Compare the2022 Mercedes A-ClassVS 2021 Acura TLX

The A-Class’ optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The TLX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The A-Class 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.

Both the A-Class 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

There are over 41 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the A-Class’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 25th in initial quality. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 26th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mercedes 8 places higher in reliability than Acura.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mercedes A-Class is faster than the Acura TLX turbo 4 cyl.:

The A-Class offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The TLX doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A-Class stops much shorter than the TLX:

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the A-Class can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The TLX doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The A-Class’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The TLX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The A 220 4MATIC handles at .95 G’s, while the TLX A-Spec SH-AWD pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The A 220 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the TLX A-Spec SH-AWD (26.5 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the A-Class’ turning circle is 4 feet tighter than the TLX’s (36.1 feet vs. 40.1 feet). The A-Class’ turning circle is 4.1 feet tighter than the TLX 19/20-inch wheels’ (36.1 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

The Mercedes A-Class may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 850 pounds less than the Acura TLX.

The A-Class is 1 foot, 3.5 inches shorter than the TLX, making the A-Class easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The A-Class has 3.1 inches more front headroom and .9 inches more rear headroom than the TLX.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the A-Class’ available trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The TLX doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the TLX, the A-Class has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The power windows standard on both the A-Class and the TLX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the A-Class 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 A-Class’ rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The TLX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The A-Class’ optional 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 A-Class’ optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The TLX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.