2018 Acura ILX Sedan

The 2018 Acura ILX may seem attractive to you. With a base price of $28,100, it’s almost a bargain luxury sedan. The build quality is good, there is a smooth 2.4L I4 under the hood, and the Dual Clutch transmission gets torque converter to eliminate those irritating jerks while starting.

The base Acura ILX starts at $28,100 all the way up to the A-Spec trim with $35,100. Every trim in the ILX family share a similar 2.4L 4-cylinder engine, the difference largely lies in the number features backing each trim. The Acura Watch Plus gives you active safety features and the technology Plus offers a suite of infotainment features. 

Trims	Standard	Special Edition	Acura Watch Plus	Premium	Technology Plus	A-Spec
MSRP	$28,100	$28,900	$29,400	$30,100	$33,100	$32,100 (w/ Premium Package)/ $35,100 (w/ Technology Package)
Features	Standard 17-Inch Alloy Wheels Acura Audio System with 6 Speakers Multi-Information Display (MID)	18-inch alloy machine-finished wheels Rear Spoiler Side Sills	Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Collision Mitigation Braking System Road Departure Mitigation Lane Keeping Assist System, Color Multi-Information Display.	Perforated leather-trimmed sport seats, Sub-woofer 2-driver position memory for driver's seat, 4-way power adjustment for front passenger seat Siri Eyes Free (iPhone only)	Acura Navigation System10 with 3D view Acura Link Real-Time Traffic with exclusive street and freeway conditions Voice Recognition for navigation, audio, climate control  Phone Book and Bluetooth Hands-Free Link systems Acura/ELS Surround Premium Audio System with 10 speakers	Fog lights Rear spoiler 18-inch alloy machine-finished wheels Side Sills Perforated Lux Suede seating surfaces Contrast stitching for interior trim Red instrument illumination

We Recommend

Given that the high-end versions encroach into the more accomplished German Luxury Sedan territory, we recommend sticking with the lower trims. The Acura Watch Plus is a must-have package that adds a full suite of active safety features.

“Dual clutches used to be the bee's knees if you couldn’t get a manual trans, but now, the torque converter autos might be better. The inline four gets a little buzzy at high rpm, and sometimes the trans jumps around a little, which is worrisome.” - Autoweek

Engine and transmission

The 2018 Acura ILX uses a 2.4L Inline-4 engine cranking 201 brake horsepower @ 6800 rpm and 180 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to an 8-speed dual clutch automatic transmission to transfer the power to the front wheels.

Models	Acura ILX	Honda Civic	Acura TLX Sedan	Audi A3
MSRP	$30,695	$30,900	$30,925	$32,925
Engine	2.4 L Inline – 4	2.0 L Inline - 4	2.4 L Inline - 4	2.0 L Inline – 4
Transmission	8-Speed Dual-Clutch Automatic	6-Speed Automatic	8-Speed Automatic	6-Speed Dual-Clutch Automatic
Power	201-hp @ 6800 rpm	158-hp @ 5,500 rpm	206-hp @ 6,800 rpm	220-hp @ 6,200 rpm
Torque	180 lbs.-ft. @ 3800 rpm	138 lbs.-ft. @ 4,200 rpm	182 lbs.-ft. @ 4,500 rpm	258 lbs.-ft. @ 1,600 rpm

The ILX stablemate, the TLX sports the same 2.4L Inline-4 but with slightly more power output. The Civic and the Audi A3 both use 2.0L Inline-4. The A3 is the most powerful of the lot with 220 hp on tap.

Acceleration

When it comes down to the acceleration of the 2018 Acura ILX there is a stiff competition that tends to eat up the 2018 Acura ILX. Needless to say, that it isn’t the slowest car out there as the 0-60mph is somewhere around 6.6 sec and on a quarter mile it does surprisingly well at 15.2 sec @ 94 mph.

Models	Acura ILX	Honda Civic	Acura TLX Sedan	Audi A3
0-60 MPH	6.6 sec	7 secs	5.7 secs	5.5 sec
Quarter mile	15.2 sec @ 94 mph	15.2 sec @ 94 mph	14.2 sec @ 100 mph	14.2 sec @ 98 mph
Engine	2.4 L Inline – 4	2.0 L Inline - 4	2.4 L Inline - 4	2.0 L Inline – 4
Emission (Tons/yr. of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	6.1	5.5	6.6	7.8

The fastest of the competition is the Audi A3 from 0-60mph at 5.5 sec. Also, the 2018 Honda civic is the slowest from 0-60mph but cleanest of the lot at 5.5 tons of [email protected] miles.

Ride and handling

Despite an eager engine, the light electric power steering takes away the fun of driving. The suspension too is tuned for comfort rather than diving into the corners. The flipside is the supple ride. The smooth suspension gobbles up road imperfections and the light steering makes negotiating tight spaces easy.

Braking

The 2018 Acura ILX gets 12.3-inch brake rotors up front and 11.1-inch brake rotors at the back. The brakes provide good pedal feedback and the linear response makes executing smooth stops an easy affair.

Model	Acura ILX	Honda Civic	Acura TLX Sedan	Audi A3
Brake Front(in)	12.3	11.1	12.6	12.3
Brake Rear(in)	11.1	10.2	12.2	10.7
Curb weight(lbs.)	3093 lbs.	2739 lbs.	3505 lbs.	3197 lbs.
70-0 MPH (ft.)	-	160	168	178

Among the competitors, the Honda Civic stops the fastest thanks to its low curb weight of 2739 pounds. The Audi A3 takes the longest to stop which is a bit surprising given its dynamic capabilities.

“The 2018 Acura ILX uses little fuel, but it does require expensive premium gas.” - TheCarConnection

The Acura ILX delivers 25 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. The Combined EPA rating is 29 mpg. That’s average among the cars compared here.

Model	Acura ILX	Honda Civic	Acura TLX Sedan	Audi A3
MPG (city)	25	31	23	26
MPG (highway)	35	40	33	35
MPG (combined)	29	34	28	29

The Acura TLX is the least fuel efficient car compared here – but only slightly. The most efficient car compared here is the Honda Civic thanks to it's low curb weight and smaller lower powered engine.

“Honda/Acura keeps clinging to its central dual-screen infotainment setup. And we keep disliking having to look at two different screens. Headroom is lacking front and rear, partly because the ILX comes with a sunroof. Outward visibility is excellent for the segment.” - Edmunds

Seating and comfort

The 2018 Acura ILX offers a well-built interior with comfortable and supportive seats. However, the competitors are more opulent inside and that’s definitely an important thing when you are shopping for a luxury sedan.

Model	Acura ILX	Honda Civic	Acura TLX Sedan	Audi A3
Passenger capacity	5	5	5	5
Passenger Volume (cubic ft.)	89.3	97.8	93.3	133.9
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	38/55.6/42.3	39.3/57/42.3	37.2/57.5/42.6	36.5/54.8/41.2
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	35.9/34.0/53.5	37.1/55/37.4	36.7/55.4/34.5	36.1/53/35.1

Infotainment

The Acura ILX rocks a dual-screen infotainment system split on the dash. It might be a bit difficult to operate the infotainment as the 8-inch screen sits way back in the dashboard. You also don't get the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which should've been made standard.  

Cargo

It’s pretty substantial to see that all the competition to the 2018 Acura ILX has the same kind of offering in terms of boot space that is around the region of 12.2 cu ft. – 12.3 cu ft. but then the company’s 2018 Acura TLX sedan begs to differ while offering 14.3 cu ft.

Model	Acura ILX	Honda Civic	Acura TLX Sedan	Audi A3
Cargo Volume (cubic ft.)	12.3 cu.ft.	12.1 cu.ft.	14.3 cu.ft.	12.3 cu.ft.

“With a strong resemblance to Acura’s larger sedans, the TLX and the RLX, the design of 2018 ILX is simple, youthful and understated. Its most distinctive features are LED headlights with multiple lenses.” – Kelley Blue Book

Dimensions and weight

The Acura ILX is fairly light among the cars compared here with only the much cheaper Honda Civic edging it out. At 181.9 inch, it’s considerably shorter than its bigger brother – the Acura TLX sedan. However, if you want a small manageable cocoon of luxury, the A3 at just 175.5 inches is the right pick.

Model	Acura ILX	Honda Civic	Acura TLX Sedan	Audi A3
Curb Weight (lbs.)	3093 lbs.	2742 lbs.	3505 lbs.	3197 lbs.
Length (In)	181.9 in.	182.3 in.	190.7 in.	175.5 in.
Width (In)	70.6 in.	70.8 in.	73.0 in.	70.7 in.
Height (In)	55.6 in.	55.7 in.	57.0 in.	55.7 in.
Ground Clearance (In)	5.3 in.	5.9 in.	5.8 in.	NA
Wheelbase (In)	105.1 in.	106.3 in.	109.3 in.	103.8 in.
Track width(in) F/R	63.9/64.1	60.3/66.3	62.8/63.1	63.9/64.1

 

The 2018 Acura ILX is equipped with a host of safety features. Some of the key safety features are:

•    LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
•    Multi-View rear camera
•    Expanded View Driver's Mirror
•    Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
•    Vehicle Stability Assist with Traction Control and Motion Adaptive Steering
•    Adaptive Cruise Control
•    Collision Mitigation Braking System
•    Lane Keeping Assist System

Safety Ratings

The 2018 Acura ILX has scored 4 Starts in NHTSA crash test. While that’s not bad, the competitors offer better protection. The IIHS Rating is also just about average.

NHSTA Ratings

NHSTA Ratings
Frontal barrier crash rating overall	4 Stars
Frontal barrier crash rating driver	5 Stars
Frontal barrier crash rating passenger	4 Stars
Side barrier rating overall	5 Stars
Side barrier rating driver	5 Stars
Side barrier rating passenger	5 Stars
Side crash rating overall	5 Stars
Combine side barrier and pole rating	5 Stars
Rollover	4 Stars

IIHS Rating

Crashworthiness
Small overlap front driver side	Good
Small overlap front passenger side	N/A
Moderate overlap front	Good
Side	Good
Roof strength	Good
Head restraints & seats	Good
front crash prevention	Superior
Headlights	Marginal
Latch ease of use	Acceptable

 

Crash avoidance and Mitigation
Frontal crash prevention	Basic
Headlights	Acceptable
LATCH	Marginal

 

Acura ILX vs Honda Civic

The 2018 Honda Civic is significantly cheaper than the ILX, offers more refinement, comfort, space, and fuel efficiency. Further, it’s more fun-to-drive and is nicely built too. A more powerful engine and the Acura Badge are the only things in favor of ILX. And we don’t think it justifies the higher asking price.

Acura ILX vs Acura TLX sedan

The Acura TLX is the larger brother of the ILX and hence offers a more powerful engine, a larger better-appointed interior, and more comfort – for more money. However, unlike the compromised ILX, the TLX is a genuinely good Luxury sedan and is available for a lower asking price than its competitors.

Acura ILX vs  Audi A3

The A3 is basically a German luxury Sedan trimmed down to a more manageable size at a more manageable price. It offers a rock-solid driving characteristic, composed high-speed dynamics, impeccably built interiors, and loads of equipment. All these and the Audi badge for just slightly higher asking price.

The 2018 Acura ILX is a good all-around luxury car for a small family. It packs plenty of luxury amenities, is well built and is not short on power either. However, when competition is so intense, being just “good” is not enough.

If you can spend a bit more, the German Luxury Sedans like the A3 and the Mercedes CLA offer more luxury, performance, and exclusivity. Also, you can save a lot of dollars by opting for the Honda Civic and still have more refinement, comfort, and driving pleasure. So unless you are an Acura loyalist, the ILX does not make sense.