jhr3uva90

And how many BMW and Mercedes owners bought those cars mainly for brand status? After all, both Lexus and Infiniti make "premium" mid-size sedans and they sell many fewer units than BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E Class, despite reviews of those Japanese cars. For that matter, why isn't Hyundai Equuis selling better than it is? After all, it is also a premium/performance/luxury sedan and a a great value.

JM2010 SH-AWD

It's easy - "German engineering."

Edward'TLS

And how many premium 4-door family sedan owners also considered RWD as a factor in promoting the brand status ?

It's all inter-related : RWD, premium image, brand status, BMW/MB, class-leading in sales.

Even though Lexus and Infiniti sell fewer equivalent RWD premium sedans than the 5-series and the E-class; they all outsold the FWD-chassis Acura RL premium sedan then, and also outsell the FWD-chassis RLX premium sedan now.

The winners are all RWD premium/performance/luxury sedans.

Having RWD chassis doesn't automatically guarantee a success in the premium sedan business, but not having RWD chassis will almost guarantee a failure in the premium sedan business.

This is why people are so obsessed with RWD for a premium 4-door family sedan.

jhr3uva90

A couple of points:

1) The FWD Cadillac XTS and the AWD/FWD Audi A6 usually outsell the RWD Lexus GS and the Infiniti M. So not having RWD doesn't necessarily guarantee failure, but not having a certain brand cachet does.

2) Let's say Acura built a flagship based on a RWD platform and its sales increased to catch up with the Infiniti M. Is it worth it for Acura to create an all-new RWD platform to increase sales by a few hundred units per month nation wide?

BDoggPrelude

Adaptive cruise and collision mitigation? Pretty sure the RL had these features since the 2006 model year when they weren't so common in the industry.

Edward'TLS

As for point #1, let's look at some sales figures.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...708373&page=79

Thanks to TSX69 for putting together the numbers:

December Sales #s
---------------------
5series 8,385 +71.6%
Eclass 6,984 +31.7%
XTS 2,939
GS 2,796 +1,396.7%
A6 1,875 +1.1%
MKS 1,350 -1.9%
M 849 -21.7%
RL 18 -62.6%

Note the distant 3rd place for the XTS. The 2rd place E-class had more than 2x the sales, and the 1st place 5-series had slightly less than 3x the sales, than the 3rd place finisher XTS.

Even though Audi is also a premium luxury German brand, but it doesn't enjoy the same success as with BMW and MB. What sets it apart is the lack of RWD chassis.

Audi is actually in the same boat as Acura, being handicapped by the lack of RWD chassis. All it's high power vehicles have to resort to (FWD-chassis) AWD in order to maintain good vehicular handling capability, because too much engine power on the front wheels will adversely affect handling characteristics.

Whereas BMW and MB have no trouble putting high power engines in their RWD vehicles, which are comparatively simpler in mechanics, cheaper in cost, lighter in weight, lesser parasitic power loss, faster in acceleration, and lower in maintenance, than their AWD counterparts.

A quick peek at their 2012 US sales figures tells all.

BMW - 347,583 vehicles
MB - 305,072 vehicles
Audi - 139,310 vehicles.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013...-luxury-sales/

Once again, BMW and MB each sold more than 2x as many vehicles as Audi had sold back in 2012 in the US market.

This clearly shows which automaker is more successful : the RWD based BMW/MB or the FWD based Audi ?


As for point #2, if Acura were to build a RWD chassis, it should not only be used on the single top $ flagship. It should be used on every Acura models, from the humble ILX all the way to the NSX flagship.

Follow the Lexus business model. Why Lexus ? Because it is deemed successful in establishing what it is now as a premium luxury brand from virtually nothing in merely 24 years' time.

All Acura vehicles, except one, would be using RWD as the base car, with AWD as an available upgrade option. The one exception would be a FWD entry-level model, to capture all those die-hard FWD worshipers; just like the successful ES350.

An (almost) all RWD lineup premium Acura brand, and an all FWD lineup economy Honda brand. If this still doesn't heavily differentiate the premium Acura brand apart from the economy Honda brand, I don't know what does.

This is not talking about a few hundred units a month, this is about multiple thousands of units a month.

The more vehicle models Acura is releasing, the faster the R&D cost of developing the RWD chassis can be amortized. All that is needed is a talented Honda president who is gutsy enough to authorize the changeover.

jshaw

^^ before anybody comes in and says, "look at Infiniti, they sell less than Acura in the USA!!"

Here's the deal. Half of Infiniti's sales volume are almost entirely handled by ONE sedan, the Infiniti Q50 (nee G37). One, RWD sports sedan that has a following all of it's own. Like Acura's own renaming, "G3x" has come to mean more than "Infiniti," hence the recent "Q" naming scheme.

The volume gap between Infiniti's G37 (some 18,000 units YTD), and it's next runner-up (the JX35 - a half-hearted MDX competitor - at ~12,000 units YTD), is where every one of Acura's breadwinners fit (RDX ~18,000 [just under the G37, in fact], MDX ~14,000, and TL ~12,000).

So, indeed, the investment in this one platform alone, is practically Infiniti's only reason for existence. Their SUVs are universally uncompetitive, which lends to low SUV sales for Infiniti's part (who needs 22" rims on a SUV? Infiniti forces them on some trim levels). At least this platform has lended itself to the 370Z sports car (fat, heavy, but at least it's still competitive and it exists), plenty of cheap derivatives of the G35/G37, and noteably, the Nissan GT-R.

jhr3uva90

Let's look at April 2013 numbers since they are a little bit more recent:

5series 5,234 +46.8%
Eclass 4,431 -16.8%
XTS 2,891
A6 1,905 +21.7%
GS 1,236 -40.8%
MKS 730 -42.8%
RLX 400
M 388 -15.8%
RL 7 -79.6%

The FWD Cadillac XTS and the AWD/FWD Audi A6 are still outselling the RWD Lexus GS and Infiniti M. Personally, I like both the Lexus GS and the Infiniti M and I find it unfortunate that they are not selling better than they are. But at least we can expect a replacement of the Infiniti M soon.

Most people in this segment either don't know or don't care about RWD vs. FWD. They care mostly about brand recognition and lease deals. The Audi A6 doesn't sell as well as the other Germans mostly because the general US population either doesn't recognize Audi as having the same status as Mercedes/BMW or they perceive it as being an unreliable brand.

Maybe I'm cynical, but I think a lot of folks will look at a $60K Acura, Infiniti, Lincoln or other second-tier brand and say to themselves, "I could buy [they really mean lease] a Mercedes or BMW for that much" and that's what they do.

And again, would it be worth it for Acura to develop a RWD platform to possibly increase sales by a couple hundred units per month across the USA? Considering that Americans are once again in love with SUVs, I think Acura might be better off either creating a new SUV that is smaller/cheaper than the RDX or bigger than the MDX.

jshaw

To be fair, the GS sales are mostly eaten alive by the existence of the ES. For most of the market, I'd venture they don't care about FWD vs RWD. The GS proves there is some amount that does. Considering how the current GS is against just about everything Lexus normally stood for (quiet, soft ride, latest technology), it's a surprise it sells at all, IMO.

Then again, the ES is only sold in the US markets, iirc. So maybe it's just the American market.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

It's brand recognition more so than drivetrain layout IMO. Many people don't know which cars are RWD or FWD. Most people think AWD is the best too. In fact, many people think having AWD = invincible in the snow or slippery condition. My dad has always thought the 1990 Civic that we had 15 years ago was RWD.

Once you get to the $50k - $100k market, it's really about the brand. And it's BMW and MB that are dominating. Lexus and Infiniti have built a long history of making RWD V8 luxury sedans. Yet the GS and M are quite a bit behind the FWD based A6 and XTS.

It's hard for Honda/Acura to justify building a RWD platform when its fellow Japanese competitors aren't doing all that great.

If the overall sales of the whole Acura falls way down (ie. RLX, TL, TSX, MDX, RDX, ILX), then I can see some sort of revolution (i.e. RWD platform being introduced) to greatly boost the image and sales numbers (think about Infiniti about 10 years ago). Otherwise, it seems to be Acura is happy in its current position.

Edward'TLS

I think you've answered your own question of why people are so obsessed with RWD. BMW and MB are auto brands that are favored by most 4-door premium family sedan buyers, and both these top premium brands are running RWD vehicles.

It is crystal clear that BMW and MB are the 2 most successful US premium auto brands, with which either one is enjoying runaway sales that was more than 2x more than that of Audi and of Lexus in the US in 2012.

Nowadays, even Cadillac is shifting more of it's 4-door premium family-sedan model lines from FWD to RWD.

Like I said before, having RWD chassis doesn't always guarantee success in the premium sedan business (Lexus, Infiniti), but not having RWD chassis will guarantee that the auto brand will not be successful (Audi, Acura) in the premium sedan business.

jhr3uva90

As long as Acura continues to sell a lot of SUVs, which seem to be Americans' preferred form of transportation, then they will be fine.

I still don't see the point of Acura creating an all-new RWD platform just to sell a couple hundred more cars. As Infiniti has unfortunately shown, you have to build the brand first and having RWD alone doesn't build the brand.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Exactly my point. The FWD platform has been working so well for Acura SUV's for years. I don't see that changing anytime soon especially with the new RDX and MDX. This means an all-new RWD platform would only be used on sedans/coupes. While Acura sedans haven't been doing so well lately, I think the main problems with those cars aren't its drivetrain layout. For instance, ILX suffers from lack of power and a bland design, the 4G TL has a poor reputation because of its initial design, and the RLX's starting price is scaring people away.

Infiniti M is a great example. It's what people here want - nice exterior design, nice interior, standard V6 engine, powerful V8 option, lots of features, RWD platform. If Acura builds something similar, and the sales number is similar to the M, what then?

jshaw

Counterpoint: The Hyundai Genesis is the same setup: standard V6, optional V8, RWD. It outsold the Acura TL, last year, in the US. It continues to outsell the TL this year, even without an AWD option.

Another counterpoint: Infiniti G sedan. Outsells any sedan Acura makes (US sales). It's also sold around the world, where it inherently crushes any Acura sales figures (and premium Hondas are a tough sell even in Honda's native market - they sell only one sedan in Japan (Accord hybrid), while the Toyota group sells some 10 sedans under the Toyota brand (+ another 3 Lexus sedans), most of them are RWD).

What we can take from this is, RWD sedan platforms are used by companies and brands who want to win the market, not merely putter along. Even Buick, the lame FWD shadow of itself (which is ahead of Acura in the US market, by the way), sells a RWD sedan in more competitive markets (China, in particular; link to Buick's China website).

jhr3uva90

Actually, the Acura TL outsold the Hyundai Genesis in April. I'm not sure about May. Also, the Acura TL outsold the Infiniti G SEDAN in April. It is only when you include couple sales that the Infiniti G outsells the TL. If anything, it implies that Acura should create a FWD coupe based on the TL and call it a TL coupe instead of a CL. Personally, I think they should have put the ZDX body on the TL's platform and called that a TL coupe.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I don't have numbers on a yearly basis, but I do have some numbers for May 2013.

Genesis - 2767
TL - 2682
G sedan - 1927

Keep in mind, the number for the Genesis includes both coupes and sedans.

And we are talking about a TL that is not well received. The 3GTL was much more successful.

Right now, The TL and TSX are pretty much fighting each other in the same segment. There's too much overlap. That's why Acura is planning to combine the two into a new model called TLX. I think we will have a better picture in the future when the Q50 and TLX come out.

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX

Sometimes automakers do things that make you scratch your head — a strange name, an odd vehicle, the discontinuation of a model that seemed successful. And in the world of automotive head-scratching, no brand has sold more dandruff shampoo than Acura.

The 2014 Acura RLX is a nice enough luxury sedan, but its place in the market — and even in Acura's own lineup — is another in a long line of head-scratchers.

Over the past dozen or so years, Acura has abandoned such robust model names as Legend, Integra and Vigor for alphabeticals like MDX and RSX [scratch]. It went in a bizarre styling direction that temporarily turned 1 of the market's nicest looking cars, the TL, into a punch line [scratch scratch]. And who could forget the ZDX [scratch scratch scratch]? Well, most people could, because you can't remember something you've never seen. Only 775 were sold in 2012, and it will be discontinued after 2013 [scalp relief].

The RLX can be viewed as a large midsize sedan or a small full-size 1. As such, it's not much different from the RL — last sold as a 2012 model — which it succeeds. Compare the RLX, the RL and the current Acura TL midsize sedan side-by-side here.

The RLX is closer in size to a Buick LaCrosse or Volvo S80 than to such flagship luxury cars as the BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Acura says it compares to midsize luxury sedans like the BMW 5 Series and Lexus GS, to which it's more closely priced. (See these models compared here.)

Typical of Acuras, the RLX technically comes in 1 trim level but with a choice of option packages that essentially serve as trim levels, as most of them include a host of unrelated features. The Navigation Package is an exception, as it includes only navigation. There are also Technology, Krell and Advance packages. Krell is the name of a little-known, high-end audio manufacturer that designed the higher of 2 optional premium stereos. (The more affordable Technology Package includes an ELS premium audio system that's an upgrade over the base RLX stereo, which is also branded ELS.)

We tested the top RLX with Advance Package, which also includes the Krell system.

Heart Transplant

Even though the RLX's V-6 engine is smaller than that of the RL — 3.5 liters rather than 3.7 liters — it has greater output: 310 horsepower and 272 pounds-feet of torque, which is 10 hp and 1 pound-foot higher. The improvement comes courtesy of Acura's 1st application of direct fuel injection.

The result is great: The RLX accelerates confidently from a stop and has respectable reserve power for passing. The engine revs freely and sounds refined. The 6-speed automatic transmission also behaves well. A simple Sport mode, activated via a button directly behind the gear selector, sharpens the accelerator's responsiveness and holds the transmission in lower gears.

Lower curb weight and the new engine improve gas mileage — a mighty leap from 17/24/20 mpg city/highway/combined in the RL to 20/31/24 mpg in the RLX. This puts the RLX just ahead of the comparably powered BMW 535 (20/30/24 mpg), Lexus GS 350 (19/28/23 mpg) and Mercedes-Benz E350 (20/30/23 mpg), and well past the Audi A6 3.0T (18/27/22 mpg) — all equipped with automatic transmissions.

All-Wheel Steering

Where the RL had standard all-wheel drive, the RLX begins its life only with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive will come later in the model year, when a hybrid system adds electric power to the rear wheels.

Replacing SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) in the RL/RLX lexicon is P-AWS (Precision All Wheel Steer), which can turn the rear wheels a few degrees left or right. They go in the same direction as the front wheels at high speeds, for stable lane changes, or the opposite direction at lower speeds, ostensibly to shrink the car's turning circle. A new twist not seen in earlier 4-wheel steering attempts, P-AWS can turn either rear wheel independently and toe them inward during braking, which Acura says improves stability.

My 1st point of skepticism comes from the RLX's turning diameter, which is a none-too-tight 40.5 feet. Midsize luxury models with tighter turning circles than the RLX include, but aren't limited to: the A6, 5 Series, E-Class, S80, Hyundai Genesis and Lexus ES and GS.

I checked out the full-size sedans, too, and those with smaller turning diameters include, but aren't limited to: the Buick LaCrosse, BMW 7 Series, Cadillac XTS, Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS and Mercedes S-Class. Obsessed, I finally found 2 models with the same or greater turning diameter: the Audi A8 and the extended version of the XJ, the XJL.

None of these other cars have all-wheel steering. So the RLX's turning circle might be tighter than it would have been without P-AWS, but it's not comparatively superior. So far, P-AWS gives me scalp itch.

P-AWS on the Road

P-AWS does seem to make a difference in the RLX's handling, though. When barreling through a sweeping turn, the car feels more balanced than I'd expect with a front/rear weight distribution of 61/39 percent — typical for front-drive cars. Considering that the rear wheels move only 2 degrees in either direction, the dynamics are surprising: The rear end truly seems to swing around and minimize understeer in a manner you'd expect from a balanced rear-drive car being driven deftly.

What the RLX doesn't do, sadly, is inspire you to drive it in a spirited fashion. It has the feel of a dynamically capable touring car, but not a sport sedan. There's nothing wrong with that, but it calls into question, again, the value of P-AWS.

The ride quality splits the difference between comfort and sportiness. What it doesn't offer is an adaptive suspension, as some competitors do, and the resulting option of choosing 1 characteristic or the other on the fly.

Friendly Confines

The RLX's interior is well-appointed, with high-quality finishes and leather. Acura really needs to discover color, though, as many competitors have. The closest the RLX comes to interior color is taupe. The other options are black and gray.

1 of the RLX's selling points is legroom: It has about an inch more in the front seat than the A6, 535 and E-Class, and it equals the GS 350. Somehow it manages to offer good backseat legroom too: anywhere from about an inch and a half to 3 inches more than the other models mentioned.

It feels roomy, for sure, and the center floor hump isn't as high as is found in rear-drive competitors. Considering the rear wheels will be electrically powered in a future RLX version, this characteristic is unlikely to worsen.

2 Screens, No Waiting

The RLX is blissfully free of the kind of touch-sensitive panels that are replacing normal mechanical buttons in many new cars. Most luxury manufacturers take 1 of 2 approaches to control a car's many functions while avoiding button overload: an easily reached touch-screen or a high-mounted display teamed with a lower controller knob. The RLX provides a new solution: a high-mounted display that's close to one's line of sight, plus a separate touch-screen below it that's close enough to reach. Some of the high screen's functions are controlled by the touch-screen, but most are by a multifunction knob below them both.

In theory, I consider this the best of both worlds — mainly because I find rotating a knob is a terrible way to enter navigation destination addresses and such. I'd only make 2 changes to improve it: 1st, the touch-screen should control more of the high screen. As it is now, you have to navigate through the upper screen's menus using the knob, then switch to the touch-screen to type in, say, a city name. When you're partway through typing, the list of cities that comes up appears back on the high screen, and you have to select using the knob again. All the related steps could and should remain on the touch-screen, leaving the high screen to display the map and navigation prompts.

2nd, I'd put the knob right where the driver's hand rests on the center console. The current location is forward and elevated. The best execution of the screen-and-knob approach puts the display close to your sight line and the controller close to your hand.

Safety

A new model, the RLX hasn't yet been crash-tested.

Preventive safety features include a standard backup camera and numerous high-tech options, including blind spot warning, lane departure warning and forward collision warning systems. Active safety options include a Lane Keeping Assist system and Collision Mitigation Brake system. These 2 expand on the camera- and radar-based lane departure and forward collision warning by intervening autonomously. LKAS can steer the car to keep it in its lane on straight and gradually curving roads. CMBS can activate the brakes if a collision is imminent.

Fortunately, I didn't experience CMBS, apart from a demonstration years ago when Acura was the 1st to produce this feature, but I did play with LKAS: If you take your hands off the wheel, the system does steer on streets with well-defined lane markers — but it does so only for about 10 seconds until it flashes a "Steering Required" warning on the instrument panel.

So the idea is what? It steers for you but it isn't sustained, and does so only when you're not steering yourself? Does that not promote even lazier driving? In short, I don't get it.

See all the RLX's safety features here, and view how well child-safety seats fit in the car in our Car Seat Check.

RLX in the Market

The RLX is something of an enigma. Don't get me wrong: It's definitely a nice luxury touring car that does the job, and my philosophy is, "You like? You buy." I often appreciate models that are sized between typical vehicle classes. No 1 says a top luxury sedan has to be as large as the S-Class or 7 Series. What perplexes most, though, is how close the RLX is in size to the TL. This is from the company that essentially has 2 compact sedans as well, the TSX and new ILX, with abutting prices.

To be fair, Lexus also has 2 midsize models, the ES and GS, but 1 is front-wheel drive and the other rear-wheel, respectively, and they have different personalities. The TL and RLX have similar personalities — neither of them very strong — and P-AWS isn't effective enough to distinguish the RLX in the market, much less the Acura lineup. Lots of head scratching going on …

jhr3uva90

Another review that doesn't really discuss the audio system or the electronics features. Oh well.

hondamore

A couple of comments on the cars.com review:
- I believe manufacturers are shying away from having the nav system control knob close to where the drivers hand would rest because they don't want the control to be accidentally pushed, turned or otherwise activated during normal driving. Just my guess.

- If the author of this review did his homework , he would know that Acura is in the process of changing it's sedan lineup to... ILX, TLX, RLX. His comments/complaints on the current lineup of sedans becomes moot with that knowledge.

- I believe this reviewer misses the point on LKAS...If I'm driving alone on a long highway trip and I decided to reach to the passenger seat for a cold beverage from a cooler or focus my attention to changing the music that I'm listening to ...if the road curves a bit and I start to stray from my lane while distracted, the LKAS is there to move me back to the center of the lane without my input. It is more of a safety device than a mechanism for "lazy drivers".

- This review and others seem to give the sense that the PAWS technology has failed to wow anyone and maybe Acura should have instead launched a SH-AWD version while waiting for the hybrid. I think Acura decided to prioritized fuel economy numbers above all so decided to go straight FWD with the PAWS helping out with handling rather than what I believe is the superior SH-AWD system.

jhr3uva90

I think LKAS would be a great feature for someone who drives long distances on a regular basis. Not everyone is driving a sedan for sport, some of us have actual places to go.

I think part of the reason why Acura is using P-AWS is because many customers inaccurately equate AWD with snow. Those customers see cars in terms of either "AWD" or "non-AWD." They don't necessarily care about the differences between FWD and RWD. P-AWS will give Acura a chance to offer non-AWD cars that are different from "regular" Hondas. I expect to see P-AWS on the TLX eventually.

Speaking of P-AWS, I find it hard to believe that the RLX with P-AWS has a larger turning radius than the 2005 RL with SH-AWD.

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX

2014 Acura RLX Review on Everyman Driver - YouTube

Feast your eyes on the 2014 Acura RLX. This is Acura’s all-new luxury flagship sedan, which in my opinion is a much better replacement for the outgoing RL. It’s powered by a new 310 horsepower direct-injected V-6 engine, representing Acura’s advancement toward a higher level of luxury, comfort and quietness while still maintaining the brand’s leading dynamic performance.

The question that remains to be answered, does the RLX have what it takes to reclaim Acura’s reputation for producing some of the most technologically advanced luxury sedans in the marketplace? What my detailed drive and review and judge for yourself. Thanks for watching.

jhr3uva90

Based on these reviews, I think:

1. The Acura RLX is NOT for car enthusiasts. This is why the car reviews are lukewarm at best. The only positive reviews seem to come from reviewers like Warren Brown, who seems to cater his reviews to non-enthusiast car drivers who aren't that into cars.

2. The Acura RLX is NOT for brand whores. Why buy/lease a $48K+ Acura sedan when you can lease a Mercedes or BMW and impress your friends or potential clients? Even Lexus sales don't compete with Mercedes and BMW in this market.

3. The Acura RLX is for people who like good OEM audio systems because they don't want to get an aftermarket system.

4. The Acura RLX is for people who want a midsize car with a fullsize interior.

5. The Acura RLX is for people who want a reliable car that will last a long time. By contrast, brand whores don't care about all that because they are going to just lease a car for 3 years and then get another car.

6. The Acura RLX is for people who actually did the math and compared the prices between the RLX and its competitors with similar options. RLX has a bit more bang for the buck.

7. The Acura RLX is for people who will negotiate a price well below sticker before they buy this car. In fact, I'm guessing people who buy this car will pay closer to invoice than to sticker, especially for the P-AWS version.

8. The Acura RLX is for gadget fiends. Features like the AHA-based AcuraLink and the low-speed follow cruise control are interesting to gadget fiends. The problem is, gadget fiends tend to be younger and prefer smaller cars. So, I guess the RLX is for a mature gadget fiend?

9. The Acura RLX was designed/engineered/built by the Japanese, with the Japanese, for the Japanese -- just like the RLX's predecessors.

10. Because of my previous 9 opinions, I think the RLX appeals to a relatively small market. Also, I think Honda/Acura are aware of this. After all, they have been selling RL/RLX for nearly 20 years. They should be aware of what kind of customers buy this car and the size of the potential customer base.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Good summary...about the only thing I'd change is for the 1st point, it should be Acura RLX FWD. Who knows..the AWD model can be a very fun to drive car!

neuronbob

1) Yup. Hopefully, the RLX-H (or SH-SH-AWD or Sport Hybrid, or whatever Acura calls it) will be more of a luxury enthusiasts' car.

2) Yup. Perfect car for someone to hide their 1% status with.

3) Um.....that's a majority of people.

4) Yup. This same logic applies to the new Honda Accord, which is smaller than the outgoing model yet somehow offers more interior room. Genius packaging either way and the RLX addresses a shortcoming of the RL in that regard. I personally don't like large cars or their (lack of) handling, so spot on.

5-8) Yup and ditto.

9) I thought this car was designed in the USA. Besides, what's wrong with a Japanese car designed for the Japanese? S2000 fits that characteristic and is one of Honda's most compelling models. Besides, being a Honda/Acura owner for 25 years (OMG I'm old now!), including the two I still have in my garage, I understand that Honda, like Apple, is used to doing its own thing.....and it seems to work even if no one else understands it.

Personally, I don't think Honda/Acura gives two $hits for what we think. Worked for Steve Jobs....ultimately.

hondamore

I agree 100% - opinions are like A**holes, everyone's got one.

Your comment sort of reminded me of the Simpson's episode when Homer's long lost brother, the automotive magnate, let Homer design a car. The "everyman" or John Q. Public has lots of great ideas on how to build a car but doesn't have to risk billions of dollars to try them out. Honda/Acura doesn't make billiions by catering to every opinion on every automotive forum. Remember, the same people who bitch that a car's rear seat is "suitable only for infants" will later bitch that the new model with the larger back seat "lacks the sportiness of it's predecessor because of it's bloated wheelbase". I refer you to the "too many buttons" vs. "overly-complicated interface" debate.

It's still fun to share our opinions, I'm as guilty as anyone, but we have to give Acura/Honda the benefit of the doubt that they have given everything we are talking about a lot of thought and come up with the best solution for the way they want to run their business.

TSX69

Question: Does anyone know/think that the Sport mode reduces the mpg? Thanks!

Did Our Date End with "See You In My DriveWay" or "See You Later"?

We didn’t go into Acura’s 1st-drive press event for its new, range-topping sedan now known as the RLX with astronomically high hopes, given the wallflower-like nature of its predecessor, the RL. The old RL was nice enough, but in no way was it revolutionary, sexy, or state of the art. And it certainly wasn’t going to blow the mind of its no doubt slightly bored driver, who probably wondered why he didn’t get a TL instead.

But after experiencing the game-changing wild child that is the 2014 Acura RLX, we think it’s time that Mercedes, Lexus, and even BMW take note of how markedly competitive this new car truly is. This is odd because a GS350, E350 or 5-Series are all rear-wheel-drive, and according to the auto journalism rulebook, RWDs are always superior to front-wheel models like the RLX.

Funny, if we weren’t mistaken we would say that Acura engineered the new RLX as a bitchslap to every repetitive traditionalist to show them front-wheel-drive can be fun too. Plus, if you live somewhere that has seasons and weather you would probably prefer a front driver — unless spinning around in circles after hitting black ice patches is your idea of a good time. Frankly, we’d rather go cow tipping, and trust us when we say that is not on our bucket list, much less our lunch pail list.

Thankfully, we packed our superhero lunchboxes and headed off for drives on winding Napa Valley back roads, leading us finally to the Sonoma County Raceway, where we really got to put the RLX and back-to-back E350, GS350 and 535i models to test. Make no mistake, we know how great Acura models are and have been in the past, so why were we somewhat reticent to believe in an Acura flagship that appeals to driver pleasure centers as well as those seeking serene comfort? In this case we simply didn’t know how many engineering tricks Acura still has up its sleeve.

The answers to all of our doubts and questions, dear readers, were found behind the wheel of the new RLX, which proved once and for all that you don’t need to be a rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan to carve corners with the best of them. In fact, we think that the P-AWS 4-wheel steering system (which stands for Precision All-Wheel Steer and is not a reference to kitty cat claws) will convince any luxury sport sedan shopper that the RLX handles like no vehicle they have driven before.

Now, without an engineering degree it might be a bit difficult to understand how Acura worked such miracles with its P-AWS system but as you would expect, it allows you to turn the rear wheels in the optimal direction during various driving scenarios. This optimization of the wheel toe-in or toe-out (i.e. when the wheel is pointed inward or outward) provides extremely predictable and stable cornering, even in bad weather. It may also lengthen the life of your tires — though that claim came from Acura, so don’t complain to us if your tires don’t last as long as you had hoped.

The point here, people, is that this P-AWS system makes understeer nearly undetectable and gave us a level of confidence on the rainy race track that may or may not have led to a rather long sideways power slide around 1 long sweeping turn. Not once did we fear losing control of the vehicle, although we do hope no 1 at Acura saw us do it.

Interior and Exterior Judgments

The 2014 Acura RLX is a naturally pretty and well-balanced design when viewed from the outside, with LED front headlamps giving the face a unique appearance akin to someone with the compound eyes of a spider. The traditional Acura grille holds together the handsome corporate face that not only faithfully screams “upscale” but is also capable of looking like a working professional’s car. As for that, the back seat offers best-in-class legroom so this car may be a hit for real estate agents who sell multi-million-dollar homes across the country. Truly, if you take 5 adults with you for any period of time, then the RLX is your finest choice.

Otherwise, the leather lined interior is quite simply one of Acura’s most stunning pieces of handiwork since the original NSX, what with its refined simplicity that the easy-to-figure-out RLX also manages in a smaller dose. Honestly, the RLX has way too many high tech features not to require some more buttons and at least a control knob when compared to the old NSX which (gasp!) didn’t even have a navigation system. Oh, how quickly automotive expectations change.

The RLX has an interior that is definitely pushing the boundaries. Audiophiles will be interested to know that the once-vaunted Acura/ELS audio system is no longer the top rated unit: this honor now goes to an awesome sounding Krell system available in upper-level trims. Your ears will never want to hear music anywhere else after experiencing this sound system, trust us. Most especially you won’t want to be hearing music at a Justin Bieber concert, since that act renders adult ears deaf from all of the pre-teen shrieking. And his singing.

Vs. the Competition

The 2014 Acura RLX is equipped with a new, direct-injected 3.5 liter 310 horsepower/272 ft-lbs of torque V6, which offers up instantaneous and very linear acceleration from a stop. At freeway speeds there’s always plenty of accelerative thrust left in reserve for passing or just reveling in the glorious crescendo this motor makes as it reaches redline. Noises are well muted, with only the slightest hint of tire roar heard in the cabin — ironic as the RLX comes with noise-cancelling wheels. (How noisy were they before?) Making up for this is the RLX’s solid EPA fuel economy ratings of 20 city/31 highway.

Admittedly, if you’re looking for an isolation chamber or a silent crypt-style driving experience, the RLX not be the best fit for you. This isn’t to say that the RLX doesn’t coddle, though: during our highway drive time, we tested Acura’s new collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) as well as the lane-keeping assist system (LKAS), which use cameras to monitor the traffic ahead as well as the lane markers, so that not only will the car come to a complete stop if the traffic ahead of you does, but it will also turn the wheel to keep you in your lane.

Yes, the car can practically drive itself in emergency situations. After you come to a complete stop, just push a button to return to your preset speed. No other automaker’s system is so complete in its ability to prevent you from having an accident, as was demonstrated to us on the Sonoma County Raceway, our final destination (thankfully, we don’t mean the movie). There, we compared the RLX’s safety tech with similar systems in the Lexus GS, which will happily return all control to the driver after braking the car to 35 miles per hour with little to no warning. Hey, at least you’ll only crash at 35 mph in their system, eh?

During laps on the very wet and slick rain-soaked Sonoma County Raceway, we were amazed at how well the RLX’s 4-wheel steer system nearly eliminates any plowing or understeer in high-speed cornering and how in control we felt, even when we were driving at speeds that were a bit out of control. During comparison laps on a cone laden autocross course, we were amazed at how well the RLX kept up with the handling of a 535i and how horribly wooden the Mercedes E-Class felt as it skidded and smacked into cones on the way to a very disappointing finish.

So, were we suitably impressed with the RLX? Would we recommend it as heartily as the much-vaunted and nearly holy BMW 535i?

Prepare your hate letters now, but yes, we were impressed, even to the extent that we found the BMW’s amount of turbo-lag and easily confused transmission a bit of a turn off. In isolation we might not have noticed it, but powering through turns felt easier and safer on the slick tarmac in the RLX, as power was immediate and predictable, with none of the on/off nature of a turbo motor.

Trim levels and Pricing

The 2014 Acura RLX is a relative steal in this often-overpriced segment, with starting prices coming in at $48,450 for a solidly equipped example — though one that lacks both in-dash navigation ($50,950) and the essential Acura/ELS audio system ($54,450). These trim upgrades also include features like Milano leather trim, a blind spot warning system, and more, so double check Acura.com to see which model suits you most like, well, a finely tailored suit.

Beyond this, you can add the aforementioned Krell audio package (we would) for $56,950, with the top of the heap being an Advance Package-equipped model, which just happened to be the only available test cars at the initial drive event. The Advance Package model goes for $60,450 and includes the aforementioned collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) as well as the lane keeping assist system (LKAS) to ensure you stay safe in your heated/ventilated front seats.

Conclusion (Do You Want to Buy 1?)

If we were in the market for a midsize luxury sport sedan, the new 2014 Acura RLX should be a sore temptation, due to its relative affordability, terrific handling, class leading technology, handsome styling, terrific interior ergonomics, and simply because you won’t see someone coming and going in your exact same car every other minute. Do you ever turn your head when you see a Mercedes E350? No.

With its relative rarity, the RLX will attract attention wherever you go, yet it will always manage to look discreet and classy enough for any situation or occasion. And on the driving front, we can guarantee that it will always excite you, but never leave you exhausted from the experience. Unlike that 22-year-old we hear you’re dating.

dom

I just wonder if they did truly know this, why so many trim levels of the RLX? If the intent was to sell 5-6K per year, why offer so much choice? Was the plan build to order?

I understand that luxury shoppers want choice and customization, but at the expense of not having cars to sell on the lot? IMO they'd have been better served by offering 2 or at most 3 trims.

neuronbob

*smack!*

jhr3uva90

I agree that the RLX should only have 3 trims. I think Krell should be part of the Advance package. Also, I think the Navigation and Technology packages should be merged. I remember when I got my 2005 RL, there was only ONE package: EVERYTHING. I guess a bunch of customers and potential customers complained, so Acura is obliging them now.

TSX69

silver3.5

^^ Cool! but why not compare it head-to-head with its competitors on the same drive course? I think that would give potential/returning customers a better idea of how the RLX handles compared to its direct competitors....i.e. Lexus taste of luxury driving event!

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Move to Canada, we only have 3 trims!

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

and also no FWD trim for the 2014 MDX.

TSX69

neuronbob

I like that review, with in-depth study of AcuraLink. This ain't the last generation of AcuraLink, which I never used on my RL because it was cumbersome to set up and, in general, sucked.

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX: 0-60 MPH Test
High Revving Luxury

2014 Acura RLX 0-60 MPH Drive & Review: The return of All-Wheel-Steering - YouTube

The 2014 Acura RLX is Acura’s flagship vehicle until the new NSX hits the showrooms in about 2 years. It is stuffed full of the latest and newest technology including PAWS which in Honda speak stands for ‘Precision All-Wheel-Steering’. Get it? The brand new 2014 Acura RLX is powered by a high revving 3.5L 310 HP V6 engine that powers the front wheels. In another fun and informative TFLcar video we test and review the new top dog Acura from 0-60 MPH to see how fast and how well it drives.

The Acura RLX has been timed between 6.0-6.5 seconds 0-60 MPH at sea level. How much time does this luxury cruiser lose in rarified air of the Colorado Rocky Mountains? The Acura engine is normally aspirated, but it revs relatively high (near 7,000 rpm). Can the high revs get the big Acura into the 7-second range? Watch the video to find out and also see what rating Roman and Nathan give the 2014 Acura RLX.

jhr3uva90

This was a fair and decent review. Like most reviews, they didn't test any of the gadgetry in the car.

GoHawks

As good as Acura is implementing technology like navigation and voice recognition (I still think they are the best here), they sucked at others like the 1st attempt at Acuralink and iPod integration.

GoHawks

Consumer Reports just gave a glowing endorsement. Why do I post this here? Because while doing so they say it outshines more expensive cars like the Acura RLX.

I included the excerpt so you don't have to read the whole thing.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013072...orts-top-rated

In addition, “the new Chevy outscores luxury sedans costing $20,000 more,” including the Acura RLX and Jaguar LX, the magazine said. The 2014 Impala’s base price ranges from $26,725 to $35,770, excluding destination charges.

jhr3uva90

"Outscores" in what way? Trunk space?