deathknight777

I got my car literally a week ago. It was the white on black tech.

I am from Canada (tax here is 12%), so while TSX is on sale for 6 grand less if you buy it with cash, the base model of the TSX with Auto trans would have been the same price as my fully loaded Ilx. It was 38k and I haggled it down to 34k since I bought it with cash.

I have to be honest here: I never EVER liked the Acura brand. I thought it is the worst luxury brand out there (which to be honest, it is the worst of the tier 2 luxury car brand). I was shopping around trying out every car (benz, bmw, lexus, audi, nissan). Then I came across the Acura dealership and saw this car. I thought: "What the heck... Might as well try it !" I fell in love with it instantly! What got me was the dealer showing me the back up camera, moonroof and then told me the price. I had it dead set on the 3 series before due to it is a pure pleasure driving that thing ! However, after adding everything up with the 3 series it came to 49k and I haggled it down to 44k. Still, it is 10k more then the Ilx and it didn't have Nav included. So in the end I chose the Ilx.

Now, this car is meant for my type of target audience: Early to mid twenties who wants a entry luxury brand but don't have more then 45k to blow. I have drove and been driven in LOTS of luxury cars but my own personal car is a 1998 Toyota Corolla. I think it is time for an upgrade !

But after driving it for almost 200km already in the past few days, I am starting to think maybe I should have gotten the Bimmer or even the Nissan Altima instead.

Here is the good points and bad points of the car (Owners, you be the judge !)

Good points:
-The back is very spacious. I am 5'9-5'10 and my friend is 6'2 220lbs and he actually felt OKAY sitting BEHIND me ! To put it in perspective: He almost suffocated when he was behind me inside the IS and the C-Class.Also, flat transmission flooring means you can have a middle person.

-The price. Where I am from, to get moonroof, back up camera, Nav, leather, heated seat and the "luxury badge" you usually have to shell out 45k+.

-Sound canceling for premium package or ELS. The moment you listen to music it has sound canceling to help get rid of noise.

-Inside feel posh. Didn't feel cheap or plastic-like compared to old C-class or the IS.

Neutral point:
-True push button start. Not a good/bad point since all the new cars have it now and Lexus had it since 2k6. But it is better then the 2011 Bmw/benz as well as the current A4 and even the Mitsubishi Lancer(their idea of a "push" button is a joke).

-Lack of Power. 150hp is a joke on any luxury car. However, I never really felt underpowered when I was driving it. Maybe because my daily driver was the Corolla. But, again, I've driven alot of luxury cars and I felt the C250 was VERY underpowered (the extra weight perhaps).

-No LED. Not a deal breaker at all but come on it is 2013 here!

-Voice recognition/Pandora/Text message. POS voice recognition (granted, Voice rec is still really bad in alot of cars). No Pandora cause I am in Canada. Text message don't work because I have Iphone 5.

Bad points:
*Before we start with the bad, I have to admit I didn't properly test this car for more then 20mins before I bought it. Now that I got that out of the way... On with the bad !*

-The buttons. Seriously, way too many and I thought benz was retarded for putting in the number buttons for dialing. I know from the start there was alot of buttons but I didn't know the system was going to be this confusing. To put into perspective: My friend's VW is touch screen and it is alot easier to navigate. Same goes for pretty much all the other cars I've tried when it comes to navigating.

-Trunk space. When I first looked at it, I thought it wasn't that bad. But after actually trying it out I realized: "Holy crap ! My Corolla has more space then this !" I was helping my friend move and she had one large travel bag and one small suitcase and it BARELY fit. Another thing is no 60/40 rear folding seat ! Even my TOYOTA has it ! Granted, my Toyota was fully loaded when we bought it but I thought Acura is a "luxury" brand? Did I really paid 34k for this?

-Nav/ELS. 10 Speaker true surround sound and a Nav= nearly 3k more. Honestly, not too terribly pleased with the sound system. Don't get me wrong, its not bad at all but its no way near what they advertised. The Nav seemed outdated and I felt my phone can do a better job at it. I wanted the 10 speaker and Nav but if I knew the quality was this sub-par, I would not be too sure on whether or not to spent the extra 3k.

-Road noise. OMG is this car noisy as !@#$. When I was testing driving it, I was virtually always on Highway so it wasn't THAT bad. But now that I listen to it carefully while going on the highway again, it is quite noisy ! The noise is almost comparable to my Corolla (which is nearly deafening if you go on the highway). Also, not too sure if its the suspension, every time I pass by any uneven road surface, it would make so much noise that I thought I am driving an X3 (SUV) without a bottom! Seriously considering getting that Black Tar thing they offer that you can spray underneath the car (Acura claims it helps reduce noise). The only time this car is really nice and quiet is on a 20mph drive on the smoothest pavement road.

-Lack of head room and visibility. The way the car is structured. I can never tell where my car is going to touch the road or the back of someone's car without moving the head. I feel I need to incline the seat a bit to see the front bumper more. Hopefully with experience I would get better at this.

-Driver power seat. Only Driver's seat gets the power seat? Really? 34k and you get manual seat on passenger side? WTF

Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE my car. But if I have a second chance and 10k more I would drive this thing off a cliff and get a 320i in a HEART BEAT ! You might say: yeah 10k more you can get a lot of stuff. But entry level luxury is entry level luxury. What? you want to put yourself competing against a Verano and Ford? Giving a break. No one who wants a Jap car would EVER cross-shop with those brands and they are 5k+ cheaper anyways. Ct200h and A3? Really? You want to fight against a hybrid and a hatchback?

If you don't have pride like mine, I would also think the Hyundai Sonata (really hate Korean cars) and Nissan Altima would be much more bang for your buck. In fact, if you don't mind a bigger and better car without the "luxury" badge. I would go for the Altima for sure !

In the end, I think this car is for people exactly like me: Someone who wants an entry level luxury but can't afford a bimmer and thought the Lexus IS was subpar.

Sonor Kid 2

Sorry you are disappointed with the car, I sort of regret not buying the base TL for almost the same price but I've had 2 TL's previously and was never crazy about the current model, however it was a better value with all of the current incentives.
I wanted something different and really liked the looks of the ILX, also wanted something that was good on gas.
Now that said I also like my ILX, the lease incentives convinced me to go the ILX route but if I were buying vs leasing I would have bought something else.
I have the premium 2.0 liter, I think the premium is lacking a few things that should be standard on a $30K car like homelink, a power passenger seat, map pocket behind drivers seat, turn signal markers on mirrors and the 2.4 liter engine standard on all models.
If the car came equipped as descibed above for the premium model it would be a good value for $30K, still a nice little car but a bit over priced given the competitive environment.
Lot's of things to build on with the ILX, hopefully Acura improves things over time...

I will disagree with you regarding the ELS stereo on the tech model, for a stock stereo I think it sounds very good, Acura has done a good job in this area.

spdandpwr

First things first, comparing what features are offered in a luxury brand vs a non-luxury brand never makes sense. 60/40 seats aren't featured on an S-class, but we aren't quick to deride it on that basis.

I think the power passenger seat was a cost saving measure. Honestly, it doesn't affect my ability to drive so I don't see it as a reason for me to be upset.

The stereo is a subjective thing, but I will admit that the Acura stereos are still a cut above what's offered on other similarly priced vehicles (Subaru, Toyota, etc).

Too many buttons is better than too few, where you need to go into menus to find what you need. Granted, I prefer a clutter-less space, but Acura has done a decent job of making all of the buttons look good together.

There is a lot of road noise, which can be helped a bit with different tires -- the stockers are a bit noisy.

Seating position / visibility can be fixed with some tweaking of the seat. I can tell you that I had the same issue. But once I got my driving position nailed, it was hardly a problem.

The only gripe I have is the lack of memory seats and the fact that this car doesn't have voice commands on the premium model for HFL. The TSX does. Memory seats and voice commands would've hardly impacted costs, but would've accounted for a slightly better experience / value.

rxj27

[QUOTE=deathknight777;14143470]I got my car literally a week ago. It was the white on black tech.

I am from Canada (tax here is 12%), so while TSX is on sale for 6 grand less if you buy it with cash, the base model of the TSX with Auto trans would have been the same price as my fully loaded Ilx. It was 38k and I haggled it down to 34k since I bought it with cash.

I have to be honest here: I never EVER liked the Acura brand. I thought it is the worst luxury brand out there (which to be honest, it is the worst of the tier 2 luxury car brand).



I stopped reading past this point...

spdandpwr

Just because he doesn't like Acura, doesn't necessarily mean his post isn't worth reading. Obviously, he got passed his initial impressions if he bought the car. As someone who hated the brand, but eventually bought into it, his decision to purchase the car speaks well to how Acura may potentially swing buyers.

tsxinva

"Text message don't work because I have Iphone 5."

I also have iPhone 5 and you can receive text messages, you just can not send them. To do so, make sure you have the function turned on in your car and on your phone go into: Settings - Bluetooth - Click the arrow next to HandsFreeLink - turn "Show Notifications" On.

That will allow you to receive them.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

wow. first post and it's about buyer's remorse.

you never liked the Acura brand and thought it was the worst of the tier 2 luxury brands...why? aside from your current purchase, what experience have you had with Acura? i dont' think you're going to earn too much sympathy from the folks on this forum (ACURAzine). just sayin'

rxj27

Ok...So spdandpwr correct me if I'm wrong here in my thinking of the situation.

1. deathknight777 wanted to buy a luxury car. Why? because he's got pride!

2. Didn't have enough money to buy a bimmer, so he settled for the cheapest 2nd tier car available from the worst 2nd tier "Jap" car company (really?..its 2012...not cool anymore to use racial slurs).

3. BUT...if given the opportunity ($10,000) he would CRASH/DESTROY the car to buy something else...

I guess the fact that he even bought an ILX is enough of a redeeming factor given the tepid sales numbers lately...

"In the end, I think this car is for people exactly like me..."

Sorry about the rant. Nonetheless, deathknight777 welcome to the community and great car pickup!

spdandpwr

I didn't say his post was entirely credible. But the bits and pieces about likes and dislikes are worth speaking to. I think the fact that he dedicated a rather large post to detailing the pro/cons speaks to the fact that he's at least trying to work through his frustrations, rather than pass immediate judgement, as we've been seeing on these boards lately.

NWSTL

I know people have different reasons for buying a new car, but for 34k I would get a CPO 335i instead of an ILX. I guess you just learned the hard way to actually put time into buying something, especially when it's 34k and you just lost ~8k in depreciation in a week. Oh, and you lost all that money by buying the cheapest car of your most hated luxury brand. How does that feel? I would imagine it sucks a lot.

ParaSurfer1979

[QUOTE=rxj27;14143926]Same here...

deathknight777

I agree with you on pretty much all the issues. I also agree with you that ELS stereo is good. However, is it 1.7k extra good? I don't think so.

deathknight777

First of all. I dislike and think its the worst of the second tier luxury brand doesn't mean I hate the brand. Second, it is family tradition for me not to buy used car and since this is Canada; everything cost an extra arm and a leg to buy. 8k depreciation? What about your nearly half a decade old TL? Is it even worth 8k anymore? Btw, I opened this topic with the good and the bad for OWNERS to comment and critique. Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think you own an Ilx so clearly you have no idea what I am talking about.

deathknight777

[QUOTE=ParaSurfer1979;14144089]Yeah please stop reading. I don't need a TL owner telling me the awesomeness of an ILX.

deathknight777

1. It is exactly because of pride. Where I am from, there are only 2 types of people who I can hang out with. Either they are from lower-middle class where they have trouble even getting on the bus to school (Its about $150 US per month for a month pass) or they are so full of money they would think anyone who drives Korean or American are laughable and give you a dirty look (granted, if you drive an Corvette, they might think otherwise LOL). So being a classical middle-class I am stuck either being the envy of people who can't even afford gas or be the laughing stock of a person who drives a 1998 Corolla.

2. I don't get the whole racial slur thing. Is it because of white guilt? Is it wrong for me to call an American car "Yankee" or something? A Jap car is an Japanese car. Whats wrong with that? Btw, I still think Acura is the worst of the tier 2. Luxury car level is pretty subjective but we can all agree that BMW, Audi, Benz are tier 1 and Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti are tier 2. Acura in its current shape right now can't hope to fight against Lexus or Infiniti. Pretty sure we can all agree on that.

3. Yes, if right now 10g fell from the sky and Acura calls me and says "can you give us back the car and we going to give you back full refund" I would say HELL YEAH

Thank you for the welcome. At least you are an owner

deathknight777

Haha well, I did list alot of good points and neutral points. I don't expect sympathy but I expect owners point of view to change my perception on the brand and on the car itself. Like I said in the post above: Tier 1 (no particular order) BMW, Audi, Merc. Tier 2 (in this order) Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura. I think it is quite fair to put it in this order. Acura still has the badge and the history to make up for its Luxury image but they have lost quite a bit of ground and this ain't 1985 no more.

deathknight777

THANK YOU ! The reading of the message is quite annoying lol

deathknight777

I agree with everything you said. The memory seats in my opinion is not a huge deal and I've known it from the start that it wasn't going to be there.

Stock tires? I thought the Tech package has a better set of tires? They ARE Michelin.

The only thing I was really disappointed is the noise and lack of passenger power seat. Girls really like that stuff and I just find it strange that there is power on my side and none on the other. I just think they should have neither or both powered.

NWSTL

I didn't realize I'm banned from commenting on an open forum. My 8-year-old car has lost less in depreciation since I've owned it as you've lost with your car. It still turns heads, it's still reliable, and it's still a much better car for me than an ILX. Keep your family tradition of new cars and I'll keep my money.

My main point is that you should've probably researched a new car purchase a bit more. I'm researching my next purchase right now, and I'm not buying it for about a year. At that point it will be $70k less than new, and look just like a 2012. That formula works just fine for me.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

audi is not considered tier 1.

you still haven't reasonably given a reason why you hate Acura so much. you have had no direct experience. the problem is that you chose an ILX. no offense to the ILX owners. if you actually go up the line up you might actually find more to your liking. again 10k more and you would be in a TL or a loaded TSX. or for the money you spent on the ILX you could have bought a CPO'd "tier 1" car of your liking to meet your perceived status.

honestly most girls probably wouldn't care that the passenger seat was power or manual.

deathknight777

No you are not banned from commenting. However, if you didn't spent time or actually own the car how do you know whether or not this car is bad or good? The paper and the review does not do it justice in some parts. For example, the crappy 150hp didn't make this car felt under powered compared to some heavier car such as the C250 and the Audi A4.

I could have done a bit more research but without giving it a drive past 100km there was no way for me to actually know what I am getting. I test drove A4, 320i, IS250, Nissan Altima 2012/2013, and Merc C250. I also read every single review out there and took 2 months before making my purchase. If you do more research then me then kudos to you but I think that is the best I can do for a first time purchaser. Again, there is no other car out there with the same price tag from where I live. 50k for C250/46k for Audi A4/49k for 320I/40k for IS250/37k for 2013 Altima VS 38k for ILX. Of course, those price can be haggled down quite a bit considering I bought it with cash. But as you can see, not much choice is given if I want something under 40k.

deathknight777

Audi is consider Tier 1 where I am from. Actually, they cost the most for their base model (38k vs BMW and Benz 37k). Of course, Audi is more bang for your buck here (Moonroof included etc).

TL is far to big and even with the 6.5k discount we are getting here it is still well over 40k. I checked the TSX. Same crappy head room and the interface... My god... Its like my friend's 2008 Accord Coupe... A button-philic's nirvana. Ilx is bad enough so no thanks lol.

Girls here care about 2 things: Heat and Badge. Girls hate the cold winter and they want a good badge on the car (if they know enough).

Spirited Driver

You buying the car for "girls" or yourself? Are you a girl?

deathknight777

Haha you got me there lol ! Well, I am a guy but I really care what girls think. There is the saying if you can screw a hot chick in the back of a Toyota Prius people might just stop buying a Lambo or something to that degree. So far, I got one chick comment on my car saying "Aww its so small and cute ! I love it !" Conflicting feelings indeed. Don't really want a girl to call your brand new 2-hour old car "cute and small" LOL (I thought they would save that for the beetles and the minis).

terdonal

As long as she isn't referring to something else I wouldn't worry about it.
Maybe you need to find some less shallow minded girls.

rxj27

Can't even hate on you for that. Play on playa'. Bought my ILX for the same reason, except it was just to appease one lady, THE WIFE!

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

buying a car to impress others... that is certainly NOT one of the reasons i drive the cars i own. i think there was someone on here that posted about the impression of a male driver in an RDX. hopefully you will learn that it's not about what car you drive that is going to land you a forever lady in your life. it shouldn't really matter what other people think, but hey, live and learn. enjoy your ILX for what it's worth or move on to something else that makes YOU happy and satisfied.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

lololololol at the turn of this thread.
cars wont get you laid..... just ask parasitius

weather

That comment made me burst into laughter! I was thinking the same.....

Havazn

There's the problem. Trying to save money is counter-productive to trying to impress girls.

Solution: Take your extra 10G and get some new rims, tires and lower suspension. Upgraded speakers, amp and fibre glass boxed subs.

I drive my ILX to drive. That's the reason I got the 2.4L Manual. I never notice the road noise due to the throaty roar of the engine constantly at 3-4k RPM.

200 HP on a lightweight chassis makes this a dream to drive. Add on some nice features like leather trim, gorgeous designed interior, sunroof, push start, keyless entry, wicked lines, heated seats.

I dont look at Acura like a Tier 2 luxury brand. I look at it like Tier 1 Consumer brand.

kingkong222

Its not too late to sell the car you know. Just buy another if you are unhappy.

pimpin-tl

Infiniti is not a tier 1. They are also a tier 2. I have also owned Infinti, Lexus, and Audi cars. And compared to the Acura iwhich s high on the list vs them and some are tier 1. Worst in tier 2 is bs because I think you are a troll here starting trouble and probably don't own the car.

Sounds like you are also a rude little kid with parents that have a lot or money at your age.

pimpin-tl

Lexus is tier 1.

pimpin-tl

Wrong. Audi is tier 1.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

tier 1, tier 2...just buy what you want to drive and makes you happy. they all have pluses and minuses, and if you're buying just for a badge...honestly, nobody else is going to care.

http://autoperspectives.com/blog/201...have-a-future/

Gen4MDX

Sounds like you bought on emotion, when you should have done a lot more research before making your decision.

SMEDLEY2

I test drove a bunch of cars last week before settling on the TL. I agree that the ILX is underpowered with the 2.0 L engine, noisy, and has a sloppy suspension. I understand it was built on the Honda Civic chassis. Despite all the hyped up advertising, the CVT is pretty much a high priced Civic in my opinion. I very much preferred the Nissan Altima with the 2.4 L engine and CVT transmission. It had a much better ride. However, for my money the TL is the best deal in its class today. $41k on the road with a fast 3.5 L engine, tight suspension, and decent noise suppression. Hard to beat.

snowtrax

Why did you not find all of these things out before you bought it?

deathknight777

Lol I highly doubt I will get more then 30k out of it. 4k for 2 weeks of driving? I am not that baller lol. I can rent a Lambo for a week in Vegas for that much money. Beside, I am still more happy with it then my 1998 Corolla.

deathknight777

Money and value wise yes. Image? No... BUT (and this is a big but !) Lexus is the only one that would come close to fight the big 3 Germans.