[cfrp]

There are far too many people who think the ILX is a bad value. "30K FOR A 150HP CAR?!" Yep we've all seen it before..

Of course VALUE is different depending on who you ask.. What I might find valuable could be garbage to you.. Those of us who bought an ILX obviously have our own reasons for value and found the ILX to be a good enough value to buy.

Personal reasons of value aside.... Most of the consumers obviously feel the ILX is still not a good enough value to buy.. Weak sales.. 50/50 reception from the media.. criticism on forums..

If you were Acura.. What would you do to make the ILX a better value without changing the price? How do you make the ILX more competitive? I am interested to know what people think would make the ILX a better value to the point where they would buy it.. Of course we have to be REALISTIC. No car is perfect. Even competitors that seem better value vs the ILX will have downfalls. And we have to keep in mind the TSX and TL.. You can't make the ILX too good or it would just water down the TSX sales.

If I were to give a recommendation to Acura.. I'd scrap the base 2.0L motor and transmission..

Make the base a 2.4L automatic 5 speed. Similar to the TSX.. To seperate the TSX from the ILX keep the ILX interior the way it is.. People complain about manual seats on the passenger of the ILX.. Well keep it that way.. I'd take 2.4L auto over electric seats anyday. And if that cost too much throw the accord 2.4L earthdreams with CVT in the base! That will be just as lovely.

The ILX is suppose to replace the CSX or the RSX.. Well what do the CSX and RSX have in common that the ILX doesn't? A type S.. I really do think they should release a Type S version.. It will likely cost more than the current 2.4L 6 speed but I don't think people will complain too much. If they can make it a coupe and make it even lighter it would likely be even more desirable. Those worried about practicality should just get the base model 5 speed auto. Throw an LSD on the car! Add an A Spec lip kit as an option! A spec rims! Throw sportier seats on the Type S. It should feel and drive like a premium Civic Si.

Anyone agree with me? Am I asking for too much?

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[ilx_stylez]

I totally agree with dropping the 2.0L engine and transmission. What I was really thinking is to drop the current 2.4L to the 2.0L price range and Acura should make a type s line to replace the current highest trim. But then they would have to make the 2.4L base with a automatic transmission as well. And having A spec lip kits and accessories would help bring in other revenues.

 

[cfrp]

In terms of cost of manufacturing I don't see why it wouldn't be viable to slap the Accords earth dreams CVT 2.4L in the ILX. If other manufacturers can offer larger and more powerful engines I don't see why Acura wouldnt be able to.

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[AcuraPWR]

I never seen a point in the Acura ILX 2.0-Liter engine. I also rather have the 2.4-Liter engine with a manual transmission and automatic transmission on a base model, then something better for the Type S trim. A 2.4-Liter turbo maybe?

 

[Trentimus]

Use the 2.4 ED motor with CVT to replace the 2.0L
Type-S replace 2.4 model. (just add rims, spoiler, suspension, exhaust cut out, and sold)
Turn signal mirrors, memory seats, and Home link (all models)

That's my list.

 

[Popeye]

Type-S ?..........nah I say one more step. Type-R............Brembo 6-piston brakes, Recaro pole-position seats, carbon/kevlar boot and bonnet, close ratio 6sp trans with LSD. Lite weight 18" wheels from RAY'S, and a 20hp boost by tweaking the exhaust and remapping the fuel tables.

Oh and offer it one way Championship white with red interior.

I hope John Mendel and his sheep in Torrance read this

 

[cfrp]

hahaaha. we can all dream.

If they brought a type r to north america I think it would sell.. I think they should do it!!

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[ilx_stylez]

Type-S ?..........nah I say one more step. Type-R............Brembo 6-piston brakes, Recaro pole-position seats, carbon/kevlar boot and bonnet, close ratio 6sp trans with LSD. Lite weight 18" wheels from RAY'S, and a 20hp boost by tweaking the exhaust and remapping the fuel tables.

Oh and offer it one way Championship white with red interior.

I hope John Mendel and his sheep in Torrance read this

Now that will be interesting forsure but is that drawing in the right crowd and if yes will there be sales in that market? I think Acura is maybe steering away from the tuner friendly car and sticking with its classy luxury rep. I mean dont get me wrong i would love to have all those things but really when you really out it in to perspective I think this stuff is only appealing to certain crowds.

 

[TexasFright]

I enjoy my 2.0 ILX. It still surprises me majority of reviews I read are negative on it. I don't think 30k is too pricey for my premium. I mean c'mon the damn chevy dealers have Cruze LTZ's in the 27-28k range lol. I'd rather have a Acura then a Cruze. I fought hard between the ILX 2.0 premium and a Kia Optima SX which was 3k less. I drove both, debated both and parts of me enjoyed the KIA more (Space and Turbo motor mainly) but in the end the allure of an Acura sucked me in lol. I also have a 2011 Camaro with the 312hp 3.6 with some minor mods so the whole speed thing is not a big deal as I can just drive that If i'm feeling suacy, though I think the 2.0 should have never been in this car just the 2.4

 

[ToyMachine]

30k is not bad for what your getting. Plus. It is the brand, Targeted to those buyers who doesn't mind spending a little more for something different. First of all I think i'm one of those who are fairly picky. I like owning a car that is not seen on every corner of the street and something that isn't build out of toothpicks. Engine wise.....who cares. It is a daily car on the weekends a whip out my sporty car.

 

[Popeye]

Now that will be interesting forsure but is that drawing in the right crowd and if yes will there be sales in that market?

Everyone laments the loss of the Integra and to a lesser extent the RSX so I say yes. Bringing some "lust" to the brand would inject new life into it.A 100K NSX is one way but I think you want the 18-25 group to "want" an Acura too.

 

[JDMKid]

Everyone laments the loss of the Integra and to a lesser extent the RSX so I say yes. Bringing some "lust" to the brand would inject new life into it.A 100K NSX is one way but I think you want the 18-25 group to "want" an Acura too.

A 100k Acura NSX is a great starting point, something we'll see in the near future. Even more importantly is the technology from the 100k NSX being trickled down to more mainstream cars like our ILX.

Since the ILX is still new, Acura might be "milking" us for the time being before offering better performing models. This will be most likely a 5-6 production run vehicle so they do need to stretch out their ideas quite a bit.

 

[Trentimus]

With the likes of the 200, Verano, 1-Series, CLA, 200H, and even their own Accord.. they better not stretch too hard.

 

[garythecynic]

NEEDS:

1. Make it quieter. If I didn't care, I wouldn't be shopping luxury. And claiming "entry-level" luxury rather than "fullblown" luxury is not a good enough excuse for a car that costs $7k more than the Civic Si sedan. That is real money that real people work hard for.

2. Give it 60/40 split folding seats. I consider this a basic feature in today's world. This is not luxury. This is just plain and simple utilitarian. The ILX has very limited cargo room as it is. Even Honda's own Civic EX sedan offers 60/40 folding seats.

In short, think about what luxury means at a bare minimum - quiet, comfortable, competent performance.

WANT(S):

3. Give me an attractive cloth option for the 2.4L Premium for less money. I understand that leather is considered attractive, but I find it much less practical. Black leather seats on a hot summer day are a terrible idea that everybody somehow has agreed to put up with. Technically, I could keep a stack of towels in the car to spread over the seats and seatbacks for summer driving...

Also, I have very rarely seen leather age well. Sure, maybe the owners aren't maintaining the leather, but it appears that very few owners actually do. I thought people bought Hondas because they were low-maintenance...

4. I want the two-tone interior for the 2.4L Premium also. Considering the interior paneling is shared between all 3 trims, then it follows that there should be no cost penalty incurred by Acura.

 

[cfrp]

Strange list of wants. Never heard of someone wanting a fabric option on an Acura. I think most people wouldn't be too happy about that.

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[Popeye]

WANT(S):

3. Give me an attractive cloth option for the 2.4L .............

Alcantara would work beautifully....if It's good enough fro Porsche it's good enough for me

 

[acura-dude77]

Everyone laments the loss of the Integra and to a lesser extent the RSX so I say yes. Bringing some "lust" to the brand would inject new life into it.A 100K NSX is one way but I think you want the 18-25 group to "want" an Acura too.

Bringing interest to this age group would generate a lot of potential in sales for them. But it almost seems like Acura doesnt want that for their brand. I think they are done with the Tuner reputation.

 

[Trentimus]

Just some input for thought

The 2012 TSX
In Edmunds testing, a manual four-cylinder TSX sedan loped to 60 mph from a standstill in an unremarkable 7.7 seconds.
The automatic sedan and Sport Wagon both crossed the lights about a second slower.
(The ILX manual makes 60 in 7.1 sec; the 2.0L makes it in 9 sec.. that's ONLY .3 seconds slower.. BUT it's 50 less hp.)

In Edmunds brake testing, both the four- and six-cylinder versions of the TSX stopped from 60 mph in 133 feet.
(The ILX manual 2.4 stops @ 130 feet; the 2.0L @ 121 feet)

EPA fuel economy estimates for the four-cylinder automatic TSX sedan are 22 mpg city/31 mpg highway and 26 combined; the manual version drops to 21/29/24.
(The ILX Manual makes 22/31/25; the ILX 2.0L makes 24/35/28)

So, in short there is nothing to complain about. You'd never notice on a butt-dyno or highway pass the .3 slower 0-60 from the "appropriate 201hp for it's class" vs the 150hp underpowered sedan. You would be stopping 12 feet sooner which is the difference in a dramatic crash. And, you get 2 more mpg... all of which can be had for $3000 (or more) dollars less than a TSX. That's not to mention you get a car that is styled for 2013 and not 2004-2009, and you gain the simple technology features of '13 like push button start and keyless entry.. I don't get all the fuss and I am not saying the ILX doesn't need improvement but..

**All of this information is based on Edmunds testing information for fairness**

 

[cfrp]

I think people who are complaning are comparing the base ILX to the competitors.

I've been doing research on the new CLA and it looks like a very interesting car.

2.0L 4 Cylinder Turbo. Around 200hp 250lbs of torque. Interior and exterior seem to be very nice and it starts at 29k.


The ILX is the apparent Integra/RSX/CSX replacement but I think it needs to live up to its elders as the RSX/Integra/CSX sold relatively well.

One thing I never understood is why Acura doesn't put LSDs in their FWD cars. How come other markets and even the Honda equivalents get LSDs and the premium Acuras dont.

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[Trentimus]

LSD in FWD cars causes a jerky feeling in regular driving sometimes.

And, I understand its about the base ILX.. the CLA I promise wont be loaded at 29K.. we don't know anything truthfully about the CLA.