Compare the2023 Acura TLXVS 2023 Nissan Maxima

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
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 Nissan Maxima doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The TLX offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Maxima doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the TLX and the Maxima 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available 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 Nissan Maxima:

	TLX	Maxima
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	143	252
Neck Injury Risk	20%	25%
Neck Stress	175 lbs.	289 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	258/267 lbs.	359/238 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 Nissan Maxima:

	TLX	Maxima
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	188 lbs.	225 lbs.
Hip Force	279 lbs.	337 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	181	242
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	15 inches
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	41 G’s

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 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 Maxima is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The TLX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Maxima’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the TLX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Maxima. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Maxima ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Acura pays for scheduled maintenance on the TLX for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Acura will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Maxima.

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 Maxima’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura 7 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The TLX’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 261) than the Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The TLX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 55 more horsepower (355 vs. 300) and 93 lbs.-ft. more torque (354 vs. 261) than the Maxima’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the TLX Type S 3.0 turbo V6 is faster than the Nissan Maxima:

	TLX	Maxima
Zero to 60 MPH	4.9 sec	5.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12.6 sec	14.1 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.5 sec	6 sec
Quarter Mile	13.6 sec	14.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	103 MPH	101 MPH
Top Speed	155 MPH	135 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
TLX
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/31 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
Maxima
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/30 hwy

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the TLX’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Maxima doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Acura TLX uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Maxima 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 Maxima 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 Nissan Maxima (3). This means the TLX produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Maxima every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	TLX	TLX Type S	Maxima
Front Rotors	13 inches	14.3 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13 inches	12.13 inches

The TLX stops much shorter than the Maxima:

	TLX	Maxima
70 to 0 MPH	165 feet	168 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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

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 Maxima SR/Platinum’s 40 series tires.

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

Suspension and Handling

The TLX has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Maxima’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The TLX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Maxima’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the TLX’s wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the Maxima (113 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the TLX is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Maxima.

The TLX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Maxima’s (60.8% to 39.2%). This gives the TLX more stable handling and braking.

The TLX Type S handles at .97 G’s, while the Maxima Platinum pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The TLX Type S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the Maxima Platinum (25 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 27 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The TLX has 1.6 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear hip room than the Maxima.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 22% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 18th.

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 Maxima 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 Maxima’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The TLX’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Maxima’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Maxima’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura TLX offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Maxima doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

The Acura TLX outsold the Nissan Maxima by 62% during 2022.

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