Acura Tsx 4dr Sdn I4 Auto Tech Pkg Low Miles Automatic Gasoline 2.4l L4 Mpi Dohc on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Vehicles awarded IIHS Top Safety Pick awards skyrockets for 2015 [w/video]

By practically every measure, passenger vehicles in the US are continuing to get safer. With the year rapidly coming to an end, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is releasing its annual list tallying of the scores for the latest vehicles to see how they compare to last year. Judging by the agency's evaluations, the numbers look quite positive. According to the institute, 71 vehicles earned either the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating so far in its testing for 2015. Among the latest winners, there have been 33 TSP+ awards and 38 TSP medalists. That's a healthy increase over the 22 TSP+ and 17 TSP grades in 2014. The figures appear even more impressive when you consider that it keeps getting harder to earn the + designation. In the latest round of testing, a vehicle must offer some form of front crash prevention automatic braking to get the mark. Previously, just a warning to drivers was necessary. This list also illustrates the ways that automakers adapt to new testing procedures. In 2013 there were 117 TSP ratings and 13 TSP+ awards. Then, the IIHS mandated that to be a safety pick, a model had to score Good in the institute's four crash tests, plus a Good or Acceptable in the small overlap front test. That brought a plunge in 2014 to just 17 TSP grades. With the numbers climbing again, companies apparently have deciphered how to perform better. Some brands especially stood out on this year's list. The IIHS praised Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Acura for offering standard front crash prevention systems on some models. Subaru received at least one of the awards for all seven of its models. Toyota also had seven, and the Honda brand did too – though the institute counts the two- and four-door versions of the Civic and Accord separately. Check out the full announcement below and a video about this year's winners. The full list can be viewed, here. Safety gains ground: More vehicles earn top honors from IIHS The number of vehicles earning either of the Institute's two awards has jumped to 71 from 39 this time last year, giving consumers more choices for optimum protection in crashes. The number of winners in the top tier - TOP SAFETY PICK+ - has increased by 11 for 2015, despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention. "This is the third year in a row that we are giving automakers a tougher challenge to meet," says IIHS President Adrian Lund.

Jay Leno finally gets his hands on the 2017 Acura NSX

It has been five years since Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld starred in a commercial about which one of them would get the first example of the new Acura NSX. After a long wait, they finally get a chance, but Leno is the first to check out the coupe in the latest video from Jay Leno's Garage. The denim-clad host spends over 30 minutes with lead designer Michelle Christensen and Ted Klaus, global development chief engineer, to get the full scoop on the hybrid supercar. Leno and Christensen get into the nitty-gritty about the design process for the latest NSX, and she points out her favorite parts of the finished product. She had quite a challenge creating the new supercar. Over the model's long gestation, every adjustment to the shape forced changes elsewhere to direct the airflow correctly, and then the decision to switch to a different engine configuration added even more time. Klaus focuses on the engineering side, like using the Ferrari 458 and original NSX as the major benchmarks for the new one. He also takes a ride with Leno, and the comedian even cracks a grin driving it. Leno doesn't usually show much emotion behind the wheel, so the little smirk is high praise from him. Carve out some time for a detailed walk-through about the 2017 NSX in the latest clip from Jay Leno's Garage. Related Video:

It's a V8 party! Lexus IS 500, Cadillac Escalade and more | Autoblog Podcast #667

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. It's all V8s all the time this week, starting with the Land Rover Defender V8 unveiling, Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance debut and pricing announcement on the Jeep Wrangler 392. Next, they move on to what they've been driving. Spoiler alert: That means more V8 talk. Zac has been driving the Cadillac Escalade with the 6.2-liter V8 and BMW M550i with its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. Greg and Zac take a pause from the V8 theme by discussing their shared time in our long-term Acura TLX. From this, they segue into a "Spend My Money" feature about garage lifts to finish the show. Autoblog Podcast #667 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 priced at nearly $75,000 2022 Land Rover Defender bulks up with a 518-hp V8 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance brings back the V8 What we're driving BMW M550i Cadillac Escalade Acura TLX Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video: