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I, too, still look forward to driving my car every time I get into it. Downside: I am constantly telling my wife/passenger on long trips how great the car is on the highway. After two years of hearing about the phantom car, and now me constantly telling her how much fun it is to drive, she thinks I should just shut up and drive the dumb car, or let her take the wheel. But stop talking about the car! I think I'd rather shut up and keep the wheel. (She drives a 2014 TL and likes it a lot but doesn't feel the need to talk about it.
Happ New Year, everybody.
Mine wants one now but in SUV. The car does something to the people once they are in and experience it.
That's hilarious...I've been talking about the Sport Hybrid RLX for so long that, just the other day, my wife said to me, "Quit talking about it and just go buy one already". Alas, though my resolve is waning, I still want to see what the 2016 has to offer before I pull the trigger - that and as Colin said color choice is non existent right now.
installed winter tires "Nokian Hakkap#@$##..." i have used them before and they are great.
the car is very quite even with the snows on.
I think that is a testament to the Sport Hybrid's quiet ride because even the non-studded Hakkapeliittas (sp?) have a reputation for amazing grip on snow and ice BUT with a noticeable tradeoff in ride comfort and road noise. If the RLX Sport Hybrid is quiet with Hakk's on, that is a true accomplishment.
Thanks for the info -I look forward to a review of how the Sport Hybrid and the Hakkapeliittas do in a good old Canadian winter.
That's hilarious...I've been talking about the Sport Hybrid RLX for so long that, just the other day, my wife said to me, "Quit talking about it and just go buy one already". Alas, though my resolve is waning, I still want to see what the 2016 has to offer before I pull the trigger - that and as Colin said color choice is non existent right now.
You obviously have more will power than the rest of us in the Sports Hybrid Club. I my case, it was the need to replace my 2005 RL. It was a great car and reliable performer, but after 10 years, I had to have something new. I was still vacillating until I took the test drive.....that made me throw all caution out the window. i was worried about buying a 2014 when the 2015s were out and how much of a beta tester I would be.....all of that was forgotten during the test drive. Just the exhilaration of the drive changed my mind...nothing but pure emotion took over. In hind sight, I am glad I did.
BTW, when I am in the car the outside color is not the thing I notice. Just the feeling of putting my foot on the gas [electric] pedal and feeing the response of the Acura technology takes over my senses.
My friendly advice....get yourself a test drive and tell your wife she has given you good advice. You will find yourself a happy man.
[QUOTE=hondamore;15284686]I think that is a testament to the Sport Hybrid's quiet ride because even the non-studded Hakkapeliittas (sp?) have a reputation for amazing grip on snow and ice BUT with a noticeable tradeoff in ride comfort and road noise. If the RLX Sport Hybrid is quiet with Hakk's on, that is a true accomplishment.
Thanks for the spelling. i attached a picture with the snow tires on 17" wheels.
Thanks for the pic. Could you please share the size of wheels and tire size you used? I'm actually surprised that 17 inch wheels fit - must be pretty tight to the brake calipers.
With the Hakk's and that sweet Sport Hybrid SHAWD, there will be no snow storm that will even slow you down this winter.
Thanks for the pic. Could you please share the size of wheels and tire size you used? I'm actually surprised that 17 inch wheels fit - must be pretty tight to the brake calipers.
With the Hakk's and that sweet Sport Hybrid SHAWD, there will be no snow storm that will even slow you down this winter.
the tire size is 245/50 - 17. the wheels clear the brake caliper fine. the wheels, tires and TPMS sensors were sized and installed by the dealer. they keep my all seasons stored till the spring.
I've been talking about the Sport Hybrid RLX for so long that, just the other day, my wife said to me, "Quit talking about it and just go buy one already".
Someone else suggested you go for a test drive. My suggestion: take your wife and let her drive it, too. That was a major selling point for us -- she noticed quite a bit of difference in handling between the RLX Hybrid and our 2005 RL. I think it might be the torque steering on the rear wheels.
^^My problem is...if I drive one, I know I'll buy it instantly and I'm trying to wait to see what the 2016 offers. I like to keep my cars for 10 years or so and I don't want to regret not waiting a few more months for the 2016 if it has a few extra goodies that the 2014 doesn't. I understand that I'm depriving myself of driving a great car in the mean time and I understand that I'm likely going to have to pay a lot more for the 2016 but I'm hoping that good things come to those that wait.
I understand that I'm depriving myself of driving a great car in the mean time and I understand that I'm likely going to have to pay a lot more for the 2016 but I'm hoping that good things come to those that wait.
Suggestion: Ask your dealer to contact the Acura regional sales rep to ask to have the first 2016 sent to the dealership be the trim and color you want. That way if you decide to buy you won't have to wait. Unless it's a slow-selling color, the dealer shouldn't make you put down money. (Unless, of course, there is already a line for it, though that doesn't seem like a common problem.)
the tire size is 245/50 - 17. the wheels clear the brake caliper fine. the wheels, tires and TPMS sensors were sized and installed by the dealer. they keep my all seasons stored till the spring.
^^My problem is...if I drive one, I know I'll buy it instantly and I'm trying to wait to see what the 2016 offers. I like to keep my cars for 10 years or so and I don't want to regret not waiting a few more months for the 2016 if it has a few extra goodies that the 2014 doesn't. I understand that I'm depriving myself of driving a great car in the mean time and I understand that I'm likely going to have to pay a lot more for the 2016 but I'm hoping that good things come to those that wait.
As hard as it is to be patient after reading all of the reviews by the early adopters and also waiting so long for the 14's to arrive, I agree that even six months more to see what the 16's have in store is the way to go. We are sacrificing current enjoyment for potential improvements and greater choice-hopefully that will pay off in even more enjoyment.
im picking up my rlx hybrid tomorrow. it is a great car, but as my wife's car sit in the garage, the rlx will be outside in the snow in Ottawa. i did ask the dealer about the wipers location, he said that they have a heating element in the windshield like the mdx. i also have the 2014 mdx. still, being able to raise the arms to clear snow and ice is very important. so thank you again for the post. first time for me on this site.
I saw your car the first day it arrived at camco - lol. I was in for service for the TL. Now I see they finally they sold it ! Speaking with one of the techs there a month ago who inspected it the first day it arrived, told me that everything seems to be where its suppose to be, meaning its just perfect. Have fun!
As hard as it is to be patient after reading all of the reviews by the early adopters and also waiting so long for the 14's to arrive, I agree that even six months more to see what the 16's have in store is the way to go. We are sacrificing current enjoyment for potential improvements and greater choice-hopefully that will pay off in even more enjoyment.
Impeccable logic. I am sure wanting a heated steering wheel and rear cross-traffic alert, along with updated navi software, for sure.
I think that is a testament to the Sport Hybrid's quiet ride because even the non-studded Hakkapeliittas (sp?) have a reputation for amazing grip on snow and ice BUT with a noticeable tradeoff in ride comfort and road noise. If the RLX Sport Hybrid is quiet with Hakk's on, that is a true accomplishment.
Thanks for the info -I look forward to a review of how the Sport Hybrid and the Hakkapeliittas do in a good old Canadian winter.
you asked for it you got it! 6" of snow plus freezing rain.
set the wipers in maintenance mode and lifted them off the glass. the RLX h drove well in this weather. i had it in sport and sifted to 2nd for off the line and shifted up as i started rolling.
all considered, i think the MDX is the best vehicle i have for snow. it has a remote starter, powerful enough and very predictable when driving in bad weather. plus it is much higher and clear most ice chunks that regularly fall off trucks this part of the world.
for the record, the RLX took 15 minutes to be ready for the trip. the MDX needed twice starting with the remote and it was ready.
Even with 6" of snow and bitterly cold temperatures, you'll be the happiest guy on the road driving your new Sport Hybrid.
By the way, did you buy the Hakkapeliitta 8's or the R2's??
Thank you i do enjoy the car very much. i especially likes the way it downshift when you brake. even my wife that have a 2014 mercedes e350 4matic coupe likes to drive my car.
as for the tires, they are the R2's studless.
the mdx is still the best in winter. i use it to bring the hump down after the grader pass, cleaning the street and before the snow removal guy comes to clean.
Two drops means more water on windshield and faster wiping of windshield.
Thank you Zoomer. This is why it is confusinfg to me. 3 drops, more water on wind shield before wipers interact - which to me seems to be less wiping. One drop to me translates into less water on WS before wipers start - which translates into more wipes.
Thank you Zoomer. This is why it is confusinfg to me. 3 drops, more water on wind shield before wipers interact - which to me seems to be less wiping. One drop to me translates into less water on WS before wipers start - which translates into more wipes.
This from the manual. (p 164 of the Pdf file).
■AUTO sensitivity adjustment
When in AUTO, you can also adjust the
rainfall sensor sensitivity using the adjustment
ring.
Sensor sensitivity
Low: The wipers start to
react to a larger amount
of rainfall.
High: The wipers start to
react to a smaller amount
of rainfall.
The three drops is for High. High sensitivity to water. The implication is that the camera will translate any amount of water it sees, however small, into a command for the wipers to activate. It is unfortunate the way they define it but the end result works. When you turn the knob on the right stalk the three drop pictorial you will wipe the windshield more frequently.
[QUOTE=hondamore;15287159]Even with 6" of snow and bitterly cold temperatures, you'll be the happiest guy on the road driving your new Sport Hybrid.
Driving the RLX in the winter -21 C/-6 F. it shows the lane keeping in action, its asking to put hands on steering. how was the drive? in a word wonderful. 8 hr trip on single lane undivided highway some ice some trucks handled it all like a champ. passing is very easy, the lane keeping and the distance following are great but you tend to rely on it and end up slowing considerably, i would just wake up, managing calls while i drive, and pass slow traffic. the seats are wonderful very comfortable didn't even have to remove my wallet from my back pocket the whole trip. the gas millage is great but the tank is small giving a range similar to the MDX. it is much fun to drive and very predictable. passing is like a rocket. i dont follow trucks stay back 100' away from their spray, then jump around them in a second.
one thing to watch is your speed while passing. in canada you can drive around 20km over speed limit, police will not ticket you, but get to 50km over and they will take you car and license away for a week. happened to me. every time i looked at speedometer after passing i was way over the 50km over.
This from the manual. (p 164 of the Pdf file).
■AUTO sensitivity adjustment
When in AUTO, you can also adjust the
rainfall sensor sensitivity using the adjustment
ring.
Here is what still confuses me about the rain-sensing wipers. Page 164 of the manual also says in the preceding paragraph:
The wipers operate intermittently, at low speed, or at high speed and stops in accordance with the amount of rainfall the rainfall sensor detects.
I infer from this statement that the rainfall sensor is capable of sensing the amount of rain, not just the presence of rain, which would seem to duplicate the function of the wiper adjustment ring. But it's confusing because the manual also seems to say that the rainfall sensor operates differently when the wipers are in auto mode.
The original quote says that "you can also adjust the rainfall sensor sensitivity using the adjustment ring". Does this mean that in auto mode BOTH the sensor and the adjustment ring operate independently to change the wiper action. Or that the ring replaces the sensor adjustment? Or that the sensor is, in fact, just an on-off switch (rain or no rain)?
I remain confused, and it's really hard to figure out what's going on by observation!
I'm just glad that mine must have arrived perfectly pre-adjusted, because I haven't had to give one thought to it.
Ha! Mine work fine, too. But I made the mistake of reading the manual, because I didn't want to miss any features. And now I want to know what the manual means!
I'm just glad that mine must have arrived perfectly pre-adjusted, because I haven't had to give one thought to it.
Okay, I'm gonna rephrase it. In the rain, with the wipers in auto mode (and without moving the adjustment ring), do they run more often as the rain gets heavier and less often as the rain gets lighter? If so, then the rain sensor senses amount of rain, not just presence of rain. Bonus question: if the sensor changes the wiper frequency based on amount of rain, what exactly does the manual adjustment ring do?
Okay, I'm gonna rephrase it. In the rain, with the wipers in auto mode (and without moving the adjustment ring), do they run more often as the rain gets heavier and less often as the rain gets lighter? If so, then the rain sensor senses amount of rain, not just presence of rain. Bonus question: if the sensor changes the wiper frequency based on amount of rain, what exactly does the manual adjustment ring do?
I notice that my wipers do actually what you say, they run faster as the rain gets heavier and slower as the rain get lighter.
Okay, I'm gonna rephrase it. In the rain, with the wipers in auto mode (and without moving the adjustment ring), do they run more often as the rain gets heavier and less often as the rain gets lighter?
The time between intermittent wipes gets shorter when the rain falls faster, and the car moves to full-on slow and full-on fast as the rain requires it.
It works perfectly for this particular driver and I haven't seen any reason to change it.
Maybe I just lucked out.
The only thing I can think is that the adjustment is there to adjust for your tolerance for rain on the windscreen before it's wiped.
^^^ That makes sense. The sensor determines the amount of rain falling and the adjustment ring sets the minimum threshold. I'm going with that one. Thanks, George. Now I can sleep at night.
With the snow storm we got yesterday I found that the car sometimes had a hard time stopping in densely packed snow. Almost like the brakes were not working. Weird feeling. I put the car in Sports mode and with the downshifts the car would start braking--both engine and brakes working.
It seems that I ran into conditions where the ABS was working overtime to prevent the car from any sliding/wheel lock at all. I rather have the car plow than to keep the car moving forward. Very strange.
Also, I am sure the tires are doing this car no favors at all.
Last edited by Zoommer; 01-07-2015 at 10:23 AM.
Reason: english better
Now this is almost certainly a tire problem. Sounds like you could use winter tires. I've been getting away with the stock all-seasons so far, but the time will come when I have to do what I've been trying to avoid this winter: Pulling out my CTS-V. It's got Blizzaks and an extra 100 pounds of wagon butt. Despite its being RWD, it has been unstoppable in winter conditions. I just don't want it to rust.
Now this is almost certainly a tire problem. Sounds like you could use winter tires. I've been getting away with the stock all-seasons so far, but the time will come when I have to do what I've been trying to avoid this winter: Pulling out my CTS-V. It's got Blizzaks and an extra 100 pounds of wagon butt. Despite its being RWD, it has been unstoppable in winter conditions. I just don't want it to rust.
Agreed. I do believe the tires are suspicious in many of the things I have commented on...from the maneuvers, to the jiggly ride, to stopping distance...Acura put them on for mileage....I think if one has to put Michelin on the Pilot Sport will be better but the Conti EC DWS should be the best. Just have to drive differently OR get winter rubber.
quick update with the car parked for 6 hours in -32 C, it started ok but had few error messages about the awd system, brake hold, lanekeeping monitor and couple of others. drove it to a meeting 10-15 minutes away, turned off then on, no messages. i guess the cold effected the computer or something.
i'll keep you posted on new developments or issues.
neuronbob, loved your message "channeling Malibu Flyer" it took me a bit to get it though. lol
^^^ Is that -32C a wind chill or an actual temperature reading? Where are you with your Arctic Hybrid?
-32 C before wind chill. -45 C with wind factor which does not effect a car. i'm in northern ontario for couple of days. i have a house here so the car is garaged overnight.
12-31-2014, 10:25 AM
I am sure wanting a heated steering wheel and rear cross-traffic alert, along with updated navi software, for sure.
