Congrats on the new RLX!

To me the point of this discussion, and why many of us care whether the RLX sells well or not, is simply that if a manufacturer of any product produces something you like, you want it to fare well in the market so the company continues to sell that product. Otherwise, the product will be discontinued, and the choices become more limited. I leased an RLX because I thought it was a great vehicle, and I still feel that way. When my lease is up in 2 years, I want to be able to choose whether to lease another one (hopefully with some refinements that come with an MMC), rather than to be limited to a TLX as a choice of sedans from Acura.

 

I traveled from Long Island to northern Westchester yesterday (2 hour drive) and saw 4 RLX's-so there are people enjoying these great cars. I was surprised to see so many is a short span as usually I spot one or two on a longer trip-but there is also a lot to say about driving a car that offers some exclusivity (as long as the manufacturer sells enough to justify producing it). To those who currently own this car-just enjoy all it offers.

 

Has anyone reported an actual Sport Hybrid RLX on a dealer lot or showroom yet?

Maybe I missed it, if someone reported it, but as long as it took to announce pricing I wonder if the 2014 Sport Hybrid RLXs will be available for scratch and sniff tests before the 2015 calendar year?

I suggest Acura's next marketing launch for this car is something like: "UFOs, Unicorns, Leprechauns and now.....the Sport Hybrid RLX."

 

^^I like totally have this friend whose cousin knows this guy whose mom used to date a fellow whose brother actually saw the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid...like totally for real man...they really exist, totally. And like totally there was a sasquatch driving it man, like totally, they found the end of this rainbow and like totally blow you away man.

 

....thanks. I needed that laugh today.

 

Or they could try....."From out of the ether....where only vapor can live.....finally comes the time-traveling 2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid".

 

This just in, Acura has announced a recall of the warp drive time travel module in the new RLX. Apparently the module allowed RLX owners to travel back to the 60's and after spending time in the 60's nobody can remember how to get back to 2014. The recall will install a software upgrade which automatically returns to 2014 if the owner begins to "just start trippin' man" or "gettin' groovy". So far, RLX Super Handling Time Warp owners have been united in their response of "Wow Man, what year is it?"

 

My preferred dealer now is displaying info on the Sport Hybrid.

http://motorcarsacura.com/2014-Acura...d-Information/

None in stock. What to do, what to do....

 

With two option packages AND all those color choices, it sure appears that Acura plans to make a decent number of the 2015 Sport Hybrid RLX's. The only other explanation is that they will be by order only and none will be stocked by dealers. Here's hoping for the first guess being correct.
My two cents.

 

I'm not leasing (this WILL be a business lease) without a test drive. I'm also hoping the first option is true.

 

I clicked on the live chat link and asked if they had any to test drive. The response was " they only built 250 of them. Our's will be here by October 10th."
I will let everyone know if he contacts me for a test drive on or before that date.
If what he said is true, it gives the impression that they started production and stopped after 250. If so, why would they do that? One can only speculate.

 

I'm going to speculate that they never really got the battery contract sorted. :-)

 

I always thought those live chat links were BS. Did you really click it, and did a humanoid person respond? Or did the vapor get to you?

 

The link is for the 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid. We've known for some time that they only made a couple of hundred of them. The big question is how many 2015 RLX Sport Hybrids will be made????

 

 

^^31 of the Sport Hybrid RLX's have already been sold. Likely customers who had advanced deposits placed long, long ago.

 

we know why RLX sales are low
What's with the ILX hybrid? 15?

 

250-31=219 left. Better get 'em while they last.

TLX is on

 

I still maintain that Acura could sell at least 5000 of the Sport Hybrid RLX's pretty quickly if they made that many of the 2015MY. This guess is based on:
1. This forum which is full of members anxious to buy one. If we assume that our members are an average cross section of North American consumers, Acura could sell as many as they could make (especially if they discount them $10,000).
2. The sales of the 2005 RL which had the same technological innovation pizzazz as the RLX Sport Hybrid. A LOT of previous RL owners (some 20,000 to 30,000 strong) are waiting for the release of the SHAWD RLX to make their next purchase.
3. Sales of the PAWS RLX which weren't that bad considering it was launched with
"an even better version is coming soon" shadow cast over it. Auto mags seemed "meh" in their reviews, but the owners seem to love it (especially if the suspension issues have been corrected).
4. Winter is coming and SHAWD RULES in the snow!!! There is no easier time to sell the stable handling and acceleration of SHAWD than with the spectre of winter looming.

As always, just my two cents.

 

TLX outsold the RDX and it isnt even at full production or full dealer inventory yet. Good news for Acura.

 

Why are the RLX sales so low?
2015 RLX Advance

 

Lots of reasons many of which have been discussed in this thread. My thought are that the reasons are mainly:
- Lack of inventory...the 2014 are almost gone and the 2015 are just starting to arrive
- Everyone is waiting to test drive the SHAWD Sport Hybrid version
- Acura has always had troubles convincing people to pay $50,000+ for what is perceived by the public to be "just a fancy Honda"
- Mercedes & BMW own the segment because they have had 100 years to establish a reputation as the must have luxury brands and they simply ooze snob appeal...Acura has done a poor job distinguishing themselves from Honda and as a result they get poor sales for exquisitely engineered flagship sedans. They simply don't have the uber-rich reputation or history that the German brands do and they don't have the budget to overcome it the way Toyota did with Lexus.

Just my two cents summing up the reasons.

 

Please tell me you meant 500 not 5000? They don;t even sell 5000 cars period. I believe far fewer people than you think would pay even $55K for a RLX SH-SH-AWD.

 

The same was said regarding the 05 RL, but the new SHAWD technology pushed first year sales to almost 20,000 units and there was no shortage of surprise at the high price of the RL. Again, just my feeling, but once the Sport Hybrid SHAWD gets out and rave reviews follow, loyal Acura buyers will open their wallets.

I still don't think they can make a big dent in the German domination of the luxury sedan market, but there are a enough loyal Honda buyers who can afford a luxury car and want to experience the best Honda has to offer that I don't think 5000 would be a stretch at all.

Still, Just my two cents.

 

^^^^^
Ah, yes....which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Make more cars, or sell more cars?

And what to do for people like me who insist on a test drive before purchase?

 

And I probably sound like a broken record, but notice that there were no options. ONE model sold those units. The model proliferation has NOT sold more cars or created happier customers. Just because the Euros do it, doesn't mean it's the best path for Acura.

 

I believe you are preaching to the converted, Colin.

 

Its my cent, but Acura was in a hurry or they were too pressed to built the RLX.
If there was a strategy , the RLX should has looked like a longer wheelbase TLX , just
like any BMW, Mercedes or AUDI . 3-5-6-7 look almost the same.A3-A4-A8 same theme.
At the worst scenario , people are still waiting for the sport hybrid.

 

How many 2001 Acura CL Type S' were made? How many did they sell? I bought mine without a test drive....It was an awesome package minus the poor tranny.....and i paid top dollar for it...

 

There's no inventory

edit :oops replied before I read others had before me

 

When I took delivery of my 2004 TL, I was an early adopter and.....I didn't test drive it. Thankfully, it was one of my most memorable ownership experiences, 57k miles worth of pure fun. Had I kept it, it'd have around 160k miles on it by now. Good memories.....

I'd probably take a Sport Hybrid without a test drive, but with the new tech I figure it'd be better to try it before plunking down that money.

But I suppose it doesn't matter if I'm (very impatiently) waiting for 2016. We'll see if I make it that long. The fact that Acura's lease calculator shows sucky terms (reflected in pretty dismal payments) is helping me to keep my powder dry.

PS-42 Sport Hybrids on cars.com as of tonight. The nearest I'd take is a Graphite Luster Advance that's in Chicago, 350 miles away.

 

I personally would not purchase or lease any car without a test drive, after all regardless of the monthly payment you have to live with your decision for the term of the lease or face a harsh hit should you have buyers remorse and either end the lease early or sell the car.

With the SH-AWD Hybrid there is currently one vehicle at some dealers (no choice of color or Advance/Tech models to decide on), built a long time ago, and not any miles on the road to see if there are any issues for early adopters.

I would like to test drive one now to see if I really want to consider this car in the future-but I am sure it will be difficult to get behind the wheel since dealers may feel they can sell the one car in inventory and do not want to use it as a test derive vehicle. We will see how that plays out.

I hope Acura supplies dealers with more 2015 models so we have a real choice rather than settling if we want to own one.

 

Honda Division Breaks Another Monthly Sales Record in October;
Acura October Sales Jump Nearly 8% with another Big Month for the All-New TLX

11/03/2014 - TORRANCE, Calif.

Honda Division has its best-ever October sales—up 5.5% on delivery of 105,745 new cars and trucks
All-new Acura TLX sales reach nearly 5,000 units in October, driving an overall 7.9% increase for the brand
Honda CR-V smashes previous October record with 29,257 sales, an increase of 29.7 percent over the same period in 2013; New Fit also sets new October sales mark

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today reported total October 2014 Honda and Acura vehicle sales of 121,172 units, an increase of 5.8% versus October of last year. The Honda division set a new October record on sales of 105,745 vehicles, an increase of 5.5% for the month. The Acura division posted sales of 15,427 units to rise 7.9% in the same period.

Honda
The new October sales record for the Honda brand was driven by the success of core models leading to an overall 5.5% gain versus October 2013. The new 2015 CR-V, crowned Motor Trend's 2015 SUV of the Year, helped the model post its best October on record. The new Honda Fit also set a new October milestone and Accord sales rose for the 10th straight month—all helping to push the Honda brand to a new October pinnacle.

The redesigned 2015 Honda CR-V, which went on sale October 1, helped smash the previous October record, and was up 29.7% over 2013 on sales of 29,257 units.
The new Honda Fit nearly doubled its sales last month, setting an all-time October record with sales of 6,851 units, an increase of 83.4% for the month.
Honda's stalwart Accord posted a strong month, rising 7.8% in October with sales of 27,128 units to give the model its 10th straight monthly increase.

"The new 2015 CR-V is giving renewed momentum to what has already been an incredible year," said Jeff Conrad, Honda division senior vice president and general manager. "The success of the new Fit is an important step in re-establishing small cars as a pillar in the Honda lineup."

Acura
With the 3.5L SH-AWD model enjoying its 1st full month on the market, the new Acura TLX gained more than 25% versus last month's strong performance, reaching sales of nearly 5,000 units in October after less than 3 months on the market. TLX helped push Acura brand sales up 7.9% for the month.

TLX sales reached 4,890 units in October, jumping 25.9% over last month for its best month since joining the Acura lineup, and came within just a few hundred units of ranking as Acura's best-selling model.
With 5,324 units sold in October, Acura's current best seller—MDX—jumped 9.5% month-over-month despite being limited by tight supplies.

"With TLX sales nearly topping 5,000 units in a segment full of notoriously tough competitors, the new TLX is quickly establishing itself as a top player in the mid-size luxury sedan game," said Mike Accavitti, Acura division senior vice president and general manager. "This early success of TLX also demonstrates the strong potential of the performance direction for the Acura product lineup."

 

Note: The RLX hybrid alone made up 14% of RLX sales....so 35 of the 250 are already gone. I'll be picking mine up tomorrow, so I'll be in the November numbers.

 

I haven't heard this kind of talk since the DC2 ITR days. :-)

 

Possibly the best car for driving the wheels off with a FWD.

 

Oh boy are you in for some fun

 

Even though they separated the sales numbers of the RLX and RLX hybrid SHAWD, they didn't separate the numbers between the 4-banger and the V6 TLX. TL and TSX were merged to create the TLX, so now we can't tell them apart anymore? Any data?

 

Acura needs to provide V8 version of the RLX. Been saying this for 10 years, still not getting it.

 

There's no V8 scheduled anywhere for the foreseeable future.

It just doesn't fit their idea of where they are supposed to be going.

They experimented with one for quite a while...then put it on the shelf. The whole project was a big waste of money because they said they wouldn't need it.