Ugly Acura

[MagicRat]

Could someone please tell Honda to stop hitting Acura with the ugly stick?

Acura is facing considerable competition in their field and they need pleasant-looking cars to compete. But their recent cars have been largely reviled by everyone for having grotesque front ends. The 'face' looks like the Joker pretending to be a gangsta rapper.

In their attempt to get a bold, distinctive front end, they have gone overboard and now have some of the most bizarre styling I have seen in recent years.

I don't pay too much attention to styling myself, but many people do, and imo these cars are not winning fans. This is a shame considering how well the cars perform.

http://www.acura.com/

[Shpuker]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

Could someone please tell Honda to stop hitting Acura with the ugly stick?

Acura is facing considerable competition in their field and they need pleasant-looking cars to compete. But their recent cars have been largely reviled by everyone for having grotesque front ends. The 'face' looks like the Joker pretending to be a gangsta rapper.

In their attempt to get a bold, distinctive front end, they have gone overboard and now have some of the most bizarre styling I have seen in recent years.

I don't pay too much attention to styling myself, but many people do, and imo these cars are not winning fans. This is a shame considering how well the cars perform.

http://www.acura.com/

Looks like a bunch of Hondas that got hit by a smart car. Talk about going from bad to worse

And I'd have to disagree with them performing well

[akboss]

They do perform well, A base TL has 285hp, is super comfortable, handles well, gets good mileage, and is full of modern tech for a decent entry-lux price. But as MagicRat said, it's a shame about the ugly face on all their new cars.

I've been saying this since they started this new Megatron look - and now the shield-face has infected the entire lineup, ruining just about all they had going. And what will that metallic plastic shield look like in 2 or 3 years, after all the highway stone chips have littered it with scratches and stone chips? To be honest, it looks better in person, but it's still a shame. It's like walking up to a supermodel from behind and seeing her gorgeous figure, then she turns around and has a hideous face...it just won't do.

But for all the things Acura is doing wrong, Infiniti is doing right. The new G37 is gorgeous, inside and out, as is the new Nissan Maxima (although that gets mixed opinions). If Infiniti had more base model cars to compete with the CSX (Canada only) and the TSX, that would help out their sales volume in the B and C segments.

[Shpuker]

The TL still costs 36,000 before all the "handling" charges and all that BS. So $130 per HP? And Fail Wheel Drive? I'll pass. Ugly + meh performance + FWD = just plain bad :P Never liked Acura never will.

And the MDX gets an all out from me. At least they pretty much doubled the HP on it but jesus christ that thing is ugly. Not to mention it only gets 17MPG. Talk about falling behind the competition

[akboss]

A 2010 Acura TL is $35,100 and offers the luxury content of a $50K Mercedes or BMW, plus all that 'most' drivers need or want is FWD or AWD. Believe it or not but most executives and accountants don't powerslide their way to work sideways around a banked track...they drive at 10mph in traffic and want a comfortable, luxurious car that has enough power to pass and merge with comfort - i.e. Acura TL.

My co-worker has an '04 TL with tan leather interior, I prefer riding in that than my boss' 2009 535xi.

[Shpuker]

Originally Posted by akboss

A 2010 Acura TL is $35,100 and offers the luxury content of a $50K Mercedes or BMW, plus all that 'most' drivers need or want is FWD or AWD. Believe it or not but most executives and accountants don't powerslide their way to work sideways around a banked track...they drive at 10mph in traffic and want a comfortable, luxurious car that has enough power to pass and merge with comfort - i.e. Acura TL.

My co-worker has an '04 TL with tan leather interior, I prefer riding in that than my boss' 2009 535xi.

it has the content of a 10-20k BMW, A brand new 128i starts at 29,000. A brand new 328i starts at 33,000. Those both perform better (handling mainly) get better fuel mileage, and are RWD. And not to mention look way better. And on top of that their more reliable, and more comfortable. Honestly theres no reason in the sorld that I'd ever buy an Acura

[akboss]

Originally Posted by Shpuker

it has the content of a 10-20k BMW, A brand new 128i starts at 29,000. A brand new 328i starts at 33,000. Those both perform better (handling mainly) get better fuel mileage, and are RWD. And not to mention look way better. And on top of that their more reliable, and more comfortable. Honestly theres no reason in the sorld that I'd ever buy an Acura

Obviously we are seeing black and white on the Acura brand, but they don't sell hundreds of thousands of TL's because they are underperformers. They are good cars and the stats back it up, even if your personal taste lies elsewhere. I'm with you on the handling - I'd probably buy a 328 before a TL, but I'm not a businessman that just wants a luxurious commuter, I'd rather have the handling. The point of this thread is that Acura has made a good thing ugly, to which even the most sincere fan of Acura has to concede.

[suzeeqzee]

i 100% agree. sad too, because my first car was an acura integra rs (remember those?!) they should have kept the integra model mostly because of it's great reputation for reliability. i literally drove my car into the ground; had it for 10 years. it definitely had some more mileage but one bad accident killed the engine.

honda needs to just stop trying to expand it's luxury line and focus on what it does best: economical, reliable and affordable vehicles, i.e. the fit

[akboss]

Originally Posted by suzeeqzee

i 100% agree. sad too, because my first car was an acura integra rs (remember those?!) they should have kept the integra model mostly because of it's great reputation for reliability. i literally drove my car into the ground; had it for 10 years. it definitely had some more mileage but one bad accident killed the engine.

honda needs to just stop trying to expand it's luxury line and focus on what it does best: economical, reliable and affordable vehicles, i.e. the fit

I figure Honda can handle both Acura and the Honda brand because they are designed independently, but the RL is a lost cause. They are spending too much time on the entry-level luxury cars like the TSX and TL, the RL is an overweight, underpowered forgotten pig of a car. Don't get me wrong I'd love to drive one, but if I were ponying up the almost $70K CAD, it's directly competing with some of the best cars on the road (A6, 535i, E320).

You're right in that their bread and butter will always come from cars like the Fit and other family-oriented Hondas, but to be competitive in the luxury car market they will need a lot more than technological gadgets.