Acura Four-door coupe

The Return of a Legend? The last Acura coupe to grace our roads was the CL, a sporty little two-door that had about as much visual appeal as the Accord it was based on. No wonder it didn’t make as much of an impact as the Legend Coupe that preceded it.

Acura has learned a thing or two about standing out from the crowd since these early, conservative days. Whether you like its new “shield” inspired design language or not, Acura now wears an easily recognizable face that pushes the styling envelope to extreme edges while dividing the masses into two love it or lump it piles. Therefore the brand is ripe for a new take on the two-door, and one that will reportedly share underpinnings with the recently introduced ZDX crossover.

And like the ZDX, Honda’s premium brand will be following a European forerunner into a new market niche, not branding a trail of its own. There’s nothing particularly wrong with that, and in respect of the latter four-door coupe segment, a safer bet than the ZDX, which might get bashed about on the big uncharted waves of the five-door with hatch crossover sports car niche; only BMW’s X6 surfs these waters so far.

Most likely renamed the CL, the new model will slot in between the TSX and TL, but will likely be priced nearer to the larger Acura as it will go up against Volkswagen’s stylish and fully-featured CC.

2010 Acura TSX V-6 Reveiw

2010 Acura TSX V-6

2010 Acura TSX V-6

2010 Acura TSX V-6

Simply put, the market has changed. Once upon a time, twenty percent of TSX buyers opted for a manual transmission. Now, fewer than one in twenty does. The larger and more grown-up second-generation TSX is appealing to a different crowd--and doing so at a very respectable pace despite our disastrous economy--and these buyers are cross-shopping competitors with powerful six-cylinder engines.

Power-hungry buyers can now opt for a TSX with the base TL's 3.5-liter V-6. It produces more torque off idle than the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder does at its peak, so keeping up with brisk traffic no longer requires repeated forays to the high end of the tachometer scale. According to Acura, the V-6's extra 79 hp is sufficient to knock two seconds off the four-cylinder TSX automatic's nine-second 0-to-60-mph sprint.

Acura maintains that this V-6 model is the sportier version of the TSX, but it's not. Instead, its added speed and refinement make it more luxurious. To wit, springs and dampers have been retuned to cope with the driveline's extra 210 pounds, but the result is a more supple--not firmer--ride. There are minimal brake upgrades and no supersupportive seats. A five-speed automatic is the only transmission available, and it shifts even more smoothly than when paired with the four-banger. The TSX V-6 will easily light up the front tires off the line, but torque steer is admirably well controlled, and the transmission's long fourth- and fifth-gear ratios help provide relaxed, quiet cruising and account for the mere 3-mpg penalty in combined fuel economy (EPA ratings are 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway).

In fact, the only drawbacks attributable to the V-6 are a larger turning radius and handling that now falls into the Terminal Understeer category. Oh, and there's the price. A $5540 premium is a product-planning faux pas, as it bumps the TSX up to within $105 of the larger TL. We're still not complaining, though, since the four-cylinder version is still around for those who don't need the extra go. And owners of the previous-generation TL now have another option when it comes time for a new car--the TSX V-6 is similar to their car in size, refinement, and performance. So the engine isn't the only part of this new TSX taken from the TL; some of the buyers will come from the TL, too.

The Specs
On Sale: Now
price: $35,660
Engine: 3.5L V-6, 280 hp, 254 lb-ft
Drive: Front-wheel

Acura RDX Turbocharged CUV Receives Numerous Upgrades for 2010

The 2010 Acura RDX goes on sale across Canada on
August 10 with a fresh new exterior look, a more luxurious interior, new

technology features and improved fuel economy. With a sales increase in Canada
of 17 per cent for the first half of 2009, the turbocharged RDX continues to
be a leading compact-luxury CUV of choice for Canadians with active lifestyles
who want a responsive and sporty vehicle with utility, leading-edge styling
and the benefits of Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive(TM) (SH-AWD(TM)).
Externally, the 2010 RDX receives numerous changes resulting in a more
aggressive, sporty appearance. RDX exterior styling further emphasizes the
crossover's sporty athleticism. Large wheel arches, aggressively raked body
sides, steeply raked windscreen and a short rear overhang generate a taut and
muscular presence.
RDX gets a new front fascia, Acura's signature front grille, a hood with
a new front edge design and updated HID headlights that are now controlled by
a standard automatic on/off function. The headlight's new design incorporates
a "smoke style" chrome plating treatment and complements the angular pattern
set by the Acura grille. At the rear, a more aggressive bumper fascia,
rectangular exhaust finishers, revised taillights and satin finish trim give
the 2010 RDX a freshened appearance.
New 18-inch diameter, 10-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels, in conjunction with
the vehicle's wide track (1572-mm front / 1590-mm rear), are designed to
provide improved handling. Changes to the brake booster and servo deliver
better brake pedal feel plus less initial brake "grabbiness." The brake system
also makes use of revised rear brake pad actuation that delivers less drag and
longer pad life. Also new are Geomet-coated brake rotors for improved looks
and added corrosion protection.
The RDX also receives several new standard interior features, including a
rear view camera system, electronic compass, a pull handle to make closing the
rear hatch easier, auto-function headlights, ambient footwell lighting, a
centre console storage tray, improved cupholders, USB-port connectivity, and
Note function for XM(R) Radio.
The 2010 RDX incorporates a class-leading array of features that keep
passengers informed and entertained. RDX features as standard Bluetooth(R)
HandsFreeLink(R) connectivity with new Bluetooth(R) audio capabilities, a
7-speaker Acura Premium Sound System and a new USB port that allows the
connection of (and charging of) items such as an iPhone(R) or iPod(R).
Also new for 2010 is a centre console tray that is a convenient way to
store items such as a wallet, spare keys, or an iPod(R). In addition,
integrated to the underside of the lid is a coin holder and place for holding
credit or gate cards. New for 2010 is a USB port (also located in the centre
console) that allows for the easy connection of items such as an iPod(R),
iPhone(R) or a memory stick storage device.

2010 RDX peeks out on Acura website

2010 Acura RDX - Click above for image gallery

Last week, we showed you a few photos of what looked to be the 2010 Acura RDX that had begun floating around the interwebs. A subsequent call to Acura confirmed that they were, in fact, the real deal. Now, without any fanfare, the updated compact crossover has appeared on the company's website, complete with specification changes and pricing.

As shown earlier, the RDX is indeed on the receiving end of the corporate shield grille rhinoplasty, and also gets new fog lamps and air inlets. The rear end has been cleaned up as well, with new hexagonal exhaust inlets with stylized cutouts and a mesh insert in the fascia's lower reaches.

The big news for 2010 is the availability of a front-drive version, which helps shed weight and parasitic drag to increase fuel economy. At an EPA estimated 19 miles-per-gallon city and 24 highway, the RDX still strikes us as behind the curve, but perhaps not as much as the (unchanged) 17/22 figures of the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) version.

Predictably, this least-complex RDX is also the cheapest, ringing up at $32,520 plus delivery. If you do want the foul-weather security of all-wheel drive, you'll have to pay a minimum of $34,520. Plump for the technology package (which includes traffic- and weather-linked sat-nav, premium Acura/ELS surround sound, and so on), you're looking at $35,620 in front-drive guise, and $37,620 for all-wheel drive.

We see no mention of streaming audio as hinted at earlier, but Bluetooth telephony is still part of the mix. Further, a rearview camera will come standard, even if one doesn't pony up for the Technology pack with navigation.

No matter which model you choose, the RDX continues to be motivated by the same turbocharged, intercooled 2.3-liter four-cylinder, giving 240 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm.

Acura TSX

Remember the old advertising shill, "It's longer, lower, and wider"? Well, in the case of the new Acura TSX, make that longer and a whopping 3 in. wider. Based upon the redesigned European-spec Honda Accord, the TSX has gained loads of interior elbow room, somehow lost a cubic foot of trunk space, gained 160 lb in weight, and has improved its already modest rear legroom by -- drumroll -- 0.1 in. Acura's finger-threatening "power plenum" grille further delivers to the brand a distinctive face, but we're not convinced Veg-O-Matic dicer is the way to go here. But fire its sweet 2.4L four, notch the super-slick six-speed shifter into first (the alternative is a new paddle-shift five-speed automatic), and Acura's entry model can melt reservations faster than an 18-year-old on a Tijuana weekend. The car is a smile-maker. The TSX's steering effort seems light, and on uphill ascents, you need to keep the revs howling to maintain the excitement level. But this is an unusually sensitive driver, a credible poor man's BMW 3 Series (or maybe 1 Series). Under more leisurely circumstances, the TSX offers a taut but acceptable ride, but even its taut-ride moments reveal a deliciously rigid chassis. It's unexpectedly quiet, too (given its sport-minded mission), a noticeable advance in hushing tire noise and aerodynamics compared with Honda's and Acura's recent fare. Does the 2009 Acura TSX have the goods to score the 2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year Calipers? Find out on November 18.

2009 Acura TL doesn’t offer a manual transmission

The 2009 Acura TL doesn’t offer a manual transmission, but that’s about to change for the 2010 model year: A six-speed manual transmission will be available this fall on the TL Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive performance model.

The current TL’s lack of manual transmission is a notable when comparing it to its competition such as the Infiniti G37 and BMW 335, which both offer manuals.

On the TL Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive model, Acura has beefed up the suspension to reduce body roll and shed 88 pounds by going from the automatic transmission to the manual, which improves weight distribution.

2010 Acura TSX Gets V-6 Engine, Same Price as TL

When the Acura TSX got a face-lift for the 2009 model year, we were a bit surprised at the sales success of this littlest Acura. Its fuel-efficient and peppy four-cylinder engine, front-wheel-drive setup and pleasant ride swayed a lot of near-luxury buyers. For 2010, Acura seems to have answered a question no one was asking: It put a 280-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 in the TSX and priced it within $150 of the larger Acura TL with the same engine and transmission.

We won’t spend too much time breaking down the similarities of the TSX V-6 and the base TL V-6, but they have the same power and five-speed transmission, and they’re within 1 mpg in estimated highway mileage. The TSX gets 18/27 mpg city/highway, while the TL gets 18/26. The TSX V-6 gets standard steering-wheel shift paddles and 18-inch wheels, while the base model gets 17-inch wheels standard.

Otherwise, the TSX remains mostly the same from 2009, with a slight price increase of $150 for the four-cylinder model. Full pricing and more photos are below. The 2010 TSX is on sale now.

• TSX – five-speed automatic: $29,310
• TSX – six-speed manual: $29,310
• TSX – five-speed automatic with Technology Package: $32,410
• TSX – six-speed manual with Technology Package: $32,410
• TSX V-6: $34,850
• TSX V-6 with Technology Package: $37,950

Destination: $810

VIA