMW M340i, Pricier Than Audi S4
The headline of the TLX Type S is a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that pumps out 355 hp and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque. This engine is coupled to a ten-speed automatic transmission that allows the sedan to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in roughly 5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).
However, it is not the engine that impresses Farah the most. In fact, it is the handling of the TLX Type S that’s the highlight.
The sedan feature’s Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system while also featuring double-wishbone front suspension and adaptive dampers. According to Farah, it tips into corners beautifully and with a simple lift of the throttle, you can precisely point the nose of the car while feeling the rear-end slowly and precisely rotate. Despite the car’s respectable horsepower and torque, you can also pin the throttle mid-corner without experiencing any understeer. The veteran reviewer adds that the car is also very controllable under heavy braking.
Not everything is perfect, however. Farah’s main complaint relates to the 10-speed automatic transmission, in particular the fact that even when driven in manual mode, it will automatically upshift when you hit the redline.