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I'm not saying delay but I would say car advancement is like Moore's Law right now with how much cars are improving and how competitive they have become. The TLX is very deficient from a competitive standpoint in the 6th model year while everyone else who has made advancements in that time. Certainly not helped by a troubled transmission from the start that was never properly addressed, just adjusted.
I feel the same way about my Lexus IS350, although Lexus expanded their infotainment screen and made a minor horsepower increase with their MMC being on a similar cycle with the 3rd generation starting in 2014 they also appear deficient and their 2.0T needs to be significantly improved to become competitive.
That said, my birthday was yesterday and I came out from dinner with friends to a Lexus in the rain with the rear passenger side window busted out (Mom's computer stole from the trunk). Not the car's fault but I've been over it for a while and scheduled to test drive the G70 this Saturday.
It's not difficult at all though. Acura is nothing but a bonus for honda. Acura can change its reputation. Anybody can do anything if they put forth the effort
The issue isn’t Acura itself, its the board members and shareholders in Japan. They are the ones who give AHM the resources ad green light projects. I their resources are small, then well.....you see what we’ve seen for the last 8-10 years. More resources the better the product execution.
The issue isn’t Acura itself, its the board members and shareholders in Japan. They are the ones who give AHM the resources ad green light projects. I their resources are small, then well.....you see what we’ve seen for the last 8-10 years. More resources the better the product execution.
And therein lies the problem with the brand. Acura needs the resources to better compete, but Japan doesn't think they "deserve" the money because a PowerPoint presentation says they aren't selling nearly as well as Lexus or Audi - so why bother investing in the brand. But you can't grow if you're not properly funded. Quite the conundrum when you're stuck in the chicken and the egg scenario. Honda has also been facing issues with quality and recalls in recent years, and that always comes from the bottom line. Maybe there's simply no money for Acura when the parent company is stretched thin.
Honestly, with up and coming lux brands like Genesis that have the looks and the powertrains to go with it, and Mazda pushing towards entry level luxury, I could see Acura being pushed aside. If Honda won't take the Acura brand seriously, then they deserve to fade into oblivion.
RELAX, RDX is a big success with all new TLX/MDX just around the corner. Yes, Acura is not a leader in luxury sales but they are not doing bad either. They should add another CUV to their lineup and hopefully ILX gets all new FMC.
Genesis is making big strides but I don't care what anyone saids they need a dealer network ASAP and that's going to take years to develop. Riding on your local Hyundai dealer ain't gonna cut it.
RELAX, RDX is a big success with all new TLX/MDX just around the corner. Yes, Acura is not a leader in luxury sales but they are not doing bad either. They should add another CUV to their lineup and hopefully ILX gets all new FMC.
Genesis is making big strides but I don't care what anyone saids they need a dealer network ASAP and that's going to take years to develop. Riding on your local Hyundai dealer ain't gonna cut it.
No, Acura is not in trouble. Not yet, anyway. But all it takes are a few stumbles to fall behind, especially when your competitors are executing like clockwork. I know everyone dislikes JD Power, Consumer Reports, et al. but look at where Hyundai/Kia/Genesis sits, and where Honda/Acura sits. Honda's mindshare of legendary quality won't last forever. Eventually it will catch up to them when consumers realize there's nothing legendary about their vehicles.
Honda has a history of engineering excellence. They need to rediscover what made 1G NSX, Integra, S2000, Prelude, etc. special and build around that. And hopefully they can improve their QA while they're at it. I'm optimistic the Type-S and next TLX will be good vehicles. But being just good isn't enough these days especially when you have other brands that are even more hungry (i.e. Tesla and Genesis).
True, but it's not just Acura that's feeling it. Some are feeling it worse than others I'll give you that. Even the venerable 3 Series isn't selling like it used to. I see a lot more X3s on the road than 3 Series these days. Not only that, those that are still interested in sedans, a good number of those people are moving towards electrification. Tesla just can't make enough Model 3s.
True, but it's not just Acura that's feeling it. Some are feeling it worse than others I'll give you that. Even the venerable 3 Series isn't selling like it used to. I see a lot more X3s on the road than 3 Series these days. Not only that, those that are still interested in sedans, a good number of those people are moving towards electrification. Tesla just can't make enough Model 3s.
One caveat is that sedan sales are still doing well in Europe and Asia, two markets that Acura is not in. Strictly targeting the North American market is a double-edged sword; on one hand, they can build a focused product aimed directly at the target market, but on the other hand, the lack of global diversification means that they're much more exposed to variance in consumer preferences.
It appears to be in Chicago on display right now so if anyone is in the area feel free to go and pop the hood. I'm ready to see the engine.
I am not sure the concept car drivable. IIRC some said the windows were blacked out because it did not have an interior when it was first displayed in CA.
Yes same one. Looks like they are going to tote it around this year from city to city until the production one eventually shows up, which I assume will be a white one like they did with the RDX.
I know that it's just a concept but why not just make it a coupe at this point? The rear doors/room appear to be borderline useless.
But anyway yeah I really like the look of this but won't get too excited until we see a production model, as the TLX production was pretty sharp too but then ended up being kind of bland.
I'd be seriously concerned if this came out in 2021 as a 2022 model. We've seen test mules being benchmarked against the B9 S4 and W205 C43, but a 2021 release would mean that it'd likely be competing against the B10 S4 and W206 C43, and probably an LCI M340i within a year of launch.
No, Acura is not in trouble. Not yet, anyway. But all it takes are a few stumbles to fall behind, especially when your competitors are executing like clockwork. I know everyone dislikes JD Power, Consumer Reports, et al. but look at where Hyundai/Kia/Genesis sits, and where Honda/Acura sits. Honda's mindshare of legendary quality won't last forever. Eventually it will catch up to them when consumers realize there's nothing legendary about their vehicles.
Honda has a history of engineering excellence. They need to rediscover what made 1G NSX, Integra, S2000, Prelude, etc. special and build around that. And hopefully they can improve their QA while they're at it. I'm optimistic the Type-S and next TLX will be good vehicles. But being just good isn't enough these days especially when you have other brands that are even more hungry (i.e. Tesla and Genesis).
I think they’ll get there but like any significant brand overhaul, its going to take some time, a lot of resources, some management changes etc etc. Honda’s main issue seems to be their quality/reliability which Hachigo is already making strides to fix. Ito’s cost cutting fiasco.....Honda is still hurting from that..
I think Acura will be fine as they still sell quite a bit more annually vs Cadillac, Infiniti and Lincoln but they do need to expand their range. Type-S EVERYTHING! Offer SH-AWD on every model and market it in the same manner Audi does with Quattro. Dealers needs upgrades also.....the entire Acura experience needs to be updated and upgraded.
I'd be seriously concerned if this came out in 2021 as a 2022 model. We've seen test mules being benchmarked against the B9 S4 and W205 C43, but a 2021 release would mean that it'd likely be competing against the B10 S4 and W206 C43, and probably an LCI M340i within a year of launch.
I share this concern. Acura needs a new winner, STAT, and having a well-placed performance sedan will get car enthusiasts going.
In reality, however, I think that winner will likely end up being the new MDX, since Acura is in all but name now, a SUV seller.
I think they’ll get there but like any significant brand overhaul, its going to take some time, a lot of resources, some management changes etc etc. Honda’s main issue seems to be their quality/reliability which Hachigo is already making strides to fix. Ito’s cost cutting fiasco.....Honda is still hurting from that..
I think Acura will be fine as they still sell quite a bit more annually vs Cadillac, Infiniti and Lincoln but they do need to expand their range. Type-S EVERYTHING! Offer SH-AWD on every model and market it in the same manner Audi does with Quattro. Dealers needs upgrades also.....the entire Acura experience needs to be updated and upgraded.
I have to agree with you on A cura dealership experience.
My dealer is amazing and they provide coffee, fruits and bottled water. But all the Acura dealers in my city are old and outdated. Acura sells ~ 2X more cars than Infiniti in Canada. Acura sells probably 20% less cars than Lexus. So in other words, Acura is very consistent and sell around 20,000 units annually. But Infiniti and Lexus dealers are much more updated and modern. Not sure why?
One caveat is that sedan sales are still doing well in Europe and Asia, two markets that Acura is not in.
Acura isn't in Europe, but it is in China. At least it was in 2014, when I saw a couple on the road and a huge new Acura dealer at an automall in Chengdu.
At the Philly auto show tonight, an Acura rep told me the TLX would be revealed at the NY auto show in April. She seemed pretty certain about it, and also said she believed the Type S would be in the 360-380hp range.
Acura isn't in Europe, but it is in China. At least it was in 2014, when I saw a couple on the road and a huge new Acura dealer at an automall in Chengdu.
At the Philly auto show tonight, an Acura rep told me the TLX would be revealed at the NY auto show in April. She seemed pretty certain about it, and also said she believed the Type S would be in the 360-380hp range.
Any other info on when the TLX would be available (4-cylinder or Type S)? Any other estimates on specs (either engine)? Thanks!
Acura isn't in Europe, but it is in China. At least it was in 2014, when I saw a couple on the road and a huge new Acura dealer at an automall in Chengdu.
At the Philly auto show tonight, an Acura rep told me the TLX would be revealed at the NY auto show in April. She seemed pretty certain about it, and also said she believed the Type S would be in the 360-380hp range.
Functionally, they aren’t really in China. They sold only 14K cars total. That’s less than 10% of their US sales in a market where even Buick sold 1M cars...
Functionally, they aren’t really in China. They sold only 14K cars total. That’s less than 10% of their US sales in a market where even Buick sold 1M cars...
well! Acura sells around 20K units in Canada.
Infiniti sells around 10-11K units ( don’t ask how they are surviving)
lexus sells around 22-25K.
All Japanese luxury combined sell around 60K units. Not much if you really think about it.
Acura isn't in Europe, but it is in China. At least it was in 2014, when I saw a couple on the road and a huge new Acura dealer at an automall in Chengdu.
At the Philly auto show tonight, an Acura rep told me the TLX would be revealed at the NY auto show in April. She seemed pretty certain about it, and also said she believed the Type S would be in the 360-380hp range.
That sounds about right! I'll be concerned about the brand if it's a no-show at the NYIAS this Spring.
My dealer recently stopped free newspaper in customer waiting area.
You still get coffee & donuts?
Personally I hate hanging around the dealers waiting room. Usually get a lender or for a quick same day service drop the car off the night before & pick it up the next night.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 02-10-2020 at 12:02 PM.
Personally I hate hanging around the dealers waiting room. Usually get a lender or for a quick same day service drop the car off the night before & pick it up the next night.
Yup, I hate hanging around the waiting room too. Luckily, there's a Denny's across the street from my dealer so if I know it's a quick service, I'll just have breakfast and do some work on my laptop while I wait. Otherwise, I do what you do and drop off the vehicle the night before.
I know that it's just a concept but why not just make it a coupe at this point? The rear doors/room appear to be borderline useless.
But anyway yeah I really like the look of this but won't get too excited until we see a production model, as the TLX production was pretty sharp too but then ended up being kind of bland.
I think the concept style would very much lend itself perfectly to a desirable coupe variant where as the last few generations it wouldn't have looked right. It would be a nice addition and acura is pretty much the only make at this point that doesn't offer a coupe (I don't count the NSX as a viable coupe offering for a daily driver). Who knows, if the sedan takes off a coupe may follow it.
Acura isn't in Europe, but it is in China. At least it was in 2014, when I saw a couple on the road and a huge new Acura dealer at an automall in Chengdu.
At the Philly auto show tonight, an Acura rep told me the TLX would be revealed at the NY auto show in April. She seemed pretty certain about it, and also said she believed the Type S would be in the 360-380hp range.
Did she really work for Acura or was she a paid spokesperson representing Acura? At Auto shows like Philly's it could be either.
Did she really work for Acura or was she a paid spokesperson representing Acura? At Auto shows like Philly's it could be either.
Pretty sure she's an Acura employee. I asked if she was covering the NY show, and she said she's doing other Acura events, first the Long Beach Grand Prix and then the New Orleans Jazz Festival, which Acura sponsors. She is very into cars, and enjoyed discussing engines, possible Type S models beyond the TLX, previous generation Acuras, Saabs, etc. Honestly, I've rarely encountered an auto show worker as serious about cars.
Pretty sure she's an Acura employee. I asked if she was covering the NY show, and she said she's doing other Acura events, first the Long Beach Grand Prix and then the New Orleans Jazz Festival, which Acura sponsors. She is very into cars, and enjoyed discussing engines, possible Type S models beyond the TLX, previous generation Acuras, Saabs, etc. Honestly, I've rarely encountered an auto show worker as serious about cars.
Not sure why people keep saying delay. The 4G TL had a 6 model year cycle. The 2G MDX had a 8 year model cycle. The current TLX has a 6 year model cycle and the current MDX has a 7 year model cycle.
People are saying delay because they showed it and bragged about the S version so long ago. Like I've said before, it's already due for its mid life update.
02-05-2020, 09:42 PM
