Honda Accord Vs Acura TLX: Which Mid-Size Sedan is Right for You?

Do you want a sedan, or do you want a fancy sedan?

That’s over-simplifying: in truth, both the Honda Accord and Acura TLX are pretty fancy-pants these days. Some of us still dig the classic three-box shape, and these are two of the best of the breed.

These two sedans were once related, but recently, the Acura has put some distance between itself and its mainstream sibling. The TLX is larger, comes with available all-wheel drive, and features a high-performance Type S model. In the other corner, the Accord sticks to front-wheel drive, but offers a fuel-sipping hybrid and a lower price of entry. Which is best for your needs? Let’s figure that out.

Accord: Honda has relentlessly refined the Accord’s interior to the point it could easily pass as a premium car these days. The layout is clean and easy to understand, though the latest revision brought in a push-button shifter, something we can’t say we’re fans of.

Breaking out the tape measure, the Accord offers 39.5 and 37.3 inches (1004 and 948 millimeters) of head room, front and back, without the moonroof. Spec that glassy bad boy and the front row airspace shrinks to 37.5 inches (953 mm), but rear room is almost unaffected at 37.2 inches (944 mm). Leg room is a vast 42.3 inches (1,075 mm) up front, though rear passengers don’t suffer with 40.4 inches (1,026 mm) of their own stretch-out room. Passengers won’t be rubbing shoulders with 58.3 and 56.5 inches (1,481 and 1,436 mm) of space in the front and back.

TLX: If the Accord is the clean minimalist, the TLX is the opposite. The dashboard design is defined by the drive mode selector in the middle: everything points towards it. The Acura has a push-button shifter of its own, sitting just below that selector. The center console is largely dedicated to the infotainment controls, which we’ll get to in a later section.

Tall drivers, be warned: the TLX will be tighter for your noggin, with 37.2 inches (946 mm) of head room up front, and 36.3 inches (921 mm) out back. The Acura squeaks by the Honda on the front leg room, er, front, with 42.5 inches (1,079 mm) to get comfy. Rear-seat riders sacrifice much for that though, with just 34.9 inches (886 mm) to work with. At least shoulder room is close to the Accord, at 58.2 and 55.0 inches (1,478 and 1,396 mm) front and back.

Bottom Line: In nearly every measurable way, the Accord beats its fancy-pants sibling. The dashboard design is a more objective subject: maybe you find the Acura fussy, or maybe you dig the sense of occasion. But numbers don’t lie, so it’s a point for the Accord.

Accord: As part of the 2021 refresh, Honda made the 8.0-inch touchscreen standard on all Accords. The user interface is simple to understand and use, if not the most elegant, or speedy. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, with 2.0-equipped models (and Hybrid Touring) going wireless for both. A single USB port is standard; two appear in the rear row in Sport trim and up. Wireless charging is also available on Sport 2.0 and Touring trims.

Even the base model Accord gets dual-zone automatic climate control these days. You’ll need to move up to at least the Sport trim if you want a power-adjustable driver seat, but it’s 12-way, and the Touring adds a memory function. Heated front seats also appear on the Sport trim, while the Touring brings the warmth to the rear, plus ventilation up front. This top trim is the only way to get leather seats, however.

TLX: While the TLX has the larger infotainment screen at 10.2 inches, it’s not a touchscreen. Instead, occupants need to use a center console-mounted touchpad, which can prove unintuitive for passengers, especially when mixed with anything other than smooth tarmac. Menu navigation isn’t the most straight-forward, either. At least the responses are quick. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but all trims require a cord.

The TLX includes dual-zone auto climate control across the board, plus power-adjustable front seats with driver memory function. Heating is also standard, though you’ll need to move up to the A-Spec for ventilation, and the Advance (Platinum Elite in Canada) for heated rears. From A-Spec onwards, the climate control can be tied to the GPS.

The Technology trim introduces the 13-speaker ELS Studio audio system. Move up to the A-Spec or above and that transforms into the ELS Studio 3D setup, with an extra quartet of speakers. It is, in a word, superb. Wireless charging shows up in the A-Spec and up as well—though curiously, the head-up display is only available on the Advance, not the Type S. Native navigation is equipped on all models bar the base TLX.

Bottom Line: The TLX claws back some ground here, with a fan-freaking-tastic ELS audio system. Seriously, it’s one of the absolute best we’ve experienced under $80,000. Also, an available 360-degree camera is a huge boon.

But oh man, Acura’s infotainment system is the pits. Fiddly and confusing, it will make driver and passenger want to stick to either Apple or Android phone mirroring and never look back. But then they’ll need a cord, whereas 2.0-liter Accords will do that whole thing wirelessly. The Accord’s infotainment system may be smaller and less eye-catching, but it works—and that should be the top priority for any system.

Accord: Honda fits one of the three engines to the modern Accord—though all are front-wheel drive. Base models use the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder found in the Civic and CR-V. It produces slightly more power here, at a square 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) funnels the power to the front wheels.

Buyers wanting more power can opt for the 2.0-liter turbo-four. A detuned version of the mighty Civic Type R’s heart, it puts out 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. A 10-speed automatic handles shifting duties.

The Accord Hybrid uses a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated mill. It produces just 143 hp and 129 lb-ft on its own, but when combined with the electric motor, those numbers jump to 212 and 232, respectively. Honda says the Accord Hybrid uses an E-CVT, but the truth is an unconventional system that uses a combination of clutches and electric motors in place of a gearbox. Neat!

TLX: The TLX engine lineup begins where the Accord’s ends: a 2.0-liter turbo-four. In the Acura buyers will find extra oomph, with 272 hp and 280 lb-ft. Like the Accord, that runs through a 10-speed automatic, though Acura buyers have the choice of either front-wheel drive or the brand’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive.

Acura also re-introduced the Type S trim with the latest TLX. Available only with SH-AWD, it uses a brand-exclusive 3.0-liter turbocharged V6, pumping out 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque.

Bottom Line: Want power? Your choice is simple: Acura. The Honda comes close in 2.0 form though, and the other engine choices should help it in the next category.

Accord: Most Accords equipped with the 1.5-liter engine will achieve 30 mpg city, 38 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined. The Sport and Touring trims knock 1 mpg off the city and combined ratings, and 3 mpg off the highway figure. The 2.0-liter engine—available only on those two afore-mentioned trims—posts 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway, for a combined rating of 26 mpg.

The Accord Hybrid bumps all those numbers up in a big way, achieving 48 mpg on all counts. The Touring trim takes a big hit for its better looks: you’re looking at 44/41/43 mpg, respectively.

TLX: Unsurprisingly, four-cylinder front-drive TLX models post numbers nearly identical to the Accord. The TLX scores 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. The A-Spec trim takes a 1-mpg penalty on the highway. Ticking the SH-AWD box knocks the numbers down to 21/29/24, respectively, regardless of trim.

The high-power Type S trims yet more mpg off ratings. The range-topper manages 21 mpg combined, split between 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

Bottom Line: Across the board, this is the Accord’s game. As an added bonus, it happily gulps down regular fuel, whereas the Acura needs the 91-octane good stuff.

Accord: The Accord gets a perfect five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including the rollover rating. It also scores a coveted Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The Honda Sensing suite is standard on all trims. It includes automated emergency braking, lane-keep and lane-departure assists, traffic sign recognition, forward collision warning, auto high-beams, and adaptive cruise control. Higher trims include blind-spot warning with cross-traffic alert, low-speed automatic braking, and a head-up display.

TLX: The TLX is a single star behind its relative in the battery of NHTSA tests. It scores five in all of them, except for a four-star front passenger side impact. The Acura balances that out with a better IIHS score. Sure, it gets a Top Safety Pick + rating too, but it does it with a solid Good across the board for headlights; the Honda earns Acceptable on lower trims.

The TLX’s driver assist suite is similar to the Accord’s. It includes all the assists as the Honda, along with Acura’s Traffic Jam Assist. Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert is included on all but the base TLX, and higher trims add a 360-degree camera.

Bottom Line: This is essentially a tie. The TLX buyer has access to a few extra goodies, but they come with the higher price tag.

Accord: The Accord lineup kicks off with the $25,985 LX trim ($34,270 CAD for the SE model). Moving up through the trims, there’s the Sport ($28,445 / $35,570 CAD), EX-L (32,305 / $37,170 CAD), Sport 2.0 ($32,975 / $38,770 CAD) and 2.0-liter Touring ($37,915 / $43,470 CAD). Canada also offers the Touring with the 1.5-liter, for $40,470 CAD.

The Accord Hybrid has a simplified lineup, with the base ($27,585 / $37,505 CAD), EX ($31,535), EX-L ($33,905), and Touring ($37,455 / $44,205 CAD).

TLX: Getting into a base-model, front-drive TLX will cost just slightly more than a comparable Accord, at $38,545. SH-AWD, which is standard in Canada, is an additional two grand in the US, bringing the price to $40,545 ($46,480 CAD). Next up is the TLX Technology at $42,545 or $44,545 ($48,880 CAD) with SH-AWD. The sportier-looking A-Spec SH-AWD is $47,295 ($51,780 CAD), while the Advance (Platinum Elite in Canada) is the top 2.0-liter trim. It runs $47,345 in front-drive form, and $50,345 ($54,180 CAD) for SH-AWD.

The Type S, available only with SH-AWD, begins at $53,345($61,875 CAD).

Bottom Line: Oh hey, the luxury car costs more? In related news, the sky is still blue. In all seriousness, the small gap between the top Accord and base TLX shows just how much extra kit you can score by sticking to the mainstream brand.

The TLX has the benefit of all-paw grip—and those that want more power have the option in the form of the Type S. Meanwhile the Accord is more practical, offering more space and better fuel economy, especially in Hybrid from.

If you’re cross-shopping the Acura TLX and Honda Accord though, chances are you’re looking at the parts of their respective lineups that overlap most. That means the 2.0-liter-equipped sedans. Like-for-like, we’d go for the Accord and pocket the extra cash. Honda has nailed the Accord’s ride and handling balance, and its cabin feels more spacious. Not only that, but its infotainment is easier to use. It’s our pick of this spec comparison.

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