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TSX69
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2013 Acura ILX vs. 2012 Honda Civic: Which Would You Buy?
I've driven an ILX 2.0 automatic and the 2012 Civic, and I can tell you there's a legitimate, tangible reason for the price increase of the ILX over the Civic, other than upgrading to Acura's more exclusive marque.
Whereas the Civic felt coarse, loud and unrefined, the ILX had a sophisticated-sounding engine note, an overall quieter ride and a more refined suspension. The ILX feels more powerful at launch, exterior wind noise was more subdued, and the steering was indeed snappier than the Civic's. Still, some of the Civic's flaws carry over to the ILX, including pronounced tire noise, which is a deal breaker during my commute. The standard power moonroof also encroached on headroom — my head often touched the ceiling from my desired seating position.
Despite those flaws, the more refined-feeling cabin — still replete with hard-to-the-touch materials, though — and the better driving experience are worth the extra $2,295 to me, especially if you're considering one of these two as your daily driver. Which sedan would you rather buy?
 
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benbess
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I think the price difference is closer to $4000.
But yes, I think for many it will be worth it. There are upgrades inside and out that seem to make it worth that much.
Let's see--all new exterior styling, a little longer and wider, that's probably worth a grand. Lots of interior upgrades and restyles. Ditto. 2k right there. Larger and more powerful engine is probably worth 600 or so. Better wheels, tires, suspension, brakes, insulation, fog lights, etc, etc., probably another 1400 or so.
I think it's a compelling package for the price. Although as a lover of manuals the only one that really tempts me is the 2.4. And the price premium of that one over the Si seems pretty high...
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superchg2
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The 2012 Civic EX has an MSRP of 20,655 compared to $25,900 for the ILX, so that works out to about a $5,245 price difference.
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VTEC_Inside
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benbess wrote:
I think it's a compelling package for the price. Although as a lover of manuals the only one that really tempts me is the 2.4. And the price premium of that one over the Si seems pretty high...
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The 2.4L was the only one that appealed to me as well. I didnt care about the neutered K as much in something like the ILX. However that doesnt change the fact that I would drive it agressively and the deletion of the LSD officially made me lose interest.
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DrWhiner
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Does the 20,655 Civic have every feature standard in a 25,900 ILX ???
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Midi_Amp
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benbess wrote:
I think the price difference is closer to $4000.
But yes, I think for many it will be worth it. There are upgrades inside and out that seem to make it worth that much.
Let's see--all new exterior styling, a little longer and wider, that's probably worth a grand. Lots of interior upgrades and restyles. Ditto. 2k right there. Larger and more powerful engine is probably worth 600 or so. Better wheels, tires, suspension, brakes, insulation, fog lights, etc, etc., probably another 1400 or so.
I think it's a compelling package for the price. Although as a lover of manuals the only one that really tempts me is the 2.4. And the price premium of that one over the Si seems pretty high...
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Don't forget the active noise cancellation, and more use of high tensile steel. For whatever money worth, this car looks like a good bargain from the Civic. Any reviewers said that this car is just a dressed up Civic are just disappointed it's not a 2013 Integra, they can buy the BRZ/FRS and asked their in laws to ride on a bus.
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99SI
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I just wish they would have done something to differentiate the 2.4 from the si in the powertrain dept. Ie back in the day the GS-R had a 1.8 vs the 1.6 in the si which obviously meant more hp and tq. I know it sounds silly but if they had pulled 220hp it would have been plenty to do just that.
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A77
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If you read the car.com article almost every positive comment has a negative qualification. Like all the ILX reviews nothing is outstanding, really good, amazing, whatever. The reviewer even qualifies its gearchange, which is ridiculous, but indicates his overall mindset. Negative. Surely to sell well there needs to be a wow factor somewhere. Be it styling, price, space, interior features/quality, refinement, performance, economy. the only wow I can see here is that the base ILX is 10Gs more than the base Civic. In Canada it is just about twice the price. For that it needs to be really special surely.
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benbess
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A77 wrote:
If you read the car.com article almost every positive comment has a negative qualification. Like all the ILX reviews nothing is outstanding, really good, amazing, whatever. The reviewer even qualifies its gearchange, which is ridiculous, but indicates his overall mindset. Negative. Surely to sell well there needs to be a wow factor somewhere. Be it styling, price, space, interior features/quality, refinement, performance, economy. the only wow I can see here is that the base ILX is 10Gs more than the base Civic. In Canada it is just about twice the price. For that it needs to be really special surely.
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yeah, I basically agree with this. Honda used to produce products that were WOW from the get go. But I still have hope. I think they're getting their mojo back. The ILX is very good right now. And once it gets a slightly better engine and transmission I think it will be a wow car that sells very well...
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aznxthuggie
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"Still, some of the Civic's flaws carry over to the ILX, including pronounced tire noise, which is a deal breaker during my commute."
So road noise is still a problem? Disappointing.
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Hondarulez
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Hmm...I find that tire noise is mainly down to..obviously tires....I'm not sure why Honda keeps using those Michelins that are low on grip and are noisy....
One of the easiest things to do to improve handling and tire noise would be to get some better tires.
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CarmB
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A77 wrote:
If you read the car.com article almost every positive comment has a negative qualification. Like all the ILX reviews nothing is outstanding, really good, amazing, whatever. The reviewer even qualifies its gearchange, which is ridiculous, but indicates his overall mindset. Negative. Surely to sell well there needs to be a wow factor somewhere. Be it styling, price, space, interior features/quality, refinement, performance, economy. the only wow I can see here is that the base ILX is 10Gs more than the base Civic. In Canada it is just about twice the price. For that it needs to be really special surely.
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That's not a fair comparison because the equipment list is dramatically different. Of course a stripped down Civic would cost substantially less. After all, a stripped down Civic costs substantially less than a range-topping Civic. Here in Canada the base model lists for $14,900 compared to the EX-L listing at #24,390. Even for the base ILX to be, as you put it, twice the price of the base Civic, that would mean an MSRP of $29,800. The ILX MSRP isn't that high.
It appears that the ILX is a decent product that, all things considered, is reasonably priced. I think the problem is that many were hoping for something else, namely a car costing less than $30,000 that is a blast to drive. The ILX is not that car and that doesn't mean it is a failure. Honda did not set out to make the affordable fun ride many seek. They set out to make a premium-grade compact with a practical side.
There is a place for such a car in the Acura range. It makes sense. I do think, though, that the company could used a fun sub-$30,000 product. For that matter, the Acura line could use a fun drive at any price point. Such a car aimed at volume sales would be great. We are going to get a technological tour de force in the next NSX and that's great. But something lower in the food chain would be great, too.
I had hoped the ILX would be it but now that it's clear it isn't, I can see Honda's logic in offering the ILX. It doesn't do what I think is needed but it does serve a useful purpose.
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A77
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With freight the ILX is 29800 give or take a few dollars - but sure the Civic is 16,500 with freight so my math was off. i just find this "sure it isnt the value proposition that the Civic is but we only intend to sell 40,000 anyway" thinking very strange. Its not different from saying - sure its not great value but we'll sell enough of them. I do think that if the car had more Wow about it it would sell more. And generate more profit. I have to replace my TSX early in 2014 and this just looks a retrograde step. and I may not be able to go up to a TL or RDX as they cost so much more. A lot of other TSX owners in the same boat I would think. I'll drive it though and see what I think - but just from sitting in one, and having read all the reviews... that's where I am.
I am totally with you on Acura needing to make a sub 30,000 car that is a blast to drive - but it could be more practical than this and look better and be more of a blast to drive. Just make it a hatch for one. Get Neal to design it, Owe to do the engineering, and Shawn to fine tune the engine and hey presto. Sorted.
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NealX
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A77 wrote:
Get Neal to design it, Owe to do the engineering, and Shawn to fine tune the engine and hey presto. Sorted.
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That sounds like a great plan! ;-)
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Hondarulez
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A77 wrote:
With freight the ILX is 29800 give or take a few dollars - but sure the Civic is 16,500 with freight so my math was off. i just find this "sure it isnt the value proposition that the Civic is but we only intend to sell 40,000 anyway" thinking very strange. Its not different from saying - sure its not great value but we'll sell enough of them. I do think that if the car had more Wow about it it would sell more. And generate more profit. I have to replace my TSX early in 2014 and this just looks a retrograde step. and I may not be able to go up to a TL or RDX as they cost so much more. A lot of other TSX owners in the same boat I would think. I'll drive it though and see what I think - but just from sitting in one, and having read all the reviews... that's where I am.
I am totally with you on Acura needing to make a sub 30,000 car that is a blast to drive - but it could be more practical than this and look better and be more of a blast to drive. Just make it a hatch for one. Get Neal to design it, Owe to do the engineering, and Shawn to fine tune the engine and hey presto. Sorted.
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In your case, you probably want the TSX to stay so that you can buy the next gen!
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CarmB
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A hatch with some serious performance characteristics would slot in nicely I would think and is doable for in around the $30,000 mark. Such a car in five-door form would strike me as a more logical follow-up to the sedan than either a coupe or a sports wagon. The reason is that such a distinct product would appeal to a somewhat different crowd than the ILX sedan.
Yet it doesn't seem as if Honda sees the merit in developing such a product That's a shame, really, because it seems to me to be a missed opportunity that could, if done right, invigorate the Acura brand.
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benbess
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That would be interesting. I wonder if they could bundle it with Navi for 30k. Might be quite a popular product...
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CarmB
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benbess wrote:
That would be interesting. I wonder if they could bundle it with Navi for 30k. Might be quite a popular product...
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There is a way that would work for me but might not be acceptable to a lot of others. No leather and no sunroof. I would gladly forego both and in the case of the sunroof there would also be a weight reduction and added head room.
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NealX
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CarmB wrote:
A hatch with some serious performance characteristics would slot in nicely I would think and is doable for in around the $30,000 mark. Such a car in five-door form would strike me as a more logical follow-up to the sedan than either a coupe or a sports wagon. The reason is that such a distinct product would appeal to a somewhat different crowd than the ILX sedan.
Yet it doesn't seem as if Honda sees the merit in developing such a product That's a shame, really, because it seems to me to be a missed opportunity that could, if done right, invigorate the Acura brand.
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Just your luck...I just completed a true ILX 5-door hatch concept image which we will be posting soon! The best qualities of a sedan and the practicality of a hatchback with a sweeping (A7-like) roof line. Jeff might not even hit his head on the roof liner sitting in the back seat. ;-)
I'd say it's better looking than the true wagon I rendered some time ago. And yet another "very-doable concept" many (including myself) would buy - today. It rules.
Stay tuned...
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CarmB
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Neal wrote:
CarmB wrote:
A hatch with some serious performance characteristics would slot in nicely I would think and is doable for in around the $30,000 mark. Such a car in five-door form would strike me as a more logical follow-up to the sedan than either a coupe or a sports wagon. The reason is that such a distinct product would appeal to a somewhat different crowd than the ILX sedan.
Yet it doesn't seem as if Honda sees the merit in developing such a product That's a shame, really, because it seems to me to be a missed opportunity that could, if done right, invigorate the Acura brand.
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Just your luck...I just completed a true ILX 5-door hatch concept image which we will be posting soon! The best qualities of a sedan and the practicality of a hatchback with a sweeping (A7-like) roof line. Jeff might not even hit his head on the roof liner sitting in the back seat. ;-)
I'd say it's better looking than the true wagon I rendered some time ago. And yet another "very-doable concept" many (including myself) would buy - today. It rules.
Stay tuned...
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I'm looking forward to seeing it.
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