Day-by-Day Review: 2013 Acura ILX Dynamic

Photo Gallery:
2013 Acura ILX

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Click Image to Enlarge

What is black, has four doors, four wheels, and an Acura badge? I guess that could be a lot of vehicles, but a hint is, I’ve driven one recently. Yes, this is, again, the Acura ILX, this time not in Hybrid form, but in Dynamic trim. What does that mean in practical terms? The Hybrid drivetrain is gone, but what does it get replaced with?

For starters, the anemic 1.5-litre engine with battery assist is replaced with a potent 2.4-litre high-revving engine from the Honda Civic Si. And gone is the horrible continuously variable transmission, replaced with a sweet-shifting six-speed manual! Yes, this week I get to have my cake and eat it too, as they say.

Click Image to Enlarge

The rest of the car is pretty much the same as the Hybrid, with leather seating, moonroof, heated seats, back up camera — basically all the gizmos. I am usually happy with Acura’s packages, but the ILX is a little odd in that when you jump up to the Dynamic with the 2.4-litre engine, you have to forgo some of the technology packages available with the smaller engine in the ILX Tech package.

But what do I know? Perhaps Honda is a little smarter then me (most likely) and knows what most of their customers want — and this car may be it, so let’s take it for a rip this week!

MSRP as tested (including destination): $29,990

For more information on Acura and the ILX visit Acura Canada

For even more on this car FOLLOW James on Twitter

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Click Image to Enlarge

Looks like most of my readers in the forums have already pointed out the ILX’s interior features and details. Yes, this vehicle is similar to a Civic, but it is larger, and no, it does not have the two-tier display like the Civic, as you can see. Acura has tried to differentiate this vehicle more so than it did with the CSX, most likely because this one is targeted at the US market, where as the CSX was only available in Canada.

The single-piece folding back seat is a disappointment. Cost-wise it really can’t be much more expensive to put in a split-folding seat, and in a luxury marque, you would expect small details like to be hashed out. My co-worker used to own a TSX, and he was interested in the car, but then complained about rear headroom: he’s 5’10” and his head was hitting the headliner in the back seat. I didn’t find this to be an issue, but I guess I’m short(er).

Click Image to Enlarge

My other half, on the other hand, thought the ILX was an SUV — yup you read that right. She was sitting in the passenger seat, looked back at the backseats and said, wow this thing is gigantic! So your mileage may vary.

I noticed today that the ILX Dynamic does not have a limited slip differential. Although most won’t care, I noticed a lot of throttle-on understeer. I also noted the nice hill-holder feature, which is unobtrusive but works really well to prevent the vehicle from rolling back on a hill.

So far, my only complaint is the 3,200 rpm engine speed at 120km/h. That is a little excessive for a “luxury” vehicle with a six-speed transmission!

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Click Image to Enlarge

The Hybrid ILX was okay to drive, handled well enough but was really too slow to have any real fun — the ILX Dynamic on the other hand is a hoot! Having driven my S2000 today and the ILX as well, the 2.4L engine in the ILX certainly offers almost as much power but the extra torque helps it to get moving smoother and more efficiently.

Of course like the Hybrid version the Dynamic handles extremely well and is fun to toss around. But I do wonder how large the market is for a vehicle like this — it’s just not enough luxury and not enough sport for me.

Certainly the ILX does a lot of things well, the interior is comfortable and for the size and price range is spacious with a decent offering of features and technology. The mentioned 3,200 rpm on the highway though is just too much as on long drives the engine is constantly humming in the background.

Visibility is really good in the ILX with big windows and mirrors that are easy to see out of, the Xenon headlamps certainly light your way at night and the interior lighting is easy to see and dims nicely.

With so much choice out there I just don’t see the ILX as a big winner — but I’m sure some do as I have seen a few on the road. Certainly so far, fuel consumption is winning me over.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Click Image to Enlarge

Is the Acura ILX Dynamic fun to drive? You bet it is, but does it qualify for entry level luxury? I find it does not. There are just too many compromises, mostly to do with the buzzy engine and noise that it introduces to the cabin. This could easily be fixed with a higher sixth gear ratio; I’m not sure why Acura, especially in a vehicle available in the US, did not modify the sixth gear to better accommodate highway cruising.

Fuel economy certainly was good as one expects from this Honda powertrain. I averaged 7.7L/100km with some spirited driving thrown into the mix.

The ILX is a very nice vehicle, but if I was thinking Acura luxury, I’d have to step up to the TSX to get into the brand.

*Rating out of 5: