Acura needs to address it's weak collection of SOHC, non DI V6's, not with bandaids such as turbo 4's applications in heavy SUVs.

 

That is a good question, not sure why the RDX is that heavy for its size but it may have to do with build quality and materials. I sat in the RAV4 and the interior was full of cheaper feeling hard plastics in a lackluster design. It just does not feel as solid as the RDX. SHAWD may be heavier then Toyota's awd system too and the RDX has a few more options then the RAV4 which can add weight, still 4000lbs is heavy for a small sporty suv. The RDX is a very safe vehicle for its size and the turbo 4 still moves its mass pretty well, I would love to see what that turbo 4 tuned for more power would be like in a much lighter TSX where it should have went.

 

280hp, 300hp and 305hp hp are weak SOHC engines? Isn't the new Lexus top DI v6 only putting out a whopping 1hp more then the "weak" Acura engines. What about the DI 2.5l in the IS250 putting out a measly 205hp which is around the same as what the smaller Acura 4 cylinder puts out. The expensive DI twin turbo I6 in the BMW is only putting out 300hp-the normally aspirated puts out like 250, the Mercedes 268hp, the Audi v6 around 250hp in US trim unless you opt for the expensive supercharged which is around 300hp and only available in a few models. Only Infiniti is producing significantly more hp then Acura and its competition yet in many cases it is not much faster and gets poor gas mileage and is thrashy and rough to boot.

Even though it is a pretty old basic design the J series is still competitive and offers as much if not more power then most of the similar priced competition. The Acura engine is normally reviewed as one of the smoothest and cleanest v6 available and the TL type-S was reviewed smoother then the DI IS350 and much smoother then the rough Infiniti G37 engine in a comparison a year or two ago. I have seen plenty of threads where people are not getting great gas mileage in their 6 speed auto DI IS350 not to mention the horrible gas mileage the VQ gets or how unreliable the twin turbo powerplant in the 335i is.

The reason the TL is not as quick as some of its competition has more to do with most competitors being lighter, smaller, rwd, or the reviewers don't know how to launch the new TL which they often end up starting in 2nd gear instead of first because of brake torquing.

Many people seem so obsessed about DI as well as 6-8 speed automatic transmissions like it is some kind of miracle technology and going to make a huge difference in power and mileage. I have not really seen much evidence of huge hp gains and mileage gains just from DI like many think. The highest normally aspirated 6 cylinder engine currently available(435hp Porsche GT3) does not even use direct injection. Honda has been avoiding direct injection mainly because of reliability concerns down the road especially with US gas. I have heard and read that direct injectors will often have problems and need to replaced at around 100K miles and it is going to be a very expensive job to do, Honda may not want customers to have to fork over a big repair-maintenance bill at around 100K miles just for a small gain in hp and mileage, I sure wouldn't. The J series may not also be compatible with direct injection
so they would have to come out with a brand new engine just to feature it.

Honda/Acura should have a new v6 soon and it probably will have DI, they are dragging out the current version a little longer then many would like but it is still an excellent engine and mostly competitive power, smoothness, fuel economy, emissions, wise. It would be nice to see a version soon with 330-340hp to shut some critics up.

 

Yes. I'll keep it shorter than above. Premium cars deserve better. Feel free to believe whatever you prefer, I can respect your opinion.

Short answer Lexus DI motors put out more horsepower with less displacement and better mileage.

 

Who cares if a NEW DOHC DI Lexus engine puts out 305hp with 3.5 liters where the much older SOHC non DI Acura engine matches it with 3.7 liters. It is just a .2 liter increase in displacement. It is not like because the Acura engine is slightly larger it is rougher, has reliability issues, has worse emissions, or gets worse fuel economy so it is no big deal the Acura engine needs to be slightly larger to make up for it being much older, having no DI, and not being able to rev as high because it is SOHC.

If the IS gets better fuel economy which real world may not be the case from what I have been reading then it has more to do with the IS being lighter, smaller, rwd as opposed to awd in the 3.7 Acura, and it having the advantage of one more gear in its transmission then just the J series engine getting bad fuel economy which it doesn't.

As far as your whole "premium cars deserve better" whatever that means then the Acura at 305hp is putting out the hp numbers equal to or better then most of its competition, only the Infiniti v6 makes more horsepower then the Acura v6 and all its competitors v6's and it is a 3.7 liter DOHC unit that is very harsh and rough and gets **** poor v8 like fuel economy even with just rwd and 7 speeds.

 

Short answer, Lexus cares, BMW cares, (Mercedes cares and is in the process of bringing it's sixes up to the state of art). DOHC, DI, 6/7/8/9 speed trannys are here to stay for the leaders. These companies have the high-margin sales to justify the investment and cater to the buyers that demand it.

 

"What you've been reading" per the gibberish above is nice to know, but second-hand info at best.

But my hands-on mileage checking of 07 IS350 over thousands of miles shows 22 mpg average, low of 21, high of 28. EPA ratings are 18/25. Mileage is fine considering the silky smooth power delivery and high horsepower and high torque.

 

Back to the main topic, RDX (refreshed and improved with a beak grill), I'm not sure the changes can improve the 785 units/month sales rate of this year.

 

 

I think direct injection is mandatory and they really should be using timing chains instead of the archaic timing belts. I am surprised that Acura is falling behind Infiniti for runner up Japanese luxury car after the coveted Lexus. The race was a bit closer, but now they are slipping


To all who think Acura doesnt make Luxury cars.... give me a break. you know who you are

 

 

Your gas mileage is decent and better then what most IS350 owners I have read avg but it is nothing to write home about saying DI in the IS350 is vastly superior to a comparable Acura v6 in the hp-fuel mileage department. I just got 28mpg highway on a trip up North with my 01 GS430 and it is a v8, a older engine, does not have DI, and has a 5 speed auto. My dads best highway mileage was 31 and 32mpg in his Acura TL and both of these cars trunks and rear seats were loaded for vacation. His city mileage avgs around 23mpg. My mostly city mileage is not great though. I don't rely on a nav system or trip computer to avg the mileage out either which are often way off.

You still have not come close to proving in any of your posts that Acura's SOHC v6 engines are "weak" and are in need of magical DI for them to be able to compete and not be "weak". They are making 280hp-305hp which is not "weak" in any way and they have as much or more power then most of the competition DI. Your IS350 DI engine is rated 1hp more then the top Acura v6 so it seems odd that you think 1hp is the difference between competitive and "weak". If the 280-305hp Acura engines are "weak" then the IS250, Merc v6, Audi NA 3-3.2 V6, BMW I6, Volkswagen 3.6, also must be weak because they make less power then the Acura v6.

 

Agreed, gas mileage is not vastly superior, I never said it was. The Lexus is a better car, nothing to prove (especially for your sake.). Both cars are very good. But feel free to believe what you want, we know your a loyal Acura fan and that's ok. Mercedes fans in the past used to try to justify the old SOHC V6 a few years back, so this is just a rerun to some of us.

When your dad buys his next car, suggest that he try something different just to see what the industry leaders are up to. Variety is a good thing.

 

I have had a G35, Acura TL, and GS350 and I have to say the Lexus gets the best mpg but not by much. My wifes TL does well on the highway, but its only a 3.2

 

As old as the J-series V6 is, Honda's done a very good job with keeping it current. It's also their smoothest motor as well - a V6 Accord/Odyssey/Pilot/RL and the Acura versions have much better NVH perception than their fours.