Compare the2023 Audi RS 3VS 2023 Acura TLX

The RS 3’s 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.

Both the RS 3 and TLX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The RS 3 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The TLX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The RS 3 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The TLX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the RS 3. But it costs extra on the TLX.

The RS 3 has a standard blind spot warning system that 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.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the RS 3 has standard rear cross-path warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Acura charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Monitor on the TLX.

Both the RS 3 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 seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and rearview cameras.

The RS 3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the TLX’s (12 vs. 5 years).

There are over 12 percent more Audi dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the RS 3’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the RS 3’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the TLX’s camshafts. If the TLX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Acura.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 2 places higher in reliability than Acura.

The RS 3’s 2.5 turbo 5-cylinder produces 129 more horsepower (401 vs. 272) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 280) than the TLX’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The RS 3’s 2.5 turbo 5-cylinder produces 46 more horsepower (401 vs. 355) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 354) than the TLX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi RS 3 is faster than the Acura TLX:

On the EPA test cycle the RS 3 gets better mileage than the TLX:

The RS 3 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 RS 3’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The TLX doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the RS 3’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the TLX:

The RS 3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the TLX are solid, not vented.

The RS 3 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The TLX doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The RS 3 stops much shorter than the TLX:

For better traction, the RS 3 has larger tires than the TLX (F:265/30R19 & R:245/35R19 vs. 235/50R18). The RS 3’s front tires are larger than the largest tires available on the TLX (265/30R19 vs. 255/35R20).

The RS 3’s 265/30R19 front and 245/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the TLX’s standard 50 series tires. The RS 3’s tires are lower profile than the TLX Type S’ 35 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RS 3 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the TLX.

The RS 3 handles at .94 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 RS 3 is 1 foot, 3.8 inches shorter than the TLX, making the RS 3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the RS 3’s power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The TLX doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

The power windows standard on both the RS 3 and the TLX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the RS 3 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 RS 3’s 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.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RS 3 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The TLX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the RS 3 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The TLX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The RS 3’s standard 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi RS 3 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the TLX.

The RS 3’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The TLX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.