Acura always held an odd spot in the auto world ? the Honda luxury sub brand was a step up from its mainstream cars, but not quite on the same level of refinement and performance as rivals Lexus or Infiniti. Aside from the legendary NSX sports car, every Acura in history starts out as a front-wheel drive (FWD) car based off a Honda platform.Sure, some models offer all-wheel drive, but they're mostly FWD cars. That brings me to today's vehicle, the 2016 ILX that Acura sent techradar for review. Acura released the ILX as a 2013 model year vehicle and, for the first time since the discontinuation of the Integra sedan in 2001, the brand finally had a compact vehicle in the US, again. Initial reactions to the Civic-based compact were disappointing. I spent some time in the 2013 ILX and was not impressed. The interior used low quality materials and it didn't offer much over a fully-loaded Honda Civic ? all at a higher price.However, Acura went back to the drawing board and substantially updated the 2016 ILX with more premium interior materials, driver assist features and LED lights. The ILX Acura sent to techradar for review is the top-of-the-line Technology Plus and A-SPEC package configuration that carries an MSRP of $35,830 (the car isn't available outside of North America).

The exterior updates for the 2016 refresh, while minor in the grand scheme of things, alter the looks for the better. The former projector beam headlights were replaced with Acura's Jewel Eye LEDs, which use three bright LEDs for the low-beam and two for the high beams. The tail lights are LEDs, too. I'm impressed by the sculpted exterior, with its subtle creases and curves. The wheels are stylish, with black accents and a silver face ? the look reminds me of fan blades.