Ascension

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RLX SH-AWD Sport Hybrid (??/2024)

I've been reading more and more about the RLX SH-AWD Sport Hybrid recently, and I'm infatuated with it. Between the limited production of about 1,700 units, the underrated power advertised, and the reports from experiences with this platform, the RLX SH-AWD Sport Hybrid is a hidden gem. I want to experience it myself! So, I have ordered the official Acura brochures recently, and they're on their way.

-2014 sales brochure
-2015 sales brochure
-2016 sales brochure
-2016 accessories brochure
-2018 sales brochure

1) The low ground clearance is unusual, and I haven't seen pictures depicting this aspect, in comparison to other models. a 4.5" ground clearance is almost as low as my previous MK4 Jetta TDI, which had 4.1" due to a very low oil pan. What portion of the RLX exactly hangs so low? The 4G TL sits 5.7" off of the ground, for comparison's sake.

2) I haven't seen any pictures of the underbody, up on a lift. I'm curious as to how the mechanical aspect visually looks in the rear end with the electric motors.

3) The way that the power is handled makes this car sound like a secret level from a video game. At about 100 lb less than the ZDX, with much more power, it must feel incredible. I don't care about all of the technological features, or the way fuel economy is delivered. I just want to experience the performance aspect. I've pushed the 4G TL, and the ZDX, to their limits on the street. I absolutely love these two platforms. It sounds like the Sport Hybrid takes it up a notch.

From the research that I've done thus far, it seems that I want a 2016-2018 Advance model. I want the heated steering wheel, the ventilated seats, the remote start, and the HUD, since I haven't experienced those facets in any of my current, and previous, cars as of yet. I already have rims/wheels that will replace the OEM rims, that I find ugly. I haven't seen any pictures of the 4G TL Diamond Cut rims on the RLX yet. The stock RLX rims weigh roughly 31 lb each, and the Diamond Cut rims are 25 lb ea, so that will amplify the performance even further.

I also currently have a 2008 Lexus IS F. If I still have it when I end up finding my RLX Sport Hybrid, I will race them against each other to find out what the difference truly is. I expect the IS F to win, but it doesn't seem like it would be by much. I'm currently daily driving my ZDX, and I believe that I love it more than the 4G TL SH-AWD.

mrgold35

I really like my 18 RLX Sport Hybrid. I would test drive any 14-17 RLX hybrid and compare it to the MMC 18-20 RLX hybrid. The 18-20 RLX has the updated exterior looks; but, they soften the suspension with a bigger lean towards comfort (more dive, more bounce over bumps, and body lean in corners). The +18 RLX does have updated front seats compared to the earlier models. The wife and I don't find the RLX seats as comfy for +4 hour hwy runs for out of town trips (We have gone 12hrs straight in the 19 MDX seats with zero issues).

My downsides for the RLX are:
- small 15 gal gas tank. Can limit distance for road trips or if you have STIFF headwind on a road trip
- limited trunk space because of battery pack. Enough cabin space for 4 adults; but, only enough trunk space for two on a long weekend getaway
- low profile tires can cause rim damage and flats with potholes (up to 1 pinch flat and two damaged rims since 2019)
- No Carplay (you can add aftermarket)
- seats are kinda flat and causes me/wife some lower back ache on road trips

My RLX upsides are:
- 377hp/341tq is intoxicating. It really feels more in the +400 hp range and I live at +5000 feet
- mpg around 27-28 combined and seen as high as 34 mpg on hwy
- can hit 120-125 mph quickly if you need to pass several 18-wheelers on a 2 lane hwy
- all the Adv tech, HUD, hard button for heat/ventilated front seats
- turns heads and get compliments
- got caught in hail storm and aluminum panels had zero damage compared to steel
- maintenance schedule exactly the same as other mechanical sh-awd vehicles. So far, same scheduled services are either less frequent and slightly cheaper cost compared to my 08 RDX or 11 MDX

1186KA9

Can't speak on the SH, but there is a 2014 Advance P-AWS in the garage.

Pros:

• The J-series is very rev-happy. Pulls easily to 100 and beyond.
• The car in my experience drives better as it ages. The suspension softens up nicely without giving up any performance as it ages.
• Reliable except for PAWS actuators which I have to save up for this year. How fun.
• Paint is nice looking. CBP looks great.
• Krell sounds nice. Not the greatest bass, but has some and has really good mids and highs.
• Still has the old-school Alpine Navi interface look. Hate the new ones with cheap looking Apple/Android OS.
• Pretty rust resistant due to having aluminum.
• God-like gas mileage even for PAWS models.
• Great seats at least in mine. Show no wear and are extremely comfortable.
• Headlights. The headlights apart from being LED blue are insanely good. Can easily see things on the highway from a mile away at night with brights on. However, when it rains the color temperature backfires a bit.
• PAWS makes the car rotate nicely around corners.

Cons:

• At first, the RLX was not nice in ride. Too floaty in the wrong areas and WAY too stiff in the wrong areas. Think some of this was due to the OE Michelin tires though. This is moot with the Facelift ones and the SHs from what I've heard.
• PAWS is nice until it shits the bed. Then its 3 grand in parts. :|
• Clearcoat while nice looking is kinda thin Chips somewhat easily.
• Rear subframe paint on mine is SHIT. It looks a lot worse than my 04' which has about 100K more miles and 10 more years in the salt belt in harsher conditions.
• Has VCM. Can be disabled for about 100-150 bucks. Car drives much better without it. Can be an issue to do in emission controlled states though.
• Transmission can be a little quirky at times. The 6 speed in mine though was neglected in mine though due to my dad following the 04's maintenance schedule subconsciously. (90K drain and fill first time with a lot of hard highway miles) Don't like how it holds gears while decelerating.
• Parts availability will be a problem for both PAWS and SHs. Best year for PAWS only had about 6-7 grand go through the door in North America. And we all know how rare SHs are.
• Depending on the tires and roads in your area, you may get a lot of blowouts. The RLX has had 3 in its lifetime with a couple succumbing to bubbles. Good roads and good tires will make this point moot though.
• Will understeer like a mo-fo in snowy weather.

The Gray:

• Low ground clearance. It is that low and can be a problem for some people.
• Styling. Love it but a lot of people feel meh about it.
• Braking in PAWS feels weird due to BBW. Easy to get used to though.
• Quiet car.

Overall a great car that gets passed over because it is tradition for this family of cars to get looked over for Lexus/Germans due to brand. Plus the SHs advertising WHP is awesome instead being like most car-makers and listing CHP.

1186KA9

Also, it all hangs kinda low. The front spoiler is the lowest though.

Ascension

Thanks for chiming in. The aspects that you view as downsides don't apply to me. I'm fortunate to be in a position where I don't care about fuel economy, or cost of fuel. I've decided that the ZDX will remain my permanent daily driver, and it has plenty of storage capacity. The RLX's tire size is exactly the same as the 19" Diamond Cut wheels from the TL, I avoid all possible potholes, and go out of my way to slow down for bigger impact road imperfections. I've never used Carplay, so "I don't know what I'm missing." If I go on any more road trips, I will be taking the ZDX, which is the most comfortable vehicle that I've experienced yet. I went down to the Tail of the Dragon in November with the ZDX, and completed the entire roundtrip, on top of cruising for 2-3 hours on the Dragon, in one continuous session.

The IS F is the quickest, most performing vehicle that I've had thus far. the RLX Sport Hybrid sounds like it has similar power, during actual real world driving. I'm extremely eager to test drive one.

I look forward to experiencing the Krell audio system. The ELS from the TL and ZDX are superb, so I expect the Krell to be an improvement on top of that. The tire size is not as big of a concern as much as the ground clearance is. Fortunately, I never had any issues bottoming out the TDI, even though I had a skid plate. The car did weight only ~2,800 lb, so that might play a factor too. What portion of the RLX actually sits that low to the ground, though?

This is an intriguing idea. If 377 HP and 341 TQ is actually peak power to the wheels, then that puts it on par with the IS F. A stock IS F makes roughly ~360 WHP and ~330 WTQ, and weighs roughly ~3,800 lb.

Would you be able to take a picture of the ground clearance of your car, with the camera at ground level? I'll take one of my ZDX later today when there's light outside to compare the 4.5" to 7.9" difference.

mrgold35

The RLX Sport Hybrid hp/tq calculations are kinda wonky to figure out sometimes. The 377hp/341tq is from matching all 4 motors hp/tq and overlaying those hp/tq curves together to add/subtract and figure out the overall peak. You don't get the typical drivetrain losses with high elevation or from the powertrain/mechanical sh-awd system with electric components. The electric motors have max hp/tq at 0 rpms and it goes down from there. I think this is the reason why RLX Sport Hybrid owners feel like there is more power because the electric motors supplement the 3.5L at lower rpms similar to a turbo/supercharger compared to NA I.C.E. engine you need to push to higher rpms. I haven't seen an RLX tq curve; but, it feels like it is probably look closer to an Turbo engine with reaching peak sooner and having a plateau range. The RLX will feel like a 5.0L V-8 in city driving (with 2.4L 4 cylinder mpgs) and more 3.5L V-6 at hwy speeds.

The sport hybrid programming is super aggressive and is making a ton of adjustments depending what the driver needs at the time. The only let down for me is the soft suspension tuning with regular dampers when you want to go sporty on a curvy road. My 321hp MDX Sport Hybrid with electronic dampers feels more secure and has less dive, lean, bounce, and body roll than my RLX. The MDX is around 100lbs more in curb weight, MDX battery pack sits lower than the RLXs, MDX feels more balanced compared to the nose heavy RLX, and the MDX has a less aggressive hybrid programming.

Ascension

It seems that the 4.5" clearance is directed at the plastic aero piece on the front of the underbody. The actual ground clearance behind that seems to be higher. I will have to compare on the TL and ZDX to find out if it's the same situation.

andysinnh

What I can offer is a second-hand observation of a 2012 TL SH-AWD Tech vs a 2018 RLX SH-AWD - they were both my wife's cars, with the RLX replacing the TL. From my limited time behind the wheel - and listening to my wife's comments - the TL is by far the sportier of the two. It's a get-down-and-grunt car that has decent ground clearance, very good handling in twisty roads, and really outstanding snow traction. When Acura advertised the TL SH-AWD as "draining the blood from your eyeballs" back when that 3rd gen TL was being sold, they weren't far off. My wife loved the car, but she always compared it to her 1993 Legend (which was her all-time favorite Acura), and felt the TL fell short when it came to "luxury".

So, in early 2019 when her TL was due for major service items (Timing Belt, etc), she started thinking about replacing it vs spending $$ to keep it going. We got a couple of TLX SH-AWD's as loaners previously, and she actually didn't like them much - felt smaller and cheaper inside than her TL, and just didn't perform as well. We knew about the RLX, but the price point was higher than we wanted to go. Then one day, during the period we were thinking of options, the dealer decided to sell a 2018 RLX SH-AWD that they had used as an exec car. It had a whole 1200 miles on it, and they were selling it as a CPO for only $45k (which at the time was a really good deal). This brought a virtually new RLX SH into our price range. We took it out and the wife fell in love within the first 2 miles of driving. It was a great blend of the Legend's luxury along with some of the pop the TL had in terms of performance.

Let me be clear - the RLX SH-AWD is not the TL (nor even the 2nd gen MDX-based ZDX) in terms of handling and "grunt". The mechanically-focused SH-AWD system is by far the better setup for handlding and snow traction. And the 3.7L v6 is just a great motor mated to those vehicles. But the RLX, while not as crisp in the handling department and a bit floater in the ride, is truly a luxury vehicle from most every aspect - and when you hit the gas and you get the 3.5L ICE and 3 electric motors running in harmony - you just ask why Acura doesn't put this in all their vehicles. She's coming up on her 5 year ownership mark of the RLX, and she's just as happy today as she was during that first 2 miles of driving.

andy

Ascension

I agree that the 4G TL SH-AWD is phenomenal. The ZDX being ~400 lb heavier, is not far off from the TL, though. I imagine that the RLX won't be far off either once I have a car on my possession, and I have swapped over the Diamond Cut wheels on. I have to believe that the RLX is sportier than the ZDX, so in between the TL and the ZDX then, albeit with much more power.

Here is a picture of the ground clearance on the ZDX. I believe the ground clearance is necessary in areas such as Cleveland, where the roads are primarily inadequate.



Edit: The plastic aero piece on the front underbody of the ZDX sits at 11" off of the ground. So, the exhaust pipe in the rear must be at the 8" mark. I have 55mm section width sidewall tires, 5mm oversized from stock.



The IS F's stock ground clearance is 4.7" and it has 35mm sidewall tires. The picture is of poor quality, but it's all I can show at the moment. The front bumper sits just under 5" off the ground.

Ascension

The 2014 brochure has been delivered, and it's primarily just pictures. There's literally only one excerpt on the Sport Hybrid... I'll have to wait for the remainder of the brochures to arrive for all of the information.

mrgold35

I found this site with old Brochures. Some of the Acura ones are from Canada: https://www.auto-brochures.com/acura.html

phile

I always scrape the underside of the front when i overshoot and go over the sidewalk or those parking bars.

In the SH, the power is there but I don’t like how it’s achieved. To me it’s like a slingshot. You step on the pedal it hesitates for a split second then it flings forward. But i Iove the 0-60 acceleration onto highway traffic. Ive had slow cars all my life and it’s nice to finally be able to catch up to traffic.

I’m biased when it comes to the PAWS. I was given it as a loaner by my local dealer when my SH went in for an oil change. It didn’t do it for me. Similarly I felt the same about the TLX SH-AWD i got as a loaner. The power just didnt feel as great as the RLX SH.

Ascension

The remainder of the sales brochures have arrived. The accessories brochure will arrive on Monday. I've read enough information, from the brochures, from the press releases, and the reports from actual owners on this forum. I'm finished with reading. The next course of action is actually obtaining a car. I need to experience what the Sport Hybrid feels like during all driving conditions.

jdpdata

Good luck finding one, it's a unicorn for sure. I've owned many Acura cars, my current '20 RLX-SH is favorite for sure. It is a wolf in sheep-skin. That highway acceleration is bonkers. I don't have any underside images of the car, but I do have some high-rez images when I first bought her home. You can view the album below. Ground clearance is not an issue for me. My driveway is fairly steep and have never scraped. Used to scrape front lip bumper on my Lexus GS350, but that car was lowered.

https://app.box.com/s/sk0din7e7itpfrlpl0bsja58xr2jsv46

Ascension

Thanks for sharing. Whenever I obtain my Sport Hybrid, I will take pictures and document the underbody. I really like the 2018-2020 body style more, however, they're much more expensive, in comparison to the 2016-2017 that I've been looking at.

mrgold35

I started looking for my RLX back in the early Fall of 2019. I had to expand my search coast-to-coast to find a red/ebony RLX. Ended up having to travel to Sacramento from ABQ to get my RLX in Dec/2019. This was way before Acura discontinued the RLX, 2020 just came out, and there were several 18-20 RLXs on every Acura lot. It might take some luck and some time to find a 18-20 RLX Sport Hybrid in a certain color combo and mileage range. Other than Blue Book Value, zero changes with each of the 18-20 RLX Sport Hybrid model years.

Ascension

I'm patient, and have perseverance. It took 17 months to find the right IS F for me. I actually committed to purchase 7 different C63 AMG's, although all sales failed because the sellers all lied about some aspect of the car, before I switched over to the IS F. Looks like it took about six months to find the 6MT SH-AWD, after I purchased my previous 2012 TL SH-AWD 6AT.

So, I will obtain a Sport Hybrid at some point, guaranteed. I feel like I'm more excited for the Sport Hybrid than I have been for the IS F.