The Acura ILX has been derided as being nothing more than a gussied-up Honda Civic, an analogy that I too applied to the compact Acura when it first arrived. But then our own Brendan McAleer caused me to question my dismissal of the ILX. How many shoppers out there are willing to option-up a base model by 50% and don't think twice about the fact their "limited" model looks just like the base model? All of a sudden the ILX, especially the 2.4L model we tested made sense to me. What was the revelation?

In addition to a blunter nose, lower roof and a more aggressive character line, Acura modified the structure of the car by moving the pillars around. The A pillar moves 8 inches rearward vs the Civic giving the ILX a hood that is several inches longer and a windshield that is more deeply curved. The C pillar has also been tweaked giving the ILX a more graceful silhouette and a smaller trunk lid. While they were at it they swapped in an aluminum hood for some moderate weight savings.

Once out on the road the ILX's powertrain deficiencies become obvious. The base 2.0L engine may be smoother and more refined than the 1.8 in the Civic, but compared to Buick's modern 2.4L direct injection mill, it is rough around the edges and anemic. How about the 111 horsepower ILX hybrid? It is quite possibly the only car that can make Lexus's underpowered CT 200h seem quick. But we're not here to talk about those ILX models, this is theautobuyersguide and we're interested in MOAR POWARR.

The 2.4L four-cylinder is an entirely different animal. With 33% more power than the base model our 0-60 run clocked in at a respectable 7.29 seconds. That slots the ILX between the regular Verano and the Verano Turbo that accomplished the same task in 6.5 (Verano Turbo with the 6-speed manual). The time was closer than I thought it would be considering the 90 lb-ft of torque that separate the two but the driving experience couldn't be more different. The Verano's turbo engine provides an extremely broad torque curve which negates the need for frequent downshifting on winging mountain roads while the ILX's engine needs to scream like a leaf blower to deliver the maximum thrust. While I found the Verano's power delivery more liveable, the ILX at 7,000 RPM made me giggle. (Yes, I said that out loud.) As you would expect from the "luxury Civic Si," the ILX's shifter action is precise, clutch engagement is nearly perfect and the shifts are short. In contrast, the Verano's clutch is rubbery, vague and the shift throw is lengthy.
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