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2019 Acura MDX refresh brings some sharp enhancements

The outgoing Acura MDX has nothing to be ashamed of, but the thing about refreshes is that the engineers and product teams always have something to fine tune. Some of it is planned in advance — the cosmetic upgrades and the A-Spec trim were probably always part of the product roadmap. But there are also some tweaks that seem to be a response to customer feedback. Let's take a closer look. Most important, some of the goodies reserved only for the old Sport Hybrid will now be available on all MDXs. Notably, the Active Damper System — a continuously adjustable valve that controls the flow of hydraulic fluid within the damper — is available on non-hybrid MDXs for the first time. The system has several settings, from plush to firm. We found this system worked very well on the Sport Hybrid during our first drive, so it's a useful upgrade that buyers will be able to readily appreciate. Next up is an A-Spec appearance trim, which looks sportier but doesn't offer any additional performance or comfort features, just like the rest of Acura's A-Spec models at this point. For the MDX, wider 20-inch wheels and a combination of gloss black and "dark chrome" trim compliment a revised front fascia and grille. Inside, the seats get a mix of Alcantara and leather with contrasting stitching, there are unique gauges, sport pedals, and a thicker steering wheel. It looks decent enough, particularly inside, and there's enough there to make the trim stand apart from the more pedestrian trims. Oh, and there's an exclusive color: Apex Blue Pearl. A quick aside on prices: The base MDX without SH-AWD runs an MSRP of $45,295, and the A-Spec (only available with SH-AWD) is $55,795. Normal MDXs get a few more color options, although they'll cost extra: Majestic Black Pearl, Performance Red, and Canyon Bronze Metallic. One no-cost color option that's new is Gunmetal Metallic. Inside, there are some additional interior options, like Desert Olive Ash wood trim, contrasting seat stitching, and standard 4-way power lumbar adjustment on the front seats. Advance Package MDXs get wider 20-inch wheels, too. And now on to those tweaks and enhancements that might not have been planned a long time ago in a product meeting far away. The engine stop/start function has been tweaked to be smoother and quicker, thanks to an upgraded brake sensor and some software tweaks.

The new Acura Integra was never meant to be a retro car

The new Acura Integra Prototype was never supposed to be a retro or nostalgic design process. It would be easy to assume it was, as Acura’s messaging leading up to the big reveal leaned heavily on the Integra nameplate's heritage. From the model name embossed in the bumpers, to videos of shifting the older modelÂ’s manual transmissions, Acura yanked fairly hard on our heartstrings. And then the cover came off last week, and while there are very subtle cues hinting at old Integras here and there, the new car doesnÂ’t look much like the old ones at all. Unlike designers of the new retro-tastic Nissan Z and Ford Bronco, Acura decided to create something altogether new and different. “So, admittedly, when we started planning this car, it was never to create a retro Integra,” Acura product planner, Jonathan Rivers, told Autoblog. “We actually looked at it from the viewpoint of say, if the Integra had never left the lineup, how would it have evolved? How would it have changed over the years? We think this is the result of that.” There was never going to be a two-door coupe model, because as Rivers points out to us, coupes just don't sell these days. However, sportbacks are popular — just look at the sheer number of them coming from Germany these days — and it suits the customers Acura is trying to capture with the Integra. “The target customer is a millennial with an active lifestyle, so they need space for their gear but they also want to have a great car to hit the canyon roads with every now and then,” Rivers says. “Once again, over the generations, the Integra is just that.” For any naysayers throwing their hands up about the Integra seemingly being a fancy Civic, we possess two points of refutation. One, thatÂ’s exactly what the Integra has always been. It was literally badged and sold as a Honda in many other countries, and its bones have always been Civic-based. ThatÂ’s the IntegraÂ’s history, and while Acura doesnÂ’t officially come out and say so, itÂ’s most certainly the same today. On the design front, maybe you think the photos make it look a little too close to the new 11th-gen Civic Hatchback? Well, pictures on the internet donÂ’t always tell the full story of a car design. “None of the sheetmetal is shared with either the four-door or the five-door Civic,” Rivers explains.

2024 Acura TLX Type S First Drive: Give it some more credit

The latest generation of the Acura TLX wormed its way into our hearts from the moment we got behind the wheel. It’s a driverÂ’s car, and AcuraÂ’s made that clear from the get-go. Then we tried out the TLX Type S and liked it enough to even give it the nod over a BMW M340i in a head-to-head comparison test. Now that itÂ’s been a few years since the sport sedan came out, Acura has a mid-cycle refresh ready to sweeten the pot a little more. Our first go-around with the updated model is this 2024 Acura TLX Type S, but most of the updates apply to the pared-down collection of other trim levels (more on that later). The interior sees the most substantive upgrades, including a new set of screens for both the infotainment system and the analog-turned-digital gauge cluster. The latter is the more controversial of the bunch because even though a digital cluster is largely seen as an upgrade these days, the white-trimmed gauges of the pre-refresh car were a beautifully distinctive touch in an age of mostly anonymous digital clusters. Nevertheless, the cluster is now a 12.3-inch screen that comes standard on all TLX models. There are a few different views including a traditional two-dial approach, one that pushes the gauges all the way to the edges, and exclusive to the Type S, a third that features a horizontal tach reminiscent of the S2000Â’s rev counter.  The ADAS graphics in the center are a nice touch, and the screen is rather crisp, though weÂ’re not sure that everyone will find it to be an upgrade over the analog cluster. At the very least, couldnÂ’t Acura have replicated the old white-trimmed gauges (below, white) to maintain some continuity and appease purists like us? The 2024 MustangÂ’s retro Fox Body gauge design shows such things are possible. The infotainment display is bumped from 10.3 inches to 12.3, though the ever-controversial Acura Precision TouchPad remains. It responds quicker and more fluidly to inputs than before, and the newly-added wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto capability is a nice-to-have. And as the cherry on top, Acura added a new customizable head-up display and a 360-degree camera to the Type S. The rest of the TLXÂ’s interior is familiar. You sit low and are surrounded by easy-to-operate buttons, knobs and scroll wheels aplenty. The rear seat is still a scrunched affair for the TLXÂ’s footprint, but Acura never meant for this sedan to be a limo. Step outside, though, and youÂ’re met with some subtle but impactful design changes.