xtcnrice

I enjoy the finish of the 2016 wheels. I believe Lexus has been offering that as well. I recall seeing a glossy yet gunmetal looking finish on some of their cars and thought they looked great.

Reminds me of something like this:

proudMDX

Or this (though a little on the darker side):

TSX69

I like the 2016 rims better, @ least against the Crystal Black Pearl. Speaking of which, is it not time for Acura to come up with a new black? CBP has been around for a while now & before that was NightHawk Black Pearl. Perhaps they could offer a black metallic? That would be an interesting switch up since all they usually do is change the color of the glitter in the black pearl paints, as far as I can tell.

holografique

Thanks for the note! I may try to head there Saturday if time permits.

weather

All relative I know but gorgeous wheels and despite what everyone may say, I love the look of this car.

neuronbob

I think the 2016 Sport Hybrid release may be imminent, or at least close. It is now on the fueleconomy.gov website:

Fuel Economy of 2016 Acura RLX

blacktsxwagon

This was just said on the Acura facebook page...

neuronbob

hondamore

Wow. Maybe they've decided that whether it is a performance hybrid or economy hybrid, that the average consumer just doesn't care. Of course, this conclusion was reached after talking to some focus group of "average people" who can't point to Europe on a globe.

With the hybrid shelved, maybe a twin turbo V6 RLX is upcoming in 2018 with good old fashioned SHAWD??? Turbos are understood by the masses and they've had success with the "standard SHAWD".

Such a shame that more people won't be able to enjoy this amazing car - the existing models could become one of the rarest cars ever.

Pens Fan

If this is true then we should really question the commitment to any future RLX model. Shame on Acura for not being forthright on any aspect of the Hybrid from day 1.

neuronbob

I went to the Acura Facebook page myself at lunchtime and verified that the post indeed came from there.

Booooo Acura!

And I guess I should buy my now über-rare Sport Hybrid off lease?

JM2010 SH-AWD

Wow, I don't understand this at all. It's the exact opposite of what I thought they should do, unless a new SH option is waiting in the wings. Battery shortages maybe?

neuronbob

I am wondering whether Acura's social media team simply doesn't know what's going on. There is precedent for this from around the beginning of the year, when they posted a RLX interior and called it one of their other models.

Further, the Sport Hybrid was scrubbed from Acura's website already without even a word to the public a few weeks ago. That scrubbing was so thorough that I had a hard time finding my spare tire kit parts, and so did the dealer.

If that's an official response though, how sad. The Sport Hybrid was never really given a chance. I agree with the post above now questioning any future for the RLX.

I wish they'd say SOMETHING to Acura buyers, many of whom waited a long time for this car and now will have no option in the Acura family.

2011TL

Why is the SH RLX still being listed on Acura Canada's website?

George,

I believe it was only yesterday you posted there would be a 2018 SH RLX????

hondamore

The Sport Hybrid's on the Canadian Acura site are 2015 models which were NOT available in the US - this is where the confusion may be coming from. Perhaps the Acura reply was related to/in reference to the 2015 US model of the Sport Hybrid RLX ONLY and in no way was meant to suggest that future models won't be forthcoming.

Just my guess.

2011TL

^^ Thank you. I hope you are correct.

hondamore

The engineering, tooling and line set up for the Sport Hybrid are already in place, so it seems to be illogical to cancel the model ESPECIALLY considering the rave reviews they have been receiving from everyone who has driven one.

It makes more sense that they skipped the 2015 US Sport Hybrid model because they wouldn't have been ready to ship until close to summer 2015 (due to some delays in the Legend production run) and they instead decided to wait and build them and release them as 2016 models.

That's my hope anyway.

holografique

^ I think that's a pretty far stretch there hondamore. The post couldn't be anymore clear. "...we are no longer offering a hybrid option for the RLX". I don't think there is any reading between the lines in that, especially related to specific model years.

Honestly I'm not all that surprised...the writing has been on the wall for quite some time now. All you had to do is look at how amazing of a job they have done with marketing EVERY other Acura EXCEPT the RLX, and common sense tells you something was and has been severely wrong behind the scenes. It was pretty clear where things were headed if you just took off the rose-colored Acura glasses and looked at how the entire produce release down to the product itself has been handled and executed since day one.

If it is ends up being 100% accurate, I'm not at all happy to see it come to this as the SH option was the only real saving grace for me to stay with the RLX (and potentially the brand as a whole) come next year when my lease is up.

At this point if the SH is truly dead, then IMO they need to do one of the following:

1. severely ramp up the features of the PAWS version to make it worth the price/value

2. drop the MSRP of the PAWS version to make it more line with the features Acura is willing to put into the product.

3. Move more of the luxury features of the RLX down to the TLX to give those of us who want "more" as an option to stay with the brand. (e.g. power folding mirrors, auto-tilt steering, parking sensors, higher-grade interior components, surround camera, etc. etc.)


For me personally I see three options to stay with the brand at this point:

1. they offer the HUD as an option (or standard) on the PAWS Advanced model and fix the damn NAV issues. I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt that the suspension issues are truly resolved in the 2016 model and onward.

2. they offer the HUD, power mirrors, parking sensors, automatic tilt-steering wheel, etc as additional luxury options that you can add to the TLX. This way it doesn't create a "competition" issue on cost/value between the TLX / RLX, but allows those of us who are willing to pay more, we can get what we want as an option to get more in a TLX form-factor.

3. Honor the LEGEND lineage and heritage by coming out with a 2-door coupe version of the RLX

Otherwise MB/BMW here I come :|

Or the statement could be false and you can ignore this post

neuronbob

^^^
You forgot the other option I mention regularly, which is to DROP the PAWS too and completely kill the RLX until they can create an executive sedan they can actually market. Honestly, given a discontinuation of the Sport Hybrid, there's no longer a reason to have the RLX in the lineup at all unless they REALLY amp up the offerings of the PAWS. And I do mean, amp it up and try to differentiate it.

hondamore

I'll still play the role of the optimist and say:
- the Acura statement is not time specific only stating at this current time (April 2015) they are no longer offering a hybrid option for the RLX. The note does NOT state that the RLX Sport Hybrid has been discontinued permanently.
- It is not unusual or uncommon for automotive companies to "hide" or delay announcement of future models so as to aid in the sale of the current models sitting in dealer lots. That is, I would not expect Acura to respond to the query by stating that, "we have no hybrid to offer right now, but a much better version of both the RLX and the RLX Sport Hybrid will be available later this fall".
- The worldwide version of the RLX Sport Hybrid equivalent, the Honda Legend just finished production suggesting that Honda has not abandoned the model. Making a few hundred of them a year in Acura RLX Sport Hybrid specs is not an expensive nor difficult task and would leave Acura with a true flagship sedan.
- The coming release of the NSX is the perfect time to market the RLX Sport Hybrid with a similarly designed drive train.

Yes, I am taking an optimistic view of this, but others are equally taking a negative stance based upon a short, imprecise note on Facebook that provides very little in the way of detail on Acura's long term plans for the RLX Sport Hybrid. I may be wrong, the "glass half empty" camp may be wrong, we don't know yet. The sky isn't falling, let's just wait and see what happens and not jump to conclusions.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

Based on this revelation I am considering negotiating to buy a second RLX-SH for collector purposes only. In other words, mothball the car under a cover in the garage. What do you all think? Stupid or visionary? Here is the vin# JH4KC2F59EC000131

JM2010 SH-AWD

^^ Great idea! But you know it's bad to let a car just sit. I'll be happy to provide storage and proper "custodial" services to you until you're ready to use the car or otherwise dispose of it.

hondamore

The issue with saving an RLX Sport Hybrid as a collector car investment is that it seems to have a specific, niche following/appeal. That is, it isn't a car that the whole world is clamoring for. As such, even a very rare model may not explode in value with time due to the limited number of people who even knew about it, let alone coveted it. The fact that such a great car is still available this long after being released, confirms that limited appeal.

That '69 Camaro that a lot of baby boomers wished they owned back in the day, has huge value because it was the dream car of many a young man. I don't believe there is currently a mass of young men dreaming of owning an RLX Sport Hybrid that would become your future market/demand for the car. Rarity doesn't always equate to value - demand creates value and the RLX currently lacks that demand.

Just my two cents.

AZuser

Rave reviews didn't/haven't translated into sales.

Disappointing sales = why bother

RLX-Sport Hybrid

Good points. The dealer just called back and offered $55,875 which is an "aggressive price". Considering I paid $54,500 and it is almost 4 months later, there has to be room to go lower. Does anyone know what the hold back or special manufacturer-to-dealer help there is?

AZuser

Shouldn't have scrapped their V8 and RWD plans

A V8 RWD RL(X) would have sold better than this.

JM2010 SH-AWD

Not with the same poor rollout and spotty marketing. Where I live, one seldom sees a RWD MB or BMW; they are almost all 4Matics and X-Drives. Using a RWD car here as a daily driver is a losing proposition. And every manufacturer is downscaling motors, if for no other reason ever-tightening CAFE standards. Acura's answer to these issues is brilliant - the SH RLX has AWD, under 5 second 0-60 dashes, and over 30 mpg. But if they only sell 200 of them in the US, it doesn't really matter (except to those lucky owners who snagged one).

RLX-Sport Hybrid

An I am considering buying a 2nd one right this second for collector purposes. Any thoughts on my previous question?

neuronbob

So now that my day is almost ended, I went back to the Acura FB page. Whoever is posting for Acura is stating to every query about a Sport Hybrid that "they are no longer offered". Sounds like it's done to me.

Again, really too bad. Despite my issues with cold weather fuel economy, this is a fabulous executive car.

A bit miffed now, but if this leads to an even better RLX/Legend, I'm happy to have beta-tested one for a time. We'll see in 2017 when my lease is up.

JM2010 SH-AWD

My personal opinion is that it's 50/50 if you're wondering whether it will appreciate due to its scarcity. It certainly is a technologically innovative car, unique so far, at least at its price point. But the market has not received the RLX all that well. I think you'd have to get the opinion of an expert on whether it's likely to appreciate.

If you're just wondering if it would be great to have another new SH ready to go when you run through the service life of your current one, that's a tougher question. If you keep your current one for say 5-7 years, you'd have another pristine RLX to replace it when you were ready to move on. But in 5-7 years, you might want something else, even a 2022 Super SH, whatever that might be.

Just my .02, of course.

neuronbob

TSX69 spread this to the TOV. I'm sure Jeff will have obtain some meaningful information from his Acura contacts and get this news verified. He'd just said something about a Sport Hybrid announcement.

I guess we now know what the announcement is.

On the plus side, if I do decide to keep my Sport Hybrid at the end of my lease, I'm sure that rather than letting it languish on the dealer lot, that I'd be able to get it for well below the 49% residual on the lease. RLXSH, I don't think this car is appreciating any time soon and I doubt it will be collected by anyone but Honda for its museum.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

If I got another one I could split my driving time and both would be low miles/driven cars. As much as I appreciate the offer to be the "car taker", I would want to be closer to it than St. Louis. I'm waiting for a call back from a collector car appraiser for his thoughts.

Acura is unbelievably stupid that they are dropping this car from their line up. If they are going to replace it with the Legend, it better be outrageous (super sexy and powerful lines, twin turbo V6 from the NSX to the tune of 500+ hp/tq, and have ultra modern interior technology that incorporates fighter pilot levels of heads up displays.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

Are there any other examples of very low volume cars that appreciated like the Buick GNX?

fsmith

Or....... the person that Acura has responding to their Facebook feed is a part-time college student who is reading from a set of scripts that he/she doesn't really understand, and what is being said is that there is no current RLX SH-AWD, which is true (i.e. "...no longer offering at this time").

Malibu Flyer

I thought that Acura just introduced a Japanese version of the Sport Hybrid. Doesn't that indicate they are still behind the car?

I will be disappointed if they do discontinue it but it won't change the smile I have on my face every time I get into mine. I just can't believe that with this remarkable technology in this car that it will just vanish from the American market.

In regard to whether or not this will be a collector's item and appreciate, I really don't care. I plan on keeping mine for a long time [I bought an extended Acura warranty]. I never look at a car as an investment. The enjoyment I get from driving it is all I am looking for as a "return" on my investment. So far my "return" is beyond my expectations.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

I agree 100%. Regarding my consideration to buy a 2nd SH, I got a call back from my contact who is a collectable car appraiser and once I told him the information we are all learning today in real time, he said that it is very possible that in a private sale these cars could maintain a value in the $50,000 range or higher even if the depreciation in the decaf RLX drops significantly. The rarity of supply and limited knowledge of its capabilities only enhances its value. He said that because there are so many similarities between the RLX-SH and the new NSX, it only enhances the situation. He said ABSOLUTELY do not trade it in for any reason. He said its value will be in the private market of collector sales. He said that this could have a similar depreciation/appreciation factor similar to that of other low volume special cars. Based on his comments there is no way I would get rid of this car because 20 years from now when there aren't any of these for purchase, the fact that there are so few only increases the demand factor. Just because very few know about this gem today does not mean it will decrease in value as much as the decaf RLX. They might as well have completely different names because they will be valued in unique ways.

sooththetruth

There are still a good number available on Autotrader. I had entered something wrong and thought they had evaporated away, but that was an error on my part.

neuronbob

You edited your post pretty quickly. Cars.com has 68 Sport Hybrids, 11 of them Advance. The number has been slowly dwindling since January, after an initial virtual run on them starting in the fall. The number of Advance has not budged since February.

The quote was "no longer offering", period. Sounds pretty final to me, but hopefully Acura will say something more official.

Edward'TLS

All those AWD MB/BMW vehicles are using a RWD-platform-based AWD system, and so will retain RWD handling characteristics even with AWD.

Whereas Honda/Acura has no RWD-sedan platform, and so all its AWD vehicles are using a FWD-platform-based AWD system.

In the extreme case, the Infiniti RWD-based AWD system can even achieve a front-to-rear power distribution of 0:100%, which, in effect, allows the Infiniti AWD vehicle to perform exactly like a RWD vehicle in most conditions.

krava

Now am I confused, knowing this info would you still buy a RLX? they are killing the one that is the good one