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 Tesla Model S doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.
The TLX Type S has a standard Surround View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model S 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.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the TLX’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Monitor uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model S doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.
The TLX has standard AcuraLink, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model S doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.
Both the TLX and the Model S have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.
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 Tesla Model S:
|
TLX |
Model S |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Neck Injury Risk |
20% |
30% |
Neck Stress |
175 lbs. |
247 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
27 lbs. |
28 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
258/267 lbs. |
467/415 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 Tesla Model S:
|
TLX |
Model S |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
128 |
160 |
Hip Force |
279 lbs. |
339 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
181 |
197 |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Spine Acceleration |
33 G’s |
46 G’s |
Hip Force |
484 lbs. |
785 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.