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.

With TIFF ’18 being just a week away, we’re super-excited to present to you some of our official partners of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival! We live for TIFF and are thrilled as a team to be accredited to the Festival and also bring you as always unparalleled intimate access to the stars and Films of the Festival!

We’re thrilled to give our Readers a chance to be just as stoked as us and we give you a chance to win our TIFF SURVIVAL PRIZE PACK, which is bigger and better than ever!

We’d like to thank the following parnters:

DUFFLET PASTRIES – Toronto’s reigning Queen of Cake® still is going strong with an uptown and down location. When there’s a celebration, it’s always been about Dufflet Pastries’ cakes and pastries for us. TIFF is no exception. There are two locations: 787 Queen Street West and 2638 Yonge Street. Did you know the Queen Street West location offers High Tea on Sundays? Learn more at http://dufflet.com.

ESTIA is just one of several TIFF hotspots owned by popular restauranteur, hotelier and night club owner Charles Khabouth. Known for its acclaimed Mediterranean cuisine, Estia situated at 90 Avenue Road, is a must-try this TIFF. More at http://estiatoronto.com.

WESLODGE owned also by Charles Khabouth, for years has been a hotspot for the stars during the Festival. Known for its classic cocktails and Canadian fare, this vintage tavern at 480 King Street West, has and will continue to host several stars TIFF ’18.  We hear the Fried Chicken is superb! More at http://weslodge.com.

STARBUCKS CANADA – TIFF is about the coming of fall and nothing says autumn comfort like Starbucks‘ signature PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE, now back in stores! We have fond memories of warming-up in many a cold line-up at TIFF with this fan favourite and can’t wait to get reacquainted this TIFF! More at http://starbucks.ca.

BLACKBERRY CANADA – We can’t wait to show you all the celebrity selfies and up-close star sightings at TIFF ’18. This year our official smartphone will be the super-sleek and functional Blackberry Key2. Learn all about this reborn icon at https://blackberrymobile.com/ca/product/blackberry-key2.

BRITBOX CANADA – We can’t wait for a bit of downtime post-TIFF and what better way to relax than to catch-up with some of our favourite British programming from BBC and iTV? Britbox Canada is brought to us by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and ITV, bringing home iconic favorites, exclusive premieres, and current series and soaps. Learn more about their latest programming options: https://www.britbox.com/ca/collection/premieres.

ACURA CANADA – Mobility is so important for us during TIFF and once again we’ll be partnering with Acura Canada and driving the 2018 Acura ILX. Acura Canada will be front and center at TIFF this year as a major sponsor and we’re thrilled to experience some of that starpower! Sleek, compact and stylish, we’ll be travelling in style in this beauty! More here: https://www.acura.ca/ilx.

KANDLE ARTISTIQUE – Purveyor of luxurious candles, you now can make your own candles at their gorgeous Yorkville location at 88 Avenue Road in Toronto. More here.

NIKON CANADA – We can’t wait to show you our photos, taken on none other than the state-of-the-art Nikon D850, shooting at 45.7 megapixels, with 4k and 8K video options! More here.

H&M CANADA – We love H&M and are thrilled to be donning H&M and H&M only at TIFF ’18. Can’t wait to show you some pieces from their Fall/Winter 2018 Collection. More at http://hm.com.

CHATIME CANADA – We’ll never get sick of Bubble Tea and to us there’s only Chatime! With various locations across Canada we can’t wait for too to discover the refreshment! Our fave midday beverage? Grapefruit Green Tea (half-sweet, less ice) is our perfect afternoon pick-me-up! Discover your new favourite. More here: http://chatime.com

CP24 – For the past 10 years, we’ve been a contributor at this popular news network and can’t wait to reunite this TIFF ’18 to deliver you the scoop and sightings, plus all the buzz on the hottest Films at TIFF! Don’t forget to tune in as we kick it all off tomorrow, Wednesday, September 5 in the 12 o’clock hour on Live at Noon with George Lagogianes!

Now for the fun stuff! We want to give Readers to win our TIFF ’18 Survival Pack which is bigger and more delicious than ever! Contents include:

One free six-month Britbox Canada membership

$25 Starbucks Canada Gift Card

A Dufflet Pastries Gift Card for one cake

A $200 Estia Gift Card

H&M Canada VIP Card

Two Chatime Canada Vouchers

One Kandle Artistique Candle

Stay tuned to our Social Media throughout TIFF ’18 as we give away

A $200 Weslodge Gift Card

Chatime Canada Drink Vouchers

Starbucks Canada Gift Cards

Britbox Canada Six-Month Memberships

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. Click “share” on this Post or Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!

Don’t forget to join us on our TIFF ’18 adventures and be following on Social Media for real-time updates! You won’t regret it!

Twitter: @mrwillw

Instagram: @mrwillwong

Facebook: http://facebook.com/mrwillwongblog

Don’t forget to be following Team Mr. Will also:

Dave Baldwin: @davemabaldwin

Amanda Gilmore: @gilmoreamanda

George Kozera: @partyg

Siobhan Rich: @typo_eh

Justin Waldman: @dubsreviews

Jonathan Godfrey: @skot_somers

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

It’s that time of the year again and what better way to celebrate a birthday than freedom and mobility?

I had the pure joy of test driving a 2018 ACURA V6 TLX SH-AWD A-SPEC as an early celebration, empowering me to spend time with loved ones and get things done! Unforgettable memories were created and while we’ve driven many Acuras in the past, this absolutely takes the birthday cake! 🎂 It is a fusion of sport, technology and artistry together making for one of the most exciting experiences I’ve ever had with a car.

Unlike others in the Acura TLX series, the 2018 ACURA V6 TLX SH-AWD A-SPEC  boasts a magnificent 290 horsepower (SH4WD), 9-speed automatic transmission, with state of the art 3.5L Direct Injection SOHC, i-VTEC® V6 Engine. Above this, it has a unique All-Wheel Steer™ (P-AWS) which gives you extra maneuverability with its left and right rear-wheel toe angle control.

My adventures take me deep into Toronto’s downtown core, over to rural southern Ontario and all the way into the suburbs. This car was equipped to handle everything I threw its way and it did so with a sleek flare.

Upon first glance, I was impressed with its detailing and sophisticated lines, but it was when I stepped into it the car that my jaw dropped.  Red accent lighting, gorgeous red Milano leather front and rear seats (heated) and a heated steering wheel to boot. A tinted moonroof keeps things lit, but not too lit and we appreciate that.

It’s all in the detail and that’s what makes the difference in your day to let you be your best YOU. This isn’t the Acura NSX my mom loaned me with caution when I was back in school in the ’90s.

Staying connected was simple with multiple USB ports so loved ones can never complain about not being able to reach you with a charged phone, especially it being synced with HandsFreeLink™.  Better yet, connect your phone and see text messages on its LED display with Apple CarPlay™* and Android Auto™*, letting you enjoy playlists from your phone through 7 speakers including subwoofer.  What I love about this car is that it still has a CD player for those of us who refuse to go fully digital and love our physical copies of music.  I love Sirius XM too, which the car is enabled for, so happy as always listening to just that!

The vehicle runs on premium unleaded, hence fueling-up can come at an added cost. Its fuel economy is 11.4L (city)/ 7.7L (highway)/ 9.8L (combined) per 100 km.

If it weren’t already at the top of its game, safety features are abound in the 2018 ACURA V6 TLX SH-AWD A-SPEC. ACURAWATCH™ Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) System and Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS®), Blind Spot Information (BSI) System, Lane Departure Warning (LDW) System, Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM™) System and Rear Cross Traffic Monitor are just some of the highlights featured to ensure you drive worry-free.

An Acura TLX’s pricing starts at $35,990 CAN.

More here.

See some Snaps from the weekend. Hover left and right to navigate slideshows.

Geeking out how flawless this #AcuraTLX is! It’s gonna be an unforgettable weekend! Swipe left to see its jawdropping style!

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 🎃 (@mrwillwong) on Oct 13, 2017 at 8:08pm PDT

Created some fantastic memories this past weekend with the #AcuraTLX making time for some of those who mean the most! ❤ Everybody was impressed with its features from its styling to its heated leather seats. Cannot wait to drive it again! Swipe left for more. Lovely pic of @apicbymrwill and I taken by @starting.gate.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 🎃 (@mrwillwong) on Oct 17, 2017 at 2:54pm PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

TIFFmas is about to arrive and before the insanity begins, we’re proud to announce our official Partners for TIFF ’16! We couldn’t do it without them and YOU! MRWILLWONG.COM has been a part of this City’s colourful wallpaper for seven years now, our unique take on the Festival balancing the celebrity spotlight with a strong focus on the Films which have the Festival abuzz. Contributing again this year on our Team on Reviews are George Kozera,  Siobhán Rich, David Baldwin and Justin Waldman!

We hope that once again you’ll be making MR. WILL WONG your go-to source for everything TIFF during the Festival!

CP24 will be featuring us and our TIFF content once again this year after many successful years together!  Be sure to tune-in for our sightings and thoughts on this year’s highly-buzzed Films of the Festival!

ACURA CANADA gives us the all-important mobility needed during TIFF ’16 and does it in style. The 2017 Acura ILX is style and sophistication personified.  Above this, it’s fuel-efficient! We’re thrilled to pilot this gorgeous ride this Festival!

NIKON CANADA returns as one of our official sponsors and in addition to relying heavily on our NIKON D3300 with 20-500 mm lens for those gorgeous close-ups of the stars in town, we need that wu-1a adapter to ensure you get to see these Snaps right away, enabling us to upload straight from camera to Smartphone for you all to see!

H&M CANADA has been our main go-to for our fun, versatile fashions for years and once again we will be sporting all H&M this year. TIFF ’16 is the time to be noticed and H&M does just that.

SUBWAY CANADA is the perfect go-to when we’re hungry and we need that Sandwish fulfilled fast! Check back soon as we’ll be launching another $100 SUBWAY®  Gift Card Giveaway in October!

HOTEL NOVOTEL TORONTO CENTRE has been our base for several years now. Once again TIFF ’16 we’ll be calling it home, benefiting from a quick commute to and from the star-filled action in Entertainment District. Above this, there are several amenities including in-and-out privilege parking, a gym, a pool, that amazing breakfast buffet at Café Nicole. Best of all, they’re pet-friendly (we’ve gotta have Billy with us!) and we love their cushy beds!

SAMSUNG CANADA makes TIFF ’16 and our year-round connectivity possible with the Samsung S7, which equipped with a spacious 32 gb of memory, phenomenal low-light camera, accessibility to every Social Media app under the moon and above that, being waterproof, is the only Smartphone for us!

STARBUCKS CANADA partners with us for the first-time ever this year and we are beyond thrilled about this!  Fall means one thing and one thing only, the arrival of the PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE! We dream year-round of the PSL with its warming comfort. Did you know that beginning Tuesday, September 6, 2016, Starbucks Canada will launch its Fall menu including a Chile Mocha Latte and the return of the Salted Caramel Latte? These will be our official beverages of TIFF ’16!

What’s that? You want to win a Starbucks Gift Card so you too can enjoy a PSL?  Canadian Readers simply can click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook to enter!

If you aren’t already, remember to follows us on Social Media:

Instagram: mrwillwong
Twitter: mrwillw
Facebook: mrwillwongblog
Snapchat: mrwillwong

See you at TIFF!

Mr. Willxbilly

If performance and luxury are your thing, the 2016 ACURA RDX precisely is your car. The spacious and elegant vehicle is pure performance with its 3.5-litre i-VTEC^®V6 engine and a remarkable 279 horsepower, putting you firmly in-charge of the road.  We’ve driven several vehicles, but driving 2016 RDX feels completely effortless.

In addition to its sleek style, the RDX is focused greatly on safety. Its super-aware Lane Departure and Lane Keeping systems ensure you are focused entirely on the road 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), tire-pressure monitoring and front side airbags give us the piece of mind that this car truly has our back.  A rear-view camera with its precise guiding make reversing and parallel parking a real breeze.

The seats were a decadent leather and we love that our Driver’s Seat not only was adjustable eight different ways, but also had a heated/cooling option – v. handy in this grueling summer heat!  The car seats five very comfortably and those in the back also benefit from having their own vents.  The trunk is large and we love that it both opens and closes with the press off a button on the keyless remote.

It’s all about the details for us and we cannot deny that the glorious Acura 360-watt Premium Sound System with SiriusXM gave us sheer joy, but more so, connecting to Spotify on our smartphone was a breeze and when we wanted to listen to our own music, we had that flexibility here. There were charging ports of multiple varieties and this also is extremely important for us.

While the moonroof can be fickle with some manufacturers, Acura makes it a breeze with its one-touch operation.

If the vehicle could be marked against on one thing and one thing only, it would be fuel efficiency, quickly guzzling through a tank at the cost of its high efficiency.  Its fuel economy tallies in at 10.7 litres/100 km.

Driving the 2016 Acura RDX was more than an experience, it was enlightenment!

Learn more about the 2016 and 2017 ACURA RDX right here starting at $42,190 CAN.

It’s sleek. It’s sexy. It glides smooth like silk. The 2016 Acura ILX certainly is a highlight among the many cars I’ve test-driven in recent years. It is one of those rare instances where performance meets style meets value and to be honest, I could see myself driving a beauty like this in the long-term.

With its 2.4-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection DOHC, i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine, the ILX operates at 201 hp @ 6800 rpm and torque at 180 lb.-ft. @ 3600 rpm.  In terms of fuel efficiency, it uses 9.4/6.8/8.2 litres/100 km. Three days of city and highway driving used approximately $25.00 CAN.

Although it sits lower than what we’re used to, it didn’t take long to get acclimated and its seats are highly adjustable, although keeping the speedometer behind the steering wheel in line of sight while requires a fine balance between sitting in comfort and safety.

Let’s talk the fun stuff. I love the tinted moonroof which brightens, while glare-conscious. The touch screen entertainment system was superb with an option for Sirius XM. What I love is that there is a rewind option if you need to listen to something again. The ILX comes with six speakers. Connecting to Bluetooth and audio content on my Android still remains a bit of a challenge. Stay connected and charged also with a USB port under the arm rest.

Adventures through The 6ix with the #AcuraILX! (@acuracanada)

A video posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jun 24, 2016 at 8:52pm PDT

One of my favourite features of the #AcuraILX. (@AcuraCanada)

A video posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jun 27, 2016 at 8:07am PDT

Air conditioning operates powerfully with passenger vents in the roomy back and front.

The 2016 Acura ILX starts at just $31,800. More here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

I recently had the pleasure of driving the 2015 ACURA TLX.  Elegant, sleek and sporty, this affordable beauty features super-handling all-wheel drive for an extra-smooth ride. Operating at 206 hp @ 6800 rpm, I felt fully in-control of the road and felt like a more confident Driver.  Just this past week I had to do quite a bit of highway driving and in one instance, it saved me completely.

It was late at night and my friend lived quite a distance away. All it took was one wrong turn, to lead to another before I found myself lost somewhere in the farm fields of King City.  Trust me, it’s actually quite petrifying for a City Driver not to have a streetlight in sight for miles. Acura‘s super-smart and easy to use navigation system had me literally in and out of the woods, back to the City in no time.  I also couldn’t have done it without those trusty automatic headlights which ensured I had clear sight when I completely was uncertain where I was headed.

Let’s be honest, nobody wants to be on the Don Valley Parkway during these Pan Am Games with those HOV Lanes and that navigation system had me zipping through highways and local routes, arriving to my destinations at a reasonable time.

What I truly love about the TLX is its intuitiveness and user-friendliness.  Non-intrusive flashing lights are concerned for my safety every time another car is getting close in front or to the side. The keyless ignition and push-button shift (verus a traditional stick) certainly are an asset, the latter a bit daunting at first I’ll admit.  I did get the hang of it quickly though. And what did we do before rear-view cameras existed?  Parallel Parking is a breeze now!

The TLX‘s power-Moonroof was no-fuss, adding greatly to the driving experience especially considering how wonderful the weather’s been. The touchscreen navigation panel had me adjusting temperatures and fan speed quickly with the touch of a finger. The leather seats were super-comfy and spacious and I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to leave the car at times!

The engine idle stop option when pressing the breaks for a duration does admittedly take a bit of getting used to and it was a bit frustrating not being able to get my Android phone to connect via Bluetooth nor USB to listen to my tunes, but rest assured SIRIUS XM and the TLX‘s seven-speaker system more than ably kept me entertained!

Learn more about that TLX here!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

This Queen’s Plate weekend, I had the pleasure of Test-Driving the 2013 Acura ILX.  My Parents having driven an Acura Integra growing-up, I knew fully the caliber of Automobile to expect and I definitely couldn’t have made it through this weekend without it.

Stylish, sleek and spacious, with super-quick acceleration and response are words which best describe this fine Car.  Sophisticated  features like Keyless Ignition, one-touch Moonroof, rear-view Camera to assist in reversing and a USB Port makes this the perfect choice for City Drivers whom demand easy navigation and technology.  I love that both Driver and Passenger  have customizable temperature settings, while front and side Airbags mean optimal safety, in addition to it being equipped with a built-in Immobilizer Theft-Deterrent System.  The six-speaker Sound System was superb, allowing me to enjoy MP3s from my Phone.  My most prized Passenger, Billy, comfortably as we zipped through the City, him resting cozily in his seat!

See some Snaps of the Acura ILX below:

Learn more about the Acura ILX right here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)