User: sburris
V50
Time: 12-17-2013 12:20 Product: INITab
PubDate: 12-22-2013 Zone: Special
Edition: 8
• SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2013
Page: OfAdvFolio-AW
Color: C K Y M
AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT OF THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR
2014 auto show ➤
100th ANNIVERSARY • 1914 – 2014
AcuraMDX
HOW DOES ACURA DO IT?
This premium-grade seven-passenger wagon shares nothing with its predecessor and breaks new ground in content, technology and fuel efficiency.
Of course, the shape and familial shield-type grille give away MDX’s origins. But a slightly lower roofline, a 3-inch stretch between the front and rear wheels and a 2-inch gain in overall length make it appear larger than the tape measure suggests. The new MDX conveys a stronger sense of luxury, especially with its “Jewel Eye” headlights, which have become the signature styling item for the Acura brand. Although cargo volume has been reduced slightly, functionality is improved with added length behind the third-row seat. There’s also a flatter load floor when both rear rows are folded. Button clutter on the redesigned dashboard and control panel is reduced to nine from 41, as the rest are incorporated into a console-mounted dial and touch-screen display for the audio, communications and climate-control systems. The previous MDX featured a firmed-up ride and sporty steering, but customer feedback showed that’s not the priority. The 2014 model goes the other way, with a suppler ride and lighter steering. The MDX drives like an upscale wagon should, but it’s in no way bouncy or sloppy over rough surfaces. Acura claims the more aerodynamic body structure weighs 123 pounds less and, combined with other measures, contributes to a total 275-pound weight trimming. (For comparison, the Audi Q7 is heavier by nearly 1,000 pounds.) A 290-hp 3.5L V6 replaces the 300-hp 3.7 — smaller, yes, but no one will be the wiser, because the 3.5’s torque rating is within 3 pound-feet of the 3.7. It’s also more fuel efficient, with an estimated 18/27-mpg city/highway rating, bettering the previous 16/21 marks. That’s close to 30 percent better on the highway. Those numbers improve to 20/28 for the frontwheel-drive MDX — a first for the brand — and reduce the base all-wheel-drive’s starting price of $45,200 by a further $2,000. The two-grand premium for the improved all-wheel-drive system seems worth it, considering how well it aids bad-weather grip and works with the braking system to keep the MDX on its intended path in turns. ●
Specs Type: Four-door sedan Engine: 3.5L SOHC V6 (290 hp) Layout: Front-engine, front-/all-wheel drive Transmission: Six-speed automatic MPG (city/hwy): 18/27 (AWD) Safety: Front, side-impact, side-curtain airbags; antilock brakes; traction and stability control
RLX: A giant leap forward
Type: Four-door sedan Engine: 3.5L SOHC V6 (310 hp) Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel drive Transmission: Six-speed automatic MPG (city/hwy): 20/31 Safety: Front, side-impact, side-curtain, driver-side knee airbag; antilock brakes; traction and stability control
Honda Accord: Still the standard Type: Two-door coupe; four-door sedan Base engine: 2.4L DOHC I4 (185 hp) Optional engines: 2.4L DOHC I4 (189 hp); 3.5L SOHC V6 (278 hp); 2.0L DOHC I4 with 166-kW electric (196 hp net) Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel drive Transmissions: Six-speed manual; six-speed automatic (opt.); six-speed manual (opt. on V6 coupe) MPG (city/hwy): 27/36 (2.4, CVT) Safety: Front, side-impact, side-curtain airbags; antilock brakes; stability and traction control