2020 Honda Civic vs 2021 Acura TLX

The 2020 Honda Civic was a standout in Honda's lineup, offering a compact car experience with a level of engineering excellence often found in more expensive brands like BMW. It came in three body styles—sedan, coupe, and 4-door hatchback—each showcasing a sharp design that belied its small footprint. The sedan featured a sleek roofline similar to the coupe, with body panel creases and wide, arcing headlights that emphasized its low and wide stance. The hatchback had a slightly quirky tall rump, but overall, the Civic's exterior was visually stimulating without appearing cheap. The 2019 model year brought updates to the grilles, bumpers, and wheels, which carried over into 2020, along with new matte-black 18-inch wheels, LED fog lights, and standard LED headlights on the Civic Si sedan.

Inside, the Civic's simple interior was built with high-quality materials, including soft-touch rubbers and high-quality switchgear. The 2020 model introduced new dash accents and revised sport seats with red bands for the Si trim. The interior design was pleasing to the eye, with gloss-black trim on the steering wheel and dash, a metal shift knob, and a pulsing red glow from the start button. The Civic's interior changes for 2020 included three new dash accents on the hatchback and a thin red line accenting the instrument panel on the Si, making it a visually appealing and comfortable space.

The 2021 Acura TLX was a sporty sedan with a distinctive, assertive stance, highlighted by a steeply raked windshield, fastback-style roofline, and integrated tail spoiler. Its front grille pattern seemed to explode from the central Acura logo, flanked by "jewel eye" LED headlights. Twin trapezoidal tailpipes added to its aggressive look. The paint quality was top-notch, and tasteful badging and chrome hints enhanced its premium appearance. Inside, the TLX featured a "sport sedan cockpit" with authentic materials like metal, leather, and wood. The 10.2-inch infotainment screen was neatly mounted at the top of the center stack, giving it a floating appearance. The interior design was cohesive, with tight gaps, matching fonts, and good visual flow.

The 2020 Honda Civic offered a range of engines and transmissions, all front-wheel drive. The base LX and Sport trims had a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission or an optional CVT. The EX and higher trims featured a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4 engine producing 174 hp and 162 lb-ft, with the hatchback versions in Sport or Sport Touring trims making 180 hp. The Civic Si had a boosted 1.5-liter engine with 205 hp and 192 lb-ft, while the Type R boasted 306 hp and 295 lb-ft. The Si and Type R came exclusively with a stick-shift. The Civic's engines were smooth and responsive, with the CVT providing a seamless driving experience. The Si's adaptive dampers and precise steering made it a thrill to drive, while the Type R offered an exhilarating performance. The Si's fuel economy was rated at 26 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined, slightly lower than other Civic models due to a shorter final-drive ratio.

The 2021 Acura TLX featured a new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) available on all models. The TLX's fuel economy was estimated at 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined for FWD models, and 21/29/24 combined for AWD. The TLX's performance was enhanced by drive-by-wire, shift-by-wire, and electric power steering, allowing for distinct driving modes (Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Individual). The Advance package added adaptive dampers for a customizable ride. The TLX's handling was nimble and balanced, with a solid and substantial feel over various road surfaces. At a launch event in Michigan, the TLX demonstrated its eager and sprightly character, with Sport mode taming turbo lag and delivering a richer exhaust note.

The 2020 Honda Civic's interior featured a volume knob and better cupholders, with more sound insulation in the hatchback's floor, trunk, and wheel wells. The EX hatchback had an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat. The three-spoke steering wheel had controls for the central display and instrument panel, with easy access to various functions. The center console offered configurable storage with a deep bin, item trays, and removable cupholders. The Civic's rear seats were roomy, though lacking rear air vents. The trunk's cargo space was 15 cubic feet in sedan trims, 12 cubic feet in coupes, and 26 cubic feet in hatchbacks, expandable to 46 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.

The 2021 Acura TLX's shift-by-wire transmission allowed for a reimagined center console, with low-profile controls modeled after the NSX. The center console housed the infotainment interface, a mini touchpad, and two big cupholders. The rear seat was comfortable for two adults, with adequate head- and legroom. The front sport bucket seats were available with perforated Milano leather and 12-way power adjustability. Heated front seats were standard, with ventilated seats available in higher trims. The second row folded down in a 60/40 split, providing access to the 13.5 cubic feet trunk with a wide opening and deep cargo space.

The 2020 Honda Civic's infotainment system was outdated, with a 7-inch touchscreen standard on all models except the base LX. It included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with Garmin-based navigation on top-end trims. The Civic Si featured Active Sound Control, push-button start, keyless entry, power moonroof, and heated front seats. LaneWatch, a camera system for blind-spot monitoring, was also included. Automatic climate control was standard, with Honda Sensing providing active lane centering, adaptive cruise control, and auto high beams. Leather upholstery and rain-sensing wipers were available on higher trims.

The 2021 Acura TLX was loaded with technology, including drive-by-wire, shift-by-wire, and SH-AWD. The 10-speed automatic transmission featured Grade Logic Control, Shift Hold Control, and Cornering G Shift Control. The TLX offered multiple ambient lighting themes and the ELS Studio 3D 17-speaker premium audio system. The infotainment system included Bluetooth, Siri Eyes Free, SMS Text Messaging, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Advance Package added a head-up display and a G-Meter and Turbo Boost Indicator on the instrument panel.

The 2020 Honda Civic came with Honda Sensing, which included forward collision warning, emergency forward braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Civic earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS for all body styles except the Type R and received a five-star rating from the NHTSA, with a four-star rating in the passenger frontal crash test for the coupe.

The 2021 Acura TLX featured the AcuraWatch suite, including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. Additional safety features included a pedestrian injury mitigation design, ACE body structure, ultra-high-strength steel front door stiffener rings, a full complement of airbags, and a multi-angle rear-view camera system. New for 2021 were a next-generation front-passenger airbag, passenger knee airbag, pedestrian sensing, autonomous emergency braking, traffic-sign recognition, traffic jam assist, and a driver attention monitor. The TLX had not yet been tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, but previous models received high ratings.