While SUVs flourish, sedans are hardly passé. In fact, cars like the 2021 Hyundai Sonata and 2021 Acura TLX are some of the most innovative, safest, and stylish ever made. Here’s how they compare.
2021 Hyundai Sonata
2021 Hyundai Sonata Starting Price: $24,595 | Price Yours
Above Average: Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; robust safety suite; advanced technology; available hybrid.
Below Average: Edgy exterior; no all-wheel-drive option.
Consensus: The 2021 Hyundai Sonata boasts enough features and exclusive tech to compete with premium sedans costing many thousands more.
2021 Acura TLX
2021 Acura Starting Price: $38,525 | Price Yours
Above Average: Potent turbo engine; plenty of safety and driver-assists; available AWD.
Below Average: No hybrid option; smallish trunk
Consensus: New for 2021, the Acura TLX has upped its performance game with a strong engine and great handling, crisp design, and more amenities.
Hyundai Sonata vs. Acura TLX: Tech titans
The Hyundai Sonata is fresh from a full revamp last year that includes a long list of standard features and new technology. While it has a polarizing exterior, the Sonata is filled with features, comfort, and quality materials. The Sonata comes with a 2.5-liter inline-4 engine that makes 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque, or a 1.6-liter turbo 4-cylinder making 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. A hybrid nets up to 54 mpg. Coming later is a new 2021 Hyundai Sonata N performance model. The Sonata includes safety and driver assists and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay as standard on all models. Also available is an impressive remote self-parking feature, the ability to use your phone as its key, and a blind-spot monitor that displays video in the instrument cluster.
Acura TLX
Acura’s TLX sedan is redesigned for the 2021 model year. Acura’s changes make the TLX an engaging car to drive. It boasts a 272-horsepower turbocharged engine, upgraded brakes, and an all-new chassis. When equipped with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, the TLX now drives like a proper sport sedan. Acura also has a hotter Type S waiting in the wings. Aside from higher performance, the new Acura TLX boasts a more refined cabin and amenities like a standard 10.2-inch display and an ELS premium audio system. The Acura also comes with impressive safety in AcuraWatch. It includes forward-collision warning with automatic braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and road departure mitigation.
Similarities
Active safety and driver-assists; standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Hyundai Sonata Advantages
Hybrid option; remote parking; lower price; 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage.
Acura TLX Advantages
More power; optional AWD; better audio system
Final recommendation
While Hyundai is mainstream and Acura premium, the Sonata and TLX have more in common than you may think. If you want a luxury badge, more power, or AWD, the TLX is the one to pick. But it costs a lot more. The Sonata, on the other hand, begins nearly $14,000 less. It brings its own great set of safety and tech features along with handling that will satisfy almost any driver.
| 2021 Hyundai Sonata | 2021 Acura TLX | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 2.5-liter I4 | 2.0-liter turbo I4 |
| Horsepower | 191 hp @ 6,100 rpm | 272 @ 6,500 RPM |
| Torque | 181 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm | 280 @ 1,,600-4,500 RPM |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 10-speed automatic |
| Fuel Economy | 32 mpg (28 city/38 hwy) | 25 mpg (22 city/31 hwy) |
| Also Available | 1.6-liter turbo I4; 2.0-liter I4 hybrid | AWD |
| Specs | ||
| Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety Rating | 5 stars | n/a |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 111.8 inches | 113.0 inches |
| Overall Length | 192.9 inches | 194.6 inches |
| Width | 73.2 inches | 75.2 inches |
| Height | 56.9 inches | 56.4 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 35.8 feet | 40.1 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 40.0 inches | 37.2 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 37.8 inches | 36.3 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 46.1 inches | 42.5 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 34.8 inches | 34.9 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 57.9 inches | 58.2 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 56.1 inches | 55.0 inches |
| EPA Passenger Volume | 105.0 cu. ft. | 93.4 cu. ft. |
| EPA Cargo Volume | 16.0 cu. Ft. | 13.5 cu. ft. |
