2023 Acura TLX vs 2024 Honda Civic

The 2023 Acura TLX faced several challenges, including a consumer shift towards SUVs and supply chain constraints that limited production. The pandemic-era redesign and fluctuating car prices made it difficult for Acura to offer attractive lease deals. Despite these hurdles, the TLX stood out on the road, especially the sporty Type S model with its striking Tiger Eye Pearl paint and performance upgrades. 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 emphasized width but sacrificed practicality, with a control layout that required relearning. The Type S model, with its turbocharged V6 engine and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, was the most expensive version, while the base TLX A-Spec offered a more affordable option.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si, approaching its 40th anniversary, continued to be a sport-injected version of the Civic sedan, offering more performance and driving engagement than other Civic models. It adhered to the stealth-mode styling formula of early pocket rockets, featuring LED headlights, fog lights, and a gloss-black lip spoiler. The Civic Si's interior was more expressive, with red seat and door panel inserts, metal mesh trim, and a touchscreen infotainment system. The base price in Canada was $35,630, with additional fees. The Civic Si's design allowed it to blend into the background, except for its vivid red and blue paint colours. The interior featured sport-bolstered seats and a manual transmission, making it both practical and performance-oriented.

The 2023 Acura TLX offered a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and standard SH-AWD in Canada. The engine's fuel economy was rated at 11.3 L/100 km in the city, 8.1 on the highway, and 9.8 combined. The TLX featured multiple driving modes, including Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Individual, with the Type S adding a Sport+ mode. The SH-AWD system provided mechanical torque vectoring, enhancing power, grip, and control. The Type S model came with a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine, delivering 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. It featured performance enhancements like a sport automatic transmission, adaptive dampers, and Brembo brakes. The Type S could accelerate to 60 mph in five seconds and had a top speed of 250 km/h. Its fuel economy was estimated at 12.3 L/100 km in the city, 9.4 on the highway, and 11.0 combined. The TLX Type S was fun to drive, with excellent handling and grip, but its brake-by-wire system had some drawbacks.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si was equipped with a high-output turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. It featured a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission with a downshift rev-matching feature. The Civic Si's drivetrain included a lightweight flywheel and a helical limited-slip differential, enhancing performance. The car had larger brakes, thicker suspension stabilizer bars, and a dual-pinion variable-ratio steering system. The Civic Si offered driving modes like Normal, Sport, and Individual, adjusting throttle response and steering effort. It was docile in urban settings but delivered a burst of torque when needed. On the highway, it provided good passing power but was noisy. The Civic Si excelled on twisty roads, with excellent steering and grip. However, its braking system showed signs of overheating during testing. The Civic Si's fuel economy was rated at 7.7 L/100 km combined, with an average of 8.0 L/100 km during testing.

The 2023 Acura TLX Type S featured an Ebony interior with premium Milano leather and artificial suede inserts. The U.S.-spec test car had an Orchid interior with carbon fibre trim, unavailable in Canada. The Type S had a flat-bottom sport steering wheel with analog gauges, but the low-contrast red markings were hard to read. The TLX offered 16-way power-adjustable front sport seats with heating and ventilation. The rear seat was cramped, with narrow doors and limited legroom. The TLX's trunk held 382 litres of cargo, comparable to a compact car, but had a flat floor and enclosed hinges.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si balanced practicality and performance with sport-bolstered front seats and a manual transmission. The seats provided good support, and the manual driver’s seat height adjuster ensured ample headroom. However, entering and exiting the car required effort due to its low stance. The Civic Si offered dual-zone climate control, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and a power sunroof. The back seat was roomy, with generous legroom, but lacked air conditioning vents. The Civic Si's cargo space was 408 litres, accommodating full-size suitcases on their sides. A 60/40-split folding back seat allowed for longer items, and hidden storage was available under the trunk floor.

The 2023 Acura TLX's technology was a source of frustration, primarily due to the True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system. The 10.2-inch display was not touch-sensitive, requiring the use of the TTI touchpad, steering wheel controls, and voice recognition. The TTI's one-to-one relationship with the display proved distracting. The TLX included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, a wireless charging pad, and a 17-speaker ELS Studio 3D audio system. However, it lacked wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si featured a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, and HD Radio. Pairing an iPhone and using wireless CarPlay was seamless. The system had a power and volume knob, tuning buttons, and steering wheel controls. A 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint audio system provided impressive sound quality, thanks to early collaboration with Honda.

The 2023 Acura TLX came with standard driver aids like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Type S added rain-sensing wipers, a wiper de-icer, and a surround-view camera. The TLX had an ACE body structure and eight airbags. It received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

The 2024 Honda Civic Si included Honda Sensing, with features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. However, the lane-keeping assist and lane-centring assist were irksome. The Civic Si earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a four-star rating for front passenger protection.