Costco

Cliff notes:

Basically, this "news" wasn't news-worthy at all.
Its like going to the grocery store and picking up a single item on your list, like some canned corn.... nice to know but why the hell is there so much commotion going on about it?

Colin

Exactly! It's as if some would rather they never issue another press release unless its accompanied with an NSX

Moog-Type-S

Now you are being silly...as if we will ever see another NSX.

Colin

phile

Because it creates a smokescreen effect, which is why the majority of people are posting negatively about it. Im not saying it's right, but it is disappointing "news" for people who have been waiting for Acura to emerge as a true player, after pretty much dropping the ball to Lexus, then Infiniti. So what if it costs nothing to do? Pick a better moment to roll it out.

Colin

Sorry, but you better reinforce your tin foil hat. There is no smoke screen, no conspiracy. They're just announcing that Acura has their own finance arm. Period.

Fishy

This is a good change. I was actually taken aback when my financing docs said Honda. This is one of many little things that need to be done to be considered "Tier 1".

Another annoying thing were the winter steel rims available for my TL: they were hideous silver abominations from the CR-V. I cannot comprehend who in Acura thought these were acceptable and my opinion of Acura dropped a notch because of this.

Its like going to 5 star restaurants: you must receive great food, great service, everything must be great. For the Toronto folks, imagine what you'd think if you went to Scaramouche and saw on the check: "a division of Wendy's International"? Their amazing coconut creme pie might acquire a bad aftertaste.

phile

Ugh. There isn't any, what part of what I'm writing do you not understand? I'm just saying it seems like it, which is why it's getting such a poor reception from the enthusiast community. I know that as a dealer you see things in a different light, but venture out of your shell.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

So making out a check to "honda" gives you less of a warm fuzzy feeling than making a check to "acura" even though the car you [may have] bought is an Acura? Have you ever owned an Accord, errrr I mean a TSX? Or how about a Honda Inspire, errr I mean TL, or how about a Honda Legend, errr I mean RL, How about a Honda Integra, errrr I mean Acura Integra. it's just a name, waste of time & money IMHO compared to the time and money they could have spent on much more important things at the present time. Great now I can have my statements come from Acura Financial Services, but their limited vehicle selection isn't going to entice people to want to take out a loan with Acura Financial Services just because they now have their own Financial Dept.

When I bought my Audi the credit checks are done through VW Financial! I could care less who does the financing, who does the credit check as long as the process is done properly, accurately, and professionally and the car I'm buying lives up to what I wanted it to be whether it was a Honda or an Acura, VW or an Audi, etc...

PG2G

Lexus and Infiniti have their own, now Acura does too. Please get over it, you guys are way too emotionally involved in this.

phile

feels like I'm reading the TOV boards with the overzealous Honda-can-do-no-wrong crowd.

PG2G

As opposed to the opposite? The fact that you guys think there is something wrong with this news is dumbfounding.

TSX69

I may stop posting Acura news here bc w/out fail, every time the same usual people & a few others have something negative or sarcastic to say ... even if it is positive news like being the 1st & only car maker to get all 5 star crash test ratings or something relatively neutral like Acura wanting their showrooms to be better. No wonder Jeff @ TOV got fed up & started cleaning house.

I am not saying that everyone here needs to be like "Go Acura Ra Ra Ra" bc that would get annoying but seriously, they made their own financial arm - that is it. Which I know to an enthusiast means little but to someone who actually wants a luxury brand & cares what emblem is on what, this is a step in the right direction. This shows them marching along like when they gave Acura owner's their own website or Acura getting its own design center & advertising branch.

Hopefully other things like a v8 & RWD are on the way & I can understand people's frustration but if you have to poo poo on every little thing Acura does then maybe this enthusiast board is not for you (altho I am starting to suspect that perhaps some of you are just like this about everything in your lives). Also remember there have been spy shots of not only a v10 out there but also a RWD vehicle so @ least they are toying around w/ it. Also, the ZDX was supposed to be the next step towards to Tier 1 so anyone who claims that it is Tier 1 is only doing so so that have something else to white about.

Thanks also to the usual suspects who @ least try to say something constructive. Oh well ... carry on.

Edward'TLS

Let me show you what I meant by the Acura J-series V6 falling behind :

Latest powertrains from various top (= luxury) auto makers,

Acura 3.7L-V6 VTEC <> 305 HP, 273 lb-ft, max. 5-speed auto for all top trim

Cadillac 3.6L-V6 DI <> 304 HP, 273 lb-ft, 6-speed auto for CTS
Lexus 3.5L-V6 VVT-i <> 306 HP, 277 lb-ft, 6-speed auto for IS350
Infiniti 3.7L-V6 VVEL <> 330 HP, 269 lb-ft, 7-speed auto for G-series

When compared with the most powerful Acura 3.7L J-series V6 engine,

(1) the Cadi V6 can produce the same output for 100cc less displacement,
(2) the Lexus V6 can produce the same output for 200cc less displacement,
(3) the Infiniti V6 can produce 25 more HP with the same 3.7L displacement.

Thus, even though the J is still a very powerful and very compact engine, it has fallen way behind in engine technology. Engine technology comprises of new and "Advance" means to extract more usable power from the combustion of the same amount of fuel (gasoline). Generating more HP by increasing engine displacement and by burning more fuel is considered to be ancient engine technology, which is still widely used in 3rd world and developing countries.

Looking back, Honda had it's most glorious moment with the 3L-V6 for the 7G Accord. During that time period, almost every top auto makers had their 3L-V6 engines pegged at around 200 HP. Then all of a sudden, the 3G Nissan Altima started a HP war in the bread-and-butter mid-size economy sedan segment. Nissan added a 245 HP 3.5L-V6 into the Altima.

However, in an effort to counter the HP war raged by the Altima, Honda managed to squeeze another 40 HP out from the same 200 HP 3L-V6 (read, no increase in displacement) to a total of 240 HP (later 244 HP), just as simple as a twist of the arm. This was what I call competitive and "Advance" engine technology. This was what I admired the most from the world's best engine builder - Honda.

Since then, Honda/Acura has resorted back to the low tech method of adding HP by increasing engine displacement, while all other competitors are actively implementing "Advance" engine technology in their high tech V6 powerplants.

One can blame all on the long Honda engine life cycle. But if others have already caught up and overtook the world's best engine builder in engine technology, it should cut short the life cycle restrain, junk the untunable J-series, and release the next generation of "Advance" V6 engines ASAP. Be "Advance", god damn it.

VTEC Racer

Dear Acura,

Please change your finance arm back to Honda. People who are going to be spending $50k+ on an Acura would like to be reminded that they are ultimately buying a car from Honda as they are signing the papers and really do prefer to have that Honda logo on every part of their Acura experience. Luxury car buyers aren't concerned about the little details like this that separate a regular brand from a true tier one brand. I know this move cost you nothing and was literally effortless, but please show the "enthusiasts" that even though you just announced your goals of tier one last year, by NOT letting Acura have its own finance company, you are definetly 100% working on those tier one cars that should have been in your showrooms the day after you announced the tier one goals. By letting Acura have their own finance arm, a feature that ever true tier one luxury brand has, you are just telling the "enthusiasts" that you are not working on making cars, even though this was an effortless move that cost almost nothing in time and money. Some people want you to come out with the tier one cars first and then change the finance company; and I agree with them. I would much rather prefer that you not be prepared to sell a tier one car to a tier one buyer by not having official Acura paperwork available and just continue to use the Honda papers until they are ready, God knows when. Because like I said, luxury car buyers don't consider the details. Luxury car buyers are all enthusiasts and they always just disregard the entire experience in a whole.

Sincerely,

An Acura "Enthusiast"

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

How many times have you walked into a dealership to buy a car and walked away because the manufacturer didn't have their own financial arm? Better yet, is your first question to the dealership asking them if the manufacturer has their own financial arm and if they don't have one, you walk away?

I'm willing to say never, but if you did, I'm willing to say you're also superficial. It's just a name. For all you know, this "new" financial arm could be the same employees, but trained to respond differently depending on where the call is originating from, with a differently skinned website that acura dealers interact with. Or just a different phone number with a different greeting that you dial into.

Do you think the people that go through their a different financing company care that the manufacturer has their own financial arm?

Ignorance truly is bliss for so many.

Yes, creating their own financial arm from a pure marketing, feel good feeling may be beneficial, but if they want to WOW the public, they should be making fun, dominating the market type cars, which they are not. Their financial arm isn't going to help them win Car of the year, manufacturer of the year, earn them more shareholders, earn them more enthusiasts.

VTEC Racer

Rightfully said and so true in this case.

phile

Who says there's anything wrong? Once again, you people with your blinders on need to read with a little more nuance.

We're criticizing it for Acura's so-called attempt at tier-1 status as being one of the earlier steps when it should be a tier-1 vehicle that we should be seeing first.

phile

Thank you!

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Well, I feel bad for all those that think that the name on their billing statements means more to them than what they are actually buying.

I guess I should brag that I have credit through Audi Financial because it's top tier.

Colin

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a new engine family. But I could just as easily turn that arrangement around by saying that despite the competitors 'Advanced' technology, they are unable to significantly out perform a 13 year old design.

Look, I was not trying to make excuses, and I'm not saying that the 'long' engine cycle is to blame. In fact, I'm not even suggesting that the J has had a long life. I think it's got 3-4 more years of life left in it at Honda. My point was that Honda and Toyota's (for example) engine roll out is different. They have rolled out their new line mid way through the J's life. Just as the J leapfrogged their engines in 1997, they have leapfrogged the J right now. I am confident that the next gen Acura V-6s will jump back in the lead.

PG2G

A new vehicle takes years to make, this takes months. Are you suggesting they sit around and wait for the tier-1 vehicles before they take care of all of the minutea that goes along with being tier-1? At least this way, they have all their ducks in a row when the time comes.

Do you REALLY think that it was Acura's intent to wow the public with this? Are you kidding me?

phile

You really don't know how to read. His saying to wow the public with tier-1 level cars is independent of this press release.

Colin

In the first paragraph you are saying nobody is saying "there's anything wrong?" and in the second paragraph you say "we're criticizing". Perhaps I'm missing the 'nuance' but you seem to be directly contradicting yourself.

But hey, I get it. Criticizing EVERYTHING Acura does is fashionable on the site.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

They've had years to catch up to Infiniti and Lexus and aren't even close.

I never thought for once their intention was to wow the public with this move, but it was to promote a better image and you can't deny that. All this appears to do is sugar coat their limited lineup and make Acura look like they want to play the teir one game with nothing to back it up. That is what all of us are complaining about. They've had years and years to improve their lineup which they year after year neglect and waste time making decisions that don't affect their bottom line, cars to compete with Lexus, Infiniti, Audi, etc...

I was simply going after the point that they shouldn't be wasting time on things like this because they don't have the top tier "wow" cars and aren't anywhere near releasing those either to support the need for their own financial arm.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Thank you!!!

Colin

Lexus Yes. Infiniti No. The day Infiniti outsells Acura is the day Acura begins to play catch up.

Wasting time? Maybe you don't understand what they did? They did not build a new building and hire new people. They are creating a division within the existing framework to separate the brands. Nothing more was needed to create Acura Financial.

phile

How is that contradicting? If you think that you can't criticize something at the same time also agreeing with it, you're living in quite a black and white world. I never once said the financial arm was a failure. In fact, I would like to see it EVENTUALLY. But to push forward with the tier-1 brand, step one is to build the car.

And criticizing Acura isn't fashionable on this site, there are plenty of things about Acura that I think they do right.

neuronbob

Guys, you are reading way too much into this. While it is true that most people don't care where the financing for their expensive luxury car comes from--my three Acuras were not financed by HMFC--this might make a difference to those who do get financing from HMFC.

I agree that Acura needs to step up to Tier 1 status with some product worthy of the name that has great exterior design, but honestly this paperwork step is one step in the right direction...a direction that will hopefully make me an Acura owner again sometime in the future.

PG2G

Look, nobody here is going to say that Acura doesn't need tier-1 cars. It's a given, really.

The thing that is puzzling is why the creation of an Acura Financial Services is a reason to complain that the cars haven't come yet. Are you guys under the impression that this small non-technical effort is somehow preventing Acura's engineers and designers from doing their job? Seriously, what's the connection?

Colin

You might have thought other things in your mind ie. "I like some things, don't like others." But that is not what you wrote. I was replying to what you wrote.

Did I say you did?

In your opinion. Maybe in their opinion they are preparing these cars and with nothing else to do before they release, why not get this out of the way?

Colin

There is no connection. Just another excuse to bitch and moan.

phile

Yes, we honestly believed that THIS was going to shatter the industry's view of Acura. And if Acura focuses all its resource on it, it will somehow delay or prevent the tier-1 products from coming to fruition.

I mean, REALLY? REALLY? Give us some credit.

We just think the tier-1 car should come before anything else. It's marketing, it's brand value, we're viewing it from a strategic marketing point of view and there are those who don't think it's the best plan of action.

Where this is dragging on is people like you who try to discredit that by painting us exactly as nimrods who seemingly think that this would prevent the designers and engineers from progressing.

phile

Yes it is my opinion. And I've already answered that question. we're back to square one. thanks Colin

Colin

Double up that tin foil hat...

phile

You call it bitch and moan, i find it an interesting debate. But hey if you want to pull the good old TOV move and label it was trolling, go right ahead. But it doesn't work here

Colin

Lame attempt to bait. Never once suggested you ware trolling.

phile

with the tin foil hat comments, you just reduced me to nothing more than a lunatic. It's kinda in the same vein, Colin.

Colin

Noooo, the tin foil hat comment has to do with your earlier suggestion that this is a smokescreen for something. (read about the meaning of a tin foil hat here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_foil_hat.) I was never suggesting you're a troll, just a little paranoid. <- and that by the way is a bit of a joke.

PG2G

Why should they come first though? If task A and task B are complete before tier-1 cars, does that negatively affect the outcome? Assuming that all of the tasks necessary to become tier-1 don't share resources, I can't think of a good reason that they shouldn't be done in parallel.