I just sold my RL and have a MDX so I'm looking at:
Merc E350, Lex GS350, Audi A5, BMW 535 and RLX.

Germany and the bills after a few years scares me but they are not out of the question, the Lexus is impressive but I think that in 4 years time it will look dated so I would love to continue with Acura. Lots of tech, performance and the exclusivity and timeless design I desire.

I just had the PAWS Tech for 2 days and put it through its paces but I have a few issues:
The touch screen is useless in the daytime with sunglasses, the only thing that is viewable is the bottom line of text for the temp A/C etc.
The sun burnt the side of my head because the sun visor, when put at 90 degrees does not slide to protect the side of your face. (The Merc had a sliding visor + a second visor for forwards. I.E. implemented properly).
Too much wind noise around the A and B pillar and/or from the window.
The ride is not luxurious in fact it was a pleasure to get back into my Advance MDX with the shocks set to "Comfort".
I never could work out how to get Nav on top display with XM song and artist displayed on the lower display.
LDW audio beeper cannot be heard or adjusted.
I prefer the 4 spoke steering wheel in the RL.
I do not like operating a touch screen that I have to operate with an outstretched arm in a location that is not in front of me. I would not even like to operate an I Pad if it was put in the same location as the RLX touch screen and an I Pad actually works.
Voice recognition is not an alternative for issuing commands, it takes too long to undo the incorrect actions that the car implements.
Obviously, at least from my experience, there is no substitute for buttons for speed or accuracy.
And, of course, why doesn't a flagship sedan have amber turn signals at the rear?

On the plus side:

Power is very impressive.
Sport mode is entertaining.
Headlights are way better than HID's.
Parking brake and Brake Hold is excellent.
I drove it hard and still got 30 MPG. My old RL would have returned around 20 - 21.
Roominess is excellent.
Steering wheel controls are well done.

I would like to have the Advance features and the Hybrid version but I can wait. Adding a little finesse and not letting the bean counters and the lawyers in the design room would have created a great car but to knowingly implement features that will get slammed by prospective buyers is not the way to "Advance".

 

You mention A5, but all the other cars are sedans, did you mean A6? If A6 I had same reservations, but if you look at reliability stats the current gen A6 is looking to be very reliable. I would encourage you to loo at the A6, sweet ride and to me Audi has the appeal that Acura does a sporty tech advanced value ride. Check out Audi's A6 MMI and you will feel the RLX is very inadequate.

 

Thanks Keith, I like the A5 and A6 and I think that the A6 is very competitive to the RLX. The Hybrid Advance RLX has very similar features and costs: I reached $71K when loading up the A6 and that could be similar to the top RLX.
To be honest, it is a lot more fun buying a car when you are in no rush, I go and test drive when ever I get free time.
Was not that impressed with the E350 but the GS is still on my radar. Looked at the A5 but I will check out the A6.

 

I shopped for 5+ months this year. I scratched the GS because I did not like the mouse controller and the options in certain configs were limited. I looked at ES as well, but ride was way too soft for me and never liked the seating positions. The A6 if you leave off B&O and the Innovation package you can get for around $64K. I find Audi MME blows away anything the Asians have right now. And the 3.0 supercharged Quattro is just an awesome drive train.

 

Keith, and anyone else interested in trends, I just purchased an A6 Prestige so I have departed from the RL/RLX arena but I still have my 2010 MDX.

 

Enjoy your A6 - very nice car. Check back often and keep us informed on your new ride.

 

nice pick up db22, i too jumped from a 2gen rl to a a6 but a 2010. car is much more sportier and all you need to do is a ecu flash and your car will be a beast.

 

db22....Congrats on your Audi. You are joining the trend of "defectos" I am now starting to do some serious shopping for a spring/summer replacement and the next couple of weeks are going to be interesting once the TLX prototype gets released.

Merry Christmas.....seems like Santa was good to you

 

db22.. Congrats too. I've also been considering the A6 Prestige. I wonder if Acura is even aware that some of their loyal customers are jumping ship?

 

Congrats, enjoy the A6.

 

In 2009, Honda began to talk about a period of "slow growth" for Acura following the 2008 economic catastrophe. They realized that they had made a number of errors related to relatively unpredictable events, and that they had cars on the field that were simply the wrong things at the wrong time.

At the same time, they speculated that the answer for them was going to be a combination of new technology and new designs that focused on a combination of the usual Acura safety and logical performance, but with a strong forward looking ecological and economical angle.

I do not see how the 2014 RLX fits into what they said, except as the precursor of the new generation of performance hybrids evinced by the RLX Hybrid SH-AWD.

Some of us are very curious about what the "all new" power trains for the TLX could be, whether they're counting the J35 Earth Dreams motor as one of those two all new power trains, and whether one of the two new power trains might be some hitherto unannounced hybrid, or a turbo K24, or what.

Now.... Something that I noticed is that my new RLX weighs about 50 pounds less than my TL did.

That made me think about the curb weight of the new Accord Sedan. The range seems to be 3200 to 3600 pounds for the Touring.

So....

Hmmmm.... A 310 HP motor in an Accord-based Sedan that weighs 3675 pounds in Advance + SH-AWD trim would fair haul and still get a combined EPA 28 miles per gallon.

They've said that the Accord Hybrid technology would *not* be in a TLX. So, I wonder what they're up to with this and I look forward to what's about to hit us.

 

The following is a partial c&p from a letter that I was asked to write to a VP at head office:


The touch screen is useless in the daytime with sunglasses, the only thing that is viewable is the bottom line of text for the temp A/C etc.
The sun burnt the side of my head because the sun visor, when put at 90 degrees does not slide to protect the side of your face. (The Mercedes and also a Ford Explorer has a sliding visor + a second visor for forwards).
Too much wind noise around the A and B pillar and/or from the window. I do not know if this is an issue on all RLX’s but it was certainly on the one that I drove.
The ride is not luxurious in fact it was a pleasure to get back into my Advance MDX with the shocks set to "Comfort". I hope that the SH-AWD is superior in ride as the PAWS is the least comfortable car in this class.
I never could work out how to get Nav on top display with XM song and artist displayed on the lower display. This may be my inadequacy but if it is then intuitive it is not.
I suspect that I would have other issues with the telematics but I would require more time to reveal specifics.
LDW audio beeper cannot be heard or adjusted. To sell a car with Krell audio systems but would have to turn it off to hear a warning signal is inexcusable.
I prefer the 4 spoke steering wheel in the RL. This is a personal preference as Acura steering wheels do not go very low and my hands are at 8 and 4 which is very conducive to the 4 spokes.
I do not like operating a touch screen that I have to operate with an outstretched arm in a location that is not in front of me. Nobody would ever operate an IPad located off center so why would Acura expect you to do so especially while going over bumps with your arm outstretched. At least discreet buttons have a tactile feel that allows positioning without accidental implementation, the touch screen will implement the command if your finger lightly touches the screen.
Voice recognition is not an alternative for issuing commands, it takes too long to undo the incorrect actions that the car implements due to errors of comprehension.
Obviously, at least from my experience, there is no substitute for buttons for speed or accuracy. The possible alternative would be for the tactile simulation of a button while utilizing the advantages of a soft menu structure.
I cannot understand why Acura would not produce cars with amber turn signals at the rear. Every country except the North American continent mandates it and even the NHTSA recognizes a safety advantage of up to 9% for cars with them. The RLX is made in Japan and is exported to other countries including China that requires them. A suggested implementation to satisfy all concerned is to make the rear of the car appear red but have amber color displayed during signaling. This system has been used for years on such cars as the Mercedes S Class but, personally, I do not mind either implementation as long as the car exhibits an amber color to the traffic behind you.
The feature in Europe where a Rear Fog light is available for use in inclement weather is another safety feature that has intermittently been used in the USA. Acura would do well to include this feature and advertise it as a the safety feature that it is. (E.G. Audi S5)
A MID selectable choice as to whether or not you prefer the side mirrors to tilt when in reverse is the preferable method of controlling this feature. I wish to have instant control of the left mirror by placing the left/right selector switch in the left position but I do not want the mirror to tilt. (E.G. Chevrolet Tahoe).
Mem 1 and 2 selectable while the car is in D. To lock this feature out while driving is an unnecessary restraint that is not mandated. Memories can be changed while driving in a Cadillac.
There are many states, including California, that require your lights on when driving in inclement weather or rain. The RLX should therefore turn the lights on if the wipers have been enabled, either manually or automatically via a rain sensing system, after 10 seconds of the wipers being on. (E.G. Cadillac).
Include a power trunk lid open/close feature. (E.G. Mercedes).
Steering wheel controls at 4 to 5 o’clock between the spokes look like an add-on. The main controls for audio and cruise look and feel well executed.
Sport mode is entertaining but should include suspension settings.
Parking brake hold is excellent but you should not have to turn it on every time you turn the car on. If you expect it to work and it doesn’t because you forgot to enable it then you could roll into the car in front of you before you realized that it required a button push when you go through your “pre-flight routine”.
The RLX room and space is excellent for all occupants.

I also wrote another letter that included a few more opinions because, again, I was asked to but obviously they are too entrenched in their design to change anything soon.

Anyway, I jumped ship and I appreciate all of the congrats on my purchase. I hope everyone on this forum has a happy holidays and I will occasionally haunt here again.

 

Thanks for sharing your detailed evaluation. It's great that you communicated your feedback to Acura HQ. Congratulations on your new A6!

 

pics please. lol

 

DB22 Thanks for you feedback, I honestly think Acura Dropped the ball with the RLX (and they know it) They have offered OUTRAGEOUS deals on RLX's now due to the fact of the slumping sales. HOWEVER... the RLX Hybrid that will debut in the upcoming months should bode well for those that were not impressed with the "PAW-s".

 

Congrats on the A6, that is an awesome car. As a fellow defector (in my case, for more power and sport since Acura no longer offers either...for now....sigh....), I can only hope that Acura makes products in he future that can lure us back. For me personally, the power and handling in the Sport Hybrid are just the first stop.

 

Congrats on the Audi...

It would've been this or the 535 if I were choosing...

 

I see your point but I did not seriously consider the 535 as they are way too common, at least in Southern California. I can hardly tell the 5 series from the 3 series or a 5 year old one from a new one so it appears that you see one about every 10th car.

 

I previously posted a list of items regarding the RLX to corporate and I just wanted to follow up with another C&P from another letter:

Losing the ability to use the Navigation system while driving makes about as much sense as disabling the wipers when it rains. Your older systems were not locked out and now Acura has lost its edge in navigation implementation and operability.
In my previous list I mentioned my preference for a four spoke steering wheel. I would like to add to that by recommending that the steering wheel be a “D” shape with the flat portion oriented at the bottom. This will augment the perception of sport in a car biased towards “Sport Hybrid”.
Folding side mirrors should be MID selectable for a choice of manual folding, auto closing when using park or both.
All-around cameras should be standard.
The MID should always return to its previous display when the car is re-started. Having to re-select a display that could be a few button pushes away every time that you get into the car is unnecessary.
As a car frequently has two drivers and is supplied with two fobs then the BT phone syncing should always link to the phone associated with the drivers fob. At present, the priority system is nebulas at best and I cannot find anyone who understands its linking priorities.
The trip computer should not only be displayed in the MID but also on one of the displays as an all encompassing screen of data. The present computer display on the MID requires numerous button pushes to see the required data and does not include any display regarding “Instantaneous MPG”.
Disable menus for non enabled functions. I.E. do not allow the selection of Nav-traffic if there is no valid subscription for Nav-Traffic.
In the entertainment menus, allow for the importation of MP3 files to a hard drive with a Gracenote database or allow an ITunes interface.
The center armrest should not only slide backwards but should also slide forwards. Many drivers rest a hand on the shift lever and without such a knob the resting place has been removed and compensation for its removal should be considered.

I am still enjoying the A6 and I am wondering why they say it is the best info-tainment system on any car. I am having a hard time with it and usually reach my destination long before I have got the car to work out the route. I, of course, have not read the manual because I always use the rule with ergonomics and human interface that if you need a manual then the designer failed.

 

OP thanks for all your views and congrats on the A6. Like you, we were a 2GRL/2G MDX family before we sold the RL. I checked out the A7 in some detail so I know how the 3.0T supercharged engine pulls pretty eagerly. How do you find leaving SH AWD behind ? I think the A6 does not have the sport differential which is Audi's version of torque vectoring.

I was concerned I would miss SH AWD when cornering but for us, our RL replacement was an MB CLS550 4matic. Does not have anything like torque vectoring for cornering but surprisingly, I find it corners better than our RL did, I think partly due to firmer suspension settings ( and air springs ) in the MB even in comfort mode and probably also the staggered rear tire setup.

 

The A6 can be had with the sport diff but the TV brakes the inside wheel unlike the SH Awd.
My A6 also has 20 inch wheels and the sport suspension. I find the ride a little too firm but the handling far exceeds my RL. The A6 also has the lowest center of gravity in its class, which helps. 0.88g on 19's so I suspect that mine, on the 20's, would pull a 0.9 fairly easily. (255/35-20).

 

When I was cross shopping for the A6, we did not see a way to get the sport differential in any package. The sport package at the time I was shopping for 2013 models did not include the torque vectoring sport differential.

There might be a difficulty with nomenclature, and I think that when Honda and Acura people speak about a "sport differential" and Audi, they are only speaking of the torque vectoring differential that Audi used to make available across several platforms.

Couple more notes.

Configuring an A6 to have the equivalent specifications of an RLX Advance is going to put you at about 70 grand. If you can live without the premium audio, then it is quite a bit less. I was frankly surprised how expensive the Audi's premium audio was. The step down from their Bang & Olufsen is not the equivalent of Honda's Krell Audio and a Honda fan will probably argue that even the very best Audi system is not the equivalent of the Krell system.

Audi's handwriting recognition firmware is very interesting, and I believe they are going to stay ahead of other brands for a while longer insofar as that interface is concerned.

At the time that I was shopping, I was impressed with the online connectivity of the Audi A6. They seemed to be a step ahead with that compared to the car that I was driving (2010 TL 6-6 SH-AWD).

However, when I got around to driving the RLX Advance, I saw that the improvements to AcuraLink between 2010 and 2014 completely negated the online connectivity of the Audi. AcuraLink's natural speaking interface allows a driver to seamlessly and easily find an address and download it automatically to the navigation system, and POI are as easy to obtain from AcuraLink as they are from Audi's 3G connectivity SIM. If anything, AcuraLink seems to be a little faster than Audi and I believe that Audi are limited by their use of TMobile's SIM.

Audi's interiors are impressive and I was surprised how similar in design theory the Acura black interior was to the Audi black interior. I like both Acura and Audi interiors and I believe that they are ahead of the quality and driver focus games when compared to Cadillac, Lincoln, Volvo, and even Mercedes and BMW (though to a lesser degree with Mercedes).

If you like the Audi A6 compared to the RLX Hybrid Advance, then I believe that I fully understand. I wouldn't make the same choice, personally, but I fully understand.

:-)

 

Both versions of the RLX, by the way, will brake the inside rear wheel in a hard, close turn in order to swing the nose of the car.

They call it "Agile Handling Assist" but more than one reviewer has screwed up and called it "Aggressive Handling Assist."

Many reviewers refer to it, but I have not seen many reviewer videos where they were engaged in maneuvers that would have triggered AHA.

The one exception I can think of is Jeff Palmer, who published a video of an autocross type situation he engaged in between an RLX Advance (FWD) and a BMW 535i.

He is a long time Honda person, and probably knew to trust the car and trust the technology in a way that most reviewers would not. Most of the automotive press industry are aware of this event in which the RLX was pitted against several luxury and near luxury vehicles. I don't know why the press did not talk about it more.

 

I believe that this video also illustrates that the dampers on the RLX Advance (FWD) are reactive or adaptive, in some fashion.

You know how your RLX feels in everyday driving...but you can see in the video that the car has stiffened and flattened instead of going into a close hauled heel.

If the video is protected, you will have to click on the link above the video place holding image.

 

George, I think that you are correct on the A6 sport diff although I have seen it somewhere but it is hard to decipher from online info, maybe it was an A5 - I also looked at that. Actually, the A5 is identical to the A4 but you pay about 5K more for 2 less doors. It's like "lite" beer - you pay more for them to take the flavor out!

I would probably have a SH SH-AWD in my driveway right now if the dealers would sell me one. The Advance, Krell would be a great car if available. I wanted a change and the A6 fit the bill in many ways. I agree that it will be over 75K out the door and the RLX would be less but they are certainly different but both excellent.

Acura does a great job with their packages and the Germans do a lousy job. Mercedes sell cars for some nebulous reasons: C series = for people who want a Mercedes but can't afford one. E series = People who want a 3 pointed star to look at but don't care that their "luxury" car doesn't have any luxury features. S Class is for status because money is no object, besides, the Company is paying for it. The other models do have a reason to be but they don't sell too many of them.
Audi has a similar marketing theory where they load the dealer with their most popular models but offer all kinds of options that you can only get if you order it for 3 months down the road delivery. The advantage that most brands have over Acura is that there are way more color options available. (As I have said before, White, Black, Silver, Grey etc are not colors they are gradations from white to black without any color.)

The A6 MMC+ is the Google maps based nav system that does have merit. Using the SIM is expensive but I do not feel experienced enough to pass judgment on its features yet. Yesterday I used the WiFi hotspot feature to run the Pandora App on my IPad and then bluetoothed it to the media system. It is slick and technologically clever but it doesn't sound adequate compared to a CD. BTW - I did not get the $5900 B&O. I cannot bring myself to pay more for a car stereo than a good home theater system in your living room.

 

I have driven Toyota, Acura and Infiniti cars with navi and have had my A6 for 4 months and hands down the Audi MMI is leaps better than the Asians. Some of the reasons I say this;

- natural language navi input, just speak the full address and bingo it figures it out and the accuracy for me has been exceptionally good.
- Audi connect, the ability to google current info vs. waiting for annual outdated navi updates. As well as the ability to use Google Maps and send to car
- the MMI display layout, very intuitive and logical and Audi's full functional interface with logical knob plus 4 keys buttons with 4 outer buttons plus back button.
- hand writing recognition works great and can be used while car is in motion
- navi graphics more modern than Acura or Infiniti's basic flat graphics
- ability to have two 32GB SD cards with music and also import up to 20GB of music to the HDD meaning 84GB of music and support for Apple lossless

And those are just the things I love about MMI, forget about all the raves I have about the silky smooth drive train.

 

A6 can not have sports differential (torque vectoring), but the S6 does. The A6 Quattro is 40/60 full time and will brake wheel per axle if traction is lost. True I would love to,have the sports diff, but I love the Quattro and find it as good as SH-AWD for most driving.

 

True Audi has a lot of options and finding the exact car you want can be a struggle, but if you have time to wait ordering is ideal, I had mine in 8 weeks and got exactly what I wanted. And Audi dealers control what models and options they have on their lot. One thing with thenGermans is you are paying 2 premiums for German cars, first is for the fact that it is a prestige brand, second is the expensive labor costs in Germany, that is why the Asians offer a better value for the money as well as usually better reliability. That said the cost gap is shrinking as the Japanese and even Cadillac have inched their prices closer to at least Audi. I was considering getting another M37S and when I optioned it up to match the Audi A6 the Infiniti was within a grand and the Audi had Quattro and the M37 did not.

 

I agree with the pricing of the various cars in this class. It seems that 60 to 70k is about where they all land. It will be interesting to see the RLX loaded price at intro and then subsequently, which will depend on sales.

 

Actually I am starting to really like the audi interface and the entry while in motion etc. I did not want to buy a car with a touchscreen especially one that you cannot see with sunglasses on such as the RLX.
I didn't often use speech in my RL but Climate Control Full Automatic was well used. I only found out today that the A6 doesn't have speech control for the climate control system! You can imagine what I called that bi**h in my audi when she kept asking me dumb questions only to realize that the error, as usual, was between the chair and the keyboard!