2016 Acura ILX review notes: A Civic-minded Acura

The Acura ILX was introduced for the 2013 model year, garnering mostly crickets from the U.S. buying public. For 2016, Honda has tried to spice things up a bit with styling revisions and a fresh powertrain. The improvements help, but my message to Acura?

There’s reason to be cautiously optimistic about the new engine and transmission, but overall the ILX remains one of the dullest ways to spend $35,000 I can think of. It’s not just that it’s a gussied-up Civic … it’s that it’s not even that gussied up. Interior plastics are Accord-spec at best, seat support is mediocre and the feature set is what you’d find on a Civic EX-L for $10,000 less. The ILX is noisy inside, with wind and road both contributing to the din; tire rumble is particularly pronounced on any surface other than pristine asphalt; and the suspension delivers harsh crashes to the cabin from bumps, potholes and the like. Especially compared to cars on the new MQB platform from Volkswagen Group (the Golf and Audi A3, for example), the ILX chassis feels dated and unrefined.