2012 Acura Tsx Sedan, Automatic, Technology Package on 2040-cars

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2021 Acura TLX Long-Term Update | A surprise upgrade

That may look a lot like our long-term 2021 Acura TLX A-Spec, but in this case, your eyes deceive you. Say hello to our not-so-long-term TLX Type S, which is subbing in for the A-Spec while the latter undergoes a little exploratory surgery to diagnose what appears to be an escalating electrical issue.  Yes, our handsome blue steed is currently lame. What first manifested as odd transmission behavior and the occasional infotainment reboot escalated to the vehicular equivalent of a grand mal seizure on a rainy Michigan day, resulting in a flat-bed ride to the dealership and fast-tracking our plans to get the TLX in for a diagnosis. So, for the foreseeable future, I'm enjoying an extra two cylinders and nearly 100 more horsepower. All upsides, right? To a degree. While the extra power is certainly welcome, it comes at a cost – 200 pounds, give or take. That extra weight erodes some of the qualities I appreciate most about our long-term A-Spec. Acura really nailed the front-end feel of the TLX with the A-Spec, and while the Type S still feels pretty good, the added mass over the nose is inescapable. And while the 20" Type S wheels look fantastic, they make the already firmer suspension feel almost unnecessarily crashy. The 19s on the A-Spec are the sweet spot (picking up on my thesis?) but even I must admit the Type S wheels look significantly better.  On paper, this 3.5-liter V6 matches up reasonably well with the rest of the premium turbo-sixes on the market, but in the real world, it's a bit uninspiring, and not just in the too-competent-for-its-own-good way BMW's mainstream I6s tend to be. There's plenty of power and torque, but I've yet to experience one of those "ah-ha!" moments where the whole package suddenly makes sense.  In fact, I spend more time pining for the lighter, nimbler A-Spec than I do yearning for the open space I'd need to let the V6 run free. In this, I think I'm rowing against the Autoblog current; others' reviews of Acura's muscular six-cylinder have been far more enthusiastic. Be that as it may, I appreciate the way the A-Spec drives like a smaller car than it is. Related video: 2021 Acura TLX 2.0-liter turbo-four soundtrack | Autoblog

1997 Acura Integra Type R sells for $82,000 on Bring a Trailer

Acura Integra Type R prices are getting ridiculous. The car is absolutely superb, but the latest one to sell on Bring a Trailer went for a cool $82,000. You could likely pick up two old Acura NSXs in average condition for a similar price as the single Integra Type R. But hey, nobody ever said the value of cars made sense. Why did this particular Type R reach unrivaled heights then? A few factors are obvious. It’s a one-owner, 6,000-mile, completely original 1997 ITR (what the cool kids call the Integra Type R for short). WeÂ’re still rather flabbergasted and slightly upset the original buyer only managed 6,000 miles over the approximately 22 years of ownership, but the new owner could fix that quickly. Then again, this could be a purely speculative buy, aiding heavily in the final gavel price. Wait a few months to a year, and the value of this unmolested Type R could increase another $10,000, or more if you donÂ’t add miles. It was only a year ago to date that we wrote in near-shock about a Type R with even fewer miles (1,200) going for $63,800 at Barrett-Jackson. This car blows that previous record straight out of the water. As of now, thereÂ’s no end in sight to the increasing prices of these now-slightly-old hot Hondas. Another clean Acura Integra Type R is listed on Bring a Trailer right now, and the bid is already up to $34,567 with four days left. That car has 19,000 miles on it, and is reportedly being offered by the carÂ’s second owner, who bought it two years ago. A Honda CRX Si recently went for $33,600 on the same website. The NSXÂ’s value jump hit hard a few years ago, but now its successors are following in its footsteps again. Will there come a day when an Integra Type R hits the six-digit mark? At this rate it doesnÂ’t look far away. If you want a whole lot of what the Type R offers, without the eye-watering markup, take a long, hard look at the Integra GS-R. That trim is a great step up in performance over a base Integra, and a few easy mods gets it close to the Type R from a performance standpoint. You wonÂ’t have the cache and bragging rights that come with the R, but you also wonÂ’t be afraid to put miles on it for fear of entirely ruining the carÂ’s value. Happy Honda hunting.

Vehicles awarded IIHS Top Safety Pick awards skyrockets for 2015 [w/video]

By practically every measure, passenger vehicles in the US are continuing to get safer. With the year rapidly coming to an end, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is releasing its annual list tallying of the scores for the latest vehicles to see how they compare to last year. Judging by the agency's evaluations, the numbers look quite positive. According to the institute, 71 vehicles earned either the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating so far in its testing for 2015. Among the latest winners, there have been 33 TSP+ awards and 38 TSP medalists. That's a healthy increase over the 22 TSP+ and 17 TSP grades in 2014. The figures appear even more impressive when you consider that it keeps getting harder to earn the + designation. In the latest round of testing, a vehicle must offer some form of front crash prevention automatic braking to get the mark. Previously, just a warning to drivers was necessary. This list also illustrates the ways that automakers adapt to new testing procedures. In 2013 there were 117 TSP ratings and 13 TSP+ awards. Then, the IIHS mandated that to be a safety pick, a model had to score Good in the institute's four crash tests, plus a Good or Acceptable in the small overlap front test. That brought a plunge in 2014 to just 17 TSP grades. With the numbers climbing again, companies apparently have deciphered how to perform better. Some brands especially stood out on this year's list. The IIHS praised Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Acura for offering standard front crash prevention systems on some models. Subaru received at least one of the awards for all seven of its models. Toyota also had seven, and the Honda brand did too – though the institute counts the two- and four-door versions of the Civic and Accord separately. Check out the full announcement below and a video about this year's winners. The full list can be viewed, here. Safety gains ground: More vehicles earn top honors from IIHS The number of vehicles earning either of the Institute's two awards has jumped to 71 from 39 this time last year, giving consumers more choices for optimum protection in crashes. The number of winners in the top tier - TOP SAFETY PICK+ - has increased by 11 for 2015, despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention. "This is the third year in a row that we are giving automakers a tougher challenge to meet," says IIHS President Adrian Lund.