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Got this via email this weekend, with the local dealer wanting to buy our RLX Sport Hybrid. According to my wife (her car), you'll have to pry it out of her cold, dead fingers
The extreme rarity of the RLX Sport Hybrid makes it becoming a "collectors car" the logical next step. People searching for these cars has only just begun.
"You don't know what you got til it's gone"
On that note, does anyone know the total number of RLX Sport Hybrids ever produced?? I know the 2014 model year and 2016 model year they only made roughly 250 per year, but I don't know if they increased that number after the MMC.
I'm up in Canada and I think the numbers up here were around 50-60 per year. Acura offered only the Sport Hybrid version after 2016 I believe, so once again, I don't know if they increased the number made after that. Even if they did, there are still probably somewhere between 300 and 400 Canadian version RLX Sport Hybrids in existence. A unicorn indeed.
It is extremely rare. I'm in Los Angeles, car capital of the world. We have everything out here. And I have never seen another RLX let alone a Sport Hybrid. Our MDX-SH is also extremely rare. I get those emails almost monthly for both our RLX-SH and MDX-SH. Dealers too will have to pry my Sport Hybrids off my dead fingers. I love them. Glad I got both before Acura killed it for good.
Unfortunately, there isn't another Acura worth trading for if they purchase my MDX hybrid or RLX hybrid (except for a straight trade of both for a 22 NSX Type-S). The Type-S TLX 2nd row is too small and the 3.0T engine would drop my mpgs to the high teens/low 20s for the same 0-60 times as the RLX hybrid. Besides, everyone loves the RLX when they see it and never knew this model existed. I would never get that same reaction with any TLX or MDX model.
55 years young for the wife and I. I've only seen probably less than 5 RLXs in the 14-20 model years ever in New Mexico. Probably 2X that number of all the previous gen RLs in the same time period. To be fair, it is SUV/Truck country out here. Folks will spend +$70,000 for a Ford or Dodge dually pick-up to commute 5-10 miles to work (the wife can barely squeeze the RLX in her assigned parking spot at work).
We're probably in the target demographic for the RLX - Wife is 66, I'm 64. But she doesn't drive the RLX SH as one would assume a retired school teacher would. :-) This is a woman whose previous ride was a '12 TL SH-AWD that she drove like she stole it. She calls the RLX SH her "retirement car". Love that woman after 40 yrs of marriage.
The wife went to dentist for a yearly cleaning this week and the main dentist poked his head in to ask if the red Acura was her car. He wasn't sure what type of Acura it was since I had it de-badged. He was asking her all kinds of questions about it and he was really impressed with the way it looks. I would be more willing to give up my MDX hybrid compared to the RLX if I had to (only for a +22 MDX hybrid/PHEV/BEV). Still a little disappointed in Acura for not including the HUD, Krell audio, or double-stacked LEDs on the RLX on the 17-20 Adv MDXs
Those sales figure are for both RLX - PAWS and Sport Hybrids? How do we know how many SH were sold? I bet most of those were PAWS. Sigh..still waiting for my glass to arrive from Japan. Such a rare car has its downsides.
they’re becoming even rare now. I bought my ‘18 back in April of this year. I just googled for the SH in my area - all years - got a total of around 5 hits, of which only 2 are 2020’s.
[QUOTE=mrgold35;16746226]Unfortunately, there isn't another Acura worth trading for if they purchase my MDX hybrid or RLX hybrid (except for a straight trade of both for a 22 NSX Type-S). The Type-S TLX 2nd row is too small and the 3.0T engine would drop my mpgs to the high teens/low 20s for the same 0-60 times as the RLX hybrid. Besides, everyone loves the RLX when they see it and never knew this model existed. I would never get that same reaction with any TLX or MDX model.]
My thinking as well. I wonder if the RLX might have had a more successful introduction if it had manufactured only the SHAWD and not PAWS. The PAWS version was the one reviewers wrote about because it was the first one out, and the reviews were generally bad. I had one and I did not particularly care for it.
Last edited by Jim 2004; 08-12-2021 at 10:08 AM.
Reason: Punctuation
There are hardly any in Texas available. When I got mine, I pulled the trigger on one from Alabama since I wasn’t buying new.
Sure would be nice if it went the way of the S2000 and held its value. I would think it should some day, I just hope I am patient enough to wait for it to happen.
There are hardly any in Texas available. When I got mine, I pulled the trigger on one from Alabama since I wasn’t buying new.
Sure would be nice if it went the way of the S2000 and held its value. I would think it should some day, I just hope I am patient enough to wait for it to happen.
I'm thinking the RLX hybrid prices will stabilize and eventually rise because of gas prices and EVs/hybrids will start to become more common place in a few years. The only thing I can think of that would kick the crap out of the RLX value is needing a replacement battery pack. I can see that being an expensive job of +$5000 minimum because of the parts+labor. Not sure if you still get the 377hp/341tq with a dead/dying battery pack?
My recollection is that Acura has a trade-in program for hybrid batteries whereby you trade in your old battery and get a new one (or refurbished with new cells) for around $1500. Don't quote me on the price, but this issue was discussed a while ago and I think the price was in that range.
If you look in the TSB thread at the top of the forum, click on your year, then, near the top, there should be a thread that reads IMA Battery Exchange Program. It doesn't give exact numbers, but the dealership/service centre gets a $3000 charge to them if they don't return the old battery, so my guess is that the battery costs $4500, but the dealerships get them for $1500 if they send the old battery back to Acura. The time allotment for the service is 3.3 hours, so you can calculate the approximate cost in your area for the labour involved to replace the hybrid battery.
$1500 + labor for battery replacement is not bad at all. If I keep both my SH that long. Aren't the hybrid system and batteries warranty for 8 yrs/100K miles. What kind a hybrid battery degradation is expected within that time frame? Wonder if we will lose hp/tq as the vehicle ages.
This is a standard dealer marketing mail to try and get you to trade your car and buy a new one. They just know what car you have because you have had service with them or bought the car there. They aren't specifically looking for them.
I was going to say the same thing, @Redbiff . Maybe it's a sign of how "seasoned" the RLX owners are that they would fall for this kind of thing?
I even got one of these e-mails once where the dealership had not filled out the fields correctly so the whole thing was like "We have a desperate need for your <Model Name>, as many customers are currently seeking <Model Name> vehicles like yours. There's never been a better time to trade up from <Model Name> to one of our new models, so contact us today!"
I was 31 when I got 06 RL... RLX followed 10 years after...
One I got was in Ft Wort, TX... Called dealer, priced it out in 10mins, booked 1-way tickets for the afternoon, next morning went to dealer and picked it up, drove back to IL.
2018 RLX, CPO, 26k miles (now at 28k including TX to IL drive back) ... AMAZING CAR!!! Plan to keep it for quite a while 👌🧐
I was going to say the same thing, @Redbiff . Maybe it's a sign of how "seasoned" the RLX owners are that they would fall for this kind of thing?
I even got one of these e-mails once where the dealership had not filled out the fields correctly so the whole thing was like "We have a desperate need for your <Model Name>, as many customers are currently seeking <Model Name> vehicles like yours. There's never been a better time to trade up from <Model Name> to one of our new models, so contact us today!"
If you reread the original post, nobody has declared that the dealers are desperate to purchase RLX's or that RLX's were singled out by the dealership for purchase. The primary theme of the thread is related to the rarity of the RLX Sport Hybrid, the universal love that the RLX Sport Hybrid is getting from it's owners, and the demographics of the RLX Sport Hybrid buyer.
Now, just you be careful of what you say over here in the RLX forum or I'll come over there and slap you with my diaper you young whipper snapper with your rock and roll music, by jimminy. Now I have to go watch Matlock on the television box.
I was 31 when I got 06 RL... RLX followed 10 years after...
One I got was in Ft Wort, TX... Called dealer, priced it out in 10mins, booked 1-way tickets for the afternoon, next morning went to dealer and picked it up, drove back to IL.
2018 RLX, CPO, 26k miles (now at 28k including TX to IL drive back) ... AMAZING CAR!!! Plan to keep it for quite a while 👌🧐
how do you manage to keep the mileage so low? Ive only had mine for 4 months and have put close to 1k miles on it already. I drive the RLX everywhere. My Atlantic City city trips are already 112miles in one direction.
Now, just you be careful of what you say over here in the RLX forum or I'll come over there and slap you with my diaper you young whipper snapper with your rock and roll music, by jimminy. Now I have to go watch Matlock on the television box.
ROTFLMAO! Hey I don't like rock 'n roll music, does that count? I really do love this car despite it is marketed toward an older demographic. My days of modified cars are over. I'm enjoying the peace on quiet in my SH.
^^I still remember the day that I bought my '05 RL. It was my first car with an automatic transmission (albeit with the paddle shifters) and I remember wondering if it was a sign that I was getting old.
Years later, the answer is an unequivocal YES, I am getting old, my days of driving a manual are over but I really don't miss it as much as I thought I would. There is plenty of fun to be had in Manual mode in the RLX, especially engaging M1 which will wake you up in a hurry.
It is extremely rare. I'm in Los Angeles, car capital of the world. We have everything out here. And I have never seen another RLX let alone a Sport Hybrid. Our MDX-SH is also extremely rare. I get those emails almost monthly for both our RLX-SH and MDX-SH. Dealers too will have to pry my Sport Hybrids off my dead fingers. I love them. Glad I got both before Acura killed it for good.
AMEN. I have a 2019 MDX SH lease and was going to make that the last model I ever drove (lease after lease). Looking for the next model now...
There is zero differences between 2019 vs 2020 RLX-SH. If your lease buyout is favorable, stay with the 2019. Not sure if you can even find a 2020 model now. They're extreme rare.
how do you manage to keep the mileage so low? Ive only had mine for 4 months and have put close to 1k miles on it already. I drive the RLX everywhere. My Atlantic City city trips are already 112miles in one direction.
I think the biggest factor is that I work from home 100% at the moment. My employer is looking to open offices in a hybrid fashion, so even when that happens I will probably be working 1-2 days from office and 3+ days from home (40 miles RT if I go to office).
This will probably get some more miles on the clock, but that is about it.
Looking into Acura Care, I will likely choose 5yr 80k warranty, because in no way will I be putting 50-60k in the next 5 years, so acura care longevity works the most for my circumstances.
Now, just you be careful of what you say over here in the RLX forum or I'll come over there and slap you with my diaper you young whipper snapper with your rock and roll music, by jimminy. Now I have to go watch Matlock on the television box.
I was 42 when I got my P-AWS and 44 when I got the SH. I get the notion that the RLX is an old man’s car because it’s a large luxury sedan which are generally reserved for older individuals with the income to support such a car purchase - but I don’t see the RLX as an old guy’s car like I do with a Buick, Lincoln or Cadillac.
Ever since I started working from home last year and purchased my Camaro ZL1, I hardly drive my 2015 RLX SH. I have one of the 300-400 Canadian hybrid unicorns in existence, so maybe I should consider selling it. I just figured the resale values stink so it’s worth more to me than the few bucks it will bring me back on trade. And what would I get to replace it that does half of what the RLX SH does?… nothing.
I still really love the car but it’s allure as a quick exhilarating ride diminished a lot once I got the ZL1 which is simply off the charts ridiculous power. I know they are not competitors in the least - just when I have the choice of both sitting in the garage, I seem to take the ZL1 if it’s anything local and sunny. The RLX is my rainy/longer distance driver now.
I was 42 when I got my P-AWS and 44 when I got the SH. I get the notion that the RLX is an old man’s car because it’s a large luxury sedan which are generally reserved for older individuals with the income to support such a car purchase - but I don’t see the RLX as an old guy’s car like I do with a Buick, Lincoln or Cadillac.
Ever since I started working from home last year and purchased my Camaro ZL1, I hardly drive my 2015 RLX SH. I have one of the 300-400 Canadian hybrid unicorns in existence, so maybe I should consider selling it. I just figured the resale values stink so it’s worth more to me than the few bucks it will bring me back on trade. And what would I get to replace it that does half of what the RLX SH does?… nothing.
I still really love the car but it’s allure as a quick exhilarating ride diminished a lot once I got the ZL1 which is simply off the charts ridiculous power. I know they are not competitors in the least - just when I have the choice of both sitting in the garage, I seem to take the ZL1 if it’s anything local and sunny. The RLX is my rainy/longer distance driver now.
It's always good to have an incognito-mobile...though mine, in red, is not as incognito as I thought it would be LOL. I really enjoy driving it even though I've got more sporting cars in the fleet. Now that it's got stably working wireless CarPlay via Grom unit, it's even better.
For some reason my mom loves the RLX (she just turned 42 today too lol) and says that she eventually want to trade her TLX (2020 V6 Tech) in for an RLX. Personally I don't think she needs all that space.. its like a reliable big body benz but if she likes it, I love it. Probably will help her get it sometime next year.
@MarcoTLX , Your mom has good taste. You can tell her I used to drive a 2018 TLX. The RLX is simply a better car. It drives smaller than its size except in a parking lot…turning radius is large.
TLX vs RLX is not even close. I had a '21 TLX tech loaner last Thursday. Only thing I liked was the new Infotainment, but everything else screams cheap inside and outside. Too much plastic panels all over on the inside. And the on the outside, the rear-end looks like a Camaro mated with a Buick. So dang ugly.
I too love big sedan and plush ride of the RLX is so welcoming coming back into after a day in the TLX. All that power, just enough luxury and instantaneous acceleration is thrilling.
08-09-2021, 11:09 AM
