TL_Captain

I have a 2006 TL. It has been super reliable. In the past 10 years, the only issue I had was a bad battery. Anyhow, it has been 10 wonderful years with my TL and about time to replace it with the latest safety gadgets. RLX is the first choice came thru my mind. It's safe / reliable / and relatively inexpensive (after discount).

After reading many posts of RLX, my only concern is the ride quality. How comfortable/uncomfortable is RLX compare with 3G TL? I'm almost a senior citizen, and 3G TL is as "sporty" as I can handle. "Boaty" soft ride or total isolation is generally a good thing for people at my age =)

BTW, I did a quick test drive but roads were smooth. Couldn't really tell how good/bad the ride was.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

well, every one is different.
I advise an extended test drive on your regular commutes to figure out if the RLX is for you

George Knighton

I'm 62.

I find the RLX, both P-AWS and SH-AWD versions, to be comfortable.

I've taken road trips from the Washington DC area to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale and the situation was great. One of the trips was with four adult men and their kit, and it was really very comfortable.

The ride is not perfect over some less perfect kinds of surfaces. It's still quite comfortable, but if you've spent any time driving on the track, you'll get the feeling that the car is slightly disconcerted. Absolute performance of the vehicle in extreme driving is quite good for a car its size and weight.

The *feeling* you get in your 3G TL on the same road surface will be a little better, but the RLX will be the better performer, ultimately.

I hope that makes sense. :-)

TampaRLX-SH

I think you will find it very similar, at least familiar to your TL. I had a 2005TL and found that ride harsher on road imperfections, crossing railroad tracks, manholes and even lane reflectors. I believe the 2006TL had a slightly revised and more comfortable suspension tuning when Acura began to respond to luxury carping over sport carping. So your TL may be even more similar. There are several RLX owners on the forum who also had 3G TLs and may share opinions (paging Bob....) But as with my former RL, the RLX is noticeably better built and finer materials than the 3G TL (and should be for the price). My TL had some interior squeaks, buzzes and misaligned panels (glove box) and filmy dashboard. But where I find the 3G TL and RLX very similar is the 'wow' factor of the tech in the car. The TL had more styling excitement and the RLX was engineering excitement (I followed & pursued the Sport Hybrid for years) and now having my RLX 1.5 years, it feels organic to progress from the TL to RL to RLX SH.

Another factor to consider for ride 'adjust-ability' is tires. The OEM Michelins on the RLX are low rolling resistance engineered and may be a factor in your ride tastes. I do find the ride composed and fits my sweet spot for sporty composure with luxury ride. But they do transmit more road impact harshness / noise than I like (and very similar to my 2005TL). Some have changed tires to report better wet traction and ride smoothness & quieter. That was my experience when I changed the OEM Michelins from my 2006RL - in that case I went with BS Serenity's.

Further, another similarity is the suspension tweeking from the 2005TL to 2006TL, the RLX had a similar revision with the 2016+ RLX models. I noticed the difference when I got to drive a 2016 RLX (PAWS and SH) over a year ago. Unsure if you are seeking a used RLX or new, but there is a MY difference that may better appeal to you. Also, there were some early quality issues in the early 2014s (all addressed in TSBs) as well as performance issues with the infotainment system were addressed in the 2016 MY (better performance, a few minor feature upgrades that so far are not reverse compatible with the 2014-15 RLXs). And last, the AcuraWatch features were enhanced with the 2016 MY with one of my favorite features - 360 Surround Camera.

But only your own Butt Test will ultimately answer to your ride taste. Just be aware if you test a 2016 vs earlier model year. Keep us posted on your decision process / progress and you will find more info and detail here than even what Acura offers.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

Having driven a new TLX as a loaner, I think it is way too close to the overall driving experience of the Accord V6 Touring for my comfort. The same buyer could cross shop those two cars and have a hard decision to make. I would recommend you get some seat time in the new TLX V6 SH-AWD and then get into the RLX SH-AWD. That will be a night and day difference between them and I would be shocked if you did not decide to purchase the RLX SH on the spot. I have to go run an errand right now and can't wait to get into the car. That is a good thing having owned it now for 22 months (+/-).

hondamore

TL_Captain, I'll echo earlier comments that you should try to get a road test of a Sport Hybrid RLX. On top of the smooth, quiet ride you covet, the acceleration of the Sport Hybrid will blow you away and the SHAWD handling will feel as if it is glued to the road. As a nice bonus, the RLX interior will seem absolutely cavernous compared to your beloved TL and will be a definite notch or two better in overall "luxury feel". The only drawback to the hybrid powertrain is the loss of trunk space, so have a peek in the trunk to ensure that it is adequate for your needs.
Good luck.

TL_Captain

Thank you guys. Nice suggestions. Great idea test driving the Sport Hybrid. Will do so this or next weekend. Never considered Sport Hybrid before. In my stubborn head, cars with "hybrid" badges usually translate to compromise in performance and trunk space =)

Haven't had the chance to explore RLX's performance. 300+ HP, I'm sure it's more than enough. Yup, RLX's interior is "wow". The dual screen design is quite unique. Some auto reviews have mixed feedbacks on this, but I find the dual screen easy to use and nice to look at.

Thanks again

bigred123

I had (still have) an 08 TL - basically same car as you. The RLX is much nicer to drive and smoother. I think you will enjoy the ride and it will be a significant upgrade over what you have now. I am quite amazed at the difference when I go back to driving my TL.

neuronbob

I am still a huge fan of the 3G TL. I dare say, it was the best car Acura made last decade. I owned one and loved it.

With that said, the RLX is a different beast. It is more refined and smoother-riding. The back seat....no comparison, real adults can fit in the rear of the RLX. The suspension issues you read about are largely from the 2014 PAWS RLX. If you're going to buy one used, make sure you do a long test drive over varied surfaces to be sure the suspension is to your liking. Later RLXs are reportedly more compliant. The Sport Hybrid is a different beast from the PAWS in handling. Trunk room is less but enough. If you have any sense of performance driving, the Sport Hybrid is your choice. In routine driving, it's amazing in the turns and in Sport mode, it is much faster than you think. Suspension can be a little unsettled over extremely irregular surfaces, but not anything that would cause loss of control of the car.

Looking forward to your driving impressions as you test drive.

TL_Captain

Bob, were there revisions or updates to the suspension on 2015 and 2016 PAWS RLX?

I prefer a new car, but Acura is so reliable, I really don't mind a pre-owned unit.

pgeorg

Not Bob but.......the suspension revisions were made on the 2016 RLX P-AWS and 2016 RLX SH-AWD.

2014 RLX P-AWS, 2014 RLX SH-AWD - 2015 RLX P-AWS use the same suspension components.

TL_Captain

Thank you, Pgeorg. Great info. I test drove 2016 but not 2015. Now I'm curious to find out how different they are =)

pgeorg

My 2015 RLX P-AWS was much more stiffly sprung, and the body lean - roll was much less then my 2016 RLX SH-AWD.

I like the ride of the 2016 much better, except for one thing: when changing lanes quickly, the body roll is enough to upset the car (but it settles very quickly thanks to the rear motors).....

The 2014-2015 suspension can be harsh, especially when the road is not maintained well (NY roads are pretty bad).....

HTH.

George Knighton

Something I've noticed with my own SH-AWD (which was also something I noticed with my 4G TL 6-6) is that you can use the accelerator pedal to point the nose differently, even into an oversteering attitude, and this will reduce body roll because the car is pointed more straight than the cornering maneuver might indicate by itself.

Did I say that right? LOL....

Another thing...I disagree about which Acura branded car was the overall highest quality.

I think that the 4G TL was a higher quality car than the 3G TL.

It also seems to me that the 5G Legend is a step down from the 4G TL in terms of the quality of materials and build quality.

Some of the marketing material for the 4G TL was dropped when it came to the 5G TLX and 5G Legend, too. In 2009, we talked about the quality of the interior and how advanced a design it was for 2009.

We talked about how the materials were all natural or recycled. 100%, either natural or recycled. Things that used to be plastic in earlier designs were either leather or metal, and it was part of the bragging rights that Honda could say that it reduced radically the emissions of [fluorocarbon] gasses from artificial materials used in the interior.

You heard none of that in the two later series, and I wondered if it wouldn't show. It does show. :-)

I've lived with two different RLX's now, and an extended period with a V6 TLX while the VCM rocker arms were being replaced on my second RLX.

None of those cars are as well put together as the 4G TL, IMHO.

pgeorg

I really did not understand this, George.

Its probably because you are an experience race car driver, and i am just a driver.......

I would appreciate it if you could explain it with a little more detail, because i would like to minimize the body roll in these types of situations.

I don't want to derail this thread, so you can use PM if you like.

Thank you!

George Knighton

In sailing, a close hauled heel is not the most efficient way to sail. It's only useful temporarily, a temporary expedient means to an end.

(Usually. We'd usually do this for extended periods only for the dramatic effect. People with you get tired of it really quickly.)

You also want to avoid this in an automobile.

A nightmare you will sometimes face if you're coaching Group 1 or Group 2 people is that you'll notice as you walk up to their cars that they have expensive sticky tyres on their wheels. This makes you suspicious, so you ask and, sure enough, they've put sticky rubber on a stock suspension.

This means the car's suspension is no longer balanced correctly, and the sticky tyres will cause the vehicle to rise up on its suspension, sometimes very dangerously and to the point that if the student goes over a gater or hits some other glitch that catches the wheel, the car will roll right over.

For the longest time, I also hated to see SUV police vehicles for the same reason. Police do silly things in vehicles all the time, and they'd put their big SUV into the automotive equivalent of a close hauled heel, the rubber would roll over and expose the hard edge of the wheel to contact with the road. If the hard edge of the wheel made contact with the road surface while the steering was still cranked, then the big SUV would just roll over and you wouldn't just lose your pursuit, you'd lose your vehicle.

They're just not very efficient, any of these things that make us have to lean the wrong direction to try to counteract a hard lean in a corner.

In a long U like a traffic circle, and assuming you are in a KC2 "Legend" type of RLX, you don't just go into the circle at a steady speed and steady throttle state, necessarily. This is when the car will lean on the springs the most (and lean a lot harder if you've elected to get grippier tyres than standard).

You come into it with your eyes up and your head straight, gradually increasing the pressure on the throttle as you turn the wheel.

It has to be s m o o t h.

Coordinated. Smooth. I can't say it enough.... S m o o t h.

The car points in the direct you've turned the wheel, and slowly exceeds where your wheel would normally steer the car. It's a controlled, slight oversteer that might cause you to feel the rear end is about to break away.

Your eyes, your brain, the seat of your pants, the G forces you feel, especially in your back, will tell you when you should stop.

Don't go too far, because you'll get in trouble. You won't be able to fix it if you go too far, not without the protective electronics cutting in to (1)slow you down and (2)straighten the car. You don't want to straighten the car in a curve or traffic circle, but the car will have no other choice if you go too far.

If you do it right, the car will get you through the maneuver more quickly than you'd have thought possible, and the car will be flatter on the springs than you've expected, because you've transitioned the maneuver in a way that has lessened the pressures on the vehicle.

Even though it happens quickly, you still have to be gradual, controlled and...s m o o t h.

It works, but I have to stop short of recommending this on public roads if you do not know what you are doing.

Just like I won't let a Group 1 ITR driver power through the Carousel (he really has to slow down and learn the right way, first), I wouldn't want an inexperienced Legend driver doing this in a traffic circle with the possibility of another car beside him while he's doing this.

:-)

It works, and this is what SH-AWD is for and about, but I can't tell you to actually do it.

George Knighton

Sometimes I get the feeling there's a sneaky Honda shill in here somewhere, making us talk about things.

:-)

pgeorg

I will have to read it a couple of more times to understand it more, but........

You are saying that by slowly increasing the throttle pressure while already turning, you make the car understeer slightly so you can unload the outside front spring. The weight shift equalizes front to rear (opposite corners), and then the car is able to tighten up the turning radius. That way you go through the turn much faster, and with much less roll.......
Am i on the right track, George?

Now since i am an "inexperience Legend driver", and i have "stickier tires"........i promise i will not attempt this technic anytime soon :-)

Thank you George!