Honda forms new Acura planning arm after sedan sales fall

So we now have the official article that explains the real story of Acura's focus compared to the BS article that was posted on here about Acura being completely broken.

Well, in some ways, changes like this that are occurring in Acura are an indication of a level of "brokenness". And a 10% drop in sedan sales despite the addition of the ILX and RLX to the lineup also is a telling sign of "brokenness".

I've been an Acura supporter since the day I bought my 1989 Acura Integra LS, and will continue to support them. But, yes, in many ways Acura has lost its way and the introductions of the ILX and RLX were very clear indications. The ILX's powertrain choices were/are horrible for a luxury marque. The RLX being introduced as a FWD model was a huge mistake, not to mention its polarizing styling (which I actually find much more attractive in person). If it weren't for the MDX and RDX, Acura may not be in any better position than Infiniti or Lincoln. Thank goodness whoever is making decisions on their SUV is making the right decisions.

So, going forward, it's looking much more hopeful for Acura's outlook. The TLX and NSX and, possibly, the RLX SH-AWD, based on press releases, should really inject Acura with the right "character" again, the "character" which they lost in the last decade. And modified powertrain options for the ILX should help.

Acura is a Japanese Mercury and is as redundant in every way as is the American Mercury now known as Lincoln.

I'm not sure what you are smoking, but I think you could say that about Lexus and Infiniti too then. I typically have not seen a great deal of variation between the ES 300 and Camry, or the GS 300 and the Avalon. The same can be said for Infiniti's sedans and their Nissan counterparts, or with Cadillac/Buick and Chevy. As I've said in other threads, Acura certainly has work to do, and they essentially have 5 (or 6 if you still count the TSX) products offered. Two of those products (MDX and RDX) consistently win best in class awards and are selling extremely well. When the TLX comes out in a couple months, I believe that will sell extremely well too, which really leaves the RLX and ILX as the two current products that need to be more competitive.

If I were advising Acura, they need to add more products (small CUV, NSX, TLX couple, and hybrid variations across the board), but I don't believe the current lineup is completely "broken" as some suggest. There are some "A" players in the current lineup and some "Cs" and "Ds" I think you can look at all the premium/luxury car makers and find some of their products just aren't as competitive as others in their portfolio.

They are broken when they aren't selling to consumers. No other way to put it. Yes, they are good cars, but in the premium segment, "good" just isn't good enough. For various reasons, whether it be styling, performance, drivetrains, or whatever, consumers aren't drawn to them nearly as much as their counterparts. That. Is. Broken.

Let's add perspective here. Yes, overall, sedan's were down 10%. BUT, the TL was down 28% and the TSX was down 40%. And that's after they already experienced a decrease the year ago. How much more "broken" do you feel they need to be? The TL and TSX were the BREAD AND BUTTER of the Acura lineup not even a decade ago.

B-home boy the ES is built on the Avalon platform and the GS is a stand alone Lexus product. Do some research before spouting off and making yourself look like and idiot....

Hmm, so comparing Acura to Mercury makes sense here? Some of you guys are quite ignorant when it comes to comparative analysis. As I've said before, Acura has room for improvement, but the editors on here seem to enjoy Acura bashing, while constantly praising overpriced vehicles from BMW and Mercedes. When you put up Acuras crossovers against those from BMW and Mercedes, most comparisons put the Acura on top. How could a completely broken company be leading the "premium" brands in such a growing segment? It's going to take a better brand strategy, which is what this article is actually about. BMW and Mercedes have a lock on the "prestige" factor, and people are willing to pay a premium for cars that are equal and in some cases inferior to those charging less.