2025 Acura TLX vs. 2026 Lexus IS

TrueCar says choosing between the Acura TLX and the Lexus IS comes down to price up front versus cost at the pump, with the TLX's $46,595 starting price undercutting the IS's $46,895 by just $300, while the TLX also wins on fuel economy at 22 city/31 highway mpg versus the IS's 19 city/27 highway mpg, and the TLX's 2.0-liter turbo four with front-wheel drive contrasts with the IS's 3.5-liter V6 with rear-wheel drive. Car and Driver says the 2026 IS350, now in its sixth year of production, looks racier than it is, but what it lacks in speed and sportiness it makes up for with a supple ride and a premium interior, with all models coming with a 311-hp V6 engine and a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive, ranking #9 in Best Compact Luxury Cars behind the BMW 3-series, Genesis G70, and Audi A5.

Which to choose, and why

$300 apart, but different drivetrain layouts

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says choosing between the Acura TLX and the Lexus IS comes down to price up front versus cost at the pump, with the TLX's $46,595 starting price undercutting the IS's $46,895 by just $300, and the TLX's 2.0-liter turbo four with front-wheel drive contrasts with the IS's 3.5-liter V6 with rear-wheel drive.

The TLX is more fuel-efficient

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says the TLX wins on fuel economy at 22 city/31 highway mpg versus the IS's 19 city/27 highway mpg.

The IS: racier looks than speed, a 311-hp V6

Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says the 2026 IS350, now in its sixth year of production, looks racier than it is, but what it lacks in speed and sportiness it makes up for with a supple ride and a premium interior, with all models coming with a 311-hp V6 engine and a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive, ranking #9 in Best Compact Luxury Cars behind the BMW 3-series, Genesis G70, and Audi A5.

Questions buyers ask

Which is cheaper, the Acura TLX or Lexus IS?

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says the TLX, by just $300 at MSRP.

How much horsepower does the Lexus IS have?

Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says 311 hp from its V6, standard across all models.

Side-by-side matrix

The published fields that can change the decision.

Acura TLX: 3 records · Lexus IS: 2 records.

Decision field	Acura TLX	Lexus IS
Exact EPA records	3	2
Model / option labels	3	2
Drive layouts	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive	All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive
Engines / propulsion	2L 4-cyl SIDI, 3L 6-cyl SIDI	3.5L 6-cyl SIDI & PFI
Transmissions	Automatic (S10)	Automatic (S6), Automatic (S8)
Fuel types	Premium	Premium
EPA classes	Compact Cars	Compact Cars
Combined efficiency	21–25 MPG/MPGe	22 MPG/MPGe
Electric range	Not listed	Not listed
Annual fuel / energy estimate	$3200–3800 per year	$3650 per year

Head to head

Acura TLX vs. Lexus IS: size, power, capability and price.

Measure	Acura TLX	Lexus IS
Starting price (KBB base)	$46,595	$46,795
Top trim price (KBB base)	$59,245	$51,245
Horsepower	272-355 hp	311 hp
Torque	280-354 lb-ft	280 lb-ft
0 to 60 mph	n/a	6 sec
Curb weight	3,756-4,221 lb	3,913 lb
Length	194.6 in	185.8 in
Wheelbase	113 in	110.2 in
Cargo volume	13.5 cu ft	10.8 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 and 2026 model years); prices are KBB base prices.

The Acura TLX starts $200 lower: $46,595 against $46,795 before options and fees.
On peak horsepower, the Acura TLX leads: 355 hp against 311 hp.
On peak torque, the Acura TLX leads: 354 lb-ft against 280 lb-ft.
The Acura TLX is lighter, comparing lightest trims: 3,756 lb against 3,913 lb.
On length, the Acura TLX leads: 194.6 in against 185.8 in.
On wheelbase, the Acura TLX leads: 113 in against 110.2 in.
On cargo volume, the Acura TLX leads: 13.5 cu ft against 10.8 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 Lexus IS.

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).

2026 Lexus IS

The Lexus IS is a compact executive car (D-segment in Europe) sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota, since 1998. The IS was originally sold under the Toyota Altezza nameplate in Japan from 1998 until 2005 (the word Altezza is Italian for 'height' or 'highness'). The IS was introduced as an entry-level sport model positioned below the ES in the Lexus lineup.

Safety: Safety equipment on the IS models ranged from multiple airbags to stability control systems. A Pre-Collision System (PCS) was the first offered in the entry-luxury performance sedan market segment.

Source: Lexus IS (Wikipedia)

Equipment. Toyota Racing Development (TRD) F Sport parts for the Japanese IS sedan include a front spoiler, side skirts, rear spoiler, sport muffler and rear diffuser, diamond-like carbon fibre shock absorbers, 19-inch aluminium wheels (measuring 19x8.5J front and 19x9J rear, 45 mm front and 50 mm rear insets, 245/35ZR19 front and 265/30ZR19 rear tyres), member brace and performance dampers.

Awards. Power and Associates named the second-generation IS 250/IS 350 sedans the best vehicles in the entry luxury class in its 2006 Initial Quality Survey. Power and Associates named the first-generation IS 300 sedan and IS 300 SportCross the best vehicles in the entry luxury class in its 2005 Initial Quality Survey.

Open both dossiers

Resolve the exact engine, drive and EPA ID.

01 · 2025Acura TLX3 configurations →02 · 2026Lexus IS2 configurations →

Comparison answer desk

13 answers for this exact pairing.

Q01Which is more efficient: the 2025 Acura TLX or the 2026 Lexus IS?

Efficiency

The 2025 Acura TLX lists the higher combined-efficiency midpoint in this snapshot (23 vs. the 2026 Lexus IS's 22 MPG/MPGe).