I wrote an article a couple months ago regarding the new TSX and the "beak" that existed almost as an afterthought to the entire vehicle. This past week we saw the first "official" photos of the forthcoming TL. I have to be honest with you, I am not normally one to be without words, but the words that came to mind can't be printed here, and the other words just don't go far enough to express my thoughts on the new TL.
Acura is a great brand, they started the Japanese luxury assault on the USA. Agent009 and I were talking this week about how Acura really is the only upper level brand in position TODAY to address the fuel crisis, seeing as the TSX is the only small luxury sedan to offer a 4-Cylinder engine, and Honda (parent company of Acura) is the most fuel efficient car company in the USA. That technology by default makes its way into the Acura lineup and as such does offer a pretty compelling argument for at least a look at the Acura lineup.
But therein lies the problem, systematically we are seeing once great looking cars being transformed into ugly, hideous cars. It is as if each car line was taken to the tip top of the tallest ugly tree and then allowed to free fall out of the tree hitting each and every branch on the way down.
Am I being too harsh? Perhaps, but more importantly I can't stress enough that the cars themselves, at least in their prior iterations, are in fact great driving cars. I have driven the TSX, TL, RL and MDX - all are decent cars. Granted they are biased towards front wheel drive in nature and driving style, but for those who want a luxury ride that aren't as concerned about performance, it is a great choice.
BUT THE NEW CARS ARE UGLY, AND SEEM TO BE GETTING UGLIER!
If you think I am wrong that is OK, but these new cars just aren't doing anything. And of the entire lineup, only the MDX make sense visually, the rest just have a tacked on unfinished look to them.
I for one miss the clean lines of the original Legend and Integra. The second generation Legend is still a car that turns heads, especially in coupe form - a car I lusted after when I was younger. The outgoing TL is a great looking car, it still looks fresh and current even as it ends its model cycle.
I understand the need to establish a design language, but ugly shouldn't be the driving force. In preparing to write this article, I was trying to search for a design inspiration that you could suggest Acura was using to design their new lineup, and the same person (actually character) kept coming to mind - Lenny Pepperidge from the movie "Oceans 13". For those who didn't see the movie, Matt Damon wore a enlarged nose to play one of the characters in the movie, it was large and exaggerated. Of course I am being a little tongue in cheek here, but that large nose is certainly making a statement.
I am just not certain it is the right statement. Understand something here, this is MY opinion, AutoSpies.com isn't about MY opinion, it is about YOUR opinion, and as such if you think I am wrong let me know. It won't hurt my feelings either to have one or two of you agree with me, but we want to hear what you have to say.