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2019 Acura MDX refresh brings some sharp enhancements

The outgoing Acura MDX has nothing to be ashamed of, but the thing about refreshes is that the engineers and product teams always have something to fine tune. Some of it is planned in advance — the cosmetic upgrades and the A-Spec trim were probably always part of the product roadmap. But there are also some tweaks that seem to be a response to customer feedback. Let's take a closer look. Most important, some of the goodies reserved only for the old Sport Hybrid will now be available on all MDXs. Notably, the Active Damper System — a continuously adjustable valve that controls the flow of hydraulic fluid within the damper — is available on non-hybrid MDXs for the first time. The system has several settings, from plush to firm. We found this system worked very well on the Sport Hybrid during our first drive, so it's a useful upgrade that buyers will be able to readily appreciate. Next up is an A-Spec appearance trim, which looks sportier but doesn't offer any additional performance or comfort features, just like the rest of Acura's A-Spec models at this point. For the MDX, wider 20-inch wheels and a combination of gloss black and "dark chrome" trim compliment a revised front fascia and grille. Inside, the seats get a mix of Alcantara and leather with contrasting stitching, there are unique gauges, sport pedals, and a thicker steering wheel. It looks decent enough, particularly inside, and there's enough there to make the trim stand apart from the more pedestrian trims. Oh, and there's an exclusive color: Apex Blue Pearl. A quick aside on prices: The base MDX without SH-AWD runs an MSRP of $45,295, and the A-Spec (only available with SH-AWD) is $55,795. Normal MDXs get a few more color options, although they'll cost extra: Majestic Black Pearl, Performance Red, and Canyon Bronze Metallic. One no-cost color option that's new is Gunmetal Metallic. Inside, there are some additional interior options, like Desert Olive Ash wood trim, contrasting seat stitching, and standard 4-way power lumbar adjustment on the front seats. Advance Package MDXs get wider 20-inch wheels, too. And now on to those tweaks and enhancements that might not have been planned a long time ago in a product meeting far away. The engine stop/start function has been tweaked to be smoother and quicker, thanks to an upgraded brake sensor and some software tweaks.

10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

Hands-on with Acura's novel touchpad infotainment interface

After Acura's Precision Cockpit was unveiled here in LA, I sat in the, uh, driver's seat of the wheel-less interior mockup to get a feel for how this new touchscreen-free touch interface works. There are a lot of good ideas inside. Here are 11 things you should know. It's less like a trackpad and more like a remote-control tablet. So instead of letting you move a cursor relative to its last location like the trackpad on a laptop, each point on Acura's trackpad is mapped to a corresponding point on the center display. If you want what's in the upper right corner of the display, you touch and click in the upper right corner of the trackpad. Simple. I figured it out in two minutes. Maybe less. The whole thing is surprisingly intuitive. The ease of use is helped by the fact that the targets on the screen are pretty big – no tiny "buttons" to fiddle with. The clicks are real. The trackpad actually moves when you press down, so no need for simulated haptic feedback. In their research, Acura engineers found that accidental touches and presses are a real issue. We could have told them that – hit a bump while using a finicky remote interface like Lexus's all-but-abandoned joystick thing, and you select an item half-way across the screen from the one you intended. The placement of the trackpad in this concept interior also helps avoid unintentional inputs – it's not in the middle of the center console where it might get brushed or bumped, but instead in its own little cave at the base of the center-stack waterfall. (Acura's low-profile button-based transmission selector suddenly makes a whole lot of sense.) View 13 Photos Lots of cues cut down on distraction. You hover over the option you want before positively confirming the selection with a hard press. There's no cursor to find and reposition like in the Lexus trackpad system The red highlight gives the necessary visual cue that you put your finger in the right place. The pad is slightly dished to give you a tactile cue of where the center and edges are. It allows you to build up muscle memory, sort of like how you know generally where the "keys" are on your smartphone or tablet's virtual keyboard by now. Or at least I do on mine. You look at the screen, not what you're touching. The problem with touch screens is that they have to be low down in the car so you can reach them. That means you have to look down from the road to stab at what you want.