After 3 generations, this top-selling luxury sport sedan comes to a halt
The 2025 Acura TLX is the final year of this luxury performance sport sedan. In July 2025, after nearly 30 years, Acura announced the end of production of the Acura TLX leaving the Integra to continue in the sedan category all on its own. Acura presents declining sales numbers as consumers look to cross-over utility vehicles as the reason for removing the TLX from its lineup.
Lucky for me, I had the opportunity to test drive the final Acura TLX in Type S trim before I was left with just its legacy.
Styling
The Acura TLX Type S is an AWD four-door sedan with sporty accents. With it’s stretched out front end, it appears larger than it is but not quite large enough to be considered in the mid-size sedan and definitely not small enough to be in the compact category. I guess it is fair to say, the Acura TLX Type S is a one of a kind.
The sport style is showcased from the side with 20-inch split-5-spoke alloy wheels in a Shark Gray finish wrapped in high performance summer tires (255/35R20) with red Brembo four-piston calipers peeking through. In Canada, this is the standard wheel setup for the Type S. Acura also offers an optional lightweight wheel package with high-performance self-sealing all-season tires if buyers prefer a more year-round setup.
From the front, the Acura TLX Type S boasts a black grill with the Acura emblem front and centre. The front spoiler is flanked by two, low down, air intakes adding to the sport style. Walk around back and a dual-muffler exhaust bookends are hiding just beneath the rear spoiler.
The Acura TLX is offered in four colour ways: lunar silver metallic, majestic pearly black, pearly urban grey and pearly platinum white. As for the interior, only two options: black leather with ultra suede and contrast red baseball stitching or bold and beautiful, sexy red like the Type S I drove. From my perspective, the bold red contrast interior makes the Acura TLX Type S appear track ready from the moment you open the door.
The perforated Milano Premium leather and ultrasuede trimmed seats of the Acura TLX are spectacular and hug every curve of the body. Not only are they heated but offer ventilation as well. With a 12-way (A-spec) and a 16 way (Type S) power adjustable driver and passenger seat, comfort is unchallenged. The rear seats are a 60/40 split fold-down for that added cargo length if necessary but they lack leg room.
The leather wrapped steering wheel offers a flat-bottom and paddle shifters continuing the sport style into the driving experience. Heated steering is an ideal inclusion for those cooler months. At your fingertips on the wheel are adaptive cruise control, volume adjustments and lane keeping assist.
Notably absent: a head-up display. When I did some digging, the Acura Info Center stated that the Acura TLX Type S does indeed come with a head-up display. It also states that it can be turned off. I suspect it was turned off and I simply was unaware that it was a feature until after the fact.
While the interior design of the Acura TLX is quite stunning with a 12.3-inch digital driver cluster supporting crisp graphics, bright readouts, and modern styling, the infotainment screen is minimal and not a touch screen. I don’t know how many times I reached over to push something only to be reminded, you can’t do that. It makes sense as the reach to the screen seems slightly longer than other vehicles offering touch-screen technology.
How do you choose the options? Navigating options must be done with a True Touchpad in the center console. This seems to be an Acura feature as the 2024 Acura MDX I reviewed also had this feature. I didn’t like it then and I can’t say I have changed my mind.
While the pad is placed conveniently enough at the tip of the hand rest, actually getting where you want, requires a bit of trial and error. Operation with the track pad is awkward at best and takes your eyes off the road and down to the console. I’m sure once you get used to this, it becomes second nature but in the two weeks I tested the vehicle, my skill from day 1 to day 14 did not improve.
The other miss in the operation of the Acura TLX is the push button transmission. I have adjusted to the push button start and fobs of modern day vehicles but as sleek and clean as a push button transmission is, I prefer a shifter.
Powertrain & Performance
Heading out on the road, I realized that the Acura TLX Type S offers serious performance. Under the hood sits a punchy 3.0-liter turbo-V6 with 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, paired with a responsive 10-speed automatic and paddle shifters. The result? A potent, smooth, and engaging acceleration that feels entirely appropriate for the Type S badge.
The fully equipped SH-AWD system (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) grounds the sedan while maintaining agility – specifically when you select Sport + mode and engage the paddle shifters. Cornering feels as though the Acura TLX Type S is on rails. Sure, there are other drive modes – Sport, Normal and Comfort but a driving enthusiast will experience the most engine character and throttle response in Sport+.
The Highway Thru Hell
As I wound my way back to Vancouver from the Okanagan Valley, I was particularly impressed with the power as the Acura TLX ascended the steep mountain roadways. The route back challenged two high-speed, high-altitude highways: the Okanagan Connector summits at approximately 5,500 feet and is said to be one of the highest paved highways in Canada, and the Coquihalla highway, known on television as the Highway Thru Hell, summits at approximately 4,100 feet.
Both highways are unforgiving and reminders of this are intermittent along both routes with remains of burned out vehicles on the sides of the roads. In the winter months, 18-wheelers often jackknife on descents, unprepared drivers on all-season tires often meet the ditch and when the snow is falling, and driving is challenging, vehicles often hole up in the snow shed tunnel and wait to conga drive behind a plow.
About 20 minutes or so into my ascent of the Coquihalla, up ahead I saw a young man in a pair of shorts, sandals and a t-shirt walking along the highway. This is not a common scene unless there is a broken down vehicle – which there was not anywhere in site. What was even stranger was that this individual had no supplies. No pack. No water. No bag of any kind. No phone. His walk was slow and labourious.
As I came upon him, I specifically looked at him and saw an exhausted look on his face. I had to stop. He wasn’t hitchhiking but merely lumbering along, alone on a highway that offered nothing between cities and no reason for an early morning stroll.
The story of Simon
As I waited for Simon to appear at my passenger window, I watched him try to speed up his walk best he could. When I asked him if he was ok, he clearly was not. Tired. Thirsty. Trying to get to Vancouver and thought he could walk to the summit to get to a phone.
Simon exuded relief as he got into the passenger seat of the car. After a few moments, in his broken English, he asked if we could call someone. The voice on the other end of the phone was flippant at first (they were speaking their own language so I only had intonation to go on) and then there was a gasp of surprise and conversation sped up. Slight irritation from Simon’s side of the conversation and then the call concluded.
Shortly thereafter, I received a text with a pinned location to a gas station in Langley. Simon asked if I could drop him there. I agreed. We shared basic conversation back and forth as I tried to get an idea of what had transpired and how Simon found himself walking alone on the Highway Thru Hell early on a Monday morning with nothing but what he was wearing.
As it turned out, Simon, originally from Africa, was living in the greater Toronto area. He was part of a long-haul trucking crew en route to Washington state. He and other crew members took shifts sleeping, driving, navigating etc. At some point in the night, when it was his turn to sleep, the truck stopped around Coldwater Creek. Simon noticed the truck was stopped and got out to see what was going on. Much to his surprise, the truck began to pull away, and no matter the effort he expelled to stop it, the truck drove off without him.
Now the surprise in the voice on the other end of the phone made sense. It appeared as though his crew thought he was still in the truck. This would also make sense why the early part of the conversation came across as flippant. Simon had started walking in early hours hoping to find a phone. He commented that so many cars passed him and thanked me for stopping.
Two hours later, I delivered Simon to a truck stop gas station in Langley where he identified his semi and his crew who were relieved to see him and I continued on my way.
City Driving
Commuting in and out of the Lower Mainland is daunting at the best of times. However, if you have to do it, Comfort mode in the Acura TLX Type S offers a relaxed, luxurious ride perfect for that executive lunch, airport trip or to and from the office.
Fuel Economy
The Acura TLX Type S boasts a 60 litre fuel tank offering between 530 and 560 km depending on the drive modes, the terrain and of course, the driver. At highway speed, consumption is approximately 9.4 l / 100 km. This increases if you travel a route through mountains.
At city speed, or commuting to and from the city, the TLX offers about 12 L / 100 km or 8km / L.
In Sport + mode, fuel consumption increases with the fun factor.
Safety Features
This seems like the perfect opportunity to segway into the safety features of the Acura TLX Type S.
- 4-Wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
- Electronic Brake-force Distribution
- Collision Mitigation Braking System with pedestrian detection
- Forward Collision Warning System
- Hill Start Assist (not sure why as it is an automatic transmission but ok)
- Lane Departure Warning
- Road Departure Warning
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System with location and pressure indicators
- Front, Front Side, Front Knee and Side Curtain air bags
- Vehicle Stability Assist with Traction Control
- Auto High-Beams
- Blind Spot Information
- Rear Traffic Monitor System
- Traffic Jam Assist
- Traffic Sign Recognition
- Heated power-adjustable side mirrors with reverse tilt-down and integrated LED turn indicators
- Rain sensing Windshield Wipers
- Remote engine starter
- Front and Rear parking sensors
Conclusion
I personally am sad to see the Acura TLX depart the line up but at the same time, I am excited to see what Acura develops in its place. While the consumer market may be heavy on the SUV side for both safety and practicality, I for one still like driving a car.
