I was shocked with the photos my wife sent me when she took her CPO MDX to get looked at. I was just joking when I requested a RLX if they didn't have the MDX, but was pleasantly surprised when she sent me this:








I'm surprised Gunn Acura in San Antonio have this as a loaner, given how rare it is. Time to have fun when I get home from work!

 

It is likely a 2014. And there are still a number unsold. If this dealer decided to take one (or had one in inventory) it may be difficult to sell with 2 model years younger now in the market. I think if that was the case, deciding to use it as a loaner is a smart move by that dealer to get the car better exposed and have it available for those who wish to test drive the unicorn.

I have been saying that Acura should have taken the last 50 or so of the 2014 SH RLXs and planted them at the dealerships (with no cost to the dealer) and use them as Demo Only for 6 months. That way there would be one available at all Acura dealerships for test driving. After the 6 months, the dealers could sell them as CPOs for Acura.

 

OoOOoOO enjoy her for the time being!

 

As others have cautioned...be very careful driving the Sport Hybrid...it doesn't take long behind the wheel to become addicted and soon own one. Consider yourself warned.

 

I just purchased, last month, a 2010 SH AWD 6MT and love it. I don't think anything can replace my love for 6MT, but we will see.

 

I had that exact car and I agree with you that it's really a very nice car.

In some ways, I'll maintain that the quality of that car was a little better than both the current TLX and RLX.

I also think that, like me, going to the RLX SH-AWD from the TL 6-6, you'll like the RLX quite a bit. :-)

 

I think dealership doesn't want to take huge depreciation hit after being used 6 months using as a loaner... but I don't see any other ways to remove them from lot

I sold mine 2011 TL 6MT three months ago. I do really miss it though, great car... just had to move to next vehicle

 

Lucky wife! If she's any kind of gearhead, she will enjoy it. If not....I'm sure you will.

Try this: 1. find a nice, straight freeway onramp and stop at its beginning. 2. Turn on brake hold. 3. Press "Sport" button on transmission. 4. Mat the accelerator. 5. Enjoy rapid acceleration. This works better if the hybrid battery is significantly charged.

What I'm really interested in is a comparison of the mechanical SH-AWD in your TL with the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD in the RLX.

Enjoy while you have it.....and pray you don't have enough money in your pocket to make a deal to trade your 6MT for a 7DCT.

 

Don't forget to select M1, then you get first gear and a neck snap!

 

Bury your wallet in the back yard! I doubt you will drive it and not want to buy it.

 

This car is fucking awesome. I was driving it and the battery was barely charged, at 25%. I need to try it again fully charged. I do miss a stick shift, but then something bad happened to my TL today. My neighbor backed into my car and messed up the fender, drivers headlight and bumper. I am off tomorrow, need to get an ECHO test on my heart, and I will play with it more. I was told we should plan on having the vehicle till Wednesday, but possibly longer now that my TL is damaged.

My buddy is a gear head as well so before my TL gets into the shop, we should go have a couple of runs somewhere with the TL vs RLX. The RLX is crazy but tame, it was chirping its tires all throughout second gear and easily climbed to 100mph. This was with 25 to 30% battery. Does the battery recharge when I'm lightfooted? And no I did not check the price of a 2014 Hybrid =P

 

The state of charge determines when the ICE is charging, but all three electric motors will continue to work regardless of the state of charge.

The charging from the ICE will simply go to the motors instead of building up the battery.

The formula is complicated but this is one of the elements of the formula that causes Honda to rate the car at 377 US Net HP instead of the obvious 430 HP you get if you add up the numbers for all four motors.

:-)

 

I hope my dealer does not give me a SH-awd loaner - no worries though, he has never had one on his lot.

 

The Sport Hybrid is indeed crazy. Not CTS-V crazy--that is a whole other dimension of batsh*t crazy involving prayer that a LEO didn't see or hear you at the 3-digit speed you accidentally achieved--but crazy enough from a Honda product. I call it "nerd crazy". Because, you know, it takes a nerdy gearhead to love this car.

George is right, you never need a full battery charge to use the electric motors. Further, in Sport mode, my feeble understanding is that you get the power of all six engine cylinders and as much as the electric motors can pump out, without delay. I find that the electric battery is frequently full or close to it after I've been driving for a few miles in Sport Mode as well....allows for full electric mode when you get off the freeway, which is cool in its own way.

The only thing better would be a twin-turbo V6 crammed under the bonnet in addition to the electric motors.

 

Don't let your mind go too far with that.

The longitudinal NSX Sport Hybrid powertrain is coming from Cosworth and it is significantly different from ours. You'd have to do some serious body work to get it to fit and work.

 

I hope they don't end up regretting the Cosworth connection.

 

I offered $53K for an unsold Tech Sports hybrid in April, and I was laughed off the the lot. I learned they later sold it for under 50K, 3 months later.

But that's the nature of business. In that case, I was seeing the writing on the wall, and the dealer had not reached acceptance. They may have done me a favor

Now I am wanting a 2016 Advance. I want to be mad at Acura for the compromises they put into the car, but I am anti-Panache, and I love the spaciousness and feel of the interior. Also, the exterior really does work, in person, better than in Photographs. Since the devaluation of the yen, I suspect Acura will have the incentive to keep making Sport Hybrids, because I am sure they were initially selling at a loss. However, I need to regroup. I gave money to a daughter for a down payment on a house. I never planned to, it's just one of those enabling things we can get sucked into. :^)

 

When we have 400 ft/lbs+ of torque throughout the rpm range from idle (at the wheels), cool things happen even with almost 4,400 lbs + the driver.

 

I wish that I had no idea what you were talking about.

 

I was told that the original plan before the 2014 SH-AWD was first released was to incentivize dealers to use the cars as loaners until more could be made. Never happened.

 

I can see why this car doesn't offer a stick shift. I don't think someone could handle this car without some training. I love driving this with the power distribution monitor on and see where the power is going and how the battery is charging. the SH AWD on my 6MT is great and I can feel when I'm pushing the car, but the SH Hybrid I something else. I really want to push it, but the tires chirp when I brake really hard. That's another thing I love, feels like I'm in a coupe slowing down, as fast as this stops. I wonder how this would do with performance tires =) Anyone ever try to see what the top speed is? Curious to see how fast it gets to speed limiter on the 130 toll road.

 

Mine will hit 138, which I assume is the correct speed since it's in the digital HUD.

However, you can do things that make you realize that the brakes are a weak spot. It's a big heavy car and when driven aggressively in a way that might call for you to use full threshold braking three or four times in a 1:30 lap, believe me, the brakes will begin to show up as a weak spot if you try to go a full 20 minute sprint.

:-)

 

I think I have momentarily seen 125 mph before slowing quickly back to civilian speed, but I agree with GK that the brakes are the weakest part of the car (most cars very likely). Only those cars with 14"+ rotors and ones with ceramic surfaces will be track ready, not to mention 500 lbs less weight. The RLX-SH is NOT a track car, nor would I take it on one for more than a 75% input lap, but it would be great to be able to drive safely in the 90-100 mph range as it is such a stable car at those speeds. The problem is the average driver is not prepared for autobahn speeds and would be shocked to have another car pass them at 2X. Not to mention that most drivers are so flummoxed by distractions, they could easily pull out in front of you unexpectedly and then everyone is done for. The car is a supreme joy to drive, and not for one second would I trade it for something else. It just works for me.

 

I miss this car already. I've been without if for a couple of weeks and there is nothing I've ever driven that comes close to the experience. Maybe in a couple of years I can finance one in the 30K range. The perfect RLX would be the RLX exterior with an awesome underspoiler kit from Acura, and a 09 to 2014 interior from a TL Advanced. I feel the interior of this 2014 model was a slight letdown, especially the "wood" accents.