m
1
3B
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/The Charlotte Post
Thursday, January 18,1996
Acura SLX is a real ‘trooper’
‘96 Acura SLX
V e r y o n e
wants to
sell a sport
utility vehicle and, at
the moment, everyone seems
to want to huy one.
squinting. That’s exactly what
you see.
As you know, Acura is the
luxury division of American
Honda Corporation (there are
no European - or Asian-sold
It’s one of the fastest growing
segments in the car industry
and if you don’t have one to
sell, well, you feel sort of left
out.
Acura’s no longer feeling
lonely. The luxury car maker’s
SLX is a
Acuras, just Hondas). Honda
has an agreement with Isuzu
to sell re-badged Rodeos as
Honda Passports. Acura want
ed its own luxury SUV, so it’s
borrowing The Tropper and
rugged
truck
that’s
aimed
squarely
at the
pockets
of the
w e 1 1 -
heeled.
Hold
up, wait
a
minute.
You say
this lux-
didn’t change anjdhing except
the grill, to which it added its
own corporate logo. Oh, yes,
and Acura is written all over
the outside and inside.
It turns out to be sort of a
mixed blessing for both compa
nies. Truck buyers scoff at the
Trooper’s high price, but most
will not think twice about
sinking a lot into an Acura.
The other blessing for Acura
is that the Trooper, uhh, SLX,
is a very nice truck. The exte
rior is boxy, but handsome.
Thick cladding covers the
bumpers, door sills and wheel
well openings in contrasting
colors. A nice touch, but I find
the big chrome grill to be a
might large. But hey, most
trucks have big chrome grills.
Maybe it’s some unwritten
law.
The SLX’s interior is cleanly
designed. Dual air bags are
incorporated into the dash,
along with clearly readable
instruments. The controls feel
expensive, as well they should.
Nothing seems to be out of
place or out of reach.
Head, leg and hip room are
tremendous. Five can sit com
fortably in the SLX and each
passenger’s view will be
panoramic. You sit high and
see everything.
You sit on some of the most
comfortable seats I’ve ever
experienced in a truck. My test
vehicle was a premium model
with leather seats. Yes, they
are cold in the winter, but the
front seats are heated. They
warm quicker than the heater,
although once it gets warm it
will toast you.
The SLX is powered by a
stout, 3.2 liter single overhead
camshaft V6 engine. It has 24-
valves, and delivers 190 horse
power and 188 pounds-feet of
torque. 'That doesn’t sound like
bunch
a
and it
ain’t real
ly. The
vehicle
feels a bit
sluggish.
I guess if
I weighed
a couple
of tons I’d
fell a lit
tle slug
gish too.
It’s cer-
t a i n 1 y
powerful
enough to
get you
where
you need
to go in
something else you’ve seen. An
Isuzu Trooper, maybe? Stop
selling it as the SLX.
Still with me? Good. Acura
liked the vehicle so much it
any kind of weather.
Speaking of weather, I was
blessed to have the SLX dur-
Go^ir^ntertammennde^
Call Winfred Cross
at
(704) 376-0496
ing the “blizzard of ‘96.” I can
write volumes on how good the
vehicle performed in the ice
and snow. I was able to navi
gate some treacherously slick
back roads, so long as the vehi
cle was in four-wheel-drive. I
did feel the back wheels spin a
couple of times, but the vehicle
never really lost its compo
sure.
The SLX does feel a bit
strange in more normal condi
tions. It’s not the kind of thing
you want to try to corner
quickly in. It feels top-heavy
and leans badly. It’s not
unsafe, just a little unnerving.
Suggestion: follow the warning
signs about 4x4s. You can’t
drive most of them like a regu
lar car because the center of
gravity is higher.
There’s nothing really bad to
say about the SLX. It’s com
fortable to the point you feel
pampered. Its four-wheel-
drive system works commend-
ably well, and it has enough
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
(704)376-0496
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Foster Parents To Provide Homes And Help For Abused And Neglected Charlotte Children.
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Hey Kids! If You Are Between The Ages Of 6 And 10, Give Your Creativity A Chance At
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