98EX4cyl wrote: Now here's the downside, its been available for 2 months and the first ILX I see was a service loaner vehicle. Tell me things aren't that so bad already so they are selling them internally like they did the ZDX? I really hope not.
You should know that cars don't 'become' service loaners for dealers. Cars destined to be loaners are ordered that way (indicated by a special code on the order sheet). In fact, changing the status of a car destined to be a loaner isn't done easily (if at all) and visa versa.
.
really? i'd be interested to hear AVFMs take on that. We can make any car we like a loaner at any time. We did this with a number of Insights and Civic Hybrids. The service dept can then pay the new car dept a monthly charge which in turn makes the car sellable at a hugely reduced price but still profitable for the NCD.
owequitit wrote: I keep hearing "it wasn't intended for this group" and yet "this group" comprises the largest % of buyers. Not saying that most people want FR, but they certainly have proven a liking for taut teutonic handling, relatively lively chassis, and an abundance of power... It's a shame that Acura keeps chasing markets that apparently don't exist, because we all know they could drop a nuke into any segment they wanted if they had the balls to do it. Instead, we waste billions on flops like the ZDX, the ILX and likely the new RLX.
How many actually purchase the high performance motors? Not as many as people think.
I didn't say they all bought big engines. When the BASE model 3 series is packing 40 more HP and a ton of torque over the ILX's TOP engine, and just shy of 100 more than the ILX'S BASE engine, they really don't have to, do they. Of course the fact that the 3 series is running over SIX TIMES the sales volume of the ILX'S shows that it really doesn't matter which engine they are buying in the Bimmer...
The RDX is destroying the X3 year to date and last month was the number 3 luxury SUV in canada- not that far behind the RX350 and X1. if Acura went after the 3 series more directly it's hard on the basis of the RDX's success to see why they couldn't be similarly successful. But it would need to have a 4x4 option. I am not so sure FR is imperative though. Too bust chasing non existent markets.
owequitit wrote: I keep hearing "it wasn't intended for this group" and yet "this group" comprises the largest % of buyers. Not saying that most people want FR, but they certainly have proven a liking for taut teutonic handling, relatively lively chassis, and an abundance of power... It's a shame that Acura keeps chasing markets that apparently don't exist, because we all know they could drop a nuke into any segment they wanted if they had the balls to do it. Instead, we waste billions on flops like the ZDX, the ILX and likely the new RLX.
How many actually purchase the high performance motors? Not as many as people think.
I didn't say they all bought big engines. When the BASE model 3 series is packing 40 more HP and a ton of torque over the ILX's TOP engine, and just shy of 100 more than the ILX'S BASE engine, they really don't have to, do they. Of course the fact that the 3 series is running over SIX TIMES the sales volume of the ILX'S shows that it really doesn't matter which engine they are buying in the Bimmer...
To add to what you said, to this day I still don't understand why Acura doesn't use a similar sedan formula as other luxury brands. The 3 sedan strategy just makes perfect sense to me. Having small, medium and larger offerings that overlap in price simply makes sense while giving the consumer something to work toward in the future.
I'm certainly not suggesting Acura to try to become BMW but that product strategy again makes more sense vs Acura's current methods whereas the products dont compliment each other well at all nor do they separate themselves enough from each other.
Neal wrote: Has anyone else visited their own local store to inspect the car or inquire about sales? Your personal read and local pulse is great - 'cause that's certainly where you're likely to spot them on the road.
And of course you know the area and locals well and what the auto bias is...
Neal, in all honesty, my level of interest in the ILX is very low. If they had put just a little bit of flava' into the 2.4, I definitely would stop by the local Acura store. The price is about $5K on the high side, too.
Drop the price by $5k and the ILX would be priced below a comparably equipped Civic. What a shock that Honda has gone a different route with its latest Acura. Who could have seen this coming.
Since there has not exactly been a mad rush of customers to purchase this new model, I am curious what this different route might be?
So to spur on sales Acura should, according to you set the price of the ILX below the Civic? Sounds like a plan. Maybe contact Honda and suggest they pursue that approach.
Partial price adjustment may have already occurred.
on May 25th I posted the ILX & TSX lease rates as follows:
Hope the lease rates come down or Acura could have a problem.
Current lease rates in my area are lower for a 2012 TSX Auto than a comparable ILX w/Premium Auto.
2012 TSX Auto: $299/mo for 36mo, $1999.down
2013 ILX Prem Auto: $299 for 39mo, $3399. down
Not even a month later the lease rate has changed considerably:
2012 TSX Auto: $299/mo for 36mo, $1999.down
2013 ILX Premium Auto: $279. for 39mo, $2299.down
TSX didn't change and the ILX is $1880. lower. Still the difference between the TSX and ILX over 36 months is only $420. in the ILXs favor.
Another downward price change for the featured lease of the ILX to report:
2013 ILX Premium Auto: $259. for 39mo, $2299.down
(savings of $780.00 over the lease)
comparable 2012 TSX Auto is unchanged @ $299/mo for 36mo, $1999.down
A77 wrote: The RDX is destroying the X3 year to date and last month was the number 3 luxury SUV in canada- not that far behind the RX350 and X1. if Acura went after the 3 series more directly it's hard on the basis of the RDX's success to see why they couldn't be similarly successful. But it would need to have a 4x4 option. I am not so sure FR is imperative though. Too bust chasing non existent markets.
I don't think Acura needs to even go after the 3 series. They simply need to stop building cars that move backwards in the interest of being cheap. Rather than build something that has LESS than what their entry car of nearly 10 years ago had, they need to pick up where it left off. Honda is stuck in reverse. The RDX only highlights that fact because clearly Honda can still do it when they want to.
A77 wrote: The RDX is destroying the X3 year to date and last month was the number 3 luxury SUV in canada- not that far behind the RX350 and X1. if Acura went after the 3 series more directly it's hard on the basis of the RDX's success to see why they couldn't be similarly successful. But it would need to have a 4x4 option. I am not so sure FR is imperative though. Too bust chasing non existent markets.
I don't think Acura needs RWD cars. It would be a big engineering investment and Audi has shown that fun driving AWD cars can take a big bite out of BMW's business (even with terrible reliability and high cost).
I'm not sure what market segment the ILX was even aimed at. No one would compare it to a BMW 1-series. I've seen it compared to the Verano in terms of features but it can't compete on price.
My local dealer has 31 ILXs sitting on the lot, compared to 5 TSXs. I've only seen one on the road I think.
I knew there would be a thread like this.
I saw a Tesla Model S on the freeway on my way to work today and then realized that I still have not seen one single ILX on the road!!!
Wow.
I think one issue is lack of automatic transmission availability on the 2.4 model.
I don't think I've ever seen an ILX ad on TV.
ILX inventory is about 90 days, Conrad said. He and dealers want it to be 60 to 65 days.
To reduce ILX inventory, Acura is offering incentives and a lease program, and is slowing production, said Mac Churchill, president of Mac Churchill Acura in Fort Worth, Texas, after the meeting.
Churchill said executives told dealers the Acura ILX will get leather seats, power seats and a backup camera starting this summer to boost sales.
"We'd like to see it not impact the price, but adding that much content probably will," Churchill said.
In KC, the local dealer's appear to have a 180 day supply of ILX's, so Acura can wrap up 2013 production right now and send lots of incentive money to their dealers to help them move these unloved babies.
:)
rancho1 wrote: I knew there would be a thread like this.
I saw a Tesla Model S on the freeway on my way to work today and then realized that I still have not seen one single ILX on the road!!!
Wow.
I think one issue is lack of automatic transmission availability on the 2.4 model.
I don't think I've ever seen an ILX ad on TV.
In my area, I have seen the same number of Aventadors (2) as ILXs. One of the ILXs was a dealer courtesy car. I haven't seen a Model S here in my parts yet, but I've seen more than a dozen Fisker Karmas. Meanwhile, I see TSX Sport Wagons zipping about all over the place, and there are TWO confirmed clones of ours. Go figure.
rancho1 wrote: I knew there would be a thread like this.
I saw a Tesla Model S on the freeway on my way to work today and then realized that I still have not seen one single ILX on the road!!!
Wow.
I think one issue is lack of automatic transmission availability on the 2.4 model.
I don't think I've ever seen an ILX ad on TV.
In my area, I have seen the same number of Aventadors (2) as ILXs. One of the ILXs was a dealer courtesy car. I haven't seen a Model S here in my parts yet, but I've seen more than a dozen Fisker Karmas. Meanwhile, I see TSX Sport Wagons zipping about all over the place, and there are TWO confirmed clones of ours. Go figure.
I've seen just as many Tesla Models S' as I have ILXs. Three total for each, like you however, one of the ILXs was a courtesy car.
My office is within walking distance to the Tesla dealership so that may have something to do with it. But I made sure to look at the plates and they were not dealer tags. A business acquaintance of mine is waiting six months to get her Model S.
rancho1 wrote: I knew there would be a thread like this.
I saw a Tesla Model S on the freeway on my way to work today and then realized that I still have not seen one single ILX on the road!!!
Wow.
I think one issue is lack of automatic transmission availability on the 2.4 model.
I don't think I've ever seen an ILX ad on TV.
In my area, I have seen the same number of Aventadors (2) as ILXs. One of the ILXs was a dealer courtesy car. I haven't seen a Model S here in my parts yet, but I've seen more than a dozen Fisker Karmas. Meanwhile, I see TSX Sport Wagons zipping about all over the place, and there are TWO confirmed clones of ours. Go figure.
Isn't it interesting how regional these appear to be? We've been averaging 20+ ILX sales a month. We've got about 60 in stock in various trims/color combos and have a few people waiting for some on order that we're out of.
In my area, I have seen the same number of Aventadors (2) as ILXs. One of the ILXs was a dealer courtesy car. I haven't seen a Model S here in my parts yet, but I've seen more than a dozen Fisker Karmas. Meanwhile, I see TSX Sport Wagons zipping about all over the place, and there are TWO confirmed clones of ours. Go figure.
I have seen Elvis, Jimmy Hoffa, aliens, Jim Morrison, the second gunman, and an ILX.
Seriously, not one. Of course, in my area, the same was true for the CR-Z. I actually saw a ZDX once, in some brown color that made it look quite appropriate.
My local dealer has 16 ILX on the lot, down from 27-28, so they are going somewhere.
In my area, I have seen the same number of Aventadors (2) as ILXs. One of the ILXs was a dealer courtesy car. I haven't seen a Model S here in my parts yet, but I've seen more than a dozen Fisker Karmas. Meanwhile, I see TSX Sport Wagons zipping about all over the place, and there are TWO confirmed clones of ours. Go figure.
I have seen Elvis, Jimmy Hoffa, aliens, Jim Morrison, the second gunman, and an ILX.
Seriously, not one. Of course, in my area, the same was true for the CR-Z. I actually saw a ZDX once, in some brown color that made it look quite appropriate.
My local dealer has 16 ILX on the lot, down from 27-28, so they are going somewhere.
I was so happy when my dealer offer me a courtesy car during a recent services, in the past they always told me the courtesy car require booking of 2 week ahead, but not this time, my appointment was less than 24 hours away, and they give me a loner this time.
and of course it's an ILX. I was thinking of poking the dealer for fun, but i decided to keep it to myself at the end...
for some issue i was spared for ILX, on the side note, i am only 5'7" but i still had my head bumped a few times when i tried to enter rear seat in showroom. it's lower and narrower then TSX, no power seat on passenger; unloved for sure.
If they were giving amazing deals, they would be selling.
So, it looks like they are not. They will sit and rot on the lots until there are some serious incentives.
I doubt the dealers can discount them enough without manufacturer support to make the ILX a bargain.
Eventually they have to do something. I think cheap lease deals with unrealistically high subsidized residuals will be the way they would do it. That allows Honda to save face and not embarrass the brand by discounting the MSRP drastically.
Maybe there will be some $299 per month $0 down leases at model year end.
The YouTuber Sofyan Bey (2theRedline) got an ILX 2.4 6MT for around $26,000.
But yeah, the overall packaging of this vehicle is terrible. What they need to change to make it more successful than the TSX:
+2.4L engine standard on all trims
+6AT and 6MT transmissions available throughout those trims
+Lower MSRP, ditch the base model - it doesn't belong in Acura, $26,000 for the Premium, $30,000 for a Tech Package
+Type-S for those who really want it
Just had (another) customer in who had tried the ILX and been offered a stupid price on it - the 2.4 manual. Acura has a $2000 incentive and the dealer is giving another $2000 off - so basically trying to sell it at cost. Tough to sell an Si against that - no leather/power seats - even if the Si has LSD and navi. Accord sport is still a better deal/car I would argue, but with $4000, off the ILX 2.4 makes sense. Smacks of desperation. Sad this is a new car and a 2013 remember.
A77 wrote: Just had (another) customer in who had tried the ILX and been offered a stupid price on it - the 2.4 manual. Acura has a $2000 incentive and the dealer is giving another $2000 off - so basically trying to sell it at cost. Tough to sell an Si against that - no leather/power seats - even if the Si has LSD and navi. Accord sport is still a better deal/car I would argue, but with $4000, off the ILX 2.4 makes sense. Smacks of desperation. Sad this is a new car and a 2013 remember.
owequitit wrote: I keep hearing "it wasn't intended for this group" and yet "this group" comprises the largest % of buyers. Not saying that most people want FR, but they certainly have proven a liking for taut teutonic handling, relatively lively chassis, and an abundance of power... It's a shame that Acura keeps chasing markets that apparently don't exist, because we all know they could drop a nuke into any segment they wanted if they had the balls to do it. Instead, we waste billions on flops like the ZDX, the ILX and likely the new RLX.
How many actually purchase the high performance motors? Not as many as people think.
I didn't say they all bought big engines. When the BASE model 3 series is packing 40 more HP and a ton of torque over the ILX's TOP engine, and just shy of 100 more than the ILX'S BASE engine, they really don't have to, do they. Of course the fact that the 3 series is running over SIX TIMES the sales volume of the ILX'S shows that it really doesn't matter which engine they are buying in the Bimmer...
To add to what you said, to this day I still don't understand why Acura doesn't use a similar sedan formula as other luxury brands. The 3 sedan strategy just makes perfect sense to me. Having small, medium and larger offerings that overlap in price simply makes sense while giving the consumer something to work toward in the future.
I'm certainly not suggesting Acura to try to become BMW but that product strategy again makes more sense vs Acura's current methods whereas the products dont compliment each other well at all nor do they separate themselves enough from each other.
~Patrick
I think Acura would do well to try to compete with BMW. Acura's heyday from an enthusiast's point of view, also coincided with increasing market share. No, I don't think Acura needs RWD or V8 engines, but they do need to make a sincere effort to offer fun to drive cars again.
Remember when the ITR was run in Comparo's against the M3? Feels like a lifetime ago.
It doesn't compete with the 3 Series. It is a cheaper car in a lower price class.
It competes a bit with the 1 Series, but not really because 1 Series buyers are looking for coupes.
It doesn't even compete well against a Buick Verano and the Verano has some shortcomings making it a not so amazing car, but still better in many ways than the ILX.
Embarrassing.
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