Acura ought to have a movie tie-in deal: With its breve-shaped metal mouths, its cars look more like the original Transformer toys than any of the GM products that are featured in those “films.”

Honda’s cars used to look a lot better. The mission statement of Honda design lists “people” as one of three key inputs, but the company rarely singles out any people on its design staff. Few are mentioned by name—at least outside the California studio, where Dave Marek of Honda and Jon Ikeda of Acura are at work.

There’s design that celebrates engineering and efficiency, like that of the practical Fit. But why the unnatural affection for fastback rooflines that descend with the sickening skid of a recent 401k value chart, as on the ZDX and the Crosstour?

And that is why Acura is not seen as a Tier 1 luxury brand, even by Honda/Acura execs.

LOL!

Let's see what Phil Patton, a teacher at the School of Visual Arts in New York and automobile-design writer for the New York Times says.



Honda/Acura: grade C-

Hyundai: B+

Kia: A-

Aside from the Accord copying BMW's Hofmeister kink for the greenhouse/C-pillar, the taillights extension is taken from BMW as well.