Great Car on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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.

2016 Acura RDX arrives with freshened styling, powertrain enhancements [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The 2016 RDX comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, not a nine-speed. The text below has been edited to reflect this. Launched in 2012 for the 2013 model year, the second-generation RDX is hardly an old vehicle, and the luxury crossover is coming off its best sales year ever, according to Acura. Still, three years after the debut, the Japanese automaker is giving the CUV a thorough refresh with a facelift and bountiful new tech at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, with sales set to kick off this spring. The most obvious update at the front for the 2016 RDX is Acura's Jewel Eye LED headlight array already found on some of its other models, but the improvements go a lot further than just the lighting. All of the fascia's lines appear just a little sharper and the added chrome helps grab the eye. The refinements are similar at the rear, where there are now LED taillights. While not obvious on the surface, the structure underneath is supposed to offer better frontal crash performance, too. Acura's engineers turned their attention to the RDX's powertrain for some tweaks, as well. The crossover now benefits from a nine-speed automatic gearbox to replace the previous six-speed. The 3.5-liter V6 with cylinder deactivation also gets a slight upgrade to make 279 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque – up 6 hp and 1 lb-ft over the 2015 model. The changes benefit fuel economy by one-mile-per-gallon on the highway with ratings of 20 mpg city and 29 mpg highway for the front-wheel drive version and 19/28 with all-wheel drive. The 2016 RDX is also packed with new tech to improve drivability and safety. Active front and rear engine mounts should improve NVH, and the all-wheel-drive system has more rear bias. Inside, the cabin trim sees an update, and heated front seats are standard. The optional Technology Package now gets an eight-way power front passenger seat, the company's dual-screen multi-info display and both blind spot and rear cross traffic monitoring. However, for those looking for a ton of gadgets to brag about, the new Advance Package option is the place to be. It includes rain-sensing wipers, front fog lights, remote engine start, ventilated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, an auto-dimming driver's side mirror and the full suite of the AcuraWatch safety assist functions.

2024 Acura TLX Preview: Subtle style tweaks, fewer trim options

The 2024 Acura TLX sees a number of updates to keep it competitive and address a few customer requests. It also looks a bit different, but you do need to take a closer side-by-side look. The big visual change is the front end. It now looks more like the TLX Concept car – specifically the lower air dam area and crucially, thereÂ’s now a frameless grille. Acura needed to redesign the entire trim piece above the grille and across the fascia to accommodate it. The change is most obvious on the base TLX, which used to have chrome lipstick around the “Diamond Pentagon” grille. ItÂ’s gone now. So are a whole heap of 2024 Acura TLX trim levels. There had been eight and now there are three: TLX with Technology Package, A-Spec and Type S. Front-wheel drive is now exclusively paired with the now-base TLX with Technology Package (thatÂ’s seriously what itÂ’s called) and vice versa, while the other two are only paired with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). There was previously a Technology-less Base TLX, a front-wheel-drive A-Spec, a TLX with Advance Package, a Type S w/ Performance Tire and the special-edition Type S PMC Edition. The surviving three were apparently what people were overwhelmingly getting. 2024 Acura TLX action front three quarter View 11 Photos That said, parts of those zombie trims survive. The Advance package may be gone for the base TLX (customers were more interested in the sporty versions than the more luxurious take of Advance cars), but its head-up display and surround-view parking camera are added as standard to the Acura TLX Type S. It already had the AdvanceÂ’s other extras. The PMCÂ’s special lightweight wheels, fashioned in a Copper color are now dealer-installed options for the Type S along with the performance tires. Speaking of wheels, Acura answered another customer request by enlarging the A-Spec wheels to 19 inches and through in a coat of Shark Gray paint. The Type S wheels are now Berlina Black to match the new gloss-black finish in its grille. More gloss black shows up on the A-Spec as well on its new, reshaped rear spoiler. Below it is a similarly gloss black diffuser encasing new round tailpipes in place of the old square covers. Perhaps the most significant visual upgrade, however, is back up front where a new, smaller radar sensor for the adaptive cruise control and forward collision prevention system is now completely encased behind the Acura logo.