The Acura TLX is an excellent machine to drive, and a lightly-used copy might be worth a very close look if you're about to spend the better part of $30,000 on a brand-new Honda Civic. For the same spend, a lightly-used TLX can be yours, representing an alternative with more luxury, more power, more style, more excitement, and twice the driven wheels for the same dollar amount.There are, of course, pros and cons to choosing one of these machines over the other. The TLX's more exciting engine outclasses all but the Civic Type R on output while calling old VTEC-equipped favorites to mind with its soundtrack and power curve. You're giving up the complete warranty coverage of the Civic, but gaining access to the latest generation of Acura's Super-Handling AWD system, turbocharged power, and a double-wishbone suspension hailed by driving enthusiasts. The more upscale TLX is heavier on gas and tighter on space in some key metrics, but ride quality and overall refinement are a solid leap ahead of the economy-minded Civic. Somewhere in the middle of all of this is you, the shopper, checkbook in hand, with a very important decision to make. If You're Spending $28,000, You've Got Some Thinking To Do AcuraThe Honda Civic comes in a variety of body styles and trim grades with a price that averages about $28,000 between them. That same spend will get you into a sub-40,000-mile TLX from 2022 or 2023 all day long, complete with All-Wheel Drive. You could nearly cut that mileage in half for a more basic, front-drive unit. AcuraThe only major update for the Ohio-built TLX came for the 2024 model year, with a new grille, a newly standard 12.3-inch display, expanded safety equipment, and various tweaks to create a quieter cabin. Elsewhere, opting for the TLX instead of the Civic means access to the ELS Studio 3D audio system, as well as a specialized premium performance platform and the benefits to handling and refinement that come along with it. To summarize, you can easily get yourself into a lightly used Acura TLX for brand new Honda Civic money, and probably even save enough to add a lengthy extended warranty package, if you're someone who partakes. Key Acura TLX Competitors Genesis G70 BMW 3 Series Audi A4 Lexus IS Cadillac CT5 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Alfa Romeo Giulia Volvo S60 Infiniti Q50 The highest-mileage copies of a used TLX from this vintage will have 120,000 to 140,000 miles on their odometers, and asking prices from the high-teens to the low twenties, depending on mileage and trim grade. We found a base-model 2021 TLX with 122,000 miles in NJ for $15,999, and a sporty 118,000-mile A-Spec for $23,200. On the other side of the spectrum, the brand new 2025 Acura TLX A-Spec had a price tag of $50,400 plus destination. You can save $7,000 or more (plus the destination fees) by seeking out a 2025 with 1,000 to 2,000 miles, which brings the price down to about $43,000.AcuraSomewhere in the middle? Units sitting just below the $30,000 mark, like the 2026 Civic, include a 2023 TLX front-drive base with 3,000 miles, or a 2023 TLX Technology Package with 11,859 miles. The powertrain limited warranty is six years or 70,000 miles, in case you're wondering. Up To Speed On The Acura TLX AcuraThe TLX started its decade-long life in 2015, when the original, first-generation machine launched. By the way, the TLX name was chosen as a nod to the two former Acura sedans it replaced: the TSX and TL. Back then, engine choices included four or six-cylinder units, with no turbocharging to be seen. Four-cylinder and six-cylinder models with front-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. Only the V6 model offered AWD, which eliminated the four-wheel steering system. From 2018 to 2020, this first-generation TLX received a facelift with updated cosmetics. It was an entertaining car to drive hard, especially with the four-cylinder engine. Still, the AWD-equipped V6-powered model was pretty much mandatory for drivers in a Nordic climate.Acura The second and final TLX arrived for the 2021 model year on an all-new platform that was carefully designed to serve duty in nothing other than a purpose-built sports sedan. Rare but wonderful double-wishbone suspension helped sharpen the TLX's steering response for some refreshing energy, and the 2-liter turbo engine was more responsive and easier on fuel than the former V6, while also reducing front axle weight to the benefit of steering feel. AcuraBelow, you can compare the performance metrics for the first-generation TLX engines with the same metrics for the second-generation 2021 TLX.AcuraThe TLX was discontinued in July of 2025, with production stopping that month. The reason? Slow sales, which is to say, low demand. In 2021, Acura sold 26,100 TLXs. For 2022, sales peaked at less than half that amount, 11,508 units to be precise. The launch of the TLX Type S helped spike 2023 sales to 16,731 units, but with just 3,634 sales in the first half of 2025, the TLX was officially called off. The sedan form factor was rapidly dying off, and the TLX was another casualty. Making Your Decision AcuraBefore making your decision, consider a few important factors. The first is to understand the performance figures relative to the fuel cost of each machine. A new Civic Hybrid will use about $1,200 per year worth of regular-grade gas, according to EPA data. The non-hybrid model uses about $1,700 worth of regular-grade gas annually. AcuraThe TLX needs pricier premium gas and drinks it faster. Its annual fuel cost is $2,825 on average, according to the EPA. To summarize, you might spend the same amount of money on each car, but remember that the TLX will use $1,125 more gas annually than a base Civic, and $1,625 more gas annually than the nearly-as-quick Civic Hybrid. If you drive either car for five years, that's a hidden cost of between $5,000 and $8,000 to consider when choosing the Acura.AcuraThere's also the matter of size and space. If you've got a smaller garage or parking space, remember that the TLX is nearly 10 inches longer than the Civic Sedan, as well as 4.3 inches wider and 1.1 inches taller. The Civic has more trunk space than the TLX, by 1.3 cubic feet, an advantage of 9 percent. AcuraThe Civic also has 2.1 inches more front seat headroom than the TLX, and nearly an inch more rear seat headroom than the TLX. On legroom, the pair are basically tied up front, though the Civic has a considerable advantage in rear seat legroom, by an impressive 2.5 inches. You'll find more front shoulder room in the TLX, but more rear shoulder room in the Civic. Note that rear-seat hip-room in the TLX represents a major 5.7-inch advantage over the Honda.Of course, choosing the TLX gives shoppers the experience of a more luxurious cabin and high-end trimmings, though the two machines are fairly similar when it comes to connectivity and driver assist systems, featuring the latest and greatest of their day. Still, this comparison mostly involves a major decision between two driving experiences. The TLX's turbo-four engine calls former famous VTEC-equipped four-cylinder engines to mind with its snarly soundtrack, while that double-wishbone front suspension calibrated against a quick and lively steering rack gave the TLX no shortage of refreshingly responsive and athletic reflexes. The result genuinely stayed in stride with the brand's sports sedan soul, reminding its operator of the eager sensations, lightweight feel, and engaging sounds of fast Hondas and Acuras from days gone by.Sources: Honda, Acura, EPA