2018 Acura TLX

midsize luxury car / 4-door sedan

2018 Acura TLX 4-door sedan
2017 Acura TLX shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteriaRating
Small overlap front: driver-side
A
Moderate overlap front: original test
G
Side: original test
G
Roof strength
G
Head restraints & seats
G

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteriaRating
Headlights
A
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Standard system
Superior

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteriaRating
LATCH ease of use
M

Other available safety features

  • Optional blind spot detection
  • Standard lane departure warning & prevention

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2017-20 models

Tested vehicle: 2017 Acura TLX 2.4L 4-door

The Acura TLX was introduced in the 2015 model year as a replacement for the discontinued Acura TL and TSX models. Beginning with 2017 models, the front door hinge pillar was reinforced to limit intrusion of the front wheel to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes.

Evaluation criteriaRating
A
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
M
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head contacted the frontal airbag but rolled to the left because the seat belt allowed excessive forward excursion of the head and torso. The side curtain airbag deployed and has sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects. The side torso airbag also deployed.
A

Action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

The dummy's head contacted the frontal airbag but rolled partway around the left side, allowing the head to move toward the gap in coverage between the frontal and side curtain airbags.

Although intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, forces on the dummy's legs were high enough to indicate a significant risk of injury to the left lower leg and a moderate risk to the left foot and right lower leg.

Technical measurements for this test

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2015-20 models

Tested vehicle: 2015 Acura TLX 3.5L Technology 4-door

The Acura TLX was introduced in the 2015 model year. It is a replacement for the discontinued Acura TL and TSX models. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Honda.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Leg/foot, left
G
Leg/foot, right
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2015-20 models

Tested vehicle: 2015 Acura TLX Advance 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Acura TLX was introduced in the 2015 model year. It is a replacement for the discontinued Acura TL and TSX models. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Honda.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Driver head protection
G
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Rear passenger head protection
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2015-20 models

Tested vehicle: 2015 Acura TLX 3.5L Advance 4-door

Overall evaluation
G
Curb weight3,598 lbs
Peak force20,412 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio5.67

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power leather seat

Overall evaluation
G
Dynamic rating
G
Seat/head restraint geometry
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.

Headlights

Trim level(s)

  • All trims
Evaluation criteriaRating
Low-beam headlight typeLED projector
High-beam headlight typeLED projector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?Yes
Overall rating
A
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination High-beam assist credit

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual right curve, fair on the sharp right and sharp left curves, and inadequate on the gradual left curve.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was fair on both right curves and inadequate on both left curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and all 4 curves.

Technical measurements for this test

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

  • Standard Collision Mitigation Braking System

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2018-20 models

Superior
Superior
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

About the original front crash prevention test

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2016-20 models

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
M
Vehicle trim3.5L
Seat type leather

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
M
Vehicle trim3.5L
Seat type leather
1 2 3
Rating iconRating
GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor
Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol
Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol
Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol
Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
No hardware available

Details by seating position

PositionRating
1
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
too deep in seat
too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
2
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
none available
3
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
too deep in seat
too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
Technical measurements for this test

About the child seat anchor evaluation