Good evening everyone,
Well, the moment is finally here where I can say that I have finally test driven the 2016 ILX (Premium) in the Canadian market - As with my second test drive of the TLX V6 SH-AWD (Tech).
Since this is the ILX thread, I will mostly focus on the ILX - My buddy of mine and I had a chance to spend some time browsing cars and the Acura dealership was on my list of places to stop.
Interior:
I think the ILX has done some mild upgrade to the interior with the dual screen and such but I am delighted that they have kept some knobs for things such as ventilation, seat warmers etc.
They have added some extra tech features inside which makes the car a bit more on par with the rest of the segment. As I have stated before, I am a small guy (5'10, 115lbs) so the ILX is an incredibly good size for me and since I already own the 2014 model, it felt right at home. This was a lighter color interior and the dual tone of the dash and door was a nice touch and the fits and finish are quite nice.
Exterior:
This is where the 2016 ILX is the most different - from an esthetics point of view. The front looks much better in person than in photos...I know, we hear this all the time but its true. The light assembly is really nice and the turn signal is a neat feature. The rear is OK but I was not overly excited about the "mesh" part around the rear reflectors...this is where I feel the pre MMC looks better but its purely subjective.
This was not the A-SPEC model so the wheels were not my thing at all....they look bad in picture and they look equally as bad in person but nothing that can't be fixed with accessory wheels. I just don't why or how this wheel design made it past someone's approval desk....just bad! But that is purely subjective and just expressing how I see them.
The drive:
1. In my opinion, the steering does feel noticeably better than the 2014 model we have. It has a bit more of a heft to it and when you get into a turn, you feel that right weight/substance to it...hard to describe. The car does feel a bit more planted.
2. The noise level is marginally better....I say marginally because it is hard to compare two cars (ours and the 2016) without the exact same road conditions but it still felt somewhat noisy/harsh. It didn't help that I had test driven the TLX just before....now that was quiet!!
3. The performance....This is where I'll likely be attacked but I'll given my honest feedback. Please keep in mind one thing...this is a new car and the transmission likely needs some 'learning' process so it may not be a reflection of an owner's perception..just mine with my limited test drive (of city/highway that last about 25 min).
I was expecting a noticeable improvement and maybe my expectation were too high but I was quite disappointed. My friend who test drove the ILX manual (Dynamic in Canada) with me back in 2014 and LOVED LOVED the sound and feel of this car almost couldn't believe this was an ILX. Maybe I am nuts but is it possible the 2.4 DI sounds different than the non DI? This engine is not as sweet sounding as the 2.0 that the g/f and I lease.
I am not sure why everyone is all excited about this DCT....I drove it in the TLX and the ILX and I can't see what the big hype is all about. I didn't feel it behave abnormally (hard shifting or things like that) but its not what everyone seems to make this tranny to be, at least from my feeling driving the car.
Quite honestly, I found it concerning that for the significant bump in HP and torque from the 2.0 we own that the difference was not THAT noticeable...it is but I was expecting a more "WOW" factor. I know it sounds crazy to say but our 2.0L feels just as fun as this one and the engine sounds better...maybe ours is a fluke but in a good way?! Also, for what its worth, the 2016 still had that "thunk" with the rear reactive dampers...our 2013 RDX had it, our 2014 ILX has it and so does this 2016 (For our climate anyway) - I heard it within 3 minutes on the road on the first pothole we hit.
Would I want to rush out and try and upgrade our ILX for this one...NEVER! Sure, there are some nice upgrades to the 2016:
- Jewel eyes are really nice
- I like the dual screen actually on the ILX (more than the TLX due to limited functions)
- Some added features such as blind spot monitoring
- Steering feedback
Things that are a wash....
- Engine/tranny - Either this unit needed more 'learning' or ours is a GEM, I didn't see any noticeable improvement, in fact, I found the 2.4DI sounding less refined - My buddy said the exact same thing.
- Fits and finishes but that was never an issue with the ILX before.
- Tires (Michelins - Much better than those on the TLX)
Things that are a step back:
- Wheels (rims) - damn these are ugly!
- Engine sound seems less refine compared to the 2.4 manual/2.0 auto
Considering the current ILX we lease is about 190$ cheaper a month than what I was quoted for the 2016 (mind you this was with a body kit), it makes me appreciate the ILX we own. If I didn't own an ILX, it would be a great car to have but I don't feel that for the difference in price (less dealer incentives), the improvements are not substantial enough for me to upgrade or get one of my own so me and the g/f had our own.
Again, the 2016 ILS is a GREAT car but the ILX was already more than a decent car and while many reviewers rave about the improvements brought to this MMC, being an owner and being honest, it was not an "OMG I want one"....in fact, I will keep the one I have and get something else for my new toy this summer. Don't get wrong, if you are in the market for an ILX, don't read fear in this post, it is a great car and you will enjoy it. I was just expecting a more significant change in power.
For those who know me....You all know that I had a single test drive of the TLX and was left disappointed. This test drive confirmed that the TLX doesn't feel as responsive as my 2012 TL felt HOWEVER, I am more appreciative of the TLX. This test was a noticeable improvement over what I recalled of my initial test drive so my perception of the TLX has gone up but the most AMAZING TEST drive I had today, the one that just made me grin from ear to ear and just left me sad to hand the keys back was the IS350 F Sport. I know this is all subjective but that car is just, for me, as close to what I would consider my ideal car.
-
Well, the moment is finally here where I can say that I have finally test driven the 2016 ILX (Premium) in the Canadian market - As with my second test drive of the TLX V6 SH-AWD (Tech).
Since this is the ILX thread, I will mostly focus on the ILX - My buddy of mine and I had a chance to spend some time browsing cars and the Acura dealership was on my list of places to stop.
Interior:
I think the ILX has done some mild upgrade to the interior with the dual screen and such but I am delighted that they have kept some knobs for things such as ventilation, seat warmers etc.
They have added some extra tech features inside which makes the car a bit more on par with the rest of the segment. As I have stated before, I am a small guy (5'10, 115lbs) so the ILX is an incredibly good size for me and since I already own the 2014 model, it felt right at home. This was a lighter color interior and the dual tone of the dash and door was a nice touch and the fits and finish are quite nice.
Exterior:
This is where the 2016 ILX is the most different - from an esthetics point of view. The front looks much better in person than in photos...I know, we hear this all the time but its true. The light assembly is really nice and the turn signal is a neat feature. The rear is OK but I was not overly excited about the "mesh" part around the rear reflectors...this is where I feel the pre MMC looks better but its purely subjective.
This was not the A-SPEC model so the wheels were not my thing at all....they look bad in picture and they look equally as bad in person but nothing that can't be fixed with accessory wheels. I just don't why or how this wheel design made it past someone's approval desk....just bad! But that is purely subjective and just expressing how I see them.
The drive:
1. In my opinion, the steering does feel noticeably better than the 2014 model we have. It has a bit more of a heft to it and when you get into a turn, you feel that right weight/substance to it...hard to describe. The car does feel a bit more planted.
2. The noise level is marginally better....I say marginally because it is hard to compare two cars (ours and the 2016) without the exact same road conditions but it still felt somewhat noisy/harsh. It didn't help that I had test driven the TLX just before....now that was quiet!!
3. The performance....This is where I'll likely be attacked but I'll given my honest feedback. Please keep in mind one thing...this is a new car and the transmission likely needs some 'learning' process so it may not be a reflection of an owner's perception..just mine with my limited test drive (of city/highway that last about 25 min).
I was expecting a noticeable improvement and maybe my expectation were too high but I was quite disappointed. My friend who test drove the ILX manual (Dynamic in Canada) with me back in 2014 and LOVED LOVED the sound and feel of this car almost couldn't believe this was an ILX. Maybe I am nuts but is it possible the 2.4 DI sounds different than the non DI? This engine is not as sweet sounding as the 2.0 that the g/f and I lease.
I am not sure why everyone is all excited about this DCT....I drove it in the TLX and the ILX and I can't see what the big hype is all about. I didn't feel it behave abnormally (hard shifting or things like that) but its not what everyone seems to make this tranny to be, at least from my feeling driving the car.
Quite honestly, I found it concerning that for the significant bump in HP and torque from the 2.0 we own that the difference was not THAT noticeable...it is but I was expecting a more "WOW" factor. I know it sounds crazy to say but our 2.0L feels just as fun as this one and the engine sounds better...maybe ours is a fluke but in a good way?! Also, for what its worth, the 2016 still had that "thunk" with the rear reactive dampers...our 2013 RDX had it, our 2014 ILX has it and so does this 2016 (For our climate anyway) - I heard it within 3 minutes on the road on the first pothole we hit.
Would I want to rush out and try and upgrade our ILX for this one...NEVER! Sure, there are some nice upgrades to the 2016:
- Jewel eyes are really nice
- I like the dual screen actually on the ILX (more than the TLX due to limited functions)
- Some added features such as blind spot monitoring
- Steering feedback
Things that are a wash....
- Engine/tranny - Either this unit needed more 'learning' or ours is a GEM, I didn't see any noticeable improvement, in fact, I found the 2.4DI sounding less refined - My buddy said the exact same thing.
- Fits and finishes but that was never an issue with the ILX before.
- Tires (Michelins - Much better than those on the TLX)
Things that are a step back:
- Wheels (rims) - damn these are ugly!
- Engine sound seems less refine compared to the 2.4 manual/2.0 auto
Considering the current ILX we lease is about 190$ cheaper a month than what I was quoted for the 2016 (mind you this was with a body kit), it makes me appreciate the ILX we own. If I didn't own an ILX, it would be a great car to have but I don't feel that for the difference in price (less dealer incentives), the improvements are not substantial enough for me to upgrade or get one of my own so me and the g/f had our own.
Again, the 2016 ILS is a GREAT car but the ILX was already more than a decent car and while many reviewers rave about the improvements brought to this MMC, being an owner and being honest, it was not an "OMG I want one"....in fact, I will keep the one I have and get something else for my new toy this summer. Don't get wrong, if you are in the market for an ILX, don't read fear in this post, it is a great car and you will enjoy it. I was just expecting a more significant change in power.
For those who know me....You all know that I had a single test drive of the TLX and was left disappointed. This test drive confirmed that the TLX doesn't feel as responsive as my 2012 TL felt HOWEVER, I am more appreciative of the TLX. This test was a noticeable improvement over what I recalled of my initial test drive so my perception of the TLX has gone up but the most AMAZING TEST drive I had today, the one that just made me grin from ear to ear and just left me sad to hand the keys back was the IS350 F Sport. I know this is all subjective but that car is just, for me, as close to what I would consider my ideal car.
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