2025 Acura TLX vs. 2025 Audi S4

TrueCar says choosing between the Acura TLX and the Audi S4 comes down to price up front versus cost at the pump, with the TLX's $46,595 starting price undercutting the S4's $55,595 by $9,000, while the TLX also wins on fuel economy at 22 city/31 highway mpg versus the S4's 21 city/29 highway mpg, though the S4's 3.0-liter turbo V6 makes 349 hp against the TLX's 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder's 272 hp and comes standard with all-wheel drive versus the TLX's standard front-wheel drive. iSeeCars says the Acura TLX has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front shoulder room, front legroom, rear shoulder room, and cargo space, while the compact Audi S4 has the advantage in front headroom, rear headroom, and rear legroom, and the TLX is rated to deliver an average of 25 mpg with a highway range of 491 miles versus the S4's 24 mpg and 444-mile highway range, with Consumer Reports' reliability rating giving the Acura TLX a slight edge at 7.7 out of 10 versus the Audi S4's 7.4.

Which to choose, and why

$9,000 cheaper, better on fuel

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says choosing between the Acura TLX and the Audi S4 comes down to price up front versus cost at the pump, with the TLX's $46,595 starting price undercutting the S4's $55,595 by $9,000, while the TLX also wins on fuel economy at 22 city/31 highway mpg versus the S4's 21 city/29 highway mpg.

349 hp and standard AWD for the S4

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says the S4's 3.0-liter turbo V6 makes 349 hp against the TLX's 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder's 272 hp and comes standard with all-wheel drive versus the TLX's standard front-wheel drive.

More room, more range, and better reliability for the TLX

iSeeCars (opens in a new tab) says the Acura TLX has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front shoulder room, front legroom, rear shoulder room, and cargo space, is rated for 491 highway miles versus the S4's 444, and edges the S4 on reliability at 7.7 out of 10 versus 7.4.

Questions buyers ask

How much more powerful is the Audi S4 than the Acura TLX?

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says the S4 makes 349 hp versus the TLX's 272 hp.

Which is more reliable, the Acura TLX or Audi S4?

iSeeCars (opens in a new tab) rates the TLX 7.7 out of 10 versus the S4's 7.4.

Side-by-side matrix

The published fields that can change the decision.

Acura TLX: 3 records · Audi S4: 1 records.

Decision field	Acura TLX	Audi S4
Exact EPA records	3	1
Model / option labels	3	1
Drive layouts	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive	All-Wheel Drive
Engines / propulsion	2L 4-cyl SIDI, 3L 6-cyl SIDI	3L 6-cyl SIDI
Transmissions	Automatic (S10)	Automatic (S8)
Fuel types	Premium	Premium
EPA classes	Compact Cars	Compact Cars
Combined efficiency	21–25 MPG/MPGe	24 MPG/MPGe
Electric range	Not listed	Not listed
Annual fuel / energy estimate	$3200–3800 per year	$3300 per year

Head to head

Acura TLX vs. Audi S4: size, power, capability and price.

Measure	Acura TLX	Audi S4
Starting price (KBB base)	$46,595	$56,195
Top trim price (KBB base)	$59,245	$62,795
Horsepower	272-355 hp	349 hp
Torque	280-354 lb-ft	369 lb-ft
0 to 60 mph	n/a	4.4 sec
Curb weight	3,756-4,221 lb	3,847 lb
Length	194.6 in	187.5 in
Wheelbase	113 in	111 in
Cargo volume	13.5 cu ft	12 cu ft
Seating	5 seats	5 seats
Basic warranty	4 years	4 years

Figures are ranges across each model’s trims from Kelley Blue Book records (2025 model year); prices are KBB base prices.

The Acura TLX starts $9,600 lower: $46,595 against $56,195 before options and fees.
On peak horsepower, the Acura TLX leads: 355 hp against 349 hp.
On peak torque, the Audi S4 leads: 369 lb-ft against 354 lb-ft.
The Acura TLX is lighter, comparing lightest trims: 3,756 lb against 3,847 lb.
On length, the Acura TLX leads: 194.6 in against 187.5 in.
On wheelbase, the Acura TLX leads: 113 in against 111 in.
On cargo volume, the Acura TLX leads: 13.5 cu ft against 12 cu ft.
Both list the same seating capacity: 5 seats.
Both list the same basic warranty: 4 years.

Background on each vehicle

What public sources say about the Acura TLX and the Audi S4.

2025 Acura TLX

The Acura TLX is a four-door entry-level luxury sedan that was produced by Acura, a luxury division of Honda, from 2014 through 2025. It was the successor to both the TL and TSX models. The discontinuation of the RLX after the 2020 model year left the TLX as the flagship sedan in Acura's lineup.

Safety: TLX safety features include Lane Keeping Assist System with Road Departure Mitigation System, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, Blind Spot Information System, Tire Pressure Monitoring system with Tire Fill Assist, Collision Mitigation Braking System, and Vehicle Stability Assist. There are 7 airbags, including a driver's side knee airbag. 1 vehicle structure also rated "Acceptable" 2 strength-to-weight ratio: 5.67

Source: Acura TLX (Wikipedia)

NHTSA rated the 2025 Acura TLX overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 5 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 5 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (3 campaigns across the latest model years)

May 2026, Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic… Consequence: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
June 2025, Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles… Consequence: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
December 2024, Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly. Acura (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2023 TLX vehicles. The fuel filler neck and fuel tank may have been improperly welded, which can result in a fuel leak. Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Owners filed 4 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Acura TLX, most often about electrical system (3), steering (2), engine (1).

2025 Audi S4

The Audi S4 is the high performance variant of Audi's compact executive car A4. The original Audi S4, built from 1991 until 1994, was a performance-oriented version of Audi's 100 saloon/sedan. All subsequent S4s, beginning with the "B5" platform car in 1997, have been based on the Audi A4; and as the A4 has evolved from one generation to the next, so has the S4.

Source: Audi S4 (Wikipedia)

Motorsport. In motor racing, APR Motorsport has currently entered a B8 S4 in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class.

Open both dossiers

Resolve the exact engine, drive and EPA ID.

01 · 2025Acura TLX3 configurations →02 · 2025Audi S41 configurations →

Comparison answer desk

13 answers for this exact pairing.

Q01Which is more efficient: the 2025 Acura TLX or the 2025 Audi S4?

Efficiency

The 2025 Audi S4 lists the higher combined-efficiency midpoint in this snapshot (24 vs. the 2025 Acura TLX's 23 MPG/MPGe).