2005 Acura Tl Nighthawk Black 6 Speed Manual 6-speed Stick Shift 87k Miles on 2040-cars

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2015 Acura TLX

Immediately after landing at Washington's Dulles airport, an Acura representative handed me the keys to a 2014 TSX with fewer than 180 miles on its clock. The four-cylinder engine started and I pointed its signature beak towards a destination in Middleburg, VA. It was a curious move by the Japanese automaker, especially considering that I had flown no less than 2,300 miles to drive the discontinued vehicle's ostensible successor, the all-new 2015 Acura TLX.
Yet spending a solid 40 minutes with a sparkling-new version of the outgoing model that still smelled showroom fresh, allowed me an opportunity to scrutinize the dropped sedan and remind myself why it had never really blown me away - it was good at doing many things, but truly great at doing none.
Time with the TSX also started me thinking about the Acura TL, the second model that the TLX will effectively replace. I have better memories of the slightly larger sedan, especially the SH-AWD 6MT trim - it's a solid driver's car - but it, too, fell short in areas where competitors, including the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Cadillac ATS, Lexus IS and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, excelled.

Acura Integra will return in 2022 after a long hiatus

Putting a modern spin on much-loved classics is a growing trend in the automotive industry. Ford resurrected the Bronco, Lamborghini is bringing back the Countach, and Acura unexpectedly announced a new Integra for 2022. Acura has done a perfect job of keeping the next-generation Integra under wraps. There have been no leaks or rumors, and our spies haven't even spotted pre-production prototypes out and about. We consequently know very little about the car; the firm simply promised it will offer "the same fun-to-drive spirit and DNA of the original." Spring 2022. pic.twitter.com/4JsuLDj8b9 — Acura (@Acura) August 13, 2021 The crunchiest crumb of information that we have is a sketch that shows part of the front end. It's enough to tell with a high degree of certainty that the Integra won't wear a retro-inspired design; sorry, fans of pop-up headlights. Instead, it looks like it falls in line with recent additions to the Acura range thanks to sharp lights with LED accents and an angular grille. There's also a new interpretation of the Integra logo below the driver-side headlight. Beyond that, the Honda-owned carmaker simply confirmed the Integra will land as a compact premium car, which is exactly what the nameplate has denoted since its introduction for the 1986 model year. While this is pure speculation, it wouldn't be completely unthinkable for Acura to build the next Integra on an evolution of the platform that underpins the 11th-generation Civic unveiled earlier in 2021. Many of the earlier Integra models were based on or related to the Civic, and there was even a Civic sold as an Integra in a handful of overseas markets. More details about the 2022 Acura Integra will emerge in the coming months. Storied past Acura arrived on the automotive scene in 1986 with a range made up of two cars: the Integra (which was offered with two or four doors) and the bigger Legend. While both were aimed at the premium end of the market, the original Integra (shown above) put a far greater focus on performance than on luxury, and it never strayed far from this positioning. It was peppy, nimble, fun to drive, and reasonably affordable; pricing started at $9,859 in 1986 (roughly $24,600 in 2021). As time went on, many buyers realized that the little Acura was also stunningly durable. The second-generation Integra arrived for 1990 with an updated design and more powerful engines, and the four-door model received a more conventional three-box design.

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.