Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
2012 Acura TSX Sport Wagon: Practicality meets fun in a premium package
Although large – sometimes very large – wagons had been available for years, the first small ones emerged in the wake of the first gas crisis in the early-1970s. They were based on the first small cars that were beginning to sell well in those days and had their inherent weaknesses. Among other things, most were very small and uncomfortable, underpowered, and not very well made. Some, lik
e the wagon versions of the Chevy Vega and Ford Pinto, had only two passenger doors, making access to the cramped back seat very awkward for adults.
The early Honda Civics were perhaps the best of the early small cars. They were relatively roomy, almost fun to drive and loaded with standard features that were only available as options on many bigger cars. Because of that, the early Honda Civic station wagons were quite possibly the best of the first small wagons – they and the early Datsun 510 wagons that are sought after by high performance small car enthusiasts nowadays.
Small wagons fell out of favor some years ago, first losing ground to sportier but still practical hatchbacks and then made obsolete by more practical minvans. But they are suddenly back in production again, with manufactuers from BMW to Volvo now offering station wagon versions of their compact and midsize cars. Unlike the earlier small wagons, they are all well made, fun to drive and loaded w
ith high tech features these days, making them a reasonable alternative to their sedan versions, even for buyers without families.
A good example is the 2012 Acura TSX Sport Wagon. As the name says, it is the station wagon version of the Acura’s well-reviewed TSX entry-level premium sport sedan. As such, it is essentially an entry-level premium sport wagon. But there is nothing entry level about the way it feels or drives.
That’s true, even though the wagon is only available with a single engine, a 2.4-liter inline four that produces 201 horsepower. The TL sedan can also be ordered with a 3.5-liter V6 that cranks out 280 horsepower. In a week of driving that included a round trip from Portland to Southern Oregon, we found the smaller engine more than adequate, however, even though it was mated to an automatic with five gears instead of the six and even eight that are available from other manufacturers.
The Acura engine revs so freely and high that accelerating was never a problem, even in the mountain we had to cross. It only felt a little winded when passing at speeds over 70 miles per hour. Around town, both the Sport mode and paddle shifters noticeably increased performance.
The interior also had plenty of room, blurring the distinction between a compact and a midsize car. Both head and leg room were good in the front seats, and although rear seat leg room was a little cramped in the back, it was fine for children. The cargo space behind the rear seat was good, as you’d expect from a wagon.
On the
road, our test car was quiet and stable, riding like a larger luxury car, even over rough pavement. The heated front leather sport seats were supportive and comfortable. Although the seat bottoms seemed a little hard at first, they actually never felt too stiff during the long hours on the road. The high end stereo system was a good companion, too. Some reviewers have complained the center console has too many button, a common swipe at all Acuras. In fact, the designers have improved the layout and designations over the years, making them much easier to use than before.
The exterior styling is simple – clean and crisp, with flowing fender lines terminating in an angular hatch. Acura shrunk the front grill that had been ridiculed as too large this year, helping a TSX models blend into the pack. A Special Edition Package with a larger air dam, side mouldings and unique cabin upgrades is available for enthusiasts.
Anyone who stepped from an early small station wagon into a 2012 TSX Sport Wagon would be astonished by the differences. The same changes have occurred in all automobiles, of course, but because small wagons are just now making a comeback, they seem more apparent. The new Acura is a good place to start for anyone that appreciates practicality without sacrifice.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Acura Finally Gives the NSX a Much Needed Redesign
The Acura NSX is a legend, its blend of supercar handling, blistering performance and everyday reliability is unmatched before or since. Honda's greatest accomplishment was such an amazing car that it ran in series production nearly unchanged for 15 years and still challenged the best in the world when it was put out to pasture in 2005. Now there is a new NSX, and it promises to be worthy of this hallowed badge.
Unveiled to much fanfare at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the NSX brought a level of excitement that has been missing from Acura showrooms since the NSX ended production. The design stuns from every angle, its gun-slit headlamps, prominent Acura power plenum grille and huge air intakes dominating a front end that means business.
The new model manages to pay homage to the classic NSX while still presenting something bold and fresh. An instant classic, its performance and exclusivity should push the envelope of what is today considered possible and bring a true halo car to sit high atop the Acura range.
The mid-engined, two-seat sports car uses a brand-new trick electric-assisted SH-AWD ("Super Handling All-Wheel Drive") setup where the rear wheels are driven by a V6 engine and electric motor, while each front wheel is driven by its own electric motor. The result is not only big power with hybrid efficiency but increased control, as these wheel-mounted electric motors can apply positive or negative torque at any time to aid in cornering stability and performance.
The next NSX is expected to debut in late 2014 as a 2015 model priced from around $120,000 to start, or slightly more than a Porsche 911 or Nissan GT-R, but well under the $190,000 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and $375,000 Lexus LFA.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
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Monday, June 18, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Acura Targets Viable GenY-ers With New ILX Sedan, Campaign
They’re the target for the brand’s new sedan, ILX. At prices beginning at $25,900 Acura is calling the compact ILX a “gateway” to the luxury segment for those who want and can afford to get on that track.
The ILX launch is important for Acura because the brand is still trying to recover its bearings after last year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan crushed the sales momentum it had begun to build in the U.S. market. And, according to Acura brand executives, they’re still trying to capture a measure of respect.
“Even with restricted inventories, we still sold more cars last year than Lincoln and Cadillac and Volvo and Audi,” Mike Accavitti, Acura’s U.S. CMO, told me. “Audi gets all these accolades but we sell more cars than them. We’re fourth [in U.S. luxury sales volumes] this year even before high volumes of our two new products, ILX and [a new version of the RDX utility vehicle], have gotten onto dealer lots.”
Indeed, sales of the Honda premium brand are up by 11 percent for this year through May. But the comparison is against a weak year-earlier period. And Acura has some work to do to secure a wider long-term berth in the entry end of the U.S. luxury market.
“The brand has been struggling with what it is over the last half-dozen years,” said Doug Scott, senior vice president of GfK Automotive, a brand-consulting firm in Southfield, Mich. “The problem is that competitors like BMW and Audi, who already are younger and aspirational, are moving more into the more affordable area of the marketplace.”
It looks like they’ll have to fight Acura for some of those buyers: unmarried consumers who’ve achieved some stability financially. The new TV-advertising campaign for the car depicts an ILX owner with his life proceeding separately on two tracks, which literally are occurring in parallel on a split screen in the ads. In one spot, a track shows him in a corporate office, the other at play at hip nightclubs, and they meet when he gets into his ILX.
“Life should be equal parts responsibility and fun,” goes the tagline in both spots. “Move up, without settling down.”
“Our target is older Gen Y and young Gen X-ers, so we wanted to get them doing both things,” said Susie Rossick, Acura brand manager.
Accavitti explained that ILX “was specifically designed for these people because of what they’ve gone through,” Accavitti said. Growing up, “they’ve seen and experienced and touched luxury and wealth. So their expectations are there — but the realities of today’s post-recessionary economy are that this generation may be the first that actually ends up earning less than the previous one.”
While that message seems less inspirational or even aspirational than sobering, Accavitti said Acura is positioning the car as “a special vehicle, with the feeling associated with that kind of car, but it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg to get into it. It’s designed for our target at this economic [time]. It’s smart luxury.”
For example, ILX has a voice-to-text system built into its infotainment capabilities that includes the capability for issuing pre-programmed responses — such as, Accavitti quipped, “Hey, I’m driving right now!” Pandora internet-based radio is another part of the car’s appeal. Other features include a standard five-inch color display screen and an optional multi-view rear-camera system.
And as with anything explicitly aimed at Millennials, digital marketing and music are huge parts of the ILX push. Its TV and in-theater ads feature notable tunes from The Ting Tings and Nick Waterhouse. Acura is supporting the launch with its largest-ever budget allocation to interactive media, with placement scheduled on sites such as Xbox LIVE, Pandora and the (in-transition) web site that is Good.
The brand also is sponsoring a summer tour by an indie band — whose identity it won’t disclose just yet — that will span five U.S. cities and give lots of love to the ILX, including having the model on display at concert venues and the ILX participating in music videos. Acura also plans ride-and-drive weekend events this summer in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Chicago, with about 200 people expected to attend each day.
Will response to ILX be music to Acura’s ears? Accavitti is confident that ILX will help the brand get fully back on track; meanwhile, sales of MDX, its highest-volume vehicle, are about flat with a year ago, but the new version of the RDX, launched a couple of months ago, is 36 percent ahead of 2011 sales.
“We were on a roll prior to the natural disaster” last year in Japan as well as flooding in Thailand last fall that further complicated Acura’s supply lines. “We had 13 months of double-digit [year-over-year] sales increases. But once the inventory was so impacted, it was difficult to [sell] at that level.”
And, as Scott noted, Acura’s sibling brand, Honda, has been facing its own difficulties ushered in by the 2011 disaster as well as the shortcomings of its product lineup. “So at a time you’d hope the [Honda] company could focus on Acura and really get it right, the entire organization is having branding issues,” Scott said.
Still, Accavitti said that Acura has always appealed to a younger cohort, on average, than Toyota’s Lexus and Nissan’s Infiniti brands and noted that now the brand is focusing on amplifying that heritage advantage.
“Younger people are more open to the Acura brand,” he said. “They always have been. They value and respect our foundational values of quality and durability and that, as an investment, our cars hold greater value than our competitors’.”
Rossick agreed yet believes Acura can obtain a second look from many of its target buyers. “We’re new and fresh and who these people are looking for,” she said. “We’re confident that we’re talking to this target.”
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Acura MDX remains a contender among luxury crossover SUVs
2012 Acura MDX
- Power: 3.7-liter, V6, 300 horsepower
- Mileage estimate: 16-21 mpg
- Price: $43,030
- Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles; drivetrain 6 years/70,000 miles; roadside assistance 4 years/50,000; corrosion 5 years/unlimited
The sales dilemma facing the MDX and the whole SUV crowd is contending with each other. In driving many of them over the past several years, a true favorite doesn't immediately come to mind.
The 2012 Acura MDX has plenty of company in the Infiniti FX35, BMW X5, Buick Enclave, Mazda CX-9 and the Lexus RX 350.
There hasn't been much new with the MDX since going through a modest redesign for 2010. What some people may notice first is the adaptation of a grille that some industry folks are calling a "corporate grille" because of its commonality to other Acura models.
The MDX, which has three rows of seating and can accommodate seven passengers, abandoned the standard five-speed automatic transmission and moved to a six-speed two years ago. The change provided a modest increase in both power and fuel economy, which now ranges between 16-21 mpg.
Step inside the interior and one notices a cabin that's attractive and features a steering wheel with paddle shifters that are standard, plus an assortment of gauges. The optional navigational system is pretty high tech and a multi-angle back-up camera is available as well.
In its sixth year of production, the MDX can make sure all seven passengers are feeling the love in the heat/cool department, thanks to climate controls for all three rows. But the true comfort doesn't extend to all three rows. While the first two rows provide comfortable seating, the third row is inadequate for young kids because it's very difficult to squeeze in child safety seats. And when the child seats are in properly, it compromises the room for second-row folks.
One safety item worth mentioning is the collision mitigating braking system. Once the driver gets accustomed to the visual warnings, it's a wonderful tool to avoid any approaching cars that happen to get into the dreaded blind spot. And if that oncoming vehicle is still not detected, the system automatically brakes quickly to help avoid a potential accident.
The MDX provides good value in the luxury crossover class ($43,030) that is generally rather pricey. It has strong upside, providing a fun SUV with to drive with good performance, strong safety, and very few flaws.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The new 2013 Acura ILX is here!
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Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
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