Compare the2023 Acura TLXVS 2023 BMW 5 Series Sedan

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 BMW 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Acura TLX are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The TLX Advance has a standard Surround View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 5 Series Sedan only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the TLX and the 5 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems 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 front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the TLX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 5 Series Sedan is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the TLX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 5 Series Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the 5 Series Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 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 5 Series Sedan’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Acura TLX turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the 530i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the TLX gets better mileage than the 5 Series Sedan:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the TLX Type S’ fuel efficiency. The 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan 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 (5 to 7 out of 10) than the BMW 5 Series Sedan (3 to 7). This means the TLX produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan.

The TLX stops shorter than the 5 Series Sedan:

For better traction, the TLX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 5 Series Sedan (255/35R20 vs. 245/35R20).

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 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The TLX Type S handles at .97 G’s, while the 530i pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The TLX Type S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the 530i (25 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

The TLX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 5% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

Consumer Reports rated the TLX’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the 5 Series Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

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 5 Series Sedan’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”