April 2015 | Articles at Cars, New Cars, Reviews, Videos, News and Photos

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The 2015 Acura ILX aims to attract hip retirees and up-and-coming young professionals, and includes the features and service you'd expect from a luxury brand. But with competition ramping up from Mercedes-Benz and Audi, among others, is that enough?

The ILX is barely a luxury car if you go by its sticker price—or its not-so-distant Honda Civic roots.<br />
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And for that reason we don't hold it against the brand that they're not offering some of the higher-end items you'll find in slightly more expensive sedans, such as radar-adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and heads-up displays. Granted, the brand is making big steps to head up-market with its RLX flagship sedan and future NSX super car, but there's still room for the ILX, which no only offers the slow-selling Hybrid model for 2015. With that in mind, the ILX holds its own as a well-equipped, pleasant-driving, and comfortable compact sedan.

Balancing between crisp and fluid, edgy and smooth, the ILX's exterior is a more youthful take on a compact luxury car than you'll find elsewhere in the segment. The fenders swell gently from the sides, there are character lines to accent its shape, and the greenhouse arches gracefully ove the passenger compartment.<br />
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On the whole it's a handsome, if not lust-inducing, sedan. Inside, it's a pleasant place to travel, looking like a typical Acura: edgy curves, contoured surfaces, and easy-to-read gauges.

There's surprisingly good seating space, with enough room even for taller adults to fit comfortably. Ergonomically, things are laid out very well, with all controls easy to identify and use without taking one's eyes from the road. Fit and finish is also very good, with solid-feeling construction and quality materials (plastic, rubber, and leather) in all touch-points. Cabin noise is low, though not quite mausoleum-quiet like you'll find in some luxury cars a bit farther up the ladder, including Acura's own. For 2015 Acura has made Active Noise Cancellation standard on all models in this lineup.<br />
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It can actively 'mop up' smaller but bothersome noises from the powertrain or road, using the sound system's speakers, a cabin microphone, and a sophisticated processing algorithm.

There are two versions of the ILX available, named for their drivetrains: the 2.0 and the 2.4L. The 2.0L offers a four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine rated at 150 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed automatic with paddle shifters is standard. It scores an EPA-estimated gas mileage rating of 24 mpg city and 35 mpg highway.

The 2.4L is the sporty model, with what is essentially the Civic Si's 201-horsepower, 170-pound-foot 2.4-liter four-cylinder mated to a six-speed manual transmission--no automatic is offered with this model.<br />
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What's disappointing is that the suspension in the 2.4L is essentially the same as the rest of the ILX lineup, and it's not as sharp as we'd like in spirited driving. Across the lineup, you get handling that's crisp and responsive, but nothing approaching the driving experience of, say, Acura's outgoing, half-size-larger TSX sport sedan.

As of last year, leather upholstery and active noise cancellation are among the new features added to all models of the ILX. An eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, and a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera system have also all been added as standard. Two primary packages are available to upgrade from the base specification, the Technology Package and the Premium Package.<br />
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 Add the Technology Package and you get premium audio with USB and Pandora integration, a navigation system with voice recognition, a rear-view camera system, and real-time traffic and weather info. With the Premium Package you get leather seating surfaces; eight-way power adjustable driver seat; two-way heated front seats; an auto-dimming rearview mirror; a multi-view rear camera; a premium sound system with Bluetooth, USB, and Pandora functionality.</div>
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News Cars 2015 Acura ILX - Review

The 2015 Acura ILX aims to attract hip retirees and up-and-coming young professionals, and includes the features and service you'd exp...

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The 2015 Ferrari 458 lineup, in all of its supercar splendor and race-derived mechanical majesty, is the modern iteration of those classic Ferrari models—plus a lot more.Is the Ferrari 458 Italia the best-driving supercar ever built?<br />
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While that may be a subject of debate within the legions of Ferrari fans and driving enthusiasts, it's definitely one of the most accessible yet capable high-performance cars to ever be produced by the Italian sports-car maker. And it's one of the sexiest, wrapping the best of Ferrari's mid-engine, poster-car heritage with just the right gloss and gleam to flaunt all the modern, F1-derived wizardry within.

There's a replacement in the works for next year; and the 458 is going to be a tough act to follow. In the meantime, with the 458 Spider (convertible), and the 458 Speciale also still relatively new to the lineup, there's lots of appeal in this master work.

And then there's the 2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale Spider—officially called the Speciale A (for Aperta, roughly meaning 'open'). As the eagerly anticipated variant that combines the Speciale's higher-output V-8 (597 hp), with the Spider's surprisingly well executed retractable hardtop, it looks like one that will appeal even to those with multiple prancing horses in the garage. The Speciale A has a limited production run of just 499 units.

The 458 Speciale emphasizes the importance of performance by trimming weight and tweaking the exterior for greater aerodynamic efficiency, while tuning up the suspension, control electronics, and tire grip for even more impressive track-day ability.<br />
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Both coupe and convertible models of the 458 share a low, aggressive front end with futuristic-looking headlights, a tall, flared rear end that gives the car a muscular stance, and clean, mid-engined proportions that distill the essence of a modern Ferrari performance car. The 458 Italia's interior is modern and luxurious in its look, but not avant garde or striking.

Sitting just behind occupants' heads, the 458's 4.5-liter V-8 engine is rated at 562 horsepower in standard form, and it'll rev all the way up to a 9,000-rpm redline. It makes 80 percent of its peak 400 lb-ft of torque from 3,250 rpm. But the numbers don't tell the full story of the Italia's V-8. It emits a soundtrack that will delight even those who typically shake their head at noisy sports cars.

In sight and sound, and in poise—as well as performance numbers—the 458 Spider is unparalleled among top-down cars.<br />
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It’s sexy beyond all the usual cliches, yet it’ll be happy to oblige all of them; it looks technical and racing-influenced in all the right ways; with the F1-derived gearbox snapping off clap-shifts when pressed to duty. It's activated by steering-wheel paddle-shifters, and can get a little tricky when parking on inclines—but we think most owners are willing to live with that compromise. What Ferrari 458 Spider owner is parallel-parking themselves, anyway?

The layout is adventurous, cockpit-like, and highly functional and driver-focused, of course. You sit very low; firm bolsters jut forward beside your rib cage (those with stockier builds will find the seats tight). The ‘frunk’ in the 458 Spider is huge—larger than what you’ll find in some Porsche models, and shaped in a way that could allow two carry-on-size suitcases, or several weekend bags.

Only a thin divider separates the engine from the passenger compartment, and that means there's a symphony of mechanical excellence each and every time you fire it up and plant your foot. The presence of the engine transforms the car from a fairly mellow cruiser to a race-bred thrill machine with just a quick stab of the gas.<br />
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It's not all about the auditory experience, however. The 458 Italia and 458 Spider also deliver impressive speed and remarkable driver feedback. The coupe hits 60 mph from a stop in just 3.4 seconds (cut down to around 3.0 seconds in the Speciale), and carries on to a top speed of 202 mph. The Spider's slightly less-slick aerodynamics cap it at 198 mph. Both cars use the same Getrag seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and both get gas mileage around the 12-mpg mark in the city and 18 mpg on the highway.

The handling, however, is where the Ferrari 458 truly shines. Balance and grip are both evident in large quantities, imbuing a stability not often found in high-horsepower, mid-engine cars. The steering feel is among the very best we've ever experienced, with perfect weight and exquisitely detailed feedback about the road surface and the tires' comfort zones.<br />
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We found the 458 Spider to be communicative in a way that many modern cars aren’t; you can feel the weight transfer in corners, as you’re easing into the throttle, far more than most other high-power supercars—and long before the tires get to their maximum grip or the electronic systems need to pull their weight.

In all, it's a case of the sum being even greater than its individually excellent parts—and we're anticipating the same for the 2015 458 Spider Speciale.

The 458 family is built with modern engineering and materials to make a rigid, secure chassis. As with most other exotic or low-volume super-performance cars, the 458 Italia hasn't undergone testing by either the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

A new, higher-power turbocharged engine for this model has also been reported, along with a potential name change.</div>
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Ferrari News Cars 2015 Ferrari 458 Italia - Review

The 2015 Ferrari 458 lineup, in all of its supercar splendor and race-derived mechanical majesty, is the modern iteration of those classic...

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2015 Acura ILX - Review

2015 Ferrari 458 Italia - Review

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