Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

tjc78

@Sandman6472
It’s the ADX…. Looks pretty nice. Coming in 2025

mjfloyd1

https://acuranews.com/en-US/releases/2025-acura-adx-makes-world-debut-expands-acura-lineup-from-a-to-z

stickguy

too long for you at about 185".

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/2025-acura-adx-is-an-suv-alternative-to-the-attainable-integra/ar-AA1u58pK?ocid=BingNewsVerp

suydam

Smaller than that would be more the subcompact line, like my Buick Encore (168”).

sda

Acura has ditched ELS in favor of Bang and Olf?

stickguy

looks that way. at least on this model.

ab348

The interior looks somewhat dated, and the white with blue interior looks more nautical than automotive.

stickguy

looks comfortable and functional though which IMO is better than cutting edge that won't age well. I agree that the blue and white looks like a boat and isn't likely to be popular.

xwesx

@kyfdx - Congrats! Enjoy your trip tomorrow. You'll probably have it mostly done by the time I get up in the morning.... !

benjaminh

Although the ADX looks like a good value overall, it seems like Acura should have had a vehicle like this in their lineup ten years ago. Sales of Acuras in the US have been down recently, and might finish the year around 120k vehicles or so, compared to 145k last year. Peak year for Acura was 2005 with sales of almost 210k.

The 1.5 liter turbo in the ADX doesn't seem like an ideal choice to me. Why didn't they use their hybrid powertrain instead? We've lived with a version of the 1.5T in the CR-V we've had since 2018, and the oil dilution issues seem real. The engine has good power and gets good mpg, but it's loud and seems unrefined. As compared to the overbuilt 2.4 that's in my TLX the 1.5 turbo doesn't seem like an engine that's going to have that kind of durability. The 2.4 naturally aspirated engine sounds much better, and has similar power and mpg. The Honda 1.5 turbo was meant to be leap forward over the 2.4 engine it replaced, but from my pov it's just not as good.

oldfarmer50

mjfloyd1 said:

https://acuranews.com/en-US/releases/2025-acura-adx-makes-world-debut-expands-acura-lineup-from-a-to-z

If stick is looking to be “youthful” that sounds like the car for him.😁 Funny, for all that youth there’s no mention of how much horsepower in that 1.5L.

oldfarmer50

sda said:

Acura has ditched ELS in favor of Bang and Olf?

Is that system actually superior or is it simply the latest trendy thing like kitchen cabinets or new names for white car paint?

I was happy to find a Boze stereo in my Sebring when I bought it but I guess that’s passe’ now.

stickguy

It was guesstimated in some articles. About 200. Basically the Civic Si motor.

I Agree with Benjamin. The hybrid would have been a good starting point. And that 2.4 was a great engine still could see a hybrid if course. Probably just takes more reworking of the platform

kyfdx

Our new car has Bose. 14 speakers, a big amp and a subwoofer in the spare tire well

sda

Acura introduced ELS to the Acura TL in 2004 and has been a staple of their top-of-the-line models since. Even the new Integra A-Spec w/Tech has an ELS system. I am surprised of the change.

Precision Crafted Audio Performance
Created exclusively for Acura by eight-time Grammy® Award-winning producer and engineer Elliot Scheiner and a team of top automotive and acoustic experts, the ELS STUDIO® Premium Audio System brings the realism and artistic intimacy of the recording studio to the interior of your vehicle.

28firefighter

@kyfdx said:
Our new car has Bose. 14 speakers, a big amp and a subwoofer in the spare tire well

But no Burmester? Tsk.

tifighter

I’m guessing this ADX is an uprated HRV? Haven’t read anything about it…

sda

@tifighter said:
I’m guessing this ADX is an uprated HRV? Haven’t read anything about it…

It is based off the HRV

nyccarguy

benjaminh said:

Although the ADX looks like a good value overall, it seems like Acura should have had a vehicle like this in their lineup ten years ago. Sales of Acuras in the US have been down recently, and might finish the year around 120k vehicles or so, compared to 145k last year. Peak year for Acura was 2005 with sales of almost 210k.

The 1.5 liter turbo in the ADX doesn't seem like an ideal choice to me. Why didn't they use their hybrid powertrain instead? We've lived with a version of the 1.5T in the CR-V we've had since 2018, and the oil dilution issues seem real. The engine has good power and gets good mpg, but it's loud and seems unrefined. As compared to the overbuilt 2.4 that's in my TLX the 1.5 turbo doesn't seem like an engine that's going to have that kind of durability. The 2.4 naturally aspirated engine sounds much better, and has similar power and mpg. The Honda 1.5 turbo was meant to be leap forward over the 2.4 engine it replaced, but from my pov it's just not as good.

The K24 engine in your TLX had a good run and was in production starting in the late 90s or early 2000s. While it is a fantastic engine, nothing lives on forever. Especially in the automotive world. The current L15 1.5L turbo power plant isn't as linear as the K24 and doesn't produce the high end power. It is lighter. I'd gather it produces less emissions. It produces similar horsepower numbers with much more low-mid range torque.

I'm sure the Hybrid engine from the Civic will make its way to the ADX in the not too distant future.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

I was happy to find a Boze stereo in my Sebring when I bought it but I guess that’s passe’ now.

I think Boze must have gone out of business. The only thing I’ve found that’s close must be some brand trying to live off the old name, called Bose.

kyfdx

Had a nice trip to Louisville. Met up with @corvette for lunch, and checked out his Nissan Ariya. The tacos were excellent!

Also, came home with a new car.

kyfdx

Also, programmed the homelink to the garage opener in just three tries...

au1994

Pics please!

corvette

It was great to meet @kyfdx - now I’ve met both members of the Edmunds moderator team in person!

The Macan is very nice and the color looks even better in person.

Michaell

Always great to meet up with other members. The food just seems to taste better, too!

kyfdx

Lousy pics incoming

kyfdx

Showroom lights make it look creamy, but it is definitely in the gray family

kyfdx

kyfdx

2 free keychains and a set of winter mats!

Putting those on eBay to recoup 10% of my costs. 😏

au1994

Excellent color! I’ve seen it in the wild and love it.

Hope everyone is happy with the new ride. I think you and @breld are our only 2 Porsche families. Livin’ in high cotton there.

tjc78

Love it!! Congratulations.

sda

kyfdx said:

Very nice. Is the Mrs. smitten?

explorerx4

I was glad to see some pics because you know, chalk comes in all different colors.

xwesx

Congrats!

I'm awake; I'm awake!

nyccarguy

Congrats!

28firefighter

Congrats @kyfdx !!

jmonroe1

corvette said:

It was great to meet @kyfdx - now I’ve met both members of the Edmunds moderator team in person!

The Macan is very nice and the color looks even better in person.

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Who’s your favorite? Don’t let the guy who bought you tacos sway you.

jmonroe

stickguy

those seats look really comfy.

jmonroe1

kyfdx said:

Lousy pics incoming

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Looks White to me.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

those seats look really comfy.

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Yeah, but I hope they got those spots off before he left.

jmonroe

28firefighter

@jmonroe1 said:
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Looks White to me.

jmonroe

Probably just the hair in your eyes.

jmonroe1

28firefighter said:

@jmonroe1 said:

————————————————

Looks White to me.

jmonroe

Probably just the hair in your eyes.

————————————————
Nice try but if that’s the case since there is still a lot of brown up there it should have looked a little darker.

jmonroe

explorerx4

Gotta love the carfax on this one.
https://www.kayserford.net/used/Ford/2019-Ford-Mustang-900634a1ac182e1e720c9cbcc40799f5.htm

stickguy

that thing had a rough life.

kyfdx

@sda Yes, she loves it.

@stickguy Really, really nice seats. 14-way power, with manual headrest adjustment.

A big test was if my wife could get a comfortable driving position, and these fit the bill. 100 miles driving it home, and they were great for me, as well.

The last few loaner X3s we had with sport seats never hit my wife in the right spots. (and, sport seats are standard on the X3, now).

benjaminh

Btw the surgery on my vocal cords went well, and found out yesterday it was benign. Recovery has been slow but steady, and I'm starting to get my voice back. But anyway, back to cars...

For the Acura ADX a few cost-cutting things bother me. First, as seen in the review below starting at 7:30 there aren't any "oh heck" handles for the front seats. Then there are hard plastics for the window sills for the rear seats. That's not a big deal, but sometimes on long drives the people in the back lean on that area, and it's nicer if the plastics are soft, which is what they are on my TLX as well as on our Outback. At least they included rear air vents on the ADX, which were skipped for the Integra, but there still isn't a pocket behind the driver's seat. Even our Subaru has a pocket behind the driver's seat for that extra umbrella, ice scraper, or whatever. Then AWD apparently won't be standard on the ADX, which suddenly makes the projected $36k or so starting price less of a deal. By the time you add AWD, blind-spot monitoring, and destination, seems like it's really going to be something like a $42k car. That's okay in today's market, but for that price you can get a loaded turbo Outback with a more powerful 2.4 liter turbo engine. The Outback doesn't have the cost-cutting for the back seat area, has a somewhat better awd system standard, more cargo room, and better rear visibility. Those small windows in the back of the ADX will make for big blind spots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KU6eH3tE3I

In other car news, it looks like the $7500 EV tax credit might possibly go away in the next year or so, or at least ended on leases.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/climate/electric-vehicles-trump-tax-credit.html

kyfdx

@benjaminh That’s good news!

benjaminh

As mentioned, we really like our 2024 Outback. One of the surprises that made the sale to my spouse was the quiet and soft luxury-car ride. But it still handles reasonably well around corners.

The next generation 2026 Outback looks a bit less like a wagon, but the even more squared off body shape might give it a little bit more cargo room, and it looks like rear visibility will still be quite good. The 2026 Outback is also going to have an available hybrid, which we probably would have gone for if it had been available in 2024, but we're still fairly happy with the mpg on our Outback. Over the last 900 miles the auto stop-start, which we've already gotten used to, has saved half a gallon and to our surprise has shut the engine off for a whole hour during that time. Anyway, here's a projected image of what the new 2026 Outback *might* look like, more or less. It's based on the spy shots of the camouflaged Outbacks that have been seen around. I like it.



https://www.carscoops.com/2024/11/2026-subaru-outback-the-raised-wagon-returns-as-an-suv-with-a-hybrid-powertrain/

benjaminh

At a little after two minutes in the reviewer of the ADX for Edmunds agrees that Acura probably should have put Honda's hybrid engine into this new SUV...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi0zxydGyeg

ab348

Interesting update for the Outback. The styling doesn't look bad. Make or break will be the interior though, which has always been a weak spot.