GoldenShoes

+1 on the snow tires. had a civic hatch that was gutted and worked at a ski resort. nothing a set of Blizzaks on Si wheels couldn't handle. I actually used to laugh at the yuppies who would get their Benzes and Bimmers stuck goin up the moutain while my little FWD ~2300lb car just kept chugging along.

Ken1997TL

Common sense goes a long ways, but snow tires simply stay pliable and sticky in the lower temperatures. Cheap all-seasons and sport tires turn into the proverbial hockey puck.

neuronbob

On my third winter in a 550 whp CTS-V wearing snow tires. Snow tires, stability control, and knowing how to drive make drivetrain choice moot nowadays.

dan aldrich

the tsx is the best looking acura 2012 out there. I own A 2009, the thing I would change is cruise control that would slow down in traffic and speed up with traffic so I do not have to brake or puss on the gas.

Moog-Type-S

Don't be a puss....god gave you a right leg and foot for a reason....use it. :wink:

Yumcha

Adaptive cruise control is nice...but, I'd still rely on my own leg to hit the brakes.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

or just take a cab

Yumcha

Given the new concepts shown recently (NSX, ILX), do you feel better/worse about Honda/Acura's future...?

g37guy01

Time will tell, that's for sure. I loved my parent's Legend. That was the last car I really liked.

AZuser

I think worse for Honda. The 9th gen Accord looks practically the same as the 8th gen Accord. I consider the 9G a MMC/refresh.

From 1G Accord all the way up to 8G Accord, there was a notable change in body style. Not so with the 8G to 9G.

1G Accord

2G Accord

3G Accord

4G Accord

5G Accord

6G Accord

7G Accord

8G Accord




With Acura... not sure, but the ILX and NSX look promising. Maybe they'll stay where they're at... slightly below tier 1 status.

oo7spy

Given this:

I feel MUCH better. Mid engine DI powering the rear wheels with electric motors for the front wheels and V8 acceleration? Where do I sign up?

Also, the ILX will make a great IS 250/350 competitor.

CarbonGray Earl

At a glance, it makes it (The IS) a bit moot. Its a good car, but most of the people that drive IS250s don't know what wheels drive the car. All they see is the L on the badge.

No offense to those that are enthusiasts though...but most of these cars are bought because they are Lexuses (or Lexi?). I don't know if an 'A' badge will fulfill that need, but if they can get past that, what's the point of an IS for these people?

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

girls like to buy Lexus IS and BMW 328i so much because they are the only Lexus and BMW that they can afford to drive.

do girls like Acura as much as they like Lexus and BMW?

F23A4

I hadn't thought of it much but, your post made me realize that I've owned each of the Accord generations above.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

I feel the same. As I mentioned in other topics... we'll see what happens when the production models hit the pavement (remember the HSC Concept?). IF... big IF... the production models are similar to their concept siblings, then Acura will be trending in the right direction.

What really needs to happen is Acura needs to come out with a completely new RL to compete with the likes of Audi, Lexus, and BMW (among a few others). Until then, they are not going to change their image. Sure, the ILX is nice, but is a mid-$20k car really what Acura needs to change its direction? I think they need to aim higher. The NSX is a good start, but you're talking 3 years before it's produced. A lot can change between now and then... and hinging their future on a fancy re-designed/re-badged Civic really is betting the farm. Get a new TL out there, drop the TSX (or merge the two as rumored) and give me a large sedan I would want to cross-shop with an A8, 7-series, or LS (or even the Genesis)... then we'll talk. Until then Acura (in my mind) is still competing with the likes of Toyota and Nissan and not their upper class siblings. They've been stuck in a rut for so long that I do not think what they have shown so far will get them out.

Concept vehicles are a good start... but means nothing until they're in showrooms and selling.

dom

I think too many people are glancing over the part about 3 more years until it hits the pavement. A lot can happen in 3 years as we well know. The Front engined V10 car was being tested at the Ring and got cancelled. They probably haven't yet built a rolling chassis for this new NSX and we're jumping for joy? Hold your horses......its still a vaporcar.

I don't think there's any question the ILX and new RDX will improve Acura sales, just not sure they'll really help advance the brand. Its still Honda+ in my eyes but I think we'll have to wait for the new TL to see where this goes.

Honda on the other hand looks in pretty good shape. New CR-V will sell by the boatload as will the new Accord (barring a styling disaster for the sedan) and the Civic should get fixed by year's end. The new power trains announced will really help. Problem I still see, is that those new power trains are not adequate for Acura. I'd like to see FI and more than just warmed over Honda engines.

KillerG

It's purely anecdotal, but my experience with los chicas has been that they hadn't even put Acura on lux status until they sat in my car (2G TSX), after that they were usually impressed and said that they had no idea it would be so nice inside. Oh and they love the backup camera

Bitches love backup cameras

oo7spy

2013 RL will be just that this spring.


I expect a DI 3.7 for the front wheels, electric motors for the back wheels, and a 7-speed tranny. Pretty much the NSX reversed.


When my wife's friend saw my RL for the first time, she said out-loud, "Isn't that a Honda?" I could see it in her eyes that she was thinking Civic (even though when she got in my wife's Civic EX-L she was impressed), and thought her brand new Equinox would surely be nicer. As she went through the features of her Equinox, I quietly sat there laughing inside. She pretty much ate her words after sitting in the RL.

The problem with Acura in the unopened female eye is that Acura is "just a Honda" and Honda makes "cheap" cars. I would put money on some women going ape shit when they buy their Lexus and find a Toyota gas cap or something similar on their car.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

We will see. It's all well and good if it has more room and handles better, but if it still looks like a bloated Accord or TL... not gonna tickle my fancy. Some of the speculative photos/sketches look interesting... but we'll see what April brings...

oo7spy

I agree, and BTW, I can't see how the Genesis offers any more leg room than an RL.

VTEC Racer

When they say the RL has worst in class rear legroom, I wonder what class of cars it is being compared to. The RL has 36.3 inches of rear leg room while the GS, E-Class, and 5-Series have 36.4, 35.8, and 36.1 inches of space, respectively.

BTW, when did BMW start using a 4 cylinder in the new 5-series?

I wonder how many woman, or buyers for that matter actually know that Acura is owned by Honda. I'm guessing not many. I think it just has to do more with the fact that Acura doesn't have the panache/bling-factor of a Mercedes and BMW (and possibly even Audi now).

P.S.
The Genesis has 38.6 inches of rear leg room. More than any of the cars mentioned above.

Aman

I think many more people know Acura is owned by Honda than those that know Infiniti is owned by Nissan, or Lexus by Toyota. The problem is that Acura hasn't done much to change this view, certainly not as much as Infiniti or Lexus.

AZuser

This is how I see it.

RL vs 7 series, S class, A8, LS

TL vs 5 series, E class, A6, GS

TSX vs 3 series, C class, A4, IS or ES

ILX vs 1 series, A3


So technically, there's room in Acura's lineup for another sedan. Acura just needs to move the RL significantly upmarket and then move the TL up a notch to differentiate it from the TSX.

Aman

^ If that was Acura's intention, they should've made the ILX a different body style. Four sedans is a lot in a product lineup. This would eat into TSX sales a LOT.

I don't think there's any space for the TSX. What Acura should've done instead is just name this car the new generation TSX.

F23A4

Someone should tell that to Lexus; they have five sedans in their lineup. Then again, no one needs to tell Lexus anything.

Aman

Not all of them are successful. The HS isn't selling anywhere near what it's supposed to, and the ES hasn't been selling well for a while. But at least they cater to different audiences. Even though the ES and GS are about the same size, the ES seems much softer, and it's FWD. The GS seems to be a more sport-oriented sedan, and RWD.

The ILX and current TSX are much more similar.

F23A4

HS is a niche vehicle and the ES is at the end of its model cycle.

SSFTSX

r u sure ILX & TSX are similar. ILX is too small with no curves in body. It is more copy of Optima. look at the small boot relative to body and pretty similar tail light arrangement with no curves in the body.

Legend2TL

+1

oo7spy

The TSX is on te chopping block. They will sell what they can, but it won't get a redesign. The HS supposedly is too. For some reason, I was under the impression the GS sold worse than the ES.

The RL should be in the LS, 7-series, S-class, etc. class, but it currently isn't, neither size or price wise. The TL has taken its spot next to the 5-series, E-class, A6, etc., and the RL is supposed to go from worst in class to best in class. At least that's what we were told as I posted above. Let's hope Acura hits it out of the park in NY this April. That would be a great B-day present to me from them.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Exactly! Too many people know that Acura is owned by Honda. Why? B/C, as was mentioned by several, it's basically viewed as a Honda+1, where as people perceive Lexus and Infiniti to be their "own" brands. I'm always amazed that people do not make the Toyota/Lexus or Infiniti/Nissan connection, but they know Acura is Honda.

This is one of the biggest things Acura needs to change. Even if they come out with some phenominal new models and/or redesigns, their marketing game plan needs a huge shot in the arm so they can work on changing their image in the market.

Yumcha

To be honest, I'm quite aware I'm driving a glorified Nissan.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Most forum folks and enthusiasts do... but most of the general public is clueless...

Quick funny story... we were at the auto show late last year and this woman looked flabbergasted as to why the Lexus and Toyota booths seemed to always be next to each other. Worst part... her husband didn't now the answer . We happened to both be looking at the GS, so I just said it was likely b/c the layout is by company and Toyota and Lexus are the same company. They looked at me like I had three heads... it was pretty amusing...

Ken1997TL

I've had similar experiences. People actually OFFENDED that they drive a 'mere' Toyota.

oo7spy

Fixed my own comment.

F23A4

Same here. Several years ago, I can recall telling my neighbor that his 99 3.2TL was effectively a fairly enhanced version of his wife's 99 Honda Accord V6 sedan....and then him giving me a look as though I don't know what I was talking about.

Aman

^ To be fair, the TL is very different than the Accord where it matters to consumers. Everything you see, touch, even hear is different in the TL. It's even more so in the third and fourth generation TLs.

Your neighbor might've been offended because he thought you were comparing the TL to the badge-engineered excuses for separate models that were rampant in the market ten years ago.

One thing you have to give credit to Honda for: They do make a strong effort to differentiate models using the same basic platform.

oo7spy

Just think, the Civic can look like an ILX.

KillerG

^ the one misstep they made was rebranding the civic to the csx in canada

... led to alot of uninformed "enthusiasts" assuming that the ILX was going to end up as another civic rebrand because apparently the meaning of "platform sharing" isnt as widely understood as I previously thought

oo7spy

I defended the ILX all of December in the RL forum because everyone kept posting pictures of the CSX, and I had to remind them that no one had seen an ILX yet. As soon as they said Civic platform/factory everyone assumed it was a terrible move. Then throw in removing the TSX...