Spy Pics: 2016 Acura ILX Mid-Model Refresh
Odometer (Legend): 531,537
Odometer (ILX): 96,510
I took delivery of my 2013 ILX on June 12, 2012 with 16 miles on its odometer. The 2015 model year ILX is now already out, and aside from some packaging changes and the deletion of the Hybrid powertrain offering, the ‘newest’ car is pretty much identical. That’s all about to change.
Did everyone catch the spy pics of the 2016 Acura ILX that were released on Thursday? Edmunds posted them for the world to see, and I like where the design direction has evolved. Notice the “shield” grille (or otherwise known as the ‘beak’) has been tweaked. I also see Jewel Eye headlights, much like the RLX, TLX, and MDX already have. Finally, the front & rear bumpers are much more aggressive looking.
Awesome tape job! They should leave those as racing stripes.
I’m liking that lip spoiler out back.
No word yet on when Acura will show us the production version of this refreshed ILX, but maybe it’ll happen at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November. I’ll be there watching, just in case.
My ILX got an “A12” service at Acura of Tempe yesterday. For $380.74 (ouch), it’s now sporting a pair of new rear brake pads, a new cabin air filter, and some fresh 0W20 motor oil. It had been 8,271 miles since my last oil change. My service advisor recommended having the serpentine belt changed on my next visit, but I’m sure that’ll be after I’m well into 100,000 mile range. Also – SHOCKER – for the first time in history, I allowed the dealership to wash my car. I’ve been so busy that I just haven’t had time to do it on my own, so it was nice to let someone else do my chores for a change.
It’s been a wet & wild couple of weeks in the Phoenix area. On Monday, September 8th, the area experienced its wettest day in recorded history. By noon we’d already received 3 inches – roughly a third of our annual average. For me, it was a wet commute to the office.
For others, it was even wetter. This is what Interstate 10 looked like at 43rd Avenue.
Typical for indecisive desert weather, though, by the time I left the office that same afternoon, it was back to blue skies & sunshine.
It was a few days before the warning signs were removed from roadways around my neighborhood.
Even the Legend, which probably hadn’t seen rain for a year or more, got stuck in a downpour.
Finally, it’s always a cool feeling to see a “first” of any new model on the road in a real-world setting. I was sitting at a light on westbound McDowell Road in Scottsdale, and caught a glimpse of some LED headlights in my sideview mirror. This was a TLX.
I felt like a bit of a paparazzi for taking such pictures, but it was kind of exciting to see an on-the-road version of the very vehicle that I saw unveiled as a prototype at the Detroit Auto Show this past January.
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!
drivetofive 
September 20, 2014 at 10:09 am
If three inches is a third of annual rain total, you mean to say Phoenix only gets 9 inches of rain total per year on average?? I have a hard time picturing that while living in Miami Florida 🙂
September 20, 2014 at 10:15 am
Yeah, I’m finding conflicting reports but most say that we get between 8 & 9 inches per year. I just looked up Miami. 61 inches. Holy cow.
September 20, 2014 at 10:55 am
Lol. Yeah. Miami does have tropical characteristics. You better make sure your windshield wipers are in excellent condition if you ever drive here with your TLX or Legend 😉
September 20, 2014 at 5:23 pm
Good to know!! And I’ll check my tires too!
September 20, 2014 at 5:23 pm
I thought I was the only 1 that declined dealer car washes lol….i briefly worked at a dealer and let me tell you by mid day that bucket of soap & water is pretty nasty looking.
September 20, 2014 at 5:24 pm
I bet! Yeah, I’d never let the dealership car wash touch my Legends, but the ILX… I let it slide just this once. Mostly wanted the vacuum more than anything else. Turned out decent, but my OCD self will still hand-wash it sooner than later.
September 22, 2014 at 8:51 am
We get 6 inches a rain in a month up here in the soggy NW. The new ILX does look better. Lets see Acura make the GT available at a drivable street level!!
September 22, 2014 at 5:53 pm
Now you’re talkin! I want to see some Type-S, SH-AWD, 6-speed manual variations…
September 22, 2014 at 3:41 pm
It looks like a respectable refresh. Hopefully they address the powertrain as well, mainly by eliminating the 2.0 liter and making the 2.4 the sole engine. It would also make sense to jettison the slushbox and implement the new 8 speed DCT found in the TLX. Of course some people will still opt for the excellent 6 speed manual. 😉
September 22, 2014 at 5:54 pm
I’m pretty sure the powertrain improvements will align closely with what you’ve outlined – for the engine anyway. The existing tranny selections may be here to stay until a 2018 (?) 2nd generation debuts. Just my wild guess!
September 22, 2014 at 6:28 pm
hahaha. Our dealer is NEVER again aloud to wash the Accord… Our Honda dealer “washes” it before they service it, which then leads to grease and finger prints on the hood. They don’t even dry it when they “wash” it
September 22, 2014 at 6:44 pm
Haha yes that’s probably a good call to not allow them to wash it. When I take the Legend in, I leave a Post-It note on the center console with NO WASH written in caps. This is because at least a couple of times, they’ve washed it when I’ve asked them not to. Eek
September 22, 2014 at 7:21 pm
The last time I had the Acura dealer wash my car, I got it back dirtier than when I arrived. Touch-free car washes or nothing for me now!
September 22, 2014 at 7:21 pm
A wise approach!
September 25, 2014 at 4:34 am
My answer to no dealer washes– is not going to the dealer 🙂
September 25, 2014 at 6:16 am
There’s an idea I’ve never tried before, haha.