Acura Owners Club - Meet the Members

benjaminh

Looks like there's a chance Acura might pass Cadillac this year. Of course Lexus, MB, and BMW are way out front, each selling more than 300k a year. Back when Acura was launched in 1986, my guess is they didn't dream that they would pass Cadillac someday. Of course, this is a result of Cadillac falling just as much as it is of Acura rising. I still think Acura needs to put touch screens in all its vehicles asap. They did it on the Integra, and so it is possible.



https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2023-us-vehicle-sales-figures-by-brand/

stickguy

I must be one of the few people left that is not a big touchscreen fan. I have one, but try to avoid using it when possible. At least they should have other options to avoid always having to poke at it. The Ford has button based HVAC at least so the screen is mostly settings you rarely use once configured, and radio stuff that I control from the steering wheel.

and man, Caddy really has collapsed.

but even more shocking, is Alfa is still in existence!

benjaminh

400,000 miles on this 2004 Acura TL with the original engine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2x7ftxOUvs

cdnpinhead

Yeah, and the sun comes up in the east. Rain is wet.

benjaminh

Some news from Acura....

https://hondanews.com/en-US/honda-automobiles/releases/american-honda-offers-outlook-on-2024-us-automobile-business

"The MDX SUV, the brand's best-selling model, will receive significant enhancements including styling changes, the addition of Bang and Olufsen premium audio, a new technology interface featuring Google-built in and a more advanced AcuraWatch™ suite of driver assistive features. MDX also will trade its touchpad for a new touchscreen driver interface and a more usable center console....

An all-new Acura crossover will debut later this year, positioned at the gateway of the lineup alongside the Integra."

So finally Acura is moving its models to touchscreens from the touchpad. A smart movie imho.

The new entry-level small Acura SUV will I assume become their volume seller within a year. The sales goal for Acura for 2024 was set at 150,000 vehicles, which is only a small increase from 2023. My guess is that they'll exceed the goal by at least 20k, just based on the new small Acura suv alone. I assume they'll price it starting at about $34k and it will sell like hotcakes.

benjaminh

For 2023 Acura sold 147,000 in the US. Here are Acura Sales in the US form 2000-2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acura#US_sales

benjaminh

The top sales year for all of Acura history was in 2005, when over 209,000 were sold. If the economy is good this year maybe they will start getting closer to that?

laurasdada

I was one of those purchasers in '05, TL. '04 began a good run, but note that in '09, when the TL got hit with the ugly stick, sales sunk... Maybe due to the recession around then, too.
But, why did they have to do that to the TL!

sda

I wonder if the B&O audio replaces the long standing and acclaimed ELS audio?

benjaminh

benjaminh said:

The top sales year for all of Acura history was in 2005, when over 209,000 were sold. If the economy is good this year maybe they will start getting closer to that?

Well, to answer my question from six months ago it seem like Acura sales are faltering. Overall sales were up 42% in 2023 from the miserable levels of 2022 (when supply-chain issues kept supplies low), but total sales were still only 145,600. More concerning is that this year sales seem to be slowing from that level, with sales of the TLX and Integra declining. It's an SUV world seems to be part of what's going on. Anyway, at the moment it seems unlikely Acura will get back to 200k a year in the foreseeable future.

stickguy

will see if the new EV just released helps with that. Sedans certainly are not that popular, but maybe they redo the TLX and give it a hybrid powertrain.

they also need a smaller CUV desperately to slot in below the RDX. and to improve mileage!

benjaminh

Brought my TLX in for service today to my Acura dealer. They're always perplexed when I bring my car in when the oil life is still at 40% according to the dashboard readout. I mentioned I like to do oil changes bit early, but push out some services a bit later.... After six years and 77k miles my annual maintenance costs so far are averaging $370 a year, including the Michelin tires. Edmunds says the projected maintenance and repair costs for a 2018 TLX would be around $8500 after five years (and projecting out would be about $10k for six years), and so my costs are about ¼ of what Edmunds was guessing.

https://www.edmunds.com/acura/tlx/2018/cost-to-own/

My insurance costs, however, are about $400 a year more than they estimated. My insurance is above the minimum, and maybe they set their insurance estimate at the minimum required by law?

2018 Acura TLX oil change intervals and other maintenance

10/31/18: $0 6371 Oil and filter change
6/10/19: $78 12792 Oil, filter, tire rotation, cabin filter (oci 6421)
10/25/19: $30 20484 Oil, filter, wipers (7692)
6/29/20: $84 29158 Oil, filter, engine air element, key battery (8674)
4/27/21: $192 38470 Oil, filter, wheel balance, cabin air filter (9312)
8/30/21: $747 47000 Michelin CrossClimate2 tires from Costco
9/22/21: $331 47922 Oil, filter, brake fluid change, transmission service (9452)
1/18/22: $197 52085 Battery
3/30/22: $170 54110 Oil, filter, cabin filter, engine air element (6188)
4/27/22: $0 55829 Costco tire rotation
4/28/22: $122 55839 Allignment
12/22/22: $60 63534 Oil, filter (9424)
12/22/22: $0 63544 Costco tire rotation
12/29/23: $94 69850 Oil, filter, tire rotation, timing chain seal warranty (6306)
6/11/24: $122 77346 Oil, filter, wipers, tire rotation (7496)

$2226 so far

My own recommended service intervals:
Oil changes every 6k-8k. Tire rotation every oil change. Brake fluid every 3-4 years. Cabin filter every 3-4 years. Transmission fluid every c. 50k miles (even though the manual says 100k). Engine air element every 3-4 years or 30k-45k miles. Radiator coolant 7 years/100k miles. Spark plugs 100k-120k.

The Car Care Nut on youtube says change your oil every 5k no matter what. On the other hand, if I let my TLX's oil life monitor decide I'll go about 9000+ between oil changes. I feel around 7k is a good compromise. The car care nut says brake fluid every 3-5 years and spark plugs at 120k.

PS After 77,000 miles my brake pads are still all in the green at 6mm, which seems unusual. My service advisor mentioned that recently they've had people go 100k or even 120k with their Acura brake pads. My vague memory is that for past cars I've replaced brake pads at 50k or so? Not sure. Anyway, I'm driving more highway miles the last 6 years, which obviously extends brake pad life since you're not using them as much.

benjaminh

stickguy said:

will see if the new EV just released helps with that. Sedans certainly are not that popular, but maybe they redo the TLX and give it a hybrid powertrain.

they also need a smaller CUV desperately to slot in below the RDX. and to improve mileage!

Yes, what Acura needs is a small on the outside but relatively spacious on the inside hybrid SUV with a price around $38k or so.

kyfdx

benjaminh said:

stickguy said:

will see if the new EV just released helps with that. Sedans certainly are not that popular, but maybe they redo the TLX and give it a hybrid powertrain.

they also need a smaller CUV desperately to slot in below the RDX. and to improve mileage!

Yes, what Acura needs is a small on the outside but relatively spacious on the inside hybrid SUV with a price around $38k or so.

Like a CR-V hybrid?

benjaminh

kyfdx said:

benjaminh said:

stickguy said:

will see if the new EV just released helps with that. Sedans certainly are not that popular, but maybe they redo the TLX and give it a hybrid powertrain.

they also need a smaller CUV desperately to slot in below the RDX. and to improve mileage!

Yes, what Acura needs is a small on the outside but relatively spacious on the inside hybrid SUV with a price around $38k or so.

Like a CR-V hybrid?

The CR-V hybrid is already 38k or so, and so I was thinking of more like a smaller HR-V based model. Although I didn't like the HR-V I sat in while getting my Mom's car serviced recently, because the HR-V has a rather enclosed and gloomy interior, with poor rear visibility. If they could open that up somehow with larger windows maybe...? But that goes against current design trends. I like the Acuras of 20-30 years ago that were more functional in terms of design from my pov.

kyfdx

The HR-V is a doggy car, that needs a turbo, badly.

stickguy

The RDX is already the size of a crv. I think they need a sports luxury model a size below. Like the Lexus NX I guess. A hybrid power train would be nice too.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

The RDX is already the size of a crv. I think they need a sports luxury model a size below. Like the Lexus NX I guess. A hybrid power train would be nice too.

I think the NX is the same size. It’s RAV4 based?

The new HR-V is better than the last one, but would need a serious power boost to sell as an Acura.

Michaell

You're thinking of the Lexus UX, which is a hybrid.

stickguy

NX used to be small. Must have grown.

benjaminh

Went for a drive to Buffalo Trace Park in Indiana, which I haven't been to for at least a year. Lovely sky, nice bike ride around the lake a couple of times. Got 40 mpg both ways with ac on going mostly 55-65 mph. 30 miles each way from our house.

sda

This is the first time the maintenance light has illuminated since we've had it as I typically change the oil before it suggests service. I had a coupon from the Honda dealer that I use for service. Less than $45 for the oil change and general look over. Tires were rotated recently. Kind of neat the little envelope on the one screen that doesn't let you forget! Car still runs like a champ.

benjaminh

This guy says his almost 20 year old Acura TL is a great car to own and is holding up really well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J78V53cJsrg

sda

I miss the 06 TL that we sold to CarMax last September. It still looked and drove great at 187k, but was becoming needy. It would cost a lot more than it was worth to do the required service. Even after 3 months it still feels odd to see the Passat parked outside where the TL used to. And I feel somewhat sad the Passat has to live outside when it had always been sheltered in the garage at home or the office.

stickguy

I do miss my 2019 TLX A spec. Great car.

benjaminh

This guy has 250,000 miles on his 2013 Acura ILX 6-speed manual, which he's owned since new. Only scheduled maintenance, and as you see in this video he sometimes drives on dirt roads. His engine is similar to the one in my TLX, and so gives me some optimism to go long-term with my Acura.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tElsrkkcbP8

stickguy

That K series is a fantastic engine.

cdnpinhead

The only significant issue I've had with my TSX ('08 w/ ~215K) was with the steering rack, and it was replaced under warranty. Recently I had an intermittent parasitic load when the car was shut down, resulting in a low or dead battery from time to time, traced to the module that deals with Bluetooth connectivity. Very maddening until it was remedied. No problems since, since I don't use Bluetooth anyway. Still on the original clutch.

sda

cdnpinhead said:

The only significant issue I've had with my TSX ('08 w/ ~215K) was with the steering rack, and it was replaced under warranty. Recently I had an intermittent parasitic load when the car was shut down, resulting in a low or dead battery from time to time, traced to the module that deals with Bluetooth connectivity. Very maddening until it was remedied. No problems since, since I don't use Bluetooth anyway. Still on the original clutch.

From what I understand, the blue tooth module issue is fairly common. My SIL had that replaced before she gave us the beloved 06 TL. We miss the TL, great car.

kyfdx

I could swear that some old BMW repair involved swapping in a TSX steering rack. But, maybe I’m hallucinating. 🤔

benjaminh

Went in recently to the Acura dealer for my annual service, and for $440 I got an oil change, tire rotation, brake fluid change, engine filter change, and hvac filter change.

Then the service advisor tried to sell me on getting my 100k tune-up at 86k miles for another $2000. I said no thanks, the Maintenance Minder isn't showing it's time for that.

Then he tried to tell me that my Michelin CrossClimate2 tires with less than 40k on them were almost worn out, even though the report from their own technician showed them as in the green. But if I'd said yes that would have been another thousand dollars. Sigh.

Here's a guy who has gotten 85,000 miles on his CC2 tires. I'm hoping to make it at least to 70k, knock on wood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3YMcZhCgRs

stickguy

I just had our RDX in too. Oil change and brake fluid flush (first one at 5 years old). I did the cabin and engine air filters myself last summer (and man, the engine one was a ridiculous pain to to). since it was only about 4K miles at most since the last service, I passed on the rotation (and the check over report said all 4 were at 7/32). That was $280 with taxes and fees

should be a while (45k miles, sitting at 28k now) until anything else expensive comes up (differential and trans fluid changes)

benjaminh

He has spent two years restoring this 1986 Acura Legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyDwdPcMKq4

stickguy

I remember going to the fist Acura dealer in N. Jersey when the brand first launched. At that time there wasn't even a showroom, just some cars in the garage area of some facility (can't remember at this point!) and desks set up. IIRC the Integra with a moonroof (not the base model) was about $12k, and the Legend was about $20K. I'm sure if I just made that up someone will let me know.

laurasdada

I so wanted an original Legend Coupe (and who didn't?) but stretched the budget to buy my '88 Integra. Which, of course, was just a lovely car.

kyfdx

laurasdada said:

I so wanted an original Legend Coupe (and who didn't?) but stretched the budget to buy my '88 Integra. Which, of course, was just a lovely car.

Same here.. really wanted the coupe. Ended up with an '84 Porsche 911.

Michaell

My BIL had his mid 80’s Toyota pickup stolen - he used the insurance money for a gen 1 Integra.

sda

I remember driving an 86 base Integra in medium metallic blue, 5sp, ac. I really liked it and marveled how sewing machine like the engine felt and how the great shifting transmission, clutch were coordinated. Sadly too expensive for my situation then.

Michaell

sda said:

I remember driving an 86 base Integra in medium metallic blue, 5sp, ac. I really liked it and marveled how sewing machine like the engine felt and how the great shifting transmission, clutch were coordinated. Sadly too expensive for my situation then.

Yeah, I was in the same boat. Really liked the engine and transmission meshed together so well. My BIL really liked his, and I think he kept it for quite a while. I believe it got traded in for an Infiniti G20 - green over tan.

laurasdada

kyfdx said:

laurasdada said:

I so wanted an original Legend Coupe (and who didn't?) but stretched the budget to buy my '88 Integra. Which, of course, was just a lovely car.

Same here.. really wanted the coupe. Ended up with an '84 Porsche 911.

You poor thing. Musta scarred you for life.

benjaminh

So I've gone back and forth over how much to trust the Maintenance Minder in my 2018 TLX. Here are the codes for Honda/Acura's MM system...



As everyone on this thread almost certainly knows, the MM system monitors and records how you drive your car, including such things as how quickly you accelerate, engine oil temperature, how long your trips are, etc. Then it gives what's supposed to be a reasonable recommendation for maintaining your vehicle well without spending unneeded money.

My guess is that many Acura owners, however, don't know what these codes mean. I have to remind myself what they mean each time I go in.

But if you don't pay attention to the code number, and just bring it in when the golden wrench pops up glowing, that might leave you vulnerable to the upsell from the service advisor. For instance my last code was A1, but the service advisor tried to also sell me on a full tune-up, which is codes 4 and 5. So I saved $2k by listening to my Maintenance Minder rather than my service advisor.

The transmission, however, is such a frightfully expensive thing (maybe c. $9k for a new 8-speed dct for the unit alone + another 2k or so for installation) that I was talked into changing the transmission fluid at 47k, long before code 3 appeared. My plan is to change it again at 100-110k miles, even if the code hasn't come up by then. This service is $250, but that's obviously cheap compared to a transmission failure.

When it comes to oil changes I've gone back and forth. About half the time I've followed what the MM says for oil changes, which means oil changes at 8k-9k miles. But about half the time I've done it sooner, at 6k or so, including for the first oil change.

The car care nut on yt as well as many others there swear by 5-6k oil changes. But also on yt I've found people following the Honda/Acura MM and going for 8-9k oil changes, and the detailed analysis of the oil by Blackstone and others seems to show that you can trust the MM, and that synthetic oil is still good at those intervals.

Anyway, to save myself a lot of money to spend on other things, my feeling right now is that I'm mostly going to follow the MM's recommendations, except for when it comes to the transmission fluid.

sda

Gone are the days of a $2500 transmission! You may want to do a cooling system refresh every three years or so. I subscribe to an oil change every six months or 5-6 k whichever comes first

benjaminh

Yes, I've thought about changing the radiator fluid. But these days the original fluid for an Acura I think is supposed to last until the 10 year/100k tune-up. That does strain belief, even for me, but I guess new formulations might make that possible?

Our new Subaru owner's manual says that the original radiator fluid can last for 11 years or 137k miles.

But...changing the radiator fluid is only $160 or so, and might be worth doing next time I go in, even if I don't get the MM code for it.

stickguy

This oil change the wrench came on at about 10 months and 4k miles (maybe 3). Must not have liked all the short trips.

stickguy

@sda said:
Gone are the days of a $2500 transmission! You may want to do a cooling system refresh every three years or so. I subscribe to an oil change every six months or 5-6 k whichever comes first

I do 6k miles or annual. Or sooner if the wrench comes on.

benjaminh

I got my TLX over the July 4th weekend of 2018, and I've so just crossed 7 years with it, and I still love the car. Over that that time I've driven 88,000 miles, and so about 12,500 per year. So I'll probably be getting close to 100k by July of 2026.

Even then, however, I'm not completely sure I'll be needing to do all items for the 100k tune-up. My understanding is that just as the Maintenance Minder adjusts your oil change interval, it also adjusts when your spark plugs etc. need to be changed.

I had a chat with one Acura owner of a 2012 ILX, which has a similar engine to my TLX. He tends to be meticulous with maintenance, but for some reason didn't change his spark plugs until 200k+. I've also seen some youtube videos of people who haven't changed Iridium spark plugs to 200k, and they were quite worn but still functional.

In other words, at 100k Iridium spark plugs might actually still have quite a bit of life left in them.

My Acura dealer lists the 4-cylinder spark plug service at $389. I've looked at videos of this being done, and with this engine it's not a very complex or time-consuming job. Looks like it's about half an hour for someone who is experienced. From Amazon it looks like you can purchase the exact Laser Iridium spark plugs that were OEM for about $75, although you have to be careful to avoid the cheap imitations that are available.

When my service advisor quoted nearly four hundred for changing spark plugs I questioned that, and asked if I brought in my own spark plugs to them what would their labor rate be. He said $150. So...it seems like that job can be done for maybe $225 rather than 389. But given how long these spark plugs last I'm planning to wait till the MM says to change them. Maybe that'll be 100k, but perhaps it'll be 110 or even 120? who knows.

The trickier thing is the manual valve adjustments. The Car Care Nut says having manual valve adjustments is old fashioned and almost crazy. But it appears that when automatically adjusting valves fail that's maybe a $2k job or something like that? So manually adjusting valves have the potential to last longer.

But the Acura and Honda manuals say "adjust if needed," not adjust no matter what. The skilled mechanic is supposed to listen to the sound they are making, and maybe read a diagnostic tool, and figure out if it actually needs to be done.

Adjusting the valves manually is complex stuff, and kind of a lost art at this point since most cars have those automatic valves. But still the charge of $525 seems excessive. Seems like it takes maybe about an hour of work from youtube videos. I might get a price quote from my local Honda dealers on this, but only when the MM code 4 comes up for it.

Based on the internet many people seem to only do it at 150k-200k.

stickguy

I still miss my 2019(?) a spec. Wish I had kept that. Great car. Dumb covid.

benjaminh

stickguy said:

I still miss my 2019(?) a spec. Wish I had kept that. Great car. Dumb covid.

But you sold it at a small profit iirc! You have made some skilled trade-ins with your cars. Didn't you also make a profit on the trade-in of your first Maverick? You are a Jedi-master of car trades-ins and purchases.

But yeah, the TLX is a pretty awesome car. But so is your RDX.

stickguy

The Maverick yes, that was a buy and I did make a profit on it. That was a good one!

The TLX was a lease. So I didn't actually make money on it, I just cashed out some equity to Carvana so it effectively made the lease a lot cheaper. And I wiped out the last year or so of payments. That was in late 2020 when he also had the new RDX that the wife didn't drive (having been sent home to work) so having 2 cars at all (never mind with payments) made no sense. So I got out of the lease early. Should have bought it out instead! Though after a year I did finally replace it with Maverick #1 so all worked out OK in the end.

still one of the rare cars I missed after I didn't have it any longer. was almost the perfect car, and like you have found out, a drivetrain that was a good one to commit to long term.

benjaminh

So this Acura owner "Clymer" now has 600,000 miles on his 2004 TSX, and he still has the original engine and transmission. He's mostly had it serviced at his local Acura dealer. He's tried to do mostly 5k oil changes, but over at the Subaru thread someone there has recently gone as long as 16k between oil changes with premium Amsoil full synthetic, and used oil analysis from Blackstone indicates that the oil was still good. Anyway, I feel like this bolsters my feeling that I can follow my Acura the maintenance minder and my get oil changes at around 9k with my current driving style.

Interesting also is that—unless I missed it—Clymer didn't change his spark plugs until after 200k. Again, maybe I missed it, but I also didn't notice a valve adjustment before 200k.

His costs for the first 100k were around $2800. The first 100k reflects prices from c. 15-20 years ago, but that does make it nice for me that right now I'm at $2600 for 88k miles. Next service I think I'll get my radiator fluid changed early, and so that'll put me at about $3k for maintenance 8 years and 95k miles.

For 100k-200k my goal is to mostly follow the maintenance minder, which I hope will keep my costs for the next 100k (knock on wood) at maybe $4k or so? But who knows what the future holds...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udlVnlwz3cM