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atomiclightbulb
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http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/06/30/acura-ilx-lower-expectations-better-results/
Dan Neil loves the K24Z7:
| The revs and widespread torque come eagerly when you call them, the engine spooling furiously to its shouty, 7,100-rpm redline. A hard upshift into second gear will coax a naughty little bark from the front tires. You won’t win many drag races in this car—0-60 mph is around 7 seconds—but the car has such a fervid, hustling personality, so much the dragonfly on a leash, you’ll hate to park it. I did. |
Among other things, Mr. Neil praised the handling, steering, ride quality, NVH, and interior of the ILX.
Today is the last day of June. I eagerly await the sales reports, LOL. Whether the numbers are good or bad, I've got a bag full of snark waiting to be unleashed.
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superchg2
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atomiclightbulb wrote:
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/06/30/acura-ilx-lower-expectations-better-results/
Dan Neil loves the K24Z7:
| The revs and widespread torque come eagerly when you call them, the engine spooling furiously to its shouty, 7,100-rpm redline. A hard upshift into second gear will coax a naughty little bark from the front tires. You won’t win many drag races in this car—0-60 mph is around 7 seconds—but the car has such a fervid, hustling personality, so much the dragonfly on a leash, you’ll hate to park it. I did. |
Among other things, Mr. Neil praised the handling, steering, ride quality, NVH, and interior of the ILX.
Today is the last day of June. I eagerly await the sales reports, LOL. Whether the numbers are good or bad, I've got a bag full of snark waiting to be unleashed.
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The 2.4 does seem to be the engine of choice for this car. As far as a bag full of snark, not one person on TOV has indicated that they may purchase an ILX any time soon. It seems like a nice car for a sorority girl, but I still think it misses the mark for enthusiast's. So, save the snark for another forum.
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ClementZ
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superchg2 wrote:
atomiclightbulb wrote:
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/06/30/acura-ilx-lower-expectations-better-results/
Dan Neil loves the K24Z7:
| The revs and widespread torque come eagerly when you call them, the engine spooling furiously to its shouty, 7,100-rpm redline. A hard upshift into second gear will coax a naughty little bark from the front tires. You won’t win many drag races in this car—0-60 mph is around 7 seconds—but the car has such a fervid, hustling personality, so much the dragonfly on a leash, you’ll hate to park it. I did. |
Among other things, Mr. Neil praised the handling, steering, ride quality, NVH, and interior of the ILX.
Today is the last day of June. I eagerly await the sales reports, LOL. Whether the numbers are good or bad, I've got a bag full of snark waiting to be unleashed.
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The 2.4 does seem to be the engine of choice for this car. As far as a bag full of snark, not one person on TOV has indicated that they may purchase an ILX any time soon. It seems like a nice car for a sorority girl, but I still think it misses the mark for enthusiast's. So, save the snark for another forum.
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But was this car intended for enthusiasts?
Many have likened this to be the supposed spiritual successor to the Integra and 1st gen TSX (I'm not sure if Honda/Acura officials have said this personally).
Perhaps it is, to the "ho-hum," base/boring Integras. We can all agree that this car doesn't even approach the Type-R Integras in terms of fun.
You say that this car really misses the mark for enthusiasts, but I'm not really sure Honda was going for them to begin with.
Because they must be kidding themselves if they are.
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THX17201
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ClementZ wrote:
But was this car intended for enthusiasts?
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No but this website is...
It's not a website for sales or fuel economy. It's for those enjoy driving their cars a little more than the masses and appreciated the Honda way of delivering of that!
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superchg2
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ClementZ wrote:
superchg2 wrote:
atomiclightbulb wrote:
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/06/30/acura-ilx-lower-expectations-better-results/
Dan Neil loves the K24Z7:
| The revs and widespread torque come eagerly when you call them, the engine spooling furiously to its shouty, 7,100-rpm redline. A hard upshift into second gear will coax a naughty little bark from the front tires. You won’t win many drag races in this car—0-60 mph is around 7 seconds—but the car has such a fervid, hustling personality, so much the dragonfly on a leash, you’ll hate to park it. I did. |
Among other things, Mr. Neil praised the handling, steering, ride quality, NVH, and interior of the ILX.
Today is the last day of June. I eagerly await the sales reports, LOL. Whether the numbers are good or bad, I've got a bag full of snark waiting to be unleashed.
|
The 2.4 does seem to be the engine of choice for this car. As far as a bag full of snark, not one person on TOV has indicated that they may purchase an ILX any time soon. It seems like a nice car for a sorority girl, but I still think it misses the mark for enthusiast's. So, save the snark for another forum.
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But was this car intended for enthusiasts?
Many have likened this to be the supposed spiritual successor to the Integra and 1st gen TSX (I'm not sure if Honda/Acura officials have said this personally).
Perhaps it is, to the "ho-hum," base/boring Integras. We can all agree that this car doesn't even approach the Type-R Integras in terms of fun.
You say that this car really misses the mark for enthusiasts, but I'm not really sure Honda was going for them to begin with.
Because they must be kidding themselves if they are.
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TOV would seem to have many enthusiast's, since no one here seems to be interested in actually buying one of these non-enthusiast ILX's.
:)
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TonyEX
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superchg2 wrote:
atomiclightbulb wrote:
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/06/30/acura-ilx-lower-expectations-better-results/
Dan Neil loves the K24Z7:
| The revs and widespread torque come eagerly when you call them, the engine spooling furiously to its shouty, 7,100-rpm redline. A hard upshift into second gear will coax a naughty little bark from the front tires. You won’t win many drag races in this car—0-60 mph is around 7 seconds—but the car has such a fervid, hustling personality, so much the dragonfly on a leash, you’ll hate to park it. I did. |
Among other things, Mr. Neil praised the handling, steering, ride quality, NVH, and interior of the ILX.
Today is the last day of June. I eagerly await the sales reports, LOL. Whether the numbers are good or bad, I've got a bag full of snark waiting to be unleashed.
|
The 2.4 does seem to be the engine of choice for this car. As far as a bag full of snark, not one person on TOV has indicated that they may purchase an ILX any time soon. It seems like a nice car for a sorority girl, but I still think it misses the mark for enthusiast's. So, save the snark for another forum.
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Hmm... I've gone on record that if next year a K24/MT6/LSD/NAVI ILX is offered, we'll swap our Si for on ILX.
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atomiclightbulb
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superchg2 wrote:
It seems like a nice car for a sorority girl, but I still think it misses the mark for enthusiast's. So, save the snark for another forum. |
You misunderstand me.
The bag of snark is for everyone here and Acura. Nobody is immune from criticism. If the ILX does well generally, but the hybrid sales tank, I will not only taunt ToV members, but mock Acura as well for bringing such a crummy hybrid to market.
If I am totally wrong on the hybrid part, then I will make fun of myself.
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DrWhiner
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superchg2 wrote:
TOV would seem to have many enthusiast's, since no one here seems to be interested in actually buying one of these non-enthusiast ILX's.
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How about Odyssey and TSX? Are they also non-enthusiast, or not?
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Potenza
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atomiclightbulb wrote:
If the ILX does well generally, but the hybrid sales tank, I will not only taunt ToV members, but mock Acura as well for bringing such a crummy hybrid to market.
If I am totally wrong on the hybrid part, then I will make fun of myself.
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As a car guy, I'm surprised you are so taken by the marketing of the word "hybrid." Do you have the same general-market thinking that hybrid = Prius = 50mpg? That's a shame, because it's this same type of thinking that made the Accord Hybrid a sales failure... when it was a car with 255hp and a 32mpg combined rating 7 years ago.
Would a 39/38mpg rating be acceptable if it was called "eAssist"? Personally, I don't think there's a lot of shame in a 38mpg combined entry level luxury car. Especially not when it can overachieve that rating, according to the TOV review in which it easily got over 43mpg.
The marketing may be flawed, the EPA rating system may be flawed, but as for actual product complaints... where are the unhappy owners? You're just an armchair critic armed with a few statistics. Without you ever so much as having sat in one, if I had to guess, I'd call any "conclusion" of yours a crummy one.
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superchg2
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TonyE wrote:
superchg2 wrote:
atomiclightbulb wrote:
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/06/30/acura-ilx-lower-expectations-better-results/
Dan Neil loves the K24Z7:
| The revs and widespread torque come eagerly when you call them, the engine spooling furiously to its shouty, 7,100-rpm redline. A hard upshift into second gear will coax a naughty little bark from the front tires. You won’t win many drag races in this car—0-60 mph is around 7 seconds—but the car has such a fervid, hustling personality, so much the dragonfly on a leash, you’ll hate to park it. I did. |
Among other things, Mr. Neil praised the handling, steering, ride quality, NVH, and interior of the ILX.
Today is the last day of June. I eagerly await the sales reports, LOL. Whether the numbers are good or bad, I've got a bag full of snark waiting to be unleashed.
|
The 2.4 does seem to be the engine of choice for this car. As far as a bag full of snark, not one person on TOV has indicated that they may purchase an ILX any time soon. It seems like a nice car for a sorority girl, but I still think it misses the mark for enthusiast's. So, save the snark for another forum.
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Hmm... I've gone on record that if next year a K24/MT6/LSD/NAVI ILX is offered, we'll swap our Si for on ILX.
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Now that's more like it, Tony E!
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THX17201
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Potenza wrote:
atomiclightbulb wrote:
If the ILX does well generally, but the hybrid sales tank, I will not only taunt ToV members, but mock Acura as well for bringing such a crummy hybrid to market.
If I am totally wrong on the hybrid part, then I will make fun of myself.
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As a car guy, I'm surprised you are so taken by the marketing of the word "hybrid." Do you have the same general-market thinking that hybrid = Prius = 50mpg? That's a shame, because it's this same type of thinking that made the Accord Hybrid a sales failure... when it was a car with 255hp and a 32mpg combined rating 7 years ago.
Would a 39/38mpg rating be acceptable if it was called "eAssist"? Personally, I don't think there's a lot of shame in a 38mpg combined entry level luxury car. Especially not when it can overachieve that rating, according to the TOV review in which it easily got over 43mpg.
The marketing may be flawed, the EPA rating system may be flawed, but as for actual product complaints... where are the unhappy owners? You're just an armchair critic armed with a few statistics. Without you ever so much as having sat in one, if I had to guess, I'd call any "conclusion" of yours a crummy one.
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Right, but this is a 111hp hybrid 7 years later...
He is speaking of sales, not performance or any other subjective criteria. He never mentioned anything about product complaints or unhappy owners. So your little rant was not relevant to his post.
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FiSH-Chan
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Potenza wrote:
Would a 39/38mpg rating be acceptable if it was called "eAssist"? |
I prefer to call it 'Power Flywheel'. Of course, need to be a nice DOHC VTEC engine with it.
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330R
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THX17201 wrote:
No but this website is...
It's not a website for sales or fuel economy. It's for those enjoy driving their cars a little more than the masses and appreciated the Honda way of delivering of that!
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Thank you for that.
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330R
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DrWhiner wrote:
superchg2 wrote:
TOV would seem to have many enthusiast's, since no one here seems to be interested in actually buying one of these non-enthusiast ILX's.
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How about Odyssey and TSX? Are they also non-enthusiast, or not?
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What did I tell you about the "Honda family"? Huh? Remember? The concept seemed to soar over your head despite the numerous examples in every American town and on this very forum - a driveway full of Hondas - Accord sedan for dad, Odyssey van or CR-V for mom, S2000 for dad's toy, Civic Si for son off at college, mower for the yard, generator for power outages.
The ILX is the right form factor for a more sport-tuned, enthusiast version. I keep saying this but some people keep plugging their ears in dismissal: Acura very well may not have intended the ILX for enthusiasts, but a car for enthusiasts is what Acura needs, to garner some damn attention, to get people interested in the f'ing brand.
For a division that's been around for 26 years, and was once master of the very segment I'm talking about, why is it left up to us to point out the obvious?!!!
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Gumbercules
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Potenza wrote:
You're just an armchair critic armed with a few statistics. Without you ever so much as having sat in one, if I had to guess, I'd call any "conclusion" of yours a crummy one.
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Great post, I think this part sums it up the best. Most people have been brainwashed by the "40MPG HWY" propaganda.
I do think the ILX Hybrid lacks something though but I can't put my finger on it.
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superchg2
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Gumbercules wrote:
Potenza wrote:
You're just an armchair critic armed with a few statistics. Without you ever so much as having sat in one, if I had to guess, I'd call any "conclusion" of yours a crummy one.
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Great post, I think this part sums it up the best. Most people have been brainwashed by the "40MPG HWY" propaganda.
I do think the ILX Hybrid lacks something though but I can't put my finger on it.
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Horsepower?
111 h.p., 2959 lbs.
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MasterOfDaDomain
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Dan Neil's article was more of a faint praise, after the recent fiascos with other Acura vehicles (he's the only one on earth who likes the ZDX). Words like low expectation and second marriage show you where this comes from. The 2.4 is a good vehicle (although a similarly priced TSX seems to make more sense); had he tested the automatic or hydrid version, I'm not sure how he'd respond.
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atomiclightbulb
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Potenza wrote:
The marketing may be flawed, the EPA rating system may be flawed, but as for actual product complaints... where are the unhappy owners? You're just an armchair critic armed with a few statistics. Without you ever so much as having sat in one, if I had to guess, I'd call any "conclusion" of yours a crummy one. |
The similar Lexus HS250h was a flop. What makes you think that the ILX will do any better? For a luxury brand with the tagline "Advance", using an old, underpowered hybrid setup just does not convey any sense of luxury.
111 horsepower in a vehicle weighing almost 3000 lbs means that this vehicle will struggle on the highway. Most reviewers have commented that the powertrain just doesn't give a lot of pull. Jeff said that it was "adequate" at best, and autoblog called the engine "passive". The battery pack in the rear reduces trunk space and blocks the rear bench from folding. I cannot recall anyone even trying to justify these shortcomings. Danielgr made the same argument you make ("you have to sit in it and drive it") but, he had no response to my arguments. None at all.
Gumbercules wrote:
Great post, I think this part sums it up the best. Most people have been brainwashed by the "40MPG HWY" propaganda.
I do think the ILX Hybrid lacks something though but I can't put my finger on it. |
Luxury to me means comfort, ease, and quality. Fewer or no compromises. The ILX Hybrid makes the driver compromise in cargo space and utility. The engine is not powerful enough to ensure an effortless driving experience. I'm not saying the ILX needs 200 HP, but it needs enough punch that turning, merging, and passing in traffic are not stressful affairs most of the time.
The overall package just does not say luxury or premium to me. If I'm paying over 30k for a car, I don't want it to be slow even by compact car standards. The 1.5L IMA VTEC is just not the right engine for a vehicle of the ILX's caliber.
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DCR
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atomiclightbulb wrote:
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/06/30/acura-ilx-lower-expectations-better-results/
Dan Neil loves the K24Z7:
| The revs and widespread torque come eagerly when you call them, the engine spooling furiously to its shouty, 7,100-rpm redline. A hard upshift into second gear will coax a naughty little bark from the front tires. You won’t win many drag races in this car—0-60 mph is around 7 seconds—but the car has such a fervid, hustling personality, so much the dragonfly on a leash, you’ll hate to park it. I did. |
Among other things, Mr. Neil praised the handling, steering, ride quality, NVH, and interior of the ILX.
Today is the last day of June. I eagerly await the sales reports, LOL. Whether the numbers are good or bad, I've got a bag full of snark waiting to be unleashed.
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I do not enjoy his writing style. I couldn't get beyond two paragraphs.
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Gumbercules
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atomiclightbulb wrote:
If I'm paying over 30k for a car, I don't want it to be slow even by compact car standards. The 1.5L IMA VTEC is just not the right engine for a vehicle of the ILX's caliber.
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I think this is what the ILX Hybrid is missing, "what am I getting for $30k?" It just needs something to make it seem like its worth its price tag, and unfortunately in this buzzword-marketing driven world nothing about it grabs any attention.
I actually think that as a hybrid it does its job. It will likely average around 38-40mpg real world for most ILX-H owners as the CR-Z has, where the regular ILX and Buick Verano will probably average around 28MPG real world for most owners. At 12,000 miles this is 112 gallons of gas that is no longer consumed, which would be significant for a luxury car if you are trying to reduce oil use for whatever reason (political, moral, environmental, etc.)
But I think most people will compare to other hybrids that get 45mpg or 50MPG+ or other small non-luxury cars that get "40MPG HWY" and the ILX-H will look below par. Add to that a near $30k price tag and the marketing faces a steep uphill climb.
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Gumbercules
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As for the non-hybrid ILX's, i would love to see a comparison review to competitors like the A3, Passat, Verano, and any I may be forgetting. These are not obviously better on price, size or content so I look forward to see how the ILX performs in comparison.
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98EX4cyl
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DCR wrote:
atomiclightbulb wrote:
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/06/30/acura-ilx-lower-expectations-better-results/
Dan Neil loves the K24Z7:
| The revs and widespread torque come eagerly when you call them, the engine spooling furiously to its shouty, 7,100-rpm redline. A hard upshift into second gear will coax a naughty little bark from the front tires. You won’t win many drag races in this car—0-60 mph is around 7 seconds—but the car has such a fervid, hustling personality, so much the dragonfly on a leash, you’ll hate to park it. I did. |
Among other things, Mr. Neil praised the handling, steering, ride quality, NVH, and interior of the ILX.
Today is the last day of June. I eagerly await the sales reports, LOL. Whether the numbers are good or bad, I've got a bag full of snark waiting to be unleashed.
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I do not enjoy his writing style. I couldn't get beyond two paragraphs.
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The intro bothered you? You should have read the ending DCR!! The article/editorial on Acura/review? oddly ended with "Love lift us up where we belong." WTF was this guy on when he wrote this???
I remember the name Dan Neil(author) but I don't remember THIS writing style. He didn't sloppily mess up facts or confuse other products like some other writers but the article was as much opinion an Acura as it was about the car.
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