Monthly Archives: April 2018

Coming soon: the 2019 Acura MDX A-Spec

Not every new variant of vehicle is newsworthy, but Acura’s A-Spec on the MDX, the best-selling three-row luxury SUV ever, is definitely worth a headline. Here’s an oldie but a goodie: this sporty SUV is coming to a dealer near you!

The 2019 MDX A-Spec got a surprise debut at the 2018 New York Auto Show last month, joining the existing A-Spec models, the ILX A-Spec and TLX A-Spec, as well as the 2019 RDX A-Spec, which was also revealed at the New York show.

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The newest MDX comes exclusively with torque vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), and a pick between the 290 or 352-hp powertrains.

Naturally, you can’t have new threads without new shoes; the MDX A-Spec sits on exclusive 10-spoke, 20-inch Shark Grey allow wheels fitted with low profile tires. Forwarding the message of sportiness are other exterior changes like new front fascia, pronounced sills, wider exhaust tips, and gloss-black and dark chrome trim around the tailgate spoiler, grille and headlights.

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The interior gets sports seats in your choice of red or black leather with Alcantara leather detailing, red contrast stitching, a unique steering wheel with paddle shifters, faux carbon console trim, sport pedals and A-Spec gauges that light up in red.

mdx a-spec

Beneath the A-Spec badge is the luxury SUV that drivers and critics alike have come to know and trust. The 2018 Acura MDX was recently voted Best Large Utility Vehicle in Canada by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. It’s quiet and comfortable, with useful trim options beyond the A-Spec—like the Elite package, which swaps the second-row bench seat for two captains chairs—and loads of standard safety features. The brand’s AcuraWatch suite comes standard, with Adaptive Cruise Control with low-speed follow and Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keeping Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Collision Mitigation Braking System.

The Acura MDX A-Spec will be available at Policaro Acura in the coming months. Contact us to pre-book a test drive.

6 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

Small changes, big impact.

There are days when it feels like the world is tearing apart at the seams and all we can do is watch from the sidelines. As global temperatures rise, glaciers are melting and animals are fleeing their natural habitats. According to National Geographic, if we continue on this path of environmental destruction, our future generations will face a slew of unpleasantries–all of which sound like the main conflict in an apocalyptic thriller–including an increase in hurricanes and destructive storms, floods as well as droughts, and limited fresh water.

It’s scary stuff, but there are actions we can take in our daily lives that have a positive impact on this planet we call home. On April 22nd, the 48th annual Earth Day will take place, encouraging the world’s inhabitants–that’s you!–to “consume less, play more,” and we’ve got a handful of ways to make small changes in your day-to-day life that can have a big impact on your eco footprint.

Here are six simple ways to celebrate Earth Day 2018.

 

Join the ‘No Straw, Please’ movement.

The #nostrawplease movement encourages people to stop using plastic straws, and is a simple yet effective way to immediately cut down on waste. The movement gained popularity after a video of a sea turtle with a straw lodged in its nostril went viral, and since then, both large chain eateries and independently-owned bars alike are saying so-long to straws. Still, if you end up somewhere that offers them, take it upon yourself to politely decline. (EarthDay.org has a handy plastic consumption calculator to figure out how much of the synthetic material you’re using.)

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And cut out the plastic water bottles, too.

Did you check out that aforementioned plastic consumption calculator yet? Because it has a spot to track your plastic water bottle waste, too. Instead, buy a reusable bottle that speaks to you, and get in the habit of packing it everywhere you go. You’ll feel good about limiting your plastic use, but not only that, some coffee shops offer a discount if you BYOB (Bringing Your Own Bottle), so it’s a win-win.

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Get outside and plant a tree. Seriously.

Reforestation does long-term good for the planet. “Trees filter the air and help reverse the impacts of climate change,” explains the EarthDay.org website. “In just one year, a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen as 10 people inhale.” Organize a tree planting day at your child’s school or gather some neighbours and plant new foliage at a local green space or in someone’s yard. If that sounds too labour intensive, you can always put your money where your mouth is–$1 equals one tree planted when you donate to the Canopy Project (a legit organization which is part of the Earth Day Network).

Drive an eco-friendly vehicle.

Opting for an eco-conscious vehicle that uses electricity or electricity and hydrogen-based fuel as your daily driver can drastically reduce your carbon footprint. Acura has a couple of outstanding hybrid options–the performance sedan RLX and the midsize SUV MDX–that drastically reduce fuel consumption. For example, the non-hybrid 2018 RLX is rated at 11.8/8.1/10.2 L/100km city/highway/combined while the RLX Sport Hybrid is rated at 8.4/8.1/8.4 L/100km).  2018 Acura RLX

Go paperless wherever possible.

Paper bills feel incredibly dated and so wasteful. Switch all of your services–think hydro, water, internet and television, banking–to paperless bills. According to the Financial Post, in 2014 Bell Canada said the company was saving around 30,000 trees a year because of its customers going paperless.

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Install a Smart Home System.

A tech device like a smart home system will make you feel like James Bond, as you secretly control all of the electronic devices in your house from some exotic Caribbean beach (or, in reality, your office). Smart home systems allow you to lower your electricity consumption by dimming or turning off unnecessary lights that may have been forgotten, or even setting the temperature a few degrees lower to conserve energy. Not only will you be happy about a lower hydro bill, but the planet will be smiling, too.