In defense of Acura

"Van Man, rocks the Man Van" (jacoboconnell) 09/17/2015 at 17:05 • Filed to: Acura

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There’s one company on Jalopnik and Oppo that has always been bashed and never (literally never) been spoken of positively or supported. That company is Acura, and I’m here to change it.

I’ll tell you now: just about the only reason I like Acura at all is because my dad owns one. And it’s not one of the models everyone loves. In fact, it’s the car everyone loves to hate: the 2012 TL.

(Not my dad’s car.)

Now, I said I wouldn’t like Acura if it weren’t for this car. I also wouldn’t like cars if it weren’t for my dad’s TL.

You see, the TL was the first really “interesting” car my dad has had since I was born (not counting his green, stick-shift V70 because he sold it before I was even 5). It is the car that got me hooked on cars.

That said, it’s not an bad looking car (but maybe I’m biased). Everyone just thinks of this generation TL as ugly because of the pre-facelift model, which was horrendous. Even if you don’t appreciate the styling, you have to admit you won’t mistake it for anything else on the road.

Now, enthusiasts would ask: why buy an Acura when you can get a 3-series for the same price? There are several reasons:

- drive wheels: Now, our TL is front-drive. This was actually a good selling point for my dad, because we get a fair amount of snow in my area, so my father actually prefers front wheel drive because the heaviest component of the car (the engine) is right over the drive (which means traction). The 3 series is rear drive, which isn’t good in the snow (and he doesn’t want to pay extra for AWD).

- power: The TL’s MSRP was about $35,000, which would get you stripped out 320i that has 180 hp versus the Acura with 280 hp.

- features: The TL my dad has is a base model, but it’s still equipped like a low-$40,000 3-series. Some of the standard features are: heated power leather seats, sunroof, power trunk release, HomeLink, Bluetooth, and SiriusXM radio.

- reliability: There’s a reason there a two Honda products in our garage.

- space: My dad is 6’4” with a thick build and an hour commute. He needed a lot of space so he is comfortable, and I don’t think he would’ve gotten that with a 3-series, since the TL sort of straddled the gap between BMW’s 3 and 5.

All of this has made me really like my dad’s TL and Acura as a whole. But what about their current lineup?

The ILX isn’t a bad car in its own right, it’s just in a highly competitive segment and really just not as good as its rivals. Same can be said for the RLX.

The TLX is a different story. It is, in my opinion, every bit as good as a 3-series or A4, while being thousands cheaper than just about every competitor. And I think it’s arguably the best looking in the class besides the Mercedes C-class.

The MDX and RDX are both arguably among the best in their segment, once again while being thousands cheaper than their rivals.

In fact, that’s one of my favorite things about Acura: you get a premium badge for not a huge amount of money compared to rivals. But it’s not like the Mercedes CLA, where there’s no substance behind the badge. No, Acura actually makes some legitimately good cars. People just can’t get past the beak.

Trust me, it’ll grow on you.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:09

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Plenty of people on Oppo have spoken positively of Acuras. Even me, though there was that time I accused one of looking like a tin-plated mutant parrot. ‘Cause it did.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:09

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I drool over the TLX and am one of the few people who don’t bash Acura (on a regular basis). I just wish they offered something more fun to drive. I went from an Integra to a TL-S....and just don’t see anything worth it they offer now.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:12

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But they’re just rebadged European Hondas and always have been

LongbowMkII > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:13

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It’s just that Honda could honestly sell these instead of Acura.

Justin Hughes > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:13

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The NSX and Integra were the best Acuras, I think - especially in Type R form. But I doubt those are the kinds of cars your dad would be interested in.

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:14

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Acura’s biggest issue is that while it used to make this:

and this:

It now makes these:

They really went from a mix of sport and luxury and everything you wanted from Japan to dressed up Accords with beaks... all Accords with beaks.

This from a guy who liked and owned both the Accord and TL. It would just be so much better if Honda, in general, went back to being cool. It’s Honda that needs to fix itself, then Acura will be great again; Acura will have dressed up versions of all the stuff we want. There is nothing inherently wrong with FWD, it can be fun, especially if it’s attached to handbuilt motor that screams through 9000rpm.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/17/2015 at 17:18

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Actually, there was only one and it the one you showed. It's not even in production anymore.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 09/17/2015 at 17:18

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A 2-series competitor couldn't hurt.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Justin Hughes 09/17/2015 at 17:20

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He actually likes cars (used to own several Camaros, a Mustang, the Volvo, and a bunch of other pretty cool cars), but he's just become too rational to actually buy anything sporty or impractical.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:23

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A reborn RSX/Integra would be better

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 09/17/2015 at 17:24

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That's kind of what I meant.

Party-vi > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:27

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Ignoring everything you just said to say that the TLX is gorgeous and works in person and in pictures.

Now, re-reading everything you said, Acura makes really nice Hondas, which is to say Acura takes a good, reliable boring car and makes it a nicer, reliable, boring car. Every other luxury brand has performance and sporting vehicles. Every other luxury brand has coupes. Acura does not. Acura needs these. Acura is more boring than Lexus, and Lexus is the luxury car for people who 1) don’t want any input in their driving and 2) are over 65. The ILX, try as Acura might to make it seem exciting, is a boring Civic Si in a tailored suit. The NSX has been teased for so long it has blue balls. The ILX isn’t the best in it’s class, the TLX is not as good as the 3-Series because the TLX is not a sport sedan, and the RLX costs as much as an E-Class or A6. The Acura shtick is Technology, but they need more than that to sell nice Hondas.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Party-vi 09/17/2015 at 17:32

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Like I said, the ILX and RLX aren’t great, but I think the TLX is a pretty nice car. If you’re someone like my dad who spends the majority of your at 80 MPH on the highway and doesn’t want to spend $40,000 just to get a luxury car with heated seats, the TLX is perfect. I think most of the segment’s buyers are like that, but they refuse to accept it.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:33

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Here’s another

and another

and another

and more

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:33

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Get rid of the beak and they'll all look pretty good.

Textured Soy Protein > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/17/2015 at 17:34

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In Australia, Honda sold both the USDM Accord as the Accord, and the European Accord a.k.a. TSX as the Accord Euro.

Also in Japan the US Accord was/is sold as the Honda Inspire and the TSX is the Accord.

But the 1st-gen TSX had a (slightly?) fancier interior that the European Accord/Japanese Accord/Australian Accord Euro didn’t get—they instead had the same interior as the USDM Accord of the same era.

The 2nd gen TSX shares its dash with the Accords of similar age, and honestly I dunno what Honda Australia is up to lately.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/17/2015 at 17:36

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First two were rebadged as Hondas in Europe because Acura doesn't exist there. The third was honestly atrocious, and I don't even know what the last one is.

Party-vi > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:37

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It’s because luxury cars are supposed to have lots of power and be fast for some reason instead of just being about luxury. All the reviews I read about the TLX state it rides better then a 3-Series and is a nicer place to be until you want to mash the pedal and take some backroads, which is IMO the best part of a 3-Series. Most reviews also preferred the 2.4L with the DCT to the V6 model because the 9spd automatic felt lazy.

Alex from Toronto > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:39

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I saw a TLX the other day, it looks really good in person. I would consider buying a used one in the future.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:42

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The big problem with Acura is they used to be a whole lot better compared to what they competed with. Plus they used to be much more sporty.

These days, much of the sportiness is gone and it became a Japanese Buick. Of course the Buick of today is also more sporty than the Buick of 20 years ago.

I personally think Acura is okay.... just like the Buicks of today (rented a Buick Verano not long ago... it definitely was okay). They’re just so “adequate mainstream luxury” that seem to be targeted at “middle management” types.

It’s a luxury car that won’t upstage what your boss drives.

And they haven’t had any true flagship models or any crazy high performance models to give the brand some street cred for a long time.

The last car that Acura sold that I was interested in buying was the Acura Integra.

But on the bright side, their “adequate mainstream luxury” approach has enabled them to hang on to their market share.

In 2002, they sold around 165,000 vehicles. In 2014, they sold 167,000 vehicles. And they’ll probably sell around that again in 2015. At least they’re doing better than Lincoln.

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2012/10/acura-…

Of course if they want to grow their sales, they’re gonna have to be more than just adequately luxurious and reliable.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Party-vi 09/17/2015 at 17:43

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I’ll just speak for my dad’s car, but the TL is fairly quick off the line but can pass anything short of a muscle car on the highway. 280 hp isn't nothing. The transmission is fine.

The point you make about back roads is true, but the majority of people don’t take back roads. I do agree the Bimmer will be better, but I think the TLX would at least hold its own.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Party-vi 09/17/2015 at 17:44

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“The NSX has been teased for so long it has blue balls.”

LOL

Party-vi > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:45

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I think the TLX is not fun to drive, and the issue is that Acura is telling everyone it is fun to drive.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Justin Hughes 09/17/2015 at 17:46

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The 2nd Gen Honda/Acura Legend was great too.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 09/17/2015 at 17:48

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“It’s a luxury car that won’t upstage what your boss drives.”

Never have truer words have been spoken.

I do sort of agree about the Buick thing though, but I think Acura has gone from Infiniti (sportier) to Lexus (more refined).

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 09/17/2015 at 17:49

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ok, well, besides the Integra Type R and the pop-up headlight NSX....

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Party-vi 09/17/2015 at 17:51

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Correct. Acura’s marketing is garbage (remember the ad Torch ripped apart?), and they should really just play to their strengths instead of trying to be something they're not.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 17:59

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In my view, Acura of the late 1980s and early 1990s was like a Japanese BMW. Infinity was a bit less sporty. And Lexus has always been on the Mercedes end of things.

These days, it seems like Acura isn’t even trying to compete with BMW/Mercedes/Audi overall except on the entry-level versions.

Acura is more of a Lincoln/Buick/Volvo/VW competitor.

Chariotoflove > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 18:00

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My Mom has an RL. Really nice car. The interior is nice, but not necessarily that much nicer than others in its class. It’s got decent space, but it’s not exceptionally roomy. The amenities are good, but not that much more than others in its class. The ride is smooth and responsive, just like many others in its class. The exterior styling is conservative to the point of being anonymous. But it’s a good car.

It’s a really nice, well-built, reliable Honda, and there is nothing wrong with that. I’d happily take it on my longest road trips.

TheHondaBro > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 09/17/2015 at 18:07

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BRING BACK THE CL!!!!

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > 'Wägen, EPA LOL 09/17/2015 at 18:09

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I was trying to think of a more neutered brand than Acura, but I could not. Maybe Mitsubishi. Don’t get me wrong, Acura makes great, maybe best value in class, cars. But no other manufacturer has quite such a dull lineup. At least the NSX is coming out soon, even though us normals can’t afford one.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > TheHondaBro 09/17/2015 at 18:11

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Just buy an accord coupe...

Give me a new Integra and they could take allmy money

TheHondaBro > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 09/17/2015 at 18:12

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I already have an Accord Coupe, I want a CL, damnit.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > TheHondaBro 09/17/2015 at 18:17

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Nothing special about the Cl

TheHondaBro > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 09/17/2015 at 18:18

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By that logic, there’s nothing special about the TLX as it’s a fancier Accord.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Chariotoflove 09/17/2015 at 18:19

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Exactly. They're not really the best at anything, but they're comfy, relatively inenexpensive, and reliable.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > TheHondaBro 09/17/2015 at 18:20

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You take that back!

TheHondaBro > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 09/17/2015 at 18:21

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CLX! CLX! CLX! CLX! CLX! CLX!

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > TheHondaBro 09/17/2015 at 18:22

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DAM YOU

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 09/17/2015 at 18:22

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That’s kind of true. The ILX competes with the CLA and A3, and the TLX competes directly with the 3-series and A4, but the RLX is more of a MKS/S80/Genesis/Q70/XTS competitor.

Chariotoflove > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 18:33

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And there is plenty of room for that in the automotive world. People may get boners over Lancias, but we’d all be in deep trouble if everyone had to drive one to work.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Chariotoflove 09/17/2015 at 18:36

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That’s precisely why my dad has one. He just needs a comfortable car to commute back and forth with. He's had some cool cars in the past (before me), but they just don't make sense for him anymore.

Amoore100 > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 18:40

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I like Acura. Well, I used to. The problem I think is that Acura now is trying to hard to become Lexus, when what they should have done was stay themselves: a Japanese Audi. I remember reading reviews of the TL, TSX, and RSX as automotive authors described them as some of the best handling cars ever, winning comparison tests left and right, even besting BMW sometimes...everything went wrong in 2009 when the beaked TL came out, and it was mended slightly in 2012 when the TL finally became less ugly, but the problem remains: they’re going for luxury when the should be aiming for balance. That’s why if Lexus is Japan’s Mercedes and Infiniti is Japan’s BMW, Acura should be Japan’s Audi again.

Chariotoflove > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 18:46

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Hey, while I have you on the line, I’ve just started posting to Oppo. How would I go about getting un-grayed and/or posting over the site in general? There doesn’t seem to be an editor or head honcho to contact like on Jalopnik. I’m still getting used to this Kinja stuff.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Chariotoflove 09/17/2015 at 18:53

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http://oppositelock.kinja.com/oppositelock-h…

The ones you have to ask about that are the moderators. Or search “club openings” on Oppo and some authorship threads should come up.

touring the brook - now with ZHP! > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 18:53

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Somebody! Thank you for saying this! I would but I am just a commenter.

Chariotoflove > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 18:54

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Perfect. Thanks or accommodating the newbie!

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Amoore100 09/17/2015 at 18:58

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The 2009 TL was horrible, but I think the 2012 is a nice looking car (biased).

They are trying a bit too hard to be BMW, especially with their advertising. They need to play to their strengths. I do agree about how they should be the Japanese Audi, but they don’t seem to want to be.

wiffleballtony > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 18:59

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I’ll bite. The only reason to buy one of these is if you absolutely must have a “luxury” brand that is Japanese but isn’t Lexus or Infiniti.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Chariotoflove 09/17/2015 at 19:00

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No problem! I was one less than two months ago.

Amoore100 > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 19:01

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That’s their problem...they don’t know what they want to be...the RLX seems to suggest luxury and technology but then the ILX seems to support the sport and technology part...and yes, I do like the 2012 TL (confession) and it came with manual if I’m not mistaken, right?

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > wiffleballtony 09/17/2015 at 19:01

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My dad wanted a luxury car, and he's generally a Honda guy, so the choice was kind of obvious.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Amoore100 09/17/2015 at 19:06

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Their biggest problem seems to be brand identity.

The 2012 TL did come with a manual, but only with SH-AWD.

Actually, a 2012 TL SH-AWD with a stick seems like an awesome used car buy. 305 hp, manual, AWD, reliable luxury car for probably $25-30k.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 19:18

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ILX looks like a Buick Verano/Volvo S40 (if they still made it) and VW Golf/Jetta GLI competitor to me. I don’t think it really competes with the CLA or A3 in practice. And I don’t think there are any 3 series buyers cross-shopping that car with the TLX. I see the TLX being cross-shopped against the VW Passat (highline trim), Volvo S60, Lincoln MKZ and the Buick Regal.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 09/17/2015 at 19:28

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The ILX is a similar price, power, and size to the A3 and CLA.

3-series buyers aren’t cross-shopping with TLX (their mind is usually set on a BMW), but TLX buyers are cross-shopping with a 3-series.

The funny thing is, my dad actually was cross-shopping the TL and a Passat TDI, but that doesn't really make them competitors.

samssun > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 09/17/2015 at 19:31

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“It’s a luxury car that won’t upstage what your boss drives” I would modify that by saying, it’s a nice-ish car that won’t upstage what your boss, coworkers, or employees drive.

Rico > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 19:48

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Have you driven the TLX’s competitors? I think it's a good bargain but now you've got Hyundai/Kia cranking out cheap cars with lux features. At the very least Lexus are RWD/AWD but the design is trash.

LongbowMkII > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 20:04

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ILX->2 series

jmedarts > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 20:25

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I like Acura, my wife has an MDX, and I agree with you that the TL is a nice car, I tried to talk her into one but no dice. However I also have a 3 series, and with proper snow tires it is fine in the snow, as was the e39 540 I had before it. I am 6’ 3” 275 and your dad would fit fine in my e90, probably even better in the newer 3 series models. You are correct that BMWs cost a good bit more to buy & run (that’s why my wife doesn’t have an X5) but they also feel like a very different thing on the road. The TL is a nice ride, a proper BMW feels more like a purpose built tool. As BMW gets further and further from this feel, and they are moving in the wrong direction quickly, it will be interesting to see the market adjust.

bryan40oop > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 21:18

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Acura, the fancier honda.

wiffleballtony > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/17/2015 at 22:22

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Ok. Just so that I have this straight. It’s not that it was the fastest, cheapest, most well equipped or more driven wheels, the main determination came down to the fact that it’s a Honda?

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > wiffleballtony 09/18/2015 at 07:12

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Kinda. The Honda part put it at the top of his list, but everything else made him actually pick it.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > bryan40oop 09/18/2015 at 07:14

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You’re the problem. By your logic, Audi is the fancier VW and Cadillac is a fancy Chevy.

bryan40oop > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/18/2015 at 10:23

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Audi yes, to an extent. The thing about audi is you can get more than what VW offers. More power. They also offer chassis that VW simply does not offer. The S5-S8 for example, there is no VW counter part. There is no VW ridding on a MLB or MLP platform. So in some cases Audi is a fancy VW, but the majority of their line up is not.

Cadillac, there is only 1 FWD cadillac model these days. The rest, RWD. This is the exact opposite from the rest of the GM line up. Other than the Chevy SS (which isn’t exactly easy to come by) and camaro (obviously no sedan version) cadillac shares no GM equivalent.

So no, Cadillac isn’t a “fancy Chevy”

Cadillac is copying what Lexus has done. The only Lexus car that shares a platform with the US toyota lineup is lexus ES series. Which is a fancy camry.

However, literally every Acura car shares a direct chassis platform with a honda counter part.

Acura has no unique chassis of their own. So yes, they are a fancy honda, by all means. They literally share the same skeleton.

wiffleballtony > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/18/2015 at 11:02

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Makes sense then.

Dunnik > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 10/13/2015 at 03:33

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Beauty and the Beast

The beak on the new Acuras could still afford to lose a little weight, but its much improved. All the new Acuras are lookers, in fact. Quad headlights oooooo

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Dunnik 10/13/2015 at 15:19

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The pre-refresh 4th gen TL was awful. My dad’s looks much better even with a just a refresh. The new TLX is fantastic though.