2025 Acura TLX vs. 2027 BMW M3

TrueCar says the Acura TLX starts $34,055 below the BMW M3, a $46,595 TSRP against $80,650 MSRP, and wins on fuel costs at 22 city/31 highway mpg against the M3's 16 city/23 highway, though TrueCar users rate the M3 well ahead at 4.38 out of 5 against 4.09 for the TLX. iSeeCars' spec-and-ratings comparison actually calls the Acura TLX a better car than the BMW M3 overall, despite the M3's base engine making 473 hp against 272 hp for the TLX, and shows the TLX depreciating less over 5 years, 49.7 percent against 54.2 percent for the M3. Choose the TLX for the price, mpg and iSeeCars' overall pick; choose the M3 for the much higher horsepower and its higher TrueCar owner rating.

Which to choose, and why

Price, mpg and owner ratings

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says if starting price matters most, the Acura TLX has the edge, with a $46,595 TSRP against $80,650 MSRP for the BMW M3, a difference of $34,055, and that the TLX also wins on fuel costs at 22 city and 31 highway mpg against the M3's 16 city and 23 highway. It says TrueCar users rate the BMW M3 4.38 out of 5 (413 ratings) against 4.09 for the Acura TLX (2,078 ratings).

iSeeCars' overall pick and specs

iSeeCars (opens in a new tab) says based on its comparison of specifications and ratings, the Acura TLX is a better car than the BMW M3, even though the M3's base engine makes 473 horsepower against 272 horsepower for the TLX's base engine, and that over a 5-year depreciation period the BMW M3 loses 54.2 percent of its value against 49.7 percent for the Acura TLX.

Questions buyers ask

Which does iSeeCars rate as the better car, the TLX or the M3?

iSeeCars (opens in a new tab) rates the Acura TLX a better car than the BMW M3 based on its specification and ratings comparison.

How much more horsepower does the M3 have than the TLX?

iSeeCars says the M3's base engine makes 473 hp against 272 hp for the TLX's base engine, a 201-hp gap.

Side-by-side matrix

The published fields that can change the decision.

Acura TLX: 3 records · BMW M3: 3 records.

Decision field	Acura TLX	BMW M3
Exact EPA records	3	3
Model / option labels	3	3
Drive layouts	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive	All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive
Engines / propulsion	2L 4-cyl SIDI, 3L 6-cyl SIDI	3L 6-cyl SIDI
Transmissions	Automatic (S10)	Automatic (S8), Manual 6-spd
Fuel types	Premium	Premium
EPA classes	Compact Cars	Compact Cars
Combined efficiency	21–25 MPG/MPGe	18–19 MPG/MPGe
Electric range	Not listed	Not listed
Annual fuel / energy estimate	$3200–3800 per year	$4200–4450 per year

Head to head

Acura TLX vs. BMW M3: size, power, capability and price.

Measure	Acura TLX	BMW M3
Starting price (KBB base)	$46,595	$80,650
Top trim price (KBB base)	$59,245	$89,950
Horsepower	272-355 hp	473-523 hp
Torque	280-354 lb-ft	406-479 lb-ft
0 to 60 mph	n/a	3.4-4.1 sec
Curb weight	3,756-4,221 lb	3,840-3,990 lb
Length	194.6 in	189.1 in
Wheelbase	113 in	112.5 in
Cargo volume	13.5 cu ft	16.9 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 2027 model years); prices are KBB base prices.

The Acura TLX starts $34,055 lower: $46,595 against $80,650 before options and fees.
On peak horsepower, the BMW M3 leads: 523 hp against 355 hp.
On peak torque, the BMW M3 leads: 479 lb-ft against 354 lb-ft.
The Acura TLX is lighter, comparing lightest trims: 3,756 lb against 3,840 lb.
On length, the Acura TLX leads: 194.6 in against 189.1 in.
On wheelbase, the Acura TLX leads: 113 in against 112.5 in.
On cargo volume, the BMW M3 leads: 16.9 cu ft against 13.5 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 BMW M3.

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).

2027 BMW M3

The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986. The initial model was available in a coupé body style, with a convertible body style made available soon after.

Source: BMW M3 (Wikipedia)

Owners filed 2 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 BMW M3, most often about unknown or other (1), lane departure (1).

Open both dossiers

Resolve the exact engine, drive and EPA ID.

01 · 2025Acura TLX3 configurations →02 · 2027BMW M33 configurations →

Comparison answer desk

13 answers for this exact pairing.

Q01Which is more efficient: the 2025 Acura TLX or the 2027 BMW M3?

Efficiency

The 2025 Acura TLX lists the higher combined-efficiency midpoint in this snapshot (23 vs. the 2027 BMW M3's 18.5 MPG/MPGe).