Acura EL

Acura EL: which version to buy

The Acura EL is a compact Sedan sold in 2 generations (1997–2005). Horsepower is the same on every listed version — 127 hp (93 kW) — so the useful differences are displacement, torque, gearbox, weight, and the few performance figures that were actually measured.

Acura EL: which version to buy

The Acura EL is a compact Sedan sold in 2 generations (1997–2005). Horsepower is the same on every listed version — 127 hp (93 kW) — so the useful differences are displacement, torque, gearbox, weight, and the few performance figures that were actually measured. If you are comparing a 1998–2000 car to a 2001–2005 car, you are not buying more power; you are buying a larger 1.7-litre engine, more torque lower in the rev range, and 45 kg more kerb weight.

This article is not an electric-SUV brief. The Acura EL in these data is Gasoline only. Searches for an Acura electric car or ZDX do not describe this model. Dealer-city queries (El Paso, Elk Grove, Ellicott City, Elmhurst) are locations, not trims.

Acura EL specs by generation (what actually changed)

1 generation (1997-01-01 – 2000-12-31) — Sedan, 2 versions: 1.6 MT and 1.6 AT. Both use a 1590 cm³ Gasoline 4-cylinder Inline engine, 4 valves per cylinder, boost No, multi-point injection, compression 9.6, bore × stroke 75 × 90, fuel 92. Peak 127 hp at 6600 rpm, 145 Nm at 5500 rpm. FWD. Kerb weight 1145 kg, gross 1650 kg, ground clearance 150 mm, tank 45 l. Front brakes Ventilated disc, rear Drum. Independent spring suspension front and rear. Engine location: not measured.

2 generation (2000-01-01 – 2005-12-31) — Sedan, 2 versions: 1.7 AT and 1.7 MT. Both use a 1668 cm³ Gasoline 4-cylinder Inline engine, 4 valves per cylinder, boost No, multi-point injection, compression 9.9, bore × stroke 75 × 94.4, fuel 92, engine Front, transverse. Same 127 hp, now at 6300 rpm; torque rises to 155 Nm at 4800 rpm. FWD. Kerb weight 1190 kg. Gross weight, tank, 0–100, top speed, and rear brakes: not measured. Front brakes labelled Disc. Independent spring suspension front and rear.

Year-by-year “2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005 Acura EL specs” in these data sit inside 2 generation. “1998 / 1999 / 2000 Acura EL specs” sit inside 1 generation (2000 also overlaps the start of 2 generation on 2000-01-01). Restyling is not a third generation.

Acura EL engine, horsepower, and gearbox table

Acura EL horsepower: every version is 127 hp / 93 kW. There is no 299-vs-309 split; same name, same power.

Acura EL engine size: 1.6 MT / 1.6 AT = 1590 cm³; 1.7 MT / 1.7 AT = 1668 cm³ (+78 cm³, about +4.9%). Specific output: 1.6 ≈ 79.9 hp/l (127 ÷ 1.590); 1.7 ≈ 76.1 hp/l (127 ÷ 1.668). The second-generation motor is larger, not denser.

Acura EL motor / engine (stroke and torque): bore stays 75 mm; stroke grows from 90 mm to 94.4 mm (+4.4 mm). Torque +10 Nm (145 → 155), and the peak arrives 700 rpm earlier (5500 → 4800). Peak power arrives 300 rpm earlier (6600 → 6300). Compression 9.6 → 9.9.

Engine oil capacity is not measured in these data.

Performance and mpg (what was measured)

Only 1.6 MT has a 0–100 figure: 9.4 s. 1.6 AT, 1.7 AT, and 1.7 MT: 0–100 not measured.

Top speed 175 km/h is listed for 1.6 MT and 1.6 AT. 1.7 AT and 1.7 MT: top speed not measured.

City, highway, and combined consumption: not measured on all four versions. CO₂ and eco class: not measured. Do not treat missing mpg as “this car has no fuel use.”

The only arithmetic performance comparison that is fully on-data is weight versus power (next section). 1.6 MT is the only version you can quote with both 9.4 s and 175 km/h.

Acura EL weight, dimensions, tank, clearance

Length is not measured for any version.

Acura EL weight (kerb): 1.6 MT and 1.6 AT 1145 kg; 1.7 AT and 1.7 MT 1190 kg (+45 kg, about +3.9%).

Mass per horsepower: gen-1 1145 ÷ 127 ≈ 9.02 kg/hp; gen-2 1190 ÷ 127 ≈ 9.37 kg/hp. The later cars are heavier per horsepower.

Gross weight 1650 kg on 1.6 MT and 1.6 AT (payload 1650 − 1145 = 505 kg). 1.7 AT and 1.7 MT: gross not measured.

Ground clearance 150 mm on all four. Tank 45 l on both first-generation versions; 1.7 AT and 1.7 MT tank not measured. Wheel sizes not measured.

Which version to choose

Power does not decide this car. Gearbox and generation do.

Choose 1.6 MT if you want the only fully numbered performance package: 127 hp, 145 Nm, 5-speed Manual, FWD, 9.4 s to 100, 175 km/h, 1145 kg, 45 l tank, Ventilated disc / Drum. Lightest listed EL, highest hp per litre, only measured 0–100.

Choose 1.6 AT if you want that same 1590 cm³ engine and 1145 kg with a 4-speed Automatic. Top speed still 175 km/h; 0–100 not measured. You give up the only timed sprint in the table; you keep the same kerb weight, tank, and brakes as 1.6 MT.

Choose 1.7 MT if the extra 10 Nm and the 700 rpm-earlier torque peak matter more than the 45 kg. You keep a 5-speed Manual and FWD, move to 1668 cm³, Front, transverse, compression 9.9. 0–100, top speed, tank, and gross weight: not measured. You are not buying more horsepower.

Choose 1.7 AT for the same second-generation engine with a 4-speed Automatic. Versus 1.6 AT: +78 cm³, +10 Nm, +45 kg, same 127 hp. Versus 1.7 MT: gearbox only (Automatic 4 vs Manual 5).

Generation pick in one line: first generation = less mass, more complete numbers, less torque; second generation = longer stroke, more torque earlier, more kerb weight, more blanks in the spec sheet. None of these four is an electric Acura. Fuel grade in the data is 92 on every version.