2023 Acura TLX vs 2024 Toyota Prius

The 2023 Acura TLX faced several challenges, including a consumer shift to SUVs, supply chain constraints, and rising interest rates, which made it difficult for Acura to offer attractive lease deals. This resulted in the TLX being a rare sight on the road. The TLX Type S, tested in Southern California, featured eye-catching Tiger Eye Pearl paint and a performance wheel and tire package, bringing its MSRP to $59,100. The TLX's design, based on a concept vehicle, introduced a new design language for Acura. Despite its FWD platform, the TLX had a long, low, and lean appearance, resembling a RWD car. However, the dramatic styling compromised rear-seat room and cargo space. Inside, the TLX's layered dashboard design emphasized width but sacrificed practicality, with a control layout that required relearning how to use the infotainment system and driving modes.

The 2024 Toyota Prius retained its familiar wedge-shaped profile but received distinctive and appealing styling for its aerodynamically optimized bodywork. The Prius XLE and Limited models stood out with attractive 19-inch aluminum wheels. Inside, the Prius remained quirky, with instrumentation moved from the center of the dashboard to in front of the driver. However, the digital panel's placement close to the windshield could obstruct visibility depending on seat and steering wheel positioning. Hard plastic materials dominated the interior, leading to creaks and squeaks, and thin padding in key areas made the Prius feel flimsy. Despite these drawbacks, the Prius continued to offer excellent fuel efficiency and a range of trim levels, with prices ranging from $27,950 to $34,965.

The 2023 Acura TLX offered a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Depending on the trim and drivetrain, this engine achieved between 24 and 25 mpg in combined driving. The TLX featured multiple driving modes, including Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Individual, with the Type S adding a Sport+ mode. The SH-AWD system, available with the A-Spec Package and standard on the TLX Advance and Type S models, provided mechanical torque vectoring, enhancing power, grip, and control. The TLX Type S, equipped with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, offered impressive performance, including a 0-60 mph time of five seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. However, the brake-by-wire system in the TLX Type S had some drawbacks, causing subtle mismatches between driver inputs and actual braking performance.

The 2024 Toyota Prius received a significant power boost with its redesign, boasting a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an 83-kilowatt electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. The hybrid system's combined output was 194 horsepower with FWD and 196 hp with AWD. The Prius LE achieved an impressive 57 mpg in combined driving, while the XLE and Limited trims offered 52 mpg. The Prius's acceleration improved, with a 0-60 mph time of 7.2 seconds for FWD and seven seconds for AWD. The Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid variant, offered 40-45 miles of electric driving before switching to gas-electric hybrid propulsion. During testing, the Prius averaged 48.3 mpg on a mountainous route. While the Prius's steering felt more like a video game, and the CVT could groan under hard acceleration, the overall driving experience was much improved compared to previous generations.

The 2023 Acura TLX Type S featured premium Milano leather interiors with Ebony artificial suede inserts and contrast stitching. The flat-bottom sport steering wheel and analog gauges with brushed metal backgrounds added to the sporty feel, though the low-contrast red markings were hard to read. The 16-way power-adjustable front sport seats provided excellent comfort, but the rear seats were cramped, with narrow doors and limited legroom. The TLX's trunk offered 13.5 cubic feet of cargo space, more akin to a compact car than a midsize sedan.

The 2024 Toyota Prius's interior felt snug due to its dramatic exterior styling. The driver’s seat was comfortable, but the 7-inch digital instrumentation panel was too small and cluttered. The Prius's windshield pillars and small windows contributed to a claustrophobic feel. Rear seat comfort was adequate for two passengers, but storage space was limited. The Prius XLE and Limited offered 20.3 cubic feet of cargo space, while the LE provided 23.8 cubic feet. However, the cargo cover limited the space for larger items, and the compartmentalized storage under the trunk floor was not suitable for bigger items. The optional digital rearview mirror provided a panoramic view when the cargo hold was packed.

The 2023 Acura TLX's True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system was a source of frustration. The 10.2-inch display was not touch-sensitive, requiring the use of the TTI touchpad, steering wheel controls, and voice recognition. The system's one-to-one relationship between the touchpad and display proved distracting. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a three-year subscription to AcuraLink connected services. The TLX lacked Alexa Built-In, relying on AcuraLink Remote for Alexa compatibility. The 17-speaker ELS Studio 3D audio system in higher trims provided excellent sound quality.

The 2024 Toyota Prius featured the Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system with an 8-inch or 12.3-inch touchscreen display. Standard features included Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and various connected services plans. The Wi-Fi Connect trial lasted 30 days, while Service Connect and Safety Connect offered up to 10 years of service. Remote Connect provided one year of free service, and Drive Connect, available for the LE and XLE, included cloud-based navigation and digital assistant services. The Limited trim offered an eight-speaker JBL premium sound system, but the XLE's six-speaker system was adequate at best. The Limited trim also included a 360-degree surround-view camera system and a semi-autonomous parking assistance system.

The 2023 Acura TLX came standard with AcuraWatch, which included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, automatic high-beam headlights, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control with Traffic Jam Assist. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors. The TLX Type S included rain-sensing wipers and a wiper de-icer system. The TLX received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA.

The 2024 Toyota Prius came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0), which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and road sign recognition. The Prius also featured Proactive Driving Assist (PDA) for subtle steering and braking assistance. The Prius received five-star ratings from the NHTSA in all assessments except for rollover resistance, where it earned four stars. The IIHS awarded the Prius a Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2024.