Brock79

Well, sort of. I took my car into the dealer for the third time dealing with this crows feet issue. I was told by the girls behind the counter " oh you're getting our executive car". I asked what does that mean? She said, you're getting a RL, I said ok sounds good. I went outside and it was a RLX, to my surprise.

I noticed a few things right away, like the lane departure and the warning to brake when you're to close to the vehicle in front of you. The KRELL system blows the ELS system out of the water and works great with AM/FM making them sound digital and there is no noticeable difference between any audio sources in sound. Acura finally got that right, still only one USB port though at least that's all I have found. The window sticker has this car just why of 62 grand. The touch screen isn't laid out the best and could be slightly better, you can't see it when the sun is on it. The regular NAV screen I feel is better in my TL as far as the settings are displayed, especially for the audio part.

The car is extremely quiet and the handling isn't quite as tight as the TL, it reminds me of a FWD feel. A little sloppy and doesn't give you quite the feedback. The ride comfort is not what I expected from this price point, the seats are nice and plush, but there is no bladder for the bottom bolsters as many other cars have this at a lower price. It's definitely smoother than my TL, but my SHO feels just as smooth, the RDX I had a week ago, which I had for three weeks, felt just as smooth as well. I know I'm going to catch hell for that last part, but it's my opinion.

Do I think this car is worth 62 grand? No way, I think some of the equipment should have been included on the TL in the first place. The RLX, I feel, should not be anything over 50 grand, while it's a nice car it's just not that nice. The engine has enough pep also to move it along nicely.

lift3d_

personally, i don't care what kind of features the car has, if the overall looks of it doesn't warrant the price, i don't see it as worth it. most of the new features in luxury sedans today take away from the driving experience. I don't even like relying on the rear camera and blind spot monitor in my TL. if the ride and overall comfort are that big of a difference, it certainly helps, but if it looks like shit on the outside it probably won't be bought by me.

honestly, i think the RLX is the overweight big brother of the TL. not a fan of the jewel headlights, not a fan of the rear, and it's fucking huge.

that being said, wouldn't mind driving one around for a few days...but to answer your question, after paying $50k for the TL, wouldn't consider the RLX for $60k+ given it's exterior

potmilkz

for 62k, id drop a few more and get a m3 sedan

wreak

I'd drive the new Hyundai Genensis over an RLX lol

skabei

I've sat in the RLX a few times while at the dealer either waiting for servicing or when I was buying my TL a few months ago. To me, the interior definitely feels more luxurious than the TL and it does have an "executive" feel to it.

Isn't the idea of the RLX to offer an executive feeling "full-sized" sedan at a lower price-point than the competition such as the LS and the 7 series? From what I've read, the RLX is really smooth, quiet, and comfortable so I think the RLX hits the spot but I don't think there's much a market for it. Those who want an executive car will pay full price for a better regarded executive model.

One thing that I definitely dislike about the RLX is the looks. It does look very nice and it does look expensive, but it doesn't look impressive enough to be Acura's grand flagship. I think Honda's supreme sedan should look more appealing. It reminds me too much of the ILX and with the new TLX, they all look ridiculously alike.

For me, yeah I'd rather pay the same money for a sportier car that's more fun but that's only because I'm not remotely interested in an executive car. =P I'm a bit young for that.

usdmJON

You guys are nuts.
The acura line up has a certain over all look now which it should. It has been lacking this for years while competing companies have always been doing it.

^Those all look like the same exact car at first glance.




Same for the BMW 3,4, and 5 series. What did they do, decide to leave the kindeys/lights identical and switch the air dams a little.

My point, the ILX, TLX, RLX have about as many differences as the Lexus or BMW line up. Id say this is the same for many other companies as well.

skabei

Yes, every brand does follow the same design patterns for their different models. But I don't feel the RLX looks grand enough to be their top-of-the-line". Maybe the RLX isn't trying to compete with the flagships of the other luxury brands but when you go into an Acura dealership and tell them that you want to know more about the RLX, they'll advertise the car as Acura's flagship which doesn't quite compare with the other brands' top-of-the-line models.

I am making more of a statement about Acura's branding as a luxury car manufacturer here.

Edward'TLS

The RLX is a damn good FWD car, except for the hefty price tag.

Successful luxury cars in that kind of price range have RWD chassis and V8 engine option.

When even the 2G AWD RL had noticibly failed, it is very hard to think of a reason why the 3G FWD RLX, with a even higher price tag, will succeed.

usdmJON

Should have been awd or rwd for sure!! I agree with that.

skabei

Doesn't the RLX come with P-AWS on the base or is that not true AWD?

hadokenuh

Well Acura marketing gotcha!

Lol, no it's not AWD.

skabei

But the name is so cute

neuronbob

You can get a top of the line PAWS Advance for $49k in my area. Dealers are no longer asking $62k. It's the luxury steal of the year. I'd pay $50k if I weren't waiting for the sport hybrid RLX.

Brock79

Yea, it has it but it's not awd, it's All Wheel Steering, which simply means the rear wheels will turn left to right or the top will go out or the bottom. There is no axle to give them power though or rotation. I hope that makes sense. It is however a pretty nice loaner car though. A little to soft on the suspension though, it bottoms out fairly easy.

Ken1997TL

To me, an executive's car should look 'commanding' and heavy. The 1st gen RL and the Legend did that well. Short front overhang and a hunkered down road presence.

Ken1997TL

Four-wheel steering works for light FWD cars, like the Preludes. To me, the RLX is too heavy for it to really shine, but it does negate some of the understeer.

JT4

^^Perfectly said..

Brock79

Well after putting 140 miles on ot last night, I will say one thing. The suspension is horrible, if you hit any larger bump or dip in the road at higher speeds, this thing slams you down in the seat. The suspension is way to soft and needs firmed up. On a smooth section of the highway the car drove perfectly and was well behaved.

A few things I noticed at night, the led headlights are just as bright and clear as the HIDs in my TL. When you approach the car a few lights actually illuminate up on the car. The door handles have LEDs built in, and the parking lights turn on. Also you can adjust your seat from the MID and the steering wheels setting as well. Kind of useless but a cool feature.
The lane departure feature sucks ass, that thing goes off every 2 seconds, and I can't figure out how to turn it off. You can turn the frontal collision warning off and adjust the distance though.

Ken1997TL

On my Accord which has LDW, there is a switch to the left of the steering wheel.

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

How's the mpg and how have you been driving it Brock?

Brock79

The mileage is actually pretty good, better than I expected. I have really only driven it on the highway, at 80 mph and I'm averaging 28 mpg. That went down when I was doing 95 in it, but only to 26mph. I haven't really been on local town streets. But much better than the TL which I only get 23 driving the same way.

Brock79

I saw that button and it was on, but no idea what it does, I turned it off and didn't really notice anything. So I turned it back on, now that I know exactly what it is, I will keep it off. I didn't leave it off long enough to pay attention I guess, plus I was looking at everything else in the car. Thanks for the info

Ken1997TL

On my Accord at least, it stays off and remembers that setting (per driver).

Bradysdad

When is the AWD hybrid scheduled to be released?

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

Who knows, it's been postponed a few times.

Brock79

A little update, after putting close to 600 miles on this car since Thursday, I have a few more opinions.. The ride quality is still the same in my book, although spending 2 hours on the turnpike with no real bumps or potholes, the car really shines. The suspension is set up perfectly for a perfect road and is really quiet in the cabin. There is a small rattle coming from the passenger side that has been there since Thursday, no idea what it is but it's pretty annoying. The leather and seats are really comfortable and definitely a step up from the TL. The touch screen is still distracting and the layout isn't the best. The looks are really starting to grow on me as well. The more I see this car the more I like it, I never really cared for it when I saw at the dealership though. I'm actually thinking of trading in my TL for one.

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

The same dual-screen setup and layout is also being used in the 2014 MDX and soon also in the TLX.

Brock79

It needs work, the MY Ford Touch is so much easier to use and laid out better, you can also control everything from the steering wheel also in the Fords, like the A/C, heat and anything else. The Acura system takes your eyes off the road and the voice commands aren't the best either.

Edward'TLS

I agree.

The latest Acura dual-screen layout and user interface need lots of work.

For a simple operation like toggling the recirculation mode (fresh-air/recirculated-air) requires a 2 screen-touch operation. The 1st touch (to select the recirculation mode button in the main screen) brings up the recirculation mode sub-screen, and a 2nd touch selects either the fresh-air button or the recirculated-air button.

It would be much simpler if the recirculation mode button in the main screen acts just like a conventional button, with every touch toggles the recirculation mode, rather than bringing up the sub-menu for further selection.

Even with vibration feedback confirmation, every screen touch action takes the driver's eyes and attention away from the road.

MisterZDX

Not a big fan of Honda/Acura's dual screen set-up. Glad my 2013 ZDX still has lots of buttons and the center knob.

weather

^^ I am with you....Guilty of having a "button fetish"....it turns me on at night!!

Yumcha

FWIW, it is considered small by today's standards, no?

ReLaX

I did...traded an '06 TL for a 2014 RLX with Navi that was discounted to 41,985. With the trade in and .9% financing I got a nice upgrade for the price of a fully loaded Maxima. I would have gladly paid the 50,985 the dealer was asking for this car. Nothing else like it on the road for the money, imho. Others may disagree, but I swear by this car, love the way it looks and drives. (got 31.7 mpg on a trip to Durham NC this weekend and I was not shy with the go pedal.) I actually prefer the dual screen set up. I get compliments on my ride everywhere I go.

ReLaX

I generally use the voice commands for this and a lot of other functions. "Climate Control, Fresh air" or "Climate Control Recirculate" will do the trick. I felt kind of funny about it at first, like I was talking to myself, but the voice commands work quite well and actually alleviate having to push many buttons at all.

hyperpm

Also had a loaner RLX, review below:

RLX negatives:

Suspension bobs up and down on freeway bumps.
Very non Honda like as far as ride goes.
Ride very soft but jittery at the same time.
Front suspension very soft that it always dives when applying brakes.
My wife said it drives and rides like an American car or an early 2000 Galant.
Nav screen creeks
Unusually noisy inside with road and tire noise coming through.
Interior doesn't look or feel it belongs to a 50k plus car.
Whining noise coming from somewhere.
Seats too soft.

RLX Pros:

New 3.5 direct injection V6 amazing and saves gas. Power everywhere in powerband.
Transmission also great, shifted seamlessly. CVT?
4WS made it rotate easy in a weird kind of way.
Roomy inside.
Discrete looking exterior
Jewel headlights.

If they dial in that suspension the next model year(s) and fix all first year bugs, I would't mind buying one for the wife.

Brock79

It's, not a CVT, it has a 6 speed Auto, the one I have you can feel the shifts, but ever so slightly. I did put it into sport and mess with the paddle shifters, it gives it a firmer shift you can feel. I actually think the cabin is very quiet, compared to the TL. The 4 wheel steering is a weird feeling, I really feel it on tighter turns, and it almost feels like somebody is pushing the rear around the corner.