Compare the2022 Toyota AvalonVS 2021 Acura TLX

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Avalon are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The TLX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Avalon has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats (WIL), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WIL system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The TLX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Avalon has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The TLX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Avalon Limited/Touring offers optional Rear Cross-Traffic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The TLX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Avalon has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the TLX’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Avalon has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Cross-path warning costs extra on the TLX.

Both the Avalon and the TLX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Avalon for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Acura doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the TLX.

There are almost 5 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Avalon’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Avalon’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the TLX’s camshafts. If the TLX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Avalon’s reliability 30 points higher than the TLX.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 19th in initial quality. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 23rd.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Acura is ranked 28th.

The Avalon’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 29 more horsepower (301 vs. 272) than the TLX’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Avalon is faster than the Acura TLX turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Avalon gets better mileage than the TLX:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Avalon uses regular unleaded gasoline. The TLX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Avalon stops shorter than the TLX:

The Avalon has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the TLX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the Avalon XLE’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the TLX’s (37.7 feet vs. 40.1 feet). The Avalon Limited/Touring’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the TLX 19/20-inch wheels’ (38.7 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Avalon a Mid-size car, while the TLX is rated a Compact.

The Avalon has 10.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the TLX (104.3 vs. 93.4).

The Avalon has .2 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 5.4 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the TLX.

The Avalon has a much larger trunk than the TLX (16.1 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

The power windows standard on both the Avalon and the TLX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Avalon is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The TLX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Avalon’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The TLX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Toyota Avalon has won recognition from these important consumer publications: