Compare the2022 Acura TLXVS 2022 Infiniti Q50

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Acura TLX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Infiniti Q50 doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Acura TLX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q50 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The TLX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q50 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the TLX and the Q50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Acura TLX is safer than the Infiniti Q50:

	TLX	Q50
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	143	225
Neck Injury Risk	20%	24%
Neck Stress	175 lbs.	223 lbs.
Neck Compression	27 lbs.	45 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	1 inches
Neck Injury Risk	32%	48%
Neck Compression	66 lbs.	85 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Acura TLX is safer than the Infiniti Q50:

	TLX	Q50
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	188 lbs.	262 lbs.
Hip Force	279 lbs.	320 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	181	196
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	19 inches
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	36 G’s
Hip Force	484 lbs.	634 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the TLX its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 76 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q50 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

There are over 33 percent more Acura dealers than there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the TLX’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the TLX is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the TLX’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Q50’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

Engine

The TLX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 55 more horsepower (355 vs. 300) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (354 vs. 295) than the Q50’s standard 3.0 turbo V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the TLX gets better mileage than the Q50:

			MPG
TLX
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/31 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
Q50
	RWD	3.0 turbo V6	20 city/29 hwy
		Red Sport 400 3.0 turbo V6	20 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6	19 city/27 hwy
		Red Sport 400 3.0 turbo V6	19 city/26 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the TLX Type S’ fuel efficiency. The Q50 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regardless of its engine, the TLX’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Infiniti doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system on the Q50.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Acura TLX uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Q50 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The TLX has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q50 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Acura TLX higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Infiniti Q50 (3). This means the TLX produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q50 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura TLX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Q50.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the TLX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Q50:

	TLX	TLX Type S	Q50	Q50 Red Sport 400
Front Rotors	13 inches	14.3 inches	12.6 inches	14 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13 inches	12.1 inches	13.8 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the TLX has larger standard tires than the Q50 (235/50R18 vs. 225/50R18). The TLX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q50 (255/35R20 vs. 245/40R19).

The TLX Type S’ tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q50 Red Sport 400’s 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the TLX Type S has standard 20-inch wheels. The Q50’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the TLX is 3.5 inches wider in the front and 3.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Q50.

The TLX Type S handles at .96 G’s, while the Q50 Red Sport 400 pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The TLX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q50 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The TLX has 2.6 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room and 2.1 inches more rear hip room than the Q50.

Ergonomics

The TLX Advance has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Q50 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The TLX’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Q50’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The TLX’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Q50’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Both the TLX and the Q50 have standard heated front seats. The TLX Advance also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q50.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the TLX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q50 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura TLX A-Spec/Advance/Type S has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Q50 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Acura TLX and the Infiniti Q50, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Acura TLX outsold the Infiniti Q50 by almost two to one during the 2021 model year.