To all RLX owners, if you could go back in time to the day you visited the dealer to purchase your RLX (now that you know about the accelerated depreciation, suspension issue, and other minor problems), would you still sign on the dotted line? Why or why not?

Correction: I guess I should've titled this thread...Would You Still Do It?

 

I would still buy my Sport Hybrid again. I love the car and have been lucky that it hasn't had some of the issues the PAWS owners have had.

Likewise, I would still pass on the PAWS model, even if all of the issues get fixed in the new model. To me the car's handling and performance are what is most important.

 

awesome question/post. i was wondering the same questions as well.

 

So true. I really really like the RLX interior and advance package, but I absolutely LOVE the handling and performance of my ZDX. I would hate to trade for an RLX and then a few months later have buyer's remorse. Decisions, decisions...

 

Probably not. And I think I've beaten the dead horse enough on what would be my reasons why.

Knowing what I know now, I would have gone with something else as a stop gap waiting for a better execution of the RLX/5G Legend vision.

 

I, too, passed on the RLX PAWS because I missed the AWD of my '06 RL. I bought the Sport Hybrid and I would absolutely do it again - in a heartbeat.

 

I probably would pass on buying another PAWS version - this from a loyal Honda/Acura owner since 1990.

 

^ I think it's important MisterZDX to keep in mind that our opinions are based on the fact that we all paid MSRP or close to MSRP.

My understanding is that you are looking to purchase a used 2014 RLX, right? If that's the case, considering the insane depreciation and the killer deal you would get on one, that drastically changes the opinion and overall perspective being given here.

If you were to ask me - "would you pay $35-$40k for a used 2014 RLX Advanced with low mileage"...that becomes a very different scenario, versus asking me "would you pay $62k again for a new 2014 RLX Advanced"...

At $35-$40k, that's a helluva deal for a used one, assuming it's low mileage and in near perfect shape, which I think you'll find most of them in that condition. At $62k, the car simply doesn't warrant nor was it executed at the level that commands that type of price, regardless of it being brand new.

 

PWS vs hybrid AWD...

based on depreciation numbers and resale value I would just get used PAWs close to summer time much less what they are now and keep it for years. Why PAWs?! Less points of failure with hybrid portion.

SH would be a great option too if price drops same range.

Honestly... for $60K i would better get Lexus GS, I hate loosing money on high depreciation cars

Just my thoughts guys... nothing against RLX, great car! I currently have advanced package I fixed (got it from insurance front end damage) that total final cost was half of what used offered now.

 

Not only would I buy it again, but if I could get away with it I would buy another one in silver/seacoast/tech. Little issue with my wife saying no to that. A boy can dream. I say the hell with depreciation. I paid $54,500 for my CBP RLX Sport Hybrid. I think I got an awesome deal and a huge value/dollar. I might not feel that way if I had paid MSRP, but for the money I spent, I am thrilled. I don't care if the book value was zero.

 

I would buy my RLX-PAWS Advance again. Of course, I'm one of the ones who bought it in the $30s (purchased August 2014 with 15K miles). I recently sold my 2006 RL with 127K miles. It was a sweet car. I bought it Jan. 2007 for $37K with only 1385 miles on the odometer from a Lexus dealership (imagine the beating the original owner received). My RLX was a corporate lease that was subsequently sold to a Honda dealership and its manager put 7K miles on the odometer as his personal car.

I think Acura should somehow make the RLX more attractive for corporate leasing. It would put significantly more RLX PAWS and Sport Hybrids on the street. Maybe Acura does not make as much money per car, but it would serve to engender more interest by the general public as they see more RLXs on the road.

It is the Social Proof argument espoused by business psychologists.

 

Not a question to me, for sure I would make the same decision on my purchase of the 2015 RLX PAWS. SH was not available so hard to me say since I usually buy the latest models and it was a 2014.

 

You truly Acura guy

Sux to be me then... always thinking how to safe money for kid's school & my retirement

 

You should buy civic
Best car for the money, will last forever and you safe alot for your retirement.

 

Agree... Used to have one! That's why I went to auction and bought salvage RLX and fixed it, cost same money as new Civic

 

I still would have passed on the PAWS and obtained a Sport Hybrid. In retrospect, I would have waited until the end of December to force a better deal on the lease.

 

Case in point. Makes me sick to see these types of numbers on the Sport Hybrid considering what I paid for PAWS...

 

You are absolutely correct Sir.

 

Already covered.

 

I started buying Acuras in 1990 when I purchased the Integra. Others I have owned are various TL variants, Vigor, Legend and MDX models (not in that order), and many times were with my owning more than one at a time including now (14 MDX Tech in addition to my 14 RLX-SH Tech). So you can say that I am brand loyal. I have never strayed.

 

No more comments here for me... i guess i'm saying something wrong

 

A new RLX Advance sells in the low 50's regardless of a sticker close to 61. That alters the dynamic, it seems to me, making it a better buy than people assume it to be from the MSRP.

When I bought my RLX Advance, I was only looking for the Sport Hybrid.

The dealer said they'd probably never get one to sell me, and the huge discount off MSRP for the FWD RLX (as I said to them at the time) made it a more attractive proposition than I anticipated.

Then I did the most illogical thing in the world by still buying the RLX Sport Hybrid Advance when the dealer called to say (surprise!!) they'd got one after all and they remembered that I wanted one.



So there's another 62.5 down the tubes. LOL....

With both the RLX Advance and the RLX Sport Hybrid Advance, my answer is...maybe I would do it again.

The Legend feels and drives like they designed it specifically for me. Not the most comfortable car in the world...but very capable of both commuter cruising and enthusiastic performance when asked.

But it's not logical, so...maybe.

Although I can speak for hours about how great the car is and how maligned it is in the press (it seems to me only Brian Cooley "gets it" among the motoring press), I know that it's possible there are better choices out there that would suit an individual buyer for that buyer's personal reasons.

They did a good job designing a car for their aging base of racing enthusiasts, but that's not a good way to sell volume! And it's unlikely that they will attract buyers from outside the Honda family, not with any version of the RLX/Legend.

It must be a part of the Long Game, and we just don't know it.




.

 

Don't worry about it. I'm right there with you. :-)

I went to an RLX from a TL 6-6 just like yours, so I understand that mindset.

 

See if you can arrange to spend some time alone with an RLX.

The handling is going to be better than you might think. P-AWS works. The rear points the nose and flattens the car in a corner, which in turn allows you to have your foot down more than you'd think.

It will not have the absolute theoretical adhesion of an SH-AWD car, but most of us realize that we don't need that as much as we thought we would, and we are really after a flatter and more neutral way to take a corner.

I don't want to appear to be trying to talk you into it, but you might be surprised that if handling is your biggest concern, it won't be bad at all.

In the FWD cars, there's no LSD of any kind. You won't be winning any drag races.

However, most of what we perceive we need in "performance" has to do with those occasions we need to move away briskly from a stoplight, or we need to quickly move from 25 mph up to 70 mph because of traffic conditions. In those situations, the RLX does very well. Startling mid-range performance.

And you'll certainly get much better fuel economy than you're getting in your ZDX. :-)

Of course I'd recommend the Sport Hybrid over the FWD RLX, but that's a much pricier proposition and a matter of personal choice.

 

What a great country we live in. Where else other than here could we even have a place or a forum to discuss this stuff? I am sure there are just as many people on MB or Audi forums having similar debates, complaints, compliments, exaggerations of reality that their cars have a zillion hp and can go from 0-60 in 2 seconds, etc... Tomatoe, tamata when it comes to describing our personal tastes regarding cars. What is too soft for one person is to hard for another when it comes to suspension settings. One man's junk is anothers treasure. What is over priced for some is an absolute steal for someone else. So I look at things this way: Instead of passing judgement on someone else's interpretations or preferences, I simply follow a concept my grandfather taught me when I was a kid. People before us have bled and died for our ability to share our thoughts freely without the fear of persecution. Who am I to say that someone else is wrong for not liking the RLX in any capacity. If someone has not experienced the RLX-SH and thinks it is not worth the money, they are entitled to think that (however I think they are wrong and they would see the error of their ways if they simply drove one). Some people like blonds and others brunettes. I just say this, until you get in the saddle of a SH, you just can't appreciate how cool it is. My neighbor just got a test drive in a Tesla Model S P85D AWD yesterday and he is genuinely considering buying it. I hope he does so I can get a ride in it. The pictures of our cars together would be awesome I think. He was all smiles and said it was like going to Six Flags and riding Kingda Ka. I believe it.

Tesla Model S P85D: Dual motors, AWD, 691 hp, 3.2 to 60

Sorry for my digression.

 

for sure i would do it again. i passed on a great deal on an Audi A8 ($24k off) and an e350 fully loaded, although i got the coupe for the wife, which was $7k cheaper than the RLX with the discounts. i only shopped other brands because they didnt have AWD RLX. very happy with my decision.
i said it before in a previous thread, i do ask myself with every car i get if i would return it if i was offered all my money back, with 5,000 miles i would still keep the RLX. maybe i would change to black on black.

 

That's a real game changer, and in exchange for that kind of performance most of us would ignore glitchy door handles and giant iPads. :-)

Still, though....

Better quality interiors in a car that costs that much, better seats, more headroom....

They've got a huge part of the formula right, but there's still so much work to do before I'd give up my car for a Tesla.

It's enough to think about, but not quite enough to purchase.

Perhaps the next generation, or the Apple cooperative venture.

 

Your right here a quote from the Avalon Forum, sound familiar?

I hear you man and I completely agree! I have a 2000 avalon and test drove 2014 version last year... what happened to the suspension??!! It drove like a 1999 v6 camry. I really tried to like it but ended up walking away. Avalon's really lost it's identity.

 

The Tesla D sounds like a terrific car but it is not really in the same league as the Sports Hybrid. First is will cost substantially more than the RLX. It has "insane" performance but not as luxurious an interior. As an all electric car you have the issue of recharging on longer trips. Elon has done a good job of building a network of charging stations but it is the time to recharge which gives me pause. If i am driving 300-500 miles on a trip, I don't want to have to stop for 2-3 hours to recharge.

I don't mean to dis the Tesla. It is a great car [Consumer Reports just rated the Tesla S it as the best car they have ever tested] but it is different than the RLX. They are certainly very popular in Southern California. I see at least 20 a day just driving on my normal commute while I have only seen one RLX besides mine in the last 18 months.

 

I did not mean to hijack the thread to talk about the Tesla, so I apologize to all of you for doing that. All good points Malibu and George.

I just passed one in an accident on the highway on my way back. It looked bad, but the Tesla definitely protected the passenger cabin for such a big potential hit. It looked like the driver drifted off the road and hit a car on the shoulder at speed. Maybe they were texting and driving? Don't know. The car it hit was a Honda Accord. That car was messed up really bad. The whole trunk was caved in to the back seat and the rear doors were pushed out, rear window destroyed, and people were still in the car when I passed the accident. It must have just happened minutes before. The driver of the Tesla was standing on the side of the road, looking uninjured. I just saw all of this in a flash, so I could not take a quick photo as awful as that sounds. A picture tells the story and that is all I am trying to communicate here.

Back to the thread: Again I would not sell my car unless I was offered more than enough to immediately go out and buy another one. In that case, the potential buyer should just go get one for themselves and not bother me.

 

My daughter lives in LA now, and after totalling her car in September (sigh) I am looking to get her a used car, now (she has been uber ing to work on my credit card, because I needed her to gain some perspective). So I am on Autotrader.com, and I was on her zip code, and looked for used RLX's in a moment of boredom in looking for cars for just her, and I was surprised how many low mileage PAWS are available in SoCal. Clearly, the PAWS RLX has not been a hit out there. So all the RLX's seem to be parked in Used Car Lots.

 

Especially if a person doesn't want or need the Advance Package. The lower trims are even more of a steal. The RLX would make one hell of a used car for your daughter. Now that I think about it, I was originally considering trading the ZDX for a used Advance Package RLX, I may wait even longer for prices to fall and just pick up a used base RLX and keep my ZDX too.

 

156 used PAWS RLXs on Autotrader. The cheapest one was $30.9k and I'm sure they can be talked down below $30k. This has been the case for some time. I notice very few Advance trim used RLXs, though. I wonder whether those owners are less likely to part with their car?

Regardless, I stand by my decision to lease given depreciation....not to mention it's a big help to my business taxes.

 

I want to preface my answer by saying tat I have not (yet) experienced any of the suspension or other bugs that other people have *knock on wood* & depreciation really does not bother me since it is a result of getting a great deal, so from that stand point I am fine with the RLX.

However, after coming off the most snow days ever in 1 winter in my lifetime, if I had to do it over again, I would probably consider an AWD more seriously. Of course, when Acura offers me >$10k off, that will probably once again trump all the other vehicles I am shopping.

So other than AWD, I so far have no major regrets (darn that sport hybrid for taking forever to come out).

 

It is the 10 year anniversary of the above RLX praise!
Turns out the 2020 RLX was the extinction for a large FWD V6 flagship sedan, so there went the Long Game!

Next year I'll be old, and I've been rooting for Honda since before Senna drove one.
Now in March 2025 I am seeing used 2018-2020 RLX P-AWS w Advance in the $20-25k range, and prices are still going down every month. So I want either a white one with brown interior or a red one with black interior. Just an old-fashioned cushy car made by Honda in Japan like my 90 Legend coupe, to replace our trusty and beloved 25 year old CL-S.

 

I sure would, Most cars have TSBs or Recalls of some sort during the time it's manufactured. As long as I found and addressed all of the issues in a timely manner along just taking care of my RLX I would get another. I currently have a '14 RLX w/ 87k. So far a TSB took care of my steering column. The only other thing was a new timing belt and some other wear and tear fixes. I've had my RLX for 3 years thru Carvana and have been fortunate to this point not to have any of the known issues. The car has been good to me overall.

 

That depends on whether Acura becomes accountable for the crank shaft and bearing issue popping on the rlx hybrid. Mine grenaded on Jan 29th. Level two case manager turned my request down to even look at it since my car is out of warranty for 10 months and there is no recall as of yet. I refused to back down and now it’s passed on to level three and still waiting to hear back it has been over 6 weeks. I would be weary to buy another Honda product until they own up to it and start a recall.

 

I bought a new 2016 Advance SH in late-2016 for $52K plus tax and tag. I still own it and it’s served me very well, especially during 2017-2022 when I made a near weekly 280 miles X 2 trip back and forth from AZ to CA for work. Best car imaginable for that long drive - safe, comfortable, fast, fun, reliable, and economical w 29MPG. I don’t miss the 2018 upgrades except for Apple CarPlay. I’d buy this exact car again in a second except now I am looking at a ZDX-S to get me into the carpool lane in metro PHX area. I think I could sell my car for around $22K; maybe $24K if I wait for the right buyer. I don’t mind the depreciation in a car I’ve driven for nine years. I have mixed feelings about giving up the sporty and engaging driving experience in my RLX sedan. If there was a hybrid or plug-in hybrid RLX Sport Wagon similar to the Audi A6 Avant or MB 450 Wagon …well that would be the perfect car for me.

 

Wow, crazy seeing this thread 10-years later! Has it really been that long? Hope all you guys are well.

Revisiting this 10-year old question...hell no!! 🤣

If I had known what was coming with the TLX, I would have waited for that. But even the TLX would not have hit the mark for me. In hindsight, the reality is that after I returned the RLX and moved into an ILX...I realized that the RLX was simply too big for my tastes, and what I was really ultimately after was a small nimble sports car, with the luxury and tech of a big luxury sedan. After all, I came from the 3G TL prior to the RLX. And the 3G TL was small(er) nimble and just flat out fun to drive while giving you a good premium/luxury experience.

Fast forward to now...I couldn't be more smitten with my 2023 Tesla M3. 2-years in and it is an absolutely amazing car, amazing tech (FSD is mind blowing), RWD performance is awesome, and suspension and handling is perfect. And it's awesome coming home and just plugging in and charging every day. Road trips are a breeze with the supercharger network bigger and stronger than ever, car nav literally plans the entire route (and charging stops for you) and I can get a full charge from 10% to 100% in under 40min. What's not to like? (other than Elon's ego? &#129315

I don't like saying never, but very unlikely I will ever go back to Acura or an ICE vehicle for that matter. If I ever do go back to an ICE car, probably a BMW 2-series. Rented one down in Miami during a recent trip. What a super fun car, great tech, styling, interior is awesome, etc. etc. I guess I just finally figured out my style, which continues to be a niche outlier market: small nimble sport cars with luxury features and experience. I know there's the Integra, but just not a fan of the exterior styling. Maybe the return of the Prelude becomes a winner 🤔








ps @George Knighton - I finally got my garage "right" 😉

 

Nice pics, but I couldn't be less smitten with the idea of buying any Tesla right now. The share price is headed in the direction Musk deserves, at least.