2020 Acura Mdx 3.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2024 Acura ZDX EV previewed ahead of Monterey unveiling

Announced in August 2022, the Acura ZDX will make its debut a year later during Monterey Car Week. Our spies have spotted the Japanese brand's first series-produced electric car testing with almost no camouflage, but a new preview image gives us a better look at the crossover. The photo confirms that the ZDX will fall in line with Acura's current design language. Its front end is characterized by sharp headlights with LED accents and a trim panel shaped like the grille fitted to gasoline-powered models such as the Integra. One interesting detail is that the lower part of the trim panel is illuminated. Beyond the front end, the aforementioned spy shots confirm that the crossover's silhouette is far more conventional than the original ZDX's, which surfed the crossover-coupe wave with a polarizing design and a fastback-like roof line. If you're experiencing deja-vu, it's likely because the ZDX looks like a heavily toned-down version of 2022's Precision EV concept. It's reasonable to assume that the interior will be made far more realistic as well, though Acura hasn't revealed it yet. All we know at this stage is that the ZDX will be available with a new infotainment system with Google apps integration and a Bang & Olufsen sound system. We'll need to be patient to find out what the ZDX's specifications sheet looks like. Acura simply confirmed it will offer two variants at launch: the standard ZDX, and a performance-oriented model called Type S. The latter will stand out as the quickest and most powerful crossover in the brand's history. Both versions will use the Ultium electric technology developed by General Motors and found under the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer, among other EVs. General Motors will also build the ZDX through an agreement signed with Honda in April 2022. The 2024 Acura ZDX will break cover on August 17. Sales will start in early 2024. Honda's related Prologue EV shouldn't be far behind. Green Acura Crossover Electric Luxury Pebble Beach

Best places to get your car maintained and repaired

In this era of rampant inflation and high interest rates, the challenges of acquiring a car or SUV have been well documented. And so it has never been more important to protect that expensive investment by maintaining it. In recent months, Autoblog has shared Consumer Reports' evaluation of the least and most expensive car brands to keep running, as well as tips to prolong a car’s useful life. Especially since the pandemic, a number of factors have impacted these costs: more complex vehicles, new materials and manufacturing methods, a shortage of qualified technicians and replacement parts. Since 2022, repairs costs have jumped each year by about 10 percent. This month, Consumer Reports is offering a useful primer on keeping your ride in great shape, suggesting what might be the best options for searching out a repair shop, depending, as CR says, “on your car and your situation.” Author Ben Preston identifies three basic types of repair facilities: dealership service departments, independently owned repair shops, and chain repair shops. Building up trust with a specific shop and feeling comfortable going there is important. Preston quotes John Ibbotson, chief mechanic at Consumer ReportsÂ’ Auto Test Center: "You might be able to save a few bucks by going to whichever shop offers the cheapest prices, but if you want consistent, reliable service, itÂ’s best to find a repair shop you trust and stick with it,” Ibbotson says. The story goes on to evaluate each type of service facility. HereÂ’s a breakdown of CRÂ’s findings: Dealerships These work well for owners of newer cars, especially for covered warranty work. But the disadvantage is the high labor rates common to dealer service. Satisfaction ratings for dealer service departments range from very good (Acura, Lexus, Mazda, and Volvo) to not-so-good (Jeep and Kia). Dealers are best for: Fixing infotainment system glitches: "If the screen in the center of your dash has a habit of freezing up, or the touchscreen-activated climate controls arenÂ’t working, the dealership is the most likely place to find someone with the know-how to fix problems that maybe only a factory-authorized technician can access," Ibbotson says. Safety system recalibration: "Anything from a crack in your windshield to a minor fender dent can upset the calibration of the sensors that make features like automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control work," says Ibbotson.

Acura to climb Pikes Peak with Integra Type S and wildly modified NSX

This year marks the 101st anniversary of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, one of the oldest motorsports events in the world. As has been the custom for the past 13 years, Acura will head to the Colorado summit with a fleet of specially prepped cars based on production models. This year, their team consists of two new Integras in regular and Type S flavor, a modified NSX Type S, and a TLX Type S pace car. Of the Integras, the HPD-prepped Type S will be the most eye-catching, as it's wrapped in an anime-style livery. It's an extension of the company's "Chiaki's Journey" web series whose second chapter was released to coincide with the Integra Type S's launch. The second installment features the Pikes Peak race as part of its story line.  The real-world Chiaki is Lori Unser, a fourth-generation driver in the Unser racing dynasty. Her father Johnny raced at the Indianapolis 500, and if you count her extended family of Al, Bobby, and Al Jr., the clan has nine Indy championships under its collective belt. The family also has a history of racing at Pikes Peak, with Louis and Joe Unser competing in the hillclimb way back in 1926. In the Time Attack I division Acura is fielding a wild-looking NSX Type S called the Active Aero Study. We prefer its nickname, Yamabiko, which means "echo" in Japanese but is also the name of a spirit from Japanese folklore that lives in the mountains.  The NSX wears an enormous carbon fiber front splitter and rear diffuser, which by the looks of them extend the length of the car by two to three feet. The one-off aero bits include an active aero rear wing that can be electronically moved to reduce drag on high-speed sections of the course, or deployed as an air brake. At the same time, enough has been stripped out to reduce weight by 200 pounds. More powerful turbos have been fitted to the twin-turbo V6 and the engine software re-written, but Acura did not reveal how much over the stock Type S's 600 horsepower Yamabiko's output might be. The NSX was built specifically to tackle the hillclimb by Crazy New, the skunkworks team of Honda employees that brought us the 800-horsepower CR-V Hybrid. It'll be driven by Honda engineer James Robinson, who holds the current Hybrid class record of 10:01.913, which he set with an NSX in 2020. With Yokohama Tires' trademark Advan black and red livery and lightweight HRE forged wheels wrapped in Advan A005s, it certainly looks the part of a purpose-built Pikes Peak racer.