2005 Acura Tsx Base Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Acura ZDX getting the axe after 2013 despite new updates [w/poll]

The Acura ZDX hasn't exactly lived a conventional existence, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that its death announcement isn't going according to standard industry protocol, either. Parent company Honda has taken the unusual step of trumpeting a refreshed-for-2013 model while simultaneously announcing that this will be the model's last year. According to Acura, the model's cancellation comes as the brand "sharpens its focus on new models and core products" like the forthcoming RLX sedan.
The audaciously styled crossover has been, to be charitable, a very reluctant seller since its 2009 introduction, but for 2013, Acura is jazzing up its concept car for the street with new kit. The changes include a lightly reworked front shield grille along with new power folding side mirrors and new tech features including lane departure and forward collision warning systems.
We'd say that announcing the model's discontinuation at the same time one is presenting a freshened model could hurt sales, but we're not sure there's anyone paying attention. Last year, Acura managed to shift just 1,564 units of the ZDX, giving it the No. 4 spot on our Worst Sellers of 2011 list. Through September, Automotive News reports that only 642 examples have been sold in 2012, making it one of the rarest new cars on the market.

Acura touts full-line Top Safety Pick+ achievement in new ad

When a vehicle scores a Top Safety Pick+ in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing or a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it's a darn big deal. But when an automaker's entire lineup earns the TSP+ honor and gets top marks from NHTSA it's a, um, well, it's never happened before. So congratulations, Acura. The premium Japanese brand is the first automaker to score top marks on the latest IIHS testing while also earning five-star NHTSA ratings across its entire range of vehicle. This, of course, is not the first time it's earned such a distinction – in 2009, and well before TSP+ existed, Acura was the first automaker to boast a lineup filled with TSP and five-star vehicles. With this new, five-vehicle lineup of TSP+ and five stars, Acura certainly has something worth crowing about. That's why it's preparing a new marketing campaign to crow about super-safe ILX sedans and MDX crossovers. Expect to see it on your TV starting on October 18. If you simply can't wait to see what Acura's up to, though, we've got a 60-second spot that features some very disturbing crash-test "dummies." Take a look at the top of the page, and then scroll down for the official press release on Acura's lineup.Related Video: Acura Underscores Industry-leading Safety Performance with Emotional New Marketing Campaign • Acura is the first and only automotive brand to earn 5-star Overall Vehicle Score from the NHTSA and TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the IIHS across its model line • High impact and emotional national advertising campaign brings to life Acura's dedication to safety performance • The brand's first-of-its-kind campaign launches digitally on Oct. 15 and on national broadcast television on Oct. 18 TORRANCE, Calif. (Oct. 15, 2015) – Acura has taken a safety leadership position as the only automotive brand to earn a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score in the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) across its entire model line . Based on the brand's commitment to the latest safety design and implementation of advanced safety and driver-assistive technology, Acura earned top overall safety ratings from the U.S. government and the IIHS across its model line. Acura will showcase its leadership in a new high impact and emotional national advertising campaign highlighting the brand's dedication to safety performance.

Acura Integra's racing hopes hinge on Honda

The 2023 Integra has mostly failed to create the stir from long-time enthusiasts that Acura had hoped it would. However, all is not lost; Acura could perhaps regain some street cred if they took the Integra racing, like they did with the Integras of the 80s and 90s. Brand head Jon Ikeda wants to take the 'Teg to the track, but it all depends on whether the leadership at the American Honda mothership permits it. "We want to race this thing, but maybe the Honda PR and marketing guys might have different ideas," Ikeda told Road & Track. That's because the Integra is largely a 2022 Civic Si with a hatchback form factor and new sheetmetal. Honda already sells a Civic Type R race car in several tunes for various classes in the TC America touring car series. That was based on previous-generation Civic, but in all likelihood will continue the program with the latest gen. A racing Integra, then, would seem redundant. On the other hand, Acura has been highly active in motorsports, from 24 Hours of Daytona-winning IMSA DPi prototypes to NSX GT3 race cars to Pikes Peak hill-climbers. Even Honda's F1 cars were re-branded with Acura livery at last month's U.S. Grand Prix in Austin. And it's not like the Integra doesn't have a long history in motorsports. The nameplate as competed in various North American series from SCCA Pro Rally to IMSA sedan to the Import Drag Racing Championships. Perhaps the most well-known Acura Integras to race, though, were Peter Cunningham's white and neon orange RealTime Racing Type Rs that dominated the SpeedVision World Challenge championships around Y2K. Ikeda has said before that he wants Acura to be the performance brand of Honda, and a rumored Integra Type S is in the works with a more potent engine, possibly a version of the upcoming Civic Type R's mill. "We're the performance division of Honda," Ikeda emphasized to R&T, "So we're not going to shy away from Honda, you know? We're going to just have a little bit more fun." While an admirable goal, the brand will struggle if it's merely the performance arm of Honda. It has to be about performance cars, period. That was part of Acura's magic in the 90s; it offered products that, while sharing components with Honda, were distinct and had their own personalities. The Integra was Civic-based, but it had noticeably better handling, more power, and unique design.