Bingo.

The lack of this basic utility (split folding rear seats) does seem rather short sighted doesn't it? I mean, I really like the look and feel of the ILX and not being hung up on HP, I can live with 150 under the hood. But practicality does play a role in most car buying decisions, and when it comes to something as fundamental and (presumably) inexpensive to add like this it just makes me wonder.

The sales gent admitted to me that the ILX just isn't moving (unlike the 2013 RLX which they can't keep on the lot). I'm not saying that a 60-40 split would move more vehicles, but living where I live and knowing how many need this sort of feature in a smaller car, the mind does kind of boggle.

Considering that the ILX lease deal I was presented with was a good chunk less per month than on a 2012 GLI, the ILX would probably be in my driveway by now save for the folding bench. But now I'm waiting to see if a 2013 GLI, with a higher residual, can come close to matching the ILX deal. If it doesn't, then economics win out. If it does, then I'll go GLI.

Again, both cars appeal to me, and both have their drawbacks and strengths, but it seems odd that Acura would overlook this simple bit of utility.

 

I agree. I just saw a listing of features on the new 2013 Accord on TOV. It listed "folding rear seats" vice "split folding rear seats" Now this could be a mistake, or just the poster wanting to shorten the entrey, but I certainly hope Honda is not making this a trend. I saw the ILX several weeks ago and opened the trunk and folded down the rear seat. It does appear smaller than my 1G TSX and the opening is also smaller. So maybe they felt the split seat didn't add much. IDK but I like the split folding seats and hope they will be on the TLX.

 

VW's are traditionally made like crap according to Consumer Reports year by year history. The ILX is nice but it's a glorified Civic.

 

Everything is a glorified something, and if it held that close to the Civic, it would have the split folding seats and my concern would be rendered moot.

VWs are made like crap according to Consumer Reports? Do you have a link to the report in question? What year is it from? I'd be interested to read.

 

you would be better off buying TSX.
It has identical turning radius with ILX when both are equiped with 17inch despite 50 series x-section on TSX.
TSX 4 cylinder is less nose heavy than ILX.
large 18.5 gallon fuel tank.
smaller steerng wheel turns lock to lock compared to ILX.
Japan built.
rear vents.
more sophisticated suspension.
side mirror turn signals.
thicker glass on TSX. Equal to TL.
Ability to buy Euro specified assessories.
buy a discounted TSX and add to those things to make it more unique. No other car has that brilliant Crystal lights. Even the new Accord LED does not look that good.

 

I would temper my expectations on this. To date, the Acura sedan(s) to feature split folding seats was the TSX (and Vigor ??). Legends, RLs, TLs, have never had a folding seat, split or otherwise, and the Integra had a one piece folding seatback. On the plus side, if it doesn't fold, it would surely have a pass through which (in 3Jacks) case would have been better.

 

I have a love hate relationship with my 2009 TSX. I've had more issues with this car than any other I've ever had, from severely warped rotors after 9000k to it's ongoing thirst for oil, prompting changes every 2500k (which Acura says is within normal range). That very well may be, but no Honda, Acura, or BMW I've owned has been so demanding on oil.

 

2009 is first year model. I would buy the 2012 SE. I have zero issue with my 09. even original brake pads despite city driving for 4 years. may have some thing to do with lighter wheel/tire combo.

 

This is a crowded segment. There are a ton of cars to choose from. Drive them all and have fun with it. If it was me, I'd probably end up w/ something other than an ILX. Although a great car, theres just not enough that makes it stand out in this segment, value wise or performance wise. Heck, I'd probably end up with the new Accord, Fusion, or even the new Mazda6 if not a TSX. Then you have the competition from Buick and VW. Too many good cars is a great thing imo.

 

Your comparing Mazda, Ford, Buick, Honda's (lower quality over Acura's) overall build quality to that of Acura? - SMH

 

Ummm. Yeah. I guess I am. How about that

 

That is unfortunate. You get what you pay for. There is a reason why those that your are comparing are priced less.

 

Well, since it's difficult to impose your values on somebody else, it's difficult to say whether his thought process makes sense. Obviously, it makes sense to him. My "perfect" ILX would be a premium package with a six speed manual transmission with the Honda CR-Z gasoline engine and the hybrid system from the current Civic/ILX. I figure I set up like this would be good for at least 140 hp, with 150 pound feet of torque and could probably do 35 to 40 miles per gallon in the real world.

However, since such a combination doesn't exist, it's dead heat between a six speed manual and a base hybrid for our next car (ILX).

 

I think I'd rather have Acura/Honda rethink thier logic on why they can't build a folding rear seat in the TLX. A pass though just doesn't cut it unless the only things you transport are skiis and hockey sticks. Lexus does this too, they have this feature in the Camry and Honda will have it in the Accord, so why not put it in the ES and TLX? People that want nice cars shop at Home Depot too. You can get split folding seats in the 3 and 5 series, why not the TL or TLX? It is one main reason I bought the TSX and didnt buy the TL. I don't use it every day but I use it often enough. Please give us this option. So Colin, when Acura asks you what your customers want, tell them "split folding rear seats!"

 

And I would too and I'm pretty sure lots of other people would as well. Honda/Acura has always been my brands of choice, but there is a different market out there, a very competitive one. And build quality, lots of people don't buy their cars based on just build quality alone. And Honda has lesser build quality than Acura, please, I had better luck with my Honda cars than I did with any of my Acuras.

 

The split fold seats no doubt offer more utility. However, I think that leaving them out of the ILX was a conscience choice by Acura. Do split fold seats compromise crash test structural integrity, reduce sound insulation, or dramatically increase production costs? Maybe understanding the reason for their absence will be more productive than continuing to argue for their presence...

 

Admittedly I have not considered the possible reasons why they're not there. That said, if seats are relied upon for structural integrity, I think Acura would have problems. Sound insulation, perhaps, but I'd love to see Acura present data that would justify the exclusion. And as for being responsible for a dramatic increase in production costs, my counter would be to have a look at the Civic, which seems to be able to keep cost in line with split seats.

I have no doubt that Acura made a conscious choice here, but for me, it simply wasn't the right one.

 

Here's my take on this topic. Number one, there is no doubt that you can achieve higher structural rigidity if you don't cut a hole out behind the seats. That said, I doubt there is a significant difference (if any at all) between a hole for a split folding rear seat and one for a solid rear seat. But, keep in mind that although the Acura and the civic may both have a hole there, one (the Acura) will have a higher target for structural rigidity.

In the end, it probably comes down to other reasons, most likely is added cost. This is usually where the collective Internet has a hard time. typically, it's not the actual cost that is the (only) issue, it's usually related to how many more units they'll sell if they add the feature versus how many they'll sell without it.

Let's use an expensive example to illustrate the point. Let's say there was a widget that you could choose to add or not add that cost $500. Multiply this by 40,000 cars per year and you have $2 million. The question is how many more cars will you sell because you added the widget to help recoup your $2 million of added cost? If you sold an additional 10,000 cars per year, would that be enough to offset the higher production cost for all of your product? The final wrinkle would be, what if you can't build any more cars than the original 40,000 you estimated for (in the case of the ILX it's because the civic is already maxing out the production line)? If that ends up being the case, the $2 million is just added cost that will not result in more sales.

Of course, the flipside is that if you take this formula too far, you run the risk that you won't achieve your goal of 40,000 cars per year because there isn't enough perceived value. in the end, there's no easy answer for this topic and it's been discussed over and over again for any number of features. I'm not trying to give Acura a pass, but remember that all of these decisions needed to be made well over three or four years ago. This emphasizes the nature of the car business and how every target is "literally" a moving target.

 

I think there are no split folding seats because the rear trunk has this design:



see how the opening into the cabin is cut off by those things on either end that protrude at a 45 degree angle? if you had a 60/40, think of how small that pass through would be.

 

Thanks for taking the time to snap this photo and post it here... I did not notice this about the design of the trunk while at the showroom. Indeed it would make the split less usable.

 

You're quite right Colin, moving targets and profit margins do have a great deal to do with these sorts of decisions.

As an aside, I'd like to thank everyone who has posted to this thread and helped answer my questions, specifically about the utility of the ILX. This is such an excellent forum. Who knows, in the end the quality of the folks here might actually sway my purchase decision!

 

To be honest, I really don't get the hate that the ILX seems to get on the internet (just go to ToV and watch someone try and defend it). When I was test driving cars I took a look at the ILX is addition to the IS250, 328i and the TSX (which I eventually bought) and it's a solid little car.

Sure, at 150 HP it could use a little more power, but I never felt like it was grossly underpowered while driving it. To be honest, I think the true selling point of the car is the styling and the interior.

I wish I could comment more on your concern about the utility, the trunk does seem to be on the small side, but the back seat does fold down, so that should help.

 

When I went to check one out a week or two ago, while I was chatting with the sales guy, another (about 6'3") crawled into the trunk & shut it & had some room to move a bit.
I've got a '00 TL, so I'm used to not having a folding seat, makes getting my road bike around a pain. Before that I had a CB7 (93) Accord with a solid fold-down seat. Haven't had a 60/40 since my 97 Civic that I sold back in 08.

 

Sounds like there's more room in there than I'm giving the ILX credit for. I never actually looked into the trunk, just with the backseat location and the stubby little rear deck I figured it was a small trunk. Guess I was wrong.

I know exactly what you mean with the 2G TL, that was my last car. I loved that it had a massive trunk, but the pass-thru was worthless.

 

A small pass through is better than no pass through. You could carrry something small and a person. I have done this many times with the TSX (05). Plus the Civic has them.

 

I saw pictures of the new Accord's trunk and what looks like only a folding rear seat, no 60/40 split and no smaller pass through either. It looks like, similar to the ILX, that the structure behind the rear seat has a smaller opening so maybe it doesn't make sense to split the rear seat. And maybe to save a little cost they are not doing the pass though or the split design. Certainly not as flexible as the split folding w/pass through but better than nothing. I hope at least this makes it to the TLX.

The picture is here.... note there is only one release mechanism on the passengers side. Not clear exactly how the seat folds down and there was no picture with the seat down.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/.../photo_41.html

 

Here is a pic with the seat folder. Yes it is just one piece like the ILX. And the opening looks fairly small, unfortunately.

http://www.hondanews.com/channels/ho...edan-28?page=3

 

I wonder why that opening is so small...

 

I want to think that these photos are mislabeled and belong to a hybrid version and not the V6 EX-L... Very odd otherwise.

 

It depends where you live. I live in a city so the ILX is perfect for me because I have a small garage and no kids at home. When we want to take a trip, we just fold down the back seat and have plenty of space to store all our crap. It's fast enough to maneuver around the grandmas on the freeway (sorry for stereotyping if any of you are grandmothers), but not a sportscar by any stretch.

It's definitely *not* a family car. It's four door, and you can have people in the backseat, but the experience for them won't be as pleasant as in another model.

 

Side Impact tests require lots of extra gusseting around the rear seat area. I'm guessing that they've maxed out what they can do under the seats and have moved to the trunk 'firewall' as a way to gain extra rigidity.

 

Nope, these are pics of the conventional sedan. The Hybrid doesn't come out until 2013 and I doubt any part of that rear seat will fold.

 

Yup, what he said.... either make the hole bigger and the steel thicker and heavier, or make the hole smaller with thinner steel. They decide to save the weight at the expense of the size of the opening.

 

Update: I was in the Acura dealer neighborhood yesterday with my son's goalie equipment on board, so I took five minutes to stop in to test the bag out in the ILX trunk. It fits, but it's a super tight fit. I'd have that bumper scratches up the ying yang. And nobody wants that.

 

I play hockey all year long, I didnt think about the trunk opening size.. Fitting my hockey back takes effort to ensure i dont scuff the bumper. I'm sure i'll get used to it.


The CSX had a bigger opening, I could literally throw the full bag in.

 

Rear Bumper Applique
http://www.acura.com/Accessories.asp...cId=ILX0013021

 

Even with my TSX I got a few bumper scratches with my goalie bag. After I got rear ended I got a new rear bumper and bought that applique. It is a lot thicker than I thought it would be and there is an Acura logo in the left corner. DIY was about 15-30 minutes. You can definitely see that its there.