2006 Acura Tsx Base Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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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.

Acura replaces chief Accavitti with designer Ikeda

Acura is shaking up its senior leadership, as Honda ushers the current chief of its luxury division out the door and replaces him with a new one. Exiting stage left is Mike Accavitti, who held the reins at the premium automaker as its senior vice president and general manager of the Acura division. Taking his place will be Jon Ikeda, one of the Japanese automaker's most senior designers. Accavitti (pictured above at left) had been promoted to the job from his previous position as senior vice president of auto operations after Honda separated the Acura brand into its own division. He had previously served as a senior executive at Chrysler, rising up the ranks to run the Dodge brand, and joined Honda in 2011 as its chief marketing officer. At this point it remains unclear why Accavitti is leaving and where he might land, but Honda says he's leaving the company altogether. To replace Accavitti, Honda has named Jon Ikeda (pictured above at right), a veteran designer with the company. A graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, Ikeda has worked for Honda on both sides of the Pacific since 1989. He previous headed up the design and product planning divisions at Honda's American R&D operations, and was instrumental in creating an independent design office for the Acura brand, separate from Honda's. This isn't the first time we've seen Accavitti replaced in his role as a senior executive by a design veteran. After only four months at CEO of the Dodge brand, he was replaced by Ralph Gilles, who retained his role as senior vice president of design for the entire Chrysler group in parallel. Gilles was ultimately replaced as head of Dodge as well, but was recently promoted to serve as head of design for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Related Video: Acura Announces Leadership Changes TORRANCE, Calif. July 27, 2015 – Acura today announced that Jon Ikeda has been promoted to Vice President and General Manager of the Acura Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. In this role, Ikeda will oversee all Acura brand activities including sales, marketing and parts and service. Ikeda was formerly Division Director of Auto Design at Honda R&D Americas, Inc. (HRA). He began his career at Honda in Japan in 1989, joining the advanced design studio in Tokyo, where he worked on the award-winning Honda FSX show car. After six years in Japan, he returned to Los Angeles in 1995, to continue his career at Honda R&D in Torrance, California.

2017 Acura MDX has a sharper face and Sport Hybrid option

The 2017 Acura MDX's new face takes inspiration from the more angular nose on the Acura Precision Concept, but there are even bigger changes under the skin. All models now have the full suite of AcuraWatch safety tech, and the available MDX Sport Hybrid is the third model from the brand to get its three-motor all-wheel drive system, after the RLX and NSX. The powertrain in the 2017 MDX Sport Hybrid pairs a 3.0-liter V6 with hybrid assist and a seven-speed automatic at the front and two more electric motors at the rear axle. Acura claims the system offers a total output of 325 horsepower, 35 more than the non-hybrid, and estimates that it gets 25 miles per gallon city, 26 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. If buyers spec either the optional Technology or Advance packages, they also get an Active Sport Suspension with Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+ modes. Regardless of powertrain, all versions of the 2017 MDX now come standard with a suite of active safety systems. The huge array of tech includes Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Road Departure Mitigation. An electric parking brake and auto high beams are now among the regular features, too. Customers that opt for higher trim models can choose to replace the second row bench seat with captain's chairs and a center console with extra USB ports. The 2017 MDX also has a fresher style thanks to its diamond pentagon grille and more angular hood. To fit the new look, the LED headlights have a sharper design. The chrome sills had an extra visual flourish. The upgraded rear bumper with even better integrated dual exhausts looks great, too. Get a good look in the gallery above. Related Video: Refreshed 2017 Acura MDX Makes World Debut in New York with Bold New Styling, Upgraded Features and Sport Hybrid Powertrain Mar 23, 2016 - NEW YORK 2017 MDX showcases new diamond pentagon grille first seen on the Acura Precision Concept New Sport Hybrid powertrain delivers the ultimate in power and control while gaining 35 horsepower and anticipated to add 7 mpg to city fuel economy rating AcuraWatch™ safety and driver assist technology to be offered as standard equipment on all 2017 MDX models Acura today unveiled the restyled and refreshed 2017 MDX luxury SUV featuring bold new styling, added luxury features and available Sport Hybrid Super Handling-All Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) powertrain technology.