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I am a Sport Hybrid owner again. Or...the prodigal beta-tester is back.
I just left the dealer. I now own a used 2020 Sport Hybrid in Brilliant Red/Seacoast. It has 8200 miles on it and was a fresh trade that I found in the Pittsburgh area. I drove over, test drove it in some twisties, and purchased it. Prior owner had purchased in 8/2020 and traded out for a truck at the CJDR dealer I bought it from. It had the all-season mats in it already. The ride is pretty much as I remember it, other than that the suspension is a bit more compliant than in my 2014. Going to keep this for quite a while unless something happens to it.
About to hit the highway home to Cleveland.
Salesman owns an Accord coupe 6-6. I told him he’d better hold on to that!
Manager sold Acuras in the past, was reminded that his dealership sold perhaps one RLX every few months.
Best visual feature so far is something I didn’t pick up in the pics...that black front lip looks REALLY great with the red.
Just got home. A detail that I didn’t pick up from the pictures, but is quite apparent I’m real life, is that black front splitter. The way it contrasts with the red is gorgeous!
Some deposits on the brakes making the brakes sound a bit like a grinder. I did a few high speed braking episodes and it’s already much better.
Also, I had forgotten how much I missed having a HUD in my life.
HUD is nice to have but I wish GROM was able to integrate Google Maps/Waze turn-by-turn somehow. I rarely, if ever, will use the OEM navigation, it's pure trash. Heck I don't even boot in OEM infotainment since I got GROM installed.
You going to get PPF or tint? Chrome delete would look sick on that red. Thinking about black vinyl roof wrap on mine and chrome delete.
HUD is nice to have but I wish GROM was able to integrate Google Maps/Waze turn-by-turn somehow. I rarely, if ever, will use the OEM navigation, it's pure trash. Heck I don't even boot in OEM infotainment since I got GROM installed.
You going to get PPF or tint? Chrome delete would look sick on that red. Thinking about black vinyl roof wrap on mine and chrome delete.
I only use the HUD for speed and power distribution. The stock Navi is, um, so 2000’s , but it was useful in the trip home. I do wish GROM had a way to integrate with the HUD. I’ll be OK with the ability to use Google Maps on road trips, though. GROM will be first mod. I also plan PPF of high-impact areas, paint correction (though this cars paint is almost mint! Wow), and tint. I have a set of wheels from my prior RLXSH that I may try on for spits and giggles. I’m open to blacking out the chrome, but for now I like how the upper chrome integrates with the side sill chrome on the lower door. We'll see.
Originally Posted by Limelight
Congrats Bob. Nice colour combo. Will be interested to hear how you like the refresh over time, compared to your 2014...
I will report back. I remember my 2014 well enough that I should be up to the task.
Originally Posted by phile
congrats! that car is MINT
It is, actually. I had to look HARD for any blemish, evidence for accidents, etc, and could only find a tiny stone chip on the passenger front door. I lucked out! I’m sure I could have argued an Acura dealer down to $45k for a new one, but I think this one was a reasonable deal in the currently hot used car market, AND this one was a reasonable drive from me, not to mention a rare color combo. Not many reds or blues out there.
You going to put your aftermarket wheels on this new one? I must admit, I’m not a fan of the wheels on the refresh - not that I was ever a fan of the RLX wheels in general which is why I got a set of aftermarket wheels for mine.
The RLX wheels are hideous IMO. But I've been so spoiled with the quietness. I kinda hesitant to go aftermarket and risk losing the quiet ride. Besides not much aftermarket parts for this car.
You going to put your aftermarket wheels on this new one? I must admit, I’m not a fan of the wheels on the refresh - not that I was ever a fan of the RLX wheels in general which is why I got a set of aftermarket wheels for mine.
Originally Posted by jdpdata
The RLX wheels are hideous IMO. But I've been so spoiled with the quietness. I kinda hesitant to go aftermarket and risk losing the quiet ride. Besides not much aftermarket parts for this car.
I like these stockers far better than the 2014-17 stock wheels. When I did aftermarket wheels on my 2014, the change resulted in more road noise, it it was not intolerable. If you want to change, don’t be afraid.
In the meantime, I’ve programmed the features on the car. Here’s my clock screen:
I couldn't decide on the blue or red and never test drove or even seen a Brilliant Red Metallic RLX in person when I was looking. That color looks so much better in person compared to internet pictures. Any other mods planned for your new addition to your family? Spoiler, window tint, PPF/ceramic coating, splash guards, spare tire kit, etc....
Here is what your RLX would look like with window tint (35% front/20% rear), blacked out chrome, splash guards, rear spoiler, de-badged, and aftermarket rims with black calipers. I was going to black out the roof for a RLX PMC look; but, chickened out at the last second.
@mrgold35 The blacked out trim looks nice and your car in particular looks awesome. I see that happening eventually to mine. However, mod priority #1 is to acquire a Grom VLine and install it. I must haz CarPlay . I’ll get to the cosmetic stuff after I’ve had a proper paint correction and get some PPF on (priority #2).
The RLX wheels are hideous IMO. But I've been so spoiled with the quietness. I kinda hesitant to go aftermarket and risk losing the quiet ride. Besides not much aftermarket parts for this car.
I have never noticed a noticeable increase in noise with the switch to my Rotiform wheels. In addition, I seem to recall about a 10 pound weight savings per wheel from the RLX stock anchors. With a set of Michelin AS3+ tires, it drives like a dream and sits flush with the 35mm wheel offset.
I would double-check availability of OEM accessories you might want like spare tire kit, spoiler, or splash guards. Those might be in short supply, MSRP prices+shipping, or not available at all.
I just looked in the trunk a minute ago. Car came with a cargo net that was never used. The air compressor is still in its plastic, never used. And of course...no spare tire. I need to get the spare tire situation taken car of post haste.
What are the current part numbers for the spare kit and replacement foam? Is it still the same as in my spare tire install DIY from a few years ago?
I don't know because I had the hybrid spare tire kit installed before I purchased from an Acura dealership near Sacramento, CA, back in Dec/2019. I flew up from Albuquerque, NM, to take delivery with all accessories installed and drove back. I'm glad I checked the spare because they took the air compressor out when installing the spare tire kit. There is a cut out spot in the spare tire foam cover for the air compressor.
I kinda like the cargo net and ended up installing two. I have my travel pillow, re-usable grocery bags, snow brush, windex wipes, hand wipes, and umbrella. I didn't expect the RLX to have limited rear seat storage compared to SUVs.
Found it. Part number is changed from before. It’s now 06421-TY3-A02 and it includes the tire, wheel, tray, and tools. I think I have to call around to ensure availability. Price is $411 at my favorite Acura part supplier.
For reference, here’s my DIY from a few years ago on installing the spare tire kit. It was part of the beta-testing process I went through.
I’m wrong above. It’s 06421-TY3-A04 for $108 and the tire is 42751-MAX-002 for $168. So $276 for the whole thing. Just like before, all the constituent parts separately cost far more than the kit.
Folks on the MDX forum had the same issue with the spare tire kit. I think the kit comes with parts, tools, and rim only. The unmounted spare tire is sold separately from the kit. Really hard to figure out with a low volume vehicle that is discontinued.
Welcome back to the Sport Hybrid family neuronbob. As you were one of the beta testers of the original Sport Hybrid SHAWD technology back in 2013, I join others in awaiting your assessment/comparison of the current version.
Congratulations, enjoy.
Also, I had forgotten how much I missed having a HUD in my life.
For a relatively innocuous feature, it sure is amazing how important the HUD becomes. Whenever I drive my wife's MDX Sport Hybrid (without HUD), it is a big adjustment to have to look down to see how fast I'm driving. I feel like I'm putting my life in danger every time I take my eyes off the road and look down at my speed (massive exaggeration for dramatic effect, but you get the point).
The other thing that I am interested to see from you, neuronbob, is if you become more obsessed with your fuel economy again now that you are back in a hybrid. My recollection is that you were one of the "heavy right foot" beta testers, but it will be interesting to see if tracking your mileage becomes a bigger part of your life. My wife and I both couldn't give a damn about our mileage UNTIL we got the Sport Hybrids and now we both seem compelled to report our mileage to one another every time we fill up or even go for a long drive. I guess it is just odd that we can have fun driving AND get amazing mileage at the same time and something necessitates us telling someone about it.
Congrats on the new RLX! The wife is still in love with her '18 SH (black/seacoast). Make sure that the spare kit you get is for the sport hybrid and has the bar to protect the battery. Many dealers confuse the FWD one with the SH one and you don't get the bar - plus the FWD foam insert kit doesn't fit in the sport hybrid :-) .
Instead of the chrome delete, I like to try the darker shade of chrome like 16-17 SH front grill. Anyone got idea on how to do this? spray, wrap?
Personally, I’d just wrap it. It’s easy enough to do and you can pull it off when you sell the car.
Originally Posted by hondamore
Welcome back to the Sport Hybrid family neuronbob. As you were one of the beta testers of the original Sport Hybrid SHAWD technology back in 2013, I join others in awaiting your assessment/comparison of the current version.
Congratulations, enjoy.
Coming up soon. So far, it’s better. Really. I’m glad my beta testing did some good.
Originally Posted by mrgold35
Folks on the MDX forum had the same issue with the spare tire kit. I think the kit comes with parts, tools, and rim only. The unmounted spare tire is sold separately from the kit. Really hard to figure out with a low volume vehicle that is discontinued.
I agree, it’s unnecessarily confusing.
Originally Posted by mk5
Welcome back! Glad to have you in the fray again as I enjoy reading your insight.
Thank you!
Originally Posted by hondamore
For a relatively innocuous feature, it sure is amazing how important the HUD becomes. Whenever I drive my wife's MDX Sport Hybrid (without HUD), it is a big adjustment to have to look down to see how fast I'm driving. I feel like I'm putting my life in danger every time I take my eyes off the road and look down at my speed (massive exaggeration for dramatic effect, but you get the point).
The other thing that I am interested to see from you, neuronbob, is if you become more obsessed with your fuel economy again now that you are back in a hybrid. My recollection is that you were one of the "heavy right foot" beta testers, but it will be interesting to see if tracking your mileage becomes a bigger part of your life. My wife and I both couldn't give a damn about our mileage UNTIL we got the Sport Hybrids and now we both seem compelled to report our mileage to one another every time we fill up or even go for a long drive. I guess it is just odd that we can have fun driving AND get amazing mileage at the same time and something necessitates us telling someone about it.
I track fuel economy in all my cars. I was taught as a younger driver that if fuel economy went bad suddenly, something was wrong. A record is therefore useful. I’ll be reporting on this car, too. Never giving up my heavy throttle foot, though!
Originally Posted by andysinnh
Congrats on the new RLX! The wife is still in love with her '18 SH (black/seacoast). Make sure that the spare kit you get is for the sport hybrid and has the bar to protect the battery. Many dealers confuse the FWD one with the SH one and you don't get the bar - plus the FWD foam insert kit doesn't fit in the sport hybrid :-) .
andy
Thankfully, unlike in 2014, there are clear illustrations of what’s in the kit. In the thread I posted above, it was quite an adventure to figure things out.
Originally Posted by cu2wagon
You're not getting rid of one of the good cars for this one, are you?
Bruh... Hellllllllllllllllllllz naw. NSX and CTS-V wagon are tied to me until gas engines are illegal, I’m too disabled to drive them, or someone offers me really stupid money (I identify that as north of $100k) for them.
“Dad Type R” (manual Accord 2.0) went off to CarMax today. Driving it 9100 miles in 18 months for a profit...priceless. Here’s a pic of big bro staring his little brother down.
^ that’s an incredible price for a mint car. my other vehicle is a 2021 Kia Sorento - top of the line - 45k brand new with 8 miles on it at time of purchase. Imagine paying more for a Kia! The Kia has a lot of features for being a mainstream budget brand. But it doesn’t drive anywhere near as well as the RLX SH, obviously.
I almost bought a Stinger GT2 in 2019. One year old models at the time were already solidly into the $30’s, and they were offering significant discounts on the new price from MSRP $52k. Kia has come a long way for me to consider it at all. I ended up in the Accord, instead.
04-24-2021, 12:30 PM
, but it was useful in the trip home. I do wish GROM had a way to integrate with the HUD. I’ll be OK with the ability to use Google Maps on road trips, though. GROM will be first mod. I also plan PPF of high-impact areas, paint correction (though this cars paint is almost mint! Wow), and tint. I have a set of wheels from my prior RLXSH that I may try on for spits and giggles. I’m open to blacking out the chrome, but for now I like how the upper chrome integrates with the side sill chrome on the lower door. We'll see.
. I’ll get to the cosmetic stuff after I’ve had a proper paint correction and get some PPF on (priority #2).
sweet ride
