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Ford tumbles to second worst in Consumer Reports reliability survey, list dominated by Japanese [w/video]

It's no secret that MyFord Touch has had its share of problems since being introduced, but the most recent reliability survey from Consumer Reports shows just how much this infotainment system has affected Ford. Just two years ago, the automaker was in the top 10 for the institute's reliability rankings, but since then, it has tumbled to the second-lowest rung just above dead-last Jaguar. In addition to MyFord Touch, CR also attributes a handful of new products that have had issues right out of the gate.
Compiled from 1.2 million subscriber surveys, this year's auto reliability survey heavily favors Japanese automakers, with eight of the 10 spots hailing from Japan. Toyota brands grabbed the top three spots (Scion, Toyota and Lexus - in that order) with Mazda, Subaru, Honda and Acura filling the next four spots. The only non-Asian automaker cracking the top 10 was Audi at number eight.
Audi climbed a total of 18 spots from last year, and Cadillac and GMC round out this year's top gainers breaking into the top 15. Helping Cadillac's upward movement, the CTS Coupe was named the most reliable domestic car. Lincoln, Volvo and Chrysler join Ford on this year's biggest loser list.

Acura replaces chief Accavitti with designer Ikeda

Acura is shaking up its senior leadership, as Honda ushers the current chief of its luxury division out the door and replaces him with a new one. Exiting stage left is Mike Accavitti, who held the reins at the premium automaker as its senior vice president and general manager of the Acura division. Taking his place will be Jon Ikeda, one of the Japanese automaker's most senior designers. Accavitti (pictured above at left) had been promoted to the job from his previous position as senior vice president of auto operations after Honda separated the Acura brand into its own division. He had previously served as a senior executive at Chrysler, rising up the ranks to run the Dodge brand, and joined Honda in 2011 as its chief marketing officer. At this point it remains unclear why Accavitti is leaving and where he might land, but Honda says he's leaving the company altogether. To replace Accavitti, Honda has named Jon Ikeda (pictured above at right), a veteran designer with the company. A graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, Ikeda has worked for Honda on both sides of the Pacific since 1989. He previous headed up the design and product planning divisions at Honda's American R&D operations, and was instrumental in creating an independent design office for the Acura brand, separate from Honda's. This isn't the first time we've seen Accavitti replaced in his role as a senior executive by a design veteran. After only four months at CEO of the Dodge brand, he was replaced by Ralph Gilles, who retained his role as senior vice president of design for the entire Chrysler group in parallel. Gilles was ultimately replaced as head of Dodge as well, but was recently promoted to serve as head of design for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Related Video: Acura Announces Leadership Changes TORRANCE, Calif. July 27, 2015 – Acura today announced that Jon Ikeda has been promoted to Vice President and General Manager of the Acura Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. In this role, Ikeda will oversee all Acura brand activities including sales, marketing and parts and service. Ikeda was formerly Division Director of Auto Design at Honda R&D Americas, Inc. (HRA). He began his career at Honda in Japan in 1989, joining the advanced design studio in Tokyo, where he worked on the award-winning Honda FSX show car. After six years in Japan, he returned to Los Angeles in 1995, to continue his career at Honda R&D in Torrance, California.

2022 Acura RDX pricing starts at $40,345, a $900 increase

Acura showed us the quieter, more featured, and better handling 2022 RDX five-seater crossover in September. With the model expected to drive onto dealer lots in about two weeks, it's time for pricing. The base price for a front-wheel drive RDX goes up by $900 to $40,345 after the $1,045 destination charge. Be warned, that price is only for a Lunar Silver RDX; the four other colors possible on the base trim cost $500, and the three pearlescent hues require both the $2,650 Technology Package and the $3,000 Advance Package. MSRPs for the entire 2022 RDX range are: RDX FWD: $40,345 RDX FWD with Technology Package: $42,995 RDX FWD A-Spec with Technology Package: $45,995 RDX SH-AWD with Advance Package: $50,345 RDX SH-AWD A-Spec with Advance Package: $52,345 RDX SH-AWD PMC Edition: $55,295 As indicated on Acura's pricing sheet, adding SH-AWD to the three front-wheel-drive models requires $2,200. Fyi, the RDX configurator on Acura's web site displays the price for SH-AWD as $2,000, but the summary actually adds the correct $2,200 figure to the tally.   Every RDX next year will be quieter thanks to a retuned Active Sound Control system and, as part of the MDX-inspired redesign, new front fender liners that reduce road noise. The new Technology Package cuts even more cacophony thanks to thicker carpet, acoustic glass in the front doors, more sound insulation throughout the cabin, plus it throws in features like perforated sport seats, 12-speaker ELS audio, parking sensors front and rear, swankier 19-inch wheels, and a rear camera washer. The A-Spec Package takes the rims up to 20 inches, and bundles gear like LED fog lights, heated front seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and 16-speaker ELS audio. For 2022, Acura will finally let customers combine the A-Spec with the Advance Package. The latter kit piles on even more sound deadening material, acoustic glass for the rear windows, plus bits like a heated steering wheel and rear seats, a hands-free tailgate, and adaptive dampers. Those dampers are drop wheel size back down to 19 inches, though. The 2022 RDX can be pre-ordered now, examples will be in showrooms come November 2. Related Video: