2016 Acura ILX: Compact lux entry from Acura misses the mark

The Acura ILX is significantly updated for 2016. And I have to admit, after driving - and loving - the TLX, I couldn't wait to get my hands on an ILX for a weeklong test.

I don't know if I overhyped it in my head or if I just had an off week, but here's something I don't say very often: I didn't like it. To be fair I didn't have a model with all the whistles and bells, but even one level up off of base, I didn't like it.

I didn't like the interior finishes. I didn't like the engine. And I really didn't like the as-tested fuel economy.

Was there anything I did like? Yes, for what it was, I thought the pricing was pretty decent. And the exterior styling. I liked that, too.

Design

The exterior of the ILX gets a major upgrade for the 2016 model year. It gets bolder lines and a more aggressive front and rear fascia in addition to adopting the signature Jewel Eye LED headlights. Even though the ILX was introduced as a 2013 model, it needed the refresh, and Acura did a great job of making it look more contemporary.

The interior, while comfortable, was not as upscale as I would have hoped for. My primary complaint centers around the matte black plastic surrounding the cup holders and on the doors. At best it looks unfinished; at worst it looks cheap.

On the upside, the ILX comes standard with leather heated front seats.

Ride & Handling

The new engine for 2016 is a 2.4-liter, inline 4-cylinder engine that delivers 201 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. This replaces the 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine that delivers 150 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque.

Even with the extra horsepower and torque, I still felt that the ILX was a bit underpowered. There also seemed to be a small lack of sound deadening materials, so the engine sound whined into the cabin under hard acceleration - which also lent itself to the perception of being underpowered.

In terms of handling, the compact size of the ILX makes it a great urban vehicle. It's very easy to maneuver in tight spaces and is comfortable for longer commutes. The ILX does fine on the highway at cruising speeds.

Fuel economy

With a 4-cylinder engine, you'd expect to get pretty decent fuel economy, and the estimates are decent. EPA says you should get 25 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, which would be great if it were true. But during my test week in combined city/highway driving, I averaged a measly 21.5 mpg.

Ouch.

The additional caveat: The ILX requires premium grade fuel. So, there is the potential that whoever fueled up the car before me put in a lower grade fuel. But still. That's a pretty big difference between EPA estimates and actual driving fuel economy.

Tech & gadgets

One of the huge selling points for the ILX is all of the tech features available on the car for not much money. You can completely trick out the ILX with things such as forward collision warning, road departure mitigation, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, navigation, surround sound and a multi-view rear camera - all for a little more than $35K.

Trims

Rather than the traditional trim levels and a series of packages a lot of automakers add to their vehicles, Acura simply has a single vehicle then loads it up with packages for the different price points. Then rather than options, you can add accessories like wheel locks or cargo nets. The breakdown is as follows:

ILX: At a base level, the ILX comes equipped with leather seating surfaces, heated front seats, Bluetooth phone pairing, a multi-view rear camera, passive entry, push-button start and 17-inch alloy wheels.{} Base price is $28,820.

ILX with AcuraWatch Plus: This level up adds key high-tech safety features such as adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking, lane keep assist, road departure mitigation, forward collision warning and lane departure warning. Base price is $30,120.

ILX with Premium Package: The Premium Package takes away the safety items but adds more luxury features such as perforated leather trimmed seats, driver's seat memory function, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, subwoofer, email capability, HD radio, HomeLink and auto-dimming rearview mirror. Base price is $30,820.

ILX with Premium and A-SPEC Package: This trim adds on to the ILX with Premium, including features such as fog lights, side-sill extensions, rear spoiler, 18-inch alloy wheels, suede seating surfaces, contrast color stitching, red instrument panel illumination and aluminum pedals. Base price is $32,810.

ILX with Technology Plus Package: This trim also builds on the ILX with Premium Package, adding features such as AcuraWatch Plus, navigation, AcuraLink real-time traffic, surround sound premium audio, GPS-linked climate control and dynamic guidelines on the multi-view rear camera. Base price is $33,820.

ILX with Technology Plus and A-Spec Package: This trim basically has all the goodies, adding in all the features from the Tech, Premium and A-SPEC packages. Base price is $35,810.

Safety

The ILX has all the normal standard safety features you've come to expect on cars these days, including vehicle stability control, front side airbags, advanced front airbags, tire pressure monitoring system, anti-lock brakes, brake assist and electronic brake distribution.

Available safety features include collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation system, lake keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and forward collision warning.

At the time of writing this review, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had rated the 2016 ILX. However, the 2015 model got an overall 5 Star rating from the NHTSA, and it got "Good" ratings from the IIHS in all crashworthiness tests. One would hope it wouldn't slide backwards on the scale.

New for 2016

The ILX gets some significant upgrades for 2016 including a new 2.4-liter direct injected engine, an 8-speed dual clutch transmission, restyled front and rear fascia, the signature Jewel Eye LED headlights and AcuraWatch.

A few of my favorite things

Even though I didn't generally like the ILX, there is a lot to like about it. I especially appreciate the fact that you can get a well-equipped vehicle - with all the whistles and bells - for just a shade more than $35K. Plus, with the way the packages parse out, you can get exactly what you want from AcuraWatch all the way up to navigation and suede seats.

What I can leave

I was incredibly disappointed during my test week with the ILX since I typically love all Acura products, and I was pretty clear about what I didn't like at the very beginning of the article. I think if the fuel economy issue and the interior finishes could be worked through, however, I'd be back on track to like the ILX.

The bottom line

With the ILX, you really can get a lot of car for your money. The hot commodity these days is pre-collision systems, and Acura now offers it in the ILX, starting at just $30,120. That is impressive.

But if you want your interior finishes to be just as stylish as your exterior, the ILX misses the mark. It looks more economy class than entry-level luxury. I never drove the 2015 model, but by all accounts, the 2016 ILX is hugely improved.

So, in all, the ILX is a mixed bag. If you value safety over luxury finishes, this just might be your next car.

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