IntelliChoice Honors 2014 Acura ILX as Best Overall Value

Remember the 2014 Acura ILX, the premium compact from Honda's lux brand? Well, the folks at IntelliChoice did, recently selecting the ILX for the 2014 Best Overall Value of the Year Award in the Luxury Compact Passenger Car category.

Further, in the annual value study from IntelliChoice—"focused solely on identifying vehicles that will cost significantly less to own"—the Acura brand was singled out specifically as the Premium Brand with the Lowest Ownership Costs.

Looking at purchase costs in particular, the 2014 Acura ILX starts at $26,900, which pretty much splits the difference between rivals like the Buick Verano ($23,700) and new Audi A3 Sedan ($29,900), and the Acura entry then includes standard features like:

• 150 hp, 140 lb.-ft. of torque and EPA marks of 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway/28 combined from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed "SportShift" automatic transmission
• Safety features including a multiview rear camera, along with a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score in testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• Premium audio, courtesy of a six-speaker sound system with 8-inch subwoofer, iPod integration, and Pandora compatibility
• Bluetooth HandsFree Link
• Automatic climate control
• Leather-trimmed seating surfaces
• Steering-wheel controls for audio, cruise, phone and 5-inch color multi-information display
• Keyless start with push-button ignition

The party line from Michael Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of the Acura Division: "With great performance, premium features and a luxurious interior, ILX is the very definition of value on a luxury scale. This Overall Best Value award demonstrates customers can step into luxury through this great gateway to the Acura lineup of luxury vehicles."

Of course, as mentioned, it's the full roster, not just the 2014 Acura ILX, that earned praise for value. As explained by IntelliChoice: "The brand's volume leaders the MDX and RDX contributed to record breaking sales in 2013, with the RDX up over 50 percent. Acura's vehicles deliver consumers, on average, the lowest cost of ownership among Premium brands, with the ILX being named our best value in the premium compact passenger car segment.