Hi!

I'm shopping around for 2015-2017 Acura TLX's, and am debating going between the 2.4L (K24W7) and the 3.5L v6 J35.
I want the power of the v6, but am frustrated that even in 2019, these engines get somewhere around 17-18mpg city driving it seems. (Maybe 75% of my driving is city).

Would it be insane to consider going with the 2.4L and having a performance shop build it up to around 300hp?

Main questions:

1. For a K-series engine running ~ 250-300hp, what kind of city fuel consumption might I expect in a sedan like an accord or TLX?

2. At what point do you consider these engines no longer reliable as a daily driver? The K24W7 runs around 200hp stock, so it feels a bit sketchy to me to be running 300hp through it (125hp/liter).

A 4cyl TLX vs. a 6cyl saves around $1800-$2000 when buying used so would immediately give some budget to play with!

 

If you’re worried about fuel consumption but want performance, I’d say get a 4cyl and turbo it. With a proper tune, they can produce great power while maintaining very decent fuel economy.