2023 Acura TLX vs 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback emerged as a beacon of opportunity amidst the declining popularity of hatchbacks, as many automakers shifted focus to small crossover SUVs. Honda capitalized on this trend by introducing a redesigned Civic hatchback, manufactured in Indiana, making it one of the few compact cars still produced in North America. The new Civic hatchback shared its front design with the Civic sedan but distinguished itself with a unique grille pattern and wheel designs. Despite its visual appeal, the Civic hatchback retained a somewhat unbalanced profile, with a tendency to appear front-heavy. Inside, the Civic hatchback mirrored the sedan's interior, with the Sport Touring trim offering advanced digital instrumentation and infotainment displays, enhancing its modern appeal. However, the CVT shifter operation slightly detracted from the overall sophistication.

In contrast, the 2023 Acura TLX faced challenges due to the pandemic, supply chain constraints, and shifting consumer preferences towards SUVs. Despite these hurdles, the TLX stood out on the road, particularly the sporty TLX Type S with its striking Tiger Eye Pearl paint and performance enhancements. The TLX's design, based on a concept vehicle, introduced a new design language for Acura, featuring a long, low, and lean profile with a rear-wheel-drive appearance. However, this dramatic styling compromised rear-seat headroom, legroom, and cargo space. Inside, the TLX's layered dashboard design emphasized width but prioritized style over practicality, with a control layout that required adaptation. The Type S model, equipped with a turbocharged V6 engine and Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, offered a thrilling driving experience, though the brake-by-wire system occasionally fell short of expectations.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback offered a choice between a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower. The latter, available in Sport and Sport Touring trims, delivered peak torque from 1,700 to 4,500 rpm, providing accessible power. The Civic hatchback featured front-wheel drive, with no all-wheel drive option. The CVT paired well with the turbocharged engine, offering smooth operation, while the six-speed manual transmission in the Sport Touring trim provided an engaging driving experience. The Civic hatchback excelled in fuel efficiency, with real-world testing nearly matching official estimates, achieving 7.3 L/100 km with the CVT and 7.8 L/100 km with the manual transmission.

In comparison, the 2023 Acura TLX offered a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and standard SH-AWD in Canada. The TLX Type S, the sportiest model, featured a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine producing 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. The Type S boasted performance enhancements, including a sport automatic transmission, adaptive suspension, and Brembo brakes. Despite its weight, the Type S delivered an exhilarating driving experience, with a 0-60 mph time of five seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h. However, the brake-by-wire system occasionally detracted from the driving experience. The Type S averaged 11.8 L/100 km during testing, reflecting its performance-oriented nature.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback prioritized functionality, offering a generous 693-litre trunk with an innovative two-piece cargo shade. The back seat featured a 60/40-split folding design, though the load floor was not flat. While all seating positions provided comfort and sufficient legroom, the front passenger seat lacked a height adjuster, and rear passengers missed air conditioning vents. The driver enjoyed an eight-way power-adjustable seat, with heated front seats standard in Canada and heated outboard rear seats in the Sport Touring trim. The Civic hatchback offered a range of upholstery options, with black leather in the Sport Touring trim.

In contrast, the 2023 Acura TLX Type S featured a premium interior with Milano leather and artificial suede inserts. The front sport seats offered 16-way power adjustment, including thigh support and upper-side bolsters, with automatic heating and ventilation. However, rear seat comfort was compromised by narrow doors and limited legroom, a result of the TLX's design priorities. The TLX's trunk held 382 litres of cargo, more akin to a compact car than a midsize model, but a flat trunk floor and enclosed hinges maximized usability.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback introduced a new infotainment system, with a 7-inch touchscreen in LX and Sport trims and a 9-inch display in the Sport Touring trim. The latter offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless smartphone charging, navigation, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. The inclusion of physical knobs for sound system controls addressed previous criticisms, and the voice recognition system performed well. Digital instrumentation was standard, with a 10.2-inch display in the Sport Touring trim.

Conversely, the 2023 Acura TLX's True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system proved frustrating, with a 10.2-inch display controlled via a touchpad, steering wheel controls, and voice recognition. The TTI's one-to-one relationship with the display screen was distracting, and the system occupied valuable centre console space. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, a wireless charging pad, and a 17-speaker ELS Studio 3D audio system. However, the TLX did not support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback came equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-departure warning. New features included low-speed following capability and Traffic Jam Assist, though these were only available with the CVT. The Civic hatchback earned a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS, thanks to its advanced safety engineering and new frontal-impact airbags.

The 2023 Acura TLX offered a comprehensive suite of driver aids, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Type S added rain-sensing wipers, a wiper de-icer system, and a surround-view camera. The TLX earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA, though the front passenger's seating position received a four-star rating in a frontal-impact collision.