2023 Acura TLX vs 2024 Hyundai Elantra

The 2023 Acura TLX faced several challenges, including a consumer shift to SUVs, pandemic-related supply chain constraints, and fluctuating car prices. These factors made it difficult for Acura to offer attractive lease deals. Unlike some competitors, Acura did not flood rental fleets with its vehicles, making the TLX a rare sight on the road. The TLX Type S, tested in Southern California, featured eye-catching Tiger Eye Pearl paint and a performance wheel and tire package, bringing its MSRP to $59,100, including destination charges.

The TLX's design was based on a concept vehicle, introducing a new design language for Acura. Despite its front-wheel-drive platform, the TLX had a rear-wheel-drive look, tapering into a tidy tail. However, the dramatic styling compromised rear-seat room and cargo space. Inside, the TLX had a layered dashboard design emphasizing width, but the control layout was not user-friendly, causing distractions. The Type S model, with a turbocharged V6 engine and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), was the most expensive version, while the base TLX with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive started at $41,045.

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra showcased Hyundai's bold design philosophy, with dramatic exterior styling that varied significantly between generations. The Elantra's design featured numerous hard creases on the doors, creating a disjointed look. However, darker colors helped hide these lines. The N Line trim, painted in Exotic Green with dark gray wheels and big air intakes, had a wild and brash appearance. The 2024 refresh included a lower-positioned grille, reshaped headlights, and a silver band connecting the DRLs, giving the front end a clean and linear look.

The Elantra's body proportions mimicked a rear-wheel-drive sports sedan, with a low and elongated profile and a fastback-like rear end. The SE, SEL, and Limited trims lacked the sporty bumpers and lowered stance of the N Line, making them look cheaper. Inside, the Elantra had a thin center stack angled toward the driver, classy silver trim, and a good build quality for the price. The base SE had gray cloth upholstery, the Limited had leatherette, and the N Line had hex-patterned cloth. The interior design brought a sense of movement, but more soft-touch points and better cloth upholstery could improve the car.

The 2023 Acura TLX offered a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Depending on the trim and drivetrain, this engine achieved between 24 and 25 mpg in combined driving. The TLX featured multiple driving modes, including Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Individual, with the Type S adding a Sport+ mode. The SH-AWD system, available on the A-Spec Package and standard on the TLX Advance and Type S models, provided mechanical torque vectoring, enhancing power, grip, and control.

The TLX Type S, with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, was the sportiest model. It featured performance enhancements like a sport automatic transmission, adaptive dampers, and Brembo front calipers. The Type S could accelerate to 60 mph in five seconds and had a top speed of 155 mph, with an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in combined driving. However, the brake-by-wire system, based on the discontinued NSX sports car, was less satisfying on twisty roads, causing a mismatch between driver inputs and braking response. Despite this, the TLX Type S was fast, sounded terrific, and handled well, with excellent grip and minimal understeer.

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra offered four engines and five transmissions, all with a front-wheel-drive layout and four cylinders. The most common trims (SE, SEL, Limited) had a 2.0-liter inline-four engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). While adequate for low-speed driving, this engine was weak and loud on highways. The N Line's 1.6-liter turbo-four engine, with 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, provided a zippy and responsive driving experience, though the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission could be laggy and clunky when accelerating from a stop.

The Elantra N, with an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque, was the most powerful model. The six-speed manual version was entertaining to drive but had a vague clutch engagement point and notable turbo lag. The N's ride was harsh over imperfect roads, but the 2024 model featured new suspension bushings and engine mounts to improve livability. The Elantra Hybrid, with a 1.6-liter inline-four engine, a 1.3-kilowatt-hour battery pack, and a single electric motor, achieved nearly 60 mpg on the highway. Non-hybrid trims also had impressive fuel efficiency, with the N Line and N models being less efficient due to their higher power output.

The 2023 Acura TLX Type S offered interior color options like Ebony, Red, and Orchid, with premium Milano leather and artificial suede inserts. The flat-bottom sport steering wheel had analog gauges with low-contrast red markings, making them hard to read. The 16-way power-adjustable front sport seats provided excellent comfort, but the rear seats were cramped, with narrow doors and limited legroom. The TLX's trunk held 13.5 cubic feet of cargo, more in line with a compact car, but the flat trunk floor and enclosed hinges made the best use of the space.

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra had a mix of analog and digital controls, with a mechanical parking brake and a conventional PRNDL shifter. Shortcut buttons for navigation and audio were below the main touchscreen, and climate controls were in a dedicated space. The drive mode button was awkwardly placed on the driver's left-side dash. Visibility was good from the front seats, and headroom was ample in all seating positions. The rear seat offered plenty of legroom, with two USB-C ports for passengers. The trunk held 14.2 cubic feet of cargo, with 60/40 folding rear seats standard. The N model had a red X-brace that blocked most of the seat pass-through.

The 2023 Acura TLX's True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system was a source of frustration, with a 10.2-inch display that was not touch-sensitive. The TTI touchpad and buttons on the center console, steering wheel controls, and natural voice recognition system were used to operate the system. The TTI's one-to-one relationship between the touchpad and display screen proved distracting. Standard infotainment features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a three-year subscription to AcuraLink connected services. The TLX did not support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the 17-speaker ELS Studio 3D audio system sounded terrific.

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra had a 10.25-inch touchscreen standard on SEL-and-above trims, with an 8-inch touchscreen on the SE. The infotainment system did not support wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but it was quick and customizable. A Wi-Fi hotspot and digital key function were new options for 2024. The N Line and Limited trims had an eight-speaker Bose stereo and a wireless charging pad. Highway Driving Assist was standard on the Limited trim, providing accurate steering assist on marked highways.

The 2023 Acura TLX came standard with AcuraWatch, which included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, automatic high-beam headlights, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors. The Type S included rain-sensing wipers and a wiper de-icer system. The TLX received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA.

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and was named a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS. The SE and N trims came standard with forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, driver attention monitor, blind-spot monitoring, and auto high beams. Higher trims added cyclist detection, front cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, rear emergency braking, a 360-degree camera system, parking sensors, and Highway Driving Assist.