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Yes, at least compared to the 2018 TLX this car is not nearly as good looking. Only thing I dislike about the Acura's appearance: the fake fat exhaust tips.
My daughter saw this picture and said "eww, glad you didn't get that one daddy":
OK looking car I guess, but, not compared to the 2018 Acura TLX.
I thought the A4 was far better looking than the TLX before I bought the good looking one. The S-line body not shown above (that is the base model) does improve the appearance.
Sorry, put them side by side in the flesh and the A4 looks better from every angle. And especially from the driver's seat.
The TLX just can't hide its transverse FWD roots.
And the wheels on every model except the A-Spec...
My daughter saw this picture and said "eww, glad you didn't get that one daddy":
OK looking car I guess, but, not compared to the 2018 Acura TLX.
Originally Posted by Christopher.
And the same color same perspective TLX:
More sculpted, sleeker, nicer lines, but not overstated.
That's your daughter's opinion. Doesn't make her right and people who like the A4 wrong and vice versa.
Truthfully, neither look all that good in those pics, but when you sit in the A4, that's where you notice the difference. Not saying the A4 interior is leaps and bounds better, but it is better.
If I were Jon Ikeda, Honda' VP of the Acura division, I would be on the next plane to Yonkers, NY, where Consumer Reports' headquarters is located. I would ask to see a more detailed analysis of the scoring and dive into the survey responses to determine why Acura came in dead last.
Alas, that will not happen. Acura is trying to sell cars through advertising and social media, no longer through engineering or performance. It no longer offers a manual transmission on any of its models.
PS to Acura's creative agency, MullenLowe: If you are going to rehash an Acura tagline from the 1990s, please make it grammatically correct, Precision Crafted Performance introduces a compound modifier and requires a hyphen. Precision-Crafted Performance. Thank you.
PS to Acura's creative agency, MullenLowe: If you are going to rehash an Acura tagline from the 1990s, please make it grammatically correct, Precision Crafted Performance introduces a compound modifier and requires a hyphen. Precision-Crafted Performance. Thank you.
Well of course. I was speaking of standard "consumer grade" cars. Not the 100K uber models and $65K models with 700+hp. If that's where we're competing, then you'll want to compare it to the NSX.
I'm talking Nissan Altimas and Maximas, Dodge Chargers and 300's.
I agree, however, I WAS including the NSX in there. I'd buy either of the cars mentioned before an NSX. In fact, I'd buy both with money to spare
Originally Posted by Christopher.
Well the Acura TLX is the car that looks better, and outsells the Audi A4. But, is not quite as exciting to drive.
Originally Posted by AZuser
That's your daughter's opinion. Doesn't make her right and people who like the A4 wrong and vice versa.
Truthfully, neither look all that good in those pics, but when you sit in the A4, that's where you notice the difference. Not saying the A4 interior is leaps and bounds better, but it is better.
Agreed, those pics aren't really flattering to either car, but honestly, I can't even compare the two. To me, the Audi has a presence the TLX does not. I couldn't even tell you how many TLX's drive by me on the daily and they go unnoticed. So his daughter may like it better, but it seems that in general Audi owners are way more satisfied than Acura owners based on that survey. Having owned two of each over the last decade or so I can say that I would also rank Audi higher than Acura.
I will admit the TLX is a step in the right direction for Acura. The problem is that it's a very small step and they've already fallen so far behind that it's sort of an unnoticed step.
well, Acura COULD have a great product. it's just that they don't.
the company's culture has to change. They have to start caring!
we will see with the new RDX if the culture has changed. if it's the same bad management, you'll get the same bad products
This makes me wonder if any of the Acura management visits Azine for candid feedback, or if they even care to know anything like Azine even exists.
Acuras still seem solid to me, but as many of you have said they seem to have lost everything fun, cool, or driver-focused in their current cars. What a shame!
I will admit the TLX is a step in the right direction for Acura. The problem is that it's a very small step and they've already fallen so far behind that it's sort of an unnoticed step.
Like most four rings owners, apparently, I'm a lot happier than the average car buyer with my overpriced, rear-wheel biased jetta.
Even though it's closer to a Passat...and a lot better. And not at all truly related to either of them. And Saintor is idiot. And he can go fuck himself.
When something is obvious, it's best to let the facts speak for themselves.
I don't remember precisely what model year the car was, but I saw an Audi S6 that looked absolutely gorgeous a while ago.
Originally Posted by kurtatx
What about the A4 is overstated?
Oh, I didn't mean that particular bit about the A4, just that the TLX body was not, though some may disagree regarding the two raised creases on the hood - sorry I should have added "compared to cars like the Honda Civic Type R, 2018 Accord, and 2018 Camry" which are all a bit tastelessly over-styled.
My beef with the A4 is more that it looks like a lozenge or a bar of French soap.
And isn't the giant Acura logo a bit "overstated"? I mean, it's huge.
Bigger? Yes. Huge? OK, if you want to say that, but not more than new Mercedes, and, it's clear with some functional sensors behind it too. I don't dislike it after having had the car for a while now.
Last edited by Christopher.; 12-22-2017 at 01:50 PM.
I'm sorry, but in comparison, that A4 grille looks way classier and elegant than the pentagon cluster fuck Acura has going on, that was forced to fit a car it shouldn't have been on in the first place. Hey, this is our new design language! We will just MAKE it fit onto an existing car!
Also, the swoop up line of the back door glass is ugly as sin, by the C pillar. It bothers me every time I look at it. Audi did a much more elegant finish to it.
To switch gears a bit, Infiniti didn't do that much better at 27th. I'm admittedly biased and can't come up with the theory for that. The other Japanese luxury brand, Lexus, came in 18th. I'm not sure why that is either. In both cases you could argue that there is some polarizing styling there. However, if you already own the car this shouldn't be the problem. I wonder if the respondents researched and/or test drove their cars before buying them.
I have noticed in the past 6 or 7 years, Germans have widen the gaps between the Japanese Luxury brand in terms of performance, styling, technology. I can't pin point exactly what they have done but even Lexus, the only Japanese brand that came really close to Germans in terms of perception and sales #s have fallen behind. At the same time, domestic brands are closing the gap with the Japanese brand....
If someone said Lexus could only sell 2000 units of IS and they are canceling the GS 10 years ago, i would have laughed so hard.
Last edited by oonowindoo; 12-22-2017 at 04:13 PM.
I'm very happy with my 2012 TSX. It's the ILX that Acura owners are unhappiest with (in a Consumer Reports owner satisfaction survey, the ILX came dead last). Acura should have just stayed with the TL and TSX.
I'm very happy with my 2012 TSX. It's the ILX that Acura owners are unhappiest with (in a Consumer Reports owner satisfaction survey, the ILX came dead last). Acura should have just stayed with the TL and TSX.
They went to the ILX because a) They had a platform to build on (Civic) and b) For minimal investment, they thought they could catch the younger up and coming crowd that wanted a small sedan, but the luxury to go with it. Those people buy Audi A3's and BMW 320's and not the ILX. Acura's business model for this car seems failed to me.
ILX US Sales by Year
2014 17,854
2015 18,531
2016 14,597
2017 7,851
Audi A3 US Sales by Year
2014 22,250
2015 35,984
2016 31,538
BMW is harder to get sales figures, but the overall 3 series sells like this:
I'm very happy with my 2012 TSX. It's the ILX that Acura owners are unhappiest with (in a Consumer Reports owner satisfaction survey, the ILX came dead last). Acura should have just stayed with the TL and TSX.
2012 TSX Wagon here, and I agree that the TSX is a much better vehicle than the ILX. Even though the ILX has more modern electronics, the TSX drives better and feels more premium. I think, however, Acura was in the throes of platform consolidation, and tried to simplify their line-up. The TSX was a Euro-spec Accord, and that platform was reaching it's end of life, so they built the ILX on the new Civic platform.
Then Acura joined the "more gears = better" but that only led to "more gears = more grief" in their transmissions.
Like most four rings owners, apparently, I'm a lot happier than the average car buyer with my overpriced, rear-wheel biased jetta.
Even though it's closer to a Passat...and a lot better. And not at all truly related to either of them. And Saintor is idiot. And he can go fuck himself.
If I put 4 wheels on the shit I just took, and slapped an A badge on it, it would look better (and prob drive better) the anything Acura has out right now...
Yes, at least compared to the 2018 TLX this car is not nearly as good looking. Only thing I dislike about the Acura's appearance: the fake fat exhaust tips.
My daughter saw this picture and said "eww, glad you didn't get that one daddy":
OK looking car I guess, but, not compared to the 2018 Acura TLX. More sculpted, sleeker, nicer lines, but not overstated.
Exact. That A4 is fugly, proportions are bad, The TLX is more handsome.
lol at the dummies with no Acura who come here every single day to tell us how they ass-ume the brand is bad,
The TLX has an unfair advantage with its class leading front and rear overhangs, large mouth bass-inspired face, body line crossing from the top of the front bumper up to the top of the taillights like the designer penned the outline and then drew a slash through it in frustration. Add in jarring chrome to highlight the clumsiest lines with the best ground clearance this side of the MDX and everyone agrees, the TLX will be the design that stands the test of time.
Here's a nice visual tour of the two cars from multiple angles. Yup, that A4 sure is fugly while the TLX is an amazing beauty.
EDIT: I guess the only angle that makes the A4 look not so good is the one in the photo I posted above. Also, I think the TLX looks best in silver, and, better in person than in that video.
Originally Posted by svtmike
...Yup, that A4 sure is fugly while the TLX is an amazing beauty.
Obviously you're not being sarcastic, so:
I wouldn't call the A4 fugly, you're being awfully harsh on it - I think it's OK, just looks a little bit like an Art Deco toaster, or a fancy bar of soap, but mostly, it's still a nice car.
Now I did see an Audi S6 a couple years ago that was a stunning beauty, despite it's very simple elegance. It made me stop and stare almost as hard as I would have if had just noticed Selma Hayek walking past me in a skimpy summer dress. I think it was around 2010 model in a metallic dark silver color, freshly cleaned and polished.
Last edited by Christopher.; 12-25-2017 at 11:24 AM.
The Honda brand, seen as upscale but not luxury, is pinning its hopes for a revival on its new flagship RLX sedan. It will make its debut at the L.A. Auto Show.
November 28, 2012
When Honda's Acura brand shows off its new flagship RLX sedan at the Los Angles Auto Show on Wednesday, it will be confronted with a marketing conundrum — how to brand the car as a luxury rival to BMW or Lexus rather than just a more expensive Honda.
It's a problem of Honda's own making. When it launched Acura back in 1986, Honda conceived an "intercept" brand.
"It was to be the next step for the Accord owner," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., "a place to move up without going to the European luxury models."
That proved successful for years. Acura sales peaked at nearly 210,000 in 2005, according to automotive website MotorIntelligence. But as luxury car competition grew more varied and fierce, Acura became what Mendel called a "tweener" brand: upscale but not quite luxury. Sales plummeted to barely 123,000 last year — about half the annual volume of each of the top luxury makes: BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.
"Acura is not defined, other than to be a step up from Honda," said Thilo Koslowski, an automotive analyst at research firm Gartner Inc. "It needs a place within the premium domain. They need to be unique and differentiated."
At the penultimate media conference at the 2014 Detroit auto show, Acura unveiled its TLX Prototype, a thinly veiled conceptual representation of its response to low-to-mid-level luxury machines such as the Infiniti Q50 and Lincoln MKZ.
If Acura’s history of show cars is any indication, the production-ready TLX’s exterior will differ little from that of the Prototype. The TLX will effectively replace two models in the company’s lineup – the TL as well as the TSX sedan and wagon – in an effort to resolve a decade-old crisis of branding, whereby Honda Europe’s best bits were largely rebranded and sold in North America at a premium, with minor modifications.
Acura's effort to compete with the luxury brands has been half-assed. Take the ZDX, their attempt at trying to compete in the BMW X6's segment.
A minor refresh plus a reconfigured feature set are headed to the 2013 Acura ZDX. And then it's history.
In our full review of the ZDX we called it “less practical than a real SUV” but “too tall to be a real coupe.” And in a follow-up drive with the ZDX back in 2010, we again struggled to grasp Acura's intent with it, and it seemed like a vehicle with a baked-in identity crisis.
How many times is Acura going to try to re-invent themselves?
Their problems extend to China too. So it's not just in the U.S.
BEIJING (Reuters) - As part of a broader makeover, and even the survival, of its stalled luxury Acura brand, Japan’s Honda Motor Co will launch a new small crossover sport utility vehicle this year in China to compete with BMW and Audi in the world’s biggest car market, two individuals closely involved in the effort said.
Reviving Acura is one of the biggest challenges facing Takahiro Hachigo, who took over as Honda CEO last year. The brand has struggled to carve out a clear identity as a sporty, high-performance luxury label.
Since entering China a decade ago, Acura has struggled, selling just over 4,000 cars last year compared with BMW’s 460,000 and Audi’s 554,000. And in the United States, where Acura debuted three decades ago, sales have failed to top the 201,000 cars it sold as far back as 2006, according to industry consultant IHS. Sales last year were 179,000, around half the number of cars sold by both BMW and Toyota Motor’s Lexus luxury marquee.
That revival effort will kick off with production mid this year of a China-only sub-compact crossover SUV at a jointly-run plant with Guangzhou Automobile Group (601238.SS). The new model will have a “crisp, more expressive” style - the result of four years of effort by Honda product planners and engineers - said the two individuals, who asked not to be named as they are not authorized to speak to the media.
“We don’t have a strong brand with Acura in China. Our next move could be make or break,” one of the individuals said.
Most modern cars are kinda cool looking...
this has turned into a debate on which Kardashian you'd rather make whoopie with.
...obviously not Chloe, but you know...
Fucking calling a car handsome, hell is wrong with you?
His primary language is french; I'm not entirely familiar with the differences in meaning, but "handsome" may be an appropriate descriptor for what he means.
Originally Posted by oonowindoo
He thinks we are missing out....
No, he thinks he will get a reaction; which, he is.
If I were Jon Ikeda, Honda' VP of the Acura division, I would be on the next plane to Yonkers, NY, where Consumer Reports' headquarters is located. I would ask to see a more detailed analysis of the scoring and dive into the survey responses to determine why Acura came in dead last.
Alas, that will not happen. Acura is trying to sell cars through advertising and social media, no longer through engineering or performance. It no longer offers a manual transmission on any of its models.
PS to Acura's creative agency, MullenLowe: If you are going to rehash an Acura tagline from the 1990s, please make it grammatically correct, Precision Crafted Performance introduces a compound modifier and requires a hyphen. Precision-Crafted Performance. Thank you.
This being the criteria of this survey... "Instead, it rates auto brands based on how they performed against car buyers' expectations in the 2015 through 2018 model years...." it seems there can be little doubt that there are many owners of Acura that have been disappointed by what they expected of their cars or maybe of Acura themselves. People that are surveyed can take out their dissatisfaction with the brand through their answers to such a survey. Just take a wonder through the line up..
- RLX: Their flagship model. Various suspension issues, cars selling at steep discounts (when they sell), I think it was even out of production for a time. They sold less than 800 RLXs in 2017, half as many as 2016. If you were one of the few that bought an RLX you may well feel disappointed.
- TLX: The issues with the transmission are well known. But I think what was worse was Acuras response, or lack of response for 2 years. Blaming the owners, making people prove the transmission was faulty when Acura clearly knew there were issues (heck they even delayed the release of the car over it), finally after nearly 2 years of this deceit, denial, blame game, they replaced some 2015 transmissions. As an owner of a 2015 and not getting a replacement transmission you can count me solidly in the disappointed camp. Not only did the car not live up to what I expected, neither did Acura. Their lack of integrity was astonishing. No better than VW who even with their issues and people going to prison finished 23rd.
- ILX: This model has been a major disappointment. Again another model whose sales fell by nearly 50% from last year. And declining sales since 2015.
- MDX: Probably their most successful car. But it can't carry the dead weight of the sedans. Not enough good 'karma' to offset the bad karma mentioned above.
- RDX: Sold well despite its so-so dated interior. It happened to be in the right segment at the right time and had a V6. Again some good karma here but again not enough. We'll see if the new RDX is an improvement if they really do dump the V6.
- NSX: Nice car but such a niche product and expensive it won't have much of an impact on this sort of survey.
If Acura management doesn't see what is going on they are in serious denial or living in a cave somewhere Or maybe the same folks that feed us $#!t on the transmission issue is spinning these results inside the company. If Acura does not monitor these forums it would be surprising to me. After all, they get all this feedback on their products and don't have to spend a dime for it. Whether they take action is a much different thing.
But Acura finds themselves at the literal bottom of the list. If you are an optimist you'd say no where but up from there. The worst they can do is stay at the bottom.
Last edited by Rocket_man; 12-27-2017 at 11:31 PM.
12-21-2017, 08:09 PM
See for yourself
ILX vs. Audi sales numbers
Fucking calling a car handsome, hell is wrong with you?
