stagefoursurvivor

Anyone have contacts in Japan?

I did until shortly after Fukashima, he got outta Dodge pretty quick when it became clear food and water was going to be tainted for a long while. He broke a contract as a Japanese/Russian/Korean interpreter and got zero hassles for doing so. REALLY smart kid but, doesn't know how to check his own oil!

TampaRLX-SH

Google Earth:

35°52'52.33"N
139°26'36.71"E

stagefoursurvivor

TRL,
Could you please zoom in on the CBP w/Seacoast? And the VIN etched on the windshield or dashboard plate?
A photo is fine, it needn't be video!

hondamore

Hey, that's my driveway the week I was away on a golf trip - I gotta have a talk with my wife!!

KeithL

Wow that is even more sad than them sitting on a lot waiting for transport. At this point they should quietly remove it from the web site as it just frustrates people.

Colin

It frustrates US, regular people don't know.

hondamore

^^Blessed are the ignorant. Frustrated are the informed.

Same goes for citizens and government spending.

TampaRLX-SH

I deduce these really are SH RLXs. The satellite photo of the Saitama assembly plant is March 15, 2014. The PAWS RLXs were built out by end of December and shipped by February. These look to be the lot of the 200 SH RLXs. If you zoom in to ground level you pick up features that are RLX.

Now whether they are still at the Honda plant or in a staging area for shipping is another question. But I would bet these are the unicorns.

neuronbob

Don't mess with Acurazine. They'll hunt you down. Even in a parking lot in Saitama.

Rocketsfan

I understand the lack of the hybrid RLX, but ... is there a lack of RLX's in general? I know they weren't selling well, but when I went to the dealership today, I thought I'd see one inside on display, but nope... they had TL's, RDX, MDX, possibly a TSX, and ILX ... but no RLX. I didn't feel like walking around in 95 degree heat and humidity before going back to work, so I decided not to go looking for one outside. I just looked online and if you believe the online inventory search, there are only 9 RLX's among 4 dealers in the DFW area. Either they're selling whatever they have like crazy or they just don't have inventory.

Colin

They haven't made an RLX since ... January. Everyone should be running down their inventory. We're down to a few Techs and Krells.

stagefoursurvivor

It's anyones guess as far as accuracy but, autotrader shows 562 new RLXs available in the US.

Can this be anywhere close to accurate???

Seems like a $hitload to me, especially if none have been built/shipped since January! If sales projections are anywhere close, we're talkin' 1 1/2 years minimum to move them?

2011TL

^^^
526 is less than 2 months of inventory at May's sales level.

Colin

With ~265 dealers, that's less than 2 per dealer. We have seven of those RLXs.

clawber

It looks like my local dealer has 17

2011TL

...and my local dealer has 18.

neuronbob

My usual dealer has none, and the dealer on the other side of town has eight, three of them Advances.

But I really only care about how many SH-RLXs are going to my local dealer.

TSX69

My state has 6 dealerships & 5 of them have 0; the last 1 has 4 (all advance). That one had 18 at 1 point while the others only had 1 or 2 at most so that might explain why they still have some. Not sure why Pohanka has 17 but I do know that 2 of my dealers got 2 each from them & both sold fairly quickly so there is some kind of demand left around here.

That pic of all the RLX hybrids sitting out there rotting in the sun angers me. I wonder if we can demand a discount bc we know they have just been chilling in the elements all these months instead of being taken care of.

Acura has been saying Spring of 2014 & this is the last official day of spring, so I think that it is time for me to seriously start looking elsewhere. I was considering the MDX but I keep reading the complaints in the other forum & now JD Power has said that they have had a lot of initial issues.

Hate to go off topic but: If I continue down the CUV path, I am thinking the Mercedes M Class BlueTec. Besides being a lot more expensive, does anyone have an opinion on it, especially compared to getting an MDX?

Thanks!

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

If you are planning to keep an European vehicle longer than the standard factory warranty coverage period, extended warranty is your best friend.

TampaRLX-SH

If and when the unicorns arrive, I won't be purchasing a 2014MY. I have to agree seeing them sitting give me a stale view of what hasn't even arrived. I was told 2015 MY SH RLX should be available in September.

If I get a chance to spend more seat time in the SH RLX before then (assuming they arrive with 2015 PAWS RLX in coming weeks) and decide to purchase one, I will order one in August when my RL's extended warranty expires.

KeithL

Took them this long to get initial shipments wonder how long an order will take ;-) Maybe you will order and get a MY16

stagefoursurvivor

As I'm sure many of you received who have signed up for their periodic notices:
New 2015 MDX
New 2015 ILX

Conspicuously absent is ANY mention of the RLXh, neither '14 or '15 or PAWS!

WTH???

George Knighton

0_o

Well. I guess we'll just be enjoying our rare collector's items.

TampaRLX-SH

I figure 8-10 weeks minimum. Fortunately I am not anxious to sell / trade my RL. On the other hand Acura's silence has offered me motivation to visit other brand dealer lots. So far I have not pulled out the checkbook or got sweaty palms and 'must have' voices in my head. Experiences with other brands has been mixed. The asshole at BMW asked me where I got my 'fake' Rolex. The Mercedes rep asked to run my credit before I could drive an E class. The Jaguar dealer asked me how long I had my Accord. I responded 'Longer than I would rely on any Jag'. I added 'nice necktie, I did not realize clip ons came in extra short lengths' and left. The Cadillac dealer was so busy ragging on Japanese brands he did not hear me say I have and Acura and I am loyal to the brand. Further if he had a clue, Cadillac is hot on the heals of European brands and should not waste his small brain fussing on the Japanese. The Lexus dealership would have my business if they had a model I wanted. The Audi dealer impressed me, but they are the same ownership as my Acura dealer and several of their staff worked at the Acura dealership beforehand and know me.

As much as I value my relationship with my Acura dealer, my Acura brand loyalty and faith has been tarnished significantly by clumsy roll outs, questionable quality issues, diminished perceived market value compared to competitors and most glaring: the cold shoulder to brand loyalists.

I am a heartbeat away from Acura too.

neuronbob

Got mine too. They don't mention the TLX, either, which we know for certain is coming in the next few weeks. Or at least that's the last word we have. I don't think the absence of the two has any particular meaning.

CFoote

I HATE the whole car buying process....really. It's just ridiculous.

Chris

cyler

I saw this sign at my Acura Dealer today. They said the sign arrived within the last week. I sure hope this doesn't mean the RLXh will be a 2014 when it finally appears.

stagefoursurvivor

Hmmm...intriguing.
What town are you in/near?

I have a sense this car will be a spectacular success or...a spectacular flop
BUT, I do expect it to be all that it's designed to be. I could give a rats patoot about V8s or flashy looks.
Give me a good, durable, reliable car with a little luxury, giddy up and goes in any weather...

TSX69

Unfortunately, 2 dealerships in my area have had that banner up for months. Hopefully your dealership getting it now means that it is coming soon? Wishful thinking, I know.

Success or flop is going to be hard to gauge if they really are only making 200. If all of those are sold, I guess it could be considered a success. However, that is not going to improve the RLX's monthly #s so it is probably going to look like a flop overall if there is a decline year to year..

cyler

I'm in the Hartford, CT metro area. I agree with your analysis. I'm leaning toward success.

stagefoursurvivor

If these 200 fly off the shelves quickly, say within 30 days, and folks are clamoring for more...?
It will be difficult to gauge initially if the dealers are insisting on MSRP. Especially if they in turn suggest a PAWS at a steep discount. This might easily impact RLXh sales.

holografique

well, I'll say this much, after spending the last 30min on the Tesla website and digging into the specifics around the Model S....I think my 2014 RLX P-AWS will be my last Acura. Forget the SH-AWD version.

For the money, (assuming everything lines up), I'd be paying less monthly on a 36-month lease for a Model S with all the bells and whistles.

What an amazing car. Seriously...the tech on that vehicle is unbelievable. The 17" touchscreen management system of the car is absolutely stunning. And it already has air based suspension built in that can be adjusted as needed.

neuronbob

^^^^
Watch out for those Tesla lease numbers posted. Those are "effective" lease prices that include business tax savings, fuel cost savings, and state incentives available in only a handful of states. The monthly price is actually pretty steep. They do have a finance plan that guarantees a 36 month buy back price, similar to a lease, which is intriguing.

George Knighton

Hmmm. It's funny you say that. I was not all that enthused by the giant iPad in the centre stack.

There are times that it is rather distracting.

But...I agree that it's an incredible car that's clearly ahead of the game of any other company in 2014. It's certainly the only electric vehicle with a range great enough that I'd be able to use it for what I do.

KeithL

I agree, it looks like a big slab int he dash, to me to takes away from the potential line and more elegant styling they could have done. I too find it a bit distracting. I am ok with dual displays that Acura is doing it they fixed the interaction and contradictions between them.

holografique

wow, yea, after seeing the video, I could care less about the styling. it's all about the functionality of what that 17" screen does.

have you guys actually watched the video? it's incredible the information feedback and control that the screen provides the driver. While I enjoy design, I am ultimately a "techy" at heart...hence why I think it's pretty incredible what the car does. Not to mention the very slick instrumentation display as well.

This car is not only ahead of what anyone else is doing in 2014...they are clearly ahead by at least 5 years+ of any other car manufacturer period in design, economy, and technology.

neuronbob

Back on topic.....so the latest rumor regarding the SH-RLX delay is a problem with the SH-SH-AWD that cropped up. Rumor comes from rolledansx on the TOV forums, who has been close on several rumors in the past. Better to fix it now than to risk unhappy customers after release. However, how about a brief statement, Acura? We've been waiting 18 months after the first mention of release. Help a forum out, guys!

http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-messa...mber=1#1195448

TampaRLX-SH

Perhaps the shipping rumor was less dangerous to float out than a SH failure.

And that customers might be unhappy would be a bit of an understatement if a crash related failure might make them dead.

I my patient, loyal and conservative mind, Acura can no longer get in front of this. To satisfy me they could have simply delayed with an earlier announcement of software / hardware tuning being finalized. That would have been ambiguous enough and yet not be a lie or withheld truth.

The two cornerstones of that Acura and Honda both share that puts them above most all comparable brands are reliability and value. Both are fractured with the RLX rollout.

hondamore

I, for one, applaud Acura for choosing to endure the crap they are taking now with the SHAWD RLX rather than risk selling a car with a possible flaw. I'm still frustrated, but I'd rather they take this approach than sell the 200 units and then recall them. The good news is that I expect my 2016 model year SHAWD RLX to be well tested and perfected.

KeithL

Sure it is good they found a flaw and held it, but really the car is so late that they never should have announced it when they did. They should have sat on it and waited to see how RLX sales went. We also don;t know if it is a flaw, not enough to ship on a boat or whatever. We're more likely to see an Infiniti Eau Rouge before the RLXh and Infiniti has not even said they will make one yet. Acura really needs to do some did inward sole searching and figure out what they want to be, communicate that and then execute on it. They can't survive on us loyalists alone.