Last month, we touched again on the possibility that we might see an all all-wheel drive lineup from Acura sometime in the future. For some of you, that might make you wonder how big of a move that would be, and the answer might surprise you. Let’s give a brief rundown on which Acura vehicles are available with AWD.

Which Acura models have All-Wheel Drive (AWD)?

Currently, four of five Acura models are available with an all-wheel drivetrain. All of these models come standard with front-wheel drive. The Acura ILX is the only model not offered with AWD.

Here is a list of the models on which AWD is available, along with what kind of AWD system they can be equipped with and how much it costs above the base MSRP to equip them so.

Note that Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive is only available on V6 versions of the TLX and Sport Hybrid versions of the RLX.

This chart we’ve put together lets us draw a couple of conclusions. First, the rumor about Acura becoming an exclusively all-wheel drive brand probably doesn’t hold much water. If we assume that MSRPs remain unchanged, things look ok for crossovers like the RDX and MDX, but it’s a different story for the two sedans. Unless Acura found a way to offer these vehicles at a lower price with all-wheel drive, it’s likely that phasing out the existing front-wheel drive base models would close more doors than it opens.

Second, the good news is that if you want an Acura with AWD, you have lots of really great options. Perhaps the ILX will even see an AWD option in the future. That would be a scenario where everyone wins.

If you have questions about how Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive works or you want to test-drive an all-wheel drive Acura, schedule a visit or just stop by our showroom. The Leith Acura staff will be happy to help you with whatever you need.

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How does a four-door sedan go toe-to-toe with the GT performance vehicles from the likes of Audi, Mclaren, and Ferrari? That’s the question Jalopnik has tried to answer in one of the latest video of their series “Neat Stuff in Cool Cars.”

The RealTime Racing team has had an exceptional year thus far in the Pirelli World Challenge, notching their first victory in St. Petersburg and posting several strong finishes elsewhere. Jalopnik’s Travis Okulski (of Jeff Gordon prank video fame) got to drive one of the team’s TLX GT racecars, and he was surprised by what he found.

When you open the hood of the racing spec TLX, there’s no engine there. It’s been pushed way back, practically mounted beneath the windshield. Open the driver’s door and you’ll see the seat is similarly far back, even with the B pillar. Even the massive rear wing extends off the trunk, beyond the end of the car.

“The idea, obviously, is to get the weight as close to the center as possible so you can get the best grip,” says Ryan Eversley, RealTime Racing team member and driver of car No. 43. “Us being all-wheel drive, we have to capitalize on grip as our advantage over some of the other cars.”

Eversley goes on to talk about how much of a boon the TLX’s all-wheel drive is in rain conditions, where it helps them outperform even the most seasoned racers.

As Okulski points out, the TLX GT looks remarkably similar to its consumer-friendly cousin. In order to be eligible for racing, it has to be a street-legal vehicle, too. The takeaway here is that every time you pass a 2015 TLX on the highway, or the next time you find yourself behind the wheel of one, understand it’s a car that champions drive.

We wish the RealTime Racing team the best of luck as the season continues. If you want to find out what makes the TLX so special, and you’re in the Raleigh area, stop on by Leith Acura. Our staff would be more than happy to arrange a test drive.

Schedule a test drive

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In many ways, the 2016 ILX is following in the footsteps of its younger, bigger brother, the TLX. It starts with a reveal of the layman’s car, and is shortly followed by a version with a lot more decals and racing aspirations. Thus, Acura is showing the ILX endurance racer at the 2015 New York International Auto Show this week.

This car will represent Acura at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race, the longest race in the United States. Put on by the National Auto Sport Association (not to be confused with the other NASA), this race is held every December in Willows, California.

As you would expect, the ILX got more than a once-over from the Honda Performance Division, coming away outfitted with a number of improvements. The engine is running with forged rods and pistons, as well as high-flow intake and exhaust. There’s also a custom aero kit complete with a large front spoiler and a rear wing to match the TLX GT. A roll cage, racing suspension, and racing tires round out the transformation.

There’s no word yet on who will be piloting the ILX Racer, but December is a ways away. If we hear more news between now and then, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out our test-drive review of the 2016 ILX. It’s a fun car, even without racing specifications. In fact, we have a feeling they really didn’t have to do that much work to get it track-ready.

Leith Acura is the best place to find a new or used Acura in Cary.

This story originally appeared on Car and Driver.

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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.

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It seems like whenever someone is giving out awards for value, Acura always makes the short list. When you offer a premium product that lasts, that’s hardly surprising. Validation is always something we’re interested in, which is why we were so thrilled to hear that three Acura models were selected by the U.S. News & World Report as “Best Cars for the Money.”

To determine their winners, U.S. News & World Report considers both quality and value, combining those into a composite score. There are twenty-one categories of vehicles to consider. U.S. News uses its own car rankings for the quality component, taking each vehicle’s ranking at the time of calculation into account. Value is determined by weighing a car’s five-year cost of ownership and the average price paid for that car at the time the awards are published.

For 2015, Acura had three vehicles chosen. The Acura MDX was selected for its third straight year of this recognition, the RDX was selected for its second straight year, and the newcomer TLX was selected for the first time, and hopefully not the last.

Michael Accavitti, Acura’s senior vice president and general manager, had this to say about the news:

“Receiving accolades for our best-selling SUVs and our new performance sedan speaks to the powerful momentum that continues to drive the Acura brand forward. Acura’s unique combination of performance, proportion and prestige is delivering value to the customer and the marketplace is taking notice. We’re proud and honored to receive these awards from U.S. News Best Cars.”

U.S. News has been publishing car rankings since 2007. If we can interest you in a test-drive for the MDX, RDX, or the TLX, please call or visit our dealership. Leith Acura is a great place to find a new Acura for sale if you live in Raleigh.

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It’s only been a few weeks since it made its debut at the LA Auto Show, but we are already hankering for the 2016 Acura ILX. The brand promised a number of substantial updates to the model and we’re pleased to see they came through on all of them.

This video from Redline Reviews gives a quick rundown of all the exciting new features coming to Acura’s entry level model.

Looking at the list of upgrades it’s clear that Acura is playing catchup with the ILX. The tech trickledown has finally trickled all the way down and the results are very promising. The ILX is leaving behind its older underpowered engine and getting a new 2.4-liter direct injection four-cylinder that will make 201 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. A power increase is great, but the really big news is the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It’s paired with the same universally acclaimed torque converter from the TLX, which will lend itself to easy acceleration and more efficient fuel consumption.

The ILX’s looks are clearly much improved with a new grille and standard Jewel Eye headlamps, but it’s the interior that has really evolved. Acura has insured that the materials and layout are befitting of a modern luxury vehicle. The dual-screen infotainment display makes its way to the ILX for the first time, as do a variety of driver-friendly features and safety systems.

For an exhaustive list of updates and details coming with the 2016 Acura ILX, check out this post on the Acura Connected blog. So far we’ve heard that this model will be available early next year, but no set date has been announced, and that’s probably going to be the case for a while. Even so, you should check in with us for the latest news and updates. Leith Acura is the best dealer for new Acura vehicles in the Raleigh area.

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Here’s the updated 2015 ILX we’ve been waiting for.

Revealed at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show this week, the new ILX receives a new-to-it powertrain. Acura is taking the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine found in the base TLX and replacing the ILX’s 2.0-liter engine. This new engine makes 201 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, and combined with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission the lighter, more compact ILX should now have plenty of oomph.

As we predicted, the updated ILX also sports Acura’s JewelEye headlight array in addition to revised taillights. The car’s body work has been tightened up to match its siblings.

For those who want to go for a cut above the entry level, Acura is offering the A-Spec package with the ILX. This appearance package adds 18 inch wheels, Euro-style stitching on the steering wheel, and black suede inserts in the seats.

You can see more photos and read the full press release here. Leith Acura will be sure to keep you updated on the latest news and when you can expect to see this car at our dealership in Cary, near Raleigh and Durham.

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Last week, Acura released that has us very excited for the future. A revised ILX has been in the works and it will be unveiled on Thursday, November 20, at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The car they will be showing is being billed as “substantially new.” All we have to go on right now is this typical teaser picture, showing a dark silhouette and updated taillights, as well as the text of the press release, which states:

“Already bringing in more buyers under the age of 35 to the segment than any other entry-premium model, the new 2016 ILX stands to solidify and broaden its appeal with a comprehensive update that includes a potent new powertrain, more forceful, sporty exterior styling, and substantially upgraded interior design.

Much like its hot new stable mate—the brand new TLX—the 2016 ILX will bring a sharper performance focus while delivering a greater set of high-value comfort, convenience and safety features that consumers desire in the increasingly competitive entry-luxury field.”

That might seem pretty vague, but it actually tells us a lot. For one thing, a “potent new powertrain” is mentioned, which hopefully means the 2016 ILX will be graced with a more powerful engine and possibly the all-wheel drive option we predicted. It would be great to see the ILX offered with SH-AWD, or at the minimum P-AWS.

As for styling, we see what looks like a character line that is similar to the one from the TLX, and judging from the new LED taillights, it’s probably a safe bet that the ILX will get the Jewel Eye headlamp array. Inside should end up similar to the TLX as well, just with less leg room in the back. The push button shifter will likely be an option, as well as the full range of technology options.

This is Acura’s entry level model, so some features may be withheld, but we won’t know what those are until the reveal. We also have to be prepared for the possibility that Acura will once again debut a prototype model, similar to the TLX Prototype, which was not too different from the production model we all love, but still had slightly more attitude.

We have a month to wait and speculate, and some strategic “leaks” are not unlikely to come before the show, so make sure you watch this space. Until then, you can always stop by Leith Acura in Cary, the best place to find a full range of Acura vehicles for sale.

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The Acura TLX sports sedan represents the future architecture of the company. Once the high-end Japanese automaker debuted the TLX prototype at the 2014 Detroit Motor Show, it began an advertising blitz that incorporated television, radio, and social media in various innovative ways. In fact, the Honda Corporation even assigned a marketing division and task force to craft a specific message about who Acura buyers are.

Michael Accavitti, Acura General Manager, believes that the TLX “is attracting so much attention online and showroom traffic at our dealers that we don’t yet know the car’s true potential.”

Much of the renewed buzz has arisen from sales numbers released for September, the first full month of sales for the TLX. Dealers across the United States sold 3,884 units of the Marysville-made luxury sedan last month. Coupled with invigorated sales of the ILX entry-level sedan, MDX sport-utility vehicle, and the RDX crossover, Acura’s total sales were up 18.8% (with a 40.9% jump in the car division).

It seems so far that Acura’s hope for its newest sedan to boost its struggling car sales wasn’t misplaced. The coming months will test if these initial sales numbers have staying power, and a continued advertising campaign combined with positive reviews should yield positive results. Leith Acura in Cary boasts a great inventory of the new TLX sports sedan. After months of anticipation, our staff of knowledgeable brand ambassadors await to help you discover the thrill of the most exciting new sedan on the market.

If you take a quick trip to Leith Acura in Cary, North Carolina, you can speak with our specialists to schedule a test drive in the 2015 Acura TLX – it’s that kind of thrill.

http://youtu.be/gkXFUMq_pnM

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An opportunity to be one of “the first” does not come along very often. Whether it’s something simple like being the first to taste a dish in a new restaurant or an event of great significance like being the first to step on the moon, there’s always just that one person. Fortunately for the Triangle, Leith Acura in Cary, North Carolina, is opening up a “first” for a group of people: a chance to be one of the first consumers to test drive an all-new 2015 Acura TLX.

Tomorrow – Saturday, September 6^th – Leith Acura in Cary is hosting a launch event, with brunch included, for anyone who would enjoy climbing behind the wheel of the brand’s newest and most exhilarating model. You can be the first to experience the bevy of technology that enhances the driving experience; to realize the potential for fun in gripping sharp curves with Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive; to discover the precision and excellence applies to every fabric, material, and metal that comprises the 2015 TLX.

Our team at Leith Cars recently published a test-drive review of the TLX. Here is an excerpt about that experience:

“Stepping out of the TLX after our test-drive, we were greeted by an absolutely stunning Summer day, complete with the bluest sky and zero humidity. Yet compared to our seat at the helm of the TLX, this was still a return to a much harsher, blander reality. The engineers and designers at Acura have really shown their work with this car.”

Though our appreciation for the 2015 Acura TLX is evident in the review, mere words still cannot capture the thrill of driving a vehicle of such precise and meticulous engineering. That’s why Leith Acura in Cary decided to host this eventful brunch.

You can stop down anytime between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. at 900 Autopark Boulevard, Cary, North Carolina 27511.

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