2002 Acura Rsx Type S (repairable Clean Title) on 2040-cars

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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.

Next-gen Acura TLX spied out testing in heavy camouflage

We’re sure you all remember that stunning Acura Type S Concept from yesterday. Acura said itÂ’s meant to influence the next-gen TLXÂ’s design, and lo and behold, here is the next-gen TLX. Of course, Acura has no intentions of letting us see the production car anytime soon, so weÂ’re treated to a heavily cladded prototype in the photos here. Looking at it in profile, the camouflaged car looks a whole lot like the Type S Concept we saw yesterday. The short rear overhang is similar, but the front of the production car looks like it hangs out over the front wheels a little further – it still shares the concept's overall long-hood/short-deck proportions, though. The roof tapers down into the decklid at a shallow angle, similar to the concept car. WeÂ’re sad to see the same quad exhaust isnÂ’t protruding from the rear bumper of this tester. Instead, it gets a dual exhaust with wide, rectangular outlets on both sides. We think the car weÂ’re looking at here is likely a regular TLX, and not the spicy Type S variant most likely seen last year. ThereÂ’s one interior photo our shooter was able to snag, showing a similar infotainment screen as that used in the new RDX, something we fully expect for the production car. That touchpad system is far superior to Acura infotainment systems of the past, but it still isnÂ’t perfect. An analog tachometer is visible off to the left, indicating that the regular TLX trims probably won't introduce a fully digital instrument cluster. Not that we'd expect that; even the new RDX maintains analog gauges in its top spec. However the TLX story plays out, it wonÂ’t hurt if the production car looks just like the well-received Type S Concept. ItÂ’s unclear how long weÂ’ll have to wait to see the car in full, but we'll keep you posted.