jhr3uva90

I like the TSX much better than the ILX, but it lacks the features of an RL or RLX.

I agree about waiting for the SH-AWD version of the RLX. I'm looking forward to it.

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX Review Notes

WEST COAST EDITOR MARK VAUGHN: Abusing the Acura RLX is a national pastime among the automotive press. Lawd knows it's an easy target: it still has a V6 when everything else has a V8; it has front-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive like the competition; it has a shared part or 2 with the (gasp!) Honda Accord … That is all true. And maybe Acura should be shellacked a little bit for keeping the RLX in the '80s for so long. But this new model does finally get some of the features that have been on competitors forever: direct injection, adaptive cruise control, LED head- and taillights, lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning, electric parking brake and even capless fueling. It's kind of embarrassing that Acura has only added these features in 2013 when competitors have had them for many a model year.

Some of the features Acura is hoping will set itself apart might not even be noticed by owners: Precision all-wheel steer that increases stability, grip and speed through corners, more power for the V6 -- up to 310 now, “amplitude reactive dampers” and even an aluminum hood, doors and fenders. Can you really feel that from behind the wheel, unless you've just driven an RL without them? These are all good, logical points that buyers might consider.

However, once you get in the thing and drive it around you realize that it's perfectly fine as a transportation device for 4 or 5 people. Most owners of large luxury sedans do not autocross them. Short of a BMW M5 or a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG sedan, most owners just drive them around at more or less normal speeds. Plus, since they sell only a relatively small handful of these things, having an RLX gives buyers even more of that exclusivity luxury owners crave. You are not going to see RLXs coming and going. I for 1 generally crave anonymity.

In regular traffic doing regular suburban driving things you will like the RLX. So will your passengers. Everyone who rode in the back seat commented positively, all unsolicited comments by the way. Indeed, it has 2 inches more room back there, which is a lot compared to the old car.

Most of the connectivity stuff worked, except that I couldn't get my iPhone 4 to ever connect. It might have been the phone's fault. I kept trying but no dice.

And if all the improvements aren't enough then just hold off on your purchase till later this year when the Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive version comes out with 370 horsepower and a dual-clutch transmission.

For now, bringing the car into the 21st century helps, as does price. As we noted when the car came out March 15, MSRP starts at $49,345 including destination. A loaded Advance model is $61,345. Go through the options lists of all these cars and see if it really does save you money. The Cadillac CTS -- rear-drive and a V6 -- starts at $43,340; the Lexus GS 350 -- also rear-drive and a V6 -- starts at $47,250. In between you can juggle a lot of options.

But, as I said, if you just get in the thing and drive it around like a normal car, you're likely to be pleasantly surprised at how nicely it functions as a roomy luxury sedan.

ASSOCIATE WEST COAST EDITOR BLAKE Z. RONG: Some people have harped on the RLX for not being as sporty and involving as other luxury limousines, as if they're going to win SSC Showroom Stock with it. But if Lexus has the Japanese Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti has the Japanese Mid-'80s Audi near-luxury that has terrible residual value and nobody is taking seriously, then what we have here is the Japanese Buick. It may be at odds with the Integras and lithe Legends that made the brand famous, but it's a fine car and a fine isolation chamber from the messy business of driving, one that's soundproof from the outside world, but has a fine surround-sound system to match.

This RLX is about 90% of the way to driving itself. It has adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist so it will steer itself to keep between lanes, physically adjusting the steering wheel like a twitchy “Christine.” Its seatbelts tug gently like nervous parents. The 14-speaker sound system is designed by Krell, a company that lacks the brand-recognition (read: salivated at by audio nerds) of something as tawdry as Bose but quietly designs some of the highest-end and most expensive audio equipment on Earth. Infinity? Mark Levinson? JBL? Get that midlevel junk out of here. This is real luxury, people!

The lane-keeping assist system, resplendent with cryptic lettering between the gauges -- is activated at the press of a button on, naturally, the steering wheel. Push it and lift your hands off, but not too far! Every 10 seconds a bright orange “STEERING REQUIRED” message lights up on the dash, to remind you that steering is, alas, still a major component to this motoring activity. The system is a novelty around town. But where it would work best would be the I-5 corridor between Sacramento and Los Angeles, which I underwent the day before in about 6 hours, complete with a stop at kitschy retiree tourist-trap Pea Soup Andersen's. Given a straight, unerring highway with minimum traffic and some good music on the Krell sound system, this lane-departure system might be a boon to lazy and shiftless youth like me.

The sport button turns the RLX into the car it should have been: slightly firmer, slightly sharper, and less languid and with more usable city acceleration. I say “slightly” because it takes little away from comfort: the suspension is just as cushy, the engine just as quiet. The electronic steering gains slightly more feel, and it still has more feel than Hyundai's similarly firming systems. Also, the gear indicator glows red in sport mode. So, there's that.

The interior is beautiful, big, light and airy, helped by the cream-colored leather that drapes everything underneath the black and spongy dashboard cover. If full leather is the true signifier of modern luxury, then Acura's luxury trappings have improved with gusto. The split-screen system is similar to Honda's, with the smaller lower screen a touch variant. It's responsive and reasonably high-resolution. And surprise! Its haptic feedback buzzes and vibrates under-finger, much like Cadillac's CUE, with the noticeable difference of not being a slow, defective, infuriating pile of electronic detritus.

But what a wonderful sound system the Krell is: beautifully nuanced, with true surround-sound effects. Crank up Florence + the Machine and it turns into a near-religious experience.

The real boon is the impressive turning radius: just three and a half lanes is all it takes to complete a frustrated U-turn like the ones my father performed in anger during my childhood, a proud legacy that has carried forth to this generation.

There have been gripes about the styling. It looks like so many feet of car, purchased as 1 would reams of fabric from Jo-Ann Fabrics. Sure. But after Acura's disastrous “beak” upon which it hoisted its own styling petard, it stands to reason that the company's designers might play it safe for a while. All the good stuff is there, they're saying; it's just that the majority can't see it. Like those amazing hideaway bungalows dotting the Malibu cliffs, all of the luxury is hidden from view.

Within a span of 20 years, BMW came from a purveyor of decently engineered compact and midsized sedans to setting the template for what the entire luxury-car industry is about. Every car needs to be sporty; every car needs to lap the Nürburgring and be capable of driving 10/10ths down Sunset Blvd and have a base sound system ensconced within a coal-black interior with plastic trim because that signifies “sportiness.” Acura is as guilty of this as everybody else. But for once, it is selling a luxury car that doesn't have to double as an H Production race car on the weekends because a brochure copywriter thought it would be exciting enough. That's rare for a Japanese company that has always tried -- like Infiniti, and now Lexus with its F-Sport line -- to over-inject sportiness into every facet of its lineup.

Don't call it a sports sedan. Frankie says RLX.

2014 Acura RLX with Advance Package

Base Price: $61,345

As-Tested Price: $61,345

Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V6; FWD, 6-speed automatic

Output: 310 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 272 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,997 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 20/31/24 mpg

Options: None

Ballinger

Our MotorTrend just arrived, with a comparo between the FWD RLX and the Cadillac.

Colin

^^ Let me guess, the Acura has boring styling and (now) too few buttons.

weather

^^ LMAO!! I am one of those who is upset that Acura has reduced their cockpit with the plethora of buttons.....It made the night experience so sexy!! I love my TL and how the cockpit just lights up at night....just gorgeous (and not being sarcastic!)

Rocketsfan

Same here! I love the buttons. It kills me when stuff is buried in menus. And what the hell does "too many buttons" really mean? You'd rather wade through menus than reach up and push a button? People act like if there are "too many buttons", the next day a gremlin comes in and rearranges all the buttons so now you have to re-learn them. OH NOES!

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I think the RLX won by a very small margin in this comparo?

dwest1023

Same here. In fact I added a button in my TL! The more the merrier.

WheelMcCoy

I also like buttons... as long as the steering wheel doesn't get overloaded. Buttons provide quick, precise access, even on a bumpy road.

The MINI has tons of switches and buttons, but that's called charming. On an Acura, it's called ugly or button-happy.

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX Steps Farther Away from Honda Roots - Sort of
Video:
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/?fre...s&VID=24870096

No mere Honda ever tastes the golden air that swirls through haughty Acura’s polished aluminum lungs.

Acuras, after all, proudly tote $50,000 price tags and people who wear suits in the summer.

Hondas haul mustard-stained kids and overworked moms.

Drive an Acura to a Democratic Party meeting and they’ll think you’re a Republican spy or some software salesman from Redondo Beach — or both.

But here’s the deal, kids: Will they assume you’re a wildly successful software salesman, a real California cutter?

And that’s been a persistent challenge for Acura, a brand that wears its slight cachet like a thin sweater.

Although Acuras have been in the U.S. for nearly 30 years now as Honda’s near-luxury division, many of us still think of them as Accords dressed for a dinner party — after a couple stiff shots of Jack Black.

Maybe the 2014 Acura RLX can change that perception, though it still shares its basic front-wheel-drive architecture and V-6 engine with workaday Accords.

Unlike recent Acura sedans that looked as if they had just blasted out of a teenager’s video game, the silver-blue RLX I had recently seemed almost subtle.

The big sedan pleasantly mixed fresh new lines with more subdued styling elements borrowed from Subaru, Hyundai and BMW.

It sported a large, fairly bold grille, for example, that was less aggressive than previous models.

Big, sweeping headlamps wrapped sleekly into relatively short fenders.

In typically quirky Acura fashion, though, each of those “Jewel Eye” LED headlights had what appeared to be 5 small projectors inside the lamp, looking like tiny chrome skulls lined up on a shelf.

Try to top that, BMW and Audi.

The front fenders on the RLX were relatively short, topped by a broad hood and fairly raked-back windshield.

They flowed into doors larger than some gates and distinctly etched sides.

It all rode on substantial 245/40 tires mounted on turbine-style 19-inch alloy wheels, giving the big sedan some flash.

Enterprising

The car even felt slightly more conservative inside.

A swoopy black dashboard flowed around hoods over the instrument panel and center stack, settling finally over a band of what appeared to be leather at mid-dash.

Acura interiors often make me feel like I’m standing on the deck of the Enterprise, listening to Capt. Kirk’s blood pressure rise. Too many buttons, too much information.

But the RLX provided a broad, contemporary center stack that was pretty functional.

The navigation system, however, rattled me a bit. It consistently displayed a prompt announcing that I was “not on a digitized road,” which I took as personal criticism of my low-tech path in life.

I may be headed to disconnected, kids — with great pleasure.

In addition, the instrument panel always displayed a reading on the total hours and minutes that the Acura had been in operation.

Have you ever wondered about that number? Has anyone ever asked how long your car has been in operation?

Oh, well, at least the black leather seats were smooth and expensive-looking with nice supportive bolsters and perforated centers.

In back, the seat swallowed me like a cheap cheese hors d’oeuvre. I thought it offered immense leg- and head-room, but those blessed with a 6-foot serving of height said head-room was a bit tight.

Torque everywhere

No one had any criticism of Acura’s utterly sophisticated 310-horsepower V-6. Though it is the same size as the Accord’s optional V-6, it feels 50-horsepower stronger — which it is.

With torque everywhere, the deep-breathing 6 also could rev to 6,500 rpm, giving the engine the broad punch to push the big Acura to 60 in a fleet 5.9 seconds, according to Car and Driver.

It was tied to a refined 6-speed transmission that helped the Acura attain a reasonable 20 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway.

But consider this: You can get an 8-speed automatic in a Ram pickup. Shouldn’t you expect at least that many gears in a sophisticated $58,000 luxury sedan?

With a double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear, the RLX featured a tight, taut ride.

It also offered various technologies to blur the fact that it was a big, heavy front-wheel drive sedan.

Agile Handling Assist, for instance, rotated the RLX into corners with imperceptible taps to the brakes. Precision All-Wheel Steer (PAWS) turned the rear wheels slightly into corners, also improving rotation.

As a result, the 2-ton sedan turned quickly into corners, its rear swinging swiftly into line. While eager, though, the Acura always felt a bit fuzzy to me through the steering wheel — probably from the weight of its front-wheel drive.

Still, the steering was light and quick in “sport” mode, providing decent road feel at moderate speeds.

But I didn’t think the RLX ever conveyed that sense of slicing precisely through corners like a rear-wheel-drive BMW 335 — an inherent weakness of front-wheel-drive, in my view.

It remained composed but rarely seemed happy.

Compared to a Cadillac XTS or Lincoln MKS, the Acura is a strong, engaging alternative.

For my $60,000, though, I want more sizzle than techno-competence, and I’m still not sure Acuras swing that way.

2014 Acura RLX

Type of vehicle: Full-size, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger sedan

Price as tested: $57,845

Fuel economy: 20 miles per gallon city, 31 highway

Weight: About 3,950 pounds

Engine: 3.5-liter V-6 with 310 horsepower and 272 lb.-ft. of torque

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Performance 0 to 60: 5.9 seconds

SOURCES: Acura; Car and Driver

TSX69

1st Drive: 2014 Acura RLX

Where the outgoing RL couldn’t find a home in either the marketplace or in Acura’s own range, the RLX has performance, technology and value to outpace the company’s modest sales projections.

The new RLX is going to change the game for Acura at the top end of its sedan range. Technology is the name of the game for the new RLX, both inside and out.

Overall rating: 8/10

Strengths and weaknesses:

Plenty of usable technology
Comfortable and spacious interior
Lack of all wheel drive
Only a 6-speed automatic transmission

Editor's Ratings:
Comfort (front): 9/10
Comfort (rear): 10/10
Consumption: 8/10
Equipment: 9/10
Handling/driving: 8/10
Look: 8/10
Performance: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Storage: 9/10

Replacing the slow-selling RL sedan, the new RLX is going to change the game for Acura at the top end of its sedan range. Where the outgoing RL couldn’t find a home in either the marketplace or in Acura’s own range, the RLX has performance, technology and value to outpace the company’s modest sales projections of about 300 units for the 2013 calendar year.

Technology is the name of the game for the new RLX, both inside and out. What will pique the interest of most buyers will be the reintroduction of 4-wheel steering. While this tech comes and goes from the market like a spring breeze, there is no question that it is functional. When parking, the rear wheels turn opposite to the fronts to improve the RLX’s manoeuvrability and minimize the car’s turning circle. At highway speeds, the rears turn in phase, making lane changes unnaturally smooth.

Despite the RLX near 1,800 kilogram curb weight, many of the body panels are made of aluminum, including the doors and the hood. That said, some of the car’s weight goes into noise reduction, such as the specially laminated glass and unique wheel inserts. I’ll look forward to a more extensive test to determine how easy the RLX is on the ears.

The new, distinctive LED headlamps promise superior nighttime illumination, but I’ll have to wait until an extended test to try these as well.

The new adaptive cruise control system has a low-speed follow function, which will stop and start the car up to 40 km/h, which is simply superb for for stop and go traffic. Among other driver assist tech, there are forward collision, lane departure and lane keep assist systems. The lane keep assist system is different than other manufacturers’ systems and where others vibrate the steering wheel or aggressively pull the car back into its lane, the RLX simply eases itself back to its proper trajectory. The system does get upset, however, if you try to drive without any steering input.

As is the trend, the parking brake is electronic and this permits a hold function, a feature otherwise found on more premium luxury sedans. With the function switched on, the car will hold itself in place after you’ve stopped and removed your foot from the brake pedal. The system releases the car as soon as you touch the gas pedal.

The fashionable sport mode button does actually increase the fun factor - optimizes transmission shift maps, reducing power steering assist for a firmer feel and changes to a more aggressive all-wheel steering program.

As a fan of Hondas and Acuras, I find the big RLX to be more than simply pleasant to drive. Over a few laps on a race track, I find the chassis to be superbly balanced for a front-driver, of course assisted by the rear wheels steering, but the electric power steering offers less feedback than the hydraulic systems of old. On the road, the RLX rides firm, making clear its more sporting intentions than say, a Lexus or Cadillac, with some harshness over expansion joints.

If the RLX lacks anywhere, it’s with just 2 things – all wheel drive and the 6 speed automatic. While most new luxury cars today are introduced with 8-speed autos, the RLX arrives with only 6 cogs. Also, where AWD is either available or standard with all of the competition, it’s simply not offered on the gasoline model, and Canadian luxury car buyers are undoubtedly looking for it. If you do want all wheel drive in your RLX, you’ll have to wait for the upcoming hybrid and, thankfully, the hybrid will be even more sport-oriented, with its rear wheels driven by electric motors. That’s 1 hybrid I’m looking forward to driving.

Drivers will like the seating position and the feel of the small diameter steering wheel. Seat and wheel adjustability is excellent with no apparent shortcomings to prevent finding a good seating position. The front of the cabin feels very spacious, but passengers in the back seat will be impressed with the limousine like legroom. The Elite model has heated front and rear seats, with ventilated seats for front passengers only.

In addition to rear seat volume, Acura’s packaging engineers should also be commended for giving the RLX a massive trunk. The rear seat doesn’t have a split-fold mechanism, with only a pass-through available, which is fitting for a more premium sedan.

The new navigation and audio system interface is much improved and simpler than before, on par with the latest from Honda and Acura. In the game of audio system one-upmanship, Acura is now playing for keeps with a system by Krell, and I’m looking forward to a full test of that system in the near future.

Although the outgoing RL didn’t sell in any significant numbers, this new RLX will be well received by the Acura faithful as well as newcomers to the brand, and exceed the company’s modest sales projections.

Fact file
2014 Acura RLX
Trim levels available: base, Tech, Elite
MSRP range: $49,990 - $62,190
Freight: Exp. $1,945
Notable options: Navigation; adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow; lane keep assist; Krell sound system.
Configuration: front engine/ front wheel drive
Available engines: 3.5L V6 (310 hp/372 lb.-ft.)
Available transmissions: 6-spd auto. with sequential shift
Fuel economy ratings: 10.5 L/100km city; 6.4 L/1ookm hwy
Warranties: 4 years/ 80,000 km (basic); 5 years/ 100,000 km (powertrain)
Competitors: Audi A6; Cadillac XTS; Lexus GS 350; Lincoln MKS

jhr3uva90

A positive review? What?

TSX69

2014 Acura RLX Video

2014 Acura RLX - YouTube

When Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder calls the 2014 Acura RLX "enigmatic," that means he's puzzled to the point of speechlessness searching for the appropriate adjectives to summarize the luxury sedan. It's sort of midsize, sort of full size; the Precision All-Wheel Steer system tightens turning, but not as well as competitors; interior quality is impressive but bland; a multiscreen media system aims to simplify but complicates. If defying description — and sometimes logic — is appealing, this $61,000 riddle might make sense. Watch the video and decide.

jhr3uva90

I think the RLX's listed turning circle excludes the P-AWS effect.

jhr3uva90

Also, I would like a reviewer to really review the TECHNOLOGY other than just to ask why it is necessary.

getakey

why would it exclude P-AWS?

jhr3uva90

Because the listed turning diameter of the RLX is bigger than the TL, which is roughly the same size and lacks P-AWS. I find it hard to believe that the listed turning diameter includes P-AWS, but I could be wrong.

getakey

from the motortrend review:

"Despite its increased interior dimensions and slightly increased width, overall vehicle length is roughly the same as on the old car, meaning it's not any tougher to park or maneuver. In fact, if anything, it's slightly easier to steer this full-size luxury car around town, thanks to Acura's new Precision All-Wheel Steer system. PAWS alters thetoe angle of the rear wheels with steering and braking input, making the car more agile and stable when being driven quickly, as well as slightly reducing the car's turning radius."


But, I agree with you in that it seems the radius should be smaller.

And so does the Wall Street Journal:
"And, before leaving P-AWS: In low-speed maneuvering, the system turns the rear wheels out of phase—which is to say, in the opposite direction—from the front wheels. The point is to decrease the car's turning circle (another weak point in front-drive cars). And yet, even with P-AWS crabbing the rear wheels, the RLX's turning circle is a still a relatively immense 40 feet (a Mercedes E350's turning circle is 36.2 feet)."

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

+1. This is a luxury car....luxury means having excessive things. Those can be horsepower, torque, features, gadgets, styling, flair, etc. For the RLX, it's about the tech....not sure why they would want to omit that part...

jhr3uva90

If the RLX with P-AWS has a larger turning circle than the TL without P-AWS, then what good is P-AWS?

db22

P-AWS decreses the turning radius compared to the same car without it not compared to a TL or even an Accord for that matter. Besides, we drive in the USA which means we need the ability to swerve around potholes not to do U-turns in tiny European streets.

getakey

The RLX has a longer wheelbase than the TL. Also, slightly wider track. Got to wonder what the radius would be without P-AWS. How does it compare to current RL?

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Interesting, the RLX certainly feels like a small car when I was driving it around a small figure 8 at the performance experience event a few days ago.

WheelMcCoy

P-AWS, combined with double wishbone dual ball joints, mitigates fwd oversteer, so you can take those sweeping curves pretty fast. P-AWS is supposed to make parallel parking easier too.

Being fwd, there's so much gear in the front there's less room for a tight turning radius. A MINI Cooper has a turning circle of 35.1 feet which is surprisingly large for a small car. But it is fwd so there's less room. A Mazda3, also fwd but longer than a MINI, manages a tighter turning circle of 34.2 feet.

jhr3uva90

Have you ever driven in NYC, DC, or San Francisco? Small streets. A tight turning radius is helpful there.

jhr3uva90

2005 Acura RL's turning radius was 39.7 feet, I believe.

db22

I have driven in SF and NYC but I was with my wife so I could not turn around as that would be an admission of guilt that firstly, I was going in the wrong direction and two, I made a mistake.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Here's the latest C/D review on the RLX FWD Elite: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...wd-test-review

The review seems quite positive. Those performance figures are right on par with others in its class (GS350, A6 3.0T, E350, 535i, M37).

0-60mph: 5.8s
1/4 mile: 14.3s@100mph

jhr3uva90

Why are people so obsessed with RWD for a four-door family sedan?

weather

^^ Because most people would rather prefer what others "say" is better rather than forming their own opinion. I am positive that if the shield would have been well received in 2009, most people would have loved it.

jhr3uva90

I was reading the comments for the C&D review above. One commenter compared the Acura RLX to their Mustang. Really? Midsize car with full size interior isn't as sporty as a Mustang? Is that a goal?

GoHawks

That's a ridiculous comparison.

SSFTSX

performance is better than competition considering rlx lacks Dunlop sport maxx tires

jhr3uva90

I agree. Sometimes I feel like people who read car magazines want midsize sedans to drive like sports cars, which is why they love the 5-Series BMW so much.

Rocket_man

Been there, done that!

Realistically she probably knew that I was lost but had the decency not to let me know that she knew and not give me grief about it. That is one of the many reasons we get along.

Just let me be blissfully lost, I'll get us there eventually. Just sit back and enjoy the ride!

TSX69

Comfortable Quiet Sedan Made to Compete with Lexus

The Scoop
I’m always amazed by the choices car manufacturers make when it comes to naming their products. In the case of Acura, they used to have great names like Legend and Integra, which it abandoned about 10 years ago in favour of ho-hum letters. The Legend became the RL. I’m not sure about you, but I’d much rather drive a Legend than an RL. Then there is the choice of letters. Acura uses X on its SUVs, like the RDX and bigger MDX. X makes sense as these vehicles have AWD capability, kind of playing off the 4X4 image, even though they are not true 4X4 vehicles. So the introduction of the all-new RLX would bring to mind a flagship luxury sedan with AWD. No. The RLX is a front-wheel drive sedan, so all I can figure is the X must now stand for all-wheel steering. Don’t worry, I’m confused too, because the last model RL had AWD and it didn’t have an X in the name. Acura, stick with something — anything.

The skin
To clarify, this is an all-new top-of-the-line sedan from Acura running off an all-new platform and with an all-new name. Now, if you can’t remember what the old RL looked like, don’t beat yourself up — it was a forgettable car, so much that it didn’t sell very well. Acura hopes to change that with this more modern and larger sedan. The wheelbase has been lengthened and the overhangs tidied up to produce a more interesting-looking car. The most dramatic feature is the new headlight cluster, which features 2 rows of high- and low-beam LED lights. This is typically something found on very high-end cars, such as the Porsche Panamera Turbo. Acura has embraced the large shield-like grille — they have no plans on changing it — but to their credit they have toned down the polarizing design a bit. The rest of the car is rather handsome but a tad conservative, much like the people who will be attracted to this car.

The cockpit
With a starting price of $49,990, this RLX competes very well with many other luxury sedans but is more expensive than the Lexus ES, which I feel will be the main competition for this product. Acura sees it differently, hoping to lure buyers looking at BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and other rear- or all-wheel drive vehicles. The Lexus ES is the nearest competitor and on interior dimensions it is also the closest. The Lexus has more rear legroom, but the RLX provides more shoulder room. Regardless, the RLX is a big car, with plenty of room for all passengers. The front seats are comfortable and beautifully covered in leather. The dash and centre console also have leather, plus the lower door panels feature soft-touch materials, something very few companies pay attention to. The centre console has 2 screens; 1 for the navigation and backup camera; the 2nd is the radio and information screen. Both look large and the buttons are also large, designed as such, no doubt, with the baby boomers who will be interacting with the console in mind.

The ride
The X in RLX must stand for their new all-wheel steering system, capable of turning each of the rear wheels independently of each other. The real name is P-AWS, or Precision All-Wheel Steer. This means that the rear wheels are able to move up to 1.8 per cent in or out. This sounds like a very small amount but in practice the feeling is very sure-footed. In some instances, the rear wheels will turn opposite to the front wheels for manoeuvring, such as parking. The rear wheels will also move in the same direction as the front wheels when changing lanes at high speeds. The third and most advanced part of this system is the ability of the rear wheels to toe-in when the car is braking. This provides more stability and shortens braking distances. Other advancements include a church-quiet cabin thanks to noise cancelling technology, like a set of Bose headphones. The all-new 3.5-litre direct injection engine is superb. Smooth and powerful, with a lot of torque, this 320-horsepower unit has the ability to shut off 3 cylinders when cruising for optimal fuel consumption.

The good, the bad
Good: A beautiful interior that is quiet and refined. Excellent fuel economy.

Bad: The lack of AWD will limit the appeal of this new RLX.

Zack’s verdict
The RLX is an interesting car from Acura. They have to be applauded for improvements over the lacklustre styling of the old RL. The interior is fantastic and now features an optional KRELL ultra high-end audio system. The new RLX is bigger but lighter than the older car, thanks to the use of many aluminum parts, including body panels. The 3.5-litre V6 is up for the task and the all-wheel steering system is bold. I’m not sure if buyers were asking for all-wheel steering but Acura claims it will make this new RLX a must-drive for driving enthusiasts. I believe that omitting the AWD system found in the last car, and going to front-wheel-drive system, really limits the buyer pool. With Audi, BMW, Mercedes and others going with a full line of AWD vehicles, this is a misstep. The RLX is more expensive than the Lexus ES, but I truly believe it is the vehicle most likely to be cross-shopped. On that front, the RLX leaves the ES in the dust.

The lowdown
Power: 3.5-litre V6 with 310 hp
Fill-up: 10.5L/6.4L/100 km (city/highway)
Backup: 4 years/80,000 km
Sticker price: $49,990-$62,190.

GoHawks

Nothing wrong with wanting performance out of a sedan. I have gone on record that our BMW X5 handles better than many sports sedans out there.

Having said all that, comparing a muscle car to a performance luxury car (and the RLX leans more towards luxury) is ridiculous.

JM2010 SH-AWD

When all these reviewers of the RLX bemoan the lack of AWD, are they not aware that an AWD version is to be released this year? Yes, I get that they are not testing that version, but to say that a car can't compete because it lacks AWD seems, at the least, to be an ill-informed opinion.

mugen_kid

I totally agree with you. Makes me think these people have no clue about the brand or they just plan to butcher Acura for the hard times they have to overcome. They may be a little late with the AWD to release, but I think it will be well worth it!

Edward'TLS

People are only obsessed with RWD for a PREMIUM 4-door family sedan, NOT economy 4-door family sedan.

To answer the question of "why people are so obsessed with RWD for a PREMIUM 4-door family sedan ?", ask all those BMW and MB owners who have all contributed to the unbeatable class-leading sales rankings for the 3-series/C-class and the 5-series/E-class 4-door PREMIUM family sedans.