Acura TLX vs Lexus IS 300

Acura TLX vs Lexus IS 300: Exterior Style

The first thing that catches your eye with either the Acura TLX or the Lexus IS 300 are their slick and stylish exteriors. These are luxury vehicles after all. While both sedans are dressed to impress; however, there’s a bit more that stands out with the Acura TLX.

Some might think you’re behind the wheel of the latest sports car in the TLX with its exterior design that screams high-end performance. Its available rear spoiler and exposed dual exhaust finishers take that notion to the next level.

Additionally, the TLX is perfect for rides at any time. With standard Jewel Eye® LED headlights and Chicane™ LED taillights, the TLX helps you effortlessly navigate even the latest nighttime adventure. Or, as the weather improves and you’re ready to start soaking up the rays, open the standard power moonroof, which is complete with tilt and slide functions.

While the Lexus IS 300 comes with its own stunning design and set of LED lights, you’ll miss out on a few of the features you get with the TLX. Most notably, things may feel a bit stuffy inside the Lexus with no standard moonroof to let in an extra breath of fresh air.

Acura TLX vs Lexus IS 300: Performance & Efficiency

We’ve already covered that both the Acura TLX and Lexus IS 300 are well-known for their performance. Still, however, the Acura outshines the competition with ease.

With the Lexus IS 300, you’ll get a standard turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that churns out 241 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. While that’s certainly admirable for a luxury sedan, it doesn’t come close to the standard power of the Acura TLX.

The TLX also features a standard turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder engine, but it is capable of producing up to 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Plus, the TLX even outdoes the fuel efficiency of the Lexus with a standard EPA-estimated 22 city and 31 highway MPG.*

That’s just with its standard front-wheel drive models. You can also look forward to an EPA-estimated 21 city and 29 highway MPG on TLX models with the available Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) system equipped.*

On the other hand, the Lexus IS 300 efficiency falls just short with its front-wheel drive models at an EPA-estimated 21 city and 31 highway MPG. Its all-wheel drive version, however, sees a fairly significant dip compared the TLX in the form of an EPA-estimated 19 city and 26 highway MPG.

Acura TLX vs Lexus IS 300: Technology & Driver Safety

Rounding out these luxury sedans are their brilliant suites of infotainment and driver-assistive technologies. Once again, you will get a bit more out of the Acura TLX.

To start, the Lexus IS 300 features a standard 8-inch touchscreen display, while the Acura TLX offers some better visibility for your infotainment and connectivity features through its 10.2-inch HD Dual-Content Center Display. Plus, the Lexus doesn’t come with anything like the TLX’s True Touchpad Interface™, which comes with its own wrist cushion.

From there, things level out a bit, with shared standard infotainment features, like Apple CarPlay®, Android Auto™, Bluetooth® technology, and an integrated Wi-Fi hotspot.

Both sedans also offer impressive safety and driver-assistive suites, such as the AcuraWatch™ suite in the TLX. With this comes a slew of intelligent systems, including:

• Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with Advanced Pedestrian Detection
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow
• Lane Keeping Assist System
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Lane Departure Warning

With either the Lexus or Acura, you’ll even get some assistance from available comprehensive camera systems, like the TLX’s Surround-View Camera System or the Panoramic View Monitor in the Lexus IS 300.