Is Honda's quality too close to Acura?

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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 12:28 PM
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Is Honda's quality too close to Acura?

I bought my beautiful TLX Tech in November. I still love the car to this day. My friend just bought a 2016 Accord and I really was surprised. Those Honda's have really stepped their game up and I feel that they're awfully close to Acura when it comes to the interior at the least. I haven't driven the Accord but I'm really surprised. I know that most of Acura's treasures come in the performance aspect. What do you guys think? I personally love Acura and I'm a huge Acura fanboy. I could've gotten a Mercedes or BMW but I stuck to my gut. I like the "underdog" aspect of Acura because I personally don't believe they are far off when it comes to those brands. So are Honda's quality too close to Acura? Is it hurting Acura business?

P.S. I know Honda and Acura are related
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 01:12 PM
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Best thread ever...

I have 2500 miles I put on two TLX. THe 2016 Accord (in highest range) is even better..
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 01:40 PM
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 02:28 PM
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The fact that they are basically Hondas is why I haven't owned one in 10+ years.

The argument can be made that all luxury brands share parts/platforms with their "regular" siblings... and that's true... but in most cases there is a difference. With Honda/Acura, that line feels extremely blurred and has kept me away for a long time.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 02:32 PM
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by AZuser
Originally Posted by Costco
.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 02:40 PM
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Boring.....
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 02:43 PM
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Originally Posted by juniorbean
The fact that they are basically Hondas is why I haven't owned one in 10+ years.

The argument can be made that all luxury brands share parts/platforms with their "regular" siblings... and that's true... but in most cases there is a difference. With Honda/Acura, that line feels extremely blurred and has kept me away for a long time.
I understand where you're coming from. Acura was my first car and had some great experiences in it. I respect Honda but they should try to emphasize luxury in Acura and standard in Honda. This is my personal opinion.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 02:44 PM
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Honda is better than Acura
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by myron
Honda is better than Acura
And that's 100 lashes for you
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 02:49 PM
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I had a 2007 TL and a 2003 Honda Accord. When I got rid of the TL and the Accord, the TL had more rattles and more squeaks than the Accord which was 2 years older and had more mileage. Go figure?

I now currently own an Audi A5, and after 3 years of ownership and driving the same NJ roads, the Audi is holding up much better than any Acura ever did. No rattles, no plastic pieces coming off the seats, and the wear on the leather is so much better.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 02:58 PM
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My dad has the new Accord Touring. It drives a lot like a newer Acura to me. The cheap-feeling stuff is the sunvisors and shiny black plastic. Overall I liked my CL more, but they don't make anything like that now.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 03:26 PM
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Originally Posted by juniorbean
With Honda/Acura, that line feels extremely blurred
I agree. Except I feel the RL/RLX and MDX are better quality.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 03:29 PM
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Originally Posted by tonytime224
I could've gotten a Mercedes or BMW but I stuck to my gut. I like the "underdog" aspect of Acura because I personally don't believe they are far off when it comes to those brands.
If you truly wanted to get an "underdog," you should have gotten a Genesis/G80. They're much closer to being a luxury brand like Mercedes and BMW than Acura is.



Last edited by AZuser; Jan 6, 2016 at 03:33 PM.
Old Jan 6, 2016 | 03:49 PM
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holy that's gorgeous.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 04:21 PM
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Acura may even be under the dog
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 04:35 PM
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Acura sucks.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 04:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Flipster23
Acura sucks.
You suck!

Acura is the BEST car company in the WORLD!!!
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by 2012wagon
You suck!

Acura is the BEST car company in the WORLD!!!
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 04:50 PM
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If I wanted FWD I wouldn't even consider a TLX. The Accord is a better deal hands down. If I wanted an SUV, as much as I want a MDX with it's goodies, the Pilot is a better bargain.

AWD though? Acura's your only bet for a sedan.

I think I'm going Lexus though (GS-F uh yes!) for the TL replacement
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 05:01 PM
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I just appreciate how the Acura Luxuries are basically twice as much as regular Luxury car companies Luxuries. Like, sure a Mercedes is luxury, but the Acura is 2x luxury because of what the Honda MoCo uses.

Honda and therefore Acura luxuries are more than other car companies.

It's true.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 05:17 PM
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Wow you guys are making me feel like an idiot for choosing 2015 TLX TECH.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 05:22 PM
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Originally Posted by 2012wagon
You suck!

Acura is the BEST car company in the WORLD!!!

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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by tonytime224
Wow you guys are making me feel like an idiot for choosing 2015 TLX TECH.
Um, you wandered into Car Talk. Almost every person who posted in this thread is a former Acura owner from the last decade, when Acura was firing on all cylinders. Then....the 4G TL happened in 2009, and many (including me, leaving the brand for six years) were soured on the brand. So take all these comments with a grain of salt, they are just busting your chops.

Don't feel like an idiot. The TLX Tech is actually a solid choice. I'd have one but for the back seat. These guys in this thread just wanted Acura to bring back the 6MT and make a TLX-S, and I sure would like a sportier variant of what was supposed to be the "Red Carpet Athlete" at its release, too.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 05:31 PM
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Originally Posted by tonytime224
Wow you guys are making me feel like an idiot for choosing 2015 TLX TECH.
It's ok, we all make mistakes


But in all seriousness, you'll find a lot of Acura haters on AZ, myself included. Acura used to be the brand that led the pack. Now it struggles to follow. And in ten years they've done little to change anything about themselves. What makes us even bigger haters is the fact that we keep hoping something will change with the brand, and we occasionally feel the winds of change coming, only to ultimately be left let down.

Your TLX isn't a bad car, but, for the same or less money, you have other options.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 05:35 PM
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PS, WELCOME to Acurazine, and the TLX section is here: Fifth Generation TLX (2015+) - AcuraZine Community

And to answer your question with a question, how do you define quality?

If you are defining it as reliability, then I'd expect Acuras, designed by Honda, to have excellent reliability. It's the reason I've been buying Honda products for 25 years.


If you are defining it as a feel or sense of luxury, then spend some time in my RLX Sport Hybrid, then go back to your TLX, and then a Honda Accord, then answer the question for yourself.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 06:07 PM
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I'm not 100% sure, and am too lazy to research it at the moment, but I suspect that the quality of Hondas and Acuras are identical. Reason being, they are mostly cross-platform vehicles that are built on the same assembly lines. Further, if you open the hood of your car you'll probably see "Honda" embroidered or printed on an official sticker on some pretty major parts.

Your question reminds me of those left Twix, right Twix commercials.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 06:11 PM
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I like how people continue to say that Acura is super reliable. It's not. The reports even indicate so. Acura was super reliable in ages gone by and that is not the case today.

We have numerous transmission problems across all models, we have suspension problems, engine problems, you name it.

It's ideologies like these that keep a company like Hyundai from becoming more popular today (because they were garbage in the 80s), and companies like Acura keep selling big, based on, once again, past performance.

The funny thing is, in reliability surveys, Hyundai is ahead of Acura.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 06:22 PM
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Originally Posted by cu2wagon
I just appreciate how the Acura Luxuries are basically twice as much as regular Luxury car companies Luxuries. Like, sure a Mercedes is luxury, but the Acura is 2x luxury because of what the Honda MoCo uses.

Honda and therefore Acura luxuries are more than other car companies.

It's true.
agreed

acura has BEST luxuriiiiieees!
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 06:24 PM
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Originally Posted by TacoBello
The funny thing is, in reliability surveys, Hyundai is ahead of Acura.
koreuuuns.... oooh yeah
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by tonytime224
Wow you guys are making me feel like an idiot for choosing 2015 TLX TECH.
Don't feel bad TonyTime, if you're happy with your situation, that's all that should matter to you.

HondAcura does a lot of things right and a lot of things could be better. The same can be said of any manufacturer.

Don't let others define who you are.

But there are others here who may have a wider worldview and are more adement to point out the shortcomings from experience.

IMO, the Accord takes the cake over the current Acura offerings. Many of the same features, if not more, at a typically lower price point. If I were in the market today, hands down I'd buy an Accord over any Acura. Unless Bob was donating to me his RLX-SHport.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 07:06 PM
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I'm just glad HQ is not holding back Honda just to keep it from hurting Acura. If HQ made such a decision, other car companies would eat both Honda and Acura's lunch.

That said, the hate for Acura could be a good thing... love and hate being opposite sides of the same coin and such. Indifference would be the real Acura killer.

OP -- the TLX is a fine car, and i believe it is selling well. Having owned and loved a first-gen Integra, I fall into the disappointed group regarding the current line-up, and think the TSX was probably the last of the great Acuras.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 09:10 PM
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Acura sucks donkey balls.

The all new Civic in Touring trim level beats the shit out of damn near anything Acura has at the moment. What's that tell the consumer???
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Old Jan 7, 2016 | 12:21 AM
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Man, you should have bought the latest Accord Sport. That car is solid for the price.
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Old Jan 7, 2016 | 06:54 AM
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ended up being a good thread!
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Old Jan 7, 2016 | 08:09 AM
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Originally Posted by 2012wagon
You suck!

Acura is the BEST car company in the WORLD!!!
:fanboy:
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Old Jan 7, 2016 | 08:09 AM
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Originally Posted by JS + BRZ
Man, you should have bought the latest Accord Sport. That car is solid for the price.
I saw one yesterday...nice car.
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Old Jan 7, 2016 | 08:16 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by neuronbob
PS, WELCOME to Acurazine, and the TLX section is here: Fifth Generation TLX (2015+) - AcuraZine Community
If you are defining it as reliability, then I'd expect Acuras, designed by Honda, to have excellent reliability. It's the reason I've been buying Honda products for 25 years.
While I don't necessarily consider Consumer Reports to be automotive gospel, their reliability reports shows that the TLX and RLX are much less reliable than average. While much of the problems are "only" in the transmission and infotainment, fanboys have had no problems citing CR as the definitive reliability source when Acuras were touted as being highly reliable (or in criticizing the reliability of other brands). Can't have it both ways.

Currently, Acuras are neither reliable nor luxurious. I can almost guarantee that an unreliable Acura will suffer in resale value. What's left if an Acura is not at least a reliable Honda?
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Old Jan 7, 2016 | 09:02 AM
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At present the main differentiators between TLX and Accord are probably the styling / design and some interior material qualities. Acura is probably half a step ahead in the NVH levels, latest transmission and overall refinement. But if you like the design of the Accord better then all bets are off. I personally would still buy a TLX if I were looking to buy, but if I was cash strapped I would buy a loaded Accord instead of a base TLX.
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Old Jan 7, 2016 | 09:04 AM
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Originally Posted by neuronbob
These guys in this thread just wanted Acura to bring back the 6MT and make a TLX-S
As they say, no 6MT, no care.

Remember how sporty Acura used to be? Where did that go?

Acura has lost its identity.
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