These 5 Cars Made Acura What it is Today

[cawimmer430]

And what is Acura today...? 



Link: http://www.autoblog.com/photos/these-5-cars-made-acura-what-it-is-today/

[Raza]

What is Acura today?  An embarrassing shell of what they used to be.  At least three of those cars were sports or sporty cars, four were were available with a manual, and the other was reliable, practical, no-nonsense, but not barebones, and affordable.  Now an ILX costs $28K to start and they don't sell anything with a stick. 

I honestly keep forgetting Acura exists.  And my next door neighbor has one. 

[cawimmer430]

What is Acura today?  An embarrassing shell of what they used to be.  At least three of those cars were sports or sporty cars, four were were available with a manual, and the other was reliable, practical, no-nonsense, but not barebones, and affordable.  Now an ILX costs $28K to start and they don't sell anything with a stick.

This was an interesting comment on the post.

I honestly keep forgetting Acura exists.  And my next door neighbor has one. 

[ifcar]

The MDX made Acura what it is today. The others made Acura what it used to be.

[cawimmer430]

The MDX made Acura what it is today. The others made Acura what it used to be.

One day that will be a great quote listed in a book about automotive history!

[Raza]

I think the RSX was a good car too, but I don't think we ever got a proper version of the DC5 Integra Type-R.  The DC5 ITR had like 20 more horsepower than the RSX-S, Brembos, an LSD.  It was a good looking car; perhaps insubstantial looking compared to today's monstrosities, but that could have been a real success. 

Honda just seems like a company that's out of sorts at the moment.  It feels like they were on top for so long, making great products, that they, for whatever reason, just forgot how. 

[12,000 RPM]

Yea Im gonna go ahead and say pretty much any remnant of the DNA of those cars is basically stomped out.

Only one that lives on is the MDX.

Also it was the 91-95 Legend that really cemented Acura's place in the luxury market. Acura is a completely different brand now. To be fair though, the market is very different too. The jump from an Accord to a Legend in the early 90s was huge. Now you kind of have to nitpick to find the difference between a top of the line Civic and even a TLX. That's not because Acuras have declined in luxury though. It's because the average car has become so much better. The gap has closed across the board.

[12,000 RPM]

What is Acura today?  An embarrassing shell of what they used to be.  At least three of those cars were sports or sporty cars, four were were available with a manual, and the other was reliable, practical, no-nonsense, but not barebones, and affordable.  Now an ILX costs $28K to start and they don't sell anything with a stick. 

I honestly keep forgetting Acura exists.  And my next door neighbor has one.

Eh....

A lot of this is just the market in general. Sporty cars have been in decline for the last 2 decades, largely because the average car has made huge strides in dynamics and performance. OK, an RSX Type-S is fun to drive, but a Civic Si sedan is too, and both the Civic 1.5 turbo and Accord Sport can at the minimum hang with one in a straight line and even possibly hang with one in braking and handling Stickshift prevailed for years because objectively automatics sucked by comparison. Obviously subjectively nothing will replace a stickshift, but for the typical luxury buyer that shit doesn't matter. Acura is hardly alone in your gripes... I'm pretty sure the next Q60 coupe won't have stickshift either, stomping that out at Infiniti, and you already know what is happening at BMW.

Combine higher economic constraints with crumbling infrastructure and less time.... people want cars that comfort and cosset, not goad and engage. Acura was wise to listen to the market... RSX best sales year was its debut year. It declined pretty significantly every year after in a steadyish/growing market Sucks for people like us but the market is cruel in its honesty.

Where I think Acura is truly messing up is in making its cars either completely generic or flat out ugly. They have dialed back the ugly but now they seem pretty timid in design. They peaked in design from 04-07.... they need to get that mojo back. They also need to completely revamp their infotainment system.... that thing is a complete mess and prob the top reason I wouldn't buy any current Acura.

[MX793]

This seems pertinent...

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/news/a29004/the-importance-of-being-acura/

I'm told by the people who know about these things that Acura truly exists nowadays to sell the crossovers, the MDX and the RDX. They do huge volume, and they're very profitable, and they have outstanding customer retention. The sedans are an afterthought. The coupes and hatches don't exist at all, with the exception of the new NSX. The days when Acura was the enthusiast's Honda, the Honda for the cognoscenti? They're as dead as the ain't-braggin'-if-it's-true Legend nameplate.

[12,000 RPM]

I mean, I get where dude is coming from, but at the same time, asking Acura to be more like it was in the 80s-90s is like demanding that the US economy go back to how it was in the post-war boom. We can't go back, for reasons we all know and have discussed ad nauseum. For better or worse Acura is doing exactly as it should be. We all loved the Legend, but large sedan sales have been in freefall over the last decade or so. We all loved the Integra, but let's be frank, the new Civic curb stomps the old Integra and current ILX, and I'm sure the ILX based on the 10th gen Civic will be phenomenal. And from 96-02 the only cars Acura had worth talking about were the ancient Integra and NSX. The TL and TSX only big draws over the TLX today was the availability of stickshift, which matters to an insignificant number of people, the infotainment, and the looks... the latter two I admit are legit issues. But the worst thing a volume auto manufacturer can do for its business today is cave to the juvenile demands of auto journalists. We have to face reality and adapt to it.

[Cookie Monster]

I agree, all those cars are what made Acura great. I'd love to own any of the 4 cars listed on there, and even the MDX is a great vehicle. Our family MDX is still going strong (other than the usual Honda transmission woes) and is a great ski hauler. I'm just sad that Acura exists only to peddle SUV's now.

[12,000 RPM]

The whole auto industry exists to peddle SUVs now. The only big companies that have escaped so far are Ferrari, Lambo, McLaren and Aston, and there are grumblings about Aston and Lambo throwing in the towel. It is what it is.

[MX793]

The whole auto industry exists to peddle SUVs now. The only big companies that have escaped so far are Ferrari, Lambo, McLaren and Aston, and there are grumblings about Aston and Lambo throwing in the towel. It is what it is.

None of those are big companies.  And only McLaren isn't under the umbrella of a larger automotive company.

[12,000 RPM]

None of those are big companies.  And only McLaren isn't under the umbrella of a larger automotive company.

They are big compared to kit car companies and the like.

[Raza]

None of those are big companies.  And only McLaren isn't under the umbrella of a larger automotive company.

Who owns Aston now? Aren't they still owned by Prodrive and/or Kuwaiti oil?

[MX793]

Who owns Aston now? Aren't they still owned by Prodrive and/or Kuwaiti oil?

Some Italian equity fund owns the largest stake in them now.

[SJ_GTI]

I feel like this thread title should have had a "You'll be surprised at car #3!!!" at the end.

[Laconian]

What made Acura the car it is today?

The TL, the RL, the CR-V based RDX, just one forgettable third tier lux car after another.

[12,000 RPM]

I think Acura makes good cars for a certain kind of person. A CR-V is not enough for me, but an X3 3.0i is like $60K. RX350 is close but still too much. I can do an RDX. Same with Lincoln... not everyone wants or is willing to make financially irresponsible decisions to get in a Benz/Bimmer but mainstream rides are kind of blah

[MX793]

What made Acura the car it is today?

The TL, the RL, the CR-V based RDX, just one forgettable third tier lux car after another.

The first 2 generations of TL were a bit bland to look at, but supposedly drove quite well.  The 2nd gen TL-S was a C&D darling.  The third generation was both attractive and a good driver.  Then the 4th generation came out...