Handling is great even though this is a front-wheel-drive car only, Acura as well as Honda have always taken great pride in their ability to make a good-handling machine. This is the same transmission that was introduced with the new TLX we sampled recently, as well as the RLX Sport Hybrid. This transmission is quick-shifting, and with the paddles, makes the 2016 ILX pretty fun to throw about. Even though the manual transmission is gone, there’s still a solid option, and it’s the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Although, I can’t emphasize enough that this engine isn’t about the numbers – the powerband, its high-revving nature, and the noise it makes are brilliant. However, Acura emphasizes it’s no longer called the K24 it now sports direct injection and they claim the motor itself is all-new, despite boasting similar numbers. The motor is a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine with i-VTEC, good here for 201 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. The benefit to this is, this engine + transmission combination can still be had in the Honda Civic Si. The downside to this? You can only buy the 2016 ILX with two pedals what was quite possibly one of the greatest manual transmissions in the industry is gone from the Acura brand. It’s an impressive decision for them to make, and I applaud them for it. The only engine Acura offers for the new ILX is the 2.4L I’ve now raved about twice in this story. There was also a short-lived Hybrid model, which is also now gone. Previous ILXs with the automatic transmission were equipped with the 2.0L 4-cylinder engine, which was pretty smooth but relatively anemic, especially when compared to the Dynamic trim. Most noteworthy are the changes to powertrain options, and then the face freshening with new lighting all around and the implementation of Acura’s current corporate face. For 2016 though, they’ve given the ILX a serious overhaul, so Acura flew me to sunny San Francisco to take it for a drive. The volume-selling model was the automatic model, and the slick K24 engine was only available with the manual transmission. The outgoing 2013-2015 Acura ILX wasn’t all about the fun though. The ILX was offered with the Civic Si’s fantastic K24 motor and 6-speed manual transmission in Dynamic form, and was instantly one of my favourite entry-level premium cars out there. So much so that the American market didn’t even bother to sell the CSX (or its predecessor, the EL). The ILX turned up a couple years ago, as a replacement for the CSX, which was essentially a fortified Honda Civic. One pinnacle that automatically stands out is the original Acura NSX, a car that became a halo for the Acura brand. San Francisco, CA – Honda has a long history of producing performance cars that tickle the hearts of enthusiasts everywhere.
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