Skip to main content

For 2019, the Acura ILX gets more pep in its step and a friendlier price

Acura introduced its entry-level model, the ILX, for the 2013 model year. It showed its age five years after its introduction so the Honda-owned firm has made a series of meaningful updates to the sedan for the 2019 model year. It gets a new face, additional technology features, and a friendlier price.

The 2019 ILX is not an all-new model, so it continues to ride on a platform borrowed from the homely ninth-generation Civic, a model no longer in production. Acura nonetheless gave it a front end that falls in line with its latest design language by adopting styling cues such as more swept-back headlights with an intricate, almost robotic look and a sharper grille. Designers also penned a sporty A-Spec package that adds a body kit and edition-specific 18-inch alloy wheels.

The updates continue inside with a new dashboard design and an updated dual-screen infotainment system that Acura promises is about 30 percent faster and more intuitive than before. If you don’t agree, rest assured that the firm offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. That’s just the tech you see — the features you don’t notice are the ones that could save your life. Every 2019 ILX regardless of trim level comes standard with collision mitigation braking, forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control, among other driving aids.

Acura hasn’t made any mechanical modifications to the ILX. Pop the hood and you’ll find a naturally aspirated, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine tuned to make 201 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 180 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. It spins the front wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Though Acura hasn’t released performance specifications, fuel economy checks in at 24 mpg in the city, 34 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg in a combined cycle.

The 2019 Acura ILX is on sale at dealerships across the nation and the first deliveries are scheduled for late October. Pricing starts at $25,900 for a base model before a mandatory $995 destination charge enters the equation. It’s cheaper than its main rivals, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan and the Audi A3, and it’s also more affordable than the outgoing 2018 model, which started at $28,100. At the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive variant of the ILX costs $31,550 before options and destination.

Editors' Recommendations

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Cadillac aims to balance its lineup with a small electric SUV
Exterior of the Cadillac Optiq compact electric SUV.

Cadillac will add an entry-level electric SUV to its lineup in 2024.

The Cadillac Optiq is a "luxury compact SUV" slotting below the Lyriq in the brand's EV hierarchy. Photos released with the brief announcement show styling features that tie the Optiq to the larger Lyriq, such as split taillights, but other details won't be released until closer to the Optiq's launch.

Read more
Why your EV’s voltage matters, and what it means for your car’s charging speed
Front three-quarters view of a 2023 Kia EV6 GT in a desert setting.

Electric cars are slowly, but surely becoming commonplace, and they introduce a whole new generation of specifications that are worth caring about. Range is an obvious one -- but there's another metric that has a major impact on the overall experience of owning an electric car: voltage.

You'll often see the voltage of an electric car's battery pack touted in advertising. Hyundai, for instance, is proud of the 800 -volt battery in cars like the EV6 -- that's double the voltage of the 400V battery in the Tesla Model Y.

Read more
This Milwaukee tire inflator is 59% off in Amazon’s Black Friday Sale
Milwaukee M18 Inflator connected to a van tire.

One of the most rewarding parts of covering Black Friday deals is finding an essential tool at a truly low price that can help our readers get out of a jam. Such is the way with this Milwaukee M18 Inflator, which will inflate your tires to a precise PSI at the touch of a button. This device is perfect for people that already own one of Milwaukee's M18 tool batteries, which is what it uses, but (we'll soon see) it is also a fantastic entry point into using Milwaukee cordless power tools. Normally the Milwaukee M18 Inflator is $310, but you can get one now for $128. That's a savings of $182. Tap the button below to grab one quickly, while they're still in stock, or keep reading for why we like it.

Why you should buy the Milwaukee M18 Inflator
First and foremost, the Milwaukee M18 Inflator provides an easy way for you to inflate your tires in a pinch or awkward situation. It is particularly great for the tires of riding lawnmowers. They tend to be awkward to get to the gas station or other place where you traditionally inflate tires and would be a pain to hand inflate. Usage of the machine is simple. Insert an M18 Milwaukee battery, set the desired PSI for the deflated tire, connect to the tire and wait until it is done inflating. The Milwaukee M18 Inflator will stop pumping air automatically once the ideal PSI is achieved. When you're done, the Milwaukee M18 Inflator is small and easy to tuck away, being about the size of a lunchbox.

Read more