What is an Acura SLX? It's really just an Isuzu Trooper that's been
rechristened by the marketing geniuses at Acura. We looked long and hard
for that little corner of the body, or the engine, where the guys at Acura
had forgotten to grind off the word "Isuzu." No luck. They got all of them.
This is an Isuzu Trooper with just about all of the options. We're surprised that Acura is not embarrassed by this car. Why did Acura decide to subcontract their sport utility effort to Isuzu? It's really pretty simple. Acura wanted to jump into the sport utility market in a hurry--but they didn't have the factory capacity to manufacture one on their own. So...they purchased the extra capacity at the local Isuzu factory. Voila: an Acura sport utility vehicle.
But, if Acura is saying, in effect, "Isuzu makes just as good a vehicle as Acura," then why buy an Acura? The only good reason is because there's an Acura dealer closer to your house than an Isuzu dealer.
The SLX is the oldest of the old-style sport utilities: in other words, it's tall, thin and reportedly tips over easily, as the folks at Consumer Reports will be happy to tell you. And, because it has such a tall profile, it is lousy on the highway. The SLX blew all over the road. It drifted excessively. And that was a brand-new SLX--over time (as with all cars), the handling will only get worse.
The greatest thing this car had going for it? A positively humongous sunroof. The biggest, most wonderful sunroof we've experienced in years. (And, yes, to answer your question, this does constitute "damning with faint praise.") In the case of the SLX, however, the sunroof is more than just a luxury, it's a safety feature. When you're close to tipping over, just open the sunroof and jump out.
A final drawback? The SLX had a rear gate that was a phenomenal pain in the tuchus. Every time it was opened, it locked. To unlock it required an awkward maneuver. Who's designing these things? Houdini's grandson?
To be fair to Acura, they did their best to gussy it up. The SLX is relatively comfortable to sit in. It's got lots of leather. It looks nice. However, beauty is only skin deep--and when you get right down to it, this is still an Isuzu Trooper. We were stopped by many people, who remarked on the fine looks of the car. You should have seen the looks on their faces, however, when they learned it was really an Isuzu Trooper in Acura clothing. Downcast doesn't begin to describe it.
If you like this car and you have the option, we'd recommend you buy the Trooper. Put it this way: Acura doesn't think there's a difference between Isuzu and Acura, so why should you? Besides, if you wind up with an SLX, you'll end up taking this to the Acura dealer--where they'll charge twice what the Isuzu guys are getting down the street.
View a cars.com model report on this vehicle.
