Last Friday I was driving on a two lane road behind a big tractor with a 12 row planter hanging off its hitch. The tractor driver was doing a commendable job driving on the shoulder barely keeping his right-most planter from hitting trees while working hard to keep his left-most planter out of the approaching traffic lane. A small break in the on-coming traffic was providing a momentary opportunity to pass, but it was a small window requiring a quick passing move around the tractor. I pushed in the sport button and when the moment came, nailed the throttle and everything not fastened down inside the car levitated into the air like the videos of the weightless move of the Vomit Comet NASA training aircraft. Wow, what acceleration!
I tell folks this is the fastest car I've owned and it is also has the highest gas mileage. We need to take up a collection and send a plaque or some other kind of recognition thank-you to the engineers at Honda who created the software and hardware for our RLX Hybrids.

 

Ah yes...the joy of Sport Mode...the Mr. Hyde to the smooth riding, ultra quiet Dr. Jekyll.
This is what the early adopters and beta testers have been smiling about for the past two and a half years.

 

This car surprises you (in a good way), when you expect it the least .

I agree these engineers have done a brilliant job making the software and hardware work together!

 

The best most powerful sedan I have ever drove was the Audi S8+ over the summer. That was just a freight train from any speed. Fast, solid, athletic, and almost mean spirited in a way. If parting with $125,000 for the driving experience was no big deal, that would be the car for me. For that same money, getting a Camaro ZL1 and an Acura RLX Sport Hybrid seems like more fun as they are purpose build machines. The Audi is a "do everything awesome" kind of car.

For $60k (+/-) depending on the deal you cut, the RLX Sport Hybrid is an amazing set of technology, performance and experience for a reasonable price. I don't think it is expensive at all at this price point. What attracts me most to the driving experience is that you really can drive this car like it is two or three different cars at the same time. It is hard to describe, but depending on traffic conditions, you can drive it like a stately luxury vehicle just quietly cruising sipping gas while you do it. Then with just the slightest change in your throttle application, and I mean slight, you now are keeping up with aggressive drivers and can squirt forward in traffic to keep the next aggressive driver from cutting you off at 80 mph on the Garden State Parkway (tristate New Yorkers know what I am taking about), then there is the offensive mechanical personality this car has in spades that is just cool. Whether in eco or sport modes, the turbine smooth engine and available overall 4 motor thrust makes this car one I still make excuses to drive. I "have to" drive to Philadelphia next week and I am looking forward to the trip, not because of the destination or the meetings I will be attending, but the drive down there. It is just enjoyable every time I get behind the wheel. I hope the Acura engineers don't "engineer" the fun out of the next version of the RLX Sport Hybrid, because I am going to purchase that one too when it comes out.

 

^^^ A 1 year old CPO S8 can be had in the $70-80K range. So I do not cry about the RLX depreciation - it is a fact of life for premium & luxury cars. And the S8 is much more car than a SH. I am thankful in retrospect, the A8 would not fit in my garage....

This car could make me write bad checks.