phile

^ I think that's the problem

fsttyms1

When is someone.... Oh say Takanobu Ito going to see Acura isnt succeeding in the current direction they are going and make some drastic changes?

biker

As much as people complain about the model lineup, Acura still has enough volume to make money. Maybe not some individual models (RLX) but overall they make money. There are no drastic changes coming or needed, yet. The ILX and TSX volume together replaces what the TSX used to do by itself. But guess what, they probably make more money this way since they were probably losing money on the TSX due to the exchange rate. There might be an issue if the ILX volume doesn't pick up when the TSX is dropped next year.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

To quote from Colin,

"the base ILX has: Leather, 17" Alloys, Power Drivers Seat, Premium Sound and Back-up Camera. Now the ILX Premium is the 'odd man out' with the only upgrades over base shown as: Fog Lights, HID, XM and Auto Dimming Mirror. ILX Tech, Hybrid, Hybrid Tech and ILX Premium with 6MT appear to remain the same."

Disappointing for enthusiasts. I guess they didn't want to do something similar to the 2013 Civic makeover?

For the average Joe, those added features on the base trim are easily worth over $2k IMO. Now the Premium trim sounds overpriced.

oonowindoo

At least TSX looks like it is worth $30k. Accord looks more upscale and luxurious than ILX.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Yea I really like the Accord, especially the ones with the LED lights. They sure look really good on the road.

With the above upgrades, it's now cheaper than a Verano with leather, and just a couple hundred bucks more $$ than Focus titanium with moonroof.

AZuser

2014 Acura ILX Luxury Sports Sedan Arrives with Host Of New Standard Features, Providing More Content And Value

F23A4

...meanwhile, the fairly impressive new Accord sits in the same price range. No thanks on the ILX.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

No thanks until ED.

Edward'TLS

I guess Acura still hasn't realized that the lame 150hp 2L-I4 automatic is the weakest link in the ILX.

smarty666

Agreed. Not only that but for $34k at the touring level, or maybe $29-31k with some haggle, you can get LED DRLs and LED headlights, power passenger seat, blind spot monitoring, etc which you can't even get at the same price level in the ILX. The Accord is better in every way.

Acura is really blowing it as usual!

00TL-P3.2

I'm one of the few admitted ILX likers. I like the new Accord as well, but one advantage the ILX has (for me at least) is that it's a little smaller than the Accord.
I'm down to about 3 possible replacements for my TL.
-'13-'14 ILX 2.4
-New Accord Sport
-'14 Mazda 6 Touring 6MT.

kurtatx

I just bought a TSX. I liked the ILX fine, but my wife hated the cramped interior (I didn't think it was that bad). The new Accord looks great. I had the chance to test the 2014 Mazda 6, and I was extremely disappointed. The interior feels cheap, the power is laughable, and it's more fun to drive a garbage truck.

fsttyms1

All the latest magazine tests dont seem to say that. And they are giving the victory to the Mazda 6

kurtatx

I think reading the magazine reviews and testing the speed3 killed my Mazda6 experience. I really wanted to like it, but the TSX felt much better for me.

00TL-P3.2

Compared to a Speed3, yeah the 6 would be a little down on power.
I found the interior to be quite nice on the 6 Touring I drove.

Need to get back behind the wheel of an ILX while the 6 is fresh on my mind.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Yea seems like the magazine reviews increased his kurtatx's expectations of the Mazda 6.

The Mazda 6's interior is indeed cheaper than the TSX (this is a really strong point of the TSX to be fair).

When you look at the performance numbers, the Mazda 6 only does well right at the launch. It has a relatively high stall rpm to get the car moving. But after that, the Accord is noticeably faster despite being heavier. The huge difference can be seen when you compared a Mazda6 6MT against a Accord 6MT. And kurtatx was testing a speed3 before driving the Mazda6.

SSFTSX

It is not just TSX interior but exterior. Mazda 6 is low quality product. see 5 years without any detail. see S4 next to it.

F23A4

The Accord Sport and Altima 2.5SV are currently my only new car prospects for when I do return my 12 Accord @ lease expiration. (Though if lease prices continue to become more attractive, a base 14 TL -- provided it's not a 5G by then -- may work its way into the equation.)

biker

Let the Mazda bashing begin.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Accord sport 6MT!

00TL-P3.2

Agreed, between those two. The Altima has never really done much for me & I'm a little averse to Nissan, personally.

AZuser

Mid-level luxury brands have always had to do a bit of leg work to distance themselves from their more common cousins. Thanks to generation after generation of pervasive badge engineering (much of it from the Big Three), buyers can't be blamed for looking at brands like Buick, Lincoln, Infiniti, Lexus and yes, Acura as tarted up versions of Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Honda products. For much of its lifetime in the automotive landscape, however, Acura has excelled at putting distance between its offerings and that of its parent company thanks to cars with superior driving dynamics, quieter cabins and clean, attractive aesthetics.

Yes, outliers and dull spots can be found in the company's recent track record, but by and large, Acura products remain situated well above the Honda rabble. When the brand announced it was getting serious about the luxury small car game with the ILX, those of us with a set of the company's keys in our past couldn't help but envision an honest successor to the long-dead Integra. Turns out, that wasn't what Acura had in mind.

As you've likely heard by now, the ILX is the least premium vehicle to wear the Acura badge in some years, but where the standard car falls flat, the ILX Hybrid may have room to excel. Hybrid buyers are typically willing to sacrifice some measure of handling, cabin refinement and performance for fuel economy, and that seemingly lends this model a real shot at giving hybrid hardware from Lexus a run for its money.


From the outside, the ILX Hybrid hides its Civic roots well enough. That's thanks to an attractive take on Acura's corporate fascia. With the shield grille somewhat tamed and an upkick along the lower valance, the vehicle's nose is fairly attractive. Swept-back projector headlamp arrays pull the eye toward the sedan's side, where a character line wanders from just behind the front wheel well to just north of the taillamps. Acura also kept hybrid badging to a minimum with a simple pair of emblems on each fender paired with another on the trunk lid. Visually, they're the only indication this is anything other than a standard ILX.

Well, those and the tiny 16-inch alloy wheels on our tester. We haven't seen rollers this petite on a luxury car since velour was a regular contestant on option sheets. The sizable sidewalls on the 205/55 R16 all-season tires certainly don't do anything to make the car look premium, though we don't have any harsh criticism for the split five-spoke wheel design.

From the rear, it's clear Acura designers have finally begun to move back to basics, choosing clean lines and attractive taillamps over an abundance of angles. The look won't stand out in a crowd as particularly attractive or memorable, but it won't send the contents of your stomach scrambling for air, either. Given creations like the ZDX, we're grateful for small mercies.

But it's indoors where the ILX Hybrid begins to show its common blood lines. The cabin is choked with materials that are unbecoming of a vehicle with a price tag over $35,000. While the steering wheel, shift knob and handbrake lever receive nice leather and the dash is attractive enough, everything onboard simply feels half a step below the rest of the Acura line – it doesn't feel cheap so much as thoroughly Honda. The leather seats are comfortable enough, but seem to be wrapped in the same hide found in a top-trim Accord. That's fine for a budget midsizer, but it's more problematic for a sedan with an Acura badge on the nose.

The good news is that there's plenty of space inside. The ILX Hybrid delivers ample head- and legroom for front-seat passengers, and the rear bench serves up 34.1 inches of rear legroom. That's over an inch more than the comparably priced 2013 Lexus CT 200h hatchback, though the Lexus comes out on top in rear headroom. Still, with 35.9 inches worth of space for lofty hair, the ILX Hybrid isn't exactly cramped. Where the model does suffer, though, is cargo capacity. Engineers have trimmed the trunk capacity from 12.4 cubic feet to 10 cubes to make room for the battery pack, and that number drops even further with the addition of the optional Technology Package. The extra gear cuts trunk space to 9.8 cubic feet. For comparison's sake, that's nearly five cubic feet less than a pint-sized Nissan Versa.


But the ILX Hybrid has larger concerns. While this is the first hybrid ever sold under the Acura banner, Honda has plenty of experience wedging electric motors and batteries into the company's products. The ILX Hybrid makes use of Honda's fifth-generation Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system, combining a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a small electric motor and a continuously variable transmission. The combination is good for 111 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 127 pound-feet of torque from 1,000 rpm. Unfortunately, this sedan tips the scales at nearly 3,000 pounds. That's a good amount of heft for so little power, and the ILX Hybrid can't help but feel slow on the road, especially when getting away from a complete stop. Our best seat-of-the-pants guess puts the machine at a little over 10 seconds to 60 miles per hour.

The good news is that the drivetrain is as smooth and quiet as we've come to expect from Honda, and the CVT is entirely tolerable. The transmission doesn't feel awkward or out of place here, simply putting the driveline where it makes the most power when the driver needs it. Unfortunately, the ILX Hybrid still suffers in the noise, vibration and harshness department. There's no missing the road noise that makes its way into the cabin at highway speeds, and we noticed plenty of racket from the rear suspension over uneven pavement. Whether this is the ILX showing its Civic roots or simply the Acura notion of an entry-level hybrid, the experience falls far short of our expectations of a car with a price tag of $35,295.


That's not to say there aren't bright spots in the driving experience. The ILX Hybrid doesn't commit any crimes against driving in the steering, brakes or handling departments. The ride is appropriately soft while retaining a certain level of confidence. While the suspension doesn't exactly goad you into hammering from apex to apex, body roll and understeer are all kept at bay. And then there's the fuel economy. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the 2013 ILX Hybrid will return 39 miles per gallon city, 38 highway and 38 mpg combined. Refreshingly, those numbers are right in line with what we observed during our week with the hybrid. Combined driving routinely saw our fuel economy sit dead on 39 mpg, with occasional jumps into the 40-mpg realm.

Even so, those numbers still fall behind the CT 200h at 43 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. The base, non-hybrid ILX starts at $26,900, and at that price, we'd be willing to forgive some of the vehicle's quirks. But stepping up to the hybrid will cost you an additional $2,000, and, as was mentioned earlier, our Tech Package-equipped tester rung the bell at $35,295 with an $895 destination fee. That price tag will net you navigation, a 10-speaker surround sound system and leather trimmings, but the similarly sized, more efficient CT 200h can be had for less money, and it doesn't remind us of a Toyota like the ILX reminds us of a Honda.

Some buyers will inevitably prefer the sedan styling of the ILX hybrid over its hatchback Lexus competition, and in that respect, Acura has quietly cornered the efficient entry-level luxury compact (sedan) segment. We just wish they'd done a better job of it. The 2013 ILX Hybrid lacks that feeling of something special that buyers expect to find when they move up to a brand like Acura. This model doesn't differentiate itself in handling, performance or refinement in any substantial way from its less-expensive family members on the Honda lot, and that's a shame.

AZuser

Please, Honda. Kill the ILX like you did the ZDX. Please.

This is not the Acura that we used to know.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Rather than killing it, Acura should learn from its mistakes and do better for the next gen.

After all, Acura has the habit of screwing up for the 1st gen vehicle. Usually the 2nd gen is much better: TL, MDX (IMO first gen would be the SLX), RDX.

Sure, Honda does not have the volume and capacity like Mercedes Benz, BMW, and Audi to make ILX into a 1 series/A3/CLA beater. But there are enough things in the Honda/Acura parts bin to build a much better ILX.

vybzkartel

Yeah, I feel like Acura's cutting us off. Treating us like strangers...and that feel so ruff!

Well, they'll soon become something that we used to know!

H_CAR

Is it really too late to fix it?

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I don't think so..some quick fixes:

- Tuned Accord I4 ED powertrains with 200hp/185lbft with 6MT/CVT
- New ED 1-motor hybrid system with 7-DCT
- Whatever features available on the Accord should be made available on the ILX
- More aggressive styling

oonowindoo

then just buy the accord.

Edward'TLS

The only quick and sure fix is : drop the damn prices.

F23A4

kurtatx

I'm glad Acura is replacing this (Source US News, upscale small cars)



with these



someone should be fired.

Legend2TL

If I was to replace my 05 TL, it would be a 9G Accord Sport 6MT.


Good god I'm old, I've driven 1G Accords

Black Tire

Acura should stop making cars...it's becoming embrassing being seen with an Acura badge. It's no wonder I am seeing so many BMW/Audi of late. They are former Acura owners for sure.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Acura

cjTL

iTrader: (2)

Yeah. Acura is the puppy that keeps shitting the rug lately.

And +1 to the Accord commentary. I've test driven the 9G twice now. Love it. Hopefully Honda's future product follow suit.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Too big for me....I want something smaller, lighter, and more exclusive .....this is why I feel the ILX has the potential to be a great little car...

-Tuned Accord I4 ED powertrains with 200hp/185lbft with 6MT/CVT
-Whatever features available on the Accord should be made available on the ILX
-More aggressive styling
-2900lb
-sporty suspension setup
-keep the current pricing

The Accord at 3300lb with the CVT can do 0-60mph in 7.5s, or 6.6s with 6MT. Shaving 400lb and having an additional 10-15hp should easily cut the above to 7s/6s respectively.

ttribe

^^^I guess I just don't see a re-badged Civic as "more exclusive." "Doesn't sell well" certainly shouldn't yield a perception of exclusivity.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I just don't see the ILX as a re-badged Civic. I'd call the TSX a rebadged Euro Accord, a CSX a re-badged Civic....

Otherwise, based on your definition of re-badge, then the HS250h is a rebadged Toyota Avensis, ES350 is a rebadged Camry, TL is a rebadged Accord, A3 is a rebadged VW Golf, etc....

Even if you still feel the ILX is a rebadged Civic, for me, if it has the quality that matches the Accord and performance that exceeds the Accord, along with good styling then looks nothing like a Civic, then I don't mind if too much. Just my

SSFTSX

Again showing limited knowledge.
2978 lbs is weight of 6MT ILX with skinny 215/17 tires. The car has extremely poor handlning
http://www.acura.com/DimensionsCapac...modelYear=2014


Accord Sport comes with 235/18. Larger tires/Rims increase the weight of car
http://automobiles.honda.com/accord-...fications.aspx
Accord sport 3276 lbs with 6MT.

Thre real weight difference is only 200 lbs between Accord Sport & ILX when you put same set of tires/rim combo. which will translate into minimal performance difference.

Accord Sport does not require premium fuel, it has much larger fuel tank, larger boot cargo capacity. It is more tuned for long freeway driving, much higher safety.

ILX 0-120 mph in 35.7 second. pulling oly 0.81g.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...ed-test-review
http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...-manual-it.pdf



Accord Sport 0-120mph in 28.7 second. pulling 0.87g.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...al-test-review

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...-24-manual.pdf

This is way too big difference in performance and handling. Accord sport is also quieter than ILX.

ILX is pointless car. Just look at steering turn lock to lock.