3 part-question. I've read a lot of comments on how the fully-loaded 60K RLX (shock!! FWD) stacks up against the competition, but am curious if anyone interested in also interested in the BASE model.

1. What cars is the 48K price tag competive enough to pull in?

BMW3 - looking for more size?
Hyundai Genesis - looking for more brand cachet?
Toyota Avalon - looking for more excitement?

2. Any options missing from the BASE which would have hit the mark?
Leather, Better sound system?

3. At what "psychological" price point should Acura have priced the BASE to make you take a second look?

 

^^ I don't have much to add on point 1 & 2 at this point but for me, with respect to the Base RLX, the only point I have is that I agree with me on this one. Very very few would get a Base RLX in my opinion.

When people get into this price range, saving a few thousand dollars to get the base "el cheapo" model is usually not what people do. People that buy the Flagship wants to have some sort of bragging rights and saying you got the base model is not what people are usually happy to do. For me, if I have a choice between a LOADED TL SH-AWD or a BASE RLX, I would chose the TL unless there is a specific feature the RLX has that the TL doesn't. But at that point, if that is the case, I will scrape the bottom of my piggy bank to make sure I don't get the ultra base model.

Thats just me though....I am sure some will disagree with me but that is how I view it.

 

Most people don;t buy base cars in this range, if you look at Infiniti and Lexus for example and look at the inventory on their lots you will see with Infiniti almost all the M37 cars have at least the Premium package which puts the car in the $54K range. Lexus is harder because they have several packages for the G#, but again, I don't know that I ever saw any base cars.

Now that being said I do see plenty of base TLs on the road, most are Tech, but I do see them and the dealers carry them on the lot. Not sure how many if any base RLXs they will carry. It is interesting to see that they separated out Nav and added a $2K bump for that and a $6K bump for tech. It puts them right in line with M37 and GS350 for features/pricing.

 

The RLX is different though IMO. When you look at the feature list, even the RLX base is pretty darn well equipped. As I've said in other posts, features such as P-AWS, LED headlights, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, heated seats, moonroof, Tri-zone climate control, heated mirrors, and homelink can all be removed/replaced to create a true base model priced at around $44k. The above features can be grouped as a premium package (or even two different packages).

The reason I mentioned the $44k price tag is that the Audi A6 and Cadillac XTS for instance are both starting at $44k. Acura, being a brand that does not offer as much brand prestige, is probably better off attracting customers to the dealer by having a lower base price for the RLX. At the current starting price of $49k however, I can see and understanding people questioning the pricing.