Honda Finally Admits Acura Is Broken - What Should They Do To Fix The Brand?

Acura's US sales INCREASED by almost 6% in 2013 over 2012 (165k units vs 156k units) Not sure where the writer got a decrease of 10%.

Ummm..what? As far as I know, 009 didn't write the article.

Well first fire the intire styling department.

Start reading feedback from consumers not buying their product. Perhaps on this site to start.

Honda models have better styling. Needs a new grill badly.

De-beak and starting working on RWD.

#1 Immediately lose the beak.

#2 Drop the SHAWD name for your AWD system. Saying it's "super-handling" is very "junior high" sounding. It's AWD. Everyone has AWD. Deal with it.

#3 Don't even think of saying "Earth Dreams" to describe that your cars' ability to pass smog. Leave that low-rent nonsense to Honda.

#4 Admit that the RLX is just an Accord with a bit more leg room at double the price.

#5 Immediately cut a deal with Hyundai, Cadillac, or Jaguar for an RWD platforms source.

#6 Bring back names. Legend and Integra were good. No alphabet soup.

#7 The NSX needs to be to the penny a Stingray competitor not some wannabe Japanese Ferrari.

RWD

Allow Acura to dictate direction of Honda, rather than the reverse (as it appears).

Their SUVs sell well and are overall good vehicles, I wouldn't change anything there. The sedans on the other hand need to be redone from the ground up. They either need to be RWD, or do something like Buick (more pep than a regular car, and nicer interiors).

Just add more RWD cars. And coupe, too. What kind of a luxury brand doesn't even have a coupe?

Wow, another completely misleading title and slanted article against Acura on this site. If you read the article, it doesn't state that the product Acura is putting out is "broken," and in fact Acura is one of the most reliable and trustworthy luxury brands out there. The article is stating that Acura needs to refine/hone its marketing pitch and how its approaches the marketplace.

If I were in charge of Acura, I would focus on the following:

1. Modify the front grille. The general shape of the grille is not the turn-off for many...it's the chrome beak, which actually looks fine on the NSX.
2. Become a hybrid-leader, meaning every vehicle should have at least one hybrid, and some should have a base hybrid that gets the highest MPG as well as the SH-AWD hybrid that would be the top of the line offering.
3. When the TLX arrives this summer, Acura will only have 5 products it offers. It needs to expand its suite of cars to include 3 crossovers (I think a smaller one should be coming later this year), the 3 traditional sedans, and NSX supercar, a TLX-coupe/convertible, and possibly some funky car that is not the ZDX.
4. Continue offering the quality/reliabilty and value that Honda/Acura is known for.

not too sure about all this rear drive you guys keep talking about. they should definitely have the option, but in nyc, mercedes s550 is almost all 4matic, and so is just about every car that offers awd in ny, equipped with awd.
they really need to just focus on their designs, increase power for sure, add type S across their entire line-up or better yet create a performance line of all their cars- BRING back the Acura LEGEND as their top sedan to compete with the s550, 750LI, LS, A8, XJ8, etc..
try to stay competitive by offering more engines in each offering, look at how bmw offers the 320i, 328i, 335i,
last but not least, where the hell is an acura coupe ?? forget the NSX, most cant afford it, WHERE is a 30-50k coupe ?? where is a convertible ? seriously, a boring lineup across their entire range.
the ZDX was a nice try ( i actually like it more than the infiniti fx, and in some ways more than the x6) but price was kinda high for an underpowered car.

All of the comments here are encouraging as it seems most of us seem to want a modern day version of the old Acura, which was cool.

Many folks have commented on the beak, but Honda originally blew people off and did it their way. The 6% sales increase as you put it can be from their SUV propping up the overall numbers. Does anyone have the sales numbers from 2008 to current, on the car models TL, RL, etc. I owned a 2004 and 2006 Acura TL and loved that body style. When they grew that pointed front end and FAT a@@, I left. Honda had the perfect size car but had to grow the length.

When a person moves up from the company's base brand, Toyota ==> Lexus; Honda ==> Acura, since your paying a premium, people want to feel they are "stepping up" and getting something extra for the money they are paying. Build a RWD car; lose the beak or tweak it; put some passion in your premium car line. If they build that concept car TLX, I might buy one, but until then I'll keep driving my Audi

Easy 3 step program...1) hire current head of KIA/Hyundai design, 2) hire a lead engineer from BMW M or Mercedes AMG groups, and 3) get out of their way and let them do their thing.

many reviews have praised their "super-handling" awd.. it is actually an effective system. but still a pretty stupid name

Acura just needs to say, "F*ck it" and spend the money and time to invest in R&D of great cars. They (Honda/Acura) have proven they can do it in the past. They need to get the bean-counter mentality out of their asses and just lay down the gauntlet. The way they introduced the TLX, and the "Let The Race Begin" commercial gives me hope that they are doing exactly that. They have got to be absolutely SICK by now of the pummeling they have gotten after so many years of resounding success. Granted, they should have taken this "race" mentality with the intro of the RLX and ILX, but I think the development of both of those cars was so far gone by that point that it was too late. Acura needs to build cars that will go toe-to-toe with every major player in the market. The TLX will go head to head with the C/3/A4/ATS. The RLX SH will take on the E/5/A6/CTS. Now, Acura, get some powertrains to make the ILX competitive with the CLA. Make a coupe to take on the 4/A5/Ecoupe. Get a large SUV to take on the GL. Make a roadster to challenge the Boxster/SLK/Z4. And go global.

Acura only competes on PRICE, they have no fucking shot lining up against Benz, Audi or BMW otherwise. Christ, their flagship competes with the 5-series. Acura is a joke at this point.

BTW, the clarification here is that the "10%" drop is for its sedan sales only.

Their cars are just ugly and/or boring. If they haven't figured that out by now they deserve to fail miserably.

Acura is a Japanese Mercury is the real issue.

Ugly and boring just about says it. Many years ago I was trying to sell an old Ford van. It wouldn't sell until I repainted some areas that looked worn with rock chips & so forth. As soon as I freshened the way it looked it sold quickly. I learned through that, that most people don't care what a car drives like or how good it runs, they buy based on appearance. Why do so many manufacturers build UGLY cars and then wonder why they don't sell well. It isn't rocket science is it?

@aaronmmt Every infiniti is NOT a rebadged Nissan USA product whereas EVERY Acura is most decidedly a Honda made even uglier with a hefty price tag.

I agree on more RWD or AWD platforms and better looking front ends. I'd really like to see an Acura S3000...take the Honda S2000 to the next level. An NSX is nice but offer something that's performance oriented to sell more to the masses. A modern day Integra (both sedan and coupe) and Legend wouldn't hurt either. Those are solid names...I'm getting tired of all these number/letter combinations for cars. I would buy an ISX (Integra sedan) if it came with AWD, 220-260hp, quieter cabin, and a 6 speed manual. I always liked the TSX wagon but why also offer more power, AWD, and a 6 speed. Acura should be the anti-German but German type car maker...great performance/looks, something different, simplified packaging with less option up selling, and all without that German snob appeal.