When you go to Krispy Kreme to pick up donuts, it’s more than likely you have a go-to order. Maybe you’re a chocolate icing person. Maybe you put sprinkles on it. Maybe you like cream-filled, or jelly, or devil’s food. Perhaps original glazed is just right for you. It could be you get a dozen original-glazed, or maybe your box has an assortment of sugary seasonal treats.
The truth is, it doesn’t actually matter what flavor you get. What matters is where you go to get it. You don’t stop in to get a chocolate sprinkle donut, or a jelly donut, or an original glazed donut. You stop for Krispy Kreme. You prefer donuts that are fluffy, the kind that feel lighter than air when you pick them up, where the icing crumbles as you take a bite and ends up dotting the front of your shirt. You want donuts that are HOT NOW.
The name Krispy Kreme means all of these things to you. Asked where you’re going, you don’t say you’re going to get donuts. You say you’re going to get Krispy Kreme. So what kind do you want, and how many?
This is an important lesson in brand loyalty that Acura has been putting in motion. Rather than identify the brand by any one model, let all of the models represent the brand. Don’t obsess over the icing and the sprinkles. Get the donut right first. You have to have the perfect combination of eggs, flour, and sugar, or weight, shape, and balance before you add any adornments. When someone takes their first bite, when they first get behind the wheel, they need to know that every car you make is just as good as this one. That first taste has to tell them everything, and after that, you can say “This is an Acura, this is what you’re getting. So what kind do you want, and how many?”
Which brings us to our test-drive of the 2016 ILX, a car that will be many peoples’ first experience driving an Acura. It stands to reason then that the most important thing about this car is how it drives.
A Perfect Circle
The 2015 ILX was a competent car, but its potential was not fully affirmed. We and many others agree on this point, even the sales associate from Leith Acura, Doug Focht, who graciously accompanied us on our test-drive of the 2016 model.
Pulling off the lot, we said to Doug, “This car now has a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine compared to the 2015’s 2.0-liter engine. What else has changed?”
“Well the extra power is definitely welcome,” he said, “but the most important change is actually the transmission.” The ILX jumps from a five-speed automatic transmission (with the option for a six-speed manual) to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. This powertrain comes standard with a sport mode and paddle shifters. The result is a 201-horsepower engine with quick, efficient shifts that can be fully controlled by the driver if they so choose (more on that later). This car, like its big brother the TLX, is also equipped with a torque converter, allowing for quick acceleration.
Also like the TLX, the ILX is very adept at getting occupants from point A to point B comfortably. It rides smoothly down the highway, struggling not at all to weave in and out of traffic based on the needs of the driver. For a car of its class, it is also remarkably quiet, or as Doug says, “Just turn the radio up some and then ‘Road noise? What road noise?’”
Where this car differs from its sibling is that it’s much harder to stop driving. To understand what we mean by that, you have to let it loose on the back roads, which made up the bulk of our test route thanks to our guide.
With the refresh, the ILX has become a car that is flat out fun to drive. The powertrain improvements make it zippy, yes, but even the suspension has been given a hard look and a generous tune up. Where the older model pitched and yawed going into a turn or a sudden stop or a minor bump on the road, the new ILX holds an even keel through all manner of obstacles. Now, you can go over a bump and instantly forget it, and turns are an absolute pleasure to accelerate through. The extra power, improved suspension, and overall lightness place the ILX in a category all of its own, and we can’t imagine there’s an entry-level vehicle in this segment that delivers more joy to its driver.
Icing and Sprinkles
Although driving is essential to the experience of the new ILX, and ultimately it is what we think will win people over, the refreshed machinery underneath isn’t the only new equipment to talk about.
Visual updates to the exterior are noticeable mostly in the front and rear. The car’s face has been prescribed Acura’s signature Jewel-Eye LED headlamps, which are underscored by a thinner strip of daytime running LEDs. The power plenum grille goes through yet another iteration into what we think is probably its least divisive appearance, a broader smile as opposed to a pinched beak.
Inside, the cabin is minimalist for a premium brand, and we mean that in a good way. Trends in technology have led to other brands cramming boatloads of stuff into their cars. Visually that just translates to lots of clutter. Not so with the ILX. There’s Acura’s two-tiered display, a minimum of buttons to control the media and climate settings, and a rotary knob to navigate the menu. The driver also has all of the same functionality on their steering wheel.
To get built-in navigation, you’ll need to opt for the tech package, but if you have an iPhone – and a staggering number of you do – then you can plug your phone into the USB port and display your Apple Maps navigation on the top screen. This feature works with Siri Eyes Free to better integrate your phone with your car, and you can just imagine how great it will be when Apple CarPlay arrives.
The overall size of the ILX has not changed drastically post-refresh, but the front passenger seat is now powered, and both front seats have available heating.
[Tweet “How is the 2016 @Acura #ILX like a Krispy Kreme donut? Read our test-drive review to find out.”]
You should also be aware of the A-Spec option package, which adds a number of visual enhancements to the ILX. The most noticeable of these are 18-inch wheels, fog lights, a rear spoiler, perforated suede seat inserts, and a dash of red accents on the instrument panel.
Paddle Shifting Lessons
We kind of breezed over it earlier, but we want to mention again that the 2016 ILX comes standard with paddle shifters and a sport mode. Paddle shifters are more than helpful indicators of where your hands should line up on the steering wheel. They are meant to be used, and if you’re out driving with a responsible and patient sales associate, like Doug, he’ll teach you what to do with them.
“The dual-clutch transmission is amazing,” he said, “but you’re still smarter than the car.” What he means by this is the transmission is very adept at responding to your acceleration and braking, shifting according to the stimulus it receives. Still, this is just a response. You know well before the car when you are going to slow down or speed up. When you need to pass someone on the highway, one or two quick clicks with your left hand will put you in a lower gear and give you a quick boost to pull ahead of them. Then you can click back up with your right hand and go back to cruising.
In many ways, this is what the ILX has always been missing, and now that it has this sport mode, you can unlock the potential, hidden in the upper bands of the tachometer. Under Doug’s guidance, we let the engine go above six thousand RPMs before shifting. You get to hear the engine sing and the car gets to go fast. Win, win.
Hot Now
The 2016 ILX is a critical vehicle for Acura. We said before that this will be the first Acura that many people drive, so it’s important that it makes a good first impression.
We’ve also said that Acura believes in creating a complete experience for its customers, offering a full product without sequestering options and features away in obscure packages. The ILX comes standard with a more powerful engine, a more advanced transmission, and a fine-tuned suspension. Sport mode and paddle shifters are standard, which means the fun factor is standard. Visual updates make this car look aggressive, and your friends will be impressed when you pull up, engine growling with each downshift.
To us, the ILX makes an excellent first impression, and when you sit behind the wheel, you’ll know that this is an Acura. So what kind do you want?
We have to thank Doug Focht and the staff at Leith Acura for making this test-drive review possible. If you’re interested in the 2016 Acura ILX and would like more information or your own test-drive experience, call or visit our dealership today.
