2020 Honda Civic vs 2020 Acura TLX

A few years ago, the 2020 Acura TLX underwent significant aesthetic improvements, specifically a refreshed nose design that eradicated a longstanding issue across Acura’s lineup. This redesign resulted in a vehicle that was handsome, albeit somewhat anonymous. However, for those seeking a more striking look, the A-Spec option package became a popular choice. This package offered high-performance visual upgrades, including 19-inch wheels, revised bumper designs, side sill skirts, and large round exhaust outlets.

Making a grand appearance, the 2020 Acura TLX PMC Edition stood out with its dazzling Valencia Red Pearl paint and unique body-color and gloss black exterior accents. Hand-built in Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio by the same technicians who assembled the NSX supercar, this edition was limited to just 360 lucky buyers. It topped the TLX lineup with a price of $50,945, including a $1,995 destination fee.

In comparison, the 2020 Honda Civic was often considered the crown jewel of Honda's lineup. Offered in three body styles—sedan, coupe, and 4-door hatchback—the Civic grabbed attention with its sharp design, well beyond its compact footprint. The sedan featured an elegant roofline akin to the coupe but with a more elongated and refined body. Wide, arcing headlights and large LED taillights accentuated its low and wide stance, making the Civic visually stimulating without appearing cheap.

For 2020, the Civic sedan and coupe carried forward upgrades from the previous year, including new grilles, bumpers, and wheels. The Civic Si sedan and coupe received updates such as matte-black 18-inch wheels, LED fog lights with gloss black trim, and a newly designed rear bumper. Additional interior enhancements for the Civic included fresh dash accents, a red-accented instrument panel like that on the Type R, and revised sport seats for the Si model.

The 2020 Acura TLX PMC Edition came equipped with the best features from the TLX lineup, blending the A-Spec and Advance option packages unavailable on other models. Powering the PMC Edition was a 3.5-liter V6 engine delivering 290 horsepower, coupled with a 9-speed automatic transmission and a torque-vectoring SH-AWD system. However, this more potent drivetrain did exhibit a delay with its peak torque of 267 pound-feet arriving at 4,500 rpm.

Despite this delayed torque, the V6 engine provided a steady power build-up, transforming the driving experience into an exhilarating one, especially in Sport or Sport+ mode. The torque-vectoring SH-AWD could channel up to 70% of the engine's power to a single rear wheel, enhancing cornering precision and acceleration. The 9-speed automatic transmission was smooth, and the paddle shifters added a layer of driving pleasure.

For daily driving, the TLX was comfortable and quiet, boasting sophisticated amplitude reactive dampers and a balanced steering feel. The EPA rated the TLX at 23 mpg in combined driving, aligning with real-world tests.

Conversely, the 2020 Honda Civic offered a variety of engines and transmissions across its lineup, all front-wheel drive. The base models housed a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque, paired with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). More powerful variants featured a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4 engine, generating 174 to 180 horsepower depending on the trim.

A standout in the performance segment was the Civic Si, which amped up the 1.5-liter engine to 205 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, paired exclusively with a manual transmission. The Type R, a performance icon, packed a formidable 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, providing an unrivaled driving experience with its stick-shift.

The Civic’s adaptive dampers and balanced chassis made the Si variant particularly enjoyable, offering excellent handling without compromising ride comfort. Fuel economy varied based on the model, with most Civics achieving at least 30 mpg in the city and up to 42 mpg on the highway.

For the 2020 Acura TLX, quality and comfort were paramount, especially since most drivers wouldn't push the TLX SH-AWD to its performance limits often. The cabin featured upscale materials, comfortable heated and ventilated front seats with plenty of space, and adequate rear accommodations with air-conditioning vents and available heated rear seats. However, the TLX’s trunk offered just 14.3 cubic feet of cargo space, which was modest for a mid-size sedan.

In contrast, the 2020 Honda Civic excelled in both interior functionality and cargo capacity. The Civic's interior was built with soft-touch materials and high-quality switchgear, featuring a well-designed center console with configurable storage options. Rear passengers enjoyed ample room, although the lack of rear air vents was a notable oversight.

The Civic's cargo space varied by body style. The sedan version offered 15 cubic feet, the coupe provided 12 cubic feet, and the hatchback boasted the most significant capacity with 26 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 46 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

Acura struggled with its infotainment system in the 2020 TLX, retaining a dual-screen setup that frustrated users. The top screen wasn’t a touchscreen, while the lower screen was. Controls were a mix of buttons and touch inputs, making for a distracting and confusing user experience. The navigation graphics were outdated, and voice recognition was subpar. However, the Acura/ELS premium audio system, smartphone charger, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto were redeeming features.

The 2020 Honda Civic’s infotainment system also lagged behind competitors, featuring a 7-inch touchscreen that was slow and graphically outdated. Despite these drawbacks, the system included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing users to bypass the less intuitive factory interface. The Civic Si introduced Active Sound Control, push-button start, keyless entry, and heated front seats. The exceptional Honda LaneWatch camera system provided a live feed of the right-hand blind spot, greatly enhancing safety.

The 2020 Acura TLX’s aging architecture was evident in its safety ratings. While it secured 5-star ratings across all NHTSA tests, it missed the IIHS Top Safety Pick due to an Acceptable rating in the small overlap frontal-impact test. The TLX came equipped with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and road-departure mitigation. However, these systems lacked the refinement seen in more modern vehicles, leading to noticeable braking and acceleration changes during adaptive cruise control operation, and exaggerated steering wheel movement for lane-departure warning.

Conversely, the 2020 Honda Civic was well-regarded for its safety features, earning the IIHS Top Safety Pick for all body styles except the Type R and achieving top ratings in all six IIHS crash tests. The Civic also earned a 5-star overall rating from the NHTSA, although the coupe received four stars in the passenger frontal crash test. Standard safety tech included Honda Sensing, which featured forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Civic’s LED headlights also saw improvements, contributing to its enhanced safety profile.