Showing posts with label acura. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acura. Show all posts

Friday, May 3, 2013

Acura ILX headed for Civic like early upgrades

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades Part of the cause has been the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine: its 150 horsepower to motivate a sedan that can weigh up to 2,970 pounds doesnt offer the kind of performance or value experience that buyers in the segment respond to. Another big issue is that the top-level 2.4-liter engine is only offered with a six-speed manual even though most buyers of the highest trim dont really want to shift their own gears. Lastly, the ILX might not put enough space between it and its frugal underpinnings – our first drive review pegged it as "the worlds nicest Honda Civic."

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades front

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

The not-yet-ready-for-primetime 2012 Honda Civic saw it quickly returned to sender for refurbishment, now the Acura ILX is headed in the same direction in its very first year. 

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

Automotive News reports that the small, Civic-based sedan from Hondas luxury brand isnt meeting sales expectations, with an annualized rate of 22,000 to 24,000 sales instead of the 30,000 the company is after. More telling is that the ILX "is being outsold by the Buick Verano, Volkswagen CC and Audi A4," and, except for two months since it launched, it has also been outdone by the Acura TSX it is meant to replace.

Acura ILX headed for Civic-like early upgrades

An automatic transmission is on the way for the 2.4-liter, but it isnt clear when. And while Honda admits that the 2.0-liter is underpowered and Automotive News says its on the way out, the company hasnt yet said how that situation will be corrected.

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Thursday, May 2, 2013

2013 Acura ILX


The 2013 Acura ILX ranks 12 out of 13 Upscale Small Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 13 published reviews and test drives of the Acura ILX, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
The 2013 Acura ILX is stocked with standard features and offers several engine choices. Still, reviewers think the all-new compact sedan blends into the crowd because competitors have better performance, gas mileage and cargo space.
The new 2013 Acura ILX is the smallest sedan in Acura’s lineup. Reviewers say that the base engine is solid for everyday driving, but recommend the more powerful four-cylinder engine that’s paired to a manual transmission for shoppers who prioritize performance. If green driving is important to you, the hybrid model trades power for fuel economy.
Regardless of the powertrain you select, there’s no need to upgrade to a higher trim for features like Bluetooth, a USB port and voice text messaging because all of these are standard on the ILX. Though it’s well-stocked, the ILX doesn’t have the most cabin space. The rear seats will be tight for tall passengers, but this is common among compact cars. The ILX’s trunk space is respectable, but other sedans in the class have more cargo room.
Overall, reviewers say the 2013 Acura ILX has good performance and a lot of standard features, but they think the ILX still manages to blend in among its rivals. Several critics say that competitors are better choices because they match or surpass the ILX’s cargo space, performance or fuel economy ratings, all for about the same price. But if you choose the ILX, they say the ILX’s posh persona and impressive tech features won’t disappoint.

  Other Cars to Consider
The Audi A3 is more expensive than the ILX, but it has a high-quality interior and an abundance of cargo space. The A3 is available with a diesel engine that gives it some of the highest fuel economy ratings in the class. With the diesel engine, the A3 isn’t as fast as the base model, which has a gasoline engine, but it is a good choice if you like the ILX Hybrid’s fuel economy ratings but want a small car with more power.
Test drivers agree that the Buick Verano prioritizes comfort. They found that the Verano’s quality materials, high-tech features, comfortable seats and hushed cabin make it one of the most refined cars in its class. If you want a smooth-riding sedan with comfortable front seats and impressive trunk space, auto critics say the Verano should be a good fit for you.

Acura ILX: The Details  

The 2013 Acura ILX is an all-new compact car. There are six models available: a base five-speed automatic, five-speed auto with premium package, five-speed auto with technology package, six-speed manual with premium package, Hybrid and Hybrid with technology package.
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Sunday, April 28, 2013

2004 Acura NSX Sport Car Magic


The 2004 Acura NSX was a beast of a vehicle when it was first released. The price tag on this car hovered around $90, 000 and there were plenty of buyers anxious to put one of these vehicles their garage. The NSX by Acura was originally brought to the American and Canadian markets in 1989 and the concept car took everyone by surprise. The design was aerodynamic and ultra modern and there were new materials being used that were making these cars a hot topic among sports car enthusiasts.

The 2-door style of the vehicle made it clear that it was built as an engine muscle car and not a family sedan. The lightweight top was removable if you accessed the two levers located on the interior of the roof. Although the first year was definitely a peak year for sales, the car continued to do well throughout its annual reincarnations. When the 2004 Acura NSX debuted, it was being pitted against well-known muscle cars like the Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Corvette, Porsche, and Dodge Viper.

This was a powerful speedster that came in a 3L, V6 engine with a 4 speed automatic transmission. The transmission of the vehicle did have a stick shift feature that you could choose to use to add some flair and excitement to your sports car driving fun. There was also a 3.2L V6 engine with a 6 speed manual shift. The addition of 6 gears was the most coveted model by most who were adding this vehicle to their personal line-up. The V6 engine contained a 10.2 compression ratio, 78 mm stroke and a 90mm bore. There was also a double overhead cam on all of these vehicles with variable valve timing/camshaft and 4 valves per cylinder.

The 3.0 L 181 cc engine was somewhat outclassed by the 3.2L 194 cc engine. The 3L model could provide 252 Horsepower at 6600 rpm but the 3.2L version delivered 290 Horsepower at 7100 rpm. The difference is torque was also notable with the 3L giving 210 lb/ft at 5300 rpm and the 3.2L providing 224 lb/ft at 5500 rpm.

Traction control, anti-lock4 wheel disc brakes, and dual front airbags were standard equipment on the vehicles that gave drivers a little extra safety and stability when on the wide-open roads. The mileage for this 2004 Acura NSX sportster was 17/24, which was not too shabby considering that it was built to be pushed at high speeds.

Knowing that this car would be a hot ticket item there were plenty of available color options for both interior and exterior. A customer could take what model happened to be at the dealer that day or choose Grand Prix White, Berlina Black, Silverstone Metallic, Indy Yellow, Long Beach Blue Pearl, Imola Orange Pearl, or New Formula Red as their exterior color preference. The Yellow, Red, and Blue were the most commonly seen colors for this car. Interior color options included orange, yellow, camel, onyx, silver, blue, white, and red.

This all aluminum uni-body car construction provided a lightweight build that could deliver on both unleashed power and responsive, exquisite handling. The engines of all of the 2004 NSX sports cars were created to provide the least amount of friction at all times. These engines were known to be phenomenal workhorses no matter the punishment they were subjected to. The driver remained the focus of this design and this was perhaps the biggest draw for people looking to make the purchase of this super star vehicle. The deep seats kept the driver riveted to the center of gravity and made driving this sports car a truly memorable experience.

The sound system in this sports car is everything you could have requested if you had been the design engineer in charge. The CD changer was then a new feature in 2004 and was mounted in the trunk. There was 165 watts of power provided through a subwoofer at the passengers foot, a midrange tweeter that was positioned to the rear of the seats, and speakers mounted low on each door. If music was what you wanted to hear as you drove this vehicle to work then the dynamic sound system delivered the goods.

The Acura 2004 NSX has a rear wheel drive that is stable and dependable. The unique heavy-duty design of the clutch reduced up to 50% of the shifting loads on the vehicles by using the integrated dual and triple coned synchronizers. There was also a Torque Reactive Differential which gave additional control and stability to a driver by decreasing the inside wheel spin whenever the sports car would corner a turn.

The interior of the car was luxury and speed all wrapped up in one glorious package. A full leather upholstery job was only the tip of the design iceberg. There was a Bose AM/FM cassette player; fully powered 4-way bucket seat; keyless entry; 6 CD changer, telescoping sports steering wheel; windshield wipers with variable control; and power windows-doors-mirrors and locks. Add to these a tachometer, floor mats, climate controlled air conditioning, power steering, and cruise control. Even this long list still does not cover all of the features presented on the 2004 Acura NSX vehicles.



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