Fort Worth News

Fort Worth News

Fort Worth News

Fort Worth News

Fort Worth News

Fort Worth News

2013 Acura ILX

Do the bones of a Honda Civic make a decent Acura? Yes.

I drove the ILX for a week and my conclusion is yes. A big thumbs up for this small luxury car.

This is the brand new, entry level Acura that comes with three engine choices: a 150 horsepower engine and five speed automatic, which I drove, a hybrid that gets around 39 miles per gallon, or the 201 horsepower Civic/Acura with a six-speed manual. This engine will squeeze out 24 miles per gallon in the city and 35 on the highway. And it’s quite peppy connected to the automatic transmission with sequential sports shift.

The interior is handsome and well done. Good solid and soft materials, a great navigation screen and rear camera. There’s no trace of the low rent materials found in the Honda Civic. The seats are very cushy and supportive and the tech package includes seat heaters.

The rear seating is roomy for a car this size and the flat four makes riding shotgun a pleasant experience. The trunk is large enough for golf clubs and a Costco run. All the controls have a solid feel. This is a very nice steering wheel and the mounted controls are well laid out.

To power up, you push a very classy start‐stop button. The ride is smooth thanks to the four‐wheel, independent, double‐wishbone front suspension and the four-wheel disc brakes are more than competent. The new corporate grill is a step in the right direction. Overall, this Acura ILX with a $31,000 sticker price just might win over the 20 to 30 year old, ‘youth with maturity,’ market. That’s what Acura is betting on.

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Mike West has been on the air in Seattle for more than 30 years as part of Seattle’s best morning show teams. He also did mornings on KLOS Los Angeles for a little over a year before returning to Seattle. He currently hosts Breakfast With The Beatles every Sunday morning on the CBS Seattle station KZOK, 102.5 FM.

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Fort Worth News

Fort Worth News

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW) TxDOT is updating its longstanding motto “Drive Friendly” to remind drivers that driving friendly is all about driving safely with its new campaign – “Drive Friendly. Drive Safe.”

Because road conditions are constantly changing it’s important to remain alert at all times when driving – adjusting your speed as appropriate.

PLAY: Julie Fisk’s traffic blog for CBSDFW

Download: 8-13-12-txdot.mp3

Also as students are returning to school, and throughout the year, remember to watch for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Year round, TxDOT is working to improve roadways with upgrades and repairs; this work can result in lane closures or a reduction in shoulder width, so drivers must continuously scan the road ahead looking for work zones and adjusting their path or speed accordingly.

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2012 Ford Focus Titanium

The Ford Titanium is made of steel, aluminum and plastic as far as I can tell. Our daughter’s first car was a 2001 Focus. She still drives it, and she still likes it. And it’s been trouble-free.

This Focus is still fun to drive and economical, but Ford has upped their game in the quality and technology department. Small cars don’t mean bare bones these days. This Focus is packed with a lot of whiz-bang electronics and stuff like a capless fuel filler.

Let’s focus on the interior. With the Titanium, you get remote, keyless entry, power-door locks and my car came with Fords MyKey, SYNC My Ford Touch Satellite Radio and a very nice sounding Sony Premium Audio System, plus heated seats. This stuff takes a while to get the hang of, even for a tech geek like me.

The two liter, four-cylinder engine makes 160 horsepower. The six-speed transmission is a dual-clutch power shift automatic. I’m warning you that this is a whole new type of transmission. It feels like a manual when it shifts. At low speeds it’s kind of jerky. I think the transmission needs a little tweaking.

Overall, Ford has a hit with this all-new Focus. It’s great looking and it drives extremely well. For a car in this segment, it’s brilliant. It feels like a much more expensive vehicle. If they can just tweak and smooth out the duel clutch transmission, it would be a nearly perfect car.

Specs

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Mike West has been on the air in Seattle for more than 30 years as part of Seattle’s best morning show teams. He also did mornings on KLOS Los Angeles for a little over a year before returning to Seattle. He currently hosts Breakfast With The Beatles every Sunday morning on the CBS Seattle station KZOK, 102.5 FM.

Go to News Source

Fort Worth News