Compare the2022 Acura TLXVS 2021 Volkswagen Arteon

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 Volkswagen Arteon doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

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 Arteon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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

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 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Arteon has not been fully tested, yet.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the TLX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Arteon. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Arteon ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The TLX’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Arteon’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

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 Arteon’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Acura vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 26th in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th.

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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 55 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

The TLX’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 4 more horsepower (272 vs. 268) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 258) than the Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The TLX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 87 more horsepower (355 vs. 268) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (354 vs. 258) than the Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Acura TLX is faster than the Volkswagen Arteon:

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Acura TLX uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Arteon 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 Arteon doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura TLX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Arteon.

For better stopping power the TLX Type S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Arteon:

The TLX stops shorter than the Arteon:

For better traction, the TLX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Arteon (255/35R20 vs. 245/45R18).

The TLX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Arteon doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the TLX’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Arteon (113 inches vs. 111.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the TLX is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Arteon.

The TLX Type S handles at .96 G’s, while the Arteon SE 4Motion pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

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

The TLX has 1.3 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Arteon.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the TLX offers cargo security. The Arteon’s hatchback body style and non-lockable folding seat defeat cargo security.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 44% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

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 Arteon doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Acura TLX outsold the Volkswagen Arteon by over five to one during the 2021 model year.