2007 - Acura Mdx on 2040-cars

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Acura NSX electric revival? 'I would bet on it'

This year marks the end of the Acura NSX as we know it. Its swan song, the 600-horsepower 2022 Type S, saw only 300 made for the U.S. market, and all of them sold out in 24 hours. It's barely disappeared over the horizon, but Acura's V.P. and brand officer is already previewing the NSX's third act. Speaking with Nikkei Asia, Jon Ikeda was asked whether a third generation NSX was forthcoming. "I would bet on it," he said. Ikeda also predicted that if the wager lands in his favor, "it's going to be [all-]electric." This falls in line with statements Ikeda made a year ago. At the time, he explained that the NSX emerges when parent company Honda wants to make a statement: The first generation was Honda's vision for an F1-derived petrol-powered supercar; the second generation arrived as an affordable hybrid halo car in the age of gasoline-electrics. He didn't elaborate on the third generation's powertrain back then, but this time Ikeda was more adamant about electric power.  Part of Ikeda's certainty, the article states, comes from global CEO Toshihiro Mibe's commitment to electrify Honda's lineup. Soon after taking the top job in April 2021, Mibe announced plans to convert Honda's entire lineup to EVs and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2040. As for what kind of car an electric NSX would be, Ikeda has some ideas. "It won't be just about straight lines," he told Nikkei Asia. Blistering acceleration is already common in the electric supercar world, so Acura would need to bring something novel to the table. Ikeda wants the NSX to be a technological showcase for ultimate handling as well, something the outgoing NSX did with its driver-focused Super Handling AWD system.  We've long bemoaned how the new breed of electrified supercars have incredible specs on paper, but somehow don't feel as engaging to drive. That's a niche Acura could fill. In the often contentious give and take between American Honda and Honda Motor's engineering departments, the Japan mothership tends to win out. However, these days Honda barely sells anything beyond kei cars in Japan. It's up to leaders like Ikeda and those who understand the U.S. market to drag the company toward the performance-minded engineering philosophies Old Man Soichiro founded his business on. Related video:

2023 Acura Integra Review: Can it possibly fill an icon's shoes?

Pros: Civic Si performance with greater refinement; sweet manual transmission; thrifty fuel economy; versatile hatchback Cons: Underwhelming base equipment; cramped rear headroom; some cheap interior bits in back; a CVT, really? For those of a certain age and/or certain automotive fandom, the 2023 Acura Integra represents the return of an icon. Yes, the Integra is back, and as it was in the very beginning, it’s a four-door hatchback that can be both an enthusiastsÂ’ darling or just a well-made, well-equipped compact car for those who want something a little more premium than a Honda Civic. And that last comparison is key, because the Acura Integra is basically a Honda Civic thatÂ’s been thoroughly worked over with a totally different body, stiffer structure and different(ish) interior. Admittedly, the Civic is a great place to start, as itÂ’s a terrific little sedan/hatchback that arguably outpaces its competition and does a pretty good job of being a well-made, well-equipped compact car itself. There really wasnÂ’t that much for Acura to do to rework the cabin for luxury duty, though itÂ’s certainly best realized with the optional Technology package and there are some areas (like the back seat) where the luxury touches could have been further applied. From a mechanical perspective, the Integra specifically builds off the Civic Si. It has the same 200-horsepower turbocharged engine and front-wheel drive, but with a saucier exhaust and CVT as standard. A six-speed manual is available, but only on the range-topping A-Spec with Technology package. The A-SpecÂ’s adaptive dampers also do a better job of both road-holding and ride comfort. Honestly, thereÂ’s nothing wrong at all with seeing the Integra as a more refined Civic Si. As it was in the past, the new Integra is both a luxury-adjacent sedan and a sport compact car. That means it can be a ritzier alternative to the Civics of the world, a more budget-conscious alternative to the Audi A3s, or Acura/HondaÂ’s answer to the Volkswagen GTI and GLI. No matter what you compare it to, though, we think the new Integra is a winner. Welcome back, old friend.   Interior & Technology   |   Passenger & Cargo Space   |   Performance & Fuel Economy What it's like to drive   |   Pricing & Trim Levels   |   Crash Ratings & Safety Features What's new for 2023? The Integra is an all-new model. It technically replaces the ILX, however, which was similarly a Civic-based compact Acura.

Lexus gets top brand marks from Consumer Reports; Ford, Jeep hit hard

Consumer Reports has released its 2014 Car Brand Report Cards, with Lexus again reigning at the top and doing so with the same industry-topping score of 79 that it registered in last year's Report Cards. This year, the institute credited its lineup for being "usually quiet, comfortable, and fuel-efficient," noting it's the only brand on the list "to achieve an excellent average overall reliability score." The Car Brand Report Cars list is meant to rank the best all-around vehicles based on CR testing and reliability results tallied by subscribers it surveyed. Each brand included must have sufficient test and reliability data for at least three models, a standard which left out 11 marques including Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover and Porsche.
This 2014 Brand Report Cars edition is the first of a new format in which sub-brands have been broken out from their parent brands, with Acura using this year to move up the leaderboard into second place with a score of 75 for its "reliable, well-finished and somewhat sporty models." The top three was rounded out by Audi, climbing from eighth to third by scoring a 74 for "well-crafted interiors, nice handling and good gas mileage." Audi scored highest in the road-test portion, its improved reliability aiding its rise. The top nine was completed by Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz.
Ford and Jeep weighed in at the other end of the rankings, Jeep taking the lowest overall score in the road tests and hampered by "a mix of spotty reliability." Ford was sunk by reliability issues with its MyFord Touch infotainment system which consumers found troublesome enough to negate its cars earning "solid test scores" for being "very nice to drive." Perhaps the rumored switch from Microsoft to Blackberry's QNX for the next generation SYNC will help them out. Cadillac's score also took a hit for infotainment reasons after it was the leading US brand last year, the CUE system in the XTS dragging Cadillac to the bottom of all General Motors brands.