dieselstation

Now that both the CL and RSX are gone.. it seems like there is a void in Acura's lineup. They need an upscale coupe like the CL.. but more practical/sportier (haha.. oxymoron). I think a TSX Coupe would be a perfect fit. It'd be more upscale then the RSX, and more sporty then a CL. What do you think? here's my chop:

dieselstation

damn.. can't edit posts? anyways.. there was an error on the first pic. damn stupid floating door handles and such! hahah

Mokos23

the Accord coupe looks better

dieselstation

i dunno.. the Accord Coupe looks too much like a squatting bulldog to me. This looks much classier.

wackura

What advantages do coupes have over hatchbacks? Why are there so many coupes and so few hatchbacks?

Colin

If the things I hear are true, there is a coupe in the pipeline. Several have told me of a possible hardtop convertible which would fill two voids with one car.

DerwoodEE

Nothing really, just preference.

Hatchbacks allow for more storage room typically as well.

dieselstation

well.. hatchbacks usually have shorter wheelbases.. which is better for maneuverability and parking and cheaper to build.

i think a better question would be sedan vs. coupe vs. wagon.

godfather2

i think your chop looks great! if the coupe were smaller, lighter, and more powerful than the current tsx, then i'd be all for it. and yes, i'd give SERIOUS consideration into actually buying it

CL6

Americans don't like hatchbacks.

HeavyDuty

^^^ Yup. hatchbacks are considered cheapy here, albeit more practical which is how our bretheren in Europe and elsewhere view them.

The CL-S 6MT was a very capable car, but the marketing was flatline from jump street. Comptech S/C with upgrade pulley, headers, flywheel/clutch and some sticky's made it a force to be reckoned with but..............NO ONE knew the damned thing existed.

scheißterhöffer

I'd say the same thing about the sedan

HeavyDuty

Then buy a Civic Si sedan and add I/H/E & Hondata...Voila!

wackura

I liked the RSX in theory. The problem was that it felt like a 20k car - and only then because of the leather and Bose audio. I wish Acura would give us a luxury hatch a la Porsche.

CL6

Which hatchback does Porsche make?

HeavyDuty

Cayenne? I know, not a car.

cybereclipse

thats not even close to a hatchback.... thats a frekin suv

Colin

The 928 was a hatch as was the 924/944/968. I think the Panamera might be a hatch? (not sure though). The rumored new X6ish crossover will certainly be a hatch but that is more SUV than coupe hatch.

cyberbro

A coupe might be cool but this is a very 80's way of design to get one. No one would have it in todays market place.

wackura

I was thinking of the 944.

CL6

928 too I think. But that car was like $85,000.00.

wackura

The moral of the story is a two door doesn't have to be a coupe and a hatchback doesn't have to be Civic with extra sound dampening and leather.

pja79

I dont know if that holds true anymore. There are a ton of Mazda 3, Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix, VW Rabbit/GTI, and Honda Fit, Suzuki SX4 hatches on the road. And don't forget the Audi A3 and Volvo c30.

With gas prices where they are at hatches have are growing in popularity.

HeavyDuty

Yeah, but aside from the Vulva and the Audi the others are little cheapie hatchbacks where the Accord/TSX Euro wagon would cost 50% more than the top of the line others, you know?

CL6

There have always been people who like it but the Vibe/Matrix is not a hatchback... it is a wagon really. How many Suzukis are there? Volvo sells few cars. Only one up there is the Rabbit/GTI but why not go for the extra 2 doors?

You have to live in an urban area where parking is tight and not need a second set of doors. Few people in this category because if you're going to give up the second set of doors go for a sports car like G35 or something. No, the 3 door buyer is very specific and they mainly seem to live outside of the USA.

dom

If its based off the Accord (i.e FWD) they shouldn't waste their time.

thunderbt3

I don't think Honda/Acura is going to pull the trigger on a coupe. Everyone is tightening up thier belts and Honda isn't any different. They reported thier first loss in 11 years. They just killed off the next gen NSX program. They're going towards more greener R&D. Also they're rethinking the introduction of Acura vehicles to Japan (TL, MDX, RDX).

Mokos23

As long as they don't pull the trigger on the new Insight, it's alright. They do need to pull the trigger on the Acura design studio, cause their designs are ugly. 2009 TL,

wackura

Hatchbacks are to wagons as coupes are to sedans. Hatchbacks are extremely practical but for whatever reason they have gone out of style in the last few years. The Celica, the RSX and a few others I can't remember the names of are out and crossovers are in.

I'm kind of ticked about the crossover trend because they embody excess. They lack the utility of an SUV yet are much bigger than a car. And for what? Usualy for reasons such as "I like to sit up higher" or "it's easier to set groceries in the back."

dom

Not rethinking...cancelled.

CL6

I don't remember when hatches were popular except maybe in the 80s. Civic, XR4TI, Rabbit, Tercel, etc...

Sitting up high sounds stupid to many men but not to women and they buy a lot of cars.

Chadwick

Honda has also completely pulled out of F1 too, they won't even make engines for the smaller teams anymore. It might seem they are being a little more proactive than other auto manufacturers in cutting costs.

As for the hatchback issue, N. Americans have never figured it out. I've always hoped we'd get HB's here like they make in Europe, practical, efficient, and they look good! Here, hatchbacks are kinda poo-poo'd because for the most part they are cheap and ugly. Manufacturers haven't tried to make them anything else.

I absolutely loved the practicality of my Integra, it was great.

PrecyseStylez

Vibe/Matrix are far from being Wagons.. they are too compact. Keep it in its cross-over catagory with being a 4 door hatch. Now the old Mazda Mp3 wagon is a wagon.. Its like calling the honda fit a wagon or calling a xB a wagon..haha.

wackura

I don't think the Integra or the Celica were cheap or ugly. I had a '98 teg and a '98 Civic simultaneously and for all they might have shared the Integra felt like a better car in almost every respect (although in fairness I can't say the same for the RSX). I don't see how a coupe is any less cheap or ugly than a hatchback. For me a coupe is nothing more than a sedan with missing doors and convenience. Cars I would have like such as the Civic Si don't get my consideration because they good for nothing except torturing passengers #3 and #4.

Colin

When I spoke to a product planner asking exactly this question, he replied, "do you want another CL?" Me, "um no" Him, "Neither do we"

dom

CL6

Well the Vibe/Matrix are basically semi-stretched Corollas. I guess the differences between a station wagon and a hatchback can be subtle. I assume the Lexus IS 'wagon' might have been called a 'hatchback' as well.

At any rate... not many people buy those two models. That's interesting because I generally thought of hatchbacks as being 'three doors' but I guess you're right.

Colin

The lines between segments are increasingly blurred (don't get me started on 4 door coupes). I tend to agree on this point. A hatchback to me is a 3 door, a wagon is a 5 door. You can have 'tall' wagons like the Forester or Matrix but I just don't view them as hatches. Perhaps this is due to the stigma that 3 doors have fostered (ie. cheap).

wackura

Why is three doors associated with cheap? I've never heard of that. I associate it with "fast hatch", a generaly agreeable term.

09TSXMN

Hatchbacks still remain unpopular in America, the new Mazda6 dropped the 5th door in America while keeping it in Europe/Asia is proof of this. Hatchbacks are unattractive to me for 4 reasons;

1) rigidity, the open hole in the back takes away the structure between the rear suspension towers (the speaker shelf is functional to the structure), resulting in flex/less handling/and proneness to rattles.

2), noise, the "drumming" of rear noise is amplified back there in the open cavern. Drive a Mazda3 sedan vs 5 door and that will convince you alone. Note that the resale of the sedan is higher as well.

3) Snow/heavy rear "heaviness" pronounced in the cold. Very frustrating to open you back which the lift gate shocks are weakend by the cold, only to have the snow slide into your interior.

4) No trunk to enhance the subwoofer sound.

Excellent job on the photo touch up though, looks very attractive.