1993 Acura Nsx Base Coupe 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Ludacris' Restored Acura Legend Presented at SEMA | Autoblog Minute

As Acura prepared for the 2015 SEMA show, the trade show for automotive aftermarket professionals and enthusiasts, they had a chance to take on a unique project: Restoring a damaged ?93 Acura Legend owned by Ludacris. Autoblog's Eddie Sabatini reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute, with an original interview with Ludacris. Acura Tesla Autonomous Vehicles Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video Acura Legend ludicrous mode legend

Acura is getting back into the performance game

Acura has had a tough time over the last few years determining its identity, but it seems that the brand is now settling on providing performance. At the Detroit Auto Show, Acura announced an expansion of the A-Spec trim, the revival of the Type-S moniker, and a new engine. That new engine is particularly interesting since it's a turbocharged V6, and only Acura will be using it. So don't expect to see some sort of Accord Type R with a crazy V6. Acura also revealed the engine will only be used with the company's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). Type-S is another big deal, since no Acuras have worn the badge since the 2008 Acura TL Type-S. It will be a step above the current A-Spec trim, which is mildly sporty. Past Type-S models have always had the most powerful engines available. The company didn't give an estimate for when the Type-S trim will appear, nor what model will get it first. All new Acura models will have an A-Spec option in the future. The first new A-Spec addition will be the TLX with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder. The V6 version already has an A-Spec option. After that TLX, the new RDX will launch with an available A-Spec trim. The company already announced the RDX will have a version of the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder from the Civic Type R and the Honda Accord connected with a 10-speed automatic and SH-AWD. An Acura representative said that the engine has been reworked for the RDX, and it will make more power than the Accord with the 2.0-liter engine. Related Video: