Acura

2014 Acura ILX: Unheralded luxury sedan shines

Now in its second year, the 2014 Acura ILX is the manufacturer’s smallest and least expensive, entry-level sedan. It’s only been available in the United States since May 2012. Available in four gas-only trims, the 2014 Acura ILX is versatile for its class. The choices: 2.0 liter, 2.0 with Premium package, 2.0 with Technology package and 2.4 with Premium package. And there’s also the ILX Hybrid. As a debuting car in 2013, the Acura ILX for 2014 shouldn’t be expected to offer vast changes, but it has been upgraded. Leather seats and a rearview camera are now standard equipment and the audio system has also been improved. The Weekly Driver Test Drive My weekly driver was the top-line 2.4-liter with

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Honda shines in TheWeeklyDriver’s 2013 top-10

For the seventh straight year, theweeklydriver.com has selected its top-10 Cars of the Year. Honda continues its streak as the only manufacturer represented in each year of the list. We’ve picked 70 cars, of course, in the past 10 years, and now 13 Honda models have been featured, including in 2013, the Honda Odyssey and Honda Accord. As editor and publisher of the site since its debut in 2004, I wrote 34 full reviews of 2013 model year cars and trucks. Contributors Dan Jedlicka (www.danjedlicka.com) and Bruce Aldrich (www.tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com) also contributed reviews to the site in 2013, pushing the total reviews to more than 100 for the year. Aldrich also filmed and produced all of the videos on the site

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Top-10 cars in 2013 no one is buying

Competition in the auto industry is ever-intensifying. Or at least it seems that way. As a result, more vehicles have become better cars and fewer cars are outright bad. But how fast cars sell or don’t sell is a good indicator of what cars customers want and don’t want. New cars in 2013 have spent an average of 62 days at a dealership before being sold, according to the statistics of the car site, TruCar.com. The 10 slowest-selling cars so far in 2013 have all remained at a dealership for more than 100 days before selling. It doesn’t mean the slow-selling cars aren’t quality new cars. Seasonal sales factor into the equation and a brand with a new generation pending

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Acura RLX, 2014: Odd-looking luxury sedan elegant, plush, pricey (video)

What should a consumer expect from a car with a starting point of just under $50,000? That’s the beginning price of 2014 Acura RLX, the new medium-sized Acura luxury sedan. The Acura RLX replaces the RL as the carmaker’s top sedan, and it’s firmly positioned against a few heavy-hitters — the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Lexus GS 350. Like its rivals, the Acura RLX has a lot to offer with a variety of trims, powerful engines and enough plushness and superior touches to make it hard not to like. For starters, it has a 3.5.-liter V6 with 310 horsepower. There are faster sedans, but the new Acura has a steady powerful growl of authority while accelerating. It only

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Car Review: 2014 Acura RLX, Plush, Powerful, Pricey

It wasn’t too many years ago when $30,000 was the launching pricepoint for purchasing an entry-level luxury car. Now, $30,000 is about the average price of a new car in the United States. So what should a consumer expect from a car with a starting point of just under $50,000? That’s the beginning price of 2014 Acura RLX, the new medium-sized Acura luxury sedan. It replaces the RL as the carmaker’s top sedan, and it’s firmly positioned against a few heavy-hitters — the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Lexus GS 350. And like its rivals, the Acura RLX has a lot to offer with a variety of trims, powerful engines and enough plushness and superior touches to make it

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Acura TSX: A Weekly Driver 2012 Top 10

The 2012 Acura TSX is difficult categorize. It’s often cited as an entry level luxury sedan. But with its new option, a peppy six-speed manual transmission, and a Special Edition package, it’s also a sports car. Luxury sedan and sports car? That’s an oxymoron in the automotive industry. But with Special Edition package, even if only offered on the four-cylinder Acura TSX, it’s also an ideal description. The base TSX sedan and TSX Sport Wagon feature a long list of standard features: Automatic xenon headlights, 17-inch alloy wheel, foglights, heated outside mirrors, a sunroof, keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, an eight-way power driver seat with memory, a four-way power passenger seat, leather upholstery, heated front

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Acura MDX: A Weekly Driver 2012 Top 10

Now in the sixth year of its second generation, the 2012 Acura MDX is the flagship midsize crossover Sport Utility Vehicle of Honda’s luxury brand. As the first crossover to offer third-row seating, it’s hard to view the modern MDX as a sibling of the Isuzu Trooper. But 12 years after its debut, the MDX (Multi-Dimensional Luxury) retains little resemblance to the long-gone utilitarian SUV beast of a relative. Instead, it’s firmly positioned as the top-rated vehicle in its segment. While hugely popular, SUVs aren’t for everyone. But the Acura MDX could easily sway car owners whose buying preferences are solely geared toward gas mileage and other economic considerations. But why would a solo owner or small family buy the

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Acura to Subaru, BMW to Toyota among dozens of LA Auto Show world debuts

World debuts from Acura to Toyota and BMW to Subaru are among the nearly 50 vehicle unveilings at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the nearly two-week display of the automotive world’s best — electric vehicles to performance and luxury designs. Media days Nov. 28-29 will be followed by the public show, Nov. 30-Dec. 9, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The debut lineup also includes world firsts from U.S. manufacturers Chevrolet and Ford, as well as European automakers BMW, Fiat, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. Asian carmaker debuts will also Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan models. These debuts will highlight the latest in-car technologies, as well as continued fuel-efficiency with several hybrid, electric and alternative-fuel vehicles. Overall, there will be

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Acura MDX, 2012: Versatile SUV best in its class

Now in the sixth year of its second generation, the 2012 Acura MDX is the flagship midsize crossover Sport Utility Vehicle in Honda’s luxury brand. As the first crossover to offer third-row seating, it’s hard to view the modern MDX as a sibling of the Isuzu Trooper. But 12 years after its debut, the MDX (Multi-Dimensional Luxury) retains little resemblance to its long-gone utilitarian SUV beast of a relative. Instead, it’s firmly positioned as the top-rated vehicle in its segment. Key Takeaways Segment-leading luxury crossover in its sixth year: The second-generation MDX remains the top-rated vehicle in its class, offering a rare combination of three-row seating, genuine luxury, and engaging driving dynamics. 300-horsepower V6 with paddle shifters: The 3.7-liter V6

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Acura ILX, 2013: Luxury, performance, strong value for new sedan

A new model for Honda’s upscale brand, the 2013 Acura ILX is the carmaker’s smallest offering as an entry level luxury vehicle. It’s only been available in the United States since May, 2012. Six models are offered: a base five-speed automatic, five-speed auto with premium package, five-speed auto with technology package, six-speed manual with premium package, a base hybrid and a hybrid with a technology package. The hybrid models are Acura‘s first and feature a 1.5-liter four-cylinder with a gas/electric powertrain. The 2013 ILX in one respect made an inauspicious debut: Combined with its distant 2012 Honda CR-V sibling, the manufacturer recalled 172,000 units because of faulty door latches. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As a luxury sedan priced at

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Acura TSX, 2012: luxury sport wagon provides strong BMW competition

The Acura TSX Sport Wagon joined Honda's luxury segment last year as a limited offering with only 4,000 units available in North America. The idea was to offer a less expensive alternative to BMW and Audi. The 2012 edition is more readily available and the changes aren't significant, with the exception of additional cargo-area storage space via a new compact tire repair kit. The standard Sport Wagon is equipped with the 201-horsepower, 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder engine and a five-speed automatic transmission. Unfortunately, the 3.5-liter V6 is only available in the TSX sedan. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Acura is known for its expansive laundry list of standard features and the TSX wagon is no exception: 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic xenon

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Acura RDX, 2013: Sleek new design, more power for upscale SUV

The second generation Acura RDX, the manufacturer's smallest sport utility vehicle, debuted earlier this year as one of several new models in Honda’s upscale line. The 2013 edition has a 3.5-liter engine producing 273 horsepower with a six-speed automatic transmission and a new all-wheel drive system. It replaces a turbo-charged four-cylinder engine. The engine update improves gas mileage estimates to 20 mpg (city) and 28 mpg (highway). Additional changes include a small, efficient convenience upgrade. Easy-to-use pull handles behind the second row seat backs release the seats and they automatically fold flat. The navigation system has been upgraded to a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) system, which also increases music storage capacity. A multi-view back-up camera now is standard, as well

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Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno battle for Acura supremacy in Super Bowl commercial

Jerry Seinfeld reportedly has one of the world’s finest Porsche collections; Jay Leno’s automotive passion includes more than 150 vehicles. And now Leno in the ficticous world of Super Bowl commercials has the first Acura NSX. In a one-minute Acura commercial, set to air Feb. 5 in Super Bowl XLVI, Seinfeld is so excited about the new Acura NSX he’ll stop at nothing to acquire the first one. Shy of offering the apparent owner of the No. 1 Acura NSX the moon, Seinfeld finally has the guy won over with his access to his private ziplines through the Manhattan skyline. Until, of course, Leno suddenly appears in his flying suit. He gets the keys to the car and swoops away

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Buick Regal GS, 2012: Fast, handsome competition for Audi, Acura

Buick’s fast 1965-74 GS (Gran Sport) muscle cars were far more luxurious than some rivals. The 2012 Buick Regal GS revives the “GS” name in fine style. This time around, though, the mid-size GS is a fast, handsome rival to foreign sedans from Audi and Acura. The new Regal GS has a decidedly European feel because it was largely engineered by General Motors’ Opel unit in Germany. It thus has a taut, supple ride, confident handling and a refined demeanor. The 2012 Regal also is offered with an 182-horsepower four-cylinder, which makes it feel a little underpowered, and a turbocharged 220-horsepower four-cylinder. The GS has an advanced engine that easily outdoes those motors. The old GS models had big V-8s,

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NAIAS 2012: Acura NSX, Acura ILX, Hyundai Veloster Turbo, Hyundai Genesis Coupe

By Megan Green Acura ILX Concept As the Acura brand enters its second 25 years as Honda’s premium luxury-performance automobile brand, a concept version of the Acura ILX luxury compact sedan and a prototype of the 2013 RDX crossover sports utility vehicle were also unveiled. Acura has big plans for the 2013 ILX Concept, a luxury compact sedan, to attract a new generation of buyers to the brand. The aerodynamic, fluid lines and understated Acura design cues might just be inviting enough to achieve this goal. Acura introduces its first ever gas-electric hybrid in the 2013 ILX with a 1.5-liter gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain; two standard gasoline powertrain options will also be available – the base model will have a 2.0-liter

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Acura TSX, 2012: slick, quick worthy foe for BMW, Audi

The 2012 Acura TSX is a difficult car to categorize. It's often cited as an entry level luxury sedan. But with its new option, a peppy six-speed manual transmission, and a Special Edition package, it's also a sports car. Luxury sedan and sports car? That's an oxymoron in the automotive industry. But with Special Edition package, even if only offered on the four-cylinder Acura TSX, it's also an ideal description. The base TSX sedan and TSX Sport Wagon feature a long list of standard features: Automatic xenon headlights, 17-inch alloy wheel, foglights, heated outside mirrors, a sunroof, keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, an eight-way power driver seat with memory, a four-way power passenger seat, leather

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