Acura TLX Acura TLX 2021 Toyota Highlander Toyota Highlander 2021

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Acura TLX (2021) vs. Toyota Highlander (2021) Specs

How powerful is the engine? How much room is in the back seat? Get the 2021 Acura TLX and 2021 Toyota Highlander specs.

2021 Acura TLX and 2021 Toyota Highlander Specifications

Model Year 2021 2021  
Model Acura TLX Toyota Highlander  
Engine turbocharged
2.0L I4
DOHC-4v
272 hp@6500
280 lb-ft@1600
3.5L V6
DOHC-4v
295 hp@6600
263 lb-ft@4700
 
Transmission 10-speed shiftable automatic 8-speed shiftable automatic  
Drivetrain AWD AWD  
Body 4dr Sedan 4dr SUV  
      Difference
Wheelbase 113.0 in 112.2 in 0.8 in
Length 194.6 in 194.9 in -0.3 in
Width 75.2 in 76.0 in -0.8 in
Height 56.4 in 68.1 in -11.7 in
Curb Weight 3927 lb. 4330 lb. -403 lb.
Fuel Capacity 15.9 gal. 17.9 gal. -2 gal.
Headroom, Row 1 37.2 in 41.2 in -4 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1 58.2 in 59.0 in -0.8 in
Hip Room, Row 1 55.8 in 57.2 in -1.4 in
Legroom, Row 1 42.5 in 42.0 in 0.5 in
Headroom, Row 2 36.3 in 39.4 in -3.1 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2 55.0 in 58.7 in -3.7 in
Hip Room, Row 2 54.6 in 57.0 in -2.4 in
Legroom, Row 2 34.9 in 41.0 in -6.1 in
Headroom, Row 3 0.0 in 36.1 in -36.1 in
Shoulder Room, Row 3 0.0 in 55.0 in -55 in
Hip Room, Row 3 0.0 in 45.6 in -45.6 in
Legroom, Row 3 0.0 in 27.7 in -27.7 in
Total Legroom 77.4 in (over 2 rows) 110.7 in (over 3 rows) -33.3 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum 13.5 ft3 16.0 ft3 -2.5 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 13.5 48.4 ft3 -34.9
Cargo Volume, Maximum 13.5 ft3 84.3 ft3 -70.8 ft3

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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2021 Acura TLX

2021 Acura TLX Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
YearComment
It might seem unfair to compare the Acura TLX to the Genesis G70, as the latter is considerably smaller: 194.6 vs. 184.4 inches long, 75.2 vs. 72.8 inches wide, and 56.4 vs. 55.1 inches tall. The TLX is also two-to-three-hundred pounds heavier, 3,709 vs. 3,516 pounds for the 2WD fours, 4,221 vs. 3,887 pounds for the AWD V6s. In fact, compared to the second Legend--which seemed like a fairly large car in the early 1990s--the new TLX is virtually as long, four inches wider, and an inch taller. The car that was intended to replace the TSX as well as the TL has grown to the size of the final TL, which many (including me) thought too large, and weighs about 250 pounds more. Size and weight aren't good for handling agility, performance, or fuel efficiency. So, to keep match-ups fair in these and other areas, normally I compare cars that are close in size. But, the thing is, part of the cost of the TLX's dramatically lengthened dash-to-axle is a rear seat with no more legroom than in the smaller G70. Also, despite the TLX's additional width and height, it provides only slightly more rear shoulder room and less rear headroom than the rear-drive Genesis. Adults any taller than the average man will find the TLX's rear seat a tight fit. The Kia Stinger, which is a half-foot longer than the G70 but still a few inches shorter than the TLX, provides a useful additional inch-and-a-half of legroom. Front-wheel-drive transverse powertrains were originally adopted because, when turned sideways, the engine and transmission take up much less of a car's length. By taking a conventional front-wheel-drive powertrain and merely shifting it forward nearly eight inches, while only adding half as much to the wheelbase, Acura has sacrificed this advantage, and then some.* The no-longer-closely-related Honda Accord is 2.4 inches less lengthy but has 5.3 inches more legroom--a huge difference. Add these two number up and you get...the TLX's increased dash-to-axle. The Accord also weighs 300 pounds less. Acura's been here before--with the Vigor. Okay, not quite. The Vigor's rear seat was so tight only children and small adults fit. The new TLX has about 3.5 more inches of legroom. This not only brings it even with the G70, but if you compare its shoulder and leg room to those of the best-selling 3rd TL you'll find they're surprsingly close. A coincidence? I doubt it. But some people might expect more from the new TLX given its larger exterior. * One alternative at least one manufacturer has considered: rotating a transverse powertrain 180 degrees, putting the engine behind the axle rather than ahead of it. The decreased front overhang this would enable would compensate for the increased dash-to-axle, and together they would yield even better proportions. But no one has produced a car with such a layout. The impediment for Acura or Audi: it would make AWD very difficult. see full Acura TLX review
 

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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2021 Toyota Highlander

2021 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
YearComment
With each redesign (for 2008, 2014, and 2020) Toyota has enlarged the Highlander, yet the crossover's third-row seat remains uncomforably low and tight. For adults to be even passably comfortable in the way-back the second row must be slid forward, rendering legroom there also marginal. Some three-row crossovers have much roomier and more comfortable third-row seats. But if you want to be able to squeeze in eight people, Highlanders with a second-row bench can do this. Because they have significantly narrower third-row seats, the Ford Explorer and Kia Sorento cannot fit three people back there even in a pinch, so in hybrid form the former has a maximum capacity of seven people and the latter only six. (The Sorento PHEV will be able to seat seven.) This noted, if you want your adult passengers to have plenty of room, the practical capacity of each is four people. see full Toyota Highlander review
 

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2021 Toyota Highlander

2021 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2020 4dr SUV 295-horsepower 3.5L V6
8-speed shiftable automatic AWD
The 3rd row seating is just not for adults at all, and I'm not certain that children would be easy to fit back there as well. I'm not sure what Toyota was thinking, even making the 2020 longer didn't make any difference at all. My one complaint is it is just TOO SMALL! see full Toyota Highlander review
 
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See TrueDelta's information for all Acura models.