"ACURA CSX"

[regfootball]

canadian driver

a sad car, made even sicker with the rebadge

[Robert Hall]

It's Acura's Pursuit.

[siegen]

That's Canadia for ya.

[Flybrian]

Still hillarious.

[frogger]

The real question, is it professional grade?

[Dragon]

at least its more differentiated from the Civic than the EL's were

[Sixty8panther]

Freekin' pathetic, but I expect nothing less from this crappy company.

[Croc]

Further proof that Canadian auto reviews are worthless on account of the whole "politeness" thing that prevents them from writing criticisms on paper...instead making one have to read between the lines. Too ambiguous IMO...

OK so here's a fact: not every car is good. Some actually suck. A lot. To Canadian writers: a car is an inanimate object that does not have feelings. You can rip it if you want. I promise it won't go all Christine on you.

[Polish_Kris]

To Canadian writers: a car is an inanimate object that does not have feelings.  You can rip it if you want.  I promise it won't go all Christine on you.

Oh yes Croc, but when car journalists rip apart a GM product, you consider that unfair.

[Northstar]

Oh yes Croc, but when car journalists rip apart a GM product, you consider that unfair.

Umm, Croc rips GM products himself sometimes.

[regfootball]

Still hillarious.

yeah, I've been away for 12 hours, I just checked back, and I'm still laughing!

Edited February 25, 2006 by regfootball

[regfootball]

Further proof that Canadian auto reviews are worthless on account of the whole "politeness" thing that prevents them from writing criticisms on paper...instead making one have to read between the lines.  Too ambiguous IMO...

OK so here's a fact: not every car is good.  Some actually suck.  A lot.  To Canadian writers: a car is an inanimate object that does not have feelings.  You can rip it if you want.  I promise it won't go all Christine on you.

if it gets good mpg, and is cheap, Canadians are all over it.

[regfootball]

i don't ever want to hear any comments ever again from anyone about GM and their rebadging their cars. this proves that Honda does the same crap. TSX/*cough* accord anyone?

[Croc]

Oh yes Croc, but when car journalists rip apart a GM product, you consider that unfair.

Umm, Croc rips GM products himself sometimes.

Yea, Polish_Kris...why don't you check out that Lucerne thread? Moron.

[Croc]

i don't ever want to hear any comments ever again from anyone about GM and their rebadging their cars.  this proves that Honda does the same crap.  TSX/*cough* accord anyone?

Sorry, reg, I am an equal-opportunity bitcher. I think it's horrible when Acura does it, Pontiac, etc. The only time I give it a pass is with Mercury because I like Mercury's styling vocabulary much more than I like Ford's, though admittedly Ford's has been pretty good lately. Also, the pricing with Ford and Mercury is nearly identical.

[siegen]

i don't ever want to hear any comments ever again from anyone about GM and their rebadging their cars.  this proves that Honda does the same crap.  TSX/*cough* accord anyone?

Well as long as they aren't doing it here, I don't care. And yes you're still going to hear comments about how GM rebadges their cars. Let's see, Honda of Canada rebadges ONE car, and you think they're on the same level as GM when it comes to rebadgings?

At least they used the JDM style head & tail lights.

[BlkHhr104]

Thats not as bad as Ford, did anyone relize that Mercury's line-up are all rebadged fords.

[Croc]

Thats not as bad as Ford, did anyone relize that Mercury's line-up are all rebadged fords.

Mercury vehicles are not straight rebadges. The changes are pretty minimal, but there are changes in sheetmetal/styling...To me it's only a rebadge if the two cars' only points of difference are 100% interchangeable parts (same headlight/taillight shape with different detailing, body colored vs black rub strips, etc) and badging.

[Flybrian]

Mercury vehicles are not straight rebadges.  The changes are pretty minimal, but there are changes in sheetmetal/styling...To me it's only a rebadge if the two cars' only points of difference are 100% interchangeable parts (same headlight/taillight shape with different detailing, body colored vs black rub strips, etc) and badging.

Enter Grand Marquis/Crown Victoria.

The only real 'rebadges' in the GM lineup today are the CSVs and TB/Envoy/Rainier. Chevy/GMC in general gets a pass for reasons discussed many times in multiple threads.

[Northstar]

Actually, I'd say the 360s aren't really rebadges. They're quite different in terms of sheetmetal and styling. The Cobalt/G5/Pursuit is a rebadge, as are the CSVs. GMC and Chevy used to be rebadges, but I'd say only the Canyon and Colorado are now. The Yukon and Tahoe front ends are quite different.

[Croc]

The TB/Envoy/Rainier are not straight rebadges. They do not share any sheetmetal except for roof panels. Lutz said that he didn't believe that it was worth GM's while to spend such a large amount of money on product differentiation for those kind of programs when they all ended up looking essentially the same anyways. EDIT: Northie beat me to it.

You are right about the GM/CV, though that is a pretty recent development. They used to have differentiated exterior styling until the last major redesign (1998?)

Edited February 25, 2006 by Croc

[Flybrian]

Yeah, my bad about the 360s. See? I fell into that trap, too. So its just down the CSVs...no biggie.

GMCs I'd argue on the whole are rebadges today. Granted, six months from now I will not be saying so. I believe besides the 355s, only the Express/Savana will be rebadges at that point but...who cares?

So much for the 'king of rebadges' argument.

[Croc]

Yea, GM's come a long way. I still think they need to go farther, though.

[Flybrian]

Yea, GM's come a long way.  I still think they need to go farther, though.

In terms of what? Individual design? Sure. Distinction between platform-mates? Aside from those mentioned, not one GM car looks like another that rides the same chassies.

[Croc]

Well, look at the W-body Chinese LaCrosse. It has a straight beltline and a straight door-sill. The Grand Prix and US LaCrosse share the curved beltline and door sill. The profiles are still pretty similar. I mention the Chinese LaCrosse because it's proof that even using the W-body platform, greater styling differentiation (particularly profile styling) can be achieved.

[Flybrian]

Well, look at the W-body Chinese LaCrosse.  It has a straight beltline and a straight door-sill.  The Grand Prix and US LaCrosse share the curved beltline and door sill.  The profiles are still pretty similar.  I mention the Chinese LaCrosse because it's proof that even using the W-body platform, greater styling differentiation (particularly profile styling) can be achieved.

On Grand Prix, the curved bottom of the greenhouse is done for a coupe-like design. On LaCrosse, its done to better incorporate that little rear wheelwell 'hump' familiar to many late-model Buicks. And because of the Buick's six-window design, the doorsill and beltline are actually not shared at all. Granted, it appears similar, but its not. The treatment is executed very differently. Anyhow, look towards none other than the '06 Impala for an example of appropriate differentiation.

[Croc]

But you're proving my point: GM chose to make the two extremely similar-looking even though there's no good (financial) reason for it.

[CSpec]

Back to the EL, I think the interior looks really cool lit up at night.

[BlkHhr104]

Yeah so does a Civic

[siegen]

Mercury vehicles are not straight rebadges.  The changes are pretty minimal, but there are changes in sheetmetal/styling...To me it's only a rebadge if the two cars' only points of difference are 100% interchangeable parts (same headlight/taillight shape with different detailing, body colored vs black rub strips, etc) and badging.

Well in that case the CSX isn't a rebadge of the CA Civic at all. Different head lights, bumper, grille, hood, fenders, side mirrors, tail lights, rear bumper, and trunk lid (I'm probably forgetting some things). All non-interchangable.

[ToniCipriani]

The Acura CSX is essentially a JDM Civic. That's all it is.

[HarleyEarl]

Further proof that Canadian auto reviews are worthless on account of the whole "politeness" thing that prevents them from writing criticisms on paper...instead making one have to read between the lines.  Too ambiguous IMO...

OK so here's a fact: not every car is good.  Some actually suck.  A lot.  To Canadian writers: a car is an inanimate object that does not have feelings.  You can rip it if you want.  I promise it won't go all Christine on you.

You really are beyond stupid. Is that polite enough for you?

[Croc]

You really are beyond stupid.  Is that polite enough for you?

That's a good one...I gotta give you credit for having the balls to say that.

[Moto_08]

Well GM is still the rebadge king this is only what one car Honda has rebadged right now I think?

[Intrepidation]

I think badge engineering is when two or more cars look very similar to each other. For example, the Equinox/Torrent don't look much different at all, but on the other hand the GMT900's looks different because GM took the effort o give each a very unique front end, with the award for best SUV going to Caddy, cuz everything just looks cool, and that interior is slick. Anyway I think Honda should stick the CSX's bumper and headlights on the US Civic, it makes the car look so much better. SI it badge enineering? Sure, but again I say give us the front end of the CSX ion the US Civic sedans and it'll make it look better.