The Comeback Kid: The 2020 Acura MDX SH-AWD A-Spec

The 2020 Acura MDX SH-AWD A-Spec.

We all have our ups and downs. That goes for car companies too. Take Acura---the hotter-than-hot upscale performance arm of Honda in the 90s, which, as the new millennium wore on, saw its luster wear off.

Well, Acura is back and the best example I can think of is the 2020 Acura MDX SH-AWD A-Spec.

If Only: The 2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD A-SPEC

The 2019 Acura RDX A-SPEC.

Acura, the upscale division of Honda, can't seem to catch a break.  From a golden beginning in the 80s through the early-mid 90s, everyone in automotive circles seemed in agreement that building a better--or at least nicer and more powerful---Honda was a good thing.

For the past 20 years though, a lot of my fellow automotive journalists have been saying it's not enough and even wondering why there should be an Acura at all.  The new 2019 Acura RDX A-SPEC should answer all those questions---but raise a brand-new one.

Sweetening The Deal: The 2019 Acura MDX AWD A-SPEC

The 2019 Acura MDX AWD A-SPEC.

The overall goodness of the Acura MDX gets a significant sweetening for 2019.  When we wrote about the refreshed 2017 model in late '16, we pointed out the need for a new interior.  Acura has delivered that plus a first-for-the-MDX A-SPEC model.

Worthy: The 2018 Acura TLX 3.5L AWD A-Spec

The 2018 Acura TLX 3.5L AWD A-Spec.

One of the great mysteries of our time:  How can my fellow automotive journalists fall all over themselves in praise of the Honda Accord and be so lukewarm about the Acura TLX, which, at its heart, is a performance variant of the Accord?

More MPG And More: The 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid AWD Advance

The 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid AWD Advance.

Seven months ago, we reviewed the new, better-looking Acura MDX.  The one with a regular gasoline engine.  Everything we said about that MDX stands for this one, so follow the link.

So what's this one about?  A different engine, a different transmission and very different city fuel economy.  All the while providing more...yes, more...power.

Virtue Ignored: The 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid

The 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid.

I may have said this before (as TireKicker closes in on 1,000 posts, it's hard to be sure), but some cars seem to show up in the press fleet at about the same time every year.  And, sure enough...51 weeks ago, I was in the 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid.

Hello, Handsome: The 2017 Acura MDX AWD Advance

The 2017 Acura MDX AWD Advance.

All it needed was a shave.

For years, the Acura MDX has been wearing an awkward chrome mustache across the top of its grille...the last vestige of an ill-conceived beak that it sprouted for the 2010 model year.  Well, that's gone for 2017...the grille (actually a new stretched pentagon design) now nicely opened up, with a rather large....okay, gargantuan...Acura emblem in the middle.  The headlights, hood and fenders have gotten tweaks to accomodate the grille change. And it's all a major improvement.

One Step Beyond: The 2017 Acura RDX with Advance

The 2017 Acura RDX with Advance.

About a year ago, we had nothing but good stuff to say about the then-new 2016 Acura RDX with Advance.

It hasn't changed, other than the EPA fuel economy estimate of 19 city/28 highway having been revised to 19/27 and a paltry $100 increase in base price (from $43,420 to $43,520).  So what do we mean by "One Step Beyond"?

Latter-Day Legend: The 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid

The 2016 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid.

About two and a half years ago, I was pretty much the lone voice in the automotive journalism wilderness praising the Acura RLX. Despite its quantum leap improvement over its predecessor, the RL, my fellow tirekickers were largely unimpressed.  And so, tragically, were buyers.

I say "tragically" because I stand behind my review from 2014, and am prepared to go even further after my week in the 2016 RLX Sport Hybrid.

Pioneer Wagon: The 2016 Acura MDX

The 2016 Acura MDX.

There was a time, fifteen years ago, when there was no such thing as a luxury crossover SUV with three rows of seating.  One vehicle changed that and created a market all by itself.  It was the 2001 Acura MDX.

Breakthrough: The 2016 Acura ILX Tech Plus A-Spec

The 2016 Acura ILX Tech Plus A-Spec.

Regular TireKicker readers know of my frustrations with the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Acura ILX. Follow that link for the full run-down, including links within to each individual and disappointing experience with every trim level of that car.  The short version:  It was a nicer Honda Civic but not nice enough to justify the price premium (as much as nine grand over its Honda cousin).

For 2016, Acura addresses the problems, ditching the 2-liter, 150-horsepower four and five-speed automatic for a 2.4-liter, 201-horsepower four mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.  That alone brings a massive improvement in performance and even a slight uptick in fuel economy over the smaller engine (now 25 city/36 highway).  That's even better mileage than the '15's rarer than rare ILX Premium with the 2.4 and a six-speed manual.

2016 Acura RDX Advance: Freshness Date Extended

The 2016 Acura RDX Advance.

The pace of technology is such that mid-cycle refreshes, when an automaker makes substantial changes to a vehicle without creating an all-new, next-generation model, are more important than ever. A clean-sheet is too expensive to do every three years, but you'll get killed  by the competition if you're waiting for the next go-round to bring the goodies that were too expensive, not available yet or no one in the segment had been offering when you launched the current generation.

There's Life In The Old Brand Yet: The 2015 Acura TLX 3.5 L SH-AWD ADV

The 2015 Acura TLX. 

Regular TireKicker readers know of my deep respect for the now-departed Acura TSX, which spent more than two years on our TireKicker's Best Cars list.  And you may be aware that not long ago, I wrote that the new Lexus IS250 had taken its place in my heart, if not on the list.

I may have spoken (okay, written) too soon.

Four Acura ILXs From Three Model Years In 20 Months: Same Verdict.

2015 Acura ILX 2.0L Tech.

I am, by nature, a fairly positive person.  An optimist at heart, I'm always looking for (and usually finding) the good in most situations, places, people and things. Regular TireKicker readers know that negative reviews happen here, but are, on balance, in the minority.  As my Dad's buddy, Jim Ellis, who owned Ford dealerships in the Eastern High Sierra of California where I grew up, told me during my hyper-critical teenage assessment of the new 1972 somethingorother, every car is the right one for someone (actually, Jim said "There's an ass for every seat", but the sentiment is the same).

That's why the Acura ILX frustrates me so.  Because in four go-rounds in just over a year and a half, in models from three different model years (2013, 2014 and 2015), I can't bring myself to recommend it to anyone.

How I Almost Came To Love The 2014 Acura ILX

2014 Acura ILX Premium.

Regular readers know I haven't been especially kind to the Acura ILX.  In April of 2013, I directly compared it to its close cousin, the Honda Civic, found the price differential to be too extreme and called it "silk purse/sow's ear stuff"...comparing it to the gone and completely unmissed Lincoln Versailles (badge-engineered from a Ford Granada) and Cadillac Cimarron (a tarted-up Chevrolet Citation).

More recently, just six and a half weeks ago, in fact, I reviewed the ILX Hybrid.

And found it lacking. Especially at the price ($35,495).

Now comes the ILX Premium...and it's different.  Instead of the poky hybrid or the 150-horsepower, 2.0-liter four with an automatic, this one had the 201 horsepower, 2.4-liter four.....with a stick.

What Makes The 2014 Acura RDX A Driver's Crossover

The 2014 Acura RDX.

As we told you recently, the 2014 Acura MDX is a solid contender for your large luxury crossover dollars.  But what if you want something a bit less large...a bit more involving behind the wheel?  Say, 17 fewer horsepower in a 150-pounds lighter package...tilting the fun ratio in your favor.

Well, that would be the 2014 Acura RDX.  It's most of what makes the MDX good (high quality materials and construction, high feature count) in a smaller, more maneuverable, sportier and significantly less expensive package.

Why The 2014 Acura ILX Hybrid Just Doesn't Cut It

2014 Acura ILX Hybrid.

You have no idea how much I want to say really good things about the 2014 Acura ILX Hybrid.  Not gonna happen here, I'm afraid.  13 months ago, I compared the transformation of a Honda Civic into an Acura ILX to the Ford Granada/Lincoln Versailles and Chevrolet Citation/Cadillac Cimarron rebadges.  Silk purse from sow's ear.

Yes, this is the ILX Hybrid, which buys you 15 miles more per gallon in city traffic, according to the EPA and 3 more on the highway than a gasoline-powered ILX (39 city/38 highway, if you're keeping track)...but that's about it.

Where The Acura MDX Is Taking Luxury Crossovers

The 2014 Acura MDX.

There is one car Acura makes that has set the standard for its segment and this is it: The MDX.  It was one of the earliest upscale crossovers---this is its 14th year on sale---and some say if it weren't for its continued success, Acura would have a difficult time making the business case for continuing.

New Car Review: 2014 Acura RLX

Rarely have I approached a car with such trepidation as I did the new Acura RLX.  Not only has Acura followed parent Honda off the clearly-defined path that once delivered great cars like the original Legend for a similar decade-long walk in the wilderness (plus $10,000 per car and more buttons on the dashboard), but consider this:

The RLX is replacing one of the dullest cars known to man, the RL.  Anything should get a "most improved player" award.  Yet enthusiast magazine and online reviews have largely been yawns and, scarier still, Consumer Reports, in its rave review of the Chevrolet Impala, a car costing $20,000 to $35,000 less, depending on how you option the cars, said in its print edition that the Impala was competitive with the RLX.  Yeah, they also said the Impala could run with the Audi A6, Lexus LS460L and Jaguar XF, too...and as much as we love the 2014 Impala, that's really just CR needing to call the doctor because it's been more than four hours.

New Car Review: 2012 Acura TSX




The 2012 Acura TSX.

If your age begins with the numbers "3", "2" or "1", you might wonder why people whose ages begin with "4", "5" or "6" seem to think so highly of Honda. And you probably wonder just what the heck Acura is supposed to be.

It was not always thus.

As we noted in our review of the CR-V, Honda's not building bad cars, they're just not meeting the incredibly high expectations of people whose first Honda experiences were in the 80s and early 90s, when just about everything they did was a revelation in terms of engineering, efficiency and ergonomics.

So...wanna know what all the fuss was about, Milennials and late-Gen Xers?