If you were in and around Roy Thomson Hall TIFF ’18, you could not avoid Acura‘s presence at the Festival. We had the pure joy of test-driving the 2018 Acura ILX this TIFF. Sleek, stylish and sophisicated, we wouldn’t have endured those late nights and early mornings without the ILX. It was our MVP, no doubt.
We felt sheer confidence owning the road, empowered by its 2.4-litre, 16-valve, DOHC, i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine. The ILX operates at an impressive 201 horsepower, with engine torque of 180 lb.-ft. @ 3600 rpm.
Above this, we are reminded frequently of its safety features including a Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system, Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system, Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Blind Spot Information system (BSI) and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM™) system. We’ll admit that those 4 AM drives home having slept an hour the night before during TIFF, can be a test of endurance. These features helped keep is safe and aware.
Parking in those tight, testy downtown parking lots is a challenge but the ILX’s Multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines made it all so easy!
With television appearances, screenings are star sightings around town to tend to, we cannot stress how crucial it was to stay connected with multiple USB charging ports, HandsFreeLink™-Bluetooth® capability and an 8-inch LED backlit VGA display. We love that Acura still believes in CD players in addition to an array of options to stream music off our phone, plus Sirius XM. We just wish there was a way to hear Google Maps through car’s sound system while listening to Sirius XM, the radio or CDs.
We admit being more tired than ever keeping-up with the Festival’s frantic pacing, that’s why we found real comfort retreating to our ILX for the occasional powernap. Its 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat and 2-position memory were our bed away from home and we loved being able to stare up through its moonroof and collect our thoughts and plan our next steps.
The ILX is a bit of a ‘gas guzzler’ with City/Hwy/Combined fuel economy of
9.4/6.8/8.2 litres/100 km. In some instances we found half a tank of gas gone after a day of driving and perhaps this is where Acura could take notes from its sister, Honda which has mastered fuel economy with its popular ECON mode option.
That being said, the 2018 Acura ILX is a statement of class, prestige and luxury. We will never forget the memories we made TIFF ’18 with it!
More on it here.
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com