Overview & Reviews

Take one part car shoppers' desire for improved fuel economy, add two parts automakers' never-ending quest to bring younger buyers into the fold, shake well, and you have the Acura ILX.

Although based on the Honda Civic platform, the Acura ILX has enough different about it to fully justify its position as Acura's most affordable luxury sedan. It starts with sleeker styling as well as a higher-quality interior. There's also an impressive list of standard and optional luxury features that aren't offered on its more affordable cousin. The suspension has also been reworked for a better balance of ride comfort and sporting handling. Under the hood not much changes from the Civic, but there's still a choice of three different powertrains including the Acura brand's first gasoline-electric hybrid.

Put it all together and you have an entry-level luxury car that is both the smallest and most fuel-efficient model in the Acura  lineup. For shoppers looking to step up to a small sedan that's notably nicer than the norm yet is still very budget-friendly, the ILX should work out nicely.

Current Acura ILX
The Acura ILX is a compact sedan that's offered as a gas-only model and as a hybrid. Powering the base gas-only ILX model is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 150 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through a five-speed automatic. The performance-oriented ILX 2.4 gets a 2.4-liter four-cylinder good for 201 hp and 170 lb-ft. This engine only comes mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox.

The Acura ILX Hybrid model is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder working in concert with an electric motor for a total of 111 hp and 127 lb-ft. The latter employs a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that's tuned for crisper response compared to the unit used in the Civic Hybrid. As expected, EPA fuel economy estimates are quite good with the Hybrid, with combined mileage in the high 30s.

Standard equipment on both hybrid and gas-only base models includes keyless ignition and entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, a sunroof, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and a six-speaker audio system with Pandora Internet radio control. The Premium trim (not available on the Hybrid) adds features like xenon headlights, foglights and a rearview camera. The Technology trim (not available on the 2.4) builds on the equipment of the Premium with amenities like a voice-controlled navigation system, digital music storage and a 10-speaker surround-sound audio system. Feature content for the various trims differs slightly between hybrid and gas-only models.

In reviews, we've found that the ILX is a nimble little urban runabout, but is hampered by its underpowered engines. The 2.0-liter engine offers adequate power for getting around town, but is much slower than every other luxury-branded compact car. The more spirited 2.4-liter engine improves the situation, but even its acceleration is slower than average and its appeal is limited due to its obligatory manual transmission. The Hybrid is similarly slow compared to other hybrids and more notably, its fuel economy is worse.

Within the cabin, upscale touches give the ILX a noticeably more premium feel than the Honda model on which it's based, but don't match other luxury-branded compact sedans. On the upside, you get a lot more features for your money.

Used Acura ILX Models
The Acura ILX debuted in 2013. It's remained mostly unchanged, but 17-inch wheels, leather upholstery, a power driver seat and heated front seats were added to the standard features list for the gas-only model in 2014.

User Reviews:

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  I LOVE this car! - 2016 Acura ILX
  By Shane Gochenouer - January 31 - 1:20 pm

  This car has met all of my expectations and surpassed most of them, it is everything I was looking for at a very reasonable price point. I previously owned a 2014 Civic EX 4dr, which I bought, at least partially, because Civics are traditionally modders, with a lot of potential for customization. Not so much the case (mechanically) anymore, unless you get the SI, but I work in the city and bumper to bumper commuting with a manual, forget it. At any rate, the ILX offered everything I wanted my Civic to become, sporty, both in appearance and performance (big emphasis on performance), as well as more luxury and Honda/Acuras legendary reliability. I did a LOT of research before pulling the trigger on the purchase and I just dont think that anything out there can touch the ILX if price is at all an issue for you. Go to Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Infiniti, Lexus websites and "Build and Price" their entry level offerings with same/similar features and you will see what I mean. In NONE of those cases are you getting anywhere near the ILX in features, performance, quality or reliability for under 40K (the model I bought, w/ premium package, stickers at $30,820 with destination charges). If you are looking to buy a status symbol, this isnt the car for you, but if you want luxury quality and performance combined with unmatched reliability, this is definitely worth a look and test drive, I consider it a class leading example of what I call "practical luxury". Also worth mention, I had a 2015 ILX base model (with the 2.0) loaner for a day and a half while the dealership installed a remote start and was NOT impressed, the 2015 would not have won me over, I would still be driving the Civic, so if you have an earlier model and werent pleased or it didnt meet your expectations, give the 2016 a test drive. The only Cons I have to offer are getting into and out of the vehicle (at 511" with short legs and a long torso) can be slightly awkward and low speed crawl can be chunky at times (for the first week till you get used to shift points) however from the reviews I have read on its competitors it still excels in this area (I havent test driven any of them). UPDATE: After 8 months driving it every day, I still love this car. My only takeaway after 8 months is that without Navi the 2 screen layout can feel pretty redundant, but thats such a first world problem I dont even feel good complaining about it. Sport mode is awesome, whether or not you use the paddle shifters, which by the way can be used in normal drive mode as well.

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  Awesome Entry Luxury - 2016 Acura ILX
  By Jeremy - August 25 - 8:22 pm

  This is a great car in the sporty entry luxury space. The engine and transmission pairing are strong and energetic. The technology package adds great safety and convenience features.

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  Regressing but still worthy - 2017 Acura ILX
  By SDA - November 9 - 7:33 am

  Feels like Honda literally sent Acura a civic LX and they "pimped your ride" with some leather and such. Back in 2007 with my first new Acura, the TSX was with navi or not, and came fully loaded with all the other features and was tons of fun to drive, especially in the twisties (mine was a 6 speed manual). Now they have packages and trim levels (no manual trans offering) and it seems the value of Acura has gotten lost and swept up to try and compete with heavily option oriented luxury brands where youre nickle and dimed for each and every convenience. "Pleather" and heated seats, bluetooth and a dual clutch trans are all nice and standard features but also very basic ones youll find on most cars with stickers in the low $20k range these days. If you want a touch screen entertainment system youll pony up $2,000 for the premium package and also get some nick-nack features like perforated leather and blind spot detection. If not youre stuck with the 2006 looking blue interface that is way past its due date to be redone. The 17" wheels they put on this thing belong on a base model civic in my opinion and make the car look a touch like its trying way too hard to be cutting edge styled, otherwise the styling of the car may be one of its higher selling points. 2.4L motor is standard now so 201hp but it still feels like it could use a kick in the pants in that department for being damn near $30,000. Truthfully it really is just a very comfortable, better looking Civic that you can lease for under $300 a month with $0 down, however, it may be the best thing you can get for that price in the luxury market.

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  Solid Commuting Car - 2016 Acura ILX
  By barry - July 4 - 10:12 am

  I use this car almost exclusively for commuting, about 20 miles each way. Its a good solid car with great value. Acceleration is more than adequate and the extra tech you get with the tech plus package is great. I did have a problem with my car upon delivery. About a week after I got the car I noticed a vibration, especially in reverse. I brought it in to the dealer and they found that the engine mounts werent aligned. They fixed it and I was on my way. About a month later the vibrations came back. I brought it back to the dealer and they replaced the engine mounts (covered under warranty). I havent had a problem since. Pros: Great value for what you spend. Braking is excellent, gives a real secure feeling. I know a lot of pundits complain about the dual screen system but once you get used to it theres no issue. Cons: Transmission at highway speed is very smooth. At low speeds, particularly stop and go traffic, the transmission can be very choppy and downright uncomfortable. After about a month of driving I became more attuned to this and am able to avoid a lot of the choppiness. It can still be a minor annoyance. My other complaint would be a lack of lumbar support. Any car that claims to be luxury must have it.

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  Second hand ILX 2.4L 6MT - 2014 Acura ILX
  By ryhi - June 30 - 1:05 am

  I was looking for a good commuter with a manual transmission I could hold on to of the next 15 years. I have owned 3 other Hondas so I have seen, first hand, how their powertrains hold up as I maintain them myself. I was interested in either the 16 Civic LX 6MT or the 16 Accord Sport 6MT. I, personally, like the new civic but, at the time, only the LX had the 6MT available. I didnt want to spend ~$19 grand on the base model, base 4 speaker stereo and wheel covers. I have been spoiled with the features Ive come to enjoy in my 2007 Accord EX-L Sdn V6 6MT, I know I was being too harsh on the LX. I began to seriously consider the Accord Sport, it is a gorgeous car on the outside, but I found I would have to give up many features: quality stereo, sunroof and (at the time) leather on the inside. I have always loved the powertrain of the Civic Si, excellent engine and transmission but personally, I didnt want the Si and wasnt too fond of the interior. To every man his taste. I then noticed the ILX. I would never consider buying one brand new for $30k+, but a clean white one at ~$21k @ 10,000 miles and in immaculate shape it became an excellent choice! The new Accord Sport is pushing ~$27k but I got so many more features with the used ILX. I have throughly enjoyed this car and even with the 6MT coming available in the EX-T Civic I find Im still enjoying my choice without regrets. (I would really be sad if a Leather/Manual/Turbo civic option had popped up), even with the turbo manual option the Apple Car play is great but it still lacks a bit of a list of features ILX has. Some features I have really enjoyed are the sound system, there is a Sub in the back and the higher wattage is very noticable, much better sound and intensity than my fully loaded 2007 Accord EX-L. The HIDs are excellent, I purchased the car in OR and drove it to CA during a rain storm at night to outrun a snow storm. Those headlights were impressive for that drive, I could see both sides of the road (worried about deer) and much further I have ever been able to see with my other Hondas, the handling is also very light and precise through the mountains. What I wanted in a commuter was good powertrain, this car always puts a smile on my face driving home, this is the best manual transmission I have driven and that engine note never gets old. This thing is quick. Even on starting the engine it reminds you of its capabilities with that aggressive engine note. Ive also been pleasantly surprised with the fuel economy. I commonly get ~40 mpg on my 40 mile commute one way, which includes hills and plenty of stop and go, I usually average 31MPG overall with lively city driving. On a longer drive to UT I saw an overall 34.5 MPG on the computer. Ive only put premium in it and honestly dont mind the extra dollar or two at each fill up. Even with the newer choices of the Civic Turbo manual and even the excellent Mazda 3 I still went with and couldnt be happier with my choice in the ILX. My only gripe, echoing the many, was no Navigation. Fortunately I have it in my Accord. Honestly, Its a pleasant convenience in it but wasnt a deal breaker in the ILX for me. The screen in the ILX is honestly rather poor, but the sound system quality is what I was looking for. Another gripe is the fact that it revs a little too high for my taste on the freeway, but I like the shorter gear ratio than those longer gears found the Mazda 3 6MT. The keyless entry and push button start has also an excellent feature Ive come to truly enjoy. If youre looking for a good option, the ILX is a solid choice if you can find a good one off lease. This car is a tidy package for the long run. Also the fact that someone designed it so the oil filter is conveniently on the bottom of the engine directly behind the oil drain plug (rather than spilling all over the back of the engine like on the Honda F series engine or spilling all over the subframe on the J series) is brilliant.

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  Can I have my TSX Back Please? - 2016 Acura ILX
  By Don Sutton - June 21 - 4:25 pm

  This is my 3rd Honda and my 2nd Acura. After 300K+ miles and 11 years, I gave my old 2004 TSX to my son who is still driving it. I decided to lease a new 2016 ILX after Acura did the redesign of the exterior and put back the peppy and quick VR4 that was in my TSX. On the plus side, the car is just like the TSX: great handling, terrific on corners and curves, super reliable, solid feel, awesome braking, beautiful long drive on the road touring vehicle, takes 5 passengers around town comfortably with room for luggage, and gets lots of compliments on the styling and interior design. Gas mileage is okay - but not the 29 mpg average promised. Only getting 27 consistently when 1-2 passengers, much less with a full car. On the minus side, I wish the car was like the TSX: the dual screen technology seems redundant and is very distracting compared to the single touch screen the TSX had, the acceleration is hesitant - the car seems to think about moving faster before it actually goes into gears. Gas mileage sucks in city driving. Freeway is 31mpg only, not the 35mpg promised. UPDATE after 1 Year: Exterior pain gets stained easily. Design flaw. Looks like the clear coat is easily damaged by on road flying liquids. OVERALL: Great car, just wish Honda/Acura had not removed the fun and simple aspect of the TSX. Sadly, sometimes I want to take back my old TSX from my son and give him the ILX....

• 

  Swing and a miss - 2016 Acura ILX
  By Tim S - December 23 - 9:23 am

  I bought this car because after test driving it reminded me of my 07 Civic Si, which I sold to go back to school, only a bit more refined. However, having spent a couple months in it, any refinement I perceived was a false assumption based on the Acura badge. Ill start with the positives: The engine is good; its a rev-happy Honda engine with an okay noise and feels quick enough. Certainly not under powered, though it can feel like its working a little hard sometimes at 80mph and above. The transmission is pretty good too, but its an automatic. This car needs a manual transmission. And finally it has the right balance between ride comfort and feel for the road. Now to the bad: everything else. The worse is the drivers seat. The lumbar support is not adjustable. If you dont like to crank lumbar up to 11, youre not going to be comfortable. The upper part of the seat is even worse. There is absolutely no support for the shoulders, and consequently, zero lateral support. If you make a left hand turn at more than 5 mph you’re going to fall into the passenger seat. And somehow my feet even seem to get lifted off the floor when making turns at a reasonable speed, giving an odd weightless feeling that leaves me grasping for something to brace myself on. Which makes driving rather difficult. So you can forget about any spirted driving on twisty mountain roads. Then there’s the fact that in the best position I’ve found, my head is about half an inch from the ceiling, which creates more than a few visibility problems. The rest of the interior just feels cheap, like it was made by Fisher Price. I had been driving a mid-level Ford Fiesta. I assumed that even the cheapest Acura would be a huge upgrade in quality. I was wrong. Here’s the things that were betting in the 3 year older and $12,000 cheaper Ford: Steering/handling; leather wrap on the steering wheel; stereo (the stereo in the ILX is garbage)’ phone call quality; ease of using phone controls…pretty much everything related to the infotainment system. And the overall feel of the interior materials is just not that much, if any, better in the Acura. Also, the trunk is extremely cheap on the ILK. The lid feels like it’s made of tin and weighs about 2lbs. So you might think that if you don’t care about the infotainment system or having the feel of a luxury car, and just want something with decent driving dynamics, this car is worth a look. If it weren’t for the issue with the driver’s seat and lack of a proper 6-speed manual, I might even recommend it. But as it is, there are many other cars in this price range to look at, such as the GTI, WRX, and even the Civic Si.

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  Best Japanese car out there! - 2017 Acura ILX
  By Kane - May 31 - 6:46 pm

  My 2017 ILX, The day I was looking for a car. I scrambled from plenty of vehicles! First the Civic but to slow, Camry but no features, Rogue but too pricey, Sonata but too slow and expensive. Than I fell in love with my ILX, It was the best car I have driven out of all the four cars I listed. I drive 45 minutes from my house to Manhattan and it was saving me money and was a quiet and comfortable ride. I had a 2012 Passat SEL but I had so many problems and waste so much money that If I add all the maintenance prices plus the passat I could have boughten I Lexus or BMW, So I got the ILX. I had this for 2 years and no problems and at all. Its fast, reliable, fuel efficient and the money is worth it! My wife truly loves our ILX and I will hold on to it forever.

• 

  Excellent for its price & quality - 2016 Acura ILX
  By Gagan - April 5 - 11:16 pm

  Have own the fully loaded Tech plus A-SPEC ILX with the bigger 18" wheels, GPS and all. First what it lacks: 1. A HUD, which I feel is a must for all luxury cars 2. Lack of lumbar support 3. Poor entertainment system. Other brands offer a Bose or a bang and olufsen system. This cars audio is WEAK! It is sort of OK at its highest settings. 4. Complicated command system. The voice command is OK, but messes up most of the time. Rerouting the GPS is a pain. Not very intuitive at all. 5. The car takes a good half-one second to catch up if you suddenly floor the gas pedal - then it is sheer pleasure, with the engine roar and sudden burst of speed! The Good parts: 1. The interiors dont feel cheap, very well done. A true luxury car! 2. Low center of gravity, and very good handling. Very smooth start due to the 8 speed gear box. 3. The looks ! With the 5 LED headlights, to the complicated body lines! This car is a looker, and people keep staring at it. 4. Cost & maintenance. I also own an Audi A4. The windshield wipers on an Audi are $250 Bosch. They are $18 on the Acura!!! You can drive into a honda dealership and get parts, servicing, tune-ups. The german cars will bleed you dry, these wont! The german cars are quieter inside. But they cost $15,000 more to own, and are horribly expensive to maintain. Ive started to spend about a $1000 annually on my Audi - the other germans are very similar. 5. The seats are quite alright. I am about 6, Ive tested the BMW 3 series and the Merc C-300s. The head room is the same, maybe slightly better on the ILX. The problems Ive faced with mine: 1. The cars dont come with a spare tire. BIG PROBLEM. I blew mine in one month, ended up buying a donut. The boot wont fit a full sized spare. Not ideal, but I can live with that. 2. The lane correction system on all these cars is a pain in the neck. I now drive with it turned off. 3. A problem with the transmission handle shifting to gear mode without the release /safety button being pressed. Has happened once. Will have it checked out at the next servicing. And oh, the servicing, including oil change, carwash & tire rotation was $100 only !!!!! I would love for Honda / Acura to improve the negatives that ive listed, and this will be a really 5 star worth car!

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  ILX 2016 model - 2016 Acura ILX
  By Fran - November 20 - 2:31 am

  This car is great! The ride is snug and very quiet. The only major complaint is storage space within car. My last acura, i had storage in the middle compartment, doors, and behind seats. It doesnt have an overhead storage for glasses either. Besides those minor challenges, the car handles great, i havent really openned it up, i just reached 1500 miles on it. I am happy with the car, acura makes very good products, look forward to enjoy car for a long time