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Honda reports $1.9 billion profit in first quarter despite sales lag at home

Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have been living in a world of sunshine and buttercups after their April-through-June financials hit the newswire, and Toyota is doing pretty good as well. Honda? Not so much.
While Japan's third-largest manufacturer saw $1.9 billion in profits, the 5.1-percent jump was lower than expected thanks to a drop in its home-market sales. US sales also took a sting, as Honda hasn't been able to match the SUV and truck demand that are currently permeating the American market, despite an uptick in Accord sales.
Honda's initial forecasts targeted a take of 209.3 billion yen ($2.1 billion at today's rates), and while a $200 million shortfall is nothing to sniff at, we'd hardly take this as Honda being in trouble. And even with the dip, Honda hasn't adjusted its forecast for the fiscal year, which remains at 780 billion yen ($7.9 billion).

2021 Acura TLX Review | Back to the future

The best-selling luxury car used to be an Acura. The brand's combination of reliability, quality, design and driving dynamics clearly resonated with buyers. In the past decade-plus, however, those last two elements stopped resonating, while the Acura brand subsequently lost its luxury luster. Simply put, the 2021 Acura TLX is intended to turn things around. Its look is bold and athletic in a way not seen since the best-selling TL of the 2000s, while its long-hood/short-deck proportions are like no Acura that's come before. Although they're usually indicative of a rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan, the TLX remains based on a front-wheel-drive architecture with Acura's brilliant Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. A return to a double-wishbone front suspension ensures truly charismatic handling. That architecture is also unique to Acura as opposed to being related to the Honda Accord. All of the above adds up to a new TLX that's a far more compelling and competitive luxury sedan. If you're considering a BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 or Mercedes-Benz C-Class, it's definitely worth expanding beyond the German borders and giving Acura a try. It's different to be sure, but different can be good, especially for driving enthusiasts who've seen some zest ooze out of the 3 Series in recent generations. Even its interior is suitably luxurious in quality and distinctive in appearance – it looks like nothing else out there and, importantly, doesn't give off the vibe of an Accord in dress pants. While we're not ready to declare it any sort of class leader, it's worthy of playing with the big boys. What's new for 2021? The TLX was completely redesigned for 2021. What's the TLX interior and in-car technology like? The TLX cabin has a modern, high-tech look that won't be confused with something in a European luxury sedan. Materials quality is excellent, while padded simulated leather on the dash and doors provides an undeniable air of luxury. There are style differences between trim levels as well, most notably the open pore wood trim and ambient lighting in the Advance (above left) and the A-Spec's sport gauges, unique aluminum trim and available red leather (above right). There's still some switchgear shared with Honda – particularly the annoying push-button shifter – but at least Honda makes some nice switchgear.  There are notable, Acura-only exceptions to that. First is the large silver knob prominently placed on the center stack that controls the car's driving modes.

2016 Acura ILX, for better or worse [UPDATE]

Unfortunately, the slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission has been discontinued. UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the 2.4-liter engine in the 2016 ILX is the same unit found in the Honda Civic Si. The ILX's new engine is the same direct-injected four-cylinder found in the new TLX. The text has been edited to reflect this. "It's just a badge-engineered Honda Civic." This (uninformed) criticism has been leveled at the Acura ILX since the premium compact arrived on the scene to duke it out with the Buick Verano and, more recently, the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA-class. For model year 2016, Acura will attempt to address the car's critics, issuing a major reshuffle of the sedan's lineup along with the typical sheen of a mid-cycle refresh. Following up on the discontinuation of the ILX Hybrid for 2015, Acura is dispatching the antiquated pairing of the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder and five-speed automatic for 2016, and simply slotting in the standard powertrain of the TLX. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder produces 201 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, with peak output arriving at 3,600 rpm. The ILX also benefits from the same eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission found in the TLX. Unfortunately, the slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission we've always enjoyed has been discontinued. Sad trombone, indeed. Powertrain tweaks aside, Acura has issued a pretty handsome freshening for 2016. The ILX was always a handsome offering, but the new front and rear clips are improvements. Acura's love-it-or-hate-it JewelEye headlights have been grafted onto the ILX, while the grille, a traditional weak point for the brand, is perhaps one of the best we've seen out of the company in several years. The rear taillights also received some attention, although it was the back bumper that saw the biggest update, with the lower section getting a sportier look. Acura will also add a new A-Spec package for 2016, which replaces the standard 17-inch wheels with 18s, adds "Euro-style" stitching to the steering wheel and adds black Lux Suede inserts to the seats, along with a flurry of smaller aesthetic tweaks. The A-Spec can be added alongside the existing Premium and Technology Packs. Acura hasn't released any interior images as of this writing, although we'll be sure to snap a few following today's debut conference at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Until then, scroll down for the official press release from Acura.