In its glory years, the Acura TL combined the very best engineering and driving dyamics Honda could muster in a near-luxury sedan that found a large-and-loyal following. But in 2015 Acura seemed to lose the thread, merging its midsize TL and compact TSX models into the forgettable TLX: Basically a dressy Honda Accord with nicer leather and optional all-wheel drive, giving buyers less reason to shell out a premium price. 

The all-new 2021 TLX is a far more compelling proposition. Traditional Acura virtues like value and safety features remain high points, and exterior design and interior luxury are markedly improved. The deal is sweetened further by the TLX’s $38,545 base price (in front-wheel-drive trim), which undercuts key European competitors by $2,000 to $5,000.

 Lower, longer and sleeker, the 2021 Acura TLX rides a new platform that casts off the anonymity of the previous TLX in favor of bold new styling. The interior is just as fresh, and both have lots of curb appeal. Acura

Just don’t go thinking the TLX has become a straight-up competitor to rear-drive-biased luxury sedans like the BMW 3 Series, Genesis G70, Audi A4 or Mercedes C-Class: The Acura drives smoothly and smartly, especially for a front-drive-based sedan. But the TLX rarely feels like a top-flight sports sedan, even with the solid optional “Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive” system that adds $2,000 to the price. 

After six years of anonymity, TLX finally gets some real curb presence with a low-slung, sculpted body that’s about three inches wider at the rear than a BMW 3-Series, and nearly nine inches longer overall. Slim headlamps and taillamps complete the picture, along with a handsomely refashioned grille and 19-inch alloy wheels, the latter standard on all but the base trim. 

 The TLX’s new interior looks and feels more luxurious than its predecessor, but its basic layout and quality feel will be familiar to returning Acura loyalists. Acura

The cabin also gets a satisfying luxury upgrade: Richer, cushier materials, a sophisticated layout, an expanded color palette, and a flat-bottom, leather-wrapped sport steering wheel. It’s not Audi or Mercedes level, but it’s much more deluxe than any Accord. Standard fare includes dual-zone climate control, push-button start, two USB ports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, satellite radio and a moonroof. Key options include a navigation system and wireless device charging. 

The big tech addition is Acura’s “True Touchpad” interface, with so-called “perfect positioning” as its control strategy. Instead of mimicking a mouse-like screen cursor—like Lexus’ notoriously vexing, safety-challenged touchpad—Acura’s pad geography corresponds with what you see on the 10.2-inch display screen. Instead of moving a cursor with your hand, you touch the corresponding area on the touchpad, e.g., to summon a control icon in the screen center, you touch the center of the touchpad, and so on. 

The idea is to reduce eyes-off-the-road time, because drivers (or front passengers) can operate the touchpad without trying to direct a cursor in a moving, jostling car. There’s definitely a learning curve but the system works reasonably well, though we still find the rotary-knob controllers of a BMW, Mercedes, Audi or Genesis easier to operate. Acura also loves its redundant controls, here including a steering wheel festooned with buttons, thumbwheels and toggles. 

 Rear seat passengers may find the back a little short on headroom, in part a consequence of the low roofline that helps make the car so stylish.  Acura

Front passengers will feel appropriately coddled. But rear seat passengers may feel gypped, with a troubling shortage of kneeroom and headroom, especially considering this sedan’s midsize exterior footprint. Rear accommodations are marginally smaller than in the Alfa-Romeo Giulia and the BMW 3 Series offers even more room. All four are put to shame by the limousine-like Lexus ES.  The TLX’s trunk is roomy and well-shaped, with more practical space than its official 13.5 cubic feet might suggest. 

The Ohio-built TLX benefits from an all-new body structure that Acura says is 45-percent more rigid in lateral bending, a key to luxurious ride-and-handling. It’s powered by a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 272 horsepower, joined with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The top-spec TLX Type S ($53,325) offers a healthier 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque from a turbocharged, 3.0-liter V-6, but we haven’t yet compared this version back-to-back with the four-cylinder TLX.

With its smartly engineered chassis and suspension, the TLX rides comfortably and feels ultra-secure in any situation: It’s a feeling of safety and control that’s pure Honda, and that’s a compliment. The problem is that Acura is aiming the TLX at sedans that are very much not-Honda—everything from BMW, Benz and Audi, to hot-blooded sport sedans from Cadillac and Alfa Romeo. 

The new TLX uses a touchpad controller for its infotainment system, and while it requires a bit of a learning curve it’s easier to use than the touchpad found in its Lexus counterparts.  Acura

In that company, the TLX’s performance falls short, especially when the price climbs near $50,000, as with the $49,325 as-tested price for our SH-AWD Advance model. Yes, some of those rivals cost even more, but many luxury buyers are less concerned with saving money than with getting the car they really want.  

Acceleration is adequate for the class at roughly 6.0 seconds from 0-60 mph, but more languid than several competitors. All-season tires that work fine on a mainstream sedan are out of their league when it’s time for truly spirited driving, losing traction and squealing in protest at surprisingly modest speeds. The vague-feeling 10-speed transmission is the Acura’s weak link in performance. The transmission reacts lazily to commands, whether from a throttle foot or via steering-wheel paddle shifters, and often seems to be in the wrong gear for sporty maneuvers. 

Performance aside, the 10-speed might be expected to boost the TLX’ fuel-economy, but it doesn’t: Between its porky 4,026-pound curb weight, and a somewhat overmatched four-cylinder engine, the Acura returned a hugely disappointing 24 mpg on one multi-hour highway drive: 5 mpg below its 29-mpg EPA highway rating, and well shy of German competitors that deliver 30 mpg or more in identical conditions. 

 Handsome from almost every angle, the TLX may have a bit less back seat space than some rivals, but its trunk is about average for the class and makes efficient use of its 13.5 cubic-foot well.  Acura

Where the TLX unquestionably delivers is on its standard array of active safety features. All TLXs get forward automatic emergency braking with advanced pedestrian detection, forward collision warnings, lane departure warnings, lane keep assist, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control with low-speed following and traffic sign recognition. Blind spot monitoring and a surround-view camera come on all but the base model. All of this gear and the TLX’s robust structure add up to a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS and a five-star rating from NHTSA.

This all-new TLX has raised its game and its profile, but with so many compelling choices in luxury sedans, we’ll see how many consumers respond.