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2013 Acura ILX Tech vs. 2013 Buick Verano Leather

2013 Acura ILX Tech vs. 2013 Buick Verano Leather - Comparison: 2013 Acura ILX vs. Buick Verano gallery2013 Reviews - Autos - MSN CA

Let's say you've got $30,000 to spend on a new car. Are you really going to get just another humdrum midsize sedan, or perhaps a compact crossover? Nah, treat yourself to something a little nicer, like either the Acura ILX or the Buick Verano. You deserve it.

Both these cars hit a sweet spot in the market, indicating that small luxury cars can do well. Both start in the mid 20s, so you don't need to have deep pockets to get behind the wheel of one.

You don't need a BMW or a Benz to get 18-inch wheels - both our high-spec testers wore spangly rims.

The ILX is supposedly the successor to the outgoing CSX as well as the TSX. It's a big step forward over the CSX, which was just a Civic with leather. The ILX has a unique shape, unique look, unique engine, and unique interior.

 

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You feel the road and the corners in the ILX. It's much less isolating than the Verano, but it's also less isolating in terms of noise, vibration, and harshness.

All ILXs feature something called Multi Amplitude Dampers which feature valves that change the damping force depending on the rate of vertical wheel travel. It makes a big difference in terms of ride quality.

With 150 horsepower performance is just adequate. Most rivals make closer to 180 hp, and notably more torque. The ILX needs more juice, and while you can have more power with the 2.4-litre Dynamic model, it's only offered with a stick-shift.

Only one gearbox is on offer to standard ILX customers, an outdated five-speed automatic. It revs higher and is fairly responsive, but for the money, it should have a sixth cog.

 

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We've heard that the ILX is up for a mid-cycle refresh in as little as a year. Honda misjudged the marketplace with this one.

Simplicity is the name of the game with the Acura. The centre stack may look complex, but it's user friendly and easy to figure out. Material quality is OK. The design doesn't feel especially luxurious, despite being well made.

The CSX's semi-digital dual layer dash has been banished. The ILX gets standard instruments instead. They're clear and straightforward.

Between the two cars, it's the Acura that has the better seat. There's lots of lateral support, and you feel like you sit in the seat rather than on it as in the Buick.

 

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Heated seats keep backsides toasty in winter, but your hands will require gloves. No heated steering wheel or remote starter here.

There's more rear legroom in the ILX than the Verano, and a flat floor helps. On the flip side the sloped rear window means taller passengers may need to slouch.

The ILX not only has a smaller trunk — it's about 60 L smaller at 348 — it's also got a smaller fuel tank (50 L vs 59)

Neither these cars are back-road chasers, though the Acura feels lighter on its toes and nimbler. It's less refined though.

 

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The Verano is a big car shrink-wrapped in a smaller body. It's quieter than many larger cars including some of Buick's own models.

Stepping out of the silent Verano and into the ILX made us wonder if we'd left a window down. Thick glass and lots of insulation make it quite literally silent on the inside.

No fancy dampers, but an extra-rigid chassis allowed Buick to fit softer suspension without compromising body control. You notice a huge difference on choppier road surfaces.

The base engine in the Verano is a torque-rich 2.4-litre inline-four. It's about as quick as the ILX despite the power advantage due to the weight the Buick packs.

 

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Might as well forget that this thing has a manual mode; it's slow slow slow. Standard six-speed automatic is best left to its own devices.

One of our least-favourite details on the Verano are these chromed eyebrows. They make the tail too heavy and are quite garish.

The Verano feels simply more luxurious, though the centre stack is something of a nightmare to navigate. Despite being all-black, the cabin is more inviting and less austere in appearance.

Chromed rings around the Verano's instruments and chronograph-style markings around the outer edges give the cabin a much more luxurious feel. Attention to detail is strong in this car.

 

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They may look comfy, but these buckets are over-stuffed. And what's with the manual recline on the otherwise power driver's seat?

This is luxury: heated seats and a heated steering wheel.

The rear seats in the Verano offer more under-thigh support, due in part to the higher positioning of the bench.

A taller aperture means you can fit larger objects into the ILX's trunk more easily.

 

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Both cars come from humble roots. The ILX shares its DNA with the Honda Civic, the Buick Verano with the Chevrolet Cruze.

 

[Popeye]

I guess GM is ashamed of the engine by covering it up with all that plastic ? :001_unsure:

 

[Trentimus]

I guess GM is ashamed of the engine by covering it up with all that plastic ? :001_unsure:

This is a cheap and easy way to reduce engine noise and for the company to save money on using fancy looking engine pieces. Makes sense.

 

[garythecynic]

I sure wish Acura had invested in some "cheap and easy" solutions to the problem of "Stepping out of the silent Verano and into the ILX made us wonder if we'd left a window down."

Also, this is one of the best reviews/comparisons I have ever read.

 

[Trentimus]

I am actually in process of taking apart the car and I can see where Acura has tried and tried to reduce the noise.. it's not for a lack of trying. Something is just wrong. Something about the platform must be creating the issue. The windows also should of been thicker.

 

[Domani]

I am actually in process of taking apart the car and I can see where Acura has tried and tried to reduce the noise.. it's not for a lack of trying. Something is just wrong. Something about the platform must be creating the issue. The windows also should of been thicker.

Can you post pictures? I'd like to see what the "guts" look like. How exactly has Acura tried to reduce noise inside the cabin?

 

[Trentimus]

I can try and get some up this weekend. They placed a material that reminds me of Rhyno Liner over key points (i.e under the rear seats, fender wells, trunk), the insulated the interior pillars really well, a lot of cars have a simple moisture protector inside the door.. the acura actually had a high quality foamy sheet inside covering most of the open-air areas, and they put extra foamy material attached to the panels themselves. It obviously isn't helping a lot though.. I think the windows and tires are key points for the car as well. So far... my front doors, under rear seat, rear deck panel, and trunk are all Dynamat'd.. the results were promising.. reduced quite a bit of road noise, increased speaker clarity substantially (as expected). My front speakers sound like a whole system by themselves, I had to show my friend that it was faded to the front just to prove it to him. Cost in parts $200... will cost me about $320 before its finished and to my expectations..

Also people would be SURPRISED at the quality of the speaker material. It's actually a composite weave with urethrane surrounds, not just junky paper cones with foam surrounds. SURPRISE.

Now my sound system outperforms my old TSX Tech's speaker system. I am pleased with my work.


*** The window noise is more noteable when the road noise is reduced, unfortunatly..
I really wish I knew how to approach that subject. ***