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aside from the underwhelming powertrain and some equipment level issues, the ILX is very good. It's probably the best of the Acura "look". Camry has nothing on the ILX.
aside from the underwhelming powertrain and some equipment level issues, the ILX is very good. It's probably the best of the Acura "look". Camry has nothing on the ILX.
^This. I really don't get the searing hate against the ILX, especially here and ToV. It's a solid little car, and if the Earth Dreams engines give it another 20-30 HP in the 2.0L engine I think that will solve some issues. Of course, once the TSX is gone, they could solve everything by just making the 2.4L the base engine, but I'm not banking on that.
Back on topic though, I guess I'm in the minority on the ZDX. I've seen a few of them on the road (I think there's 2 or 3 of them near where I live) and I've always kind of liked it. Given the sales numbers though, I'm not surprised Acura is killing it. I just hope that it's failure doesn't send Acura back into a shell and they're willing to take risks.
No hate for the ILX. Ive driven it at an Acura event and its a more than competent car. However, my opinion prior to driving it remains unchanged after driving it: the ILX belongs in a Honda showroom. It's a nice car, just not something that I consider upscale. At least not any more than a well equipped Accord.
There was comparision test of Buick Verna and ILX on motortrend in which Buick won against ILX. I have never read in recent history that Acura automobile losing to Buick in comparision test.
Consumer reports also dont consider the higher badge (Acura) of ILX as reason to buy it over family sedan.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/m...rano/index.htm
Don’t let the high-end badges sway you. For about the same money, you could buy a loaded four-cylinder family sedan, such as a Hyundai Sonata or a Toyota Camry, with more room and similar or better fuel economy. Or you could buy the higher-rated Acura TSX.
aside from the underwhelming powertrain and some equipment level issues, the ILX is very good. It's probably the best of the Acura "look". Camry has nothing on the ILX.
+1. The ILX needs the earthdream powertrain......and more fancy equipment that is more or less comparable to the new Accord. Not saying the ILX has to have the same bang for the buck factor as the Accord....but right now, the ILX tech is $31k, and the new Accord Touring V6 is $33k. It's hard to justify buying the ILX in this case...
Great plan by Acura to move even further down market with the ILX and muddy the waters even more between Acura and Honda.
I think the low sales #s for the ILX show that people aren't falling for it and see the poor value the ILX is vs a Honda, especially with the new Accord.
Great plan by Acura to move even further down market with the ILX and muddy the waters even more between Acura and Honda.
Originally Posted by AZuser
I think the low sales #s for the ILX show that people aren't falling for it and see the poor value the ILX is vs a Honda, especially with the new Accord.
Originally Posted by iforyou
As long as the TSX still exists, and no ED powertrain, I don't see the ILX being a sales success. I think Acura should have launched the car later.
Seriously, one has to to wonder whether someone at Honda is trying to kill the Acura brand. It's just torture to watch.
Any sedan that carries the same price level as the ILX, automatically threatens the ILX sales. It is even more so for the TSX/Accord against the ILX, since they are all made by the same Japanese auto company and, as a result, have similar build quality and reliability level.
As for standard equipment level wise, the Tier-2 premium brand ILX is guarantee no match for the econo brand Accord. The majority buyers fall for the ILX are purely due to the brand effect.
The ILX is not well priced. At $26-$31k (ignoring the POS hybrid), it's competing with too many mainstream sedans - top of the line compacts, and well equipped mid-size sedans. In terms of value, it's not bad for a supposed entry-luxury sedan. However, most people who want to spend that amount of money on a new car probably have bang for the buck higher up in their priority list. People don't see why they want to pay that much for a 150hp compact.
I think if the ILX has a lower starting price with less standard features and more options/packages, it would have sold better. The approach should be more or less similar to the Verano. The Verano doesn't really have better value than the ILX. Its lower base price attracts people. People can access the slightly better brand image without paying too much.
^ Thank you for also realizing the brilliance of the 1G RDX powertrain. I don't understand why Honda doesn't see that turbo 4s are the way forward. Not the big J series V6s. So much potential for greatness...gone.
No lowering its price will bring down the Acura label.
the price is fine, it's the equipment level. 2.4 needs to be the standard engine, 6-spd auto, Xenons standard, LED tail lights, etc.
Agree. Acura product pricing can only go up, not down, in order to maintain it's Tier-2 premium brand image. Otherwise, the Acura brand will risk slipping further into the Tier-3 brand status.
^ Thank you for also realizing the brilliance of the 1G RDX powertrain. I don't understand why Honda doesn't see that turbo 4s are the way forward. Not the big J series V6s. So much potential for greatness...gone.
Not to digress too much further from the original topic, the K23A in the 1G RDX had to go. It was simply horrible on fuel economy, especially when compared with the 2G's J35 with its VCM.
However, there are other areas where the K23A - SHAWD powertrain could have been used. (i.e.: TSX, which would then make it a viable competitor to the F30 328i, Caddy ATS and Audi A4)
Not to digress too much further from the original topic, the K23A in the 1G RDX had to go. It was simply horrible on fuel economy, especially when compared with the 2G's J35 with its VCM.
However, there are other areas where the K23A - SHAWD powertrain could have been used. (i.e.: TSX, which would then make it a viable competitor to the F30 328i, Caddy ATS and Audi A4)
That had a lot to do with the weight of the SH-AWD system as well. BTW, the J-series is awesome, and the Accord V6 is faster than the turbo 328i.
^ Thank you for also realizing the brilliance of the 1G RDX powertrain. I don't understand why Honda doesn't see that turbo 4s are the way forward. Not the big J series V6s. So much potential for greatness...gone.
The idea/theory behind the 1g RDX powertrain was good. However, it doesn't deliver in the real-world. You might gain a few more mpg in a lighter ILX, but that's still not enough. Without DI, turbo is pretty useless as compression ratio goes way down (and thus effciency) without it.
With that said, have you checked out the acceleration numbers and fuel economy numbers for the 2g RDX? Better yet, have you checked out C/D's newest road test of the 2013 Accord V6 6AT? 0-60mph in 5.6s with all-season rubber and 1/4 mile in 14.1s@101mph. For comparison, the Ford Fusion with its 2.0 Turbo 4 engine and AWD grip can only do 0-60mph in 6.6s and 1/4 mile in 15s@90.6mph according to Edmunds (Edmunds also tested Accord V6 and it was much faster). There's no comparison at all. Even if you go with Edmunds numbers only, the difference is like comparing the new 328i to a TSX I4.
Apr 2, 2021What do the BMW X4, Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, Audi Q5 Sportback,Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, and Tesla Model Y have in common? All of these sleek-roofed, mid-size, coupe-like SUVs follow a blueprint set by the BMW X6, but the Acura ZDX was the first to take the idea mainstream. That's right. The ZDX isn't just a funky looking Acura MDX with an awkward roofline, it is a coupe-inspired SUV that was well ahead of its time.
The aforementioned quintet of SUVs proves it. These days, Americans are gobbling up sport-utes of all shapes and sizes. There is niche after niche to be filled—heck, automakers have even toyed with convertible SUVs. But the luxury crossover with the sloping roofline owes its origins (at least in part) to an Acura that is virtually forgotten today.
Based on the MDX of the time, the ZDX is about 6 inches shorter than its SUV counterpart. It also weighs almost 4,500 pounds and has a total of 8 inches of ground clearance, just 0.2 inches fewer than a contemporary MDX. Motivation comes from a 3.7-liter V-6 that cranks out 300 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 270 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. It even has VTEC, yo. Power is routed to all 4 wheels via Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive system.
The original press release mentions off-road ability while emphasizing that the ZDX was tuned at the Nürburgring. So what exactly is the ZDX aside from a funky-looking wagonoid? Acura themselves said it "defied categorization," and of that we can be sure. Its odd proportions and huge silver beak make it look like a snapping turtle on stilts—and like nothing else on the road.
The ZDX's roofline meant there is really only room for 2 adults—and they have to sit up front. The rear seats are best left to the kiddos, or no one at all. Behind the cramped back seats is an equally cramped cargo area at 27.5 cubic feet—15.4 fewer cubes than its MDX platform-mate. For childless couple running quick trips to the shop or longer trips to the country, the ZDX's interior accommodations are adequate. But more importantly, its sleek styling set it apart from every other SUV crowding the parking lot.
In our original review we said the ZDX felt luxurious, but its 6.5-second 0 to 60 mph time was right within sports car territory in 2010. We also called it fun to drive, and better than the BMW X6 of the time—1 of the few cars the ZDX directly competed against. We were so intrigued by the ZDX we even invited 1 for an extended stay at MotorTrend as a member of our long-term test fleet.
During our year with the ZDX, it served as a light off-roader, city commuter, and a highway mile gobbler. It was also, as you might have expected, quite polarizing. The ZDX wasn't perfect, but it never failed to impress our editors with its impressive handling and perfect reliability—although we longed for more power.
It might have looked oddly bulbous in its day, but in 2021 there are thousands of people who will happily take an X4 over an X3 for the sake of its sleek styling. The ZDX buyer, however, cut a little more deeply against the grain. They were getting into something truly unique and, looking back, we think the ZDX was all the better for it.
We think the ZDX is overdue for a little love. It was certainly different, a strange one-off from Acura. But viewed through a retrospective lens from 2021, it represents an early attempt at a crossover that stands out from the crowd—a trend that took off in earnest years after the ZDX disappeared from showrooms after a short 4-year run. Because Acura never sold that many, they're surprisingly rare. A quick look at car-buying sites reveals that there are fewer than 25 ZDXs for sale in the entire country.
Not only are they uncommon, they're also trading hands for considerably less right now than when they were new. In 2010, a brand-spanking-new ZDX would cost you well over $50,000. Now even the priciest examples aren't listed for half that. In a world where swoopy SUVs are more acceptable than ever, the Acura ZDX is both a bargain, reliable, and still a bold statement. How can you go wrong?
Well, even as a ZDX owner who still loves the vehicle that article seems a bit over-the-top. I think the design is STILL polarizing, meaning lots of people would hate it even if Acura reintroduced it today. But for me and my family, it was perfect and there's a reason it's the only vehicle I've ever owned for over 10 years. Here's a picture taken today at the car wash, where yet again (and you'd be shocked how often this happens) a stranger came over to me and asked if it was a brand new Acura model.
How about that Precision EV Concept that Acura just unveiled? Pretty wild, right? Well, we don’t have to call it by its concept name anymore because the Japanese brand has already announced a production variant for it, and it bears the name ZDX. 6 photos
The Acura ZDX will make its debut in 2024 as a fully electric SUV, and it will also feature a performance variant dubbed ZDX Type S. This shows that Acura understands that certain buyers still expect amazing power and acceleration from their sports utility vehicles.
The ZDX is currently being co-developed by Acura with GM, utilizing the latter’s highly flexible global EV platform powered by Ultium batteries. Further down the line, Acura will launch additional EV models (starting in 2026), based on its own global e:Architecture.
“The Acura ZDX represents the start to what will be an accelerated path toward electrification by the end of the decade and the key role the Acura brand will play in our company’s global goal to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050,” said Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales.
“Acura will remain focused on performance in the electrified era and Type S will continue to represent the pinnacle of this direction.”
But wait, wasn’t there already an Acura ZDX? Why yes there was – back in 2009. It was a coupe SUV that endured a four-year production run, but sales were pretty dreadful, so the nameplate was discontinued.
This all-new variant, however, is expected to be a massive hit, seen as how it’s going to be fully electric and extremely high-tech. Fun fact though, the original ZDX and this all-new one were both styled from the ground up at the carmaker’s design studio in Los Angeles.
In North America, Acura wants all of its vehicles to be either battery-electric or fuel-cell electric by 2040.
I thought i didnt have to see that name ever again. Acura just proved me wrong
Put the car itself aside, why does the marketing team wanna use a name the ultra failure that ppl want to forget instead of choosing something that is more "legend"ary
I thought i didnt have to see that name ever again. Acura just proved me wrong
Put the car itself aside, why does the marketing team wanna use a name the ultra failure that ppl want to forget instead of choosing something that is more "legend"ary
I guess they wanted to be like Toyota and include Zero somewhere in the name. I'm not making this up, the Z in ZDX now stands for Zero emissions.
Also, the vast majority of people don't even know the ZDX used to exist. Even a lot of car people don't know about the car because 1) they never see any since it sold like doodoo and 2) Acura tends to be an after thought, especially during the beak era. Only Acura enthusiasts would have any rememberance of that name, and there are dozens of us!
And FWIW, Z is a pretty cool letter, and ZDX sounds pretty cool. Hell of a lot better than Erectile Dysfunction X
10-12-2012, 06:30 PM
aside from the underwhelming powertrain and some equipment level issues, the ILX is very good. It's probably the best of the Acura "look". Camry has nothing on the ILX.
Can definitely see the Civic heritage. 
MotorTrend
6 photos
6 photos
