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Acura is slowly committing suicide

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#1 ·
Acura is slowly committing suicide
This was originally going to be a piece in which I congratulated Acura for inventing a 2006 Lexus IS350 with their grille on it, a vehicle they refer to as the TLX Concept. But I won't do that. There's no point in poking fun of Acura anymore.
I'm tired of being critical of Acura. Now, as we go into 2014, I am more convinced than ever that doing so is a meaningless exercise. I have never seen any company, automotive or otherwise, more committed to doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Acura is slowly committing suicide and the cause of death will be lack of innovation.

Read more: http://jalopnik.com/acura-is-slowly-committing-suicide-1501315445
 
#2 ·
not surprising since it's 'Jollypop'

but I diagree so much with:

Acura is slowly committing suicide
imho they may have already started back up from rock bottom

congratulated Acura for inventing a 2006 Lexus IS350 with their grille on it...the TLX Concept...
nonsense, the Fwd midsize TLX is more like an ES+GS combo
(I *like* one model taking on 2 of the competition's!!)

There's no point in poking fun of Acura anymore.
NONSENSE! it *would* still be fun ...IF the designers' meds stop working

I'm tired of being critical of Acura.
obviously he needs vitamins (or meds) himself

...I have never seen any company, automotive or otherwise, more committed to doing the same thing over and over again
I HOPE they do the previous gen styling and public perception "things" again - of course updated


OTOH
this:
Jollypop said:
...Let's first talk about the point of auto shows like the one in Detroit. Though they are increasingly becoming irrelevant in the digital age, auto shows exist to both preview feasible future products and to display new ideas. It's where automakers can show off new design languages, new technologies, new market segments they'd like to explore, and generally get people excited enough to care about their brand...

...stagnation has never been more apparent. How do they fix it? By making some enticing, ridiculous, forward-thinking concept cars and then take some of those into production to show the world that they still have some energy left and aren't going out with a whimper of beigeness.

I just don't see any evidence that this is going to happen, and I don't see much value in making jokes about their (grilles) or their cars' names or their...designs. It's not funny anymore; it's just sad...
sounds reasonable to me
(&
may apply to "OTHER" brands beside Acura
)
 
#3 ·
Its hard to argue with the idea that Acura simply hasn't evolved. The styling changes from generation to generation, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. The cars themselves tend to keep pace with the market, but given they've been behind pretty much since the beginning the brand never raises above also ran. They've done a few interesting things here and there, the NSX, the electric AWD, the first Integra, but never anything earth shattering. Really they truly are expensive Hondas in that they are always in that same comfort zone, and within that zone they're great, but taken outside they just vanilla transportation.

To me Honda, and by extension Acura, has always reminded me of a BMW but without any soul. That makes me sad as I've always been a Honda guy when it comes to the two wheeled sporting vehicles. I've had a couple Interceptors and one bad CB1000F Hurricane!! Their sports bikes are rarely razors edge types of bikes, but bikes that can run on that edge while also being great for a long day of touring. I wish Honda/Acura could find a way to bring those qualities to their four wheeled vehicles.
 
#6 ·
^ "glass houses", LetsRace?
(which I meant to imply with my Jollypop quote?)


Its hard to argue with the idea that Acura simply hasn't evolved. The styling changes from generation to generation, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse...
imho it's JUST the current full-generation that's been worse (actually, worse-than-worse!!)
the previous full-gen was Gorgeous imho!
some of The BEST styled cars ever!
&
from my viewpoint, had class-leading perception TOO!

...The cars themselves tend to keep pace with the market, but given they've been behind pretty much since the beginning the brand never raises above also ran. They've done a few interesting things here and there, the NSX, the electric AWD, the first Integra, but never anything earth shattering. Really they truly are expensive Hondas in that they are always in that same comfort zone, and within that zone they're great, but taken outside they just vanilla transportation.

To me Honda, and by extension Acura, has always reminded me of a BMW but without any soul. That makes me sad as I've always been a Honda guy when it comes to the two wheeled sporting vehicles. I've had a couple Interceptors and one bad CB1000F Hurricane!! Their sports bikes are rarely razors edge types ...but... can run on that edge while also being great for a long day of touring. I wish Honda/Acura could find a way to bring those qualities to their four wheeled vehicles.
this^ (bolded parts) also mostly-reminds me of my mantra:
"WHAT IF Lincoln is fully dedicated to "Luxury" but also equally committed to doing it their own way which is different from anybody else?"
 
#7 ·
this^ (bolded parts) also mostly-reminds me of my mantra:
"WHAT IF Lincoln is fully dedicated to "Luxury" but also equally committed to doing it their own way which is different from anybody else?"
What if Lincoln is fully dedicated to "Luxury" but also equally committed to doing it their own way which is different from anybody else... and nobody wants them?

Different isn't always better, or even as good.
 
#8 ·
just clarifying:
What if Lincoln is fully dedicated to "Luxury" but also equally committed to doing it their own way which is different from anybody else...
is the 'WHAT'
...and nobody wants them?
depends ALSO on 'HOW' they do their 'what'


Different isn't always better, or even as good.
AGREE tho
quote t-rex @ GMI
Re: NAIAS: 2015 Acura TLX Prototype
quote 2b2...
2. boring is definitely an improvement over freaking weird...

Boring isn't the word. This is utterly forgettable.
And sorry, 2b2, boring is never an improvement over weird, only an improvement over fugly. Imho
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
frequently imho "weird" is Good
but maybe my "freaking weird" = t-rex's "fugly"?
&
overall choice in Autodom has diminished from the GoldenAge ('60's)
so just-maybe nowadays "different" has a better chance of being Good than back then?
(at least outside of Japan-&-China? (imho))
 
#10 ·
I've wondered if Honda and Acura alike have been on a baaaad drug trip for some years, now.

Understand me, I used to have the kind of dislike for Honda that could only come from envy. While my beloved Ford was dragging Fox and Panther platforms on and on, Honda and Acura could make sedans with standard transmissions that were flickable joybs to drive...and truth be told, I never experienced better shift linkage in a front-drive car.

Then, they left F1...and frankly, I think they've been broken ever since.

The Integra was basically a perfect starter car for the Acura brand, but it's been killed in favor of various boring sedans that are apparently much more fun to drive than they appear...because they appear as exciting as paint drying. Great names like "Integra", "Legend", "Vigor" have been replaced by another mishmash of alpha-numeric babble. Finally, the styling and the actual running gear is a combination of terrible and forgettable wrapped around obvious Accord derivatives that can be had for thousands less in a Honda dealership. Even though Honda's not winning any awards for styling or originality lately, they've a ton better than their "luxury" brand.

When I was a younger man, entering adulthood, Honda was killing everyone in F1, embarrassing every domestic maker in terms of quality, packaging, and engineering...and Ford guy that I am, I was scared that they'd kill my beloved brand. Nowadays, I wonder what their point is, anymore.
 
#11 ·
It would be presumptuous for brands like Acura, and Lincoln to believe that they somehow after much failure can find much success by doing much of the same, and marketing it differently.
in addition to these 2 Brands' lifetimes and history being quite

I don't see Lincoln doing ANYthing like what it has done before



ZanatWork said:
I've wondered if Honda and Acura alike have been on a baaaad drug trip for some years, now...
totally & LITERALLY agree, Zan!!

imho most Japanese designers-&or-execs were "gotten to"... ...by Germans & their pushers
back around the time BMW Bangled
( there was even a house-sweeping in one Japanese mfg that imho was due to drugs )
 
#12 ·
I like the looks of the new TLX. I find it more broadly appealing than the MkZ (though I like some specific styling details of the 'Z more). If they price it right, they will have no problem selling them (especially to those who prefer Japanese makes). Now, if they can get their in-car telematics modernized and improved, and if it is actually quiet (my biggest complaint about Acura since its inception is unacceptable levels of NVH), they may have a hit on their hands. I can see them moving to tweak the RDX sooner rather than later to bring it up to snuff and more in line with its newest competitors.

After all is said in done, they will either compete or be consigned to the history books. Acura is going to have to reinvent itself (mostly by going back and doing the things that made them a success in the first place!) to be relevant. Lincoln is having to do the same thing, and I feel that both will succeed.
 
#14 ·
Acura is actually ahead of Lincoln because their brand has not promised anything more than they have delivered at this stage. When the NSX, TLX, and RLX Sport Hybrid are completed Acura will be a brand that will compare very favorably to even some tier 1 luxury makes. The Sport Hybrid system in the NSX is absolutely a game changer, and the NSX will provide an amazing halo to the brand. What does Lincoln have at this stage that can compare to that?
 
#15 ·
Acura considering Vezel-based compact crossover

With the Vezel soon to begin production alongside the Fit at Honda's new plant in Mexico, it wouldn't be a stretch to see the Acura version follow suit. The market does, after all, seem to be heating up with entries like the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, and we couldn't blame Honda – pardon us, Acura – for wanting a slice of that pie.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/16/acura-considering-vezel-based-compact-crossover-report/
 
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