Just want to share with fellows. Brought my 18 RLX hybrid for some maintenance last week.

- swap to the tlx 18" rim and tire size. (235/50R18). Ride is better over the bumps. It feels a bit more bouncy. Road feedback is slightly lower but negligible. The "grinding" feeling with oem 19=" wheel and tire previously is gone.

- did oil change, transmission fluid and twin motor fluid change. Not sure how the shop did it , but the car drives much smoother now. I try to see if it's related to the tire change. It may be, but now when I reverse that really bad shudder (when it's on ICE) has gone! I do feel very slight shudder if I tap the brake during reverse, but it's nothing near to how bad it.was before! Not sure how long this will last but looks like some fluid change help.

Mind that I did transmission.fluid and TMU fluid change last year in around 30000km already, unless the dealership lied to me

 

OK tranny fluid at 30,000 makes sense, but TMU was done too late, or too early for a second change. 15K to remove break-in fluid then 30K each after that, no?

 

I'm still on OEM 19" tires and also hate how the RLX crashes over bumps, potholes, or train tracks at city speeds. My old 06 TSX with ASpec suspension never felt like this in the same conditions. Planning to swap to Conti DWS 06+ to see if that might absorb that initial impact better before transferring into the RLX.

 

I changed both fluid soon after I purchased the car used. After about 30000km this is my 2nd change.

 

I agree with you. I had a 07 TSX way back with aspec suspension and it didn't feel this bad. The tires make some difference I guess. But I also had the 19 TLX which was the same tire size as RLX felt much better over the bumps. There's something different with the RLX.

My main reason for changing the rim is because of potholes. I blew my tires twice and it wasn't fun, especially during winter. If the smoothness stays when I swap back to summer tires, I can report back if I can feel the road again. If so, I may ditch the 19" completely.

 

I'm up to one pinch flat and two bent aftermarket rims in +5 years because of pot holes with the RLX. I swapped to aftermarket rims with my first pothole pinch flat back in 2019 (happened a few days after purchase). I didn't have a bent OEM rim with the first pinch flat. I double-checked for a replacement OEM rim for next time if I do bend the rim. The RLX wasn't discontinued yet and OEM rims were still hard to find and very expensive. Swapped to aftermarket rims to CYA if I bend a rim in the future; which, I did with potholes a few years apart (2 aftermarket rims from Discount Tires = one OEM in $$$). Plus, I've sold two of four of my OEM rims on this forum to help pay for the aftermarket rims. I still have two OEM RLX Sport Hybrid rims for sale.

I ended up replacing my donut spare with a full size spare in the RLX hatch (fits pretty good with very minimal loss in trunk space). I don't like having to be always worried about any/all road imperfections when driving day or night; but, the price we pay privilege of driving the RLX.

 

yes the OEM rims seem to hold up well. i was worried that they were bent too. i was lucky to be able to grab an enkei set that a previous TLX owner had. it's a direct fit and 18" so hopefully it will hold up well. i am also actively looking out for any oem honda wheels that may fit. sometimes there're deals on the market.

there're lots of love & hate with this car.. i actually spent quite a lot of $$ fixing few things on this car, for which i have purchased only for slightly more than an year. the only thing that bothers me is that the car somehow shifts to right.. alignment was done more than once but it didn't seem to work.