2018 Acura ILX Review

Name: 2018 Acura ILX Review
Brand: Acura

Price Range: $13,500 - $20,990

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$17,465 avg. price

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Edmunds' Expert Review

by Mark Takahashi^{Correspondent
Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the Edmunds YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.}

Pros

Strong feature content for the price
Precise steering feel
Good crash test scores

Cons

Unrefined ride quality
Interior accommodations fall short of expectations
Below average performance
Technology interface can be clumsy

What’s new

A new Special Edition package with minor cosmetic additions debuts. Otherwise, the ILX returns unchanged.

Vehicle overview

In regards to price and feature content, the 2018 Acura ILX undercuts other entry-level luxury sedans by a considerable margin. That alone should get shoppers' attention. Unfortunately, the notion of value begins to fade when you realize that the ILX falls well short of the standards set by its more expensive rivals. The ride quality is overly stiff, the interior lacks refinement, the engine is comparably weak and the infotainment system leaves much to be desired. For these reasons, we don't consider it worthy of competing against Audi, Mercedes or BMW. Instead, we think of the ILX as a slightly nicer Honda Civic.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale nearby

28 listings

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2018 Acura ILX
Premium Package Sedan
$14,698
fair price
$316 below market
- 93,500 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use
- 25 City / 35 Hwy MPG
- Driveway (25 mi away)
- Home delivery*
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Leather Seats
- Sunroof/Moonroof
- Keyless Entry/Start
Close
Located in Maplewood, NJ
CarFax No Accidents Reported,Rare Find,Back-Up Camera,Blind Spot Monitor,Bluetooth,Brake Assist,Heated Seats,Keyless Start,Leather Seats,Satellite Rad...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
29 Combined MPG (25 City/35 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: 19UDE2F74JA008800
Stock: S2057275AB
Certified Pre-Owned: No
New Listing
2018 Acura ILX
Technology Plus and A-SPEC Packages Sedan
$17,995
fair price
$1,645 below market
- 65,425 miles
- No accidents, 2 owners, personal use only
- 25 City / 35 Hwy MPG
- Automotive Avenues (12 mi away)
- Home delivery*
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Sunroof/Moonroof
- Keyless Entry/Start
Close
Located in Wall, NJ
Just arrived is this outstandingly fuel efficient, NO-ACCIDENT, NONSMOKER 2018 Acura ILX with Technology Plus and A-SPEC packages! It boasts class-lea...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
29 Combined MPG (25 City/35 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: 19UDE2F86JA009293
Stock: 53912A
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 06-10-2025

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Edmunds' Expert Rating

6.9 / 10

On the surface, the Acura ILX has a lot appeal, especially when it comes to value compared to other entry-level luxury sedans. Unfortunately, it doesn't match other luxury brands for quality and ends up feeling more like a slightly nicer Honda Civic.

Trim tested

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2016 Acura ILX Technology Plus Package (2.4L inline-4 | 8-speed dual-clutch automatic | FWD).

Scorecard

Overall	6.9 / 10
Driving	7.0
Comfort	6.5
Interior	6.5

Driving

7.0

The ILX is available with only one powertrain, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 201 horsepower mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. It's about midpack acceleration-wise. Handling is decent, but at-the-limit responses should be better for a sport sedan.

Acceleration

6.5

With a 0-60 mph time of 6.9 seconds, the ILX is slower than the Audi A3 and Mercedes CLA 250. Power feels soft at low rpm, and the automatic upshifts early, keeping revs low. The engine sounds great at high rpm, though.

Braking

7.5

It stopped in a straight and controlled manner during our 60-0 mph panic test with some minor pedal fade on later stops. The brakes felt strong enough around town. The pedal is a bit soft, but the action isn't the least bit touchy.

Steering

8.0

Steering is direct if lacking the precise feedback enthusiastic drivers crave. It goes where it's pointed with an intuitively quick turn-in when driven below its rather modest grip limits. The thick-rimmed steering wheel feels good in your hands.

Handling

7.5

It feels sporty up to a certain point. It turns into corners with some eagerness and stays planted and secure. The suspension copes well with minor bumps. Near its grip limits, it becomes considerably less responsive to driver inputs.

Drivability

6.5

The transmission can get confused at low speeds, and there were some midthrottle hiccups leaving a stop. We needed two downshifts to maintain 70 mph on a grade. The cruise control overshoots by up to 7 mph.

Comfort

6.5

Although the ILX's front seats are comfortable and should fit a wide variety of bodies, they're completely lacking in lateral support, which is odd for a luxury or sport sedan aimed at enthusiastic drivers. Ride quality can be surprisingly bad over bumpy surfaces.

Seat comfort

7.5

The front seats are comfortable; the cushions are firm but not overly so. The seats are wide and flat with near-zero lateral support. The door armrests are hard and positioned too low. The rear seats have soft cushions with decent contouring.

Ride comfort

5.0

It seems hard to believe Acura could get the ride-to-handling compromise so wrong, but it did. The ILX is stiff-legged in general, and big highway bumps will literally bounce you out of your seat. Tall folks will hit their head on the ceiling.

Noise & vibration

6.0

Either the tires are really noisy or there's minimal sound deadening because there's considerable noise in the cabin. The engine can be heard often, and the transmission causes vibrations at lower speeds. The engine is never thrashy and sounds great above 4,500 rpm.

Interior

6.5

Honda/Acura keeps clinging to its central dual-screen infotainment setup. And we keep disliking having to look at two different screens. Headroom is lacking front and rear, partly because the ILX comes with a sunroof. Outward visibility is excellent for the segment.

Ease of use

6.0

The gauges are clear and legible, and the climate control knobs and buttons are well marked and placed for easy operation. The secondary controls on the steering wheel and center stack take some getting used to.

Getting in/getting out

7.0

The front doors are large and open wide. You have to duck your head a bit, but overall it's a decent entryway for the class. The rear doors don't open as wide; you really have to duck your head to miss the roof.

Roominess

5.5

Headroom is tight front and rear for anyone near average height. The standard sunroof doesn't help matters. Rear legroom is reasonable, and footroom under the front seats is excellent.

Visibility

8.5

The windshield pillars partially obstruct through corners due to the high driving position. Otherwise pillars are narrow all around. The rear three-quarter view is excellent, and the side views are good despite the short windows. Wide-angle backup camera.

Quality

6.0

The interior doesn't give off same quality vibe as Audi, BMW, Mercedes. There's a fair amount of hard plastic trim, though most controls have reasonably good action. Soft-touch dash. We heard a couple of creaks from some trim pieces.

Utility

The door pockets, which are placed well forward, are too small. The front bin is tiny but has a security door. The center armrest bin is large. The cupholders make an attempt at anti-tip function. The trunk is competitive at 12.3 cubic feet, but the pass-through opening is tiny.

Technology

We don't love the stacked dual-screen infotainment setup. The top one is far away, though it's well-shrouded to prevent issues with glare. The bottom screen has low-rent graphics but the buttons react well.

Compare 2018 Acura ILX trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

2018 Acura ILX models

The 2018 Acura ILX is an entry-level luxury sedan that is available in seven different trims: base, a new Special Edition, AcuraWatch Plus, Premium, Premium A-Spec, Tech Plus and Tech Plus A-Spec. All trims are powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (201 horsepower, 180 pound-feet of torque) that sends power to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The base ILX comes with 17-inch wheels, automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, heated mirrors, keyless entry and ignition, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, simulated leather upholstery, heated front seats, an eight-way power driver sport seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a folding rear seatback, a rearview camera, limited text messaging functions, Bluetooth phone and streaming audio, and a six-speaker stereo with active noise cancellation, streaming internet radio and USB/auxiliary input.

The Special Edition trim adds 18-inch wheels, extended side sills and the rear spoiler from the A-Spec package. The AcuraWatch Plus trim starts with the base trim's features and adds adaptive cruise control, a forward collision warning and mitigation system, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation and an updated driver information screen.

The Tech Plus includes all of the AcuraWatch Plus items along with a multiview rear camera and a 10-speaker premium audio system. The Premium reverts back to the base trim features and adds an iPhone-based navigation system and a seven-speaker audio system. Both the Tech Plus and Premium trim levels also include leather upholstery, a four-way power front passenger seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, Siri Eyes Free phone control, a universal garage door opener, a touchscreen display, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, satellite and HD radio, and additional internet music apps.

The A-Spec is added to either the Tech Plus or Premium models and includes the Special Edition content as well as foglights, suede seat inserts with contrasting stitching, a dark headliner and metal sport pedals.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2018 Acura ILX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 8AM) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.84 per gallon for premium unleaded in New Jersey.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in New Jersey

$163/mo

$157/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

4.5/5Excellent

#1 out of 26 among Luxury Compact Cars

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Acura ILX from 2008-2022.}

$372/yr

vs. $554/yr
for Average Luxury Compact Car

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

0.86x/yr

vs. 1.57x/yr
for Average Luxury Compact Car

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

4.4%

vs. 11.1%
for Average Luxury Compact Car

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Acura ILX Reviews

Owner Reviews

3.8

26 reviews

5(54%)

4(19%)

3(3%)

2(5%)

1(19%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Very good car for the money

Fred, 09/20/2018

2018 Acura ILX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 8AM)

I always admired this car when I saw it driving or parked. So I went to the dealer to test drive it. I was impressed with acceleration, steering feel, handling and overall ride. The interior is not luxurious but it has a sporty upscale aura to it. The exterior lines and design also look quite sporty . I ended up leasing it for much less than the competition (Audi A3, BMW 3 series, …

Snazzy Little Car

Tricia, 07/20/2017

2017 Acura ILX Technology Plus Package 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 8AM)

When we decided to buy a new car we looked at the Honda Accord, Subaru Legacy and the ILX. The Subaru had a lot of safety features but wasn't very attractive. Honda surprisingly didn't ride that smoothly and if I wanted all the bells and whistle was very pricey. We have a 2006 TL and it has been a great car so we decided to look at Acura and the last car we saw was the ILX and it was …

Love/Hate

Graham, 05/02/2019

2018 Acura ILX Premium and A-SPEC Packages 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 8AM)

Last June 2019 I sold my ILX lease to Carvana and pretty much broke even financially. The reason for that is I got my hands on a 2014 Acura TSX Tech package with 29k miles, black/black. The car had one owner, clean CarFax, certified, and Acura dealer maintained. I would say finding a 5-year-old car with all that is a rare find. I love having another TSX and the reliability, handling, …

Great car at a fantastic price

Victoria Smyth, 09/09/2017

2017 Acura ILX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 8AM)

I bought this car to replace a 2001 Integra. This car is different (let's face it. There are few cars available today which are going to handle like the Integra.). Most modern vehicles have electric steering (ugh) and McPherson struts or something similar. The double wishbone is gone for the most part. HOWEVER, although this car is different, it is still a lot of fun to drive. It …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Acura ILX, so we've included reviews for other years of the ILX since its last redesign.

See all 26 reviews of the Acura ILX

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2018 ILX Highlights

Trim:

Base

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$28,100
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	29 MPG
Cost to Drive	$163/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	12.3 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the ILX models:

Collision Mitigation Braking System: Warns if a frontal collision is imminent and will apply the brakes if the driver doesn't respond in time.
Lane Keeping Assist System: Warns if you are drifting out of your lane without signaling and will nudge the car back if no action is taken.
Blind Spot Information System: Indicates if a car is lurking in your blind spot and will beep if you signal for a lane change in that direction.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover10.7%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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