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To get so much hate from all the guys in car talk who don't even own an Acura anymore takes a special person. What surprises me is his join date of 2015, though he does have relatively few posts.
If this does end up being true, we know who to find. I truly hate incompetent people that steer brands in the wrong direction. It doesn't take much. Just look at poor Infiniti on the verge of collapse.
To get so much hate from all the guys in car talk who don't even own an Acura anymore takes a special person. What surprises me is his join date of 2015, though he does have relatively few posts.
Originally Posted by honda_nut
If this does end up being true, we know who to find. I truly hate incompetent people that steer brands in the wrong direction. It doesn't take much. Just look at poor Infiniti on the verge of collapse.
OH look, another TLX owner mentioning the top two thing that grinds their gears.
I truly hope he gets fired for not understanding his customer base or respecting a NDA. That beak was the most hideous thing ever created, making 4G TL one of the top ten ugliest modern cars (far uglier than the Pontiac Aztec imo). Those were some of the worst sales years at Acura and a cheapo plastic shield in no way portrays luxury. The fact that people called it a beak tells you all you need to know.
Like I said before, I dish out orders - I don't take them.
I find it a bit funny that you would go through great lengths of purchasing an Acura TLX pre face lift and then go on to bash it online. Obviously deep down you admire the beak grill. The beak grill is all business.
Originally Posted by gatrhumpy
The beak was horrible. Damn the history of it. It was ugly. It looked like a 6year old drew it on as an afterthought. If Acura spent millions of dollars designing that grill, and it looks like a 6year old drew it on, then Acura is in fucking trouble.
What car do you drive?
Originally Posted by BEAR-AvHistory
Pre-beak they sold upwards of 70,000+ TL cars in a good year. The beak years 30,000 cars a year. Up to & through today they have NEVER recovered the lost 30,000+ customers a year that have been all gone since 2009. Fully half your customer base is not a small number when it has 5 digits before the decimal point.
Back to the troll farm Ha
Sounds a little convincing - your argument. Problem is, the dollar was stronger back then and the cost of cars were cheaper. Also different president at the time. And also the recession. Covid19 is also a reminder of how sales can be impacted by economic problems. I'm sure it was all due to the great beak grill.
Originally Posted by AZuser
Disgruntled Acura employee secretly trying to sabotage the company/brand by making people think the beak was a good idea?
Whether or not the beak grill was a good idea(I think it is), its solidified itself as the face of Acura, not the Diamond Pentagon grill.
Here Are All the Corporate Grilles That Completely Failed
Acura Beak
Ahh, yes, the Acura beak. Was there ever a time when it was clearer that an automaker simply didn’t have any idea how its design would be perceived than back when Acura launched its beak? I’m not exactly sure when the "beak" first came out, but its first especially egregious appearance was on the 2009 TL — and the nose was mercilessly mocked for its excessive use of shiny silver in combination with its odd similarity to a bird beak. Acura dialed back the beak by 2012, and today’s more restrained version looks pretty good — and pretty distinctive.
With commentary on today’s Acura TL review struggling to move past the sedan’s jarring styling, this seems like a good time to discuss alternatives to the TL… or, at least the alternatives to that jangly beak. Remember, even if you like your TL enough to get past the “distinctive” looks, the rest of us still have to look at it. Here, for your consideration, are a number of ways to improve the looks of the TL, starting with Acura’s official cure, the “Full Nose Mask.”
Acura’s other official fix: a “midnight chrome” sport grille.
Aftermarket firm RonJon makes several grilles as well.
But, for some, there is only one way to fix the TL’s front-end styling…
The new Acura grille seems to be the main reason for the slump in sales. At first the idea was to create a “shield” to dress up the MDX SUV. The look was cool, so someone at Acura had the great idea that every car should have a similar look. Enter, the beak. When the redesigned TL received the beak, sales plummeted, despite the fact that the SUV was a good value and an impressive performer. Acura isn’t too worried, though — the all new TSX SportWagon comes with the beak, too!
Like I said before, I dish out orders - I don't take them.
I find it a bit funny that you would go through great lengths of purchasing an Acura TLX pre face lift and then go on to bash it online. Obviously deep down you admire the beak grill. The beak grill is all business.
LOL. Only reason I have a TLX was because my 3rd Gen TL was rear ended and totaled. Bought because of familiarity and getting a smoking hot deal (25k before taxes). It currently sits for sale in my driveway since its the worst Acura I've owned to date.
Last edited by honda_nut; Jul 14, 2020 at 03:57 PM.
What the hell is going on here?! I'm gone for a few days and someone threatens to bring back the beak?! Seriously, the world IS going to hell on greased rails.
Like I said before, we've already seen the new TLX and the new MDX and neither have a beak. Pretty sure we're safe otherwise Acura wasted a lot of time and money advertising the new car.
Like I said before, we've already seen the new TLX and the new MDX and neither have a beak. Pretty sure we're safe otherwise Acura wasted a lot of time and money advertising the new car.
Hey, this person dishes out orders, doesn't take them. Acura will do what he says, NDAs and investments be damned.
Like I said before, we've already seen the new TLX and the new MDX and neither have a beak. Pretty sure we're safe otherwise Acura wasted a lot of time and money advertising the new car.
We are dealing with a kid who is bored and his parents don’t give him enough attention.
What the hell is going on here?! I'm gone for a few days and someone threatens to bring back the beak?! Seriously, the world IS going to hell on greased rails.
"Well we have a couple TL's in the shop getting wheels put on today and one has a painted grill." - thats the first sentence of the that link. Dealers always have that one car where they try a custom style on.
This is why I tell Acura beak grill owners to not listen to the haters. They will over exaggerate and try to take things out of perspective. Haters particularly are more likely to show up when one shows signs of success. That is why they surround themselves around the beak grill because it expresses a sign of prestige. Other grills are so ordinary that they don't receive any hate. The hate on the predator grill makes sense because Lexus has always been about ordinary designs.
The face of Acura that "completely failed" - a statement with no real substance. You go on to cite a couple of links to support your case but lets not forget that anyone with a little bit of wordpress skills can whip up a blog article in seconds.
Originally Posted by AZuser
It was a face that was universally panned
Again, another statement that holds no substance.
Originally Posted by honda_nut
LOL. Only reason I have a TLX was because my 3rd Gen TL was rear ended and totaled. Bought because of familiarity and getting a smoking hot deal (25k before taxes). It currently sits for sale in my driveway since its the worst Acura I've owned to date.
The white TLX with the beak grill is one of the nicest cars on the road hands down. I have 4 of them in white, black, brown, and silver. If I had to get rid of 3 and keep one, I'd keep the white one.
Originally Posted by SamDoe1
Like I said before, we've already seen the new TLX and the new MDX and neither have a beak. Pretty sure we're safe otherwise Acura wasted a lot of time and money advertising the new car.
I said they will be going back. That doesn't just happen overnight because each car takes about fives to develop from concept to production.
Originally Posted by Aman
Hey, this person dishes out orders, doesn't take them. Acura will do what he says, NDAs and investments be damned.
Age: 27
Originally Posted by 04WDPSeDaN
The beak grill doesn't even look anything remotely close to the joker.
Originally Posted by Midnight Mystery
What about the ass beak? Is that coming back too?
The 4th gen TL was a truly unique design. No other cars in the same segment even came close when it comes to that type of metal work on the rear. Will it come back? Depends on if I can gather up the original team of designers.
Hi folks, just want to give you guys a heads up - I'm in the process of working with Acura so that they will revert back to their shield grill, among other things.
So why revert back? It's pretty simple actually. The shield grill has a lot of time behind it. Plus, its a very nice design that represents the brand very well. To change it now, means to throw away decades of marketing and to chase a market which is not there. What I mean by chasing a market that is not there, is that Acura is trying to look more upscale. Problem is, Acuras are not upscale cars. They are premium executive class vehicles with a corporate design. So essentially, its a very bad business move to drop your current customer base and chase after a new one - that doesn't really exist.
So those of you who have Acuras with the original shield grill, hold it in high regards because its one of the best parts about acura vehicles! Don't let the haters tell you otherwise.
At 31 years of age I see your are seriously wet behind the ears. If they Acura want to move back to past design to recapture their former glory. They will only need to step back to 1991 and look at both Legend Coupe & Sedan. How old were you then, 2 years old? I can see why you think the shield is special. It was the worst thing ever happened to the brand. And since you say you work for Acura. Tell them us men only like to finger our women, not selecting the gear position on our cars. That is the second worst thing to happened to the Honda products.
At 31 years of age I see your are seriously wet behind the ears. If they Acura want to move back to past design to recapture their former glory. They will only need to step back to 1991 and look at both Legend Coupe & Sedan. How old were you then, 2 years old? I can see why you think the shield is special. It was the worst thing ever happened to the brand. And since you say you work for Acura. Tell them us men only like to finger our women, not selecting the gear position on our cars. That is the second worst thing to happened to the Honda products.
The files for the Legend are there. Its also another feasible car to make a comeback under my watch. I have talked with the designers about these cars and have asked for quick iterations with the beak/shield grill being the centerpiece. Let me tell you, I would only work on a car that I can see myself driving. Otherwise it's a waste of my time. I have full confidence that a modern day Legend or CL would kill in its segment. I don't, however, believe that to be true with the Pentagon grill.
But lets be real here, the Legend and CL were made at a time when car manufacturers were more focused on production capabilities rather than aesthetics. So part of the admiration for the old cars are because of trips down memory lane. But man, that is one clean Legend. The seats look so plushy. Acura also has the full line up of all the vehicles ever made at their facility. I utilize all of these tools when I'm there(I 'm also at leisure to take them home if I want) for research purposes.
The beak grill doesn't even look anything remotely close to the joker..
Car and Driver
"- It's not just the adoption of the Joker's-grinAcura grille"
Motor Trend
" aJoker-like grin"
Auto Spies
" And the grille.reminds me of the Joker's smile"
The Dallas Morning News
"Can a grille be fitted with a codpiece? Beats me. But the resolutely odd front end on the TL I had recently looked alternately like some piece of body armor or the evil smile of a drugged-up Joker."
Bob the Oil Guy
"The front reminds me a bit of the joker's face from The Dark Knight ..."
Curbside Classics
". The big beak always reminds me of the Joker's evil smile.|"
Los Angeles Times Top ten most sinister car faces
"Acura TL"
Aztek Dethroned as the World's UGLIEST vehicle!!
"2009 Acura TL"obviously, they were very taken with Heath Ledger's interpretation of the Joker.
"The worst offender is the new Acura TL. ... Joker, anyone?"
Kelly Blue Book's 10 Most Sinister Car Faces "Acura TL's"
Hate to post this monstrosity, but need we be reminded of this disaster. I still don't understand what committee could ever green light this without being on drugs.
The face of Acura that "completely failed" - a statement with no real substance. You go on to cite a couple of links to support your case but lets not forget that anyone with a little bit of wordpress skills can whip up a blog article in seconds.
I only "cite a couple of links" because there are too many to cite than I have time for.
I can also show you the big drop in sales to back up my point, as well as Acura's hard pivot away from the beak. When you completely abandon a design, it's an admission that it was a terrible idea.
Acura Removes Its Signature Beak Design from the Front of Its Vehicles
One of the most recognizable design aspects of a vehicle is its front grille. Several automotive brands have iconic grilles found throughout their vehicle lineups.
With the introduction of the 2018 Acura TLX, Acura is removing the silver beak from the front of its vehicles.
The common grille design of Acura’s vehicles has always been a controversial subject for the brand. While the silver, v-shaped grille beak has managed to attract a small following, the common reception toward it has been mostly negative.
So negative, in fact, that Acura credited the design with discouraging drivers from choosing the Acura TLX and other similar models. Therefore, when it came time to redesign the Acura TLX for the 2018 model year, Acura removed the beak entirely.
Meanwhile, what evidence have you provided that shows the beak grille was a good idea except for your own personal opinion? Nothing.
While the beak is utter utter trash, I will say that it has one positive: though we may have our differences on many things Acura related, it's nice that it can bring us all together so that we can express our hatred for it.
While the beak is utter utter trash, I will say that it has one positive: though we may have our differences on many things Acura related, it's nice that it can bring us all together so that we can express our hatred for it.
Thankfully Acura has come to their senses and IMO, the TLX / TLX Aspec are good looking cars .. looking forward to the Type-S now that they have fucking FINALLY boosted a V6.
Pre-beak they sold upwards of 70,000+ TL cars in a good year. The beak years 30,000 cars a year. Up to & through today they have NEVER recovered the lost 30,000+ customers a year that have been all gone since 2009. Fully half your customer base is not a small number when it has 5 digits before the decimal point.
