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Honda HR-V could spawn Acura variant

We've been saying it for months now, but the compact CUV is the next big thing. Everyone, and we mean everyone, is at least considering getting in on the action, if they aren't already actively designing or selling, and that's true whether they're a premium or mainstream automaker. That, of course, includes Acura, whose parent company, Honda, has a compact CUV of its own coming to market very, very soon. With the arrival of the Fit-based HR-V, that begs the question of whether the near-premium marque will join this burgeoning segment. The idea of building a car below the company's entry level CUV, the RDX, is an appealing one to Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel, who called it "potentially the only place you could go," and would occupy the "white space" the company is looking to fill. While we might chuckle about the idea of a luxurious, Fit-based CUV, it's fair to say it could do well for Acura. It could certainly provide a foil to the very hot selling Buick Encore, and may even capture some sales from the luxuriously outfitted Jeep Renegade Limited/Fiat 500X Lounge. It remains to be seen, though, if Acura could build an HR-V capable of tangling with the new entries from Lexus, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

2023 Acura TLX adds a couple of service amenities, price increases

The Acura TLX busted out an all-new second generation for the 2021 model year, one-upping that with a TLX Type S, and ringing the bell with the TLX Type S PMC Edition for the 2023 model year. With the fireworks still echoing from all that, 2023 will be an otherwise quiet year for the sedan range. The upgrades are service oriented, the automaker throwing in three years of AcuraLink and the Security and Remote packages free. The Remote Package can speak directly to the car with commands like remote start and stop or lock and unlock, or owners can give the car commands through Amazon Alexa Auto. Alerts like Find My Car and Stolen Vehicle Locator can keep tabs on the car's location, worried parents can keep tabs on teens with features like Geofence Alert and Speed Alert. The Security Package handles matters like crash notifications, calls to emergency services, and roadside assistance. Acura's also added its Maintenance Package to the stock offering. This gets two years or 24,000 miles of scheduled maintenance like oil changes and tire rotations. Any remaining balance can be transferred to a new owner if the car is sold before the time or mileage limits are reached. Finally, it's not mentioned in the press release, but the 2.0T in base spec with SH-AWD and the 2.0T with the Technology Pack and SH-AWD are missing from the 2023 price list. That leaves eight models in the range thanks to the addition of the PMC Edition.  Prices for the holdovers are up, surprise, surprise. MSRPs for the 2023 TLX range, including the $1,095 destination charge for the standard sedans and the $1,995 destination charge for the PMC Edition, and the changes from 2022, are: TLX 2.0T: $40,745 ($750) TLX 2.0T Technology Pack: $44,745 ($750) TLX 2.0T A-Spec Pack: $47,495 ($750) TLX 2.0T A-Spec Pack SH-AWD: $49,695 ($750) TLX 2.0T Advanced Pack SH-AWD: $51,945 ($950) TLX 3.0T Type S SH-AWD: $56,445 ($1,650) TLX 3.0T Type S SH-AWD with Performance Wheels and Tires: $57,245 ($1,650) TLX 3.0T Type S SH-AWD PMC Edition: $63,995

8 cars we're most looking forward to driving in 2015

Now that 2014 is officially in the books, it's time to look ahead. And following our list of the cars we liked best last year, we're now setting our sights at the hot new metal that's coming our way in 2015. Some of these, we've already seen. And some are still set to debut during the 2015 auto show season. But these are the machines that keep us going – the things on the horizon that we're particularly stoked to drive, and drive hard. Jeep Renegade Not the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Not the Ford Mustang GT350. Not the new John Cooper Works Mini. Nope, I'm looking forward to the adorable, trail-rated Jeep Renegade. And that's because I really, really, really like our long-term Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. I do not, however, care too much for the Cherokee's looks, and I really don't like its $38,059 price tag. The Renegade Trailhawk, meanwhile, promises much of the same rough-and-tumble character as its big brother, but at what we expect will be a more reasonable price (I'm personally wagering on the baby Jeep's off-road model starting at no more than $23,000). With a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a nine-speed automatic, it should also be a bit easier to fill than the V6-powered Cherokee. Also, I can't help but love the way the Renegade looks. It's like someone took a Wrangler, squished it by 50 percent and then handed it off to George Clinton for a healthy dose of funk. The interior, with its bright, expressive trims and color schemes should also be a really nice place to spend some time. I'll be attending the Renegade's launch later this month, so I'll have a much shorter wait than my colleagues. Here's hoping the baby Jeep lives up to my expectations. – Brandon Turkus Associate Editor Mazda MX-5 Miata Here's an uncomfortable truth: I'd rather spend a day driving a properly sorted Mazda MX-5 Miata of any generation on a winding road than I would nearly any other vehicle, regardless of power, price or prestige. It's not just that I prize top-down driving and enjoy the Miata's small size because it gives me more road to play with. I just find there's more motoring joy to be had with high-fidelity handling and an uncorrupted car-to-driver communication loop than I do with face-distorting power or grip – let alone valet-stand gravitas. But perhaps most of all, I love Miatas because they can deliver that level of feedback and driver reward at modest speeds that won't put the locals on edge or endanger lives – you can use more of the car more of the time.