2022 Acura NSX Type S

 2022 Acura NSX Type S.

Starting at $171,495

Overview

Acura's flagship isn't a large sedan or even a decked-out full-size SUV; it's the 2022 NSX Type S sports car, which utilizes a hybrid powertrain. A twin-turbo V-6 and three electric motors team up for blistering acceleration but the system also enables quiet, electric-only driving so your neighbors don't have a cow every time you idle through your subdivision. Other similarly-priced sports cars such as the McLaren 570S and the Mercedes-AMG GT offer sharper handling or more raw power, but the NSX is easier to live with on a day-to-day basis. Of course, there are some downsides, including the dated cabin and infotainment system; the NSX's interior storage is also not generous.

What's New for 2022?

We have good news and bad news. The good news is that the 2022 NSX will wear the vaunted Type S badge and come with 600-hp version of the supercar's twin-turbo V-6 hybrid powertrain. Standard. The bad news: 2022 will be the NSX's last model year before it's discontinued, and only 300 will be available for sale in the U.S. Along with the pumped up powertrain, the 2022 model wears tweaked front-end styling and Type S badging.

Pricing and Which One to Buy.

Acura doesn't separate the NSX lineup into trims, so there's just a single model that you can customize to your liking. We dig bright colors, so opting for either the Indy Yellow or Thermal Orange is a must—either hue will cost you extra. You can go nuts with the interior colors; none of them cost extra, and the schemes include Ebony, Red, and Orchid. If you can stomach their added cost (with your choice of silver, red, black, or orange calipers), the carbon-ceramic brake rotors are worth the upgrade if you plan to take your NSX to the track.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

While it will certainly satiate your need for speed, the NSX Type S can't outpace some key rivals such as the Audi R8 or the McLaren 570S. In our testing, it snapped off lightning-quick acceleration times and managed a 2.9-second run from zero to 60 mph. Its electric-only Quiet mode, however, gives it something its rivals don't have: discretion. The V-6, the nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and one of the electric motors work as a team to power the rear wheels. The other two electric motors operate independently to drive the front wheels, effectively giving the NSX all-wheel drive. In Quiet and Sport modes, the steering is direct and accurate but light to the touch, which we think is an attempt to make the NSX feel maneuverable on a day-to-day basis. Such a setup, however, feels out of place on such a performance-oriented vehicle. In Sport Plus and Track modes, the electric-power-steering system dials in more weight. Regardless of the setting, the steering is crisp, and the car responds smartly to the slightest of driver inputs.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Hybrid vehicles are more efficient in stop-and-go city traffic than their gasoline-only rivals, and the NSX is no different. An EPA rating of 21 mpg in the city beats the Audi R8 V-10 by a whopping 7 mpg. The Porsche 911 Carrera 4S matches the NSX's 21-mpg rating in the city and beats the NSX on the highway with a 28-mpg rating; the NSX is rated for 22 mpg highway. In our real-world highway fuel-economy test, the NSX delivered a decent 23 mpg, beating its EPA rating slightly but falling behind its nonhybrid rivals