Team Acura Parts Blog

Acura and its parent-company Honda, which are based in Marysville, Ohio, experienced highs and lows in terms of unit sales from last year in the United States.

Japanese company Acura, which is the luxury division of Honda, had a rocky 2007. By the end of the year, the brand successfully finished with a decent 30 percent increase in its sports utility vehicle division. The Acura RDX and MDX SUVs had a total sale of 80,000 units. Acura’s cars, however, did not have the same fate as sales went down to about eight percent.

American Honda Motor Company, on the other hand, had a good year as the automaker posted a five percent increase. This equals to a total of 1.37 million units for the whole year. By December, Honda had a point up that actually amounts to about 87 percent of last month’s sales alone.

Among Honda’s best sellers is the Fit. With its capability of an efficient combustion and improved fuel economy, the total units sold jumped to 56, 432 vehicles. The Honda Accord, which underwent refurbishing, acquired an 11 percent increase that translates to 392, 231 units compared to last year’s 354, 441.

In a nutshell, American Honda Motor Company still had a good year as it enjoys its 14th straight year of sale increase. Behind this decent feat include the decent sales of the following models: Acura RDX, Honda CR-V, Civic Hybrid, and Fit compact.

Source: Biz Journals.

The Acura RDX receives a comprehensive revamp to aesthetic features and with great emphasis on its new performance aspects. Powering up is a four-cylinder turbocharged engine complementing other high grade features of the vehicle.

Acura’s 2.3-liter four-cylinder produces a striking 240 horsepower and is the company’s first-ever produced turbocharged engine. The vehicle incorporates Acura’s exclusive all-wheel-drive-system and comes with the standard five-speed automatic transmission. This allows better control for the wheels and proper amount of torque.

Every occupant will also be entertained by the surround sound system with ten quality speakers. The RDX six-disc audio system includes a Bluetooth that provides assistance during hands-free calls. It has an auxiliary input jack that makes it compatible with MP3. A satellite-linked navigation is likewise featured in the model. Other features consist of convenient power windows, double zone climate control and secure doors and locks. Storage pockets and cubby holes are also integrated, adding to the useful benefits of RDX.

Safety is one of the main concerns in redesigning the RDX. The occupants are protected by front and side-impact airbags. Rollover sensors are also present to provide better safety for passengers.

Understeering is reduced with the aid of the car’s yaw control, thus, enhancing safety and handling features of the vehicle. Repair expenditure caused by accidents is minimized due to the replaceable panel built to the rear hatch.

All these gadgets packed in Acura RDX go with upgraded designs, making the model another part of Acura’s line up of vehicles.

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Since the introduction of Acura RDX, the new model continuously captures buyers because of its exceptional combination of performance and advanced handling.

The 2008 Acura RDX incorporates modifications and a lot of upgrades from latest and state-of-the-art technologies. These include an automatic dimming day/night rearview mirror, driver’s seat memory with two-way position, standard Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® connectivity and an exterior color with Polished Metal Metallic scheme. It also has AcuraLink™ satellite communication containing the advanced real-time traffic accessing 32 latest city locations within 76 major areas. This system also allows a 2-way communication between the RDX and Acura. With this technology, the recent information as well as service requirements specifically needed for the model can be easily provided to customers.

According to Dick Colliver, vice president for sales, “The RDX continues to gain momentum with customers in the Entry Premium SUV segment. It is a critical addition to our lineup and a hugely engaging vehicle from the standpoint of driving dynamics and technology.”

The powerful engine of the RDX can produce 240 horsepower at 6000 rpm likewise creating 260 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm. The model meets all strict standards of U.S. EPA for Tier-2 Bin-5 exhaust emissions.

The RDX is also a winner when it comes to safety features and technologies. The body structure built from Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ makes the vehicle gain several achievements including the top 5-star rating for exceeding the side and frontal impact crash tests. Acura RDX is also selected as the “TOP SAFETY PICK” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

For more information about this model, visit autospectator.

Two Acura sports utility vehicles (SUVs) posted record sales in September this year, according to Honda. The two Acura models, the luxury MDX and the turbocharged RDX, contributed to Acura sales of 14,369 units. This figure, which is lower than last year’s by 8.4 percent, is based on the daily selling rate.

Acura has sold a total of 136,726 units for this year.

“RDX and MDX sales continue to impress thanks to smart styling, innovative features and excellent performance. We expect strong light-truck sales as winter approaches, thanks to all-weather features such as Super Handling All-Wheel Drive,” said Acura’s executive vice president for sales Dick Colliver, in a press release from Honda. A Japanese-based automobile company, Honda manufactures the Acura vehicles.

The impressive demand for MDX and RDX vehicles triggered the boost of the Acura light-truck lineup, which delivered record sales of 7,113 units.

The RDX, a small luxury crossover sedan, still posts significant gains in terms of sales for Acura. Its September record sales of 1,951 units is a 19-percent increase compared to last year’s. The number of RDX units sold this year reached 17,477.

On the other hand, the Acura MDX posted record sales of 5,162 units for September. This figure is an increase of 34.1 percent as opposed to last year and even outdoing its 2004 sales record of 4,958. Meanwhile, year-to-date sales of MDX vehicles reached 42,954 units sold. This is an increase of 14.9 percent compared to last year. MDX, which debuted in 2001, is known for its cutting-edge performance.

Source: Honda

What cars are the most appealing to female drivers?

In a recent survey on vehicles with the highest share of female ownership, 10 luxury vehicles are being tagged as the popular choice. Acura accounts for two of the 10 most female-owned luxury cars, according to the study conducted by the JD Power’s Power Information Network. The study was published in the September 20 issue of BusinessWeek.

The Acura TSX, which was launched four years ago, has been bought by 47.3 percent of the female market. Based on the European edition of the Honda Accord, the Acura TSX is a sedan designed to compete in the entry-level luxury sedan market. The TSX has a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 205 horsepower. It is described as a sporty sedan and is the least expensive among Acura’s sedans.

The Acura TSX

It is the relative affordability of the TSX that makes it appealing to female consumers. “The lower-priced segment is high-female. If you have a brand that is dominated by that segment, you’re going to see a lot of female owners, and Acura is one of the lower-priced luxury brands,” according to Tom Libby of J.D. Power’s Power Information Network, quoted in the same BusinessWeek article.

On the other hand, the Acura RDX is owned by 45.3 percent of all female vehicle buyers. Designed as a sports utility vehicle (SUV), the Acura RDX is a small luxury crossover sedan. Its 2008 model carries the first turbocharged engine of Honda, the automobile company that manufactures Acura vehicles. The RDX has a 2.3-liter, four cylinder engine that produces 240 horsepower.

The Acura RDX

According to the study, women purchased 37.3 percent of new vehicles in 2007 (until August). The results of the survey also show that not a single sports car made it to the least—strongly implying the gender difference when it comes to choosing cars to own. The lineup of the 10 most popular luxury cars also suggests that women tend to choose entry-level cars and small SUVs that prioritize safety, quality, reliability, and value. This is in stark contrast to male car buyers who mostly prefer sports cars over luxury cars, and speed and power over safety and comfort.

Source: BusinessWeek

Excellent performance. Fun to drive all-wheel drive SUV.

These are just some of the remarks by auto reviews on the latest Acura offering, the 2008 Acura RDX.

The Acura RDX is a small luxury crossover SUV that carries Honda’s first turbocharged engine. The new Acura car includes an all-new, 2.3-liter i-VTEC turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. This comes with a five-speed manu-matic transmission with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.

Following the trend of crossover vehicles, the 2008 Acura RDX offers sporty features inside the body of an SUV.

Dubbed as the “modern-day hatchback or (gasp) wagon,” the Acura RDX is seen as having an excellent cargo volume despite its size. About the size of a sedan, the 2008 Acura RDX has a length of 180.7 inches and volume of 60.6 cubic feet. This car is smaller compared to the midsize Acura TL sedan.

The RDX’s size in fact works to its advantage. The car is ideal for driving in a city environment, especially for families with small children.

The Acura RDX is also more fuel efficient than other sports utility vehicles, according to SearchChicago.

Performance-wise, the new Acura car surpasses expectations. SearchChicago notes that the Acura RDX performs like a sports sedan rather than a cargo hauler. The RDX is lauded for its superb road manners with a sporty suspension, stiff steering and excellent turning radius. It is also easy to park in the garage and can conveniently maneuver in narrow streets.

“The RDX looks like a pared down version of the MDX. The Acura family resemblance is there, but everything about the RDX is a little more muted than the MDX. The grille is less aggressive, and while the RDX also has a dual exhaust, the tailpipes are smaller,” according to a review in SearchChicago.

Auto site Edmunds.com cites the standard features of the RDX, which are outstanding for an entry-level crossover SUV. Among the commendable features are the leather seating, heated seats, xenon headlights, and a 260-watt audio system with a six-disc CD changer. The SUV also offers a navigation system (with voice activation), a Bluetooth wireless data link for hands-free phone operation, AcuraLink real-time traffic updates, and a rearview camera.

The luxury sedan Acura RL ranks first in the list of 21 safest cars of 2007, according to the data culled by Forbes.com.

The Acura RL is among the three car models that got the highest ratings for safety from the Consumer Reports, the Department of Transportation, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

The Acura car got Consumer Report’s thumbs-up for crash-avoidance capabilities. Apart from that, the Acura RL got perfect scores in crash test conducted by the IIHS and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is the government agency responsible for reducing vehicular accidents. The RL also has a considerably lower-than-average rate of insurance injury-claim filings, according to the HLDI. The RL is priced at the minimum $45,780.

The 2008 Acura RL is an all-wheel drive with a 3.5-liter, V6 engine that generates 290 horsepower. Among the features of Acura’s flagship sedan are the navigation system, active headlamps, and real wood trim. These are available as an optional package called the Technology Package.

To land a spot in the Forbes.com list, a vehicle must satisfy at least two of the following criteria: Consumer Report’s highest-possible rating for accident-avoidance capabilities; perfect NHTSA crash-test scores across the board; perfect IIHS crash-test scores across the board, and a substantially better-than-average frequency of insurance injury-claim filings from the HLDI.

Consumer Reports is a publication of the Consumer Union, an organization that advocates consumer rights. The IIHS is a nonprofit and educational organization seeking to lessen fatalities caused by vehicular crashes. An affiliate organization of the IIHS, the Highway Loss Data Institute make studies on the ways in which insurance losses differ among different kinds of cars.

On the other hand, the Acura RDX is also picked as one of the 13 safest cars by the IIHS for 2007. The key safety feature of the Acura RDX is the electronic stability control (ESC). The ESC, which is a standard on the RDX model, keeps the Acura car from flipping over or going out of control during sudden maneuvers.

The combined total number of sales for the Acura MDX luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) and the non-stop clamor for the Acura RDX turbocharged SUV for last month has amounted to a total of 16, 436 units sold in the United States. This recorded sales also showed a year-to-date total of 122, 357 units.

For August, the Japanese luxury brand’s light trucks sales, which amounted to 7, 676 units, has relied greatly on the popularity of the Acura MDX and RDX SUVs. For starters, the MDX line was able to break last August 2006’s total record of 5, 379 with the August 2007’s total of 5,816 units sold. The year-to-date sales has posted a decent 12. 7 percent increase with a total of 37, 792 Acura MDX units sold. On the other hand, the Acura RDX line, which is slightly bigger than its Honda CR-V counterparts, was able to earn a total of 1, 860 units for last month, which is equivalent to a positive 36.7 percent increase, and a total of 15, 526 units for the year-to-date sales.

“Our light truck lineup continues to attract customers to the Acura brand at a record pace,” said Dick Colliver, who is the executive vice president of the Acura sales. “Customers are taking notice and appreciating the RDX and MDX’s advanced performance, luxury and technology features.”

Moving over to the smaller Acura vehicles, the Acura TL luxury sedan line was hailed as the most wanted among the passenger cars after it recorded a total of 4, 992 units sold last month. The Acura TSX sports sedan, on the other hand, took a total of 3, 245 units for August 2007 sales and a 23, 433 units sold for the year-to-date record.

The Japanese luxury brand Acura’s latest offering for its patronizers is a compact crossover utility vehicle (CUV) looker, but which is actually a sports car – the 2008 Acura RDX.

Geared with four doors and a tailgate, the compact CUV has been equipped with an Acura trademark Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system (SH-AWD). The maneuvering has been made even more powerful as Acura geared the 2008 RDX with other beefed up parts like the suspension system. In addition, the sports car Acura RDX cannot go away with a measly engine parts, thus the Japanese automaker has installed a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that can guarantee up to 240-horsepower and can manage a 260-lb-ft of torque. This engine technology is the first in a Honda vehicle released in North America.

The 2008 Acura RDX has to be all that before it can be tagged as a mean machine. To back up the high-performing steering and engine of the latest RDX model, a 5-speed automatic transmission manual shifting has been installed. This sporty four-wheel machine, however, cannot leap that much because it it no lightweight vehicle with a base curb weight of 3, 924 lbs. The efficient steering, beefed up suspension, and powerful transmission will surely make this 2008 Acura RDX easier to maneuver, which could allow to take those sharp and sudden turns and still get that ride control.

What made this Acura model one of the best finds in the industry is that the Acura part that has been situated between the transmission and wheels. The SH-AWD technology has an electricity-driven controlled clutch pack on either side of the rear differential. This technology plus the basic Acura parts allows this model to transfer torque to the wheels, where more traction is present. A powerful machine has been made more tough because of the improved ride control.

Car safety is important for any owner or future user. The safety feature of a vehicle is one of the most important things to consider before buying any four-wheel machine. From the well-functioning automotive parts, special safety auto parts such as the seat belts and air bags should be well-checked. Aside from these interior safety parts, the vehicle’s exterior components are also helpful during road accidents. The Acura RDX and Acura MDX, which are classified under the sports utility vehicle, have passed the rollover rating of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The Japanese automobile ingenuity is clearly evident in this Acura RDX and Acura MDX after it has been given with a four out of five-star rollover rating by the NHTSA. This earned rating by the Acura SUV shows that the vehicle is in fact safe and can withstand rollover situations. Geared with well-crafted Acura parts, these models of the luxury Japanese brand are included in the 78 SUVs that were able to earn a four-star rollover rating. Such rating means that the Acura RDX and Acura MDX have an only 10 to 20 percent risk of a rollover accident. The dimension of these vehicles made these Acura models safe. Until this year, no SUV has earned the perfect rating of NHTSA.

Acura’s vehicles have been designed and manufactured with stability control systems that can offset the occurrence of rollover accidents. Such system, which is also employed by other manufacturers, has helped minimize the rollover fatalities last year. Other SUVs that garnered the four-star rollover rating include Hyundai Santa Fe, Saturn Outlook, Honda CR-V, Jeep Compass, and Ford Explorer, amongst others.