2022 Volkswagen Jetta vs 2023 Acura TLX

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta had been a steadfast performer for the automaker, maintaining its position as a best-seller despite various global challenges. In 2021, the Jetta and its performance variant, the Jetta GLI, accounted for over 61 percent of Volkswagen's U.S. car sales, a figure that rose to 70 percent in the first quarter of 2022. While Volkswagen's SUV sales were significantly higher, the Jetta still outsold the rest of the VW car lineup combined. For 2022, the Jetta received a mild makeover, including an engine update, exterior styling tweaks, improved infotainment, and a new Sport trim. The Jetta's exterior changes were subtle, with minor updates to the front fascia, bumper, and grille, which now featured more chrome. The interior also saw subtle but appealing updates, such as a new rhombus pattern on the standard cloth seats and contrast stitching on all upholstery types. The 8-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster became standard across the lineup, with the Jetta SEL receiving a 10-inch Digital Cockpit Pro and an 8-inch touchscreen-navigation system.

The 2023 Acura TLX faced challenges due to the consumer shift to SUVs, supply chain constraints, and rising interest rates. Despite these hurdles, the TLX remained a rarity on the road. The latest TLX, based on a concept vehicle, featured a new design language with a long, low, and lean profile that resembled a rear-wheel-drive look. However, this dramatic styling compromised rear-seat room and cargo space. Inside, the TLX had a layered dashboard design that emphasized the car's width, but the control layout required drivers to relearn how to use the infotainment system and adjust driving modes. The TLX Type S, equipped with a turbocharged V6 engine and Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), was the most expensive version, with a base price of $41,045 for the standard TLX with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Option packages included the Technology Package, A-Spec Package, and Advance Package, with the base and Technology models offering only FWD and the Advance and Type S models featuring SH-AWD.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, replacing the previous 1.4-liter turbo-four. This engine produced 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, paired with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Jetta's fuel economy was impressive, with the manual transmission achieving 29 mpg city, 43 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined. Automatic transmission models had slightly different ratings, with S and Sport models achieving 31 mpg city, 41 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined, while SE and SEL models achieved 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined. During an 800-mile road trip, the Jetta averaged 46.9 highway mpg, requiring only two fill-ups for the roughly 1,000-mile journey. The Jetta's cabin was comfortable for long drives, though the powertrain had some drawbacks, such as a touchy throttle and turbo lag. The Jetta offered Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom drive modes, but the steering feedback was detached, and the overall dynamics were tepid.

The 2023 Acura TLX featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with a paddle-shifted 10-speed automatic transmission. Depending on the trim and drivetrain, this engine achieved between 24 mpg and 25 mpg in combined driving. The TLX's driver could select from multiple Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) driving modes, including Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Individual, with the Type S adding a Sport+ mode. The TLX Type S, equipped with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, produced 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to accelerate to 60 mph in five seconds and reach a top speed of 155 mph. The Type S also featured performance enhancements such as a sport automatic transmission with rev-matching downshifts, performance-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers, and 14.3-inch front brake rotors with four-piston Brembo front calipers. However, the TLX's Electro Servo braking system, which lacked a physical connection between the brake pedal and the master cylinder, proved less satisfying on twisty roads. Despite this, the TLX Type S was fun to drive, with excellent grip and handling, though it had some minor issues, such as scraping the nose on speed humps and occasional artificial responses from the adaptive suspension.

Despite its compact proportions, the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta offered ample passenger space for four adults, with the ability to accommodate five if needed. The seats were comfortable, though the front seats' bottom cushion had a slight incline that might not be appreciated by those with shorter legs. The cabin was driver-centric, with buttons for climate control, audio, and heated and ventilated seats easily accessible. There was usable storage space up front, including door pockets, a center console bin, and a slot next to the cupholders. However, the center storage bin's cover lacked a latch, which was an unusual omission.

The 2023 Acura TLX Type S offered a choice of interior colors, including Ebony, Red, and Orchid, with premium Milano leather and artificial suede inserts. The flat-bottom sport steering wheel featured analog gauges with a brushed metal background, though the low-contrast red markings were challenging to read. The front seats were 16-way power-adjustable with adjustable thigh support and upper-side bolsters, providing excellent comfort. However, the rear seat was less comfortable, with narrow rear doors and limited legroom. The TLX's trunk offered 13.5 cubic feet of cargo space, more in line with a compact car than a midsize model, but the flat trunk floor and enclosed trunk hinges made the best use of the available space.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta received an upgrade in technology, with all models equipped with the Digital Cockpit digital instrument cluster. The Jetta SEL featured a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro with three views and additional widgets for navigation, phone history, and driver-assist systems. The standard infotainment system for S, Sport, and SE trims was a 6.5-inch Volkswagen MIB2 system with capacitive-touch sensors, allowing for swiping and pinch-zooming. The Jetta SEL received the newer 8-inch MIB3 system, which included navigation, wireless App-Connect, wireless device charging, and enhanced voice recognition. However, the voice activation and navigation commands were not intuitive, often requiring manual entry of addresses and points of interest.

The 2023 Acura TLX's True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system was a source of frustration for many consumers. The 10.2-inch display was not touch-sensitive, requiring the use of the TTI touchpad and buttons on the center console, steering wheel controls, and natural voice recognition system. The TTI's one-to-one relationship between the display screen and touchpad proved distracting and occupied valuable center console space. Standard infotainment features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a complimentary three-year subscription to AcuraLink connected services. Depending on the trim level, upgrades included wireless smartphone charging, a navigation system, and a premium audio system. However, the TLX did not support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the voice recognition system was not as conversational as some rivals.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta came standard with IQ.Drive, Volkswagen's suite of driver-assistance technologies. The Jetta S and Sport included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward-collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian recognition. The Driver Assistance package added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keep assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. Travel Assist combined adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist, while Emergency Assist brought the vehicle to a stop if the driver was unresponsive. The full IQ.Drive safety suite was standard on Jetta SE and SEL trims. The 2022 Jetta had not yet received crash safety ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS, but the 2021 model received a five-star rating from the NHTSA and mostly "Good" grades from the IIHS, with some shortcomings in headlight tests and LATCH use.

The 2023 Acura TLX came standard with AcuraWatch, which included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. Additional features included automatic high-beam headlights, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control with low-speed following capability and Traffic Jam Assist. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors. The Type S included rain-sensing wipers and a wiper de-icer system but lacked a head-up display and surround-view camera system. The TLX received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA, with a four-star rating for the front passenger's seating position in a frontal-impact collision.