Poll: Audi A4 or Acura TLX?
Which luxury sedan would YOU rather park in your driveway, the Audi A4 or Acura TLX? Let’s find out which of these cars is more popular.
Already history’s best-selling Audi, the A4 makes a strong opening argument in this comparison. It’s all new, having been comprehensively overhauled for 2017, bringing updated styling, a fresh interior and tons of cutting-edge technology to bear against rival four-doors.
At first blush, things seem pretty familiar under-hood, but this car’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been reengineered to provide 252 silken horses with 273 lb.-ft. of twist; it’s the only powerplant offered. Likewise, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is the sole transmission available in the U.S. Providing some welcome choice, Audi’s legendary quattro all-wheel drive is available.
The centerpiece of this A4’s redesigned cabin is Audi virtual cockpit, an immersive and customizable digital instrument cluster that spans 12.3 inches. Other advanced technologies include (but are by no means limited to) things like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and rear cross-traffic alert. Base price for this fresh-faced Audi is around $36,000.
Countering the Audi onslaught is Acura’s updated TLX. This luxury sedan has been nicely enhanced for 2018. Its exterior has been updated, a new driver-focused A-Spec model is available and it delivers more standard equipment than ever before.
The first thing you’ll notice about this car is its new diamond pentagon grille, a styling element that debuted on the Acura Precision Concept a year or so ago. It’s handsome enough and fits nicely with the rest of the TLX’s body.
Motivating this vehicle are two different engines. The base unit is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that delivers a respectable if somewhat pedestrian 206 horses. The optional V6 is the powerplant to get. Displacing 3.5-liters, it’s good for 290 ponies and 267 lb.-ft. of torque.
The bent-six is paired with a nine-speed automatic gearbox and can be had with Acura’s respected Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive System. The four-banger only has an eight-ratio transmission, though its deficit is barely worth mentioning since it still has plenty of gears.
Bringing the fight to rivals, the TLX features a host of advanced features. The brand’s AcuraWatch suite of driver-assistance tech is STANDARD across the board. This includes things like collision mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and much more. Additionally, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included in every model from the most basic to the top-trim A-Spec variant. Base price for the 2018 TLX is expected to be around $34,000, including delivery fees.
Please vote in our poll by clicking on your favorite of these two models down below. If you can’t decide and want more information on each one, head over here to compare them directly.
Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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Audi still offers a 6 speed manual so the A4 gets my vote.
Acura needs to get rid of the crappy 9 speed auto tranny for me to even consider this POS. That crap tranny makes the car unsafe to drive and slow. Also the interior features between audi and acura are day and night, in favour of Audi.