DRIVEN + VIDEO: Consumer Reports Keeps It REAL About The Newly Refreshed 2016 Acura ILX

Acura's decision not to pursue RWD architectures made it a Japanese Mercury rather than a Japanese Mercedes.

The ILX is insultingly bad.

The last time they pressed the Civic into service as an Acura, we got the great Integra and RSX, but that was when the Civic was a driver's car and not an automotive appliance.

Acura builds low-rent crap and swears it's premium.

The last TL was disgustingly ugly. The TLX is tasteful yes, but forgettable.

The Accord is ever present in dismal RLX. In fact parking them side by side reveals that the RLX is a "Honda Avalon" at best.

Buyers should cross compare the TLX/RLX with the Genesis. They will buy the Genesis.

Consumer Reports. 'Nuff said.

Although everyone seems to knock Consumer Reports, I find them quite good at their job. There's multiple reasons for this but the two primaries:

1) They're honest and tell it like it is; and,

2) They're very in touch with the general buying public. Not everyone needs/wants an M4.

Consumer Reports is not always right, but sometimes they're very much so. In this specific case, I find it hard to argue against them.

It's also good to know that unlike other publications, Consumer Reports isn't driven my sponsorship dollars. CR makes their money from subscriber fees. For example, if GM regularly runs ads in your magazine, and therefore pumps a pile of ad revenue into your company, then you have a relationship in which it's inappropriate or at least very uncomfortable to say what you really mean about an uninspiring new car made by your sponsor. It's a common practice in sponsored media to tread gently so as not to offend your sponsor.

The MDX is the only Acura worth buying. All the other Acura products are way below par, when compares with their respective competition

Acura lost my attention long ago. It's hard to believe they were the first Japanese luxury (premium?) car maker, or that they were one at all.

sad

Nissan Versa sedan and Acura ILX hint C pillars.

Damn, I had hope... I know, you probably think I am crazy to have hope with Acura lately eh? I also find this presenter's facial expressions hilarious, and almost apologetic... He delivers the truth but sounds sad that it is so... Come on Acura!

I'd rather drive an Accord V6

How do you make a luxurious Honda Civic in the first place. Maybe that is Acura's problem in the first place. It was OK when they were making the RSX as that car was in the mid 20's and it was a development of the Integra. It was not marketed as a luxury car. However Acura has abandoned the "performance oriented sports coupe market" and decided to tackle the near luxury market. The standards are simply higher if you are going against the A3, C220, 228I etc. Further you are now listing the starting price bare bones car at 30 grand. Nobody buys a bare bones car. If the car is 33 grand with average options making a slightly nicer Honda Civic is not going to fly. That is really what this car is.
So what should Acura do? 1st-They should take a TLX chassis and cut down the length and width to produce the ILX. 2nd the ILX should offer the same level of quality plastics that are in the RLX and TLX and make sure they are in the ILX. Had Consumer Reports not given the ILX a panning as much as they did Acura might sell a bunch of these cars. However with a negative CU rating I think it might hurt sales.