Houston Acura Dealer

What is Super Handling All Wheel Drive?

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:19:45 +0000

Super Handling All Wheel Drive or SH-AWD is Acura’s all wheel drive system which is currently outfitted on the Acura RL, RDX and MDX models.

In conventional all wheel drive system sports a front and rear differential and a center differential that can direct power to the front or rear wheels only depending on where traction is most required.

The disadvantage of this setup is during cornering. In order to compensate, a traction and/or stability control system that provides yaw control is mated or paired to this system.

If and when the steering wheel does not match the actual direction of the vehicle, traction and stability control systems can apply brakes to individual wheels in order to turn the vehicle in the intended direction.

SH-AWD on the other hand has what Acura calls “Torque Vectoring” wherein up to 70 percent of the power can either be directed to the front or rear wheels or if needed to the individual rear wheels.

During cornering, the system reduces understeer by turning the outside rear wheel faster by as much as 5 percent than the rest of the wheels thus rotating the vehicle during the turn and thereby increasing stability.

Your Houston Acura dealer can tell you even more details.

Why Do My Brakes Sometimes Make This Weird Screeching Sound?

admin — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:33:02 +0000

What Acura built into your brake pads is a U shaped piece of metal. It acts like a KISS style reminder that you are nearing the point wherein you need to replace your brake pads. The screeching or squeaking sound you hear is the result of the ends of that U shaped piece of metal coming into contact with the rotating disk.
When the pads are brand new, there is a gap between the rotating disk and that piece of metal. As the pads get worn down, the gap gets smaller and smaller. At first contact, the noise is barely noticeable. With your windows rolled up you won’t even hear it. Pedestrians and people outside might and if you’re lucky, may call your attention to it. As the pads get thinner and thinner, contact between the rotating disk and that piece of metal becomes more pronounced, and that screeching sound you hear becomes more and more audible. There would be just a few millimeters left between of brake padding and the metal plate where the actual pad is attached.
Now, is it still safe to drive? Yes but I would not postpone replacing the brake pads for too long. Nor would I take the vehicle on long drives either. Bear in mind that the louder the screeching sound gets the thinner are your brake pads. If you really must continue to put off replacing the pads, avoid rapid deceleration as well as this wears out the pads faster. Again it is very unadvisable to ignore this sound. It really is a warning to the driver that the brake pads need to be replaced immediately and always replace them with original or Acura approved brake pads. Note that once the brake pad material is totally worn out, the metal plate where the pad material was bonded to will come into direct contact with the rotating disk which at the very least will damage the disk and add to the cost of repairs. Worst case scenario? Don’t wait to find out. Check with the service department at your local Houston Acura Dealer.

How Does The 2010 Acura Stand Up To The BMW X6?

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:56:29 +0000

There really isn’t that much info yet on the specs of the 2010 Acura ZDX which was launched just last month at the New York International Auto Show.

I realize that there’re a lot of unknowns but with what we do know and gathered from trustworthy sources, leaves room for us to make a couple of smart, somewhat accurate guesses or assumptions.

Dimensions wise, not much separates the two except in height.

Now Kobe or a lot of other people won’t have a problem getting in the X6 but then again a lot of other people would appreciate the lower stance of the ZDX.

What we’ve heard but have not yet gotten absolute confirmation is that the Acura ZDX will be getting the same 3.7 liter, V6 VTEC engine that now powers the MDX.

If this is the case then it would be almost safe to assume that we can look forward to at least 300hp at 6000 rpm or thereabouts.

The ZDX will be sporting a 6 speed automatic transmission with Sequential SportShift.

On the outside both the ZDX and the X6 sport practically the same flowing roofline that identifies the vehicle as a Sports Activity Coupe.

But this is where the similarity ends.

The ZDX has a panoramic glass roof where “Glass extends in one graceful curve from the base of the windshield to the rear of the bumper, so both front and rear passengers enjoy a view of the sky and beyond.” Let’s just hope you still enjoy the view during the summer months.

What Will Acura’s New Flagship Model Be?

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:19:18 +0000

Designed by ZDX exterior designer Michelle Christensen of the Art Center College of Design, the 2010 Acura ZDX will be new flagship vehicle, knocking the 7 seater MDX down a notch.

The 28-year-old Christensen adds “From the very first sketch of the ZDX, I wanted to create an emotional vehicle that challenged conventional thinking of what a sports coupe should be.”

Launched at the New York International Auto Show last April, the ZDX according to VP for Sales Jeff Conrad “takes the best attributes of a stylish coupe, a versatile sedan and a flexible SUV – and successfully blends them into a head-turning vehicle for active and adventurous individuals to explore their passions.”

With the ZDX, Acura is sailing into unknown waters as this is its first offering into an entirely new sales area for the brand.

Mum’s the word for the moment when it comes to performance details.

What we do know is that it will be getting 3.5-liter V-6 engine with the new 6-speed Sequential SportShift automatic transmission and naturally, Acura’s trademark SH-AWD system.

If looks were the sole judge, the ZDX will definitely give the BMW X6 and Infiniti’s FX stiff competition.

Indeed “provocative styling, contemporary luxury, and meticulous refinement” are rather obvious at first glance.

From the Panoramic glass roof to the Coupe roofline, the ZDX does as Michelle puts it “My goal was to create a strikingly beautiful exterior, and use that attraction to help draw you into the rich interior.”

On the inside, you eyes automatically take in the fine leather on the door panels, the dash, and center console.

Also new is the mono surfaced control panel that lights up when the vehicle is powered up.

The rear seatbacks can be folded down for additional cargo space with three covered storage areas.
Scheduled to be out this fall.

This said I wonder who’s next?

What Does The Future Hold For Acura?

admin — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:27:19 +0000

To some, when a new product comes out it’s called the original and anything that comes out later are called copycats.

Call it what you like, but it looks like the 2010 Acura ZDX is going to give the BMW X6 a run for its money.

The exterior was designed by Michelle Christensen, a 25-year-old recent graduate from the Art Center College of Design and according to Michelle, her aim was ‘to create an emotional vehicle that challenged conventional thinking of what a sports coupe should be.

Unveiled at the New York International Auto Show last month, the ZDX looks somewhat like its rival the X6 albeit this new beast looks both muscular and elegant all at once.

According to Acura, the ZDX is a 5 passenger sports coupe as opposed to the X6 that can seat only 4 and is based on the MDX platform.

It will be powered by a V6 (most probably MDX’s 3.7 liter) engine and mated to an all-new six-speed automatic transmission and Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system (SH-AWD).

No word yet on performance as the Acura team is still keeping this secret.

Dimension wise, the ZDX is bigger than the X6 but just by a few inches.

On the outside one notices the 20 inch, 9 spoke wheels and chromed dual exhausts at the back.

Probably one of the most striking features is the panoramic glass roof that smoothly curves from the base of the windshield to the rear of the bumper, allowing both front and rear passengers a view of the sky.

This could prove to be both a blessing and a curse depending on the time of year.

Most probably more of the latter if someone decides to bring the ZDX back to the tropics.

Rear door handles aren’t visible since the designers cleverly hid the handles in the base of the C pillar.

Want To Know More About The 2009 Acura RL?

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:50:28 +0000

A friend of mine is considering buying the 2009 Acura RL and asked me to accompany her to the dealer and give the car a once over.

At first glance, the thing you notice is the redesigned hood, nose, tail, rocker panels and the trunk lid.

The wheels were widened to 18 from 17 inches and there’s a larger rear stabilizer bar.

On the inside, the front seats now sport an eight way power adjustment plus lumbar compared to four from the previous model.

Heated front seats are now standard and a ventilation function not previously offered is included with the tech package.

Also new in the tech package is the real time traffic rerouting system.

Real wood dashboard trim and the automatic shift gate now sports a better looking leather knob which is now linear by the way.

A lot of the changes were a bit superficial-a couple of buttons were shaped differently and the steering wheel has imitation wood at the top and bottom.

Speaking of steering wheels, if the F 22 Raptor had a steering wheel instead of a stick, this would be it.

I counted 14 buttons and a blank and this is not including the shift paddles.

There was a slight increase in length at the back, giving rear passengers slightly more legroom.

Under the hood I was surprised to find a 3.7 liter, 300hp VTEC V6 engine instead of last years’ 290hp 3.5 liter which I expected.

The 09 RL has Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive or SH-AWD, which is an upgraded version of its’ all-wheel drive system.

Unlike the older version wherein power can be shifted front to back, the SH-AWD can direct it to the individual rear wheels.

So during cornering if you were to gun it, the system will direct more power to the outside rear wheel than the inside which will essentially cancel out any understeer or oversteer and if I’m not mistaken, Acura is the first one to do this.

Get the lowest quote from the Houston Acura Dealer.

Why Is There Such A Huge Difference Between The MSRP And The True Cost To Own Of A Car?

admin — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:31:28 +0000

Incidentally I’m looking at the Acura TSX 5 speed AT.
MSRP or Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price is the suggested price by the manufacturer to the dealer/retailer. Also known as sticker price, this is usually what you see stuck on the windshield of the car on display at the dealership. The MSRP can be considered as the “asking price” of the dealer and this is where the haggling begins. What the MSRP does not cover however are transportation to the dealership cost, registration, miscellaneous fees and taxes and this varies from state to state.
Total Cost to Own or TCO is the more realistic price. This takes into consideration several factors such as cost of fuel, insurance, financing, maintenance and the like over a span of 5 years. It may be that you may be able to afford the car but you can’t afford to run it.
Since you’re decided on the Acura TSX, and if you are really concerned about the TCO, then I would get the TSX without the Tech Package. Why? For one thing, depreciation over 5 years for the non tech packaged TSX is lower by about $2400. Add on the lower cost of financing, insurance and taxes well, it may not be much but after 5 years and you’re looking to sell your car, every cent counts. This plus the fact that the “Technology Package” won’t be that hi-tech 5 years from now.

Have You Looked At The Acura RDX?

admin — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 03:20:10 +0000

On the market for a new vehicle, I decided to give the 2009 Acura RDX with the Technology Package a look over. As luck would have it, I had a buddy who owns an 08 RDX drive me to an Acura dealer in town. Having the ability to compare the two side-by-side was great. Looking at both of them, there is not much difference between the 08 and 09 RDXs. In fact you could say that they’re practically identical save for a few things that I doubt anyone would notice. Curb weight is lower by 40 lbs, rear legroom is 0.10 inches longer than the 08 and exterior length for the 09 is 0.30 inches shorter than its predecessor (duh!).
The RDX isn’t much of a head turner. Not exactly boring but it just doesn’t seem to make a statement. Some say that its 18 inch tires are a saving grace. Looking at the inside though is a different story and you must appreciate Acura’s attention to detail. Leather trim and breathable perforated leather on both front and rear seats, user friendly controls, the huge center console, that big interface dial for the navigation system You still see the same user friendly controls.
Looking at the interior The 09 now comes with a Passenger Multi-Adjustable Power Seat. It still doesn’t have the front side airbag that provides head protection. But what it does have though is the same efficient turbocharged, 16 valve, DOHC, IVTEC inline 4 engine that still produces 240 horsepower. This coupled with Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) technology makes the RDX a very nimble beast. Though not really meant to go off road (no skid plates to rock strikes), it’s agility on the pavement and perhaps gravel roads are a statement in itself.

Acura or Honda?

admin — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 14:57:35 +0000

I had a couple of weeks of vacation time and decided to go abroad. My first week was in Hong Kong and now I’m in the Philippines. The weather here is great-the total opposite of the winter temperatures we have back home.

Cars here are the same. You have your Suburbans, Expeditions and Beamers. Then again some that we don’t have: AUVs or Asian Utility Vehicles. To me they seem like the offspring of a marriage between a 80’s minivan and a mini SUV. The one thing I didn’t see here were Acuras.

Acuras in other parts of the world are actually Hondas.

The Acura brand is sold only in Japan and North America. The reason for the rebranding was Hondas answer to their fear of being regarded as a line of “economy” vehicles, even for the Accords and to some extent Civics which are their higher end products. This concern was shared by the other top Japanese car makers-Toyota and Nissan. Hence we have the Lexus (Toyota) and Infiniti (Nissan).

Back home we have the RL, TL, TSX, MDX and RDX models. Here they have the Accord, Civic, Jazz, City, CR-V and Pilot. Acuras are actually based on the Accord and Civic platforms. The Jazz by the way is the “Fit” back home. The “City” is something I don’t think we have. It comes with either a 1.3 or 1.5 iVTEC engine and cranks out 100hp for the 1.3 and 120hp for the 1.5.

Why Do The brakes On My Acura Sometimes Make This Weird Screeching Sound?

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:05:20 +0000

Built into your brake pads on your Acura is this U shaped piece of metal.

Acura came up with a KISS style reminder that you need to replace your brake pads.

The screeching or squeaking sound you hear is the result of the ends of that U shaped piece of metal coming into contact with the rotating disk.

When the pads are brand new, there is a space between the rotating disk and that piece of metal.

As the pads get worn down, this space gets smaller and smaller.

At first the noise is barely noticeable. But as the pads get thinner and thinner, contact between the rotating disk and that piece of metal becomes more prominent, and that screeching sound you hear becomes more and more audible.

It is very unadvisable to ignore this sound. It really is a warning to the driver.

Best thing to do is not to ignore it and head over to the nearest Acura dealer’s service shop and get the pads replaced immediately.

Friendly reminder: make sure that you get original Acura pads and parts.