At the end of May of this year, Acura revealed its newest flagship sedan: the 2021 Acura TLX. It rides on a new platform that helps improve front to rear weight distribution and uses a new body that is longer, lower, and wider. Its also more attractive, trading in a somewhat milquetoast shape for a fastback profile and chiseled features. This all adds up to more legitimacy in the premium sedan market.

And while a premium sedans shape is important, what really differentiates premium from mainstream is how the car makes you feel. Of course, how a car drives is paramount, but several other features prove important for a holistically good experience. Things like space, seat comfort, minimal noise vibration and harshness, and quality of the sounds system.

And while still not quite ready for a test drive, Acura wanted to show off its latest creation and parked a 2021 TLX in my driveway for an hour to sit in, poke around and listen to its new audio system. Called the ELS Studio 3D, its the highest level of three sound systems offered and uses 16 channels, 17 speakers and 710 watts of power to work. For reference, the base system uses 10 speakers and 350 watts, midgrade ups that to 13 speakers and 550 watts.

Dan Howell

With two subwoofers, four slim speakers mounted around the perimeter of the ceiling, and a smattering of dome tweeters and mid-range speakers, the ELS Studio 3D system has a lot of tools to churn out a wide range of frequencies of sound. And it does so well. If youre a audiophile, youll appreciate the fullness of the music.

Acura

The 3D system delivered crisp sound, good dynamics and depth. Its easy to hear the subtleties of the different instruments and to get a sense of the music's tone and tenor. There's plenty of low end, too you can clearly hear bass guitar or straight-up bass. That said, depending on your musical tastes, there are limitations. Some of the harder hitting bass in hip-hop tracks is a little messy, you want to feel it more than hear it. And the highest string notes in classical can get a touch shrieky, but you have to have the volume way up for that to happen.

My hour passed by quite quickly sitting in comfortable seats and a well-isolated cabin, listening to a variety of tunes. I rocked out to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and A Day in the Life by The Beatles. Johann Pachelbel Canon in D Major put me in a meditative trance for a few minutes. And none other than ToTo brought me back to childhood with Africa.

Acura looks to have performed well in the TLX's non-driving aspects. It looks and feels premium, as does the quick glance back as you walk away from it. But its biggest challenge is still ahead with how it feels while moving. It starts off with a demerit for retaining a front-wheel-drive based platform. But, based on the specs at least, it looks like the new TLX is an improvement across the board. Well share as soon as we get a chance to drive it.

Robin Warner

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Sitting in a 2021 Acura TLX only Whets our Appetite to Drive One - Autoweek