By Gary S. Vasilash

According to Merriam-Webster luxury is defined as “something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary” and “an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease.”

Premium is “of exceptional quality.”

While purveyors of vehicles that are beyond the mainstream certainly want those vehicles to be considered “luxury vehicles,” I’d argue that with few exceptions (e.g., a Bugatti or Rolls-Royce) “premium vehicles” is a better moniker.

It’s not that premium vehicles don’t provide pleasure or comfort or satisfaction or ease, but generally they are necessary (i.e., people need to get somewhere; these are not necessarily vehicles that are weekend-only) and consequently they must be of “exceptional quality.”

Exceptional

And an excellent example of that is the Acura TLX Type S, the top-of-the-line version of the sport sedan.

This car has a 3.0-liter turbo V6 under its hood that produces 355 hp and is mated to a 10-speed automatic.

This car has sport seats with Milano leather with Ultrasuede inserts that help hold on in the seat when that engine is put to work.

Capable

This car has the Acura-exclusive Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system, which may have an awkward name, but which makes the performance of the car anything but, as it transfers torque—based on an array of inputs, from steering angle to throttle position to g-forces to. . .—from the front to the rear (as much as 70% of the torque can be transferred to the back) as well as from side to side, depending on conditions.

Which brings me back to the notion of “exceptional quality.”

Credible

Here is a vehicle that can go, according to Car and Driver, from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds that has an array of amenities—ranging from a superb ELS Studio 3D audio system to Brembo brakes that not only are functional but, peeking out from within the alloy wheels, telegraph the seriousness of the performance of the car—that can comfortably fit a family and, as it is built at the legendary Honda Marysville Assembly Plant (the engine is built at the nearby Anna (Ohio) Engine Plant), one has the confidence that there is build quality, as well as the quality associated with the visible craftsmanship on how everything thing goes together, from the panel gaps on the exterior to the stitching on the interior.

The TLX Type S starts at $57,000. For most people, I suspect, that is in the category of “luxury.”

But definitions notwithstanding, this is a car that looks good, drives well, and will probably provide many miles of confident driving, whether that’s throwing it through the proverbial curves or taking the kids to school.

Dimensions

• Length:                   194.6 inches
• Width:                    75.2 inches
• Height:                   56.4 inches
• Wheelbase:             113 inches
• Passenger volume:  93.4 cubic feet
• Cargo volume:         13.5 cubic feet