2020 Acura ILX

Acura takes great pride in the ILX’s $26,900 price which is half of what the German brand's charger, but don’t get us wrong even the most inferior plastic on a Mercedes would feel better than the Acura. Well what can we say, you get what you pay for, throwing more packages will add extra features which are nicely priced factoring the features you get. As for the powertrain, the ILX hides a 2.4L Inline-4 engine mated to an 8-speed dual clutch transmission. The power station cranks out 201 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque.

ILX is Acura’s entry-level sedan and brings the most number of shoppers into the Acura’s showroom. Though there is no direct kin to the ILX you can still go with advanced packaged which evolves this barebone luxury into a more tasteful and capable sedan. The base version of the ILX starts as low as $25,900 and goes all the way up to $31,550 with the Technology and A-spec package. Other packages like the Premium packaged could be added for more convenience features. However, none of these upgrades reached the mechanical aspect of the car. There is just one engine and transmission option and a front wheel drive on the ILX.

Trim	ILX	Premium	Premium and A-Spec	Technology	Technology and A-spec
MSRP	$25,900	$27,650	$29,550	$29,650	$31,550
Key Features	17-inch alloy wheels	Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert	Unique Interior colors	Navigation with real-time traffic	Unique Interior colors
	Automatic headlight	Perforated leather upholstery	Faux-suede seat inserts	AcuraLink services integration	Faux-suede seat inserts
	Heated mirrors	Four-way power-adjustable passenger seat	18-inch alloy wheels with slightly wider tires	Dynamic guidelines for the rearview camera display	18-inch alloy wheels with slightly wider tires
	LED head- and taillights	Auto-dimming rearview mirror		A premium 10-speaker stereo	Navigation with real-time traffic
	Proximity entry and push-button start	A second touchscreen			AcuraLink services integration
	Power sunroof	Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
	Dual-zone climate control	Subwoofer
	Leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
	Eight-way power-adjustableDriver's seat
	Heated front seats and faux leather upholstery
	Single-screen infotainment system with Bluetooth audio streaming and a six-speaker stereo system

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Your basic ILX is nothing without the Premium package, it manages to keep the price low and at the same time add all features you need. However, you will miss out on the benefit of navigation.

The ILX can be fun to drive, but the engine lacks power low in the rev range, which means you'll need to keep it above 4,000 rpm for best responsiveness. Luckily, the transmission is quick and smooth, and it responds rapidly to inputs- Edmunds

Engine and Transmission

Honda's engineers installed the ILX with a 2.4L Inline-4 engine mated to an 8-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. The powertrain can amass 201 horsepower and 180-pound-feet of torque. The power delivery is linear and refined to the front wheels of the car. The entire car is constructed to be more aggressive right from the engine's growl to the firm tuned suspension. The transmission is smooth and keen to grab the next gear. Its movement is buttery and better than the usual automatic transmission used by the competitors.

Models	Acura ILX	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Honda Civic LX Sedan	Mazda 3 Sport Sedan	Subaru WRX sedan
MSRP	$25,900	$22,900	$22,840	$20,250	$20,240	$28,080
Engine	2.4L Inline-4	2.4L I-4	2.5L I-4	2.0 L inline-four	2.0 L inline-four	2.0L flat 4
Transmission	8-speed DCT	6-speed automatic	6-Speed Automatic	CVT	6-speed Auto	6 Speed manual
Horsepower	201 @6800	185@ 6000	175 @ 6000	158hp @ 6500 rpm	155hp @ 6000 rpm	268 hp@ 5600 rpm
Torque	180 @3600	178 @ 4000	175 @ 4500	138 lb.-ft @ 4200 rpm	150 lb.-ft. @4000 rpm	258 ft-lbs@ \xa02000rpm

Acceleration

The slightly aggressive sound of the engine might pump you up for a blast, but the lack of a turbocharger results in a mild start. You won't feel your front wheels firing up with torque. The engines athletic prime emerges after 4000 rpm. One thing which will have a lasting impression is the smooth transmission and instant response.

Models	Acura ILX	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Honda Civic LX Sedan	Mazda 3 Sport Sedan	Subaru WRX sedan
0-60 MPH(sec)	6.4	6.8*	8.5*	8.2	8.0	6.2* second
Quarter mile(sec)	15*	15.2*	16.3*	16.3	16.2	14.5*second
Emission (Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	N/A	6.1*	7.1*	8.4	11.2
Curb Weight (lb..)	N/A	3411*	3431*	2742	2899	N/A

Ride and Handling

Right from the stiff suspension to the sporty seat placement, Acura has planted hints of sportiness all over the ILX's driving mechanism. Starting off with the wheel, it feels heavier than its predecessors but its still light for a first-time driver. Road communication is not that loud but the direct response makes up for the lost feel. Take it for a spin and you will notice the high traction, the ILX feels glued to the road even small bumps. Though it feels sporty there are not many sporty cosmetics in the suspension, it feels stiffer than the usual Acura. Still, that car suffers from a notable body roll.

The 8-speed dual clutch transmission is probably the best part about this entry level Luxury. The transmission is seamlessly synced with the engine, the downshifts are smooth and upshifts balanced for the economy. You will not get an instant dose of power in the Normal mode but the Sports mode manages to stay in the powerband.

Braking

The brakes are quite sharp with a responsive pedal. You don't need to wire your brain in a different way, the pedal is quite limber when it comes to control. During hard braking the car doesn't wobble. The front brakes on the ILX are rated are 12.3 inches and 11.1 inches respectively.

Models	Acura ILX	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Honda Civic LX Sedan	Mazda 3 Sport Sedan	Subaru WRX sedan
Brake Front (in.)	12.3	12	11.8	10.2	10.7	12.4
Brake Rear (in.)	11.1	11.2	11.9	9.8	9.5	11.3
70-0 MPH (ft.)		124(60-0)	122(60-0)	180	179	112

Being an entry-level luxury Acura delivers decent fuel ergonomic numbers. You won't need to gas up the ILX after every few kilometers. In city, Acura musters 24 mpg mileage while on the highway it stretches the number to 34 mpg. Together the combined fuel economy is rated at 28 mpg.

Models	Acura ILX	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Honda Civic LX Sedan	Mazda 3 Sport Sedan	Subaru WRX sedan
MPG (city)	24	24	21	32	27	21
MPG (highway)	34	33	32	42	36	27
MPG (combined)	28	27	25	36	30	23
Fuel Tank Capacity(Gal.)	13.2	18.5	16.5	12.39	13.2	-

 

The Honda Civic thanks to using the smaller engine as compared to the competition. It is far ahead with a great marginal difference for the kind of miles it can do in a gallon. The Subaru WRX has a tendency to drink more, so the boxer engine is not really put to churn out miles but horses instead. The Mazda shines too with a subtly better efficiency than most cars compared here.

While some surfaces have nice soft-touch coverings, the bulk of the ILX's interior feels hollow and plasticky an unfortunate carryover from the ILX's last-gen Civic roots. The controls are simple and easy to find, but otherwise the interior feels tighter and less premium than those of rivals- Edmunds

The seats sit high above the ground with a lot of thigh support and foot support. though the armrest sits relatively lower. The interior is straight out of last year's civic minus the quality. It feels plasticky, cheap, and doesn't feel qualified to compete with other luxury sedans in the competition. Though the back legroom is a little low and might be unfit for longer routes. Visibility is good, the only germ infecting the ILX's visibility is the fat pillar, rear everything is easy.

Models	Acura ILX	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Honda Civic LX Sedan	Mazda 3 Sport Sedan	Subaru WRX sedan
Passenger capacity	5	5	5	5	5	5
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	38.0/55.6/42.3	39.8/58.1/45.5	39.2/57.8/44.3	39.3/57.0/37.1	38.3/54.8/42.3	39.8/55.6/43.3
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	35.9/53.6/34	37.8/56.4/35.6	37.8/56.9/38.3	37.1/55.0/37.4	37.6/54.4/35.8

The interior seems below average and there are frequent creaks over the hard plastic material. You can fit 5 adults in the cabin with ease. The front seats are spacious with 38 inches headroom and 42 inches of legroom space. The rear cabin is deprived of legroom which is measured at 34 inches. The headroom is fair though, 35 inches. On the luxury angle, you have 6 way heated and ventilated front seats and 3 way heated outboard seats.

Infotainment

The ILX's features 8-inch dual-screen infotainment parted into the dash one over the other. Though it's not a touch screen you need to control every feature through a rotary knob which is not that precise. Working that on two screens makes it even worse. Though you still have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on the ILX.

Interior Features

• Climate Control
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Dual Illuminating Vanity Mirrors
• Sun Sensor
• Front And Rear Cupholders
• Electrochromatic Inside Rearview Mirror\t
• Electric Power Steering
• Rear View Camera
• Tilt And Telescopic Steering Wheel
• Universal Remote Transmitter (For Garage Door, Security System, Etc.)
• Front Door Pockets
• Transmission, Cruise And Audio Controls On Steering Wheel
• Interior Air Filtration

Cargo Capacity

In the name of practicality, the ILX is not that giving. The 12.4 cubic feet of cargo is what you will get, which is the average in the segment. Practicality goes downhill inside the cabin due to the lack of cubby holes so be prepared to adopt minimalism.

Models	Acura ILX	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Honda Civic LX Sedan	Mazda 3 Sport Sedan	Chevrolet Cruze Sedan L
Cargo Capacity (lb.)	12.4	15.9	16	15.2	12.4	14.8

 

Kia and Ford leads the gang here for the kind of storage capacity it has. Mazda 3 being a very practical car otherwise, does fall short of cargo space. And Acura too follow the same suit. 

The Acura ILX isn't much of an attention-grabber. The Acura ILX's styling is pleasant, but hardly noteworthy- The Car Connection

Acura ILX gets subtle changes from a style outlook. The most visible change comes to the front grill, they binned their previous sliver grill and swapped in a new diamond pentagon grill. It's not the most striking sedan like but Acura is going for an exclusive design away from the look. Honda's shadow.

Other changes are equated on the taillight and front and rear bumpers. You get a rear lip spoiler and a single exhaust. Enough to add a little character but not as appealing as other entry-level luxury sedans.

Models	Acura ILX	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Honda Civic LX Sedan	Mazda 3 Sport Sedan	Chevrolet Cruze Sedan L	Subaru WRX sedan
Curb weight (lb..)	3095	3219	3411	2724	2899	2870	3294
Length(in)	182.2	191.1	191.7	182.3	180.3	183.7	180.9
Width(in)	70.6	73.2	75.6	70.8	70.7	70.5	70.7
Height(in)	55.6	57.7	58.1	55.7	57.3	57.4	58.1
Ground clearance (in)	5.3	5.3		6.3	6.1	6.4	4.9
Wheelbase (in)	105.1	110.4	112.1	106.3	106.3	106.3	104.3
Track Width	59.4/60.2						60.2/60.6

For a long time, ILX was out shadowed by its older brother the TLX. It is bigger and more luxurious though the ILX is all set to make a statement with all its updates, however, much of this will not come from its dimensions. Acura builds a decent executive but it's not that sizeable than other cars in the lot. Its 182 inches long which is 10 inches shorter than the usual executive. It's not that wide either the 70.2-inch width is again not than competitive resulting in a smaller cabin. The wheelbase is relatively average at 105 inches.

When it comes to safety and reliability Honda is very conscious about their cars, the same blood runs through Acura's veins too. Acura's signature AcuraWatch suit which consists of a number of safety suits like emergency braking, road departure mitigation, even adaptive cruise and more.

• Emergency Braking Assist
• Passenger Airbag Occupant Sensing Deactivation
• Rear Height Adjustable Headrests
• Remote Anti-Theft Alarm System
• Auto Delay Off Headlamps
• Blind Spot And Lane Departure Warnings Accident Avoidance System
• Tire Pressure Monitoring
• Traction Control
• Ventilated Front Disc / Solid Rear Disc Brakes
• Pre-Collision Safety System
• Front Fog/Driving Lights
• Lane Departure Warning Accident Avoidance System

Kia Optima Vs Acura ILX

The Optima is one car with a decent threshold on the sedan market. It has a reasonable price, suffices power, and a rich standard feature list. The interior is great factoring with the price of this sedan. Compared to that the Acura looks inferior. The A-Spec package adds touches of red suede seats which is a great improvement. The 2 infotainment screen was supposed to be an improvement but at the end of the day, one screen will always win the battle of being intuitive. The ergonomic numbers go neck to neck with each other. Acura delivers more power and but is also priced a little more.

We would suggest you go with the ILX as it is still the entry-level luxury and have a taste of that.

Honda Civic vs Acura ILX

Civic and the ILX are cut from the same cloth, but Honda put their heart in crafting the Civic while the ILX is modeled on the previous version of the Civic. Though the base level Civic us backed with decent power but not quite potent like the Acura. The interior is tasteful and Civic's reliability and handling prowess are unprecedented. In terms of efficiency, Honda is the class leader, which is more of a reason why you are better off with the Civic. Also, the availability of engine options makes it even more

Subaru WRX vs Acura ILX

WRX has earned a reputation for being a rally monster, its handling is its most lethal weapon on tacks and on off-road tracks. It's the civilized sedan a family guy wished to buy. The power is top-notch and the price is a little over the top but its essential for a car with off-road capabilities. Compared to the Acura the WRX will surely look more intriguing, but then again the ILX is an entry-level luxury and is a more efficient and sensible choice.

If you are running tight on budget then the ILX is a nice choice but if you can spend more go for the WRX which will completely rock your world.

Acura kept things simple for the ILX, one engine, one transmission, and a galore of exclusive packages. The engine is naturally aspirated which is not that common these days and more power than any of the other sedans in the competition. The entry-level luxury badge may seem nice on paper but the reality is somewhat inferior. The interior feels plasticky and cannot beat the uber vibe of its sibling car the Honda Civic. The ILX has 2 infotainment screen but it feels distracting and at times confusing to use.

The new aggressive grill and taillights feel sharp and add a little character to the ILX to step out of the TRLX's shadow which is good. Overall it's a solid offering in the executive segment but buying it's as an entry-level luxury is not the best idea.

2020 Acura ILX Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Acura ILX manual transmission?

All of the manual transmission cars came with what Acura called the "Premium Package," but it isn't what we'd call luxurious by modern standards. Acura never offered the manual ILX with navigation, so the base head unit was the only option.

What engine does the Acura ILX have?

The sole powertrain is a 201-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder with front-wheel drive mated to a smooth dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine revs easily and although the ILX isn't the quickest car in its class, its character makes us pine for the VTEC-powered Honda and Acura sedans from years gone by.

Does the Acura ILX have VTEC?

All versions of the Acura ILX come equipped with a 2.4-liter, i-VTEC four-cylinder engine.

Does 2020 Acura ILX have remote start?

All 2020 ILX models will come from the factory equipped with active safety features such as forward-collision warnings with automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control.