davyjordi

well, my mom said absolutely no to the korean offerings that had been discussed in the previous thread. unfortunate as that may be, my mom is highly interested in the 2016 acura ilx. i was wondering what the community's thoughts were on the car as well as how much i should negotiate with a price of around 19-20k$. please help me out! i would be incredibly grateful.

thanks,

jordi

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

All I know is that the 2016 ILX was the refreshed version. Better styling than the 2013 IMO. Standard 2.4L I4 and 8-speed dual clutch vs the old 2.0L unit. JewelEye headlights are available. Some upgraded interior materials as well. ILX takes a beating in reviews and stuff, but it's not a terrible car, there are just better cars out there. It's like a premium last platform Civic.

davyjordi

thanks, hoovey, for the response -- greatly appreciated. the ilx is a tarted up civic, but you're right, it isn't a terrible car. another car that my mom is highly interested in is the 2015 audi a3 or the a4 depending on availability. has audi really stepped up their game in terms of long-term reliability? or would that be a terrible car to choose.

davyjordi

^^^also, diesel or petrol for the audi a3? sorry for all of the questions, i'm just really lost over here. thanks in advance for your assistance.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

My best friends gf has a 2016 A3. Overall a nice little car. The exterior fit and finish has been a little disappointing with some panels becoming misaligned and some chrome strips and rain guards falling apart. Another friend has a 2014 A4 Avant and at 20,000 miles it needed new piston rings from it's 2.0T. I'm not sold on Audi, but I've driven some of their S and RS models and they are a hoot, I can understand why someone would risk the reliability factor.

davyjordi

thanks again, hoovey, for your response. i hold the opinions of this particular forum in very high regard. that aside, i don't want to put my mom into a money pit, so i'm hoping some other members can chime in on audi's reliability as my mom really likes the a3.

mmarshall

IMO, in a number of ways, it's hard to go wrong with the ILX. I think that, in that small-upmarket sedan class, both the Audi A3 and Buick Verano drive better, with less noise, but neither can match the Acura reliability.....particularly with the engine. The ILX also has the added bonus of not having sold well as a new car, so that means generally steep depreciation it and potential deals as a used car. It could (?) also, though mean less of them actually for sale on the used-carmarket, and of having to search a little more for one.

davyjordi

hi mike! thanks for your expertise commentary -- very greatly appreciated. i'm torn because the ilx is the logical choice, although my mom prefers the a3 over it and i'm not too keen on potentially putting her into a money pit in terms of reliability.

mmarshall

The A3 is not necessarily a money pit....and, of course, since you are looking at a 2-3 year-old model, unless it has an excessive number of miles on it for its age, it will probably have at least some of Audi's standard 4/50 factory warranty. But that 4/50 warranty (which also covers Roadside Assistance), like that of other German brands, does not include a longer one for the drivetrain like American/Japanese/Korean brands do, and there may (?) be some limits on its transferability to a second owner. One thing, of course, that will help, is that recent Audis, according to Consumer Reports, have been significantly more reliable than some of their predecessors...but, remember, you are also dealing with a corporation (VW/Audi) that has also been implicated in a major scandal, if your mom chooses a diesel A3.

https://www.audiusa.com/content/dam/...ation-2014.pdf

Also, if reliability is a big factor (and, yes, your mom's security on the road is an issue....I fully agree), for what the price of a good used A3 would be (particularly for a CPO, which typically costs more), why not look at a brand-new Toyota Corolla?...it's about the same size. Base models start around 19K or so......less than that for the Toyota Yaris, which starts in the 15-16K range, though I don't think your mom would like the Yaris as much...it's rather stark and crude.

davyjordi

thanks again, mike, for your response. i do think that audi have made considerable gains in terms of long-term reliability and that is why i haven't shut her off from that option. that said, she has to have a say in the decision, even if i'm the one footing the bill and a toyota corolla just won't do. she would like something a bit more premium. that aside, that leaves me with the ilx, the ct200h, and the a3 and she favours the a3. :sigh:

Fizzboy7

For the price and year she is considering, I think a smarter choice would be a year or two old Accord or Camry. Or for a few thousand more, a brand new version of either of those. Both give you more car for the money than what the ILX offers. But if she has her heart set on a luxury brand label, the ILX should prove to be safe, reliable, comfortable, and lasting.
Any German model should be had with a long warranty. Yes Audi has improved, but things still deteriorate four to five years into ownership and they are costly to service.

mmarshall

I won't necessarily try and make the decision for you, but, perhaps, if it is an A3 she wants, then maybe she should have one. After all, she is your mother.....you would not be here if not for her. After all she did for you in the past, a nice A3 may be a suitable way of saying "Thank You"

....and Fizzboy may have a point about the extended warranty.

davyjordi

thanks to all who have contributed -- all very greatly appreciated. yes, i do think that if my mom has her sights set on the a3 then that's what she should get. that said, a 2015 model year is to be four years old in just a few months and with fizz' commentary on reliability tanking after about this time, i'd think it best to get an ilx over the a3. to mike's point on the camry or the accord, those simply won't do for my mom. she is a bit of a brand snob, unvofgunagrlly. that said, i do love her very much and think that if she wants something a bit premium, then she should get something a bit premium. i'm leaning toward the ilx, although i have a lot of contemplation to do. anyhow, thanks again to all who contributed as it really helps me out a ton. oh, i almost forgot that she also likes the ct200h and while that isn't something i would choose for myself, it would be rock solid reliability wise.

bagwell

Make sure she drives a ct200h, they're slower than the other cars mentioned above (could be a factor merging onto a freeway).

davyjordi

thank you, bagwell. i will have her test drive a ct. i know that it's painfully slow, although i know my mom and i also know that she wouldn't mind. i actually owned a ct for a brief period of time, so she has some experience with it.
;