Replacing the big ugly KIA badge with their much nicer-looking Korean logo would be a great first step. Honestly, if this had an L or even an A on the front instead of KIA I think it’d be taken much more seriously by the general public.

For the same price, I would definitely take the Civic over the ILX. My wife and I test drove them and we both (independently) mentioned how much quieter, more refined, and less tinny the Civic was compared to the ILX.

I agree that it totally used to be, but the current difference between a Pilot Elite and MDX, Accord Touring and TLX, and CRV (not the new one, the previous gen) and RDX is pretty noticeable. ILX vs Civic (even the 9th gen it’s based on), not so much. The ILX actually feels cheaper than the 10th gen Civic.

911s sound like ass.

Sounds like a perfect car to get through CarMax with a DeMuro warranty.

If that were the case, I think it’d be noticeable just by lifting off the accelerator. I haven’t noticed any change in braking in my TLX whatsoever between eco/normal/sport/sport+, so I’m inclined to believe it’s all in her head.

Misogynistic? I think the word you’re looking for is ageist ;), or perhaps you’re projecting your own misgivings?

Exactly. It was nominally more expensive than a comparably equipped Accord (which admittedly has a larger backseat), but you get better customer service, much less NVH (the TLX unlike prior Acuras has Lexus levels are quietness), a nicer interior, and higher resale value.

Yeah, though I fully expect these to see significant discounts once the 2019s start rolling in and these are still sitting on the lots. Only Honda fanboys would be willing to pay $45K for one of these over a more dynamic Audi or BMW.

I’m chalking this up to the writer being relatively inexperienced when it comes to driving cars hard. No offense, but she’s literally still in college.

Camry? Sporty? Get out.

To be fair, the ES isn’t that different from the Avalon, the GX is a rebadged Land Cruiser Prado, and the LX is a dead ringer for the Land Cruiser.

What I’ve heard from talking to some folks who work at Acura (corporate, not the dealerships) is that all it takes is one or two flops for Honda to shutter the brand. Acura doesn’t really fit into Honda’s philosophy, and so they have to be very conservative. That’s one of the reasons why Hondas gets the new features…

In a word, price. Nobody pays anywhere close to sticker on a TLX (except maybe Hank Hill).

It does not. It’s just throttle response and steering weight.

Plus they’re stupid cheap. I picked up mine for almost $8K under sticker. Dealerships know the only way they can move these things is by severely undercutting the competition. You don’t buy the TLX because it’s better than the competition; you buy it because it’s tremendous value at the OTD price.

Mazda5 and Arcadia? One has to wonder if these folks have any kids, let alone 4 in car seats...

COTD.

There’s cheap tires, and then there’s dangerous no-name Chinese tires. I’m perfectly fine with tires on clearance from some of the cheaper brands like Kumho, Hankook, BFG, Falken, etc. but I would not touch brands like Milestar, Geostar, Freestar, etc.

Stay away from gravity cast wheels. Low pressure cast at a minimum.