Autoweek Article - new RL in 2004, redesigned TL in Fall, TSX pricing - Acura Forum

Edub · 02-10-03, 01:52 PM

The article hints at an AWD replacement for the RL, and gives specifics on the TSX price which will be in the range of the current TL.. making the new TL more in cost.. :(

found here:
http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content...._code=07799113

Acura begins 18-month product binge, says adding rear-wheel drive not critical to success

By MARK RECHTIN | Automotive News

While Acura Division redesigns its product line and enters new segments, it will not need rear-wheel drive to be a true luxury brand, dealers were told at the make meeting.

Acura sedans and coupes can have as much as 270 hp and still have a luxurious feel with front-wheel drive, said Ramsay Gillman, a multifranchise dealer from Houston.

Anything more powerful than that would require all-wheel drive, which hints at the direction of the replacement for the 3.5 RL.

Before the next RL arrives in spring 2004, Acura has the more pressing business of launching the TSX sedan this April and the redesigned TL sedan in the fall.

Because the TL will be moving up in stature and price, the TSX will not encroach on the TL's price turf, said Dick Colliver, Acura Division executive vice president of auto sales.

The TSX will be priced between $27,000 and $30,000.

Based on the European-market Honda Accord, the TSX will be marketed for its suspension and performance. The fact that it is powered by a four-cylinder engine will not receive as much attention.

"The TSX is sweet and strong. I think we can do some damage," said dealer council chairman George D'Angelo, dealer principal of Acura of Westchester, in Larchmont, N.Y.

Colliver hopes Acura will sell "170,000-plus" units this year, up from 165,552 in 2002.

He is heartened by Allison-Fisher International data that show the number of Acura buyers who are cross-shopping with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus has doubled since 1995.

To keep the brand strong, Colliver is putting the clamps on dealers who play fast and loose with local advertising.

No dealer ad will be allowed to mention the price of a car for sale, unless the price is sticker or above, he said. That includes newspaper classified advertising, usually the bastion of cut-price deals. Anyone who violates this policy can lose the factory subsidy for the ads.

"Schlock ads bring the franchise down. Running ads with MSRP brings gross margins up," D'Angelo said.

About 85 percent of Acura dealers have signed up for a showroom redesign.

Almost all already have installed the new signs, which replace the old red lettering with navy blue.

carterra5 · 02-12-03, 01:59 PM

I definetely agree with the sentiment that I hope these prices are a hoax. I'm fairly new to the acura block but if 27K+ is anything near the MSRP, I'm moving out.

ruski · 02-26-03, 06:42 PM

I am sure not going to go for a 4-cylinder TSX as a replacement for 6 cylinder TL.

ckalinWI · 03-01-03, 04:47 AM

But the TSX isn't the TL replacement, as I'm sure others have pointed out by now.
According to the Acura sales guys I've talked to in the Milwaukee area, as well as the Milwaukee auto show, the TL/CL gets bumped up into the $32-$35K range...BUT the TL/CL are going to get even more features to compensate for this. Options mentioned were dual zone climate control, telescoping steering wheel (and I honestly don't remember if he also said that it would be a power tilt wheel as well), powered sunshades for the rear window and manual sunshades for the side rear windows, and he was reasonably sure it would include rain-sensing windshield wipers and rear park distance control, but to not be too upset if he's not 100% correct on that.

So it basically looks like they're putting on the _rest_ of the features that one can add to a German car, while keeping the price relative to said theoretical German car with appropriate features.

cathcard · 03-11-03, 02:23 PM

Have looked at the TSX (three auto shows) and drove the U.K. Accord last week while over there.

The TSX is much more like the 1.7EL (just slightly wider> the TSX is 1760 while the EL is 1715mm)) than you might like to believe in terms of interior size (but does not have the nice flat floor the EL does in the rear) and not nearly as large as the North American Accord...

Frt Head Room: 964 versus 960 in the TSX
Frt Leg Room: 1072 versus 1076
Frt Hip Room: 1300 versus 1381
Frt Shoulder Room: 1335 versus 1406
Rear Head Room: 964 versus 947
Rear Leg Room: 914 versus 868 (see what I mean)
Rear Hipp Room: 1266 versus 1382
Rear Shoulder Room: 1321 versus 1360

There is no question the TSX is a well equiped, beautfully finished well driving, automobile BUT no rocket ship. The TSX is dimensionally not hardly any larger than the EL but weights much more (1209kg compared with about 1460 for the TSX). What is questionable is its' power to weight ratio compared with competion and value for money as it looks like Honda Canada is heading for $34-35K for this card versus the $32-33k first discussed.... at $32K the car would be well positioned with others (incluidng the other Acura sedans and the Honda Accord) The V6 Accord is cheaper, slightly larger and faster. To get the increased power out of the 2.4 litre, that appears to be the same basic block et cetera also used in the North American Accord they incresaed the compression ratio to the point where premium fuel is required... why not just give us the V6????

With all of the above... the car is very nice to drive, a bit under powered (try the A4 CVT transmission car before you buy the TSX) in my view.. and it is really too bad that Honda Canada is giving us the crappy white colour while not the nice grahite... or the Indigo Blue with the black/aluminium trim (apparently we get the tan in our blue units).... if you want to have a real look at the car there is an online brochure off of the Honda U.K. site which is....
http://www.honda.co.uk/accord/

For the record.... I ordered mine with the slushbox...

02-10-03, 01:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Edub That's my girl Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bay Area, CA Age: 31 Posts: 3,069	Autoweek Article - new RL in 2004, redesigned TL in Fall, TSX pricing The article hints at an AWD replacement for the RL, and gives specifics on the TSX price which will be in the range of the current TL.. making the new TL more in cost.. :( found here: http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content...._code=07799113 Acura begins 18-month product binge, says adding rear-wheel drive not critical to success By MARK RECHTIN \| Automotive News While Acura Division redesigns its product line and enters new segments, it will not need rear-wheel drive to be a true luxury brand, dealers were told at the make meeting. Acura sedans and coupes can have as much as 270 hp and still have a luxurious feel with front-wheel drive, said Ramsay Gillman, a multifranchise dealer from Houston. Anything more powerful than that would require all-wheel drive, which hints at the direction of the replacement for the 3.5 RL. Before the next RL arrives in spring 2004, Acura has the more pressing business of launching the TSX sedan this April and the redesigned TL sedan in the fall. Because the TL will be moving up in stature and price, the TSX will not encroach on the TL's price turf, said Dick Colliver, Acura Division executive vice president of auto sales. The TSX will be priced between $27,000 and $30,000. Based on the European-market Honda Accord, the TSX will be marketed for its suspension and performance. The fact that it is powered by a four-cylinder engine will not receive as much attention. "The TSX is sweet and strong. I think we can do some damage," said dealer council chairman George D'Angelo, dealer principal of Acura of Westchester, in Larchmont, N.Y. Colliver hopes Acura will sell "170,000-plus" units this year, up from 165,552 in 2002. He is heartened by Allison-Fisher International data that show the number of Acura buyers who are cross-shopping with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus has doubled since 1995. To keep the brand strong, Colliver is putting the clamps on dealers who play fast and loose with local advertising. No dealer ad will be allowed to mention the price of a car for sale, unless the price is sticker or above, he said. That includes newspaper classified advertising, usually the bastion of cut-price deals. Anyone who violates this policy can lose the factory subsidy for the ads. "Schlock ads bring the franchise down. Running ads with MSRP brings gross margins up," D'Angelo said. About 85 percent of Acura dealers have signed up for a showroom redesign. Almost all already have installed the new signs, which replace the old red lettering with navy blue.

02-12-03, 01:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
carterra5 Acuraworld Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1	I definetely agree with the sentiment that I hope these prices are a hoax. I'm fairly new to the acura block but if 27K+ is anything near the MSRP, I'm moving out. __________________ doctor acura

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02-26-03, 06:42 PM	#3 (permalink)
ruski Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Age: 37 Posts: 6	I am sure not going to go for a 4-cylinder TSX as a replacement for 6 cylinder TL.

03-01-03, 04:47 AM	#4 (permalink)
ckalinWI Acuraworld Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 35 Posts: 1	But the TSX isn't the TL replacement, as I'm sure others have pointed out by now. According to the Acura sales guys I've talked to in the Milwaukee area, as well as the Milwaukee auto show, the TL/CL gets bumped up into the $32-$35K range...BUT the TL/CL are going to get even more features to compensate for this. Options mentioned were dual zone climate control, telescoping steering wheel (and I honestly don't remember if he also said that it would be a power tilt wheel as well), powered sunshades for the rear window and manual sunshades for the side rear windows, and he was reasonably sure it would include rain-sensing windshield wipers and rear park distance control, but to not be too upset if he's not 100% correct on that. So it basically looks like they're putting on the _rest_ of the features that one can add to a German car, while keeping the price relative to said theoretical German car with appropriate features.

03-11-03, 02:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
cathcard Acuraworld Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: YYZ Age: 58 Posts: 5	Have looked at the TSX (three auto shows) and drove the U.K. Accord last week while over there. The TSX is much more like the 1.7EL (just slightly wider> the TSX is 1760 while the EL is 1715mm)) than you might like to believe in terms of interior size (but does not have the nice flat floor the EL does in the rear) and not nearly as large as the North American Accord... Frt Head Room: 964 versus 960 in the TSX Frt Leg Room: 1072 versus 1076 Frt Hip Room: 1300 versus 1381 Frt Shoulder Room: 1335 versus 1406 Rear Head Room: 964 versus 947 Rear Leg Room: 914 versus 868 (see what I mean) Rear Hipp Room: 1266 versus 1382 Rear Shoulder Room: 1321 versus 1360 There is no question the TSX is a well equiped, beautfully finished well driving, automobile BUT no rocket ship. The TSX is dimensionally not hardly any larger than the EL but weights much more (1209kg compared with about 1460 for the TSX). What is questionable is its' power to weight ratio compared with competion and value for money as it looks like Honda Canada is heading for $34-35K for this card versus the $32-33k first discussed.... at $32K the car would be well positioned with others (incluidng the other Acura sedans and the Honda Accord) The V6 Accord is cheaper, slightly larger and faster. To get the increased power out of the 2.4 litre, that appears to be the same basic block et cetera also used in the North American Accord they incresaed the compression ratio to the point where premium fuel is required... why not just give us the V6???? With all of the above... the car is very nice to drive, a bit under powered (try the A4 CVT transmission car before you buy the TSX) in my view.. and it is really too bad that Honda Canada is giving us the crappy white colour while not the nice grahite... or the Indigo Blue with the black/aluminium trim (apparently we get the tan in our blue units).... if you want to have a real look at the car there is an online brochure off of the Honda U.K. site which is.... http://www.honda.co.uk/accord/ For the record.... I ordered mine with the slushbox...

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