This sub-$20,000 luxury car is the smartest buy this tax season

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The Sundarban


The Sundarban 4

Published Feb 13, 2026, 3:30 PM EST

Adam Gray, a seasoned car journalist and screech material creator from the UK, joined the How-To Geek editorial team in January 2025.

As an car journalist for How-To Geek, Adam breaks first-to-declare news on the most sleek in car tech, to boot as penning car positive aspects and reports.

Adam is furthermore a contributor to one of How-To Geek’s sister sites, TopSpeed, the establish apart he uses his media accrediation with producers’ press offices to score accept entry to to the most sleek autos for subsequent evaluate.

Ahead of joining How-To Geek, Adam labored on a contract basis, contributing car screech material to a differ of industry and standard of living publications.

His ride furthermore involves time spent serving as senior editorial & public sale screech material manager for SBX Cars, car screech material creator for Supercar Blondie, motoring editor for Portfolio North, and motoring editor – North East for Attain plc.

When he is no longer placing the most sleek car thru its paces or sorting out out its tech, Adam can also furthermore be discovered at his local ice rink taking part in ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his loved Middlesbrough FC. Adam furthermore enjoys spending quality time with his three younger participants: Ellie, Oscar, and Heidi.

Tax season is relieve, which method sorting thru bureaucracy, clicking thru sorts, and hoping it all ends with a superb refund. It’s no longer exactly relaxing, however that check from Uncle Sam can rob some of the sting out of the path of.

If you’re lucky sufficient to accept money relieve, there are worse strategies to spend it than on one thing you’ll the truth is revel in on day by day basis. A broken-down luxury car below $20,000 can flip an uneventful refund into one thing that feels be pleased a precise reward.

That’s the establish apart the 2018 Acura TLX is available in, with its refreshed styling, blissful interior, and surprisingly sporty feel. Add in its solid V-6 and solid all-around efficiency, and it starts to plod attempting be pleased one of the smartest strategies to establish apart that tax return to work.

In elaborate to give you the latest and suitable files possible, the files broken-down to collect this article became sourced from Acura and other authoritative sources, together with Edmunds, J.D. Energy, Kelley Blue Book, and TopSpeed.

The Sundarban Head-on shot of a 2025 Acura ADX

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The first-gen Acura TLX blends luxury and precise-world mark

It delivers top class comfort and V-6 energy with out the top class mark

The Sundarban Dynamic front 3/4 shot of a red 2018 Acura TLX.
Credit: NetCarShow.com

Let’s be distinct: a facelifted first-gen Acura TLX isn’t going to mud a 2025 Audi S4 or a BMW 340i xDrive in a straight-line bustle. If you’re chasing quarter-mile bragging rights, this potentially isn’t your car.

What it does bring is a extremely good steadiness of comfort, handling, and readily available all-wheel pressure that makes it easy to are dwelling with on day by day basis. It feels sporty sufficient to be relaxing with out ever being expressionless.

For 2018, Acura saved issues smooth as an quite plenty of of flashy, and the truth is, that works in its prefer. The cabin is blissful and well put together, with supportive leather seats, quality materials, and plenty of soppy-touch surfaces the establish apart it counts.

The Sundarban Close-up shot of the red leather seat in a 2018 Acura TLX.
Credit: NetCarShow.com

That stated, the layout positively shows its age in contrast to newer luxury cars. You accept an eight-recede cloak stacked over a smaller seven-recede display, and it would feel a minute busy at the initiating establish apart.

The proper news is that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are baked in, which makes the setup plenty more uncomplicated to are dwelling with. For a budget-friendly luxury sedan, that’s a lovely huge plus.

And speaking of mark, this is the establish apart the eight-year-earlier faculty TLX in actuality shines. Most natty, moderately pushed 2018 devices can also furthermore be discovered for well below $20,000, making it a significantly solid deal in this day’s broken-down market.

The Sundarban Close-up shot of the alloy wheel on a red 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia.

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The 2018 facelift gave the TLX a sharper, extra upscale look

Subtle styling tweaks score it feel pricier than it the truth is is

The Sundarban Dynamic front-end shot of a white 2018 Acura TLX,.
Credit: NetCarShow.com

Acura launched the first-gen “UB1-4” TLX in 2015 to plod head-to-head with the luxury sports actions sedan crowd. By 2018, it got a facelift that gave the entrance stop a sharper, extra sleek vibe.

The grille got a stylish update, and Acura even added a diamond mesh sample that makes the TLX look pricier than it in actuality is. Small touches be pleased that give the sedan a surprisingly upscale presence on the avenue.

The Sundarban Shot inside the cabin of a 2018 Acura TLX, showing the red leather interior and dashboard.
Credit: NetCarShow.com

The facelift is a noticeable step up from the a minute awkward styling of the earlier TLX. Acura reworked the rear stop, hood, fenders, and aspect sills, giving the 2018 mannequin a extra cohesive, polished look.

Interior, the TLX got a tech and safety enhance. The redesigned infotainment machine comes regular, along with computerized emergency braking, lane-relieve assist, forward-collision warning, and adaptive cruise relieve an eye on.

What you may are looking ahead to to pay for a first-gen TLX

The Sundarban Close-up shot of the infotainment screen in a 2018 Acura TLX.
Credit: NetCarShow.com

When the first-gen Acura TLX hit the market, it already undercut some of its luxury sedan rivals. Quick-forward just a few years, and depreciation has become the post-facelift TLX correct into a excessive bang-for-your-buck choice.

Steal the 2018 facelift, let’s negate. A TLX with the 3.5-liter V-6 ceaselessly lists around $17,100, with pretty market costs starting from $15,800 to $17,700, consistent with Kelley Blue Book.

The Sundarban Close-up shot of the 'A-Spec' lettering on the steering wheel of a 2018 Acura TLX.
Credit: NetCarShow.com

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