Why Consumer Reports Called The Acura Slx 'not Acceptable'

Honda's premium section first dipped its firm toes into nan SUV pond successful 1996, erstwhile Acura introduced nan SLX arsenic "the latest section successful nan company's ngo to build nan astir broad luxury import statement successful nan United States." Unfortunately, that section was copied straight from nan Isuzu playbook, since nan SLX was fundamentally an upgraded Isuzu Trooper (which was besides nan root for a rebadge occupation you mightiness not person known existed, nan Honda Horizon). As reported by nan New York Times backmost then, erstwhile Consumer Reports put nan Trooper and SLX done its regular avoidance-maneuvering trial backmost successful nan day, they some flunked. 

In each case, CR said that nan vehicle's extracurricular wheels would time off nan crushed during situations for illustration making a abrupt move to miss an obstacle connected nan road. This put some SUVs astatine a precocious consequence for rolling over. In fact, CR rated them some arsenic flat-out "not acceptable."

It wasn't nan first (or nan last) clip that a conveyance has earned specified a mediocre ranking. The 1988 Suzuki Samurai and 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited, for instance, sewage nan aforesaid marks for nan aforesaid reasons. (That's why Suzuki took Consumer Reports to court for a ineligible conflict that lasted until 2010.) Regardless, pinch that benignant of press, folks didn't precisely flock to nan SLX aft nan study came out. Acura sold only astir 6,590 units during nan model's 4 years of production. The MDX, designed in-house by nan brand, came online arsenic a replacement for 2001.

The emblematic SUV is taller than a emblematic car, which increases its weight and throws disconnected its halfway of gravity. That operation of characteristics that makes astir SUVs much apt to rotation complete than a comparable car; it's not a circumstantial rumor pinch nan SLX aliases Trooper. It's still a interest today, too, arsenic evidenced by caller efforts to guarantee nan Jeep Wrangler doesn't rotation complete arsenic easily. Indeed, it's notable that erstwhile NHTSA took a look astatine nan SLX/Trooper business astatine CR's request, it declined to property guardant pinch a further investigation. A spokesperson moreover told nan L.A. Times, "no, we can't spot that location is simply a defect here."

It's besides worthy pointing retired that CR singled retired Trooper/SLX models from 1995 and 1996, pinch suspensions modified from erstwhile years, arsenic nan problematic vehicles. But statements from nan Orlando Sentinel indicated that Isuzu engineers accounted for this, and that nan halfway of gravity wasn't affected by immoderate suspension upgrades. Additionally, while nan Trooper/SLX suspension was changed again aft nan CR testing, Acura itself did not necktie nan upgrades to nan rollover issue.

The fewer customers who really purchased an SLX seemed beautiful happy, arsenic well, based connected reviews. And Acura itself was capable to put a affirmative rotation connected nan conveyance successful 2019. That twelvemonth brought astir a restomod of an SLX that packed immoderate very modern upgrades.