ACURA RL RECALL

The power steering hose under the hood of Acura's RL is subject to high temperatures. Those high temps can cause cracks in the hose, potentially leaking fliud. The fluid could hit the catalytic converter. The combination of catalytic converters and power steering fluid could result in a fire. There've yet to be injuries or even fires as a result of this fault, but the recall published by NHTSA affects 43,200 RL's.

Acura is the luxury brand of Honda Motor Company. The sterling reputation held by companies such as Toyota and Honda, as well as by the tough-as-nails trucks built by American automakers, have come into question under the light of recent recalls. The Acura RL doesn't deserve to be abstained from, however, just because of a recall affecting this hose.

To learn more about the RL, read the GoodCarBadCar Lowdown. For more on recent recalls, click here.

OTHER NUMBERS FROM CAR & DRIVER'S JANUARY ISSUE

The Good Car Guy already filled you in on Car & Driver's 0-60 testing of eleven cars in its January issue. Other important Numbers are viewable below.

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24 - miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in the Mini John Cooper Works Clubman, the best figure in a comparo where the Mini finished sixth. Its EPA city and highway figures were also the best-in-test.

18- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, the worst figure in a comparo where the Lancer Ralliart finished dead last. Its EPA city figure was worst-in-test and its EPA highway figure was tied for worst-in-test.

156- top speed, in mph, of the 260-bhp Chevrolet Cobalt SS, limited by aerodynamic drag, placing the Chevy tops in a seven-way comparo where it finished third overall

19- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in the all-wheel drive Acura TL, better than what was managed by the aforementioned Mitsubishi with its 1.7L-smaller engine, 68 fewer horsepower, and 445 fewer pounds.

33- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in a Volkswagen Jetta, which with a 140-bhp 2.0L turbodiesel, still had to propel 3353 pounds.

24- miles per gallon observed by C/D editors in a Hyundai Elantra wagon which posted identical acceleration figures to the Jetta TDI with one extra horsepower, 99 fewer lb-ft of torque, and 321 fewer pounds

0.61- roadholding, measured in g's, of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, as tested by C/D on a 200-ft skidpad.

1.08- roadholding, measured in g's, of the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, as tested by C/D on a 200-ft skidpad

18- difference in sound levels, measured in decibels by C/D, between the loudest car of the year, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, and the quietest cars of the year, the Ford Flex Limited and Dodge Journey R/T, both of which let out 65 dBA at 70mph 

BREAKING NEWS - TOYOTA, LEXUS, AUDI & MERCEDES-BENZ, MINI POSTING RECORD SALES IN CANADA

Ironically, on a day when Canada's figurehead Governor General, Michaelle Jean, will fly home from Europe to deal with a political crisis that was precipitated to some degree by a lack of extra funding to the automotive manufacturing sector, Toyota says that its best ever year (and it's only December 2nd) comes as a result of Canadian-built models. Excuse the long sentence - The Good Car Guy gets excited over irony.

Not only has Toyota already surpassed 2007's record-setting sales total through just eleven months, but Audi has done so, as well. Lexus and Mercedes-Benz both posted their best-ever Novembers, too.

Details will be forthcoming over the next day or so regarding both American auto sales for November as well as Canadian sales figures. For now, consider that Toyota Canada sold more than 200,000 cars in one year for the first time ever and did so in just eleven months. Lexus Canada sold at a record-setting pace for the 8th consecutive month. Audi Canada set an annual record for the third straight year but did so this year in just eleven months. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz's year-to-date growth stands at 27.7% through November.

Toyota's Corolla, Matrix, and RAV4 along with the Lexus RX350 all posted huge sales gains and are all built in Canada.

UPDATE: Mini has joined the flock of best-ever folk with its eighth-consecutive month of record sales and a best-ever November. Chrysler, Honda, Acura BMW, and Volkswagen are all down - some by large margins - but Jetta sales are waaaaaay up because of new Clean Diesel TDI availability

BOOMERANG TRACKING'S TOP 5 MOST STOLEN VEHICLES IN CANADA

If you've been an active member of The Good Car Nation this morning, you already know which car sits at the top of this list. Follow that link back to learn more about Boomerang Tracking and read below to learn about the most stolen vehicles in Canada. Since GoodCarBadCar.net loves Top 5 lists and Boomerang provides the Top 10, hear ye this: the '94 Dodge Shadow/Plymouth Sundance hatchback is likely part of the list because of its, shall we say, lack of security. Audi's 2000 TT Quattro sits at #9. The '98 Acura Integra is in the #8 spot. Numbers 7, 6, and 5 belong to variants of the '94 Dodge Caravan. 

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#4 - '94 ACURA INTEGRA: Loved by every tuner and appreciated by all for its quality, the Integra was a stellar car with multiple positive characteristics.

#3 - '04 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX & WRX STI: Early in its North American life, this turbocharged Japanese rally rocket was about as desirable a real-world car as could be found on the continent. Apparently thieves feel the same way as the rest of us.

#2 - '00 HONDA CIVIC SIR: While we joined with the Americans in naming the current Civic Si the, er... Civic Si; the previous generations were stuck with SiR north of the 49th. The good ol' Honda double wishbone front suspension with a high-revving inline-four that made VTEC a household brand was ripe for modification. This Civic was simply a very good car. So good in fact that slightly older models were ripe for thievery as well.

#1 - '99 HONDA CIVIC SIR: With prices for stock SiRs around $10,000 for a 10 year old car and not likely to budge anytime soon, one can understand - and still blame - auto thieves proclivity for jacking this Honda. 

BREAKING NEWS - HONDA SALES UP AGAIN IN CANADA THIS OCTOBER

Despite increasing worries over the economy, decreased consumer confidence, and the emphasis placed on a 'terrible' economic situation in the leadup to the mid-October federal election, Honda managed to overcome the negativity to post improved sales in Canada during the month of October. Acura, alas, did not.

More details will come regarding the full slate of automakers in both Canada and the United States for the tenth month of 2008, but for now take a look at some of Honda and Acura's Numbers posted below.

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2 - percentage increase in total sales for the Honda division comparing this October with October of '07

7 - percentage decline in total sales for Acura this October

58 - percentage increase in the sales of the Fit, Honda's smallest car in the market, over the previous October

68 - percentage increase in sales of the Pilot, Honda's largest vehicle in the market

32 - percentage increase in sales of the CR-V, which happens to be the best-selling SUV in America

30 - percentage increase in sales of the Ridgeline, Honda's only truck

28 - percentage sales increase for the CR-V's platform-mate, the Element

47 - percentage increase in Acura TL sales during the 31 days ending Friday

33 - percentage increase in Acura TSX sales this October

8 - models not mentioned by Honda/Acura in their bragging press release (Accord, Civic, S2000, Odyssey, CSX, RDX, MDX, RL)

0-60 in CAR & DRIVER OCTOBER

To those hoping that Car & Driver could squeak the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 under 3 seconds in the 0-60mph test, you'll have to wait till next month to find out. In C/D's October issue, there are actually quite a few test results of cars that are $25K now but were much more expensive in their day. Yeah, that means old test results. But it makes for interesting reading. For more 0-60 results, including Motor Trend's 0-60 testing this month, check the 0-60 label. If you're interested in fuel economy with your 0-60 quickness, check out the Magazine MPG label at AutoEnergy.

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Hyundai Genesis 4.6 V8: 0-60mph in 6.0 seconds

BMW 528i: 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds

Lexus LS460: 0-60mph in 6.0 seconds

Toyota Avalon XLS: 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds

Lincoln MKS AWD: 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds

Toyota Tundra 4x4 5.7 V8: 0-60mph in 6.0 seconds

Chevrolet Malibu 2.4 6spd: 0-60mph in 8.6 seconds

Acura NSX (09/'90): 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds

BMW M3 (06/'01): 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (12/'01): 0-60mph in 4.0 seconds

Dodge Ram SRT-10 (02/'04): 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds

Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG (03/'99): 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds

Porsche 911 (08/'89): 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds

Toyota Supra Turbo (09/'93): 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds

Nissan GT-R #1: 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds

Nissan GT-R #2: 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds

Nissan GT-R #3: 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds

Nissan GT-R #4: 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds

Nissan GT-R #5: 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds

2009 HONDA LEGEND ISN'T VERY SPICED UP

All across the world, people wonder why Americans decide to refer to their baseball championship as the World Series? With one team in Canada and the remainder in the United States, how is it that this Series is the world's? 

You may not follow. See, Acura isn't a worldwide brand. I know, to North Americans - here I'm including Acura snobs in Canada - shock and awe follows the realization that Honda doesn't sell the RDX, MDX, TSX, TL, and RL around the world. But wait a minute, within the empire that controls Acura resides a worldwide brand. You may follow. Honda is the controlling interest, and a mighty one at that.

Enough with the dysfunctional theorizing on American arrogance. See, in North America, Acura positions the RL strangely. It's a large sedan; but not too large. It's an expensive car; but not really that costly. It's a powerful car with high-tech all-wheel drive; but competitors offer torquier engines that send power to the traditionally driven wheels at the rear. 

Stuck between opposing forces like its brother, the Acura TL, and the impressive Germans from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi (5-Series, E-Class, A6) in addition to other made-for-America brands that sell midsize luxury - the Lexus GS and Infiniti M to name a couple - the Acura RL disappears. Poof, I never knew you.

And while you're hoping beyond hope that Honda, a company that's rejuvenated itself in Europe with sporting hatchbacks and amazing diesel engines, would do something different with the RL when an H badge is on the grille instead of the A badge, you already know you're wrong. In the UK press, the Honda Legend is widely panned for being dull. We know the Brits, they would accept character and panache before performance and durability. In effect, with their buying power, that's exactly what they do. 

Oh, luxury car buyers always seek out a little extra performance and don't want a car that falls to pieces. But no car stands a chance in the first place if it is forgettable. The Honda Legend is just that: forgettable. Ignoring it requires no effort. If the large Honda ever gains a certains status, it won't be for legendary qualities. Memorable only because it is forgettable, the 2009 Honda Legend gallery is viewable below.

STRANGE TIMING FOR TRUCK ADVERTISING IN MONTHLY MAGS

Depressing though the good-looking Mazda CX-7's test numbers from Motor Trend's September issue may be (0-60mph in 7.7 and 17 miles per gallon), especially in light of the Subaru Forester's impressive statistics (0-60 in 6.6 and 19.6 mpg), it's downright alarming the extent to which low mpg vehicles were advertised in the issue that's already on newsstands.

It's not a hard case to make: heavily market the products that you're struggling to sell. Make the buyers aware. On the other hand, expensive advertising directed toward an ever-shrinking market - especially when the products mentioned are already very well-known.... now that seems a little bit silly.

Surely different marketing executives would present differing views on the merits of extensive truck advertising. In a year when the long-time best-selling vehicle in America, Ford's F-150, has been out-sold by four cars over the last couple months, some of the numbers you'll see below are surprising.

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2 - pages of advertising GMC placed inside the cover for the Acadia, a 19mpg large crossover

2 - pages of advertising Mercedes-Benz placed for the 15mpg C63 AMG

1 - page of advertising for the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, a 20.5mpg SUV

12 - pages of advertising (including a centrefold) for the Chevrolet Silverado which is, at best, a 17.5mpg pick-up truck

1 - page of advertising for the Cadillac CTS, a 22mpg luxury sedan

2 - pages of advertising Dodge placed with business-reply mail for the Ram pickup

1 - page of advertising for the 19mpg Honda Pilot

1 - page of combined advertising for the 22mpg Nissan Maxima and the GT-R

1 - page of advertising for the Infiniti FX which is, at best, a 19mpg sporty crossover

1 - page of advertising for the Toyota Matrix, a small hatchback that can achieve a combined 29mpg

1 - page of advertising for the new Kia Borrego, a body-on-frame large SUV that's available with a V8 but can touch 19mpg with a V6

1 - page of advertising for the 26mpg Suzuki SX4 on the inside of the back cover

1 - page of advertising for the 25.5mpg Acura TSX on the back cover

18.8 - average (best) combined MPG rating of the first five vehicles you'll see advertised in Motor Trend's September issue

22.8 - average (best) combined MPG rating for the final seven vehicles you'll see advertisied in MT/09

ANTHRACITE & AGGRESSIVE FROM MERCEDES AND ACURA

Japanese luxury automaker and Honda subsidiary Acura has decided to bring it. Design is a funny thing. If you want some people to love the appearance of your car (or living room or architecture), others are likely going to hate the very same design. 

The 2009 TL in its most powerful form, with a 300+bhp V6 and all-wheel drive, will divide opinion. Early shots show the middle Acura sedan in that typical concept anthracite grey, a colour that always ups the aggression; especially when mated to a grille that shares little or nothing with any competing car.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz has released images and information related to its most powerful SL ever. You can safely ignore the dreadfully ugly SLR McLaren. In fact, you can forget dropping the top. Along with other factors (like a carbon fiber) the SL65 AMG Black Series saves 551 pounds by losing its retractable hardtop. It's still hard; just not retractable. You've seen Mercedes do this trick before with the excellent SLK55 AMG Black.

12 cylinders make for powerful engines. Turbocharging ups the power of any engine. Twin-turbocharging takes engines to another level. Mercedes-Benz, then, twice turbocharges its 6.0L V12. 661 horses gallop to the same beat, torque stands at 738 lb-ft. Alarmingly, the 5-speed automatic can't handle the torque that this engine can release, or else you'd see a lb-ft figure of 885.

U.S. prices will be around $320,000. Mercedes-Benz will bring 200 SL Blacks to America, 150 are allotted for the rest of the planet.

INTEGRA MEMORIAL - RIP

Acura was introduced to me in 1986. Some readers would know how many years had passed between my birth and 1986 and laugh mockingly. Others would know that even in those few short years it had been impressed on me that I should learn about cars. So I knew what an Acura was.

Acura Integra's seemed a worthy real-life dream car to a young boy. A Porsche poster on the wall, a Lamborghini calendar.... but an Acura Integra would do just fine, thanks. Time moved on; junior high school; and newer and better versions of the Integra. GS-R. Lovely title. Type-R. That's evocative.

I've driven a few. The final generation switched names. RSX had so much less sway with me despite the fact that it really was a natural progression. The biggest loss was steering feel; the biggest gain was made in maturity.

Trolling through automotive websites this morning revealed something to me that I already knew. The Integra is gone. The RSX has gone up to that racetrack in the sky with Plymouth's Barracuda, the Honda Prelude, and all good incarnations of the Toyota Supra.

In memoriam, I post an article written about the final Acura RSX Type-S which originally appeared elsewhere a couple years ago. Integra - I salute you.

ARE YOU A TYPE-S PERSONALITY?

You may not be familiar with the statistic of horsepower per litre. Nevertheless, the figure achieved by Acura’s new $33,000 RSX Type-S of 105 bhp per litre approaches that of even Ferrari’s new F430 supercar in all its high-revving 483 prancing-horse glory. Is this important to you? Whether it is or not, the feat of engineering achieved in this sporty two-door by Acura’s parent Honda, is worthy of praise.

So with a 210 bhp 2.0L engine - up ten bhp from last year due to a super-light camshaft from the old Integra Type-R - paired exclusively to a 6-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels, you may wonder with what sporting cars this Acura competes. The Toyota Celica is soon to be out of production and the Hyundai Tiburon is a successful entry from Korea. But interestingly enough, right in the family fold we find the Honda Accord EX-V6 MT on sale for about $1,300 more than the Type-S; offering 30 extra horses; and basically standing toe to toe equipment wise. So why would you buy the Acura?

Consider the changes that differentiate the ‘05 Type-S from the ‘04: lowered and stiffened suspension for youthful consumers, more conservative front and rear fascias for the more “experienced” buyers, deeper ground effects and a small lip spoiler, a slightly altered interior that features new gauges and more heavily bolstered seats, and of course, the aforementioned extra 10 bhp. Lest we forget, Acura’s trademark of no available options produces this fully loaded 2-door.

The key therefore, when comparing with the Accord, is that stiffened suspension. Certainly the Accord handles, but it’s handling is suited more to the older, less hard-core buyer, whereas the Type-S is seeking out younger drivers. As well, the Accord is available without that “MT” suffix, meaning, an automatic is standard EX fare. For you to get a self-shifter in the RSX, you need to forego the Type-S model.

25 year-old Adam Durling is one young man who loves the RSX. And that he should, being a salesperson for Atlantic Acura. “We likely have one of the smallest remaining inventories in the city,” Adam tells me, “We sell what we get with no problem.”

Unfortunately for Atlantic Acura, they are based on the busy Bedford Highway, so when Adam and I exited the dealership we directed ourselves right to Joseph Howe Dr. and the Bi-Hi instead of left to some of my favoured proving grounds. The Acura still proved its power early on in my drive, especially if I increased revs heartily. Low-down power belies the model’s torque figure of only 143 lbs-ft. My only criticism of this high-tech engine is that to succeed in fully enjoying its full capacity and its noisemaking, it needs to be wound out thoroughly. Unlike the Accord which features far more torque. Handling is very impressive for a front-wheel drive car, marred only by the stiff ride of the Type-S and somewhat numb steering. It should not be ignored that there are three RSX models below the Type-S, all featuring a more comfortable ride, albeit with only 160 bhp and less equipment in some cases. These three models - base RSX, RSX Premium, and RSX Premium with leather - account for 80% of RSX sales at Atlantic Acura due to their substantially lower stickers.

Interior features are abundant on the Type-S, proving this is not simply a sporty car, but a sporty car with a dose of luxury. Automatic climate control, Bose 6-speaker stereo system with a subwoofer and a 6-CD changer, cruise control, leather seating, and a power sunroof are all standard equipment. Interior quality is, at the least, what you would expect from a Honda product; at the most, it will exceed your expectations with its solid door thunk and nicely weighted controls. Also, despite the rear seats paucity of space, this small hatchback includes a spacious cargo area which transitions to cavernous when the seats are folded down; a characteristic most true coupes would not offer. One advantage of the small capacity engine in the Type-S is the potential for 40 miles per gallon , aided by i-VTEC, a common feature on Honda/Acura engines these days.

It’s important before a vehicle purchase to consider what type of buyer you really are. If, for instance, you are a performance-oriented buyer, you will likely have to spend more than $33,000 to have a more capable all-around accelerator and handler than the Acura RSX Type-S.

COUPEIZING GOOD SEDANS

Turning your garden variety sedan into a two-door coupe isn't a simple chop job. Automakers rightly assume that the coupe buyer needs to see more than just missing doors to assume the coupe version is a good version. Therefore, the manufacturer decides to differentiate the two-door in other ways - sometimes succeeding; sometimes not. 

Coupes come and go like rising tides. Not only does the generic coupe sector sell with force and disappear again into the abyss, but specific models run through a cycle of faltering and ascending time and time again. Do you know of many small cars with the image once held (and still held) by the Acura Integra? Or its successor, the Acura RSX? Or its teammate, the Honda Prelude? They've all disappeared. Poof.

Coupe sellers persist, however. Many believe that the struggling U.S. economy will severely curtail sales of sporting cars, in the same way that convertibles are suffering now. Even so, Cadillac debuted a high-priced, high-class CTS coupe in Detroit and has every intention of seeing it through to production. Of course we all want it - it's spectacular - but will we buy it? Hmm.

BMW rides the wave of coupe success with the 3-series. Somehow, regardless of prevailing market conditions, the 3-series two-door squeezes past the "to axe" list.

This leads me to the more specific topic on my mind. The latest Honda Accord coupe is surprisingly stunning. Walk down Rodeo Drive or Main Street, it at least makes you turn for a second look. Honda didn't take the proverbial design hand book and throw it out the proverbial window, but, the typically staid company decided to give the Accord coupe added jazz compared with the sedan. Result.

Toyota's Camry isn't perceived as a sportatious vehicle and likely won't be anytime soon. The harder Toyota pushes the hybrid sedan, the less the Camry Solara makes sense to me. Its design elements would work well on an expensive yacht; but not a car. Interestingly, in the USofA, the car is entitled the Camry Solara on Toyota.com. Toyota.ca sticks simply to Solara. One way or another, Toyota did a good job of making the coupe appear truly different from the sedan. Different isn't always desirable. 

Then there's the Nissan Altima coupe. The Good Car Guy attacked it before for appearing awkward and bloated. That was before the car was seen live and in action. 

Who'd have thunk it possible that the Altima coupe could be worse than awkward and bloated? Nothing exposes a vehicle's awkwardness and bloatedness quite so much as a grocery store parking lot and a cell phone camera, so here it is. 

GERMANY vs JAPAN - luxury

In March of 2007, the trio of Japanese luxury marques - Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti - reached total US auto sales of 59,718.  That is more than the German luxury trio - BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz - which sold 54,957 vehicles last March.

In the 31 days of March just concluded, the Japanese triumvirate produced numbers of 52,048. Yes, that's down significantly. But don't blame Infiniti. (And don't forget about the two extra selling days in 03/07.) On the other hand, Germany's aged brands formed a total of 51,910. 

If you're curious, which you are or else you wouldn't be reading this, Lexus and BMW are their team leaders. Both brands have sales in the mid-20,000s.  Infiniti and Acura are in the mid-teens, with Mercedes around 5K ahead. Audi brings up the rear, but makes gains every month.  Audi and Infiniti sales were up over 7% when you take into account the number of selling days, comparing March/08 with March/07.

See all Audi or Acura or Lexus or Infiniti or BMW or Mercedes-related 

articles by clicking the links on this line

What does all this mean? I don't know. It is interesting, however, to see that Acura is facing tumbling sales month-over-month month-after-month-after month, but still sold about 5,301 more vehicles than Audi did in March.This is Audi, the company that tells us it will be the biggest worldwide luxury automotive seller sometime early next decade. It's also interesting that amidst the economic turmoil, money is somehow making itself available for 100,000+ sales from luxury brands. That's just these luxury brands. We've not touched on Saab, Volvo, Cadillac, Porsche, Jaguar or the ultra-luxury Bentley/Rolls-Royce/Ferrari field.  

Lexus sold twice as many cars as Buick did last month. So did Kia. Audi doubles Mini. Mercedes sells about 2 cars every time Mitsubishi sells one and after beating Saturn by a few hundred in March of 2007, Benz beat them by 2,662 vehicles this March. 

Still, Chevrolet; Ford, and Toyota all sell more cars than these six prominent luxury badges combined.

MORE BIG APPLE VEHICULAR DEBUTS

Although the Nissan Maxima, Subaru R1e, and Nissan Denki Cube might not spark the performance car enthusiasm at New York's auto show this week, a few others have a strong opportunity. Pontiac is going to show the Solstice Coupe and Dodge has revealed the Challenger SRT8's lesser brethren. Unfortunately, it appears as though Acura has lost its sporting way with the TSX. Can anyone read the title at the top of this page?  See that part about "dowdy". Freshen your fears of Acura producing another boring product.  

Call it a musclecar, ponycar, or an all-American bruiser. It doesn't matter. When the SRT8 version of the reincarnated Dodge Challenger debuted, I wondered if it might be highly colour-sensitive (which is far better than being angle-sensitive). Regardless, like every other musclecar that ever existed - especially those of the last couple decades - the Challenger is wheel-and-bodykit-sensitive. The R/T maintains the aggression manifested by the SRT8; no question about it. The SE? It looks like a wuss. Considering its heft and lack of V8 get-up-and-go, the SE won't just look like a wuss, either. Blue isn't its colour, to boot. 

Pontiac's current showing of the Solstice Coupe doesn't lose much of the impact displayed by the Solstice Coupe Concept of 2002, seen in orange. Who knows whether Pontiac will go the historical route and charge less for the targa-topped Solstice Coupe than they do for the droptop, or if Porsche and BMW's method of upping the price of the Cayman and Z4 Coupe could strike General Motors 'excitement' division? One way or another, the Solstice Coupe has a magic about it that the roadster never has.  

Check out The Good Car Guy's test drive of the Saturn Sky, twin to the Pontiac Solstice, right here

Oh, Acura, what hath Honda wrought with thee? Sales are falling and new product emphasis has seemingly been placed on crossover utilities like the RDX and MDX. The NSX, the progenitor of all refined and reliable modern supercars, lived too long a life and we're still awaiting final word on its replacement. We have no confirmation of V8 power for the next RL but, hey, Acura added some ugly to go with the blaa for the 2009 RL. Insistence on front-wheel drive hasn't aided the cause of the TL, a car that battles in one of the most competitive and image-conscious sectors of the North American automotive market.  

Read up on the Acura Integra Memorial up in here

And now the TSX has been maimed in the same manner as the RL and is far from receiving a power boost. In fact, the TSX will suffer a loss in power, with just 201bhp in a field that Acura sees filled with the Audi A4, BMW 3-series, Lexus IS, and Mercedes-Benz C-class. Acura wants to sell more TSXs than before, but is fielding a progressively less competitive vehicle. The TSX has apparently lost some of its edge, according to Road&Track. Fine to drive, I'm sure. Happy owners, positively. But unless queries come to me with "smooth refinement" being the number 1, 2, and 3 priorities on the list - I'll direct sport sedan buyers elsewhere.

ACURA TL RECALL

With struggling sales, the last thing Honda's luxury division needs is a recall on their core car.  Acura TL's from 2004 and 2005 (129,600 of 'em) could suffer from failing windshield wipers.  Another issue affects cars from the same period thru 2008: degrading power steering hoses -> cracking -> fluid leaking onto catalytic converter -> smoke & fire?

Get it taken care of if you're a TL owner.  Up to this point, nobody has been involved in accidents or injuries. Don't be the first. Recently, GoodCarBadCar named the TL a Beauty for the Boss. Fortunately, the engineering of the power steering hose and windshield wiper circuit breaker didn't need to be beautiful for the TL to garner 

#5 on the list.

FEBRUARY'S TOP GCBC ARTICLES

The Acura Integra and RSX remain firmly set in the memory banks of auto enthusiasts.  Somehow; someway, the Integra Memorial/RSX Driven post from June of 2007 has been the 5th most popular individual post here at GoodCarBadCar.  Check it out here.

Ahead of that Acura article came the Cadillac CTS coupe concept.  Such a startling, shocking, high-impact design is sure to have an impact 15-26 days after it was revealed.  Follow the link.

Readers were either surprised or alarmed by the Volvo S40/V50 recall.  That story popped up on the second day of this month.

September's article about the need for Dodge's Journey To Make Inroads has struck a chord.  That chord is still valid - here it is.  Keep this in mind, Chrysler execs: that Dodge article is #2 all-time at GoodCarBadCar.

Finally, ranking as the most read GoodCarBadCar article in February - up to this point - is The Good Car Guy's test drive of the Subaru Impreza sedan.  His opinions are present and accounted for.